Galapagos: Islands of Change Natural World


Galapagos: Islands of Change

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In the Pacific Ocean lies an enchanted world.

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Home to a remarkable community of strange animals.

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Most of which exist nowhere else.

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Galapagos.

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The islands that inspired Darwin

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to formulate his theory of evolution.

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For thousands of years,

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this wilderness remained untouched by humanity.

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But things have changed...

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dramatically.

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While scientists are still making surprising discoveries here...

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..Galapagos is undergoing a modern revolution.

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In a world where only the fittest survive...

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DOG BARKS

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..the wildlife of these islands is having to adapt to a new

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and rapidly changing world.

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Galapagos lies 1,000km off the west coast of South America.

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A scattering of 13 major islands

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and dozens more islets,

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some barely breaking the surface of the sea.

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For a long time, its remoteness kept it hidden from humanity.

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Sailors only discovered it in 1535,

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but even then no-one settled permanently

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on this parched and harsh land.

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The first brave settlers arrived just 180 years ago,

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but you had to be hardy to make your home here.

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It's only recently that people have begun to tame

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what these wild islands throw at them.

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MUSIC: California Soul by Marlena Shaw

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# Like a sound you hear That lingers in your ear

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# But you can't forget From sunrise to sunset... #

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Today, the islands have well and truly entered the modern world.

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# It's all in the air You hear it everywhere

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# No matter what you do It's gonna get a hold on you

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# California soul

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# California soul... #

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Surfers share the waves with Galapagos sea lions.

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The species unique to these islands

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is closely related to the Californian one.

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And like their Californian cousins,

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they're masters of the art of surfing.

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# So the people started to sing

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# And that's how the surf gave birth untold

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# To California soul

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# California soul... #

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These animals had these islands to themselves for millennia,

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but today, they have to share them with us.

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The island of San Cristobal, colonised in 1869,

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has the oldest surviving human population in Galapagos.

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But in its largest town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno,

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things are changing.

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It's now home to over 5,000 people.

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And what has drawn them to this place

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seems to have attracted the wildlife too.

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The town's numerous beaches

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are home to one of the largest colonies on Galapagos.

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For people and sea lions,

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this town's sheltered bay provides an ideal place to raise a family.

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It's October and many of the female sea lions have just given birth.

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The pups grow fast on their mother's rich milk.

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And soon, they become very inquisitive.

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Fearlessness is a common trait of wildlife in Galapagos.

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Evolving away from people and predators,

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its animals haven't learned to be afraid.

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From the youngest pup...

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to the biggest bathers on the beach.

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SEA LION BARKS

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BARKING CONTINUES

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It's the breeding season,

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and this dominant bull is defending this beach

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and its females from any intruders.

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SEA LION BARKS

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There is only room for one male here.

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Bachelor males are forced to find sanctuary elsewhere.

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Sometimes in the most unlikely places.

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For some reason,

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they seem attracted to the sleepy streets of San Cristobal.

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These bold sea lions have certainly put this town on the tourist map.

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But the local people have different opinions about their presence.

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In modern Galapagos,

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wildlife and people have to find a way to co-exist.

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These urban landscapes might be recent additions,

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but they're growing fast.

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Over the last 40 years,

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tiny settlements have grown into thriving towns on three islands -

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San Cristobal, Isabela

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and the central island of Santa Cruz...

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..which has Galapagos' largest town,

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Puerto Ayora.

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And some creatures here have discovered

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the benefits of urban life.

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There's the chance of an easy meal.

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Franklin Ariaga has fishing in his blood.

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He's followed in his father's footsteps,

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and is one of the few allowed to fish here.

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Morning is the busiest time.

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And nothing goes to waste.

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Being Galapagos, there are plenty around to pick up scraps.

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Pelicans, frigatebirds

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and some very needy sea lions.

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Occasionally, inexperienced mums do abandon their pups

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and without the fishermens' support,

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these sea lions probably would not have survived.

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What the sea lions don't want, others will gladly take.

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BALLROOM MUSIC PLAYS

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These animals have learned how to take advantage

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of the fishermens' generosity.

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But then, being adaptable is what life on these islands is famous for.

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It's always been difficult to survive here.

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The islands lie directly over a volcanic hotspot

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in the ocean's crust.

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And every one of them has had an explosive birth.

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And as soon as an island appeared,

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life started to colonise it.

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But these raw volcanic rocks present an immense challenge.

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With so little food or water available,

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life had to adapt to survive.

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And millions of years ago,

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one of the island's most famous residents did so

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in a most unusual way.

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Marine iguanas.

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Their forest-living ancestors arrived on these shores by accident,

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probably by drifting from mainland South America

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on rafts of vegetation.

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With practically nothing to eat on the lava-covered islands,

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they were forced to look elsewhere.

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They evolved into the only sea-going lizards in the world.

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They became strong swimmers,

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diving as deep as 30m to collect food from the sea-bed.

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Algae grow fast in Galapagos' nutrient-rich seas.

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By evolving the ability to graze on food others can't reach,

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marine iguanas have become the most widespread animals on Galapagos.

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And this process of adaptation still continues.

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In the west of the archipelago lies the youngest island of all.

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Fernandina.

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This gigantic shield volcano, rising to over a kilometre high,

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was formed only 30,000 years ago.

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A snapshot in geological time.

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But its shores are already rich in life.

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Godfrey Merlen first came to the Galapagos in 1970,

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searching for a place untouched by humanity.

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And this pristine island cast its spell on him...

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..revealing the extraordinary lengths

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that creatures will go to to survive.

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We have the opportunity to observe animals on this island

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which have adapted in strange and interesting ways.

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One of the keys to an evolutionary process.

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There is little fresh water on Fernandina.

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But if you look hard enough,

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there are still places where you can get a drink.

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And the local finches have discovered a truly strange one.

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They sip saliva from the mouths of marine iguanas.

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And after 40 years of searching,

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Godfrey made another startling discovery closer to the shoreline.

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I was walking on the open lava slabs...

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..and I saw a snake moving down into a crack which led to the sea

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and I could see no logic behind this.

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All of a sudden, the snake struck.

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It emerged from the crack carrying a marine fish in its mouth.

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I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

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Nowhere else in the world have terrestrial snakes learned

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how to hunt marine fish.

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It is remarkable behaviour found only on Fernandina

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and proof that evolution is still proceeding today.

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How the snakes managed to find that there was fish

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which spent 50% of its time out of the water

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and that they could get at these fish

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within the roaring waves of the ocean is a very curious question.

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But the result of this is that the snakes have learned to go fishing.

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Galapagos' harsh environments led to life taking ever more

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extraordinary forms.

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About 80% of its birds,

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and 97% of its mammals and reptiles

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are unique to the islands.

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Life here has proved its ability to adapt to new conditions.

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But today, its creatures are contending

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with an increasingly alien world.

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Iguana House, in the town of Puerto Villamil,

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on southern Isabela,

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is a hotel and a popular hang-out...

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for marine iguanas.

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The locals call this male Tyson,

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and the old warrior is gearing up for another fight.

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It's January, the breeding season.

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For a few weeks,

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males like Tyson will battle over the best territories

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to try and attract the most females.

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But for now, another male is ruling the roost.

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Mr White.

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This annual ritual has been played out in much the same way

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for millions of years.

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Only today, the backdrop is very different.

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Mr White now uses a hotel wall as his patrol route,

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instead of the empty beach that this used to be.

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And he's working hard,

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courting visiting females...

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..and keeping the ever-growing competition at bay.

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From his man-made vantage point, Tyson watches,

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waiting for just the right time to make a challenge.

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A new male is in town.

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He moves to a patch just below Tyson...

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..and right next door to Mr White.

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It's a bruising contest

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and after 45 minutes,

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they are both exhausted.

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With the competition on the back foot,

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it's a good opportunity for Tyson to make his move.

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But he has got other things on his mind.

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Tyson is more interested in feeding than fighting.

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Having fended off a rival,

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Mr White has shown that he is the most desirable male around.

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But Tyson's fighting days might not be over just yet.

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Defending a territory is a huge physical drain on males,

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so sometimes they take a year off from fighting

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to regain their strength.

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And it looks like Tyson is doing just that.

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Taking it easy.

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It may seem surprising that these ancient rituals

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survive in such a modern setting...

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..but these iguanas are not really adapting to our world.

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They are just doing what they've always done, in spite of us.

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But in Galapagos' busiest town, Puerto Ayora,

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there is evidence of another creature

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radically changing its behaviour because of us...

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..once the sun does down.

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After dark, all along the town's main pier, there are bright lights.

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All this illumination is a magnet for marine life.

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And shoals of small fish

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attract all sorts of hunters...

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..including another species found nowhere else on earth.

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A lava heron.

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At night, this daytime hunter should be resting.

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But here, the herons have changed their shifts.

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And this fishing specialist knows it can pay to avoid competition.

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It's worth taking time to find just the right spot.

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And that is next to the floodlights.

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Today, night-time is the right time to go fishing.

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With a growing human presence on these islands,

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there will always be winners...

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and losers.

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These smart herons show that animals can adapt to our world.

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But in truth, people often bring more problems than solutions.

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And on the tiny island of Gardner, in the south of the archipelago,

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lives a bird with a serious battle on its hands.

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BIRD SQUEAKS

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The Floreana mockingbird.

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During the dry season, it often feeds in a very risky way.

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A giant centipede.

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They grow to nearly 30cm long

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and they have fangs packed with poison.

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One bite could kill.

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But the mockingbirds have an advantage.

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Speed.

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It might have won this particular contest

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but the species has been the loser in a much bigger battle.

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Named after the island of Floreana, ironically,

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it is no longer found there.

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Floreana was the first island to be colonised by people in 1832.

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DOG BARKS

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And people brought predators.

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It was a plague against which the local wildlife had no immunity.

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And just 50 years later, the mockingbird was gone.

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It now only survives on two tiny islands off the coast

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of Floreana and one of them, Gardner, is its last stronghold.

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The island's lack of water and its inaccessibility has been

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the salvation of the species,

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keeping people away.

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The rumour goes that more people have visited Mount Everest

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than the Island of Gardner.

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Working with the Galapagos National Park,

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biologist Luis Ortiz-Catedral is one of the very few to come here.

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He makes annual visits to check up on this little bird...

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HE IMITATES BIRDCALL

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..and uses some curious methods.

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HE IMITATES BIRDCALL

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These little lures are used to attract them.

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Everything new in their environment can be either a threat or a treat

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so we make use of their curious behaviour to lure them into cages.

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Luis catches birds as part of an annual census.

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We keep a close eye on the populations by ringing individuals.

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It's a very accurate way

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of monitoring a population of an endangered bird.

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With these unique colour combinations,

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we can keep a record of their survival over time.

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He's ready to go.

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And this plain little bird has an inspirational story.

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It has been called the most important bird

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in the history of science.

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During his visit in 1835,

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Charles Darwin collected mockingbirds

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from three islands, including Floreana.

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He noticed the subtle physical differences

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between individuals from different islands.

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It was a key observation that helped him

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formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection.

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But since then,

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the Floreana mockingbird has fallen on hard times.

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Only 500 birds remain.

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For now, the numbers are stable.

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But the species' future relies on protecting

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its last remaining habitat.

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I believe that the key to preserving the species and this habitat which

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is unique in Galapagos is to keep the islands as pristine as possible.

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Like the Floreana mockingbird,

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many species on Galapagos only survive away from human beings.

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But the fact is that people in the Galapagos are now here to stay.

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And the islands' wildlife must cope as best it can.

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At Iguana House in Puerto Villamil,

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traffic takes a toll on the local iguanas.

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And the sea lions in San Cristobal are in poorer health

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than their country cousins.

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In this busy town, they get less rest,

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and they are more exposed to disease.

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Fewer than 50% of the pups survive.

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If the wildlife is to thrive here,

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people also need to adapt their ways.

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But it can be hard to be sympathetic

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when an animal damages your livelihood.

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So Macarron took things into his own hands.

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But he's not at war with the natural world any more.

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He's given up fishing and now runs a dive boat.

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MACARRON SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

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Uno, dos...

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tres, bravo.

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Macarron's new passion is showing visitors to the island

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its magical underwater world.

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CLANGING

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One species gives him particular pleasure.

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CLANGING

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Sea lions.

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Their endearing nature

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now gives Macarron the strongest respect for them.

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People like Macarron now see not just the beauty

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but the benefits of protecting the islands' unique natural heritage.

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It can bring them a good living.

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Wildlife tourism has become the lifeblood of Galapagos...

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..generating over 50% of the islands' income.

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Over 145,000 tourists flock here every year.

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But if numbers continue to increase as they have done,

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there is a danger that we could be loving Galapagos to death.

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The money generated by tourism has fuelled a gold rush...

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..and caused a population explosion.

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In the last decade, the number of people living here has doubled.

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These once isolated islands are now home to over 32,000 people.

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And if current trends continue,

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by 2050, over 500,000 people could be living here.

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More people will need more resources.

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Every day, cargo pours in from the mainland.

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The local finches take advantage of an easy meal.

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But this traffic has also unwittingly carried

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a devastating threat to these birds.

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A few decades ago, in among the boxes and sacks,

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a stowaway arrived of the most insidious kind.

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There it is.

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An adult Philornis downsi fly, which is an introduced parasitic fly.

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The adult looks fairly harmless and feeds on just nectar and fruit.

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However, the larval stage of the fly is like something

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out of a nightmare, with larvae literally living in the nest

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and coming up each night to suck the blood of the nestlings.

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Introduced accidentally, the fly has now spread to almost every

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island, infecting the nests of 17 species of native birds.

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It's having a huge impact on the survival of nestlings...

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and one species has been pushed to the very brink.

0:41:540:41:58

Francesca Cunninghame, a researcher

0:42:050:42:07

from the Charles Darwin Foundation, is working in a remote corner

0:42:070:42:11

of the archipelago trying to save the rarest of all Galapagos' birds.

0:42:110:42:16

A male mangrove finch.

0:42:180:42:20

Got the bird approaching. It's a new mangrove finch nest.

0:42:220:42:29

For Francesca, every new nest brings hope for this threatened species.

0:42:310:42:36

As their name suggests, mangrove finches are only found in mangroves.

0:42:380:42:43

This is an uncommon habitat in Galapagos.

0:42:450:42:48

So the bird has always been rare.

0:42:480:42:50

But today the population has been decimated, initially by introduced

0:42:510:42:56

black rats, but more recently by the parasitic fly, Philornis.

0:42:560:43:01

Current estimates put the mangrove finch

0:43:030:43:06

population at between 60 to 80 individuals

0:43:060:43:08

and it's one of the most range restricted birds in all the world.

0:43:080:43:12

They only survive in two tiny patches of forest

0:43:130:43:17

on the northwest shores of the largest island, Isabela.

0:43:170:43:21

This is its entire world range.

0:43:240:43:26

And last year's breeding season was desperately bad.

0:43:290:43:33

Only a third of the chicks survived.

0:43:330:43:35

But Francesca has ambitious plans.

0:43:380:43:41

Working with the Galapagos National Park

0:43:430:43:46

and a team of experts from around the world, she's taking

0:43:460:43:50

the bold step of collecting eggs and raising chicks in captivity,

0:43:500:43:55

so avoiding the threat from the parasitic fly.

0:43:550:43:58

Right, away we go.

0:43:580:43:59

But it's a huge task, even getting to the nests.

0:44:010:44:05

It's a tall mangrove forest here.

0:44:050:44:07

We have trees that reach up to 25 metres tall

0:44:070:44:09

and as well as nesting high the finches are often

0:44:090:44:12

out on the end on very spindly branches so it's a huge challenge.

0:44:120:44:16

One that Graeme Loh, a climbing expert from New Zealand,

0:44:170:44:21

is the first to take on.

0:44:210:44:23

I'm just starting to pull the nest in at the first anchor point.

0:44:260:44:29

She's still sitting on the nest. Oop, there she goes.

0:44:290:44:33

-OK, the time is.

-10:46.

0:44:330:44:35

They only have 30 minutes to get the eggs to an incubator.

0:44:380:44:41

Graeme has got to work as fast as he can.

0:44:440:44:47

Here we go. We're going to try and get the nest right now.

0:44:470:44:50

Brilliant.

0:44:500:44:51

If they chill, the embryos will die.

0:44:520:44:55

Three eggs.

0:44:570:44:59

No, the clocks ticking on this one.

0:45:040:45:06

We must be up to about 15 minutes now.

0:45:080:45:10

Slowly, slowly, it's moving a lot. Got it.

0:45:130:45:17

Now Francesca has to carry the precious cargo to camp...

0:45:180:45:22

..along an obstacle course of mangrove roots.

0:45:260:45:30

We're just going to put the eggs in straight away.

0:45:430:45:46

Look at them, they're tiny, aren't they?

0:45:460:45:48

A successful start, and now things get even better.

0:45:480:45:52

Four eggs! Never before have we found four in a nest.

0:45:550:46:00

The team climb up to three more nests

0:46:010:46:04

and manage to collect a total of nine eggs, and three tiny chicks.

0:46:040:46:09

Now they need to get them as quickly as possible to a specialist

0:46:140:46:17

rearing facility and that is on another island.

0:46:170:46:21

This is just the start.

0:46:220:46:24

This is day one, our first attempt so, we're back out there

0:46:240:46:28

tomorrow trying to find more nests, and doing the whole thing again.

0:46:280:46:32

Humans are responsible for the introduced animals

0:46:360:46:39

so I think it's our duty to try and put that right.

0:46:390:46:42

It will be over a month before Francesca and her team know

0:46:470:46:51

if this international rescue mission is working.

0:46:510:46:54

There is conservation support for Galapagos from across the globe.

0:46:590:47:03

But the future of its spectacular wildlife ultimately

0:47:050:47:08

lies in the hands of the people who live here.

0:47:080:47:11

Many of them have little or no connection with the natural world.

0:47:130:47:17

Galapaguenos rarely see the spectacles that thrill the tourists.

0:47:210:47:25

Theirs is an urbanised society in one of the wildest places on earth.

0:47:260:47:31

If they don't know about the remarkable creatures with which they

0:47:330:47:37

share their islands, then why should they care about protecting them?

0:47:370:47:41

Steve Blake, from the

0:47:510:47:52

Max Planck Institute is trying to change

0:47:520:47:55

things with the help of one of the archipelago's most famous

0:47:550:47:58

inhabitants...

0:47:580:48:00

..the giant tortoise.

0:48:100:48:11

Kids here are often as urbanised as the kids in the East End

0:48:140:48:18

of London or in downtown Detroit and very often starved of nature

0:48:180:48:22

and don't experience it.

0:48:220:48:25

And so for us to be able to try and capture their enthusiasm

0:48:250:48:29

and demonstrate how incredible giant tortoises are we hope to foster

0:48:290:48:34

and stimulate a conservation ethic among youngsters.

0:48:340:48:39

And with their help, Steve has been uncovering some remarkable truths

0:48:480:48:53

about these ancient animals, using some modern technology, GPS tags.

0:48:530:49:00

We've got this set to give us a GPS fix,

0:49:000:49:04

a location of this tortoise every hour

0:49:040:49:09

and we're hoping that this tag is going to last for ten years.

0:49:090:49:13

So that will give us an amazing window into the secret

0:49:130:49:16

life of these animals, which has really never been revealed before.

0:49:160:49:20

The data coming back has revealed that tortoises lead

0:49:240:49:27

adventurous lives.

0:49:270:49:29

Steve and his team have discovered that on some islands,

0:49:320:49:35

tortoises make great migrations, to find the lushest pastures.

0:49:350:49:40

Between July and December, grazing is best in the upland forests.

0:49:440:49:50

But in January the rains come,

0:49:530:49:55

bringing a flush of growth to the lowlands...

0:49:550:49:58

..and the tortoises follow.

0:50:010:50:02

By getting involved with Steve's fieldwork

0:50:110:50:14

and connecting with the natural world,

0:50:140:50:16

the seeds of inspiration have been well and truly planted.

0:50:160:50:19

Our love for these islands could be their biggest curse,

0:50:360:50:40

with tourism driving a population boom.

0:50:400:50:43

But an even greater love from the people who live

0:50:450:50:48

here could be their salvation.

0:50:480:50:50

Where there is a will,

0:50:520:50:53

even the most desperate situation can be turned around.

0:50:530:50:57

-Ciao, Richard, good luck.

-Ciao, Franny.

0:50:590:51:02

It has been over a month since Francesca and her team

0:51:030:51:07

collected eggs from the critically endangered mangrove finch.

0:51:070:51:11

A high risk strategy to save this species from extinction.

0:51:120:51:15

But a risk worth taking.

0:51:170:51:18

With round the clock care, they have successfully raised 15 tiny

0:51:220:51:26

chicks, and increased the world population by nearly 25%.

0:51:260:51:33

Now back in the wild, it brings hope for not just this species

0:51:350:51:40

but for the future of all wildlife in this remarkable place.

0:51:400:51:44

A place to be protected at all costs.

0:51:480:51:52

97% of the land has been declared a National Park.

0:51:560:52:00

And 51,000 square kilometres of its seas now form

0:52:040:52:09

one of the largest marine reserves in the world.

0:52:090:52:12

Industrial fishing has been banned and thanks to this protection,

0:52:190:52:24

these waters still hide some of the most remarkable of all

0:52:240:52:27

underwater spectacles.

0:52:270:52:30

Wildlife cameraman Richard Wollocombe came to

0:52:350:52:38

Galapagos 20 years ago to work as a wildlife guide.

0:52:380:52:42

And he fell in love with a very special place where the

0:52:430:52:47

underwater world is particularly breathtaking.

0:52:470:52:50

Off the most isolated islands in the archipelago, Wolf and Darwin.

0:52:510:52:55

First time I came to Galapagos, I was absolutely

0:53:050:53:09

mesmerised by this place.

0:53:090:53:12

The marine life is so innocent. It hasn't been fished heavily.

0:53:120:53:16

And it's truly enchanting to be able to swim amongst this vast

0:53:190:53:25

array of life without feeling like you're a threat,

0:53:250:53:29

without feeling like you're impacting the wildlife.

0:53:290:53:32

It is almost like being in an aquarium.

0:53:370:53:40

This huge abundance of life attracts the top predators.

0:53:500:53:54

There are sharks everywhere.

0:53:570:53:59

But it is out in the open water that the biggest numbers school.

0:54:060:54:10

I'll just sit and wait and watch and sometimes it takes a while,

0:54:190:54:24

but eventually you'll start to see these ghostly forms take shape.

0:54:240:54:29

Hammerhead sharks.

0:54:370:54:39

You'll see one and then two and then three

0:54:440:54:47

and then slowly a whole group will start emerging out of the mist.

0:54:470:54:51

Your heart starts to pound.

0:54:590:55:01

You're just absolutely mesmerised by this gigantic mass.

0:55:030:55:06

These Scalloped Hammerheads assemble here in their thousands.

0:55:210:55:25

And with overfishing decimating many shark populations

0:55:300:55:33

across our oceans, it's thanks in large part to the Galapagos

0:55:330:55:37

marine reserve that this rarest of sights can still be glimpsed here.

0:55:370:55:42

And it also provides a refuge for the biggest fish on the planet.

0:55:480:55:53

It's enough to see the abundance of life on the reef...

0:55:560:55:59

..then on top of that you see these schooling hammerheads.

0:56:020:56:05

Then you're completely blown out of the water when this massive

0:56:070:56:10

shadow appears and you realise you're going to see a whale shark.

0:56:100:56:17

You can't believe an animal can be that big

0:56:340:56:36

and that you can be that close to it.

0:56:360:56:38

The animal elicits an amazing feeling of humbleness.

0:56:540:56:57

You just feel a tiny speck in this vast ocean next to

0:57:000:57:03

one of largest creatures in the ocean.

0:57:030:57:06

I cannot get used to it,

0:57:060:57:08

I cannot get used to the feeling of awe it inspires.

0:57:080:57:11

The Galapagos Islands are a global treasure.

0:57:210:57:24

180 years ago, this remarkable place inspired a young Charles Darwin.

0:57:260:57:32

And they remain an inspiration to this day.

0:57:370:57:40

It is the place that still teaches us about the nature of life

0:57:430:57:47

and the wonders of evolution.

0:57:470:57:48

The wildlife of these islands is living in challenging times.

0:57:540:57:57

But even with all the pressures that we have brought to these

0:58:000:58:03

islands through inspiring conservation,

0:58:030:58:06

the changing attitudes of the people who live here...

0:58:060:58:10

..and the adaptability of its unique wildlife,

0:58:110:58:15

they are still among the most pristine tropical islands on earth.

0:58:150:58:20

It's down to us to keep them that way.

0:58:250:58:28

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