0:00:02 > 0:00:06Hola, mis amigos! Bienvenidos a Barney's America Latina!
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Arriba, arriba! It's show time.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Let me introduce you to a carnival of creatures,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12from fabulously freaky frogs
0:00:12 > 0:00:17to hollering howler monkeys to manic meat-eating plants. Es magnifico!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And they're all connected to each other
0:00:20 > 0:00:22in this wonderful world of wildlife
0:00:22 > 0:00:24by funny, fabulous and fantastic facts.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- CREATURES:- Get on with it!- Sorry...
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Tres, dos, uno!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Es la hora de Barney's Latin America!
0:00:46 > 0:00:49MUSIC: The First Lord's Song from "HMS Pinafore", Gilbert and Sullivan
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Aaah... I have to say, Barney, this is one of your better ideas.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The sun on our faces, the water beneath us, the salt in the air...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59SHE BREATHES IN Ahh! Love it.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03# We're tracing the voyage of Charles Darwin
0:01:03 > 0:01:05# That's Charles Darwin on the Beagle
0:01:05 > 0:01:07# A very little boat and a very special man
0:01:07 > 0:01:09# Who knew his seal from seagull!
0:01:11 > 0:01:15# And on the way he stopped for tea at some very, very special islands
0:01:15 > 0:01:17# Galapagos was their name and you'll never guess
0:01:17 > 0:01:19# What he found on them! #
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Er, Barney, what have I told you about singing?
0:01:21 > 0:01:23No, Barney... No!
0:01:25 > 0:01:26# He found some birds and fish
0:01:26 > 0:01:29# And other things that he didn't see there
0:01:29 > 0:01:32- # So special and amazing... - All right! I'll listen,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34but please, just stop the singing.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40The Galapagos Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean west of Ecuador,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and they are very, very special.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Mmm, this is interesting. Tell me more.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Well, Gem, because of how isolated they are,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50there are some very, very special animals here.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Charles Darwin, a famous naturalist...
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Hello. Anybody seen my Beagle?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00..discovered and recorded these animals in 1859,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04on a voyage on a ship called the HMS Beagle.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Ah! Much like this one here, then.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- So er...is it close? - I'll have a look.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Yes! Land ahoy!
0:02:12 > 0:02:15And because it's such a special land, the animals that live there
0:02:15 > 0:02:18have grown and developed in a very interesting way.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22There's ancient giants, graceful visitors and fearless dragons.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25We're going to find out who they are, what they do, and why.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28So - what's the first one then?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30First up, the Darwin's finches.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Aww, cute. But not that special, really.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Ah. But look at THIS one.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38That's a different bird. It's got a different beak.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42No, look carefully. What about THESE ones?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45All of those are different birds. That one's a woodpecker.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47No, Gem, it's not. They're all finches.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Well, why so different if they're the same bird?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's all to do with food. On different islands
0:02:52 > 0:02:56in the Galapagos, there's different types of food available.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57What? No supermarkets?
0:02:57 > 0:02:59No supermarkets.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02So the finches' beaks and feeding habits have evolved
0:03:02 > 0:03:04depending on where they lived.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Oh, I get it...
0:03:05 > 0:03:07So this one that looks like a woodpecker
0:03:07 > 0:03:10is a finch that eats food from under the bark.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13That one's eating berries, so his beak is different as well.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17So, if all we ate was ice cream, our noses would turn into scoops?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Are you going to pay for those?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Ooh, I hope so, Gem. There are in fact 13 types of finches.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28They all look a bit different, with different beaks all over the island.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30I love hal-finches.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Ha. You mean 12.69mm?
0:03:32 > 0:03:33GEMMA LAUGHS
0:03:33 > 0:03:37No. Seriously, Gem, the effects the islands had on their animals
0:03:37 > 0:03:40was a totally new idea. Nobody had ever thought of it before.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42And all because of lots of little finches -
0:03:42 > 0:03:45but different to Darwin's finches.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Oh, lovely. Now, what's for pudding?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And Charles Darwin worked this out, did he?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53# Well, not to begin with... #
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Oh. Sorry.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Actually it was one of his friends.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59But Charles Darwin worked out WHY they looked so different.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Um...OK. So what's next through the periscope?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Telescope. - Yeah, that too. Let's see.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08They're giants! Look.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11That one's nearly as big as that tree!
0:04:11 > 0:04:13No, he's just near and the tree is far away(!)
0:04:13 > 0:04:15These are giant tortoises, Barney.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And they're pretty amazing creatures.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20They are huge, and can live up to 150 years.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Wow. That's not old, though, there's milk in my fridge older than that.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And those tracks? They were made by generations of tortoises
0:04:28 > 0:04:30over thousands of years.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32They are the daddy of the islands.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Who's the daddy?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37There's different types of tortoise on each of the Galapagos Islands.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41A bit like the finches. Same animal - different...flavour?
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Yeah, a bit like that.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Over 5,000 of them live on the high, wet island of Isabela,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49with lots of greenery and grass. They have big round shells
0:04:49 > 0:04:52so they can barge through the undergrowth and not get stuck.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- TORTOISE GROANS - Easy does it. Ah... Made it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59- Something stuck in my teeth? - You don't have any teeth, darling.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- Hello, if you could give me the once-over.- Leave it to me, squire -
0:05:03 > 0:05:07- we'll be two shakes of a giraffe's tail.- Well, thank you very much.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Wow, there's so many of 'em.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14But on the flatter, drier islands they look very different.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Oh, yeah, so he is. He's got a funny...like an arch on his shell.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19- Like a hoodie!- Spot on.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22On drier islands, juicy food is higher up.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26So, he's developed a saddle-shaped shell and a long neck to reach.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30But that's just like a giraffe's neck. Are they related?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Erm...not quite.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38The tortoise's shell is in fact just like a Spanish saddle, or "galapago".
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So, when Spanish adventurers first arrived,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43they named the islands after them.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I can't think of another animal that would deserve the honour as much.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Awesome.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51And, I think we've found our first Galapagos connection here.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Both Darwin's finches and the Galapagos giant tortoises
0:05:55 > 0:05:58have evolved multiple versions of themselves
0:05:58 > 0:06:01to suit the particular island that they live on.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Ooh - blimey. Something's a-rumbling on these islands.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Yeah, sorry, I think that milk was off. It's gone right to me...
0:06:08 > 0:06:12OK, that's quite enough. What's next on the menu from Mr Darwin?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I've got a really interesting one for you now, Gem.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19She's a cormorant. But like everything else here,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21there's something very different...
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Wow, that's amazing. Like some...kind of spirit bird.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30# Ah, spirit bird, with your wings stretched out... #
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Er, Gem - I'll do the bad singing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Oh. Er...not exactly a great pair of wings.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Right. What's the gig here? I'm sure these are useful for something.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Ah, you may mock, Gem - but what I should have said
0:06:42 > 0:06:45is that this is the flightless cormorant.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48And its domain isn't in the air - it's under the water.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52OK - that is pretty special.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54It's slick and fast under the water, isn't it?
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Yeah - it's like almost like this cormorant has swapped its wings
0:06:58 > 0:07:00for extra underwater aerodynamics.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- She looks like she's pretty useful at fishing.- That she is.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Her big webbed feet propel her through the water,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09which makes her brilliant at catching fish and squid.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12All without any fear of becoming something's dinner herself.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But this is the wild, Barney -
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- everything has something that wants to eat it.- Yeah, but not here, Gem.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22On the Galapagos Islands there are very few actual predators.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Most animals live tough but pretty uneventful lives -
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and that means they evolve physically as well.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The cormorant never needs to fly away in a hurry,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32and finds lots of food under water.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34So it makes perfect sense
0:07:34 > 0:07:38for them not to bother with wings and just get good at swimming?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And here's a connection Darwin began to notice.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Both the tortoise and the flightless cormorant lacked any real predators.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47So their physical characteristics changed,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49just to help them feed and have an easy life.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Everything seems to happily fit in with the world around it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55No struggling, no running away.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Everything you need and nothing you don't, that's the motto.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01So rather than change the environment to suit THEM,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- the animals change to suit the environment.- Ah...
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Right, Barney. Let me take you northeast
0:08:07 > 0:08:12to the remote island of Genovesa, to see if that motto holds water.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Ah, maybe I was wrong.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17These birds all seem to be doing your bog standard bird-type stuff -
0:08:17 > 0:08:21flying about, nesting, pooping on people's shoulders...
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Well, the amazing cooled lava landscape
0:08:23 > 0:08:25does provide lots of nesting places
0:08:25 > 0:08:27for the estimated one million sea birds here.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29These ones are petrels.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Petrol? Petrol...?
0:08:31 > 0:08:33My Beagle runs on wind power alone.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36They have flown all the way from the middle of the Pacific
0:08:36 > 0:08:38back to their single egg.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- Wow. Amazing.- Yep, but unlike most of the other islands
0:08:41 > 0:08:43there is one predator that visits THIS island.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Mmm... Nice view. Let's see what the catering has to offer.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48He's not a local boy,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but has made this place his special home because of the food on offer.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Oh. What happened to the quiet life?
0:08:54 > 0:08:59The short-eared owl isn't as quick as the petrels in the air
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and is too big to crawl into their nests, so he has to wait and pounce
0:09:02 > 0:09:04when one is leaving or arriving.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Come on out... I know you're in there.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Shush, will you? There's an owl.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14He's creeping up on the nest. He's more like a cat than an owl.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- It waits... - Hee-hee. He can't hear us.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18..and listens...
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I know you're down there.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- PETREL FARTS - Oh - excuse me.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24..then...pounces!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Ha! And misses. Ha-ha.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Not for long. A short-eared owl is cleverer than that.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34This one has found an empty nest big enough to squeeze into.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- It waits for a petrel to return. - (I know there's one coming.)
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Oh. There's one...
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Thank you.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46What's your beef? You're gone!
0:09:47 > 0:09:49That is clever. You think they'd get better at flying
0:09:49 > 0:09:51instead of all the creeping around.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Well, the owls have learnt after years of training
0:09:54 > 0:09:57that flight is an overrated tool for hunting their dinner.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00They don't come to the island to wear themselves out flying -
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and so they are connected to the flightless cormorant.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Ah - the cormorant doesn't need to use its wings when hunting fish,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and the owl stalks its prey from the ground.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12So both have evolved to hunt without flying.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Another bird? What flavour is this one?
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Er, it's erm...sea bird flavour.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Will you please sit in an upright position
0:10:20 > 0:10:23so I can introduce to you the waved albatross.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Now, it's called waved because of the pattern on its feathers.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28Oh, I see... Is it another
0:10:28 > 0:10:32"doesn't use its wings because it's very clever"-type bird?
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Wrong - clever clogs. The waved albatross is very much the flyer.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Oh, yes, I'm very much the flyer.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42In fact, he takes off in a very familiar way...
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'Galapagos Airways Albatross Golf Bravo Golf Golf Golf...
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- 'you're clear for takeoff.' - Chocks away, decision...
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and rotate.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Lift off!
0:10:52 > 0:10:55That is cool. Just like an aeroplane
0:10:55 > 0:10:56he's creating a flow of air
0:10:56 > 0:10:58over his wings,
0:10:58 > 0:10:59which lifts him into the sky!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Exactly. And what a sight it is.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06The albatross can weigh 4kg, and has a wingspan of two metres.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10This means that once it's got the hard work of takeoff out of the way,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14it can glide and glide and glide for hours and hours...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16without even flapping!
0:11:16 > 0:11:20You mean to say he could fly anywhere in the eastern Pacific,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- but chooses the Galapagos as his special home?- Yeah. That's right.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Virtually all the world's albatrosses live and nest here
0:11:27 > 0:11:29on the Galapagos island of Espanola.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31They're not from here -
0:11:31 > 0:11:34but they choose to come because it's a special place.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Waved albatrosses live for up to 50 years,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and keep their partner for life.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They wait for weeks to be reunited, and when they are,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45they perform a beautiful dance.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Let's have a dance. - Yeah, like the old days.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49You can move.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- You're well fit. - So are you. I love you.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54I say, everyone, look - Bernard's rapping again!
0:11:54 > 0:11:57(RAPS) I'm getting smart with the art of the 'ffairs of the heart
0:11:57 > 0:11:59And the tune that speaks to the chick with the beak...
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Bernard, that was lovely!- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05They are very special indeed.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08They are. And they've made this special place their home.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12You see, unlike the unique animals that have evolved here,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16the short-eared owl and the waved albatross are outsiders,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and there's nowhere else they'd rather live.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22# They travelled for months, to fall in love
0:12:22 > 0:12:25# In this place and time
0:12:25 > 0:12:28# But for too long, without a sight
0:12:28 > 0:12:31# But this rock was just the sign... #
0:12:31 > 0:12:35All right! All right, please stop with the singing!
0:12:35 > 0:12:37# La-la, la-la... #
0:12:37 > 0:12:41MUSIC: Barcarolle from "The Tales of Hoffmann" by Offenbach
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Right, now, if I can get a word in,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46let me show you the blue-footed boobie.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- BARNEY SNIGGERS - Why do they call it that?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Er...cos they've got blue feet!
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Three-quarters of the world's boobies live on the Galapagos Islands.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57What are they doing?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59That pair are walking like they've got big clown's feet!
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Well, their name comes from the Spanish word "bobo",
0:13:03 > 0:13:06which means "clown"!
0:13:06 > 0:13:09The first Spanish sailors that landed here named them that.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Yeah, well, it is silly. I mean - what's the point?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- Er...to attract attention? - What - you mean a bit like this?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19HORNPIPE TUNE PLAYS
0:13:19 > 0:13:20WOLF-WHISTLE
0:13:27 > 0:13:31No. The higher the male boobie can lift its feet,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34the better his chances are of attracting a partner.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Yeah, look - now THAT one's at it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38That's an interested female, Barney -
0:13:38 > 0:13:40she's doing the same to show she likes him.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Right, so a stupid walk, big blue shoes and a great big beak
0:13:43 > 0:13:45is the secret to a woman's heart?
0:13:45 > 0:13:47What's wrong with flowers...?
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Well, there's always showing how good you are at getting the dinner.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56- Eh? What gives?- Well, the boobie might look silly on land, but it is
0:13:56 > 0:13:59one of the most impressive flying fishermen in Latin America.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- They have a piercing call which gathers them all.- Ah, communication!
0:14:03 > 0:14:06And then they synchronise their attack.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08C'mon, boys, here we go! Dak a dak a dak a!
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Wow! That's incredible. Those fish won't have a chance.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I've got to be honest, I don't think we stand a chance.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20They only need the water to be about three feet deep!
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Hmm, so all of this is just so they can get some grub,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to land on the island to act like a clown?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Yeah. The boobie relies on being a great fisher, and most importantly,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31a striking-looking fella to meet his dream partner.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34That's what links them to the Albatross.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- Both seabirds have a really impressive...- But very different!
0:14:37 > 0:14:40..courtship dance which makes them both successful seabirds!
0:14:40 > 0:14:43See, I told you this place was special.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Yeah, totally. Let's take a look at what we've seen so far, eh?
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Shh!
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Well, to start was Darwin's finches,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58the birds that split up to conquer these islands. One bird, 13 beaks.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- Now, that's clever! - Then came the daddy of the island,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05the old man of the land, the unique Galapagos giant tortoise.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Hows about that for a word in your shell, like?
0:15:08 > 0:15:10To prove that the easy life is the best life,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13this sleek swimmer even dropped its wings.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16The amazing flightless cormorant won't be caught flapping!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19For a visiting, stalking hunter, the big eyes and brain of
0:15:19 > 0:15:22the short-eared owl can't be matched. Hop, skip and jump to dinner!
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It's no surprise that the most graceful, beautiful flyer
0:15:25 > 0:15:28in the Pacific chooses the Galapagos as home.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The waved albatross is an example to everything and anything.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32But never mind beauty.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35What counts in these parts is catching something's eye,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and nothing does that more
0:15:37 > 0:15:40that the dive-bombing blue-footed boobie.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Well, they were all pretty good, but the Galapagos has a lot more
0:15:45 > 0:15:48to offer. So let's take a look at our next eye-land lubbers.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49"Eye, eye", Captain!
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Yeah, it is pretty funny.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- What's next, then? Is it that lizard?- Nope.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00At spring in the Galapagos, all the animals come out to play.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04There's one, and another, and some more.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But something really beautiful happens too.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Wow, look at all those flowers! Those ones are pretty.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15- Bright yellow ones.- Uh-huh.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And there's some more yellow flowers, and some more...
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Oh, but these ones are...yellow?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Hang on. What's going on here? Why are all the flowers yellow?
0:16:26 > 0:16:27Here's why.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30This is the carpenter bee and she is the only species of bee
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- on the Galapagos Islands. - She really likes those flowers.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36They're the only flowers she likes.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38The carpenter bee is a very fussy bee.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It doesn't just pollinate any old flowers - just the yellow ones.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46What's wrong with other flowers? I'd be grateful just to have some!
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Nobody knows why, but given that it's the only bee on the island,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54most of the flowers are yellow, just to be sure it gets pollinated!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57That is very odd...but we've seen odd things out here before.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Like the boobie. And here's the connection.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03The boobie likes blue feet, and the carpenter bee likes yellow flowers.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04So the connection is...
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Er...oh! I get it! They both have a favourite colour!
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Yes, they do.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16- Gem, I thought you might like these. - Oh! They're lovely! Thank you.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Oh, I feel really bad now.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That's OK. I don't give to receive.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21So what's next?
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The Galapagos Islands are volcanic.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30They grew from molten lava being pushed up from the ocean floor.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34This is still happening, as the islands have very active volcanoes.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Ah! That's where your rumbling came from.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41MUSIC: "Night On Bald Mountain" by Modest Mussorgsky
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Right, now that you've finished, Barney,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55this one is a colossus called Fernandina
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- and has erupted at least 24 times in the last 200 years.- Ooh!
0:17:59 > 0:18:03- I can't imagine anything would want to hang around there.- Wrong!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06This is the land iguana and she has to hang around these volcanoes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Why is she doing that?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Well, the land iguana likes to lay its eggs in warm places.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- And where could be warmer than the rim of a volcano?- My armpit?
0:18:15 > 0:18:18They've got some standards, Barney.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21She doesn't look like she's having it all her way.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23These are prime spots.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26It's a competitive business, so the two will fight it out.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27- All right.- All right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- I want your nest. - You're not having my nest.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- Give us your nest. - No, get your own nest.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Do you want some, then?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Owie! That's a real cat fight.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- They're fierce creatures.- Oh, yes. They're fiercely territorial.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44A threatened iguana will fight long and hard
0:18:44 > 0:18:46to keep the best nesting ground.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Well, it was a bit cheeky of her to try and steal it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52What's that? You're a coward? Want to run away? Go on.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The next best place to lay her eggs
0:18:55 > 0:18:58is right in the dangerous crater of the volcano.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Loads of iguanas get trapped here in landslides.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- Aw!- Don't worry, Barney. She's going to be OK.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09She'll lay her eggs safely before finding herself some food.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Given that she's a fierce old girl,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I bet she rips the head of anything passing by.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Well, no, actually. The land iguana's diet is made up of mostly prickly,
0:19:18 > 0:19:24but juicy cacti and she especially likes these pretty yellow flowers.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27You see, they give her all the energy she needs.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Yeah, five a day. Whatever!
0:19:29 > 0:19:33That is bizarre, but I suppose there is a lot of them.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Do you mean to say that there is a link
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- between the carpenter bee and the land iguana?- Yep.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The carpenter bee eats the yellow flowers' nectar
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and the land iguana chomps on its sweet nettles too.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46They both just love this sweet nutritious dessert.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- A bit like custard. I love custard. - Er...yes, Barney.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Ah, now that's more like it.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56These sea lions don't eat flowers - it's meat and two veg for them!
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Well, fish at least.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- They're big boys and girls, aren't they?- Oh, yes.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04The biggest of them can weigh 250kg.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10That's the weight of more than four Gemmas!
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Charming! But look at what great swimmers they are.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I suppose if you have to eat that many fish a day, you need to be.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22These sea lions breed exclusively on the Galapagos Islands.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24The head sea lion, the male bull,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27is fiercely protective of his territory.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32- And all the ladies that live there! - He's so dishy, I love him.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Yeah, ladies, I'm the daddy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36You like me, don't ya?
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Anyway, younger bulls will try and chase him off his territory.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44In fact, every 27 days a bull loses his territory to some young upstart.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45I see you, Junior.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Come on, granddad! It's time for a new face on the block.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52They fight on the beach and in the water to decide who's the daddy.
0:20:52 > 0:20:58Don't worry, ladies, this is my home. Our home, our territory.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Oh, look, he's coming over. Act calm and cool.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06The bull has all the attention from up to 25 sea lion cows to himself.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Oh, hang on.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11There's a connection here with the land iguana.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14"Ooooh, yeah." I mean, oh, yes, the land iguana is fiercely
0:21:14 > 0:21:18protective of its nest, and the sea lion of its special patch of beach.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21They are both extremely territorial.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24And they never give it up, do they, Barney?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26# Never gonna give it up
0:21:26 > 0:21:29# Never, never gonna give... # Ahem.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32OK, let's move on before your singing gets us in to deep water.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Ah...rocks. You can't go wrong with a rock.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Unless you trip over it or it falls on your head.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41They're not rocks. They're iguanas.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Hang on. We've already ticked these off our list, remember?
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Eats flowers. Fights over territory.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Well, yes, but these iguanas are even more special.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55They can swim deep into the ocean and don't exist anywhere else on Earth.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Why are they sneezing? Have they got colds?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00No, they're not sneezing, they're just getting rid of
0:22:00 > 0:22:03the salt water they breathed in whilst they were swimming.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05These giants are called marine iguanas.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Wow! Like Marine Commandos!
0:22:07 > 0:22:09You're not far from the truth.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Gentleman, it's time to enter the water.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18These iguanas realised there wasn't anything like enough food on land
0:22:18 > 0:22:21on the harsh volcanic rocks, so...
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The other ones seemed to manage - flowers, cactus and what not.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27I suppose, but the marine iguana's developed the ability
0:22:27 > 0:22:31to swim deep down to get to far more bountiful supplies of food!
0:22:31 > 0:22:32Of course. Fish.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Er, actually, algae. With a single breath, they can dive
0:22:36 > 0:22:39up to ten meters deep to reach their favourite food.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42They go all that way holding their breath just for some algae?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44What is wrong with these animals?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48What's wrong with me? Why don't you want to eat me?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The truth is, they aren't particularly fond of the sea.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53There are predators out there and it's very cold.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Ten minutes is about all they can take, but they do it to survive.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Well, I suppose that is quite impressive.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Charles Darwin discovered something very unusual about them as well.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05He noticed that if he put one into the water,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09it would get straight back out and return to where he picked it up from.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So they were more scared of what was in the water
0:23:13 > 0:23:17- than some bloke picking them up and throwing them in?- Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Unthreatened by anything on land, but a bit cautious in the water.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23They are undoubtedly great swimmers.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25That diving ability puts them right up there
0:23:25 > 0:23:27with the sea lion for marine mastery.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30They're both connected by this underwater talent,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32even if the iguana prefers the shallow end.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35There's a time and a place for everything, I suppose.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And we're just in time for the last and best Galapagos animal.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43The Galapagos hawk is the island's most effective predator.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Hang on. There's the marine iguana again. What's going on here?
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- The Galapagos hawk has a diet of... - Oh! Oh, dear.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55..rats, lizards, other birds, but it what it really likes to eat
0:23:55 > 0:23:56is marine iguanas.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Who's that? What?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00In fact, they time their mating patterns
0:24:00 > 0:24:04so their chicks are born when the marine iguanas come onto land
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- to lay their eggs. - Hang on. You've lost me.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10One marine iguana can feed a whole nestful of baby hawks,
0:24:10 > 0:24:15so the hawk watches and waits.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18And waits.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- And then...- Then?
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Then it swoops!
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Oh, over the brambles, ow!
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Oh, whoa, I'm flying! Look at me, guys!
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- You numpty.- Hello, chick.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48What a crafty bird. I wouldn't go near it.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50It would probably eat me!
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Well, actually, no. You see, here's the funny thing. Charles Darwin,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56on his travels noticed the hawk was completely tame!
0:24:56 > 0:24:58He could touch it, stroke it...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01In fact, Barney, to get hold of one to take a closer look,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I just lifted it off its branch.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Easy peasy, evolutionary!
0:25:07 > 0:25:11- What?!- Well, the hawk is so used to being the only predator,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14it's not scared of anything. No fear, no problem.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Why would it attack?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Least of all a human with a satchel and sideburns as big as that!
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I've never been so insulted in all my life.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Onwards, Gould, to the Isle of Sheppey.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29And here's the connection. Both the marine iguana and the Galapagos hawk
0:25:29 > 0:25:33are incredibly fearless because of a lack of predators to scare them.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And it's this Darwin discovery that brings us all the way back
0:25:37 > 0:25:38to his special finches.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41They became part of the story of Charles Darwin's five-week trip
0:25:41 > 0:25:45to the Galapagos Islands and helped kick-start a bigger story
0:25:45 > 0:25:47about how the natural world works.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Fearless animals, one-colour plants, multi-role birds, swimming lizards.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Crikey! It's all a blur!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So let's have another leaf through Darwin's notebook.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58To start with, Darwin's finches,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01the birds that fill the jobs of all the other birds...
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- that weren't there! - Then the wise father-figure,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09the giant tortoise, so amazing, they named the place after them.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Helping to prove that animals adapt to their needs
0:26:12 > 0:26:14is the wingless cormorant.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Don't forget the first of the rare predators,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20the tourist short-eared owl plays the waiting game for prey.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23For long-range travel and well-deserved rest,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26the story of the waved albatross is worth a second read.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30If you like a laugh, the blue-footed boobie is more of a performer.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33He's sure to catch your eye.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Only one colour attracts the island's queen and only bee.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The carpenter bee is colour-blind to anything but yellow.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43She may have to wait for the land iguana to finish eating first,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46before it heads off to have a scrap and lay some eggs!
0:26:46 > 0:26:49For a proper scrap, Gem, you want to get back to the seashore.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53The bullish sea lion won't leave you in any doubt who's boss.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56A swimmer who risks it all for a sloppy meal is the marine iguana.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00It has a love-hate relationship with the sea, but a lizard's gotta eat!
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Finally, the island's only resident predator is the Galapagos hawk.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So secure, so sure of herself that she got closer to Charles Darwin
0:27:07 > 0:27:10than any of his readers could ever hope to.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I have to say, Barney, I was pretty unsure about this at the start,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19but they were some amazing animals, and what an incredible place!
0:27:19 > 0:27:22It's awesome. Charles Darwin left full of new ideas,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24new ideas that would change the world, eventually.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Just a shame we could only see them through these telescopes.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Ah, yeah, about that...
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Don't worry. I told you we're going to get there.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35This boat's going to travel at a rate of knots.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37# Now, this here boat's travelling at a rate of knots
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- # It won't be long before we hit the rocks... #- Hey! Get off my boat!
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I don't believe it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46# ..before we hit the rocks... #
0:27:46 > 0:27:47Hey, get off my boat!
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Um... # La dum da... #
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:06 > 0:28:09E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk