Ynysoedd Ffaroe, Gwlad yr Ia Antur y Gorllewin


Ynysoedd Ffaroe, Gwlad yr Ia

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

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-The Atlantic Ocean.

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-An ocean that provides warmth

-and water.

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-It influences the climate

-and wildlife...

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-..of every country

-in Western Europe.

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-The warmth and moisture

-of the Atlantic...

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-..promotes the fertile growth

-we see all across Western Europe.

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-These rich habitats sustain

-a wide variety of incredible life.

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-There are deer everywhere.

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-The sea itself

-is a treasure trove of nature.

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-These are beautiful -

-jewel anemones.

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-I'm on an exciting journey

-along Europe's west coast...

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-..discovering the nature of the

-countries that face the Atlantic.

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-The adventure started in the south,

-around the Azores.

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-I've seen fantastic wildlife

-and some incredible sights...

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-..in Portugal, Spain...

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-A lynx, lads.

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-..France...

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-Here's a strange bird -

-a black-winged stilt.

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-In the Channel Islands,

-I saw a green lizard.

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-..Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly...

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-..Ireland and Scotland.

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-I'm on the final leg of my journey.

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-I'm on my way

-to the Faroe Islands...

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-..and Iceland.

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-There's one there.

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-I've reached the Faroe Islands,

-about 160 miles north of Scotland.

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-The islands are located

-in the North Atlantic...

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-..about halfway

-between Norway and Iceland.

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-The Faroe Islands

-have a special character.

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-You feel as if

-you're far from everywhere.

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-The Faroe Islands' landscape...

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-..is as dramatic as any I've seen

-on my journey so far.

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-It's odd to find

-a group of islands...

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-..in the middle

-of the North Atlantic.

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-You don't expect to see

-anything like this...

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-..halfway between Scotland

-and Iceland.

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-Look at these huge mountains

-rising up from the sea.

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-There are 18 islands in all.

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-If you pushed them together...

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-..they'd cover an area

-not much bigger than Anglesey.

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-Some of the highest mountains

-reach a height of 880 metres.

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-That's the same height as Pen y Fan.

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-Very few people live here -

-some 48,000 across all the islands.

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-The 70,000 unique

-Faroe Island sheep...

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-..enjoy the hard life here.

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-The islands' location in the middle

-of the North Atlantic...

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-..is perfect for seabirds

-that need to nest.

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-One of them is the Arctic tern.

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-Another seabird

-has chosen the Faroe Islands...

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-..as its most important

-nesting spot.

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-They hide under the rocks by day...

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-..since they're scared

-of larger birds.

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-We know they're there

-because they're so noisy.

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-Jens-Kjeld Jenson

-is the islands' Mr Nature.

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-He has studied these small birds

-for many years.

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-He's building a trap

-to catch the birds.

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-Which way are we going to put it -

-across like this?

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-I'll let you put them in.

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-We're erecting these nets

-to catch the storm petrels.

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-There are hundreds of thousands

-of them here.

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-This is the world's largest colony.

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-They can be found under these rocks.

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-You won't see them now because

-they come out when it's dark.

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-Storm petrels avoid daylight

-because gulls eat them.

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-They venture out in darkness,

-walking along the ground...

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-..before taking to the skies.

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-And now we sit and wait, is it?

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-Only sit and wait. In 35 minutes,

-we will see the first.

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-Right. I'll keep you to that.

-Exactly 35 minutes.

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-Fair play,

-Jens was pretty close to the mark.

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-As the light faded,

-the birds appeared.

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-They flew without any gulls

-to bother them...

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-..safe from the attention

-of any predators.

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-Apart from Jens's net!

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-This is only

-a temporary inconvenience...

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-..as Jens tries to gather

-some information about the petrels.

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-Wow.

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-It's already been ringed, this one.

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-It's only when you see it

-in the hand...

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-..you realize

-what a small bird it is.

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-These nest in Wales

-and the rest of Europe.

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-I've previously heard them

-in Ireland...

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-..hiding in a wall

-on the Skellig Islands.

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-They nest much later here...

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-..because it's light

-almost around the clock...

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-..on the Faroe Islands

-during May and June.

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-These have a unique smell too.

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-Yeah, yeah.

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-They can spit on you...

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-..and you can have their smell

-for the next year on your clothes.

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-It's a very special smell.

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-Yeah, it is.

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-They have a unique smell.

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-They can spit at you too.

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-I associate it with my visits

-to Skomer years ago...

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-..when I used to look after

-these birds.

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-This smell brings back

-the memories every time.

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-It's hard to tell what it is.

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-It's like the smell of old fish

-but not in a bad way.

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-It's a nice smell.

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-It's quite a nice smell, isn't it?

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-You buy my jacket?!

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-It's all over you.

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-It's an old jacket,

-but you can buy this.

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-To take the smell home with me.

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-That's very kind of you

-but no, thank you.

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-I say farewell to this little bird

-and Jens's coat...

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-..and leave the Faroe Islands

-bound for Iceland.

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-This is the northernmost country

-on my journey.

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-Just like the Azores...

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-..the islands I visited

-at the start of my journey...

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-..Iceland is located

-in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

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-Both places are influenced

-by volcanic activity.

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-Iceland is covered by the scars

-and dust of volcanoes.

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-A great deal of it has come

-as a result of recent events.

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-The land is volatile

-because of the island's location.

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-Iceland and the Azores are part

-of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...

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-..a chain of mountains running

-south to north through the ocean...

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-..near a large fissure

-in the earth's crust.

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-Most of the ridge is under the sea,

-but some parts reach the surface...

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-..creating the islands

-of the Azores and Iceland.

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-When I visited the Azores...

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-..I swam with manta rays

-above one of the ridge's mountains.

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-Oh, wow! Look at these.

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-The rays gathered above

-the underwater slopes to feed.

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-On the island of Pico

-in the Azores...

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-..Mount Pico volcano was still hot.

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-In Iceland, the effects

-of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...

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-..are far more dramatic.

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-The island sits across the ridge...

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-..where the continents of Europe

-and America shift and collide.

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-This is what produces

-all the energy on the island.

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-Steam is created

-by volcanic activity underground.

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-It's released almost everywhere.

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-There are more hot geysers

-in Iceland...

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-..than in any other country

-in the world.

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-Volcanic activity isn't the only

-factor shaping the landscape.

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-The cold conditions

-also have an effect...

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-..especially when the ice melts

-during the summer.

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-The meltwater

-creates spectacular waterfalls.

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-This waterfall is called Godafoss.

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-There's such a force of water

-flowing over it...

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-..you can feel the earth

-shaking under your feet.

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-Iceland's nature is very energetic.

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-Not only the waterfalls...

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-..but the geysers, the hot steam

-emerging from the ground...

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-..and the volcanoes,

-which are still active today.

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-Visiting a place like this

-and standing close to it...

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-..reminds you

-how insignificant you are...

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-..and how powerful nature can be.

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-There's no better example of this...

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-..than the effect of volcanoes

-on the landscape.

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-There's so much volcanic activity

-on the island.

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-Lava rocks and dust

-are scattered everywhere.

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-Look at this place -

-it's like an alien planet.

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-Much of the mainland

-looks like this...

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-..stripped of any vegetation.

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-Here or there,

-you'll see some plants and mosses.

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-As they wilt and die, they slowly

-create another layer of soil.

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-It can take decades,

-even centuries...

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-..but slowly,

-the growth will return.

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-Later, I'll discover more

-about Iceland's hot and cold nature.

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-I'll see subterranean

-ice sculptures.

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-It's the middle of summer now,

-but this ice has survived.

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-I'll also visit caves

-created by volcanic activity.

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-It looks like the mouth of Hell!

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-It's an incredible thing.

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-.

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

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-I'm on the final leg

-of my European adventure...

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-..visiting the countries

-that face the Atlantic.

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-I've reached Iceland.

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-I'm heading

-for the Reykjanes Peninsula...

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-..and the Leitahraun lava field.

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-I'm exploring a cave

-formed by subterranean lava flow...

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-..with a group of cavers

-and local guide Kari Bjornsson.

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-Like the rest of Iceland,

-the landscape is very open...

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-..with ancient lava rocks

-covered in moss and small plants.

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-It's the perfect habitat for upland

-birds like the golden plover.

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-But I'm not here to watch birds -

-I'm heading underground.

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-Nothing above ground suggests

-anything remarkable underground.

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-Only a dark opening

-into the belly of the earth.

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-This is a special cave.

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-The stalactites and stalagmites

-are created from ice, not stone.

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-Look at the incredible

-ice sculptures.

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-Dear me!

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-It looks as if someone

-has been here to mould it all...

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-..but it's melting slowly.

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-It's incredible to think

-that it's the middle of summer.

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-But the temperature down here

-is between two and four degrees...

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-..so the ice can survive.

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-Caves are usually created when water

-erodes soft rocks like limestone.

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-This magnificent cave

-was formed by hot lava.

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-Perfect tunnels stretch underground.

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-You could swear

-that they'd been dug out by man...

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-..but they were shaped by lava.

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-I'm used to going into caves...

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-..and seeing stalactites

-hanging down from the ceiling.

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-I thought these were the same,

-but they're not.

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-This is rock that's softened.

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-This was all lava -

-there was no solid rock at all.

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-The lumps hanging from the ceiling

-were lava dripping down.

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-As it became cold, it hardened.

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-By now, what was once like treacle

-is now hard rock.

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-If I'd stood here 5,000 years ago...

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-..I would have been badly burnt...

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-..but I would also have sunk

-into the ground.

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-Kari's father discovered the cave

-about seven years ago.

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-It's one of world's most incredible

-subterranean discoveries.

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-The explosion that formed

-the tunnels must have been huge.

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-We're now coming

-to the lava flow proper.

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-You can see it now, can't you?

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-This was the height

-of the lava river.

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-That's what this bit here is?

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-It's like a tidemark, almost.

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-It would have flowed at this level

-right across here.

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-And this would have been lava,

-spitting and dripping.

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-It's like the mouth of Hell.

-It's an incredible thing.

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-You can see the lava

-underneath our feet.

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-A lava tunnel, a real lava tunnel.

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-The lava flow stops suddenly

-in a dangerous pit...

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-..that drops down around 17 metres.

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-It ends here?

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-The deepest lava pit in the world.

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-The deepest lava pit in the world.

-

-Wow! That's incredible.

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-Do we know why

-it has dropped down like that?

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-A lot of cave experts have been here

-and no-one has a clue.

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-What an amazing end to it.

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-It looks like it's been sprayed

-in chocolate here.

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-There are incredible volcanic scenes

-under the sea too.

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-The best example can be found

-in Eyjafjordur in the north.

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-The water here is heated

-by an undersea volcanic vent.

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-Well, look at this.

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-This is a chimney.

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-It pumps boiling water out

-from the bowels of the earth.

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-It cools down

-when it combines with seawater.

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-It's incredible.

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-Chimneys like this

-can be found across the country.

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-On land, they form geysers.

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-The water is pumped

-out of the ground...

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-..high into the sky.

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-It shows that volcanoes

-still control Iceland.

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-The chimney has been releasing

-boiling water for 11,000 years.

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-This is only the upper part...

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-..about 15 metres under the waves.

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-It stretches down about 55 metres

-to the seabed.

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-It's fresh water, not seawater,

-and it's packed with minerals.

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-When the minerals mix

-with seawater...

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-..they solidify

-and form limestone chimneys.

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-The combination of warm water

-and minerals...

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-..creates a rich habitat

-for wildlife.

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-It's incredible to see

-so much wildlife...

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-..congregating around this chimney.

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-All kinds of seaweed, starfish

-and fish of all shapes and sizes.

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-It's all as a result

-of the warm water.

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-It attracts all kinds of bacteria

-and plankton...

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-..which provide nourishment

-for all the creatures.

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-Here's a fierce-looking fish.

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-Can you see those large teeth

-in its mouth?

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-It's a wolf fish.

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-It's actually quite harmless.

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-Those large teeth are used to crush

-shells, crabs and similar creatures.

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-Thankfully, they don't bite people.

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-Iceland's different landscapes...

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-..have to withstand

-the harsh elements of nature...

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-..both in the sea and on land.

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-Strong winds sweep across

-the open landscapes.

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-During the summer, when the ice

-and snow have retreated...

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-..any loose soil is blown away.

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-The landscape has been scarred

-by earthquakes.

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-It's difficult for anything

-to survive in such harsh conditions.

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-The first thing that struck me

-when I reached Iceland...

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-..was the lack of trees,

-bushes and hedges.

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-There is growth here,

-but only very close to the ground.

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-You have to get down

-to get close to it.

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-I've seen some dwarf willow.

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-They don't grow upwards -

-they creep along the ground.

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-There's very little soil here

-and there's a very sharp wind.

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-It can freeze leaves in an instant.

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-There are familiar plants too.

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-I've seen them

-in the uplands of Cwm Idwal.

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-This is mountain avens.

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-I've seen roseroot.

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-They're very rare in Wales,

-but they flourish here.

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-This is very similar to the Arctic.

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-The soil is thin, it freezes here

-from October until April.

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-When summer comes, it's very short.

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-All these flowers

-appear at the same time.

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-When they do appear,

-they're beautiful.

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-The cold weather isn't far away,

-even in high summer.

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-Snow and ice cover the mountains

-all year round.

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-It's July, and this is one

-of Iceland's largest glaciers.

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-It's melting in the relatively

-mild summer temperatures...

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-..but the word mild

-is rather misleading.

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-The temperature

-is only just above freezing.

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-The glaciers in the mountains...

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-..are the reason why there's

-so much water in this country.

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-They melt during the summer...

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-..and the water flows

-into streams and rivers...

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-..creating magnificent waterfalls.

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-This is a remote place,

-a frozen desert.

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-It's hard to live up here.

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-As they melt, the glaciers release

-thousands of gallons of water.

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-The water flows down

-to the lowlands.

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-That's where wildlife flourishes.

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-I'm watching a female

-harlequin duck...

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-..fishing right in the middle

-of the white water.

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-How she can swim in that water,

-I'll never know.

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-She's diving under the water...

0:24:210:24:23

-..to feed on the larvae

-of these black flies.

0:24:230:24:27

-They're flying around my head.

0:24:270:24:30

-The larvae are on the rocks,

-where most of the oxygen is found.

0:24:310:24:36

-That's where the water

-flows strongest.

0:24:360:24:39

-The ducks dive

-and feed on the larvae.

0:24:400:24:43

-There are so many larvae

-that it's like grass.

0:24:440:24:47

-Then they come back to the surface.

-I've just swallowed some!

0:24:470:24:51

-The female is pretty,

-but the male is majestic.

0:24:540:24:58

-Since the river freezes quickly

-in the autumn and flies disappear...

0:25:000:25:04

-..the male will leave soon

-to live by the sea.

0:25:050:25:08

-The female will follow him

-after she has raised the chicks.

0:25:080:25:12

-Since there are so many flies

-in the rivers and lakes...

0:25:140:25:17

-..during the summer,

-thousands of water birds migrate...

0:25:180:25:22

-..to feed and nest in Iceland.

0:25:220:25:24

-Many come from Europe.

0:25:240:25:27

-Others, such as

-the Barrow's goldeneye, stay here.

0:25:280:25:31

-They spend the winter in stretches

-of water that don't freeze...

0:25:320:25:37

-..near the hot springs.

0:25:370:25:39

-In Iceland, whooper swans nest.

0:25:420:25:45

-They can be seen in Wales

-during the winter...

0:25:450:25:48

-..on the Glaslyn near Porthmadog,

-on the Tywi near Dryslwyn...

0:25:480:25:53

-..and on the Severn near Newtown.

0:25:530:25:55

-These are different

-to the orange-beaked mute swans...

0:25:550:26:00

-..seen all year round in Wales.

0:26:000:26:03

-When these chicks are old enough,

-at the end of September...

0:26:030:26:07

-..the whole family will fly

-all the way to Southern Europe.

0:26:080:26:12

-This family may well end up

-in Wales.

0:26:120:26:15

-Later on my journey,

-I catch up with some whales.

0:26:290:26:33

-There's one over here.

0:26:340:26:36

-I'll also reach the end of the road

-and the end of my adventure.

0:26:390:26:44

-.

0:26:470:26:48

-Subtitles

0:26:510:26:51

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:26:510:26:53

-I'm in the south-west of Iceland.

0:26:560:26:58

-I'm preparing for a dive

-with the filming crew...

0:26:580:27:02

-..in one of the world's

-most remarkable pools.

0:27:020:27:05

-The pool is in a rift

-formed in the ground...

0:27:050:27:08

-..by Iceland's volcanic nature.

0:27:080:27:10

-The Silfra rift is located

-in the Thingvellir National Park...

0:27:160:27:21

-..about 50 miles east

-of the capital, Reykjavik.

0:27:210:27:25

-The rift is filled with fresh water.

0:27:340:27:37

-It leads to Lake Thingvellir,

-one of Iceland's largest lakes.

0:27:370:27:42

-The water is as cold

-as any I've swum in.

0:27:440:27:47

-It's also the clearest.

0:27:470:27:48

-As clear as crystal.

0:27:500:27:52

-The water is incredibly clear.

0:28:160:28:19

-The source of this water

-is a glacier 50km from here.

0:28:200:28:26

-It works its way through the rock

-and joins the lake...

0:28:290:28:33

-..through a series of streams.

0:28:330:28:36

-That's why...

0:28:360:28:38

-Well, I've never dived

-in such clear water before.

0:28:380:28:42

-It's incredible.

0:28:420:28:44

-I can see for 100m ahead.

0:28:440:28:46

-In Wales, if I dive...

0:28:460:28:48

-..I'm lucky if I can see

-five metres ahead.

0:28:480:28:53

-To be honest, you can see as far

-as the eye can see!

0:28:550:29:00

-The water has taken almost a century

-to reach here.

0:29:150:29:19

-It has travelled

-through volcanic rock.

0:29:190:29:22

-Any mud or stones

-have been filtered out.

0:29:220:29:25

-It's like swimming through the air.

0:29:290:29:32

-Clear water isn't the only wonder

-that makes the Silfra rift special.

0:29:350:29:40

-It's also an interesting

-geological location.

0:29:420:29:45

-I'm swimming here

-between two continents.

0:29:470:29:50

-On my right is the North American

-continental plate.

0:29:510:29:55

-On my left,

-is the European continental plate.

0:29:560:29:59

-Both plates are separating slowly.

0:30:000:30:04

-If you want to know

-how quickly they're separating...

0:30:040:30:08

-..if Christopher Columbus

-set sail for America today...

0:30:080:30:14

-..he'd have to travel

-three feet further...

0:30:140:30:18

-..than he did six centuries ago.

0:30:180:30:21

-Silfra is one of the few places

-in the world...

0:30:260:30:29

-..where you can see the boundary

-between two continents clearly.

0:30:300:30:35

-Imagine this rift stretching

-far into the earth's core.

0:30:350:30:39

-It helps you learn more

-about how continents...

0:30:390:30:42

-..and the movement between them

-can cause earthquakes...

0:30:420:30:46

-..and the volcanic activity

-seen in locations like Iceland.

0:30:460:30:50

-I'm now at sea

-off the northern coast of Iceland.

0:31:280:31:31

-I'm in Skjalfandi Bay,

-20 miles north of Husavik.

0:31:330:31:36

-I'm searching for whales.

0:31:380:31:40

-We've seen a whale out here.

0:32:110:32:14

-It blew out some air

-before diving back down again.

0:32:140:32:19

-I'm not sure what it is.

0:32:190:32:21

-We'll have to wait a few minutes

-until it returns to the surface.

0:32:210:32:26

-If you look at the water, you can

-see where it was before it dived.

0:32:270:32:31

-Oh, wow. Oh, two.

0:32:330:32:36

-One in front of the other,

-over there.

0:32:360:32:39

-When they surface, they stay up

-for a while before diving again.

0:32:410:32:46

-Hopefully, we can see one

-close to the boat.

0:32:460:32:49

-Can you see it?

0:32:490:32:51

-It's surfaced on the horizon.

0:32:540:32:56

-Hopefully,

-we can see one that's closer.

0:32:560:32:59

-Look, look, look, look.

0:32:590:33:01

-Oh, wow.

0:33:030:33:04

-And a little dolphin with it.

0:33:060:33:08

-Here it comes.

0:33:140:33:15

-Oh!

0:33:170:33:18

-There are two whales here...

0:33:260:33:28

-..the fin whale

-and the world's largest whale...

0:33:290:33:32

-..the blue whale.

0:33:330:33:35

-Here's one.

0:33:370:33:39

-Another blue whale.

0:33:410:33:43

-A blue whale. Goodness me.

0:33:430:33:47

-We think of dinosaurs

-as large creatures.

0:33:470:33:50

-The diplodocus, and so on.

0:33:510:33:53

-There it is again.

0:33:540:33:56

-These whales are larger

-than all the dinosaurs.

0:33:560:34:00

-Anything that was around

-at that time.

0:34:000:34:04

-Blue whales are bigger.

0:34:050:34:07

-There has never been a creature

-on the planet as big as these.

0:34:070:34:11

-I'm looking at the largest creature

-that has ever lived.

0:34:110:34:15

-They're diving into the deep water

-to feed on krill.

0:34:180:34:24

-They eat tonnes of krill,

-they have huge mouths.

0:34:240:34:27

-Let me put it like this.

0:34:280:34:30

-The largest land animal

-is the African elephant.

0:34:300:34:36

-They eat the weight of one elephant

-in krill in a single day.

0:34:360:34:42

-In a single day!

-That's how big they are.

0:34:420:34:46

-They dive down,

-100 or 200 metres...

0:34:460:34:49

-..and return to the surface

-with a mouthful of krill.

0:34:490:34:53

-Oh! There's one over there.

0:34:550:34:57

-Look!

0:35:010:35:03

-Wow!

0:35:040:35:05

-I can see this one

-swimming under the surface.

0:35:090:35:12

-There it is, there it is.

0:35:120:35:14

-This one is a humpback whale.

0:35:140:35:18

-Watch out - it's coming.

0:35:180:35:20

-Watch the tail.

0:35:200:35:22

-Fantastic.

0:35:240:35:26

-Fantastic.

0:35:400:35:41

-It has dived under the water.

0:35:420:35:44

-Goodness me!

0:35:440:35:45

-Humpback whales are a lot smaller

-than blue and fin whales...

0:35:530:35:58

-..but are still

-around 15 metres long.

0:35:580:36:01

-They only feed near Iceland

-in summer.

0:36:050:36:08

-For the remainder of the year...

0:36:080:36:11

-..they migrate to more tropical

-waters to give birth to their young.

0:36:110:36:16

-During the summer...

0:36:160:36:18

-..it moves closer to the Arctic

-to find plenty of food.

0:36:180:36:22

-The seas near the poles are ideal.

0:36:220:36:24

-The crew and I

-are going to follow the whales...

0:36:390:36:42

-..and travel to the northernmost

-point of my journey...

0:36:420:36:46

-..an island in the Arctic Circle.

0:36:460:36:49

-.

0:36:550:36:55

-Subtitles

0:36:590:36:59

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:36:590:37:01

-I'm in Iceland, travelling

-to the island of Grimsey...

0:37:050:37:10

-..the northernmost point

-of my journey...

0:37:100:37:13

-..and the only part of Iceland

-inside the Arctic Circle.

0:37:140:37:17

-It's paradise for any ornithologist

-in the middle of July.

0:37:200:37:25

-It's the nesting season.

0:37:260:37:28

-During the summer, the island

-is home to a million birds.

0:37:280:37:32

-These are Arctic terns, just like

-the ones I saw on the Faroe Islands.

0:37:350:37:40

-Grimsey is a small island,

-only some two square miles.

0:37:410:37:45

-Most of the land

-has been left as rough pasture.

0:37:460:37:50

-There are no predators here.

0:37:520:37:54

-No foxes, dogs, cats or rats.

0:37:550:37:58

-It's a perfect place

-for dunlins and golden plovers.

0:37:580:38:02

-These have almost stopped nesting

-on the Welsh uplands.

0:38:060:38:10

-There, their eggs and chicks

-are eaten by foxes and crows.

0:38:110:38:15

-Here, they flourish.

0:38:160:38:18

-Here's a special northern bird.

0:38:220:38:25

-This little bird singing here

-is a snow bunting.

0:38:310:38:35

-It's such a pretty bird.

0:38:350:38:37

-This is a male.

-It has black and white feathers.

0:38:380:38:43

-This small bird pushes further north

-than any other small bird.

0:38:430:38:49

-It also migrates south

-during the winter.

0:38:490:38:53

-The female is here somewhere.

-She's far more insignificant.

0:38:530:38:58

-This one's nesting

-in the rocks below me.

0:38:580:39:00

-He's marking his territory

-by singing.

0:39:010:39:03

-I can hear another male nearby,

-over in the distance.

0:39:040:39:07

-It's a lovely sound.

0:39:090:39:11

-It's hard to believe this...

0:39:160:39:18

-..but in winter, snow buntings

-can be spotted on Rhyl beach.

0:39:180:39:22

-It's one of the places

-they migrate to.

0:39:220:39:25

-It will have lost

-its breeding feathers by then...

0:39:250:39:29

-..but it's still an impressive bird.

0:39:290:39:32

-Most of the birds on Grimsey

-nest on the cliffs above the sea.

0:39:400:39:44

-We see the same species

-on the Welsh coast in spring.

0:39:470:39:52

-Puffins.

0:39:520:39:54

-Razorbills.

0:39:550:39:57

-And fulmars.

0:40:010:40:03

-The main difference here is the

-huge numbers of birds that nest...

0:40:070:40:12

-..because of the tranquillity

-and abundance of food...

0:40:120:40:15

-..found in the sea

-within the Arctic Circle.

0:40:160:40:19

-Some of the high cliffs

-in these northern climes...

0:40:250:40:30

-..are some of the best

-you're ever likely to see.

0:40:300:40:33

-Look at all the gulls,

-razorbills, guillemots and puffins.

0:40:340:40:38

-They're here in their thousands.

-They're almost like bees.

0:40:390:40:43

-These cliffs are so high

-and so dangerous for any predator.

0:40:430:40:48

-They're safe places

-for the birds to nest.

0:40:480:40:51

-The seas are teeming with fish,

-so there's plenty of food.

0:40:510:40:56

-This is the ideal place

-for them to be.

0:40:560:40:59

-It's easy to describe the scene...

0:41:000:41:03

-..but the smell is incredible.

0:41:040:41:06

-It's the smell of bird droppings

-- a strong smell of rotting fish.

0:41:060:41:11

-It all helps to build a picture

-of this incredible scene.

0:41:120:41:16

-On such a glorious day,

-with thousands of birds overhead...

0:41:230:41:28

-..I can't think of a better location

-to end my journey.

0:41:280:41:33

-I'm very fortunate.

0:41:330:41:35

-This is only one

-of several great locations...

0:41:350:41:38

-..I've visited on my journey

-along Europe's west coast.

0:41:380:41:42

-The adventure started in the Azores.

0:41:430:41:46

-Nine volcanic islands

-nestled in the Atlantic...

0:41:470:41:51

-..and Europe's

-most south-westerly point.

0:41:510:41:54

-In Portugal, I visited

-rich agricultural land...

0:41:540:41:58

-..packed with wildlife.

0:41:590:42:01

-In Spain, I came face-to-face

-with hundreds of vultures.

0:42:010:42:06

-I climbed the striking Pyrenees

-in France.

0:42:090:42:12

-Closer to home, I was reminded

-of Britain's beautiful west coast...

0:42:130:42:17

-..on the Channel Islands.

0:42:170:42:19

-I also visited Cornwall

-and the Isles of Scilly.

0:42:190:42:23

-I visited Ireland's wildest areas...

0:42:230:42:26

-..and Scotland's remotest areas.

0:42:260:42:29

-It has been a privilege

-and a tremendous adventure.

0:42:310:42:36

-I've descended underground and seen

-impressive hidden landscapes.

0:42:380:42:43

-I've swum with dangerous sharks.

0:42:430:42:46

-I can see the teeth clearly here.

0:42:460:42:49

-I've been stunned

-by rich underwater habitats.

0:42:510:42:54

-The Gulf Stream influences

-the entire west coast of Europe.

0:42:540:42:59

-I've seen some special creatures,

-such as the lynx.

0:43:000:43:04

-I'm so excited. Sorry!

0:43:060:43:07

-I've never seen such a rare animal.

0:43:080:43:12

-I'm not going to talk or move much.

-I'm going to stay as still as I can.

0:43:120:43:17

-I saw this beaver in Scotland.

0:43:180:43:21

-Sometimes, I saw the same creature

-in different countries.

0:43:220:43:27

-I saw red deer in Spain and Ireland.

0:43:270:43:30

-I saw golden plovers

-in Ireland and Iceland...

0:43:310:43:34

-..and otters in Spain and Scotland.

0:43:340:43:38

-Country borders

-mean nothing to wildlife.

0:43:390:43:42

-The quality of the habitat

-is more important.

0:43:420:43:46

-Sometimes, the creatures were unique

-to a particular part of Europe.

0:43:540:43:59

-Manta rays in the Azores.

0:44:020:44:04

-Marmots in the French Pyrenees.

0:44:080:44:10

-Green lizards on Jersey.

0:44:110:44:13

-Why aren't they seen in Wales?

0:44:140:44:16

-Rare plants

-like the Scottish primrose.

0:44:170:44:21

-This is such a rare plant.

0:44:210:44:23

-It is only found

-on Scotland's north coast.

0:44:230:44:27

-All kinds of wildlife

-that makes each country special.

0:44:280:44:32

-Sometimes,

-the landscape was similar.

0:44:480:44:50

-This could be the far end

-of Cornwall...

0:44:510:44:54

-..Pembrokeshire

-or the Lleyn Peninsula.

0:44:540:44:57

-Sometimes, it was very different.

0:44:570:45:01

-The landscape of southern Spain

-and the huge French sand dunes...

0:45:010:45:05

-..left a lasting impression.

0:45:050:45:08

-Often, the difference was down

-to the way man had treated the land.

0:45:080:45:13

-In Wales, this kind of land

-would have been treated.

0:45:150:45:20

-Nettles would have been sprayed.

0:45:200:45:22

-That patch of land

-was on Inishbofin in Ireland.

0:45:220:45:26

-It was the ideal habitat

-for the corncrake.

0:45:260:45:29

-Unfortunately, I saw some habitats

-being destroyed by man's folly.

0:45:330:45:38

-Local ornithologists

-who count the birds...

0:45:380:45:41

-..tell me that they lose at least

-2,000 birds to the turbines...

0:45:420:45:48

-..every spring and autumn.

0:45:480:45:51

-Hundreds of windmills built on an

-important migration path in Spain.

0:45:520:45:58

-I was glad to see the way

-some habitats had been saved...

0:46:020:46:07

-..such as this impressive

-steppe land in Portugal.

0:46:070:46:11

-It takes me back to my childhood...

0:46:110:46:13

-..when I walked through fields

-full of flowers, insects and birds.

0:46:130:46:19

-And this agricultural land

-in France.

0:46:210:46:23

-I can hear insects

-and birds singing everywhere.

0:46:230:46:28

-It's the sound of nature.

0:46:280:46:30

-I also saw some excellent wetlands.

0:46:310:46:33

-What would we give

-for land like this at home?

0:46:330:46:36

-That's one of the lessons

-of this series.

0:46:430:46:46

-When land is left alone,

-nature provides wonderful scenes.

0:46:470:46:52

-This rich tapestry of life

-is possible...

0:46:540:46:56

-..across the whole

-of Western Europe.

0:46:570:46:59

-Here, in the far north,

-on Grimsey in the Arctic Circle...

0:47:110:47:16

-..my journey comes to an end.

0:47:160:47:18

-It has been

-a very interesting journey.

0:47:180:47:21

-Every country has been different.

0:47:210:47:23

-Each one has its unique character,

-landscape and wildlife.

0:47:240:47:28

-But they all

-have one thing in common.

0:47:280:47:31

-The undeniable influence

-of the Atlantic Ocean.

0:47:310:47:34

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

0:48:270:48:29

-.

0:48:290:48:29

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