Wildest Islands (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Vancouver Island: Rivers of Life - full transcript

(bright tones)

(energetic music)

- [Voiceover] Vancouver Island is home to

one of the world's most
diverse ecosystems.

Glacier capped mountains,

ancient forests,

nutrient rich oceans,

and a network of rivers and creeks

that support a wilderness like no other.

But one creature stands
out above all the rest,

the pacific salmon.



Virtually all life here
relies on its existence.

As summer draws to an end,

the island prepares for
an invasion of salmon,

a spectacle that fuels the
region's rivers of life.

(dramatic music)

(quiet dramatic music)

Hugging the west coast of Canada,

Vancouver Island stretches

approximately 450
kilometers long by 100 wide.

It's the largest island of the
west coast of North America.

While glaciers fuel the flow

of some of Canada's tallest waterfalls,

an endless network of rivers and creeks

provides the ideal habitat
for one pf the world's



most important fish.

Each year, half a billion
salmon leave the sea

to return their spawning grounds

in the rivers of North America.

Vancouver Island is the
destination for millions

of these determined fish.

On their remarkable
journey, the salmon face

an endless array of
challenges and obstacles.

Not all manage to make it home
to spawn the next generation.

It's thought the salmon in these streams

feed more forms of life

than any other creature on the planet.

It's late summer on
Vancouver Island shores.

And the temperature is beginning to drop.

Black bears needs to stock up
for the forthcoming winter.

Over 10,000 roam the island
and they anticipate the arrival

of a calorie rich food
source any time now.

(gentle music)

But they'll have to remain patient,

for a little longer at least.

At the northern tip of the island,

in the Johnstone Strait,
millions of salmon converge

after having spent up to five years at sea

in the Pacific Ocean.

This is the first stage
of their testing journey.

And although the black
bears lie further inland,

another predator is eager to eat them.

(sea lion growls)

Named after the naturalist
George Wilhelm Stellar,

who first described them in 1742,

Stellar sea lions are the
largest of all sea lions.

They can reach over three meters in length

and weigh more than a ton.

Unlike most true or crawling seals,

they can walk on all four flippers.

Sea lions also have visible ears

and are often much more vocal
than their counterparts.

Sounding like a group of grumpy old men,

the males constantly bicker
for a better position

in coastal waters.

(sea lions growling)

Stellar sea lions need to eat

around 6% of their body weight each day.

Soon hunger kicks in.

And it's time for a spot of fishing.

Sea lions may seem cumbersome on land,

but underwater they become
streamlined and sleek.

(dramatic music)

Hitting speeds of over
30 kilometers an hour,

they make tight turns to
outmaneuver their prey.

(sea lions growling)

Victims are captured, shaken

and torn into more manageable chunks.

Although many salmon
fall at this first hurdle

on their journey home,
there's one gentle giant

they need never fear.

(whale spouting water)

(gentle music)

Humpback whales can
reach 16 meters in length

and weigh more than 36 tons,

making them the fifth
largest animal on the planet.

Fortunately salmon aren't on their menu.

The humpback's enormous frames are fueled

by small schooling fish of herring

and swarms of tiny shrimp like
crustaceans, known as krill.

These toothless whales
use a mass of bristles

called baleen plates to
filter food from the water.

Like the salmon, the humpbacks
are also about to embark

on a mammoth journey.

They spend each winter in
the warmer, southern waters

of Mexico and Hawaii, around
5,000 kilometers away.

This is where they'll
breed before returning

to Vancouver Island's food rich waters

with their calves in tow.

But one whale never leaves the region

and this predator can
have a taste for salmon.

(dramatic music)

Killer whales weigh up to nine tons

and roam the island's coast in
pods of up to 30 individuals.

Unlike humpbacks, they have over 20 pairs

of conical interlocking teeth.

Also known as orcas,

named after the roman
guard of the underworld,

they hunt in packs and
are often referred to

as the wolves of the sea.

But this particular pod poses
no threat to the salmon.

These killer whales hunt mammals.

(splashing)

While the resident pods
of orcas eat only fish,

this visiting group goes
for much larger prey,

such a sea lions.

(gentle music)

As shoals of salmon

commence their return to Vancouver Island,

another creature prepares to leave.

In East Sooke Park on the
southern tip of the island,

thousands of turkey vultures gather,

creating a unique spectacle.

They are the masters of soaring flight.

(majestic music)

Turkey vultures breed along the
entire length of the island.

But during winter, they
head further south,

to mainland America.

On reaching the cooler coastal air,

they form large flocks or kettles,

waiting for the right
conditions to cross the sea.

Turkey vultures aren't strong
fliers, so rely on winds

and thermal currents to keep them aloft.

This efficient way of traveling

uses just a fraction more energy

than when they're standing still.

Like all vultures, they
have excellent eye sight,

but this particular species

also has an extraordinary sense of smell.

The part of their brain
controlling this sense

is three times larger
than some other vultures.

Turkey vultures also lack a nasal septum,

the wall that separates their nostrils.

This allows more air to pass through,

helping them to detect a decaying carcass.

Carrion makes up the
majority of their diet.

They lack the sharp beak and talons

used by other birds of
prey to make a kill.

Their feet more resemble
those of a chicken.

Acids inside their stomachs
are thought to play

a part in helping curb
the spread of disease.

Even anthrax bacteria is killed
off after being consumed.

Despite their decaying diet,

turkey vultures are one of
the cleanest animals around.

Constant preening and a featherless head

keeps germs and microbes to a minimum.

Along with drying and
warming their bodies,

this spread wing stance in the
sun also bakes off bacteria.

With stomach refueled and wings warmed up,

it's time to rejoin the flock
ahead of the journey south.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

(tense music)

100 kilometers further north,

along the Englishman River, one creature

is busy stockpiling food
for the winter ahead.

(bright music)

Beavers are North
America's largest rodents

and can reach a meter in length.

Most of their time is spent building dams

along the region's fast flowing streams.

The rivers eventually flood,
creating enormous ponds.

This way the beavers can remain in water

and reach their favorite trees

without having to travel on land.

Beavers only eat the inner
bark of trees and shrubs.

But will gnaw through huge
trunks to create a dam.

(crash)

Their front teeth never stop growing,

and this constant chewing
prevents them becoming too long.

Beaver ponds play a key role
in the life of pacific salmon.

These vast, calm stretches of water

trap nutrients flowing downstream.

This creates a perfect habitat
for aquatic invertebrates,

which in turn provides fish
with foraging opportunities

not found in fast flowing streams.

These juvenile salmon
hatched six months ago,

following last year's spawning.

They'll spend the next year or so

in these freshwater nurseries
before they're large enough

to head out sea.

At around three years of age,

they'll return to this exact
stretch of water to breed.

(tense music)

Further downstream towards the ocean,

many rivers flow far too fast down.

A stretch of mountains

running the entire length of the island

gives rise to some of Canada's
most spectacular waterfalls.

(dramatic music)

Shoals of salmon have
worked their way inland.

Using an extraordinary sense of smell,

they've honed in on the fresh water river

in which they hatched.

They can sniff out a single
drop from their nursery stream

in almost 10 million liters of sea water.

But the salmon aren't home and dry yet.

(water gurgling)

They pause and prepare themselves

for the obstacle that lies ahead.

These salmon were born to
return to their spawning ground.

And nothing short of death can stop them.

Racing towards the fall,

they launch themselves into the air.

Beneath the white froth, water is squeezed

back up to the surface, the
salmon use this hydraulic uplift

to boost their jumps.

Initial leaps are rarely successful,

but giving up isn't an option.

(dramatic music)

Eventually perseverance pays off.

These athletic efforts are
fueled by just stored energy.

The salmons cease eating or drinking

as soon as they entered
the freshwater rivers

several days ago.

For some, the journey home
has already taken its toll.

Taking time out to catch a
breath can be a costly mistake.

Especially in black bear territory.

Vancouver Island has
the densest population

of black bears in the world.

They're darker than mainland
bears and slightly larger,

weighing up to 275 kilograms.

Although largely vegetarian,

feeding on grasses and
berries for most of the year,

they are the island's largest predator.

The annual salmon run
provides a major food source

for many bears.

The brain, eggs, skin and back muscles

contain high levels of fat.

And it's these areas the bears focus on.

They can each eat up to 15 salmon a day.

Four centimeter curved claws

and a set of flesh tearing teeth

aren't the only qualities
keeping black bears

at the top of the food chain.

They can also scale trees with ease,

run at over 55 kilometers an
hour, and swim long distances.

To top it off, their sense of smell

is seven times sharper
than the bloodhound's.

Despite these impressive attributes,

catching live salmon
in these deeper waters

is easier said than done.

(splashing)

(peaceful music)

Further upstream, the
water levels are too low

for the salmon to continue
their journey home.

Until the heavy autumn rains arrive,

they'll just have to sit tight

as will the island's many bears.

Black bears play a vital role

in Vancouver Island's ecosystem.

Not all salmon are completely consumed

after being carried into the forests.

And this has a significant
effect on the surrounding land.

When these carcasses break
down, nitrogen, phosphorus

and other nutrients are absorbed

by the surrounding vegetation.

Up to 70% of the nitrogen in some areas

comes directly from the fish.

Trees taking root close to salmon rivers

grow three times faster

than those next to fish free streams.

Here, Sitka spruce take just
86 years to rich a thickness

of 50 centimenters, rather
than the usual 300 years.

Vancouver Island is home to the tallest.

Sikta spruce trees in
Canada, possibly the world.

Some reach heights of over 95 meters,

taller than a 30 story building.

Sitka seedlings, however,

have a difficult time starting out.

Dense mosses and smaller
plants carpet the forest floor,

making it difficult for them to take root.

But many are given a helping hand.

Fallen trees repay hundreds
of years worth of benefits

by acting as nurse logs.

Seeds landing on these downed giants

already have a height head start

as well as an open area
to germinate and develop.

Over 90% of the Sitka seedlings
here start out this way.

Fungi also feed on decaying trees

and play their part in
recycling nutrients.

This Pacific Banana Slug

is the 2nd largest land slug in the world

and can grow up to 25 centimeters long.

They're fond of mushrooms

and spread seeds and spores when they eat.

After which, they excrete
a nitrogen rich fertilizer.

Possibly the most important
tree on the entire island

is the western red cedar.

This particular giant is over
18 meters in circumference

and almost 60 meters tall.

It's the largest tree in Canada

and the largest red cedar in the world.

At an estimated two and a
half thousand years old,

it's one of the oldest living
organisms on the planet.

Red cedar has a high natural resistance

to rot and insect damage.

For thousands of years it's
been the wood of choice

for the island's only settlers.

This half finished warrior
canoe still bears carving marks

made before it was abandoned
several centuries ago.

Back then, people lived off the land

and had a deep spiritual
connection with all living things.

Especially the island
salmon and huge cedar trees.

(dramatic music)

Cedar carved totem poles
preserve stories of encounters,

adventures and accomplishments
by the various clans.

The Namgis people have lived off

the northeast coast of
the island for millennium.

Ancient culture is kept alive
(tribal drumming)

through oral history and ceremonies.

Their ancestors relied on the
island's salmon for survival.

Even today, the fish are revered,

as are the rivers around them.

It's said that long ago
when the world was young,

a man was approached by a spirit being.

The spirit asked him if he
wanted to become a mountain.

The man refused because mountains
eventually crumble away.

He was then asked if he'd
like to become a cedar tree.

The man also refused, as
trees can split, fall and rot.

On being asked if he'd
like to become a bolder,

the reply was also negative.

Bolders crack and crumble.

Finally, when asked if he'd
like to become a river,

then man answered yes.

The spirit then pushed the man down,

saying "There you'll be a river"

"for as long as the
days dawn in the world."

"And you will be full of salmon"

"so that your descendants
may never starve."

(eerie whispering)

The river became the
largest on Vancouver Island

and eventually bore the name, the Namgis.

It's now known by its modern
name, the Nimkis River.

Before reaching the sea, the
island's network of rivers

feeds over 2,000 separate lakes.

Nitinat Lake lies so close to the coast,

it contains mostly saltwater.

Haley Lake sits further inland

and is filled by freshwater streams

from the surrounding mountains.

On these inclines, one
creature makes the most

of the autumn sun before
bedding down for winter.

(playful music)

Marmots are the largest
members of the squirrel family.

They're about the size of a domestic cat

and weigh around five kilograms.

Vancouver Island marmots

are the rarest marmots in the world.

At one point their numbers
dropped to just 25,

but are now slowly recovering.

Family colonies are made
up of around six members

and at this time of year,

they're grabbing the last of the food.

Tail flipping is a visual
way of keeping in contact

with the rest of the
group while on the move.

Nose greeting is the
marmot's way of saying hello.

Smelling a visitor's cheek

helps identify who's
who among the neighbors.

Most marmots live above 1,000 meters,

where open alpine
meadows provide a variety

of grasses and herbs.

Lupines are a particular favorite.

In the next few days,

the marmots will
hibernate in their burrows

to avoid the winter cold.

They'll have lost a third of their weight

by the time they reemerge in April.

But not all family members are hungry.

Sun bathing on bolders
helps to cool and regulate

the marmots body temperature.

These elevated vantage points
also provide a lookout tower

for small predators.

(tense music)

A high pitched whistle

alerts the whole family to the danger.

Other colonies relay the warning,

creating an echo across the entire valley.

A circling bird could be a
golden eagle and pose a threat.

But this particular predator
has a different meat in mind.

(empowering music)

The bald eagle is the most
iconic bird in North America.

It has a wind span of over two meters

and can weigh up to five kilograms.

Despite its name, it isn't bald
and unlike the golden eagle,

it isn't classed as a true eagle,

because it's legs aren't
completely feathered.

However, it's the only eagle
exclusive to North America

and the only member of
the sea eagle family

living throughout this range.

Bald eagles are expert at fishing.

Fish make up around 90% of their diet

and salmon is of key importance.

This particular eagle
isn't searching for food

in the rivers and lakes.

Hunting fish requires lots of energy,

and it's thought that only one
in 18 missions is successful.

Panting helps to regulate
body temperature.

After catching its breath,
the eagle moves in.

It shields the find from other predators,

an act called mantling.

Dead or discarded salmon
make up a major part

of the bald eagle's diet.

This bird is no fussy eater.

And the black bear's
leftovers are a welcome meal.

The nutrients that the
salmon bring to the island

on their journey home

originate almost entirely from the sea.

(waves crashing)

Vancouver Island has some of the most

food rich shores on the planet,

which are home to an
abundance of marine creatures.

(gentle music)

This intertidal zone is a
colorful cold water paradise

that puts many tropical reefs to shame.

In summer, super rich plankton blooms,

giving aquatic creatures
a huge steroid boost.

During winter, the water temperature drops

to just five degrees Celsius.

This allows deeper ocean
oxygen and nutrients

to rise to the surface and
be washed closer to shore.

Barnacles sweep for plankton
with their fan like feet.

Feather duster worms wave
their sticky tentacles,

trapping edible debris
much like a spider's web.

Starfish here grow to enormous sizes.

Some, like the sunflower star
reach up to a meter across.

These giants can have up to 26 arms

and 15,000 tubed feet.

They can move at over one meter a minute.

Many tidal creatures prefer
to keep a low profile.

Camouflage is often key to survival.

For a crab, breaking cover
is a dangerous decision.

(tense music)

The intertidal zone is
patrolled by a monster.

And crustaceans are always on the menu.

The giant Pacific octopus
is the largest in the world.

It can have an arm span
over over nine meters

and weigh more than 250 kilograms.

Fish, sharks, even birds
are sometimes eaten.

Predators aside, the
intertidal zone can be

one of the most violent habitats.

High tides bring crashing waters,

capable of crushing anything untethered

or not glued to the rocks.

Low tides can expose plants
and animals to hot sun,

fresh water and dehydrating air.

In one location, boiling
sulfur saturated water

is even thrown into the mix.

(tense music)

On the western side of the island,

on the shores of Maquenna Provincial Park

lies evidence of the
island's volcanic past.

Boiling spring water bubbles
up from deep in the Earth.

It cascades along a series of rock pools

before finally entering the sea.

This part of the coast lies on
a fault in the Earth's crust,

an enormous crack traveling
deep beneath the surface.

This water hasn't seen
daylight for hundreds of years.

It's traveled over five kilometers

towards the center of the Earth and back.

On its slow journey
through the rock layers,

the water is geothermically heated

to over 100 degrees Celsius,

before pressure forces
it back to the surface.

The water reemerges at around 50 degrees,

having absorbed high
concentrations of minerals.

While boiling water bubbles at sea level,

2,000 meters higher up,
ice is a year round fixture

on many of the island's peaks.

Along with volcanism and the
collision of tectonic plates,

glaciation also played a major part

in the region's formation.

Around 10,000 years ago,

the Comox Valley was buried
beneath a sheet of ice

more than a kilometer thick.

As it moved, the glacier gouged valleys

out of the land below.

The climate eventually warmed
and the ice sheets melted,

most of it at least.

The Comox glacier still
looms over the valley.

It's the largest glacier
on Vancouver Island

and is another reminder of
the region's dramatic past.

One volcanic byproduct

had a magnetic effect
on the human population.

It attracted people from
Australia, California

and virtually all parts of the world.

In 1864, gold was discovered
in the island's rivers

and prospectors stampeded to get here.

Some streams yielded up to
120 kilograms of gold a year,

around five millions pounds
worth by recent values.

When animal trapper Joe Drinkwater

came across the precious
metal in one particular creek

he set up a vast gold panning operation.

The dried up river bed
yielded a huge amount

of the precious metal.

Joe soon became rich.

Further along the valley,
Joe also discovered.

Canada's tallest waterfall.

At 440 meters,

Della Falls is eight
times taller than Niagara.

(majestic music)

Joe eventually sold all
his prospecting claims.

But even today his name
lives on in Drinkwater Creek.

As does that of his wife, Della.

It's only October and
many of Vancouver Island's

upper streams have
dried to just a trickle.

The autumn rains are long overdue.

And the recent drought
has prevented salmon

from moving up river to
reach their spawning grounds.

But it appears change is in the air.

Even the island's black bears

who have been waiting
patiently for weeks, sense it.

(thunder rumbling)

Soon, the rivers are full flow.

(dramatic music)

The salmon make their move.

And so do the bears.

Black bears can kill

up to half the salmon in
these smaller streams.

They can each consume up
to 20,000 calories a day

when stocking up for winter.

Despite the deluge of rain,

the rivers remain relatively
clear and free of debris.

Tree roots in the surrounding forests

hold the soil, which filters water

before it enters the streams.

These rivers contain some of
the purest water in the world.

For those salmon that
manage to avoid the bears

and make it further up stream,

a final challenge lies ahead.

(bright music)

Males of this stage are
often gaunt with hooked jaws,

humped backs and battle torn fins.

Many females display large white patches

of bruised and diseased skin.

Fortunately, their mission is nearly over.

Females jostle for position

above the best places to lay their eggs.

Males line up behind,
fighting off competitors.

Finally, the female chooses her moment

and lays a batch of eggs.

The male instantly moves
in to fertilize them.

Female salmon lay around 3,000
eggs in a series of nests.

Each one is covered by gravel
to protect against predators

and to prevent the eggs
from drifting away.

But even before they've hatched,

the salmon's battle for survival begins.

Glaucous-winged gulls paddle their feet

along the freshly
visited spawning grounds.

Those large eggs are a
protein rich delicacy.

Dippers usually eat aquatic insect larvae,

which they dive to collect
from the river bottom.

At this time of year they
capitalize on the salmon spawn.

However, certain pickings
are often too big to swallow.

Only 10% of salmon eggs
will successfully hatch.

For every 1,000 laid, only four

will make the journey to
the ocean and back again.

These adult salmon are ultimate survivors.

Their job is done.

They've passed the baton
to the next generation

and this final act marks
the end of their life.

(splashing) (sorrowful music)

Pacific salmon always die
after they've spawned.

Through a combination of exhaustion

and the effects of moving
from salt to freshwater,

they breathe their last

in the same streams they started out in.

(gentle music)

Their decomposing bodies release nutrients

that feed the aquatic food web.

This in turn will nurture
the next generation of salmon

throughout Vancouver
Island's rivers of life.

Vancouver Island is a diverse wilderness.

Shorelines, forests and mountainous peaks

are home to a whole host of creatures.

And a unique network of rivers and creeks

carries the fuel for many forms of life.

One fish plays a pivotal role

in sustaining the region's ecosystem.

Vancouver Island relies on its salmon.

And this remarkable creature
depends on the island too,

throughout its life.

(dramatic music)