Wildest Islands (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 5 - Falkland Islands: Penguin Paradise - full transcript

(electronic humming)

- [Voiceover] The Falkland Islands

are one of nature's best-kept secrets.

Rugged mountains and pristine coastlines

remain unspoiled by human hands.

(waves crashing)

Allowing wildlife to thrive,

including one of the world's
most iconic flightless birds.

These islands are one of

the greatest penguin centers on earth.

But this regal retreat
isn't all fun and games.



Predatory seals.

Birds of prey.

And killer whales roam the coast

in search of an easy meal.

Some pay a heavy price.

(splashing)

Throughout this Penguin Paradise.

(squawking)

(dramatic orchestra music)

(bird calls)

(piano music)

Lying approximately 500 kilometers

from the South American Mainland,

the Falkland's archipelago is made up of



over 700 different islands.

This isolated terrain has no trees,

no native land mammals or reptiles.

On first appearances, the
region seems devoid of life.

But each summer, the islands are invaded,

as over a million penguins
hit the shores to reunite

and create a new generation.

Of the 17 species of penguin
found throughout the world,

around 1/3 use the Falklands
as their annual breeding site.

One has even chosen the
archipelago as its year-round base,

creating the largest
population of its kind

in the world, and counting.

But other creatures have
also set up home here.

And many rely on these
flightless birds for survival.

(roaring)

The penguins' journey from egg to sea

is a series of daily battles,

with danger coming from outside the colony

as well a within.

(chattering)

(bird calls)

People have inhabited the Falkland Islands

since the early 19th Century,

and sheep farming has always been

one of the most important industries.

Around half a million sheep are scattered

across the archipelago.

But for every walking ball of wool,

there are approximately two
shuffling towers of feathers.

(whimsical violin music)

King penguins are the second-largest
penguin on the planet.

They stand just under a meter tall,

and weigh around 15 kilos.

(wooting)

Each spring, around a thousand return

to this grassy patch of
land on East Falkland

to breed and tend their chick.

(wooting)

While many species remain monogamous,

the King penguin is one of the few

to have more than one partner in its life.

Courtship is all about
catching the eye of a female.

(wooting)

This male's calls attract company.

The female confirms her interest,

and the pair embark on a courtship walk.

The male's efforts
appear to have paid off.

But someone else wants in on the egg.

It isn't just males who
fight one another over mates.

King penguin ladies do
battle over the boys, too.

(flippers fluttering)

Flipper fight over, the
challenger gives up,

leaving the couple to synchronize

and cement their bond away from the crowd.

(purring)

King penguins lay a single egg,

which is incubated between
the tops of their feet,

and a patch of loose skin
called a brood patch.

It will take 54 days for the egg to hatch.

Time spent rearing a King penguin chick

varies between 10 and 13 months.

These chicks are about a year old.

They're so visually
different from the grown-ups

19th Century scientists
classified these youngsters

as a separate woolly penguin species.

(whistling)

Their whistles are modulated,

giving individuals a unique call.

Communicating hunger is crucial,

when entirely dependant
on adults for food.

(honking)

Both parents share the role of caring for

and feeding their chick.

Regurgitated fish goes only so far,

so they take turns fishing.

(dramatic piano music)

Fish and squid make up the majority

of the King penguins' diet.

They can travel more than
300 kilometers offshore

to reach their feeding grounds.

(splashing)

Preening is essential for
keeping feathers and skin

wind and water proof.

A special gland at the base
of the tail excretes oil,

which they spread over their bodies.

(braying)

Once a year, adult penguins molt.

Old plumage is pushed out in patches

as soon as new feathers
beneath are fully grown.

This way, the penguins remain warm

throughout the month-long process.

An earlier fishing party returns

to the sound of excitement
from hungry beaks.

(whistling)

But not everyone has cause to celebrate.

This youngster hasn't had a meal in weeks.

He appears to have been abandoned.

(soft piano music)

His parents' fate remains a mystery,

but many of those who head out to sea

fail to return.

(waves crashing)

These King penguins are
reluctant to enter the water.

And with good reason.

A predator is on the prowl,

and penguins sit high on its menu.

(low brass music)

But one appears unaware of the threat.

Magellanic penguins are
around half the size

of their week-old counterparts.

But to a hungry sea lion,

they're still a worthwhile meal.

(ominous violin music)

(bird calls)

Sea Lion Island, just
south of East Falkland,

is where many Southern sea
lions come ashore to breed.

Over 5,000 have made the Falkland Islands

their permanent home.

Adult males grow to just
under three meters in length,

and can weigh up to 350 kilos,

larger than their big cat namesakes.

This male stands guard over his hyene.

Southern sea lion females are around

three times smaller than
their heavily-maned males,

the greatest size differential
over all sea lion species.

Many have recently given birth.

(barking)

These pups are just a few days old,

yet already weigh around 15 kilograms.

Sea lion milk contains around 30% fat.

It's 10 times more
nutritious than cow's milk.

(chortling)

Females still need to forage
when suckling their young.

Pups and their mothers can be separated

for up to two days at a time.

Fortunately, when hunger
kicks in, any teet will do.

Just six days after giving birth,

the females are ready to mate again.

Young males keen to start
families of their own

patrol the breeding colonies.

Seeing one of the bulls otherwise engaged,

the outsider makes his move.

(roaring)

His mission is short-lived.

Adolescent intruders are seen as a threat

by all the breeding colony bulls.

(roaring)

This youngster is no match for one,

let alone two sea lion heavyweights.

Sea lions patrol the entire
coast of the Falklands.

Even the most remote islands
receive year-round visits.

New Island is one of
the most westerly points

on the archipelago.

At approximately 13 kilometers long

by half a kilometer wide,

the island is outlined by 85 kilometers

of sandy beach and sheer cliff coastline.

It's the perfect home

for the Falkland's only
permanent penguin resident.

(braying)

Gentoo penguins stand
approximately 75 centimeters tall,

making them the third largest species.

Although they receive just
a Bronze medal for height,

when water is thrown into the mix,

these penguins achieve Gold.

(splashing)

Reaching speeds of up to
40 kilometers an hour,

Gentoos are the fastest
swimming birds in the world.

Torpedo-like bodies,
and flattened flippers

enable them to fly underwater.

Lobster krill makes up the
majority of the Gentoos' diet.

(splashing and crashing)

(honking)

Unlike King penguins, Gentoos
raise two chicks at a time.

Having two mouths to feed not only doubles

the parents' fishing duties,

it creates another problem.

Three-week old chicks
constantly beg for food,

so knowing which was fed
last, and which is hungriest,

is anyone's guess.

(honking)

But the Gentoo parents have a unique trick

up their sleeves, a
game called Chick Chase.

(upbeat banjo music)

This athletic challenge ensures

meals are shared equally between the pair.

The quickest and most persistent youngster

is usually the most needy.

No guess as to who got
fed first last time.

(honking)

Not all members of the colony are capable

of raising chicks yet.

Gentoos can't reproduce
until they're two years old.

Even so, nest-building is
a skill worth practicing.

As is getting to know the
dangers of colony life.

The Striated Caracara is a
member of the Falcon family,

and one of the world's most
intelligent birds of prey.

It has a wingspan over a meter in length,

and is a swift aerial predator,

but it chooses to spend

a great deal of time on the ground.

Caracaras are able to walk and run

more efficiently than other raptors,

as their talons are flat in shape.

Although primarily scavengers,

they'll attempt to seize
unguarded penguin chicks

and abandoned eggs.

Cracking the shell proves
harder than it looks,

especially with beak
and claws more attuned

to tearing flesh.

(crackling)

But another avian predator
shows how it should be done.

Falcon skuas are a
subspecies of the brown skua,

weighing up to two kilograms,
they're the heaviest

of all skua species,

and one of the island's
most fearless birds.

(warbling)

Gentoo eggs are a delicacy,

so many skuas choose to nest

close to penguin breeding sites.

The midday summer sun
approaches 25 degrees,

and takes its toll on the Gentoo chicks.

Thick layers of insulating fat and fur

may protect them at sea,

but can have the opposite
effect on dry land.

(moaning)

Heat stroke is an invisible killer.

Panting helps regulate body
temperature to some degree.

As does exposing their feet,

the only parts not covered with feathers.

But sometimes this still isn't enough.

Caracaras are quick to capitalize

on the sick and defenseless.

(somber brass music)

The youngsters' parents do all they can

to fend off the assault.

But as others join the attack,

their efforts are in vain.

(moaning)

(waves crashing)

The day starts early for all
Falkland Island penguins.

Gentoo parents make
their way to the beach.

Their chicks have become more demanding,

so both adults make daily fishing trips.

Back at the colony,

the youngsters deter predators
by huddling together,

an act known as crushing.

The safety-in-numbers
approach also applies

at the waters edge.

(suspenseful orchestra chords)

The sea lion tries to
surprise them, but fails,

causing confusion as the Gentoos scatter.

(honking)

But this amphibious mammal
is a persistent hunter,

especially in shallow water.

The Gentoo group
reapproach the waters edge.

The coast looks clear.

(splashing)

The sea lion, however, lies in wait.

He launches his ambush.

The penguins rapidly change direction

to try and lose their pursuer.

But one Gentoo gets
separated from the pack.

(splashing)

(roaring)

It's only male Southern sea lions

that seem to kill penguins.

They can take up to six birds
in a single hunting session.

(rustling)

The most numerous penguin on the Falklands

also happens to be the island's smallest.

Over 600,000 Rockhoppers nest here.

Some breeding sites are so large

they can contain more than 100,000 nests.

(squeaking)

Despite standing just 50 centimeters tall,

the Rockhoppers are possibly
the toughest penguins

on the planet.

Rugged cliffs and crushing
waves are a welcome sight

to this fearless forager.

(crashing)

(dramatic orchestra music)

Touching down on New Island's
windswept rocky coast

is the easy part of this
penguin's daily trial.

Scaling the 100-meter-high cliff

to reach the breeding colony
is the real challenge.

Unlike most other penguins
that waddle or belly-fly,

Rockhoppers make short
jumps to get around.

They're excellent climbers.

(chattering)

Webbed feet and sharp claws offer grip

when negotiating steeper sections.

Grooves worn into the rocks reveal

this same route has been
used for thousands of years.

Choosing such a
challenging course to reach

their breeding sites
does have its benefits.

Predator seals would struggle to follow.

However, one colony of
Rockhoppers has chosen a path

a little more challenging than most.

(splashing)

Falkland fur seals can
reach two meters in length,

and weigh more than 150 kilograms,

50 times heavier than a Rockhopper.

Over 5,000 inhabit this rocky bay.

Like sea lions, they can
run on all four flippers,

and have visible ears.

However, fur seals have an
extra pair of crushing teeth.

It appears these Rockhoppers
are asking for trouble.

But not everything is quite as it seems.

(roaring)

(chattering)

Rockhoppers have been sharing this cove

with fur seals for decades.

However, running this particular gauntlet

still takes courage, and
a great deal of skill.

(airy violin music)

Elsewhere, fur seals are known
to attack and kill penguins.

But this colony appears happy enough

with just a fishy diet.

Clumps of tussock grass crown the cliffs.

The Rockhoppers meander
through the maze of tunnels

created by these two-meter tall plants.

Finally, they reach the colony.

For every square meter of ground,

there can be up to three
pairs of Rockhoppers.

Raising a chick in such close proximity

to the neighbors is a recipe for trouble.

Competition for a mating
partner can be fierce.

(chattering)

Ecstatic displays are
used to mark territory

as well as warn others away.

Partners perform the act in unison

to help strengthen their bond.

Not only do they return

to the same breeding location each year,

they return to the exact same nest.

Like Gentoo penguins,
Rockhoppers lay two eggs.

However, the first egg is
smaller than the second,

and is also last to hatch.

The smaller chick rarely survives,

and the parents usually end up

raising just the one fledgling.

Rockhopper chicks have no
choice but to grow up fast.

Even finding their way
to the safety of a creche

is fraught with danger.

(chattering)

But the real peril lies
just outside the group.

At this time of year, Red-backed Buzzards

also have young mouths to feed.

Not all flying birds pose a
threat to the Rockhoppers.

Some have even become nesting neighbors.

Black-browed Albatross are
one of the most graceful birds

on the planet.

With a windspan of up to 2 1/2 meters,

they glide effortlessly above the oceans,

returning to land just once
a year in order to breed.

70% of the world's population
nests on these islands.

And the reason lies just offshore.

Cold currents off New Island's west coast

support some of the richest
fishing grounds in the world.

(waves crashing)

Black-browed Albatross join Rockhoppers

in dense colonies on the cliffsides.

Some contain over 300,000 birds.

Each summer, parents devote all their time

to raising a single chick.

They reuse the same
pot-shaped nests each year.

(honking)

The parents' regurgitated
fishy oils are so rich

they have a calorific
value similar to that

of diesel fuel.

The chicks can put on a kilo in weight

in just over a week.

Black-browed Albatross mate for life,

and can live for over 50 years.

They don't breed until
they're about 10 years old.

But from the age of two,

they practice the courtship rituals

that will one day woo

their future lifelong partner.

(airy violin music)

Albatross perform some
of the most elaborate

mating displays in the animal world.

(honking)

Rockhoppers also share their colonies

with another flighted, yet
not so graceful, neighbor.

King Cormorants nest just
a pecking distance away.

Their hooked beaks pack a powerful pinch.

They also come in handy
whenever a neighbor's

back is turned.

(whimsical orchestra music)

Steeling nest material is a constant crime

in Cormorant society.

(honking)

Unlike Albatross and Rockhoppers,

Cormorants often have
three mouths to feed.

The constant pestering for
food can become too much,

giving parents no choice
but to turn the other cheek.

(airy orchestra music)

The Falkland Islands'
deep rich oceanic waters

not only provide the perfect
habitat for penguins,

they're also the playground for some

of our planet's greatest mammals.

(whale whistling)

But it hasn't all been plain sailing

for these aquatic giants.

About a century ago,
whales around the Falklands

were seen as a marine resource.

They were harvested for their oil.

Fortunately, no whale species
was completely wiped out

before the industry here collapsed.

Rusty boilers in abandoned
beds on New Island are all

that remains of the Falkland's
only whaling venture.

Around the same time, penguins here also

fell afoul of human hands.

Boiling vessels, known as tri-pots,

still litter many of the island's beaches.

Rockhopper oil was high in demand as fuel

for lamps and for tanning leather.

Millions of birds were
captured, and rendered down.

Each penguin produced
approximately half a liter of oil.

Today, laws protect all
17 species of penguin

throughout the world.

One location, where penguins
were once persecuted,

has now become a Rockhopper retreat.

Lying to the north, Saunders Island,

is the fourth largest of
the Falkland's archipelago.

Rolling hills, and gently sloping cliffs,

appear more welcoming to the region's

rock-climbing residents.

And to top it off, the island provides

a penguin pampering service like no other.

(trickling)

Fed by a natural spring,
this freshwater shower

allows the Rockhoppers to
wash away salt and dirt

from their feathers.

(trickling)

Splashing and drinking
the cool clean water

is part of the daily ritual for many

of the island's residents.

(warbling)

Waiting in turn by joining the queue

quells most penguin politics.

However, exceeding your timeslot

is against bathing etiquette.

(chattering)

Freshwater springs aren't
the only natural resource

on the Falkland Islands.

Peat consists of partially
decayed plant matter

and covers around 85% of the archipelago.

The layer beneath tussock grass
can be up to 10 meters deep.

Peat is often seen as the earliest stage

in the formation of coal.

It's been the fuel of choice

ever since people set up
home around 200 years ago.

Once cut, each 20-centimeter square block

is left to dry for a whole
year before being used.

The heat from a kilo of peat equals that

of around half a kilo of coal when burned.

Many islanders still rely on this vast

and free resource to fuel
their fires in cooking stoves.

(crackling)

On remote islands, many
inhabitants have no choice

but to be partly self-sufficient.

Each year, around 2,000
Gentoo penguin eggs

are taken and used for food.

Special licenses allow
islanders to collect

a strictly limited number
for personal consumption.

Gentoos are one of the few penguins

known to lay a repeat clutch
should the first one fail.

So theirs are the most
common eggs to be taken.

The Falkland's landscape is sculpted by

the harsh polar climate
of the last ice age

which ended around 10,000 years ago.

The repeated deep freeze
of relentless icy winds

left a series of dramatic
geological features

that litter many of the island's hills.

Known as stone runs, these
unique rivers of rock

can flow up to four kilometers long

and be 400 meters wide.

The features are made up of
fragmented quartz-like blocks

ranging between two
and five meters across.

Broken up by the freeze-thaw cycle,

the smaller boulders
slowly shifted downhill

as the ground thawed and slid

over the deeper layer of permafrost.

The stone runs intrigued the
naturalist Charles Darwin

who visited the Falklands in 1833.

He speculated they were
created by earthquakes,

a notion we now know to be
a little wide of the mark.

However, Darwin was about to
embark on a much larger theory.

Two years before setting
foot on the Galapagos,

he saw one of his first
examples of adaptive evolution

in the Falkland Island's Steamer Duck.

This heavily-built bird stands
around 25 centimeters tall,

and weighs approximately 4 1/2 kilos.

It's one of the largest
ducks in the world.

Short stubby wings give the impression

this bird would struggle to fly.

But this duck doesn't struggle,

because it doesn't even try.

The flightless Steamer Duck

stopped taking to the air
several thousand years ago.

Instead, it's become expert at swimming,

using its wings and feet
to race across water,

much like a paddle steamer.

(splashing)

The Steamer Ducks' coastal
habitat is hospitable

all year round, making
migration unnecessary.

Not needing to fly
offers several benefits.

Decreased featherweight limits

the high-energy costs of molting.

Reduced wingsize and a
bigger body assist diving.

And larger birds use less energy

when regulating their body temperature.

Evolutionary traits
the penguins worked out

several million years ago.

(airy violin music)

Penguins are masters at
adapting to their environment.

And one Falkland Island resident

has literally set up home here.

Magellanic penguins stand approximately

70 centimeters tall and
weigh around six kilos.

For six months of the year, they live,

sleep and eat on the waves,

clocking up over 15,000 kilometers

before reuniting with
the same breeding partner

on dry land.

(bird calls)

Magellanic penguins are
one of the most faithful

species in the animal kingdom.

One recently-recorded relationship

spanned 16 years, and counting.

(braying)

Unlike all the island's other penguins,

that choose to nest in vast open colonies,

Magellanics prefer a little more privacy.

They raise their chicks out
of sight and underground.

Of all the penguin species
inhabiting the Falklands,

Magellanics are the only
ones that nest in burrows.

The island's soft peat-based
soil is easily tunneled,

creating a safe hideaway from predators.

Parents defend their
bunkers with great vigor.

Territorial disputes are
common in Magellanic society.

(chattering)

Donkey-like brays are
also used in courtship,

as well as in conflict.

These calls have earned
this penguin another name,

the Jackass.

(braying)

Magellanics are widespread
on the Falklands

and breed across the entire archipelago.

On Sea Lion Island, one group living among

the tussock grass faces
a number of obstacles

on their early morning fishing trips.

(whimsical orchestra music)

Unlike Rockhoppers,
Magellanic penguins prefer

to run and belly-slide.

For some, negotiating even a small jump

proves challenging.

Support and encouragement
from another member

of the group eventually pays off.

But overcoming the next
hurdle may not be so easy.

(roaring)

Southern elephant seals are
the largest of all seals.

Males can reach over six meters in length

and weigh more than four tons,

as heavy as three family cars.

They are the world's
largest amphibious mammal.

(roaring)

Elephant seals get their name from

the male's trunk-like snout.

These inflatable protrusions
help resonate their roars

which can be heard over a kilometer away.

(roaring)

They spend up to 10 months
of the year out at sea,

only coming ashore to
breed and shed their skins.

(splashing)

These young males will
spend the next few weeks

on land while they moult.

With so much time on their hands,

they prepare for the day when
they'll be ready to breed.

Sparring develops the fighting skills

these young adults will need

when competing with the dominant bulls.

(roaring)

(splashing)

Fortunately for the Magellanics,

elephant seals don't eat penguins.

They prefer a diet of fish and mollusks.

However, there's another
predator stalking these shores

they need to keep an eye on.

And so do the seals.

(dramatic orchestra music)

Killer whales patrolling the Falklands

aren't fussy eaters
and will take penguins.

But when the elephant seals paddle ashore,

the world's largest predator of mammals

has a much bigger meal in mind.

(suspenseful orchestra music)

(crashing)

For the Magellanics,

another morning's fishing
mission continues.

(dramatic orchestra music)

The Falkland Islands
are a Penguin Paradise.

Pristine coastlines and food-rich seas

support a whole host of species

that in turn helps fuel
the lives of others.

Not all survive to support
the next generation.

But these losses are few
compared to those that do.

For the Falkland's flightless foragers,

life couldn't get much better.

(chattering)

(dramatic orchestra music)

(electronic humming)