0:00:18 > 0:00:22The coast of California is a wild and unpredictable place.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It is the home of the Californian sea otter -
0:00:28 > 0:00:31a small animal in a huge ocean.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36The shoreline divides us,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39marking the edge of our world and the beginning of theirs.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48It can be difficult for us to understand an animal that lives its life just out of reach.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54But sometimes an animal crosses that divide
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and gives us a chance to get to know them.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03This is the story of a sea otter that has chosen to leave the open ocean
0:01:03 > 0:01:06for life in a millionaires' playground.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11# Welcome to the Hotel California
0:01:11 > 0:01:14- # Such a lovely place - Such a lovely place
0:01:14 > 0:01:17# Such a lovely place
0:01:17 > 0:01:21# Welcome to the Hotel California
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- # Such a lovely place - Such a lovely place
0:01:24 > 0:01:25# Such a lovely place... #
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Monterey Harbor is a luxurious place for people,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but it is an extraordinary choice of home for a wild otter.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Her decision to live here is not just unusual,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41she's taken a huge risk, both for herself
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and for her newborn baby daughter.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Raising her pup in this marina
0:01:47 > 0:01:51could be the most expensive decision this mum will ever make.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The mum gave birth right here on the dock.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Her pup is just a few days old.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Ever since the pup was born
0:02:29 > 0:02:34the mum has been lying here, holding her close.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Her pup will be completely dependent on her for six months.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52So anything that scares the mother,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55or undermines the bond growing between them,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58could threaten the pup's chance of survival.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But in such a busy marina, quiet times are very hard to come by.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06RADIO PLAYS
0:03:11 > 0:03:13ENGINE STARTS
0:03:14 > 0:03:18ENGINE REVS
0:03:18 > 0:03:22It's summer, and wealthy Californians are at play.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Living among these yachts seems a crazy choice
0:03:40 > 0:03:42when beyond the harbour wall
0:03:42 > 0:03:44lies a beautiful stretch of wild coastline -
0:03:44 > 0:03:47a perfect sea otter habitat.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Just beyond the rocky shore lie vast beds of seaweed.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00This is the canopy of an underwater kelp forest,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02a place where the water is calm.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Here, in sheltered coves, sea otters relax.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And sea otter mothers give birth.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21This pup is also a few days old, but unlike the harbour pup
0:04:21 > 0:04:23he was born into the water and will never leave it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Along this quiet stretch of coast
0:04:28 > 0:04:32there is little to disturb the bond growing between them.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But this female has different problems to the mum in the harbour.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39She has balanced the newborn pup on her belly,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43not because he will drown but because he could freeze.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51Beyond the kelp, cold water seeps up from a deep underwater canyon.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Sea otters spend as much time as they can
0:05:00 > 0:05:04basking in the sun and drying and fluffing up their thick fur.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11They keep as much of their body out of the cold water as possible,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14particularly their hands and feet.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19While they rest, they wrap themselves in kelp
0:05:19 > 0:05:22so they don't get washed out to sea.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33But they haven't always been this tied to the ocean.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36In the past, otters came onto land.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40They have been forced to live in the kelp by their fear of people.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47200 years ago, they were hunted for their soft fur.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Otter pelts were so valuable that people called them "soft gold".
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Back then there were 20,000 otters on this coast,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00but by 1911, there were just 50 left.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Since then they've been protected.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Today there are 2,500 sea otters here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Some have colourful tags, so scientists can track their recovery.
0:06:13 > 0:06:19The Monterey Bay Aquarium even takes in injured otters and tries to save them.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But most sea otters remain very frightened of people.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29That is why it is so remarkable
0:06:29 > 0:06:33that the harbour mum has reverted to resting on dry land,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35although she remembers the security of the kelp
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and can't resist wrapping herself up.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46On the dock her pup stays warm and dry,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50but the decision to raise her pup so close to people is risky.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00The marina isn't just a parking lot for expensive boats,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02it's part of a working harbour.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Generations of fishermen have brought their catch back here,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and the gulls and sea lions who followed them.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Unlike the other animals here, sea otters don't eat fish.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29But otters do sometimes visit the harbour
0:07:29 > 0:07:30on their way along the coast.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41To the tourists, the otters are an attraction,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46but to most who live and work here, the animals can be in the way.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56But the harbour mum is different.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58She is not just a visitor.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01She has set up home here,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and in the most exclusive corner of the harbour.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07People who have spent a fortune on their boats
0:08:07 > 0:08:11might not welcome a wild animal on their tidy dock.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21But the mother otter has chosen her spot very carefully.
0:08:25 > 0:08:31Jim is a businessman and entrepreneur who owns a dive boat in the marina.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33The mum is on his slip.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37This is extraordinary.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Lo and behold, right in front of you, ten feet away,
0:08:41 > 0:08:46there is an otter that before you'd only hope to catch a glimpse of out in the kelp
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and here's one right in front of you.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It was a special moment for me
0:08:53 > 0:08:57because I didn't know if it was ever going to happen again.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01But the mum has deliberately had her pup near Jim's boat.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07She checked this place out before she gave birth
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and she knows that Jim is a quiet guy
0:09:10 > 0:09:13who will tolerate her and give her space.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17This has given her the time she needed to bond with her pup.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23But she hasn't eaten since the birth and is getting hungry.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Nervously she leaves the pup to search for food.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33PUP SQUEAKS
0:09:38 > 0:09:42She stays close by and grabs a tiny crab to eat,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45but she can't ignore the pup's frightened calls.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49PUP SQUEAKS
0:10:03 > 0:10:08This is the first time the pup has been in the water.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12The pup is too weak to swim, so the mum holds her tight.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18MOTHER OTTER COOS
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Soothed by the movement of the water and her mum's soft calls,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24the pup is soon fast asleep.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29She couldn't do this if she didn't feel safe.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36But she can't eat and hold the baby,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39so very gently she returns her to the dock.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58She quickly runs out of food under Jim's dock.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04As the days go on, she tries different slips close by,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07parking the pup each time she dives.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26She is torn between comforting the pup and feeding herself.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31It is vital that she gets the balance right, for both their sakes.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43At the end of the day, they come back to Jim's dock to rest.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Without realising it, they are becoming part of Jim's life too.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It went from being, "I'm going to relish this
0:11:52 > 0:11:56"because it's never going to happen again,"
0:11:56 > 0:11:58to, "Now I have something to look forward to
0:11:58 > 0:12:00"when I go down to the marina."
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Jim is quiet, still and respectful, and the mum seems content
0:12:05 > 0:12:09for him to share these intimate moments with them.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I think she trusts you until you do something differently,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15so if you were to betray her by reaching for the pup
0:12:15 > 0:12:17or doing something that would frighten her,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I don't think she would forgive you.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25But even though she trusts Jim, the security of the dock is not enough.
0:12:25 > 0:12:31The pup is getting bigger and it is difficult to find food around these expensive boats.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37She has made her job much harder than a mother on the coast
0:12:37 > 0:12:41because she is cut off from the natural wealth of the sea.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46The seas off California are so rich
0:12:46 > 0:12:49that they attract an abundance of animal life.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The kelp forest is full of life.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11A place where every dive brings new surprises.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18But even for experienced divers, glimpsing an otter underwater...
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Is a rare treat.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Beyond the kelp, the ocean floor drops into the canyon.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31This is the edge of the otter's world.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Otters are powerful swimmers
0:13:36 > 0:13:38but they are not built to catch fish.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44So otters have to be canny and persistent to find enough to eat.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Searching for crabs and octopus
0:13:50 > 0:13:53hiding in the rocks takes a long time.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Even in the kelp forest, otters spend most of their day
0:14:02 > 0:14:05trying to get enough to eat.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Around the rocks, the sea if rough.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Perfect conditions for carpets of shellfish.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23The otters need a lot of strength
0:14:23 > 0:14:27to rip mussels and barnacles off the rocks.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But they're not strong enough to break them open.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32To do that, they need a tool.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Resting a stone on their bellies, and holding a clam in their hands,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40the otters smash open the shells.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It can take a pup six months to learn how to do this.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It's a skill handed down the generations.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The harbour pup is now three weeks old,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23but the mum can't show her how to find and open shells like the otters along the coast,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28because in the marina there is no kelp forest and few stones.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39Jim has discovered that the mum has found her own way of getting by.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42You'd be sitting on the boat and you hear somebody's hammering
0:15:42 > 0:15:44or doing some maintenance on their boat
0:15:44 > 0:15:49until the first time that you see the otter coming up with a shell
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and they use the bow of the boat to crack open the shell.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00All I thought was, "That's the darn cutest thing I've ever seen."
0:16:00 > 0:16:05But the mum isn't just cute, she is very clever.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07She has taken skills from the wild
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and reinvented them for her new surroundings.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And there's a subtlety in what she does.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19She's worked out which parts of the boats are hardest.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The pup watches closely.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26PUP SQUEAKS
0:16:28 > 0:16:30As she chips paint off the boat,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34she causes thousands of dollars worth of damage.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37No wonder she checks whether boat owners are watching her!
0:16:44 > 0:16:46The owner of this boat isn't as forgiving as Jim,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50he hangs tequila bottles off the side to scare her off.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Although some boat owners find them a nuisance,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Jim is enjoying the otters around his slip
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and is spending more and more time here.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Sometimes I'll get distracted by the pup and what it's doing,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13then I lose track of time.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Every day they're a little different, every play period is a little bit different,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27so I think that's really the attraction.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It gives me an excuse to stop
0:17:30 > 0:17:35and it seems to be an experience that I need at this time in my life maybe.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44Up until now, the slips around Jim's boat have been the limit of the pup's world.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51But to find enough food, they will have to go further
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and that means that the pup must learn to swim.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05The mum is taking her just past the slips to a bit of quiet water,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07away from the moving boats.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13# A fish was made to swim in the ocean
0:18:13 > 0:18:17# A boat was made to sail on the sea
0:18:17 > 0:18:20# As sure as there are stars above
0:18:20 > 0:18:23# I know, I know you were made for me
0:18:23 > 0:18:25# You were made for me... #
0:18:25 > 0:18:28At first the mum holds her,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32then she lets her go, just for a minute.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39# A fish was made to swim in the ocean
0:18:39 > 0:18:41# A fish was made to swim in the ocean
0:18:41 > 0:18:43# A boat was made to sail on the sea
0:18:43 > 0:18:46# A boat was made to sail on the sea
0:18:46 > 0:18:49# As sure as there are stars above
0:18:49 > 0:18:52# I know, I know you were made for me
0:18:52 > 0:18:54# You were made for me
0:18:54 > 0:18:55# You were made for me... #
0:18:57 > 0:18:59This is her first swim.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07The pup's fur is fluffier than her mother's, which helps her to float,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09but makes her awkward in the water.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Soon she is tired.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23The pup will become stronger and swim a little further
0:19:23 > 0:19:25with the passing of each summer day.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45By the beginning of autumn, the change in the pup is incredible.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Now she's the one trying to drag her mum into the water!
0:20:04 > 0:20:07The pup has an adventurous spirit,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11but the exhaust pipes of a boat are not a safe place to play.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13The mum is quick to come to her rescue.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26It's not safe for a naive little pup to explore the marina alone.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37The slips are full of moving objects and sharp blades.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Even so, it is time to show the pup the underside of this world.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06She's losing her fluffy baby coat
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and can dive with her mum to find food.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Beneath the docks and tethered yachts,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19the marina is a maze of shadows and strange creatures.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The water here is clean, but as calm as a pool,
0:21:29 > 0:21:34a refuge for miniature shrimp and shoals of young fish.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36But none of this is food for otters.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43They rely on shellfish that need rich, flowing water to grow.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48The pup is cut off from the vitality of the ocean
0:21:48 > 0:21:50beyond the harbour wall.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11But there is one huge advantage to growing up in the harbour.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16Because the pup hasn't had to fight the ocean swell, she's grown big.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19She's now strong enough to keep up with her mum.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25The mum has chosen this quiet morning
0:22:25 > 0:22:28to show the pup her own way of finding food.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But it means leaving the marina and heading
0:22:31 > 0:22:33to the outer edge of the harbour,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35to the industrial fishing wharf.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Here the currents are strong and there is nowhere to rest,
0:22:39 > 0:22:40but it's a trip worth making.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Just like the coast otter, the mum leaves the pup in a safe place...
0:22:48 > 0:22:50..and heads under the wharf, alone.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57This is not a place for an inexperienced otter.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02It is dark and noisy, and full of unexpected dangers.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21This is a shellfish farm.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26The cages are full of giant underwater snails called abalone.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31In the past, abalone thrived in the kelp forests all along the coast
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and were a favourite delicacy of both people and otters.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40But now there are so few that it is illegal for people to collect them.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44So they are carefully tended for the six years they take to grow.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Each day, kelp is brought in from the ocean
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and stuffed into the cages for the abalone to eat.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56As the cages are lowered, water runs through them,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01washing fresh nutrients out onto the pilings below the farm.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Although the mum cannot reach the abalone,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08she knows the rich water under the farm
0:24:08 > 0:24:11means that pilings here are covered in life.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16These barnacles and mussels are bigger than anywhere else in the harbour.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22She needs to be strong to rip barnacles off the pilings,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24but unlike the coast mothers,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27she does not have to fight the waves and has time to feed.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35As she heads for the surface, fish dart in to grab any scraps.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45The mum returns to the pup after each dive
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and hands over her share of the food.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05Discipline is strict.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09The pup must stay in the same place every time her mum dives
0:25:09 > 0:25:13to avoid being separated from her, or hurt.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17As well as barnacles, crabs are abundant here,
0:25:17 > 0:25:22attracted to the offcuts dropped from the fishing boats as they pass by.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28The mum is proving she can give the pup a good start in life.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Now that they can travel together across the harbour,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34there will be enough food for them both.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The pup's world is suddenly much bigger...
0:25:43 > 0:25:46..but this also exposes her to other threats.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54The harbour lies within the territory of a large male.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59He visits the harbour regularly as part of his patrol.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It's he who decides which otters are welcome here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07He's known as Pink Blue, after the colour of his flipper tags.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11He is also known to be very aggressive.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Last year, he took over this part of the territory
0:26:16 > 0:26:18from the resident male.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27He killed his rival in the process.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31This gives him the right to mate with any females
0:26:31 > 0:26:33who turn up in the harbour.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It is normal for male sea otters
0:26:38 > 0:26:43to hold on to the slippery female by her nose while they mate.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48But Pink Blue's unbridled strength has left females with serious cuts.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Pink Blue is not a danger to the mum at the moment,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01but as the pup gets closer to weaning, that may change.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Through the late autumn, Jim continues to watch the otters.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22He's become so involved watching the mum,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26she's become known locally as Jim's Otter.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28But his anxiety for them is growing too.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I would be there before sunrise
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and it felt like sometimes my heart wouldn't really start beating
0:27:34 > 0:27:36until I saw them and that they were OK.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41He is right to be concerned. The pup is almost four months old.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46She needs to play, but perhaps has more energy than sense.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Every day, the mum takes the pup across the harbour.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59She is working hard to teach her pup the skills she will need.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02In two months, she will need to be fully independent,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but she still has a lot to learn.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11She has watched her mum cracking open shells, but she'll only learn
0:28:11 > 0:28:15which surfaces are best for opening food by trying it herself.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32The mum shows her that metal ladders work well...
0:28:35 > 0:28:38..but the wood nearby isn't a great place to crack shells.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Rubber is even less effective!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53This will take a bit of trial and error.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55# Had a little girl She was little and low
0:28:55 > 0:28:58# She used to love me But she don't no more
0:28:58 > 0:29:03# Got to step it up and go Yeah, go
0:29:03 > 0:29:07# Can't stand pat Swear you gotta step it up and go
0:29:10 > 0:29:11# Yeah. #
0:29:18 > 0:29:20She is supposed to be staying close to her mum,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23but she's got distracted and has wandered away.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32Unable to find the pup, the mum calls for her.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34The pup hears the call...
0:29:34 > 0:29:38PUP SQUEAKS
0:29:38 > 0:29:40..but so does Pink Blue.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49PUP SQUEAKS
0:29:53 > 0:29:55He grabs the pup and frightens her,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58knowing that her calls will bring the mum in.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02This is a trap.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04MOTHER CALLS
0:30:10 > 0:30:15When she arrives, she will quickly give up her food in exchange for the pup.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Pink Blue has got what he wanted - a free meal.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32But he has another reason to take interest in them.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36He wants to see if the mum is ready to mate.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41She won't come into season until the pup is weaned.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44But that won't stop Pink Blue harassing her.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49To protect her daughter, she drags her away.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Winter's coming.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08The people have gone, the boats are quiet, the animals can relax.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11BARKING
0:31:16 > 0:31:20The mum has adapted incredibly well to a life among the polished chrome
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and neatly coiled ropes.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Tucked away in the marina, the mum and pup have found some peace.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39The pup gets a reassuring suckle. She is still a baby, after all.
0:31:46 > 0:31:52But the encounter with Pink Blue turns out to be just a hint of things to come.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Unfortunately, this was the last time
0:31:56 > 0:31:59anyone saw the mum and pup together.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05ELECTRONIC BEEPING
0:32:09 > 0:32:14Two days later, Jim gets a call from the otter scientists at the aquarium.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20A badly injured female has been rescued,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and they think it's Jim's Otter.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32I didn't really know what to expect and I was very anxious.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43All I knew was that they'd picked her up, she was on the edge of death.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46There was no real assurance that she was going to make it.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51It seems Pink Blue did try to mate with her
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and she was trying to protect the pup.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57The demands of motherhood have weakened her.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It wasn't a fair fight.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05She will be kept in this tank in the aquarium while they try to help her.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10To be injured by an aggressive male
0:33:10 > 0:33:14at a time when she was just completing her job
0:33:14 > 0:33:15seemed very unfair.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19She doesn't deserve this.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Worse still, no-one has any information about her pup.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37The pup is all of a sudden without its parent,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41completely at the mercy of whatever is going to be dealt it now.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57Jim spends the rest of the daylight looking for the pup among the slips,
0:33:57 > 0:34:03even though he knows there would be very little he could do to help were he to find her.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11It's a tough decision - whether to get involved in an animal's life,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14or to let nature take its course.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41The following day at first light, the pup is seen in the harbour.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45She has survived the fight between her mum and Pink Blue.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50But on her own, only four months old,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52her chances are dwindling.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04She has found a little bit of food, but Pink Blue has spotted her.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12She gives up her food to him straightaway,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15to avoid him injuring or even killing her.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29The pup faces a difficult choice.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40If she stays in the harbour, she risks losing any food she finds to Pink Blue.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46If she leaves, she faces the wild winter ocean,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49a world for which she is unprepared.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Nevertheless, she has gone.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13After six weeks of nursing her back to health,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16the aquarium staff feel the mum is ready to be released.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25There is still no sign of the pup around the yachts.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42It was an unknown, what she was going to do when we released her.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Is she going to go looking for the pup?
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Or is there going to be aggression between her and the male?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57My greatest fear was that the male would attack her when he came back.
0:37:15 > 0:37:21It was a happy day, and a lot of anticipation to see what she was going to do.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Back in the harbour, and alone,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35the mum has no energy to search for her pup.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42But the truth is that her chance to finish raising her daughter has gone.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Now she needs time and a safe place to recover from her ordeal.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55She did actually hang out by my slip.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58I would come down to do boat maintenance
0:37:58 > 0:38:01and she would be sitting at the end of the slip-off from my boat.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05And I wanted to think that that was more than coincidence.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12The aquarium staff have put tags on her flippers so that they can check on her progress.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15The human world has given her respite,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17but she's still a wild animal.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Now that she has no pup to suckle, she's come into season again.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27A male has picked up her scent,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29but this is not Pink Blue.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35A new male has sneaked into the harbour without Pink Blue seeing him.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45He approaches her on the dock to persuade her to come with him.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48OTTER COOS
0:38:55 > 0:39:01Whether she needs to mate, or is just too weak to fight, the mum accepts him.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11This male is gentler than Pink Blue.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13She has been lucky.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20# Hold me close and hold me fast
0:39:20 > 0:39:23# The magic spell you cast
0:39:23 > 0:39:28# This is la vie en rose... #
0:39:57 > 0:40:01If she falls pregnant now, then Pink Blue will have no reason to pursue her.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07But this is not the end to her change in fortune.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14Jim had never lost faith in her mothering skills,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17never given up hope for the pup.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22- And finally, one evening, he hears a familiar sound. - TAPPING
0:40:27 > 0:40:29It was the pup.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31It could only be her
0:40:31 > 0:40:34because she was feeding at the places her mum had taught her.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42Even in the short time she had with her mum, she had learnt just enough to survive.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49She followed her mother's decision to stay in the harbour.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54This saved her from the winter storms.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59And by keeping to the darkest corners and feeding at night,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02she has stayed hidden from Pink Blue.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10But more than this, she has found her own way of getting by.
0:41:11 > 0:41:17To her, this antique bottle, discarded decades ago on the harbour floor, has become a tool.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Like her mum, she is full of creativity!
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Through the nurture of her mother and own strength
0:41:29 > 0:41:33she has made it through to independence.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41The chances of her following the same path as her mother
0:41:41 > 0:41:46and coming back to give birth on the dock is very likely.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55To carry on that relationship with her now as a mother would be fantastic.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Not just the curiosity of seeing whether she has the same dedication and love and nurturing
0:42:02 > 0:42:07that her mum did, but just to see how she handles the raising of a family.
0:42:11 > 0:42:17She and her mum are wild otters living among million dollar yachts
0:42:17 > 0:42:19in one of the most beautiful marinas in the world.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25They have shown how intelligent and adaptable sea otters are,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28no matter where they choose to live.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32But by living in the harbour,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37this particular mum and pup have done something more.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41For me, personally, I am happy that there are the harbour otters
0:42:41 > 0:42:44because it's helped me to slow down.
0:42:44 > 0:42:50Watching them helps me live my life more the way that I would like to.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00The mum and her pup prove that the chance to stop
0:43:00 > 0:43:04and become entranced by the life of a wild animal
0:43:04 > 0:43:07can be priceless.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34# It happened in Monterey
0:43:34 > 0:43:37# A long time ago
0:43:37 > 0:43:42# I met her in Monterey
0:43:42 > 0:43:45# In old Mexico
0:43:45 > 0:43:51# Stars and steel guitars And luscious lips as red as wine... #
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Subtitles by Ericsson