Giants of the Deep Blue (2018) - full transcript
NARRATOR:
More than 70% of our planet
is covered in water.
Beneath the waves
are millions of liquid roads
followed by giant wanderers
in search of the right place
to perfect their hunting strategies...
(waves crashing)
to hone their chops in battle...
(waves crashing)
...or to up their game in romance.
(whale calling)
Journey into this extraordinary world
of innovation.
This is Giants of the Deep Blue.
Hawaii.
Palm trees.
Sandy beaches.
But there's a hidden world few people see.
(Hawaiian music playing)
To get there...
you go past the reefs...
past Hawaii's sandy shoals...
...past her deep-water channels.
This is where the sea makes room
for one of the largest of her creatures...
The humpback whale.
(ethereal music playing)
(waves crashing)
These humpbacks spent their summer months
feeding in the waters of Alaska.
(ethereal music playing)
They've traveled 3,000 miles to get here--
almost 100 miles a day--
without food.
10,000 humpbacks converge
for their Hawaiian luau.
Their only beacon...
a song.
(whales whistle)
(whale calling)
Why humpback males sing is a mystery.
(whales singing)
Maybe to warn other males to stand down...
(whale groaning)
to attract a mate...
or maybe to draw ladies to
a group of eligible bachelors.
(whales singing)
Whatever the message,
it seems to be music to the females' ears.
(whale purring)
(whale singing)
(light music playing)
She's come here to Hawaii
to mate, to give birth,
and raise her calves.
(light music playing)
This mother delivers her
newborn to its first breath.
(music continues playing )
It is a whale of a baby.
15 feet long and weighs a ton.
But then mom is 40 by 40--
feet to tons, that is.
Her calf learns by playing.
(sweet music playing)
And it plays through imitation.
Its first leap is a sign.
It will be on its own within a year.
(horn blows)
(horn blows)
Around the planet, the seas churn
with animals driven to move.
Possessed by the need to feed and breed.
Far out to sea,
the largest brains on Earth
fix on these mysterious cues.
The male sperm whale.
A creature of superlatives.
It is the largest
toothed predator alive today,
weighing up to 50 tons.
It dives deeper and faster
than any other whale.
And it undertakes some
of the greatest journeys.
In a lifetime, this whale may
log a million nautical miles.
The males often circle
the Arctic to feast.
But for the species to survive,
their paths must intersect
with the females' own astounding journeys.
Many meet in the Azores,
nine tiny islands where clashing currents
create an explosion of life.
(dolphins squeaking)
A mother sperm whale
ushers her newborn calf
into these coastal waters,
guided by sun, sea currents,
and perhaps even
magnetic sensors in her brain.
She also navigates by sonar,
bouncing her clicks and creaks
off the sea floor.
(clicking)
Some of the loudest sounds
made by any creature on Earth.
(clicking)
Females travel in family groups,
sometimes leading their young
on yearly wanderings
of up to 20,000 miles.
Each day, they gather
to reaffirm their bonds.
They seem to crave physical contact.
(light music playing)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
Finally, the mothers disperse
to feed in shifts.
They leave their calves for
up to 40 minutes of every hour.
These hungry hunters
will dive up to two miles
for a daily catch of 300 pounds
of octopus and squid.
(clicking)
This calf, too young to dive,
tracks his mother closely from above,
listening intently
for her signature clicks.
(clicking)
Chunks of octopus rise to the surface
from the matriarchs hunting below,
like breadcrumbs leading back to safety.
(clicking)
From the depths, mom finally returns.
(clicking)
All of his young life,
the calf has been on the move.
(light music playing)
Except for now; his mother and aunts
seem to be waiting for something big.
(dramatic music playing)
(light music playing)
Thousands of miles to the west,
the waters off the coast of California
play host to a giant of the sea...
the blue whale.
(light music playing)
The largest animal on Earth.
(light music playing)
(light music playing)
Despite her size, she feeds on one of
the smallest animals in the ocean.
Krill.
(light music playing)
She can swallow over seven tons
in a single day.
(light music playing)
But this doesn't mean she'll go after
any patch of krill she comes across.
When big animals eat little things...
(light music playing)
...the little things have to come
in large quantities.
(light music playing)
There's a proper ratio
of effort to reward.
She approaches a cloud of krill.
Is it worth it?
Apparently not.
She didn't even open her mouth a crack.
She spots a bigger patch nearby.
On approach, she speeds up
to almost seven miles an hour.
And gets a big mouthful.
(dramatic music playing)
(whale calling)
She'll have to do this all day
if she's going to fill her belly.
(dramatic music playing)
Not easy for the biggest
creatures in the ocean.
Especially in these times
of dwindling food sources.
For some whales, this means
changing the menu completely.
When the going gets tough,
the tough get creative.
(dramatic music playing)
(seagulls calling)
(light music playing)
Peninsula Valdes,
in Argentina's Chubut Province.
(light music playing)
A rugged stretch of coast
where the Earth's broken bones
spill into the Atlantic.
250 miles of pebbly beach
mark the boundary between
ocean and desert.
It's an ideal sea lion breeding colony,
and the perfect orca hunting grounds.
At Peninsula Valdes,
killer whales have adapted
to use the combination of deep water
and steep beaches to their advantage.
At high tide, the orcas
can swim right up to shore
without running aground.
The steep pitch of the beach
also works to the orcas' advantage.
Young sea lions have a hard time
scrambling uphill out of the surf.
And the same round pebbles that
make a good sea lion nursery
are also a perfect orca landing pad.
They roll like ball bearings,
easing the orcas back into the ocean.
They launch their great bulk
out of the water...
then waves and gravity
help pull them back.
(waves crashing
Mastering this hunting technique
takes years of practice, and is dangerous;
more than half don't bother to attempt it.
Maybe they're too young,
and the risk-to-reward ratio
is stacked against them.
(ominous music playing)
The hunters wait offshore
for the perfect moment.
Some of the young sea lions
shuffle along the edge of the ocean,
giving off a distinctive sound.
(ominous music playing)
This is what the orcas
have waited to hear.
(ominous music playing)
The pitter-patter of little flippers.
The young pup has
to practice swimming.
And he's learning to keep
an eye out for orcas.
So the orca has to time
his approach just right.
(ominous music playing)
He waits for a pup to cross
the attack channel.
(ominous music playing)
Approaching at roughly
nine miles per hour,
he builds up a head of steam,
accelerates at the key moment,
and grabs lunch.
Hurtling onto land does not
come naturally to an orca;
instinct tells him
to stay clear of the beach.
The secrets of the beach assault
are shared among the whales.
And individuals continue
to perfect their own style.
The result is an ever-evolving
approach to hunting.
In time, the elders will pass along
everything they've learned
to the next generation.
This hunting method is unusual,
but not unique.
Here in the Carolinas,
where land meets ocean,
whales of a different size
practice their version
of the amphibious landing.
It's more of a group effort.
(dramatic music playing)
It's a mini tsunami of dolphins
seemingly on a suicide run.
But there's genius behind
this curious act.
(dramatic music playing)
Dolphins can hunt
the old fashioned way--
one fish at a time.
(dramatic music playing)
But this is the Seabrook Island gang--
a pod of extraordinary
bottlenose dolphins.
They're lining up for
an all-you-can-eat buffet.
And behind each smile
lies a cunning hunter.
During low tide, schools
of mullet have nowhere to hide.
A perfect setting for a dolphin invasion.
Scouts echolocate the fish,
which they can sense underwater
from a football field away.
(dramatic music playing)
They herd the mullet
against the shoreline...
(dramatic music playing)
assemble into formation...
(dramatic music playing)
and unleash their amphibious assault.
(aggressive music playing)
They rush the shore,
always on their right sides.
Scales and feathers
go flying every which way.
They're the only pod
of dolphins that do this here.
And it's not for amateurs.
At nearly 400 pounds apiece,
they could get stuck on
the beach and die from sunburn,
or just their own crushing
weight out of the water.
But the risks are worth it.
This astounding predatory
technique is not instinctual,
it is learned.
These dolphins have a hunting culture.
Mothers pass down the secrets
to their children.
(light music playing)
Half a world away in Hawaii,
the main thing that's
being passed down is genes.
At least that's the hope of the
titans preparing for battle.
Humpback mom and calf
aren't alone anymore.
An escort now shadows them--
a male with amorous intentions.
(ominous music playing)
For rights to sire offspring,
humpback males go to war.
(dramatic music playing)
(ominous music playing)
Most females with calves are
now being followed by a male.
He's waiting for
his chance to mate.
(light music playing)
But so are other males,
straggling alongside;
up to 20 per female.
Aggression begins to escalate.
A straggler challenges
the escort.
It starts with crowding
the escort's space.
(dramatic music playing)
He blows a screen of bubbles
for cover.
They slap tails and snap fins.
(dramatic music playing)
Warning shots over
each other's bows.
(dramatic music playing)
Then the head lunge.
Humpbacks inflate
their throats with water.
Making them appear larger
and more intimidating.
(dramatic music playing)
The bluster and bravado
are not enough.
(dramatic music playing)
Time for a knockout punch:
a 40-ton ramming...
that can kill.
(dramatic music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
(waves crashing)
Battered and bruised for
the sake of his bloodline,
the escort has fended off
his challenger-- so far.
While male competition is
fierce in most whale species,
sperm whales display an unusual
kind of male bonding.
(whale clicking)
A cacophony of clicks announces
a return of these giants to the Azores.
(whale clicking)
Mother and calf listen intently.
(whale clicking)
Only she knows what these clicks mean.
The males have arrived.
Stupendous, battle-scarred bulls
back from epic wanderings.
The oldest may be 70 years old
and have traveled 60 times
the circumference of the Earth.
Most of the time, utterly alone.
Now, gentle greetings take place.
(clicking)
The whales seem to revel
in displays of affection.
Even with each other.
Young males bounce sounds off
each other's bodies.
And not just sounds--
their eager appendages.
(whales clicking)
The curious calf joins in.
(whales clicking)
Soon there may be violence.
Like humpbacks,
sperm whale males joust
to win female affections.
But for now, everyone participates
in a touching reunion.
(soft music playing)
The calf, out of his depth
among these Goliaths,
returns to the mentoring eye
of his mother.
He may not leave her
for another ten years,
to join other young males
in wandering bachelor groups.
With luck, he'll return to
these same waters to meet and mingle.
(soft music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
Back in Hawaii, the escort has
successfully defended his turf.
He does a victory lap.
His reward: the chance
to maintain his lineage.
Every calf is a bid
for the future, hard-won.
A future that takes these
migrating behemoths north
towards winter feeding grounds in Alaska.
Along the way the ocean offers
an endless buffet of food.
(light music playing)
But the mothers will not stop
to snack at any time
during their voyage north.
Weighing as much as 40 tons,
she has enough energy
stored in her blubber
to fuel her for her journey.
Her calf however, is still
only a few months old,
and even though its mother
slows down to compensate,
it's often a struggle for
the young whale to keep up,
who has to surface more
frequently to catch his breath.
(soft music music)
(squealing)
Her enormous appetite propels her
through thousands of miles of
open ocean to northern waters.
Here the frozen seas have
started to melt and retreat.
Wind and currents shift the
loosening ice and break it up.
Forming pools across the ice's surface...
opening new feeding grounds...
and creating a pathway for new arrivals.
Like the mysterious narwhal,
who's been waiting
for this all year.
(light music playing)
Known as the unicorn of the sea
because of its strange spiral tusk...
The narwhal is one of the most
elusive animals on Earth.
(light music playing)
They follow along the cracks in the ice
to reach rich feeding grounds.
Each summer they migrate to this area.
(light music playing)
Usually moving in groups
of two or three.
But when fishing is good,
hundreds may come together.
(light music playing)
These hunters take a risk.
With the summer melt in full swing,
the ice is still shifting,
and like all whales,
they need air to breathe.
At least every 25 minutes.
If the ice closes, they could suffocate.
They look for holes where they can surface
for a single breath.
(light music playing)
The farther they go, the harder
it is to find holes in the ice.
This pod snatches a quick
breath wherever they can.
But the problem is getting worse.
Ahead the ice forms
an impenetrable barrier;
but they've got a plan.
It is believed that they use
their heads and long tusk
to break the ice and
widen the breathing holes.
Bobbing up and down,
they're careful not to gore
each other with their tusk.
And just as suddenly as the
crack closed, it opens again,
releasing the trapped whales
into the open waters.
(soft music playing)
Here they can use their spiraled tusk
for its primary purpose: spearfishing.
But it doesn't skewer their
prey as much as knock it out.
Like a taser, it stuns,
rendering the fish helpless.
(soft music playing)
Now the narwhals are free to hunt
with their perfect, peculiar weapon.
(dramatic music playing)
The ocean offers a million ways to hunt.
But sometimes the smartest way
is to let others do it for you.
Summer in Alaska has arrived,
and so have our humpbacks.
These icy waters are a buffet
to countless ocean wanderers.
But their fates can also affect
the fortunes of those on land.
Here an astounding drama
is about to unfold.
This huge brown bear's life
may depend on the outcome.
He's lost nearly a third of his
body weight during hibernation.
He's not the only starving bear
hoping for a meal.
(dramatic music playing)
So he parks himself in a prime spot.
(dramatic music playing)
Right on schedule,
orcas, the sea's top predators,
arrive from hundreds of miles away.
The orcas are here
to hunt other whales,
including humpbacks who've just arrived
to these feeding grounds.
It's the perfect place for an ambush.
(dramatic music playing)
(seagulls calling)
(dramatic music playing)
The hunters circle in for the kill,
separating a calf from its mother.
From the grandstands,
the famished bears watch.
The orcas hold the calf under...
to drown it.
The predators are hungry,
but in a hurry to hunt for more,
so they go for the easy pickings--
the calf's tender tongue and lips.
(soft music playing)
Then, they do something extraordinary.
The cunning orcas
dismantle the carcass,
and head to the bottom
to store it for later.
But not all goes as planned.
After stashing their kill,
the orcas return to the hunt.
(dramatic music playing)
But not all their victims stay under.
(dramatic music playing)
Some pop to the surface
as they decompose.
(dramatic music playing)
And this is exactly what the spectators
have been banking on.
The strategic choices whales make
profoundly affect life
below the water and above.
When whales strategize together,
remarkable things can happen.
Our humpback mom and baby
managed to swim past the orcas' trap.
(dramatic music playing)
And now the hunted
become the hunters.
They are here to feed and fatten up
after their long journey.
Renowned collaborators,
they use sophisticated
communication skills
to hunt as a group.
(whales singing)
Each member within the hunting party
is given specific assignments.
(whales singing)
These are not instinctive abilities;
they are learned.
(whales singing)
As in many whale families,
mom teaches her calf the necessary skills.
(soft music playing)
(horn blows)
Today is the calf's first try
at the spectacular humpback
group hunting ritual--
bubble net feeding.
Just as the whales have
arrived, so have the herring.
(dramatic music playing)
The lead whale dives under the fish.
She is the fish scout
and bubble blower.
When she locates the fish,
she blows a net of bubbles,
completely encircling the
herring in a curtain of air.
Bubbles and whale calls
confuse and disorient the fish.
(whales clicking)
Then the pod leader signals the
others to lunge to the surface,
in unison, jaws agape,
scooping up their prey.
By working collaboratively,
each whale can consume
thousands of fish in a single gulp.
(soft music playing)
This inventive way of fishing
is unique to humpbacks,
allowing them to fuel up
for their next great adventure
through the deep blue.
Captioned by Point.360
More than 70% of our planet
is covered in water.
Beneath the waves
are millions of liquid roads
followed by giant wanderers
in search of the right place
to perfect their hunting strategies...
(waves crashing)
to hone their chops in battle...
(waves crashing)
...or to up their game in romance.
(whale calling)
Journey into this extraordinary world
of innovation.
This is Giants of the Deep Blue.
Hawaii.
Palm trees.
Sandy beaches.
But there's a hidden world few people see.
(Hawaiian music playing)
To get there...
you go past the reefs...
past Hawaii's sandy shoals...
...past her deep-water channels.
This is where the sea makes room
for one of the largest of her creatures...
The humpback whale.
(ethereal music playing)
(waves crashing)
These humpbacks spent their summer months
feeding in the waters of Alaska.
(ethereal music playing)
They've traveled 3,000 miles to get here--
almost 100 miles a day--
without food.
10,000 humpbacks converge
for their Hawaiian luau.
Their only beacon...
a song.
(whales whistle)
(whale calling)
Why humpback males sing is a mystery.
(whales singing)
Maybe to warn other males to stand down...
(whale groaning)
to attract a mate...
or maybe to draw ladies to
a group of eligible bachelors.
(whales singing)
Whatever the message,
it seems to be music to the females' ears.
(whale purring)
(whale singing)
(light music playing)
She's come here to Hawaii
to mate, to give birth,
and raise her calves.
(light music playing)
This mother delivers her
newborn to its first breath.
(music continues playing )
It is a whale of a baby.
15 feet long and weighs a ton.
But then mom is 40 by 40--
feet to tons, that is.
Her calf learns by playing.
(sweet music playing)
And it plays through imitation.
Its first leap is a sign.
It will be on its own within a year.
(horn blows)
(horn blows)
Around the planet, the seas churn
with animals driven to move.
Possessed by the need to feed and breed.
Far out to sea,
the largest brains on Earth
fix on these mysterious cues.
The male sperm whale.
A creature of superlatives.
It is the largest
toothed predator alive today,
weighing up to 50 tons.
It dives deeper and faster
than any other whale.
And it undertakes some
of the greatest journeys.
In a lifetime, this whale may
log a million nautical miles.
The males often circle
the Arctic to feast.
But for the species to survive,
their paths must intersect
with the females' own astounding journeys.
Many meet in the Azores,
nine tiny islands where clashing currents
create an explosion of life.
(dolphins squeaking)
A mother sperm whale
ushers her newborn calf
into these coastal waters,
guided by sun, sea currents,
and perhaps even
magnetic sensors in her brain.
She also navigates by sonar,
bouncing her clicks and creaks
off the sea floor.
(clicking)
Some of the loudest sounds
made by any creature on Earth.
(clicking)
Females travel in family groups,
sometimes leading their young
on yearly wanderings
of up to 20,000 miles.
Each day, they gather
to reaffirm their bonds.
They seem to crave physical contact.
(light music playing)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
(clicking)
Finally, the mothers disperse
to feed in shifts.
They leave their calves for
up to 40 minutes of every hour.
These hungry hunters
will dive up to two miles
for a daily catch of 300 pounds
of octopus and squid.
(clicking)
This calf, too young to dive,
tracks his mother closely from above,
listening intently
for her signature clicks.
(clicking)
Chunks of octopus rise to the surface
from the matriarchs hunting below,
like breadcrumbs leading back to safety.
(clicking)
From the depths, mom finally returns.
(clicking)
All of his young life,
the calf has been on the move.
(light music playing)
Except for now; his mother and aunts
seem to be waiting for something big.
(dramatic music playing)
(light music playing)
Thousands of miles to the west,
the waters off the coast of California
play host to a giant of the sea...
the blue whale.
(light music playing)
The largest animal on Earth.
(light music playing)
(light music playing)
Despite her size, she feeds on one of
the smallest animals in the ocean.
Krill.
(light music playing)
She can swallow over seven tons
in a single day.
(light music playing)
But this doesn't mean she'll go after
any patch of krill she comes across.
When big animals eat little things...
(light music playing)
...the little things have to come
in large quantities.
(light music playing)
There's a proper ratio
of effort to reward.
She approaches a cloud of krill.
Is it worth it?
Apparently not.
She didn't even open her mouth a crack.
She spots a bigger patch nearby.
On approach, she speeds up
to almost seven miles an hour.
And gets a big mouthful.
(dramatic music playing)
(whale calling)
She'll have to do this all day
if she's going to fill her belly.
(dramatic music playing)
Not easy for the biggest
creatures in the ocean.
Especially in these times
of dwindling food sources.
For some whales, this means
changing the menu completely.
When the going gets tough,
the tough get creative.
(dramatic music playing)
(seagulls calling)
(light music playing)
Peninsula Valdes,
in Argentina's Chubut Province.
(light music playing)
A rugged stretch of coast
where the Earth's broken bones
spill into the Atlantic.
250 miles of pebbly beach
mark the boundary between
ocean and desert.
It's an ideal sea lion breeding colony,
and the perfect orca hunting grounds.
At Peninsula Valdes,
killer whales have adapted
to use the combination of deep water
and steep beaches to their advantage.
At high tide, the orcas
can swim right up to shore
without running aground.
The steep pitch of the beach
also works to the orcas' advantage.
Young sea lions have a hard time
scrambling uphill out of the surf.
And the same round pebbles that
make a good sea lion nursery
are also a perfect orca landing pad.
They roll like ball bearings,
easing the orcas back into the ocean.
They launch their great bulk
out of the water...
then waves and gravity
help pull them back.
(waves crashing
Mastering this hunting technique
takes years of practice, and is dangerous;
more than half don't bother to attempt it.
Maybe they're too young,
and the risk-to-reward ratio
is stacked against them.
(ominous music playing)
The hunters wait offshore
for the perfect moment.
Some of the young sea lions
shuffle along the edge of the ocean,
giving off a distinctive sound.
(ominous music playing)
This is what the orcas
have waited to hear.
(ominous music playing)
The pitter-patter of little flippers.
The young pup has
to practice swimming.
And he's learning to keep
an eye out for orcas.
So the orca has to time
his approach just right.
(ominous music playing)
He waits for a pup to cross
the attack channel.
(ominous music playing)
Approaching at roughly
nine miles per hour,
he builds up a head of steam,
accelerates at the key moment,
and grabs lunch.
Hurtling onto land does not
come naturally to an orca;
instinct tells him
to stay clear of the beach.
The secrets of the beach assault
are shared among the whales.
And individuals continue
to perfect their own style.
The result is an ever-evolving
approach to hunting.
In time, the elders will pass along
everything they've learned
to the next generation.
This hunting method is unusual,
but not unique.
Here in the Carolinas,
where land meets ocean,
whales of a different size
practice their version
of the amphibious landing.
It's more of a group effort.
(dramatic music playing)
It's a mini tsunami of dolphins
seemingly on a suicide run.
But there's genius behind
this curious act.
(dramatic music playing)
Dolphins can hunt
the old fashioned way--
one fish at a time.
(dramatic music playing)
But this is the Seabrook Island gang--
a pod of extraordinary
bottlenose dolphins.
They're lining up for
an all-you-can-eat buffet.
And behind each smile
lies a cunning hunter.
During low tide, schools
of mullet have nowhere to hide.
A perfect setting for a dolphin invasion.
Scouts echolocate the fish,
which they can sense underwater
from a football field away.
(dramatic music playing)
They herd the mullet
against the shoreline...
(dramatic music playing)
assemble into formation...
(dramatic music playing)
and unleash their amphibious assault.
(aggressive music playing)
They rush the shore,
always on their right sides.
Scales and feathers
go flying every which way.
They're the only pod
of dolphins that do this here.
And it's not for amateurs.
At nearly 400 pounds apiece,
they could get stuck on
the beach and die from sunburn,
or just their own crushing
weight out of the water.
But the risks are worth it.
This astounding predatory
technique is not instinctual,
it is learned.
These dolphins have a hunting culture.
Mothers pass down the secrets
to their children.
(light music playing)
Half a world away in Hawaii,
the main thing that's
being passed down is genes.
At least that's the hope of the
titans preparing for battle.
Humpback mom and calf
aren't alone anymore.
An escort now shadows them--
a male with amorous intentions.
(ominous music playing)
For rights to sire offspring,
humpback males go to war.
(dramatic music playing)
(ominous music playing)
Most females with calves are
now being followed by a male.
He's waiting for
his chance to mate.
(light music playing)
But so are other males,
straggling alongside;
up to 20 per female.
Aggression begins to escalate.
A straggler challenges
the escort.
It starts with crowding
the escort's space.
(dramatic music playing)
He blows a screen of bubbles
for cover.
They slap tails and snap fins.
(dramatic music playing)
Warning shots over
each other's bows.
(dramatic music playing)
Then the head lunge.
Humpbacks inflate
their throats with water.
Making them appear larger
and more intimidating.
(dramatic music playing)
The bluster and bravado
are not enough.
(dramatic music playing)
Time for a knockout punch:
a 40-ton ramming...
that can kill.
(dramatic music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
(waves crashing)
Battered and bruised for
the sake of his bloodline,
the escort has fended off
his challenger-- so far.
While male competition is
fierce in most whale species,
sperm whales display an unusual
kind of male bonding.
(whale clicking)
A cacophony of clicks announces
a return of these giants to the Azores.
(whale clicking)
Mother and calf listen intently.
(whale clicking)
Only she knows what these clicks mean.
The males have arrived.
Stupendous, battle-scarred bulls
back from epic wanderings.
The oldest may be 70 years old
and have traveled 60 times
the circumference of the Earth.
Most of the time, utterly alone.
Now, gentle greetings take place.
(clicking)
The whales seem to revel
in displays of affection.
Even with each other.
Young males bounce sounds off
each other's bodies.
And not just sounds--
their eager appendages.
(whales clicking)
The curious calf joins in.
(whales clicking)
Soon there may be violence.
Like humpbacks,
sperm whale males joust
to win female affections.
But for now, everyone participates
in a touching reunion.
(soft music playing)
The calf, out of his depth
among these Goliaths,
returns to the mentoring eye
of his mother.
He may not leave her
for another ten years,
to join other young males
in wandering bachelor groups.
With luck, he'll return to
these same waters to meet and mingle.
(soft music playing)
(dramatic music playing)
Back in Hawaii, the escort has
successfully defended his turf.
He does a victory lap.
His reward: the chance
to maintain his lineage.
Every calf is a bid
for the future, hard-won.
A future that takes these
migrating behemoths north
towards winter feeding grounds in Alaska.
Along the way the ocean offers
an endless buffet of food.
(light music playing)
But the mothers will not stop
to snack at any time
during their voyage north.
Weighing as much as 40 tons,
she has enough energy
stored in her blubber
to fuel her for her journey.
Her calf however, is still
only a few months old,
and even though its mother
slows down to compensate,
it's often a struggle for
the young whale to keep up,
who has to surface more
frequently to catch his breath.
(soft music music)
(squealing)
Her enormous appetite propels her
through thousands of miles of
open ocean to northern waters.
Here the frozen seas have
started to melt and retreat.
Wind and currents shift the
loosening ice and break it up.
Forming pools across the ice's surface...
opening new feeding grounds...
and creating a pathway for new arrivals.
Like the mysterious narwhal,
who's been waiting
for this all year.
(light music playing)
Known as the unicorn of the sea
because of its strange spiral tusk...
The narwhal is one of the most
elusive animals on Earth.
(light music playing)
They follow along the cracks in the ice
to reach rich feeding grounds.
Each summer they migrate to this area.
(light music playing)
Usually moving in groups
of two or three.
But when fishing is good,
hundreds may come together.
(light music playing)
These hunters take a risk.
With the summer melt in full swing,
the ice is still shifting,
and like all whales,
they need air to breathe.
At least every 25 minutes.
If the ice closes, they could suffocate.
They look for holes where they can surface
for a single breath.
(light music playing)
The farther they go, the harder
it is to find holes in the ice.
This pod snatches a quick
breath wherever they can.
But the problem is getting worse.
Ahead the ice forms
an impenetrable barrier;
but they've got a plan.
It is believed that they use
their heads and long tusk
to break the ice and
widen the breathing holes.
Bobbing up and down,
they're careful not to gore
each other with their tusk.
And just as suddenly as the
crack closed, it opens again,
releasing the trapped whales
into the open waters.
(soft music playing)
Here they can use their spiraled tusk
for its primary purpose: spearfishing.
But it doesn't skewer their
prey as much as knock it out.
Like a taser, it stuns,
rendering the fish helpless.
(soft music playing)
Now the narwhals are free to hunt
with their perfect, peculiar weapon.
(dramatic music playing)
The ocean offers a million ways to hunt.
But sometimes the smartest way
is to let others do it for you.
Summer in Alaska has arrived,
and so have our humpbacks.
These icy waters are a buffet
to countless ocean wanderers.
But their fates can also affect
the fortunes of those on land.
Here an astounding drama
is about to unfold.
This huge brown bear's life
may depend on the outcome.
He's lost nearly a third of his
body weight during hibernation.
He's not the only starving bear
hoping for a meal.
(dramatic music playing)
So he parks himself in a prime spot.
(dramatic music playing)
Right on schedule,
orcas, the sea's top predators,
arrive from hundreds of miles away.
The orcas are here
to hunt other whales,
including humpbacks who've just arrived
to these feeding grounds.
It's the perfect place for an ambush.
(dramatic music playing)
(seagulls calling)
(dramatic music playing)
The hunters circle in for the kill,
separating a calf from its mother.
From the grandstands,
the famished bears watch.
The orcas hold the calf under...
to drown it.
The predators are hungry,
but in a hurry to hunt for more,
so they go for the easy pickings--
the calf's tender tongue and lips.
(soft music playing)
Then, they do something extraordinary.
The cunning orcas
dismantle the carcass,
and head to the bottom
to store it for later.
But not all goes as planned.
After stashing their kill,
the orcas return to the hunt.
(dramatic music playing)
But not all their victims stay under.
(dramatic music playing)
Some pop to the surface
as they decompose.
(dramatic music playing)
And this is exactly what the spectators
have been banking on.
The strategic choices whales make
profoundly affect life
below the water and above.
When whales strategize together,
remarkable things can happen.
Our humpback mom and baby
managed to swim past the orcas' trap.
(dramatic music playing)
And now the hunted
become the hunters.
They are here to feed and fatten up
after their long journey.
Renowned collaborators,
they use sophisticated
communication skills
to hunt as a group.
(whales singing)
Each member within the hunting party
is given specific assignments.
(whales singing)
These are not instinctive abilities;
they are learned.
(whales singing)
As in many whale families,
mom teaches her calf the necessary skills.
(soft music playing)
(horn blows)
Today is the calf's first try
at the spectacular humpback
group hunting ritual--
bubble net feeding.
Just as the whales have
arrived, so have the herring.
(dramatic music playing)
The lead whale dives under the fish.
She is the fish scout
and bubble blower.
When she locates the fish,
she blows a net of bubbles,
completely encircling the
herring in a curtain of air.
Bubbles and whale calls
confuse and disorient the fish.
(whales clicking)
Then the pod leader signals the
others to lunge to the surface,
in unison, jaws agape,
scooping up their prey.
By working collaboratively,
each whale can consume
thousands of fish in a single gulp.
(soft music playing)
This inventive way of fishing
is unique to humpbacks,
allowing them to fuel up
for their next great adventure
through the deep blue.
Captioned by Point.360