0:00:07 > 0:00:08CHURCH BELL CHIMES
0:00:08 > 0:00:12In the far west of America,
0:00:12 > 0:00:13there's a legendary land.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17The haunt of cowboys...
0:00:18 > 0:00:23..and home to great Native American civilisations...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24SNAKE RATTLES TAIL
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..where the promise of gold drew those seeking their fortune.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Here, over millions of years, powerful forces have forged
0:00:36 > 0:00:40some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45From the continent's hottest deserts
0:00:45 > 0:00:46and red rock canyons...
0:00:48 > 0:00:52..to towering mountain worlds cloaked in snow...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59..and the most mysterious and magical coastline.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06It takes a special breed,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09with bold ambition and a pioneering spirit...
0:01:11 > 0:01:16..to tame this fabled place and make it home.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24The Wild West.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36The Wild West is ruled by giant mountain ranges,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38vast deserts and canyon lands.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44The backdrop for epic Hollywood westerns.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49But there's another side to this land.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Within its far southwestern corner
0:01:55 > 0:01:59lies a lesser-known frontier that hides many secrets.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07A remote desert canyon shelters murals thousands of years old.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17No-one knows who drew them or why,
0:02:17 > 0:02:22but strangely, within this portrait of desert life
0:02:22 > 0:02:23are marine creatures.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Fish, turtles...
0:02:28 > 0:02:30..and even a giant whale.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Since ancient times, people have been drawn to a Wild West
0:02:37 > 0:02:39where the land and sea unite.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53In the 16th century,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes
0:02:56 > 0:02:59heard rumours of gold along the coast of the Wild West.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06He never found his fortune,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but as he sailed the barren desert shores,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11he discovered riches of a different kind.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16A strange and slender sea,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18brimming with natural wonders.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's now known as the Sea of Cortez.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40This mysterious desert sea
0:03:40 > 0:03:43is a magnet for ocean giants.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10They weigh nearly 200 tonnes...
0:04:14 > 0:04:16..and can grow 90 feet long.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Every winter, around 300 blue whales visit this curious place.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Many are females, nursing their young.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52This new calf needs to drink around 15 pints of milk an hour.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02To provide this phenomenal amount,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05the mother needs sheltered, nourishing waters.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Surprisingly close to shore,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23the seabed plummets two miles into a dark abyss.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Down here, recent scientific exploration
0:05:32 > 0:05:36has uncovered one of the most extreme worlds on planet Earth.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Superheated mineral-rich water,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47nearly 300 degrees centigrade, boils through cracks in the Earth's crust.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52These conditions can only be tolerated
0:05:52 > 0:05:55by seemingly alien creatures
0:05:55 > 0:05:59like giant tube worms and ghostly crabs.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Vents and black smokers, some a hundred feet high,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15are evidence of powerful tectonic forces at work.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Forces that define this whole region of the Wild West.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Over millions of years, they have transformed both land and sea
0:06:36 > 0:06:40by ripping this huge peninsula away from the mainland
0:06:40 > 0:06:42at a speed of two inches a year.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Water has flooded into the chasm
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and now reaches 700 miles into the desert.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55This sea's unique setting,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59shape and depth all generate a rich soup of nutrients...
0:07:02 > 0:07:04..inviting a wealth of marine life
0:07:04 > 0:07:06to this special corner of the Wild West.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Mobula rays.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33No-one knows for sure why they perform these great circus leaps.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But it's likely to be to attract a mate.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Some jumps can be six feet high.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The sound of each landing reverberates through the water...
0:08:15 > 0:08:18..and the commotion doesn't go unnoticed.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Orcas, out hunting.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53In all the panic, some rays splinter from the shoal.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Their only defence is speed.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27When the rays regroup,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31they can form mega-shoals 100,000 strong.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43The Sea of Cortez is home to
0:09:43 > 0:09:47the largest aggregations of mobula rays in the world.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Cortes had stumbled across one of the richest seas on Earth,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18home to over 6,000 species of animals.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Its warm waters are so bountiful,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31the famous undersea explorer
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Jacques Cousteau called it, "The aquarium of the world."
0:10:45 > 0:10:50Shoals of sardines move as one, but can be millions strong.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53They are an enticing prospect for the Wild West's
0:10:53 > 0:10:55most agile of predators.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00California sea lions.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07They refine their hunting skills
0:11:07 > 0:11:11in one of nature's great acrobatic displays.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13FLAMENCO MUSIC PLAYS
0:12:13 > 0:12:16While the Sea of Cortez nurtures an abundance of life,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20the shores that flank it couldn't be more hostile.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27As the land opened up and the sea flooded in,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31it turned ancient volcanoes and mountaintops into islands...
0:12:32 > 0:12:36..with very little shade, no fresh water, and relentless heat.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Tough if you get stranded on one.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49One of the creatures left high and dry on this single island
0:12:49 > 0:12:53is the oddly-named swollen-nosed side-blotched lizard.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It has had to adapt to this desolate place,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05not least to the challenge of finding enough to eat.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16But at low tide comes an unexpected invasion.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Marine isopods.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43These cockroaches of the sea emerge from the shoreline
0:13:43 > 0:13:45to feed on exposed algae.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53They reach plague proportions.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Great news for the lizards.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18If only they can catch them.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Tricky.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Success at last.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Lizards would normally be poisoned by food this salty,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56but these lizards have developed a trick,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and it's up their nose.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Their bulbous noses have glands that can excrete excess salt,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09which they wipe away on the rocks.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Or, sometimes they just sneeze it out.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Thousands of these salt-tolerant lizards now thrive here.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The abundant Sea of Cortez
0:15:37 > 0:15:40brings life to more than just its barren islands,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44it also has a dramatic impact on the mainland coast.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Where the sea reaches furthest into the desert,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53powerful tectonic forces continue to unzip the Earth's crust...
0:15:55 > 0:15:57..opening up a low valley.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Here the Wild West's most famous river, the Colorado,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09ends its journey.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Over millions of years, this river has filled the valley
0:16:19 > 0:16:22with vast amounts of fine sediment,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24carved from deserts far inland.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Dwindling veins of water create an otherworldly shoreline.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44These beaches are so flat
0:16:44 > 0:16:46that the tides here rise unusually far...
0:16:48 > 0:16:50..and are the stage for a bizarre event...
0:16:51 > 0:16:55..timed to just after the highest of high tides.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Brown pelicans start together.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12They seem to know something extraordinary is about to happen.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Gulf grunion scout the beach.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Then, in their hundreds,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33females surf in on the waves,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35shadowed by eager males.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37They are here to spawn.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44But it's not going to be easy.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Each female tries to propel herself
0:17:47 > 0:17:50as high up the beach as she can,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to lay just beyond the reach of the waves.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Drilling herself into the sand
0:18:21 > 0:18:24is the cue for the male grunion to move in.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26They wrap themselves around her,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28jostling to fertilise the eggs.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01In the frenzy, many eggs are dislodged.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Once flicked out of the sand, they won't survive.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Although these fish out of water might seem vulnerable,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28the mass of flickering bodies confuses predators.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The greatest danger comes as they wriggle back to sea.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56This is the moment the pelicans have been waiting for.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Slightly deeper water means they can get their bills underneath
0:20:05 > 0:20:06to scoop out their victims.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39This female runs the gauntlet and makes it through.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Her eggs will develop quickly in the warm desert sand
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and be ready to hatch in two weeks,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51on the next spring tide.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09In just a few hours,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14the sea retreats so far, it exposes nearly two miles of sand and mud.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Now, at low tide, fiddler crabs take to the stage.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31There's no time to hang about.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36This male cleans his claw, ready for action.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It's his lure to seduce a female.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43The bigger and bluer, the better his chances.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It shows he's a healthy crab.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54He waves to woo her,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57but he's up against stiff competition.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05As a female enters the arena,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08the beckoning becomes increasingly urgent.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The tide is turning. Time is of the essence.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31This blue-clawed Romeo catches her eye
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and escorts her into his underground lair.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41He firmly shuts the door
0:22:41 > 0:22:43just in the nick of time.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01These beaches block the Sea of Cortez from reaching any further
0:23:01 > 0:23:04into the deserts of the Wild West.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09But the huge split in the Earth's crust continues north...
0:23:10 > 0:23:13..pulling the land apart and creating
0:23:13 > 0:23:17one of the lowest-lying and most inhospitable places on Earth.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Underground gases escape through the cracks in the land
0:23:32 > 0:23:35building mini volcanoes that spew hot mud.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47These mud pots flank the shores of a curious miniature sea,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49cradled in the heart of the desert.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51The Salton Sea.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Over millennia, water has come and gone from this sunken hollow.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Today, this giant puddle
0:24:05 > 0:24:09is 35 miles long and 15 miles wide,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11but rarely deeper than a swimming pool.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Water is so scarce in this desert that it's become
0:24:20 > 0:24:24an important stopover for migrating birds to feed and drink.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Over 400 different species have been recorded here,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38more than in any other wildlife refuge in America.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It may look peaceful,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51but this is one of the most restless and unsettled places
0:24:51 > 0:24:53in the whole Wild West.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59What does man seek?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Whatever it is, it's here at Salton City.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Here is all that you and your family,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06your children and your childrens' children...
0:25:06 > 0:25:1150 years ago, it was a fashionable resort for American holiday-makers.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Guaranteed sunshine and glassy, calm waters were irresistible.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19You have been present at the birth of a city.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Some chose to settle by the enticing water.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Deano McAfee has lived here since he was a teenager.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42When my dad bought the lot here, there was an outhouse on it.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45There was no streets, no water, no electricity.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48But we got to go out here and go fishing, swimming, water skiing.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49All that good stuff.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53They'd be lined up for four blocks, two cars abreast, waiting to get
0:25:53 > 0:25:56down to the marina to launch their boats.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It was just a great place to grow up.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08But the glory days weren't to last.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Under the baking hot sun,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13the shallow water recedes fast.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17As it shrinks, it gets saltier
0:26:17 > 0:26:19and increasingly toxic.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Algae thrive, starving the water of oxygen,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26causing the fish to suffocate.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32You could sink a boat with fish years ago, in here.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Back in the '70s and '80s, you'd go out there
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and catch all the fish that you wanted to.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41But now, all around the Salton Sea, it's dying,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43because the water's dead.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49If the Salton Sea keeps receding like it is right now, why it...
0:26:49 > 0:26:52the salt content is going to be so bad in a year or two
0:26:52 > 0:26:54there'll be nothing left here.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Within just 30 years of its heyday,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00most of the settlers had moved on,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03leaving behind a modern-day ghost town.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Some people come and go.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17They actually moved out of here, and left their houses sitting.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23We used to have, like, 1,600 people here.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Now we've got 150, 200 at the most.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33That's the Luck Of The Irish,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36where that big pile of sand was, right there.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38That was the place they had
0:27:38 > 0:27:41country music and dancing and all that stuff.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48I don't know how a lot of the birds are going to survive if they don't
0:27:48 > 0:27:50do something with the water.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54But the birds seem more resilient to change than people.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58For them, the Salton Sea still provides enough water,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01food and welcome relief from the surrounding desert.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04A lot of birds.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Boy, a big flock running right over the top of the water out there.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16I like it here. It's been an awesome place to live.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Who knows what the next 30 years will bring
0:28:21 > 0:28:24to this fast-changing place?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36The same massive tear in the Earth's crust
0:28:36 > 0:28:39that created the Salton Sea and the Sea of Cortez
0:28:39 > 0:28:43here forms a spectacular scar across the surface of the land.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50This is the San Andreas Fault,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52the most famous faultline in the world.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01Ten miles deep and more than 800 miles long,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05it highlights the boundary between the world's biggest tectonic plates.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11The ultimate source of all the turmoil
0:29:11 > 0:29:13that shapes this part of the Wild West...
0:29:17 > 0:29:20..stretching from the Sea of Cortez
0:29:20 > 0:29:22all the way up to beyond San Francisco.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Here, the faultline cuts away from the land
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and into the Pacific Ocean,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34twisting and crumpling the shoreline into a jagged, threatening world.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Restless and weather-beaten,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51at times, this place is more like a polar landscape than the Wild West.
0:29:53 > 0:29:59Yet the boundary between land and sea is still a magnet for life.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01SEALS GRUNT AND BARK
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Northern elephant seals.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20These hardened travellers of the high seas come here
0:30:20 > 0:30:23from icy Alaskan waters.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32This old male is the beach master.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35He defends a harem of females,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38here to give birth on this raised sandy beach.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45HE GRUNTS
0:31:01 > 0:31:05For the beach master, it's an opportunity to mate.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13He'll fight anyone who dares come close to his harem.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23With a colossal 2½ tonnes behind him,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26what he lacks in looks, he makes up for in brawn.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25The beach master wastes no time in making the most of his victory.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30He'll have to fight battle after battle
0:33:30 > 0:33:32to continue to hold the fort.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Where these rugged headlands jut out into the ocean,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52they intercept strong winds that stir up the water
0:33:52 > 0:33:55causing nutrients to well up from deep.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07These upwellings feed great undersea forests of kelp,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10one of the fastest growing plants on Earth.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15The fronds can grow ten inches a day.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22They are highly productive
0:34:22 > 0:34:25and conceal an irresistible delicacy
0:34:25 > 0:34:27for those brave enough to search for it.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51How big are they?
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Huge.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Like many families,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59the ancestors of Kelly and Dennis, and their grandpa Gene,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02moved west in search of a better life,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and they found themselves drawn to the coast.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Four generations later,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13it's now become a family tradition to freedive for red abalone.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29These giant snails thrive on the nutritious kelp,
0:35:29 > 0:35:30so are packed with goodness.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Abalone have been harvested from these waters
0:35:46 > 0:35:49for over 8,000 years.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53They were one of the first food sources from the shores
0:35:53 > 0:35:56of the Wild West to be used by Native Americans.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Today, harvesting is carefully controlled to protect numbers.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Only the biggest can be taken.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11Unfortunately, they tend to be found where the water is roughest.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18This is an activity best left to the young and agile.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Been quite a few fatalities this year.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26You know, people that have travelled long distance to come here
0:36:26 > 0:36:28and take an abalone.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31They go regardless of the weather and ocean conditions,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33and that's bad.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36You know, if you're along the shoreline and a swell comes in,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39it can just cram you right in against the shoreline
0:36:39 > 0:36:40and beat you up pretty good.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Yeah, it's been about 15 years since I dove.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51I miss it.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59His family, and many others who settled on this coast,
0:36:59 > 0:37:00are united by the ocean.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05For generations now, we've been here in this area,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09and the ocean is what brought our family here
0:37:09 > 0:37:12and it's what has kept our family here.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16It's family. It's... It's our...
0:37:16 > 0:37:18heritage. It's just...
0:37:21 > 0:37:23It's where I feel like my heart belongs, is here.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35The Pacific Ocean has a profound effect on life here.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39By easing heat inland
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and bringing moisture to the shores...
0:37:45 > 0:37:48..where cold ocean currents greet warm summer air
0:37:48 > 0:37:51they form blankets of heavy fog.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16The fog is carried inland on the sea breeze
0:38:16 > 0:38:19until it is blocked by high mountains
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and held over the canopy of great coastal forests.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30It brings welcome moisture,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32particularly important for one of the quirkiest creatures
0:38:32 > 0:38:34in the Wild West.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40The wandering salamander.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45He has no lungs and breathes through his skin,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48so must stay damp to survive.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55To reach the moisture, he has an enormous challenge.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Climbing the tallest trees on Earth.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03Giant redwoods.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09These trees can live over a thousand years
0:39:09 > 0:39:11and grow more than 300 feet tall.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Luckily, the wandering salamander is an expert climber.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25He has to be. It's a long way down.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29A really long way down.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Near the top, the broad branches trap fallen leaves,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57creating just enough soil to support pioneering plants, like ferns.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12Over time, these weave together to form huge mats,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16which soak up the fog like a sponge and provide a damp hideout for the
0:40:16 > 0:40:18little salamander, all year round.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26And it isn't just the salamanders
0:40:26 > 0:40:29that benefit from this gift from the ocean.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33The colossal trees themselves can harvest nearly half of the water
0:40:33 > 0:40:37they need from fog, absorbing it through their lofty leaves.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39The whole forest depends on it.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55The influence of ocean fog reaches all the way down the Pacific shores
0:40:55 > 0:40:58to the great peninsular torn from the mainland.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06Here, the fog bathes the edges of a hot subtropical desert, and supports
0:41:06 > 0:41:09the strangest habitat in the Wild West...
0:41:15 > 0:41:18..home to the desert's strangest trees.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26They've been called many things by intrepid explorers.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Boojums, desert candles or cirios.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Contortionists.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Even upside-down carrots.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02This far south, the sun will quickly burn off any lingering moisture.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11But by sunrise,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14the boojums' spiny branches have already caught
0:42:14 > 0:42:17a few drops from the air,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20and can channel it down their long stems to the root.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Boojums can grow over 50 feet tall.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33It might be a century before they produce their first flower.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38They have adopted the same slow way of life
0:42:38 > 0:42:41as their giant cactus neighbours.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58These shores seem otherworldly, almost alien...
0:43:00 > 0:43:02..but there can be surprising rewards here for those
0:43:02 > 0:43:05adventurous enough to live life differently.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Towards the end of the peninsular is a small fishing village called
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Laguna San Ignacio.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26The last true outpost of the Wild West.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30And the meeting point of the brave and inspirational.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Grey whales hold the record for the longest migration of any mammal...
0:43:46 > 0:43:50..travelling over 12,000 miles from rough Arctic waters
0:43:50 > 0:43:53to sheltered lagoons like this one.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56It's here they choose to nurse their newborn calves.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Today, they live in peace.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10But in the 19th century,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13whalers hunted them here in their hundreds.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15And the whales fought back.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Nicknamed devil fish, they used to surface under the boats,
0:44:20 > 0:44:21capsizing them.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24One whaler wrote,
0:44:24 > 0:44:27"Many an expert whaleman has suffered in his
0:44:27 > 0:44:30"encounters with them, and paid the penalty with his life."
0:44:37 > 0:44:40But now, there's a dawn of a new era.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Jesus Mayoral sees these whales in a different light,
0:44:46 > 0:44:50thanks to the extraordinary courage of his late father, Pachico.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Pachico's bravery was to kick-start a new opportunity here.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22And a new chapter in our relationship with grey whales.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37Little by little, the news spread.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42What makes these whales exceptional is that the mothers actually
0:45:42 > 0:45:45encourage their young towards the boats.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50They seem to seek out physical contact with people, and enjoy it.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Jesus started captaining boats aged just 13.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Hola!
0:46:21 > 0:46:24He's often noticed that the whales go to one person
0:46:24 > 0:46:26on the boat more than the others.
0:46:43 > 0:46:44One, two...
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Jesus continues his father's legacy
0:46:51 > 0:46:54by introducing people to his whale compadres.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14Today, these extraordinarily friendly whales,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16and the way we respond to them,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20shows that the Wild West can still offer pioneers a new way of life.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58People were first drawn to the Wild West
0:47:58 > 0:48:01in search of riches from the land.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05But here, along these restless shores,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08it is the sea that provides the greatest rewards.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15The Wild West is much more than a land of myths and Hollywood legends.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Today, it's a place where people and wildlife,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25with extraordinary resilience and ingenuity,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29embrace a demanding, ever-changing landscape.
0:48:34 > 0:48:39They embody the true spirit of the Wild West.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56The mysterious Sea of Cortez.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02One, two, three, go.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10One of the richest seas on Earth.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Full of some very friendly animals.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35And if there's one creature that symbolises the productivity of this
0:49:35 > 0:49:37amazing sea more than any other,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39it's perhaps the blue whale.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44These ocean giants come here for two months every year.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47The mothers even bring their calves.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52The glassy, calm waters of the Sea of Cortez tempt
0:49:52 > 0:49:55the Wild West team to aim high...
0:49:56 > 0:50:00..filming from the air as well as from the boat.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Not only is it the best way to reveal the whales' true size,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07but also to show the mother and calf side-by-side -
0:50:07 > 0:50:09a sight few have captured before.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14So, they have enlisted the help of Manolo Mendieta,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16with a specialist bit of kit - a drone.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23He's teamed up with wildlife cameraman Tom Fitz,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26whose job it is to capture shots of the whales from the boat.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Their guides, Michael Fischbach and Alberto Davis,
0:50:31 > 0:50:35have between them worked with blue whales in these waters
0:50:35 > 0:50:36for over two decades.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41The team, together with producer Felicity Lanchester,
0:50:41 > 0:50:42are ready for action.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46First task - find a whale.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08We seem to be spending quite a long time bobbing around
0:51:08 > 0:51:11in the middle of the sea, waiting to hear a whale blow.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15I never hear them. Michael seems to be able to hear
0:51:15 > 0:51:17from about six miles' distance.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24It's quite odd to think, any minute now,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26the biggest animal on Earth
0:51:26 > 0:51:29could surface right beside our little boat.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37Whale! Ballena, ballena! Vamos!
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Just seen him over here.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46So, Michael's going to position the boat near the whale,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48and Tom's going to try and get a shot.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10There he is.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14This whale is so comfortable near the boat
0:52:14 > 0:52:17that it makes for a brilliant start for Tom.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18That was lovely.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21The whale was calm. If we can have a couple more times like that,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25where we're just hanging with it as it's moving along, it sure helps me.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26It was nice.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Now, as it moves away, Manolo gets his chance.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39But the whale dives before he can even get the drone in the air.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- He's gone.- It's frustrating.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46The enormity of the task is starting to sink in.
0:52:46 > 0:52:47No, no.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52It looks like Manolo has the hardest job of all.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Michael and Alberto give Manolo many more opportunities
0:52:58 > 0:53:00to fly with the whales over the next few days.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05But it's tricky filming a moving target from a moving boat,
0:53:05 > 0:53:10and, once in the air, he only has a tiny 2D view of the huge 3D world.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16He needs eyes in the back of his head.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- Where is it? - It's out here. Out here.
0:53:19 > 0:53:20- 11 o'clock.- Ah, OK.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Luckily, the crew are always on hand to help him.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27OK, he's going right towards you.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30You need to go a little further, the way you were going.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32The whales are only briefly at the surface.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37He's at about seven o'clock, he's only taken one breath.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40As each battery only lasts for eight minutes,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Manolo can't just hover around searching.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- Oh, right here. It's behind us. You've had four minutes.- OK.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Timing is critical.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56It was a bit tricky, the wind was picking up.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00But Manolo is learning from every encounter he has,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02and the shot of his dreams is tantalisingly close.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15Out of nowhere, this ideal filming location turns on the team,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17when storm suddenly closes in.
0:54:17 > 0:54:22It's frustrating, but there's no choice - they have to head for land.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28As they journey back, typically, Alberto spots a blue whale.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Tom, Tom.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32He's right in front.
0:54:32 > 0:54:39And despite the storm, they can't resist trying to film it.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Calabaza!- Calabaza!
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Yes! - THEY LAUGH
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Having known Calabaza for 18 years,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59he is a favourite of Michael and Alberto's.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03He is an easy-going whale with a spectacular fluke.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07That was the nicest fluke up we've gotten today and...
0:55:08 > 0:55:09..most of the week.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11And there was just a flash of lightning behind Tom's head.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12You're kidding? What?!
0:55:12 > 0:55:15In the mountains.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It's maddening to have only found him in the midst of a storm,
0:55:18 > 0:55:20and the crew are forced to leave.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32As soon as the weather clears, the team are back out on the water.
0:55:36 > 0:55:37There isn't much filming time left,
0:55:37 > 0:55:39and they need to make the most of it.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Having filmed lots of blue whale images from the boat,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Manolo's aerial filming is now top priority.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52All eyes and ears are scanning the sea.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Calf, calf!
0:56:03 > 0:56:05It's the cow-calf blow whale.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10Hey!
0:56:10 > 0:56:12- Whoohoo!- Yeah...
0:56:15 > 0:56:18The crew don't know how long they will have with this duo,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20so they all need to be prepared.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Manolo, do you want to get ready as well?
0:56:25 > 0:56:27Perfecto, Alberto, perfecto!
0:56:30 > 0:56:35- Yep, they're coming up to your left. - Where?- Right in front...
0:56:35 > 0:56:36Steady...
0:56:36 > 0:56:38The mother and calf are so relaxed with the boat,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41they even decide to approach it.
0:56:41 > 0:56:42Stay the same speed...
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Coming too close for Manolo...
0:56:45 > 0:56:46..but perfect for Tom.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Then, at last, as they move away...
0:56:59 > 0:57:01..Manolo gets his chance.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03OK, we're going to get Manolo up in the air.
0:57:22 > 0:57:27Everything he has learned over the last few days helps Manolo to get
0:57:27 > 0:57:31stunning images of this mother and calf, as they cruise along together.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Well, finally, we've got a shot of
0:57:47 > 0:57:50the mum and the calf together.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54And then they went down just at the same time - beautiful.
0:57:54 > 0:57:55It was a blessing, this shot.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Amazing.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05Manolo's drone has been able to reveal a rarely-seen perspective of
0:58:05 > 0:58:07the greatest animal on Earth...
0:58:09 > 0:58:13..a blue whale and her calf, side-by-side,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16just off the desert shores of the Wild West.