Coasts

Download Subtitles

Transcript

0:00:40 > 0:00:42An olive ridley turtle.

0:00:44 > 0:00:49She's resting in the shallows off Costa Rica...

0:00:52 > 0:00:55..having swum a thousand miles to be here.

0:01:05 > 0:01:11All because the eggs she carries must be laid on dry land.

0:01:18 > 0:01:21Now, she's returned to the very same beach

0:01:21 > 0:01:24where she hatched ten years ago.

0:01:32 > 0:01:37She must leave the safety of her marine world...

0:01:39 > 0:01:43..and brave the alien world beyond.

0:02:06 > 0:02:08She's heavily laden,

0:02:08 > 0:02:13but the future of the next generation of her kind is at stake.

0:02:20 > 0:02:25All along the beach, in a spectacle that has remained unchanged

0:02:25 > 0:02:31for millions of years, mother sea turtles emerge from the ocean...

0:02:34 > 0:02:36..in their hundreds of thousands.

0:02:49 > 0:02:53Only those animals that overcome the great challenges of both land

0:02:53 > 0:02:58and sea can make the most of life here on the coasts.

0:03:24 > 0:03:29Our shores are places of sudden changes and rich rewards.

0:03:33 > 0:03:38The Galapagos Islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

0:03:42 > 0:03:45Their barren coastline looks unhospitable,

0:03:45 > 0:03:50but one group of animals has learned to use it to their advantage.

0:04:01 > 0:04:04Sea lions.

0:04:07 > 0:04:09Bachelors.

0:04:10 > 0:04:15They need to pile on the pounds, as only the biggest males

0:04:15 > 0:04:17will attract a female and manage to breed.

0:04:22 > 0:04:26If these young bulls fail to grow big enough,

0:04:26 > 0:04:30they will remain exiled on this isolated shoreline.

0:04:38 > 0:04:42So, one hungry young bull heads out alone.

0:05:12 > 0:05:15He's on the hunt for big game.

0:05:23 > 0:05:25Yellowfin tuna.

0:05:28 > 0:05:31Each weighing 60kg...

0:05:33 > 0:05:36..with a top speed of 40mph.

0:05:39 > 0:05:43He can't possibly catch one in the open sea.

0:05:45 > 0:05:46But he has a plan.

0:05:49 > 0:05:52Ahead lies the entrance to the cove.

0:05:56 > 0:05:57He herds them towards it...

0:06:05 > 0:06:07..into his trap...

0:06:22 > 0:06:25..driving them into a dead end.

0:06:30 > 0:06:32But they give him the slip.

0:06:40 > 0:06:42He's failed.

0:06:47 > 0:06:49SEA LION BARKS

0:06:51 > 0:06:54But there might be another way.

0:07:12 > 0:07:16Now, they head off as a team...

0:07:18 > 0:07:20..to round up more tuna...

0:07:25 > 0:07:28..driving them back into the cove.

0:07:41 > 0:07:46The sea lions fan out, channelling the tuna towards the bottleneck.

0:08:04 > 0:08:07Once again, the tuna hit the dead end.

0:08:07 > 0:08:09But this time,

0:08:09 > 0:08:14the young bull doubles back to act as a blocker, sealing off the exit.

0:08:40 > 0:08:43This time when the shoal tries to escape, he blocks them

0:08:43 > 0:08:46and drives them back into the next blind alley.

0:09:00 > 0:09:03The gang can now pick them off one by one.

0:09:50 > 0:09:54This clever fishing technique, demanding foresight, planning

0:09:54 > 0:09:59and cooperation, has only ever been seen here in the Galapagos.

0:10:02 > 0:10:05Each massive fish provides them

0:10:05 > 0:10:09with five times more protein than a normal day's hunting.

0:10:13 > 0:10:17Finally, the young bull leaves his post...

0:10:20 > 0:10:22..to claim his reward.

0:10:37 > 0:10:39On a diet of protein-rich tuna,

0:10:39 > 0:10:44he's well on the way to becoming a full-sized breeding bull.

0:10:51 > 0:10:56By using this cove, these Galapagos sea lions have made the most

0:10:56 > 0:11:01of the opportunities that occur where the coast's two worlds meet.

0:11:10 > 0:11:15Coasts are the most swiftly changing of all ocean habitats

0:11:15 > 0:11:18because of the tides.

0:11:26 > 0:11:32Tides are created as the moon's gravity pulls at the sea.

0:11:42 > 0:11:47As the moon circles our planet, the seas rise and fall,

0:11:47 > 0:11:51typically twice a day,

0:11:51 > 0:11:57creating the most constantly dynamic landscapes on Earth.

0:12:06 > 0:12:12Nowhere else do sea-living creatures face such changeable conditions...

0:12:15 > 0:12:20..with the daily risk of drying out and being scorched by the sun.

0:12:27 > 0:12:29Where the tide retreats across a rocky shore,

0:12:29 > 0:12:33it can leave behind a temporary oasis.

0:12:41 > 0:12:42A rock pool.

0:12:53 > 0:12:56Seemingly, it's a haven of calm.

0:12:58 > 0:13:00But not for long.

0:13:02 > 0:13:07Turning minutes into seconds reveals unexpected dramas.

0:13:20 > 0:13:25In rock pools, grazers, scavengers and filter feeders

0:13:25 > 0:13:29must all make the most of the few short hours before the tide returns.

0:13:46 > 0:13:50Anemones gulp down anything they can reach...

0:13:52 > 0:13:55..though some meals are harder to digest than others.

0:14:04 > 0:14:09These magical worlds soon become battlegrounds.

0:14:12 > 0:14:15A deadly predator with five arms

0:14:15 > 0:14:18and, on the underside, a mouth.

0:14:22 > 0:14:23The ochre starfish.

0:14:28 > 0:14:31And it's in search of limpets.

0:14:50 > 0:14:55For some, there is no escape. It engulfs them.

0:15:02 > 0:15:06But other limpets have a secret defence.

0:15:08 > 0:15:11They deploy a slippery shield...

0:15:13 > 0:15:17..which allows them to slide to safety.

0:15:21 > 0:15:25And this limpet has its own personal bodyguard.

0:15:35 > 0:15:38A scale worm with a nasty nip.

0:15:43 > 0:15:47The starfish prefers food that doesn't bite back.

0:15:49 > 0:15:55The limpet carries on, its bodyguard tucked safe under its shell.

0:15:58 > 0:16:03But there is one creature the limpets have no defence against.

0:16:05 > 0:16:07A clingfish.

0:16:09 > 0:16:12It has teeth that can lever under the shell

0:16:12 > 0:16:17and twist the limpet off like a bottle top.

0:16:21 > 0:16:26The clingfish then swallows it, shell and all.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37Rock pool dramas like these

0:16:37 > 0:16:41last just a few short hours before the tide returns.

0:16:45 > 0:16:50Every day, the sea becomes land and the land becomes sea...

0:16:58 > 0:17:00..bringing new opportunities.

0:17:04 > 0:17:06A Sally Lightfoot crab.

0:17:09 > 0:17:14One of thousands of shore crabs just waiting for their moment.

0:17:17 > 0:17:21Every day, they gather on the tropical shores of Brazil...

0:17:24 > 0:17:25..waiting for the tide to go out...

0:17:35 > 0:17:38..which exposes their feeding grounds -

0:17:38 > 0:17:43seaweed-covered rocks 100m from the shore.

0:17:52 > 0:17:56Getting there is a race against the tide.

0:18:02 > 0:18:05They leap from rock to rock.

0:18:19 > 0:18:22These crabs seem to be afraid of the water.

0:18:34 > 0:18:36And for good reason.

0:18:48 > 0:18:50The moray eel.

0:18:52 > 0:18:57The chain moray is a specialist crab hunter.

0:19:02 > 0:19:07Its blunt teeth can easily grip and crush a crab's shell.

0:19:12 > 0:19:15It's the crabs' deadliest enemy.

0:19:26 > 0:19:29But the crabs' feeding grounds are still a long way off.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38They must press on.

0:20:00 > 0:20:01Halfway.

0:20:06 > 0:20:10But their enemy has other ideas.

0:20:15 > 0:20:17Crossing the land...

0:20:23 > 0:20:26..to reset the ambush.

0:20:29 > 0:20:33To feed, the crabs must keep going.

0:20:38 > 0:20:41But nowhere is safe.

0:20:45 > 0:20:47An octopus, also a crab killer.

0:21:13 > 0:21:16The crabs make a dash for it.

0:21:42 > 0:21:44Made it!

0:21:53 > 0:21:57Risking life and limb to graze on these seaweed pastures.

0:22:01 > 0:22:05But in two hours' time when the tide starts to turn,

0:22:05 > 0:22:09they will have to run the gauntlet all over again.

0:22:19 > 0:22:23Tides are not the only force to have an impact on the coasts.

0:22:43 > 0:22:47The greatest waves originate far out to sea

0:22:47 > 0:22:51and roll in towards the coast, growing as they come.

0:23:03 > 0:23:07As the shallowing sea floor drags their underside,

0:23:07 > 0:23:14their crests rise up to 100ft high, topple over and break.

0:23:22 > 0:23:24Many of the biggest surfed waves in the world

0:23:24 > 0:23:27are formed off Nazare in Portugal.

0:23:43 > 0:23:46Every day along this coast, the impact of the waves

0:23:46 > 0:23:51is equivalent to one and a half million tonnes of TNT.

0:24:13 > 0:24:18Wave power gradually moulds and reshapes our coasts.

0:24:22 > 0:24:24In some parts of Europe,

0:24:24 > 0:24:29waves wear away as much as three metres of coastline each year.

0:24:36 > 0:24:41The rate at which the waves reshape the rock depends on its hardness.

0:24:42 > 0:24:48Where soft rock lies below hard, dramatic arches are carved.

0:25:05 > 0:25:08It's an endless assault that gradually sculpts

0:25:08 > 0:25:13vaulted cathedrals of stone, as here in northern Spain.

0:25:25 > 0:25:28And wave power creates towering fortresses,

0:25:28 > 0:25:30like these cliffs in the Arctic,

0:25:30 > 0:25:34home to tens of thousands of breeding sea birds.

0:25:39 > 0:25:42The faces of the cliffs are accessible only from the air

0:25:42 > 0:25:45and have plenty of nooks and crannies

0:25:45 > 0:25:47for those that can get there.

0:25:51 > 0:25:57But to feed, sea birds must still master the ocean world beyond.

0:26:01 > 0:26:03The puffin.

0:26:07 > 0:26:10He's a fisherman and a father.

0:26:15 > 0:26:18He has a mate for life.

0:26:24 > 0:26:28Both share the burden of raising their week-old chick,

0:26:28 > 0:26:33their puffling, who needs five square meals a day.

0:26:35 > 0:26:38The parents alternate fishing trips.

0:26:41 > 0:26:44It's Dad's turn.

0:27:06 > 0:27:11When fish stocks are low, puffins must fly as much as 30 miles

0:27:11 > 0:27:16out to sea to reach the good fishing grounds.

0:27:28 > 0:27:32Once there, they plunge into another world.

0:27:40 > 0:27:44Good fishing spots are hard to come by...and they have company.

0:27:46 > 0:27:48Guillemots.

0:27:55 > 0:27:59Like the puffin, their wings are short and good for diving.

0:28:01 > 0:28:05Puffins can hold their breath for over a minute

0:28:05 > 0:28:08and dive as deep as 40m.

0:28:13 > 0:28:15A catch!

0:28:33 > 0:28:36But it's a long way home.

0:28:49 > 0:28:54After an exhausting round trip of almost 60 miles,

0:28:54 > 0:28:56this puffin's nearly made it.

0:28:58 > 0:29:01But there are pirates on this coast.

0:29:04 > 0:29:06Arctic skuas.

0:29:31 > 0:29:35All around, returning parents are being robbed.

0:30:00 > 0:30:04The skuas' long, raked back wings

0:30:04 > 0:30:06make them faster and more manoeuvrable.

0:30:44 > 0:30:47Puffins must choose their moment wisely.

0:31:08 > 0:31:09A near miss.

0:31:27 > 0:31:30The last desperate burst of speed...

0:31:32 > 0:31:34..and it's made it.

0:32:00 > 0:32:04Safely home after a three-hour round trip...

0:32:11 > 0:32:14..where his patient partner is waiting.

0:32:30 > 0:32:33Today, their puffling will eat.

0:32:40 > 0:32:42But where fish numbers are in decline,

0:32:42 > 0:32:48many puffins now find it hard to get enough food for their chicks.

0:32:50 > 0:32:51In the changing seas of today,

0:32:51 > 0:32:56it can be even harder to be a successful puffin parent.

0:33:07 > 0:33:11Overcoming the challenges of two worlds is seldom easy.

0:33:12 > 0:33:17One marine creature has virtually abandoned the sea altogether.

0:33:20 > 0:33:23On a few remote Pacific islands

0:33:23 > 0:33:27lives the most terrestrial fish on the planet.

0:33:32 > 0:33:36At the top of this metre-high limestone cliff...

0:33:40 > 0:33:44..an eight-centimetre-long blenny has chosen a nest hole.

0:33:50 > 0:33:54Up here, he can graze on the abundant algae

0:33:54 > 0:33:57without any competition from seagoing fish.

0:33:58 > 0:34:01The females are feeding beneath him.

0:34:05 > 0:34:08He's keen to attract their attention.

0:34:11 > 0:34:14But they are busy moisturising.

0:34:14 > 0:34:18Staying damp is essential as they breathe through their skins.

0:34:23 > 0:34:27To make himself conspicuous, he turns black...

0:34:31 > 0:34:34..and flashes his orange fin.

0:34:35 > 0:34:37He catches her eye.

0:34:40 > 0:34:46But these Pacific leaping blennies seem afraid of the waves.

0:34:49 > 0:34:51They're poor swimmers

0:34:51 > 0:34:54and would be easy prey in the sea.

0:34:57 > 0:34:59Time to try again.

0:35:02 > 0:35:04She's tempted.

0:35:08 > 0:35:12But, once again, distracted by a wave.

0:35:35 > 0:35:39The male just won't give up.

0:35:50 > 0:35:53Finally, she's hooked.

0:35:56 > 0:35:59He makes way...

0:36:01 > 0:36:04..so she can enter his cave.

0:36:07 > 0:36:14And he encourages her to lay her eggs with his seductive dance.

0:36:27 > 0:36:32He then fertilises them in the safety of his nest.

0:36:43 > 0:36:46The blenny has given up the sea for a life on land.

0:36:49 > 0:36:53Others have made an even more successful move,

0:36:53 > 0:36:55but in a different direction.

0:37:02 > 0:37:05Penguins have abandoned flying

0:37:05 > 0:37:09and instead spend most of their lives swimming.

0:37:10 > 0:37:14Their sleek survival suits of tightly packed feathers

0:37:14 > 0:37:16are perfect for these freezing waters.

0:37:18 > 0:37:22Yet they must still come ashore once a year.

0:37:35 > 0:37:40South Georgia - an island wilderness close to Antarctica.

0:37:51 > 0:37:54Each spring, its beaches become the busiest on Earth

0:37:54 > 0:37:59as hundreds of thousands of king penguins return here.

0:38:08 > 0:38:10They're heading for the colony.

0:38:16 > 0:38:21But in their way lies the biggest wall of blubber on the planet.

0:38:25 > 0:38:27Elephant seals.

0:38:35 > 0:38:37It's the breeding season

0:38:37 > 0:38:40and the four-tonne bulls are fighting

0:38:40 > 0:38:42for control of their harems.

0:38:45 > 0:38:48Best to wait for them to calm down.

0:39:03 > 0:39:05He can't fly over this barrier

0:39:05 > 0:39:09so he will have to walk as unobtrusively as possible...

0:39:12 > 0:39:17..and hope that sleeping giants will continue to lie.

0:39:28 > 0:39:30Careful!

0:39:47 > 0:39:50This could be tricky.

0:40:08 > 0:40:10A rival bull mounts a challenge.

0:40:12 > 0:40:15The penguins could be caught in the crossfire.

0:40:46 > 0:40:49Eight tonnes of blubber collide.

0:41:10 > 0:41:14The towering beach master is victorious.

0:41:20 > 0:41:24In the confusion, this penguin slips through.

0:41:26 > 0:41:30Ahead are 40,000 chicks...

0:41:33 > 0:41:37..hungry and overexcited.

0:41:52 > 0:41:55But not every penguin has a chick to feed.

0:41:55 > 0:41:57That's not why they're here.

0:42:01 > 0:42:04There is another reason.

0:42:05 > 0:42:10There is a trial of endurance that every penguin must face.

0:42:11 > 0:42:15And it starts with a persistent itch.

0:42:21 > 0:42:26His survival suit has been worn thin by months of swimming

0:42:26 > 0:42:28in the rough Southern Ocean.

0:42:29 > 0:42:32His solution is drastic.

0:42:36 > 0:42:40Shed all four layers of feathers as quickly as possible.

0:42:45 > 0:42:48The process is known as a catastrophic moult.

0:42:54 > 0:42:57Until their feathers regrow,

0:42:57 > 0:43:00penguins will remain rooted to the spot.

0:43:23 > 0:43:27Having starved for a month, they're now fully waterproofed

0:43:27 > 0:43:30and insulated once more...

0:43:44 > 0:43:50..lean, hungry and eager to return to a life at sea.

0:44:06 > 0:44:09Thanks to their waterproof plumage,

0:44:09 > 0:44:12penguins are able to make the most of both worlds,

0:44:12 > 0:44:15even in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.

0:44:31 > 0:44:34The coasts of South Georgia are currently protected

0:44:34 > 0:44:37by their remoteness.

0:44:38 > 0:44:41Other coastlines are much more vulnerable.

0:44:46 > 0:44:50And they are now changing faster than ever before.

0:44:54 > 0:44:59Two-thirds of our major cities are on our coasts.

0:45:01 > 0:45:04It's estimated that in the next decade,

0:45:04 > 0:45:08we can expect 10% of the world's remaining wild shores

0:45:08 > 0:45:12to be taken over by human development.

0:45:20 > 0:45:24Yet every year, just off Florida's Palm Beach,

0:45:24 > 0:45:28an extraordinary spectacle appears almost unnoticed.

0:45:35 > 0:45:40The biggest gathering of coastal sharks on the planet.

0:45:44 > 0:45:47Spinners and blacktips.

0:45:52 > 0:45:5410,000 of them.

0:46:04 > 0:46:09Every January, they seek out these warm shallows as a stopover

0:46:09 > 0:46:13on their migration northwards.

0:46:17 > 0:46:23Sharks have been gathering here since long before people arrived.

0:46:33 > 0:46:37But today, they face levels of pollution

0:46:37 > 0:46:41and habitat degradation as well as fishing pressures

0:46:41 > 0:46:45that their ancestors would never have experienced.

0:46:48 > 0:46:52It's no longer enough for coastal creatures

0:46:52 > 0:46:55to master their own worlds.

0:47:02 > 0:47:05Now, they must face the many challenges

0:47:05 > 0:47:08that come from our world, too.

0:47:31 > 0:47:33To film the most surprising coastal wildlife,

0:47:33 > 0:47:35the Blue Planet II team travelled

0:47:35 > 0:47:38to some of the remotest shores on the planet.

0:47:41 > 0:47:45One destination was the Galapagos Islands.

0:47:46 > 0:47:49Here, they were in search of an almost unbelievable story,

0:47:49 > 0:47:53brought to them by a local cameraman, Richard Wollocombe.

0:47:53 > 0:47:55Well, I was talking to a friend of mine

0:47:55 > 0:47:57who's a fisherman over here and he said

0:47:57 > 0:48:00that one day, he'd turned up here in this bay

0:48:00 > 0:48:04and suddenly he saw a group of sea lions

0:48:04 > 0:48:07chasing these massive tuna up onto the beach

0:48:07 > 0:48:11and I was just like, "Yeah, funny one. I don't believe a word of that.

0:48:11 > 0:48:13"That just sounds too unreal."

0:48:13 > 0:48:18Still, the lure of the fisherman's tale was too great to ignore.

0:48:18 > 0:48:22I'm a little nervous. If it doesn't happen, there goes my credibility.

0:48:25 > 0:48:28The Blue Planet II team launch a full-scale expedition.

0:48:31 > 0:48:33But one of them is still sceptical.

0:48:33 > 0:48:36It's going to be pretty spectacular

0:48:36 > 0:48:40if a sea lion could actually chase down and kill a tuna.

0:48:40 > 0:48:42I'm still yet to be convinced.

0:48:43 > 0:48:49They set up camp in this barren cove, home for the next month.

0:48:51 > 0:48:54The local wildlife, famed for its tameness,

0:48:54 > 0:48:57is curious to meet its new neighbours.

0:48:57 > 0:48:59Shoo! Shoo!

0:49:01 > 0:49:03Shoo, shoo, shoo!

0:49:03 > 0:49:05Shoo, shoo!

0:49:08 > 0:49:10With no sign of the sea lions,

0:49:10 > 0:49:15the crew stake out the cove with remote underwater cameras.

0:49:17 > 0:49:21Field assistant Roby Pepolas takes first watch.

0:49:21 > 0:49:26This is the point of view where we try to see the sea lions coming,

0:49:26 > 0:49:27jumping over the water.

0:49:27 > 0:49:32If they are definitely coming very close, I say, "Action! Action!"

0:49:32 > 0:49:35- Or, "Rock and roll!" - HE LAUGHS

0:49:37 > 0:49:38Three hours later...

0:49:40 > 0:49:41Richard!

0:49:41 > 0:49:44HE SHOUTS IN SPANISH

0:49:45 > 0:49:48The aerial team are first up.

0:49:51 > 0:49:54It's a sea lion chasing tuna into the bay.

0:50:08 > 0:50:11Oh, he's got it! He's got it!

0:50:11 > 0:50:15Unbelievable! Look at that, it's still struggling!

0:50:15 > 0:50:17Holy Moley!

0:50:18 > 0:50:20He's lost him.

0:50:20 > 0:50:23The tuna gives the sea lion the slip.

0:50:29 > 0:50:32Over the coming days, more sea lions arrive in the cove,

0:50:32 > 0:50:34chasing in yellowfin tuna.

0:50:37 > 0:50:39Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ooh!

0:50:39 > 0:50:43Richard, there's more tuna and another sea lion.

0:50:43 > 0:50:45There's, like, six tuna in the bay.

0:50:54 > 0:50:57One sea lion has caught Richard's attention

0:50:57 > 0:51:00and he has affectionately called him Tag Boy.

0:51:01 > 0:51:06He's really different. He's, like, a prolific hunter. He's really agile.

0:51:06 > 0:51:08It's just fascinating to watch

0:51:08 > 0:51:12and see the picture emerge about who he is.

0:51:13 > 0:51:16From above, the drone is revealing

0:51:16 > 0:51:18how the group of sea lions are hunting together.

0:51:18 > 0:51:21From the air, we really see the strategy of the sea lions

0:51:21 > 0:51:23and see them with their individual roles as well.

0:51:23 > 0:51:26Tag Boy stays off in the middle of the channel to make sure

0:51:26 > 0:51:27none of them escape.

0:51:27 > 0:51:29Everyone's got a role and they're really a team

0:51:29 > 0:51:31in bringing them together.

0:51:31 > 0:51:34Although the sea lions have been hunting in the shallows,

0:51:34 > 0:51:39the crew are yet to see them drive a tuna onto the beach.

0:51:40 > 0:51:45And to make matters worse, the sea lions aren't alone in this cove.

0:51:52 > 0:51:55Galapagos sharks, each two metres long.

0:51:58 > 0:52:01The shark almost beached itself

0:52:01 > 0:52:08and stole the tuna from the big sea lion, who is now really angry.

0:52:09 > 0:52:12Despite the sharks, to reveal the full story,

0:52:12 > 0:52:15Richard needs to get in the water.

0:52:15 > 0:52:18Classic shark attack scenario - blood in the water,

0:52:18 > 0:52:21shallow and easy mistaken identity.

0:52:28 > 0:52:30Watch your hands, Roby.

0:52:30 > 0:52:31The crew gain

0:52:31 > 0:52:34some protection from chainmail suits.

0:52:43 > 0:52:47There's a lot of sharks. One, two, three, four, five, six sharks now.

0:52:49 > 0:52:53With so much blood in the water, the sharks go into a feeding frenzy.

0:53:07 > 0:53:10They make mincemeat of these tuna in seconds.

0:53:10 > 0:53:11To be so close to something

0:53:11 > 0:53:15so unbelievably ferocious and dangerous,

0:53:15 > 0:53:18quite frankly, is amazing.

0:53:18 > 0:53:21It's nice to be able to hide behind all this, though.

0:53:24 > 0:53:27But then, after a week of increasing activity,

0:53:27 > 0:53:30the sea lions suddenly stop fishing.

0:53:36 > 0:53:39It's the first day that we haven't seen action during the whole day

0:53:39 > 0:53:42since we start.

0:53:42 > 0:53:43I kind of worry.

0:53:45 > 0:53:47The tuna have disappeared.

0:53:59 > 0:54:01Richard is worried.

0:54:01 > 0:54:04The science is starting to show, across the globe,

0:54:04 > 0:54:07that the seas are warming, they're becoming less productive.

0:54:07 > 0:54:12Galapagos marine life relies on cold, deep currents

0:54:12 > 0:54:16welling up intermittently to fertilise the surface waters.

0:54:18 > 0:54:20If those upwellings become less consistent,

0:54:20 > 0:54:24their lives could yet well be in jeopardy.

0:54:24 > 0:54:25In the past,

0:54:25 > 0:54:28when these cold water upwellings have temporarily stopped,

0:54:28 > 0:54:31many sea lions have starved to death

0:54:31 > 0:54:37and a warming ocean could further weaken these upwellings.

0:54:42 > 0:54:46Then, after two weeks of nervous waiting, a hopeful sign -

0:54:46 > 0:54:50a thick fog descends over the cove.

0:54:50 > 0:54:53We've got very cold water that's come up, upwelled,

0:54:53 > 0:54:56and spread across the ocean and mixed with the warm air,

0:54:56 > 0:54:59creating the fog and we're hoping that this cold water

0:54:59 > 0:55:04will just kick things off a bit and get the action going.

0:55:04 > 0:55:08As the fog clears, a welcome sight.

0:55:08 > 0:55:12The tuna are back with sea lions hot on their heels.

0:55:15 > 0:55:17The crew leap into action.

0:55:22 > 0:55:23HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH

0:55:25 > 0:55:31Being in the water, Richard can at last follow the sea lions' teamwork.

0:55:35 > 0:55:39And finally film Tag Boy beaching a tuna.

0:55:41 > 0:55:43They know the bottlenecks in this labyrinth.

0:55:43 > 0:55:46They know how to push them into those bottlenecks

0:55:46 > 0:55:50and Tag Boy, almost his entire body was blocking the entrance,

0:55:50 > 0:55:54and he was just gently back and forth, tiring the fish out.

0:55:54 > 0:55:57Absolutely extraordinary, really, really impressive.

0:55:57 > 0:56:02Director Rachel has a new-found respect for the sea lions.

0:56:02 > 0:56:06I had no idea they were capable of this level of planning

0:56:06 > 0:56:10and strategy and teamwork.

0:56:10 > 0:56:12I had no idea they were this intelligent.

0:56:14 > 0:56:18Richard has succeeded in filming this unique hunting strategy

0:56:18 > 0:56:23and in doing so has proved the fisherman's tale to be true.

0:56:23 > 0:56:27The sea lions' intelligence is unbelievably sophisticated

0:56:27 > 0:56:30so to say that my expectations have been exceeded

0:56:30 > 0:56:32is a slight understatement.

0:56:32 > 0:56:34This has been one of the most remarkable times

0:56:34 > 0:56:35I've ever had here in the Galapagos.

0:56:46 > 0:56:49Next time, we travel the world

0:56:49 > 0:56:53to uncover the biggest issues facing the ocean...

0:56:55 > 0:56:59..meet the passionate people who've devoted their lives

0:56:59 > 0:57:01to protecting it

0:57:01 > 0:57:06and discover what the future holds for our Blue Planet.

0:57:10 > 0:57:14To find out more about our oceans with this free poster, call...

0:57:23 > 0:57:26..and follow the links to the Open University.