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The power of the sun drives the seasons,
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transforming our planet.
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Vast movements of ocean and air currents
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bring dramatic change
throughout the year.
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And in a few special places,
these seasonal changes
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create some of the greatest
wildlife spectacles on Earth.
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The most dramatic event
in the world's oceans
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happens off the eastern shores
of South Africa.
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These cool waters create
the perfect conditions
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for a spectacle of epic proportions.
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And everything revolves
around the humble sardine.
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Each year millions of them
are swept up Africa's coast
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on a desperate winter journey.
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Following them comes what will become
the biggest army of predators
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anywhere on the planet.
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The climax to this chase depends
on many crucial elements coming together
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for one brief moment in time.
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This can well claim to be
the greatest "shoal" on Earth.
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In the deep water
off the southern tip of Africa
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lie the rich fishing grounds
of the Agulhas Bank.
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It's home to billions of sardines.
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They live in immense shoals as
defence against their many predators.
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Moving together as one in a shoal
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gives an individual sardine
its best chance of survival.
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Sardines are so numerous,
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they're on the menu
of most fish-eating predators here.
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It's summer, and the sardines are lost
in the vastness of the ocean.
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The shoals are so dispersed
they're hard to find.
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Common dolphins
are specialist sardine hunters.
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Dolphins aren't
the only ones on their trail.
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Gannets also rely on a diet of sardines.
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The best way for them to find the shoals
is to follow the dolphins.
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When the fish are far out to sea,
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the dolphins need great perseverance
to track them down.
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The dolphins use
their own form of sonar,
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sending out a stream
of clicks and whistles,
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listening for returning echoes.
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At last they've found
what they're looking for.
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Working as a team,
the dolphins isolate a group of fish
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and corral them into a tight ball
close to the surface.
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The gannets can now make their move.
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Gannets can't dive deep,
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so they must rely on dolphins
to keep the sardines near the surface.
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The feeding frenzy is short-lived.
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Most of the shoal escapes to the deep
and the hunters are left still hungry.
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It's December,
the height of the southern summer,
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and the sardines have the advantage.
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With the shoals dispersed,
life is hard for all the predators.
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But in six months' time,
if conditions are right,
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the scene will be set for
astonishing and sustained drama.
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For a few short weeks each winter,
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cold ocean currents can sweep
great shoals of sardines up the coast.
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Trapped close to shore
within this corridor of cool water,
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the fish are vulnerable and
their predators will follow in droves.
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If it happens,
this will be the Sardine Run,
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one of nature's great events,
unique to these shores of South Africa.
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But for this epic event to take place,
many elements have to come together,
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and with our changing climate
they're less predictable every year.
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For the predators,
the winter Sardine Run, if it happens,
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can make the difference
between life and death.
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Dolphins rely on the easy hunting
during the run to wean their calves.
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But the omens aren't good.
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Last year the sardines
didn't run at all.
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Gannets follow the same pattern.
They have their chicks in summer,
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so they, too, leave the nest
in time for the Sardine Run.
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This is Bird Island,
just off the Eastern Cape,
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the biggest gannet colony in the world.
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No less than 100,000 breeding pairs
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come here every summer
to have their young.
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These incredible numbers
show the wealth of life
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the annual Sardine Run can support.
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They also show how many lives
may be in jeopardy
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if the sardines don't run.
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Right now the African summer
is taking its toll.
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With temperatures soaring
and no cover on these exposed islands,
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the birds are in danger of overheating.
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The young are especially vulnerable.
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They have to be fed every day.
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Even with both parents taking turns,
it's an exhausting task.
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In summer the sardines are
a long way out to sea.
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The birds fly hundreds of miles
in search of a meal.
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Once they've sighted their target,
they plunge from heights of 30 metres...
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striking the water at 60 mph.
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Every dive subjects them
to enormous forces.
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The slightest miscalculation
could be fatal.
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Gannets dive no deeper than 10 metres,
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so once again they rely on the dolphins
to keep their prey near the surface.
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But with so much traffic, there's
always the danger of a collision.
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This one has broken her neck.
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Her death will mean
that back on the colony
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her chick will probably starve.
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The rest make the long flight home
with their catch.
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One partner stays on the island
to guard their chick.
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The pair welcome each other
with a ritualised greeting.
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They have a strong bond
and many couples mate for life.
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During the hours of daylight
the sardines stay deep
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in an attempt to avoid their predators.
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As the sun sets, the little fish
themselves can begin to feed.
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They swim upwards
to sieve the water for plankton,
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microscopic plants and animals.
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At daybreak they sink once more
into the safety of the deep.
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It's not just dolphins and gannets
that rely on sardines.
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There are other,
more mysterious predators.
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The Bryde's whale
hardly breaks the surface to breathe
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and never so much as shows a tail fluke.
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For a 15-metre whale,
they can vanish with remarkable ease.
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We know little
about these stealthy leviathans,
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other than that they are
sardine-hunters, too.
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Summer is a lean time
for the Bryde's whale,
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as it is for all the predators.
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Sharks follow the same patterns,
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tracking the shoals offshore
through the summer,
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waiting for the winter Sardine Run
when the hunting will be easier.
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But being cold-blooded,
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they don't have the high energy demands
of the whales, dolphins and gannets.
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All the predators
have to endure the lean months,
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relying on the southern winter in June
to bring a change in their fortunes.
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Now the changing seasons
create a switch in the ocean currents.
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As summer gives way to autumn,
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the southerly-flowing
warm current weakens
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and cold Antarctic water
pushes further north, nearer to land.
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The sardines are carried along
by these cool waters
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and pushed closer to shore.
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If these ocean currents
continue to change,
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the Sardine Run should be
only three months away.
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It's time for the gannet chicks
to leave the safety of their colony.
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Parents stop feeding their young
when they're three months old.
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This forces the chicks
to take to the sea.
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The young have enough fat reserves
to survive for just 10 days.
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And in this brief window,
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they must learn how to fly
and hunt for themselves.
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This is the most critical time
in a gannet's life.
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Failure will mean starvation.
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To prepare for their maiden flight,
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they test their wings
and strengthen their flying muscles.
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Eventually, hunger drives them
onwards and upwards.
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Some get up and away first time.
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But many don't make it
past the crashing surf.
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Some bedraggled chicks
struggle back to shore.
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But for others,
the pounding has been too much.
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Fewer than half
of all the chicks on this colony
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survive their first three months
of life.
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The coast of South Africa
is an unforgiving place.
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The baby dolphins
are still dependent on their mothers.
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They suckle for six months before they,
like the young gannets,
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have to start fishing for themselves.
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There is such an abundance of fish
during the Sardine Run,
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that even the calves can catch some and
so begin to learn their hunting skills.
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But the Sardine Run
might not even happen this year.
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For now the dolphins will have to
continue to scour the vast ocean.
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Back at the coast, other youngsters
are getting ready to go it alone.
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Cape fur seals are also waiting
for the sardines to come close to shore.
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But seals have a broad diet,
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so they can make the most
of other feeding opportunities
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until the sardines come within range.
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Young seals are forced from the colony
by the dominant males.
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Once they're cast out, the adolescents
roam the coastline looking for food.
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They won't turn their noses up
at a plump young gannet.
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Hungry seals patrol the surf,
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ready to pick off any birds that
don't get airborne straight away.
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When the wind is light, the gannet
chicks are stuck on the island.
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Surely they're safe here?
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But even on land the seal is
surprisingly fast on his flippers.
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In this one season,
on this one colony alone,
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seals kill up to10,000 fledglings.
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And, as ever,
it all comes down to sardines,
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for the seals are only after the fish
within the stomach of their victims.
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For the young birds
who do make it past the seals,
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there are fresh challenges.
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Learning the skills of their parents.
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First they have to find their quarry,
the sardine shoals.
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And the best way to do that
is to follow the expert trackers.
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They're hungry. It's been days
since their parents last fed them.
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As the search goes on,
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the chicks are learning
the most sophisticated
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survival technique of all -
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how to harness the expertise
of another species.
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After a long search,
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the dolphins have found
a small school of fish.
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They drive the sardines to the surface
and within range of the young gannets.
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Now, quickly, they have to learn
the art of the plunge-dive.
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But there's a problem.
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The opportunistic seals
have found the fish, too.
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The young gannets
have a daunting choice.
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To risk diving with the enemy
or to starve.
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If they don't take their chances soon,
there will be nothing left.
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They're in luck.
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With sardines back on the menu,
the seals ignore the gannets.
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As ever, the dolphins have
done the hard work
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of rounding up the fish,
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and now a host of other predators
take advantage.
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With the shoal diminishing
by the second, competition is fierce.
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But there is still time
for a mighty intruder.
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The Bryde's whale
devours the entire ball of fish.
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Until the Sardine Run starts in earnest,
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these minor skirmishes are
mere preludes to the main event.
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But winter is finally on the way.
The cold current pushes further north.
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This cool water
forces its way up the coast.
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If it continues to flow northwards,
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it will carry
great shoals of sardines with it.
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The predators begin to gather,
in anticipation of a feast.
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Sardines can't tolerate water
above 20 degrees centigrade.
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So unless the cool water
penetrates further up the coast,
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the fish won't move and
the annual run just won't happen.
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Perhaps climate change
has made its mark here.
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The waters have stayed too warm,
stalling the movement of fish.
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There hasn't been a sardine run
for the past two years.
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The entire fleet is becalmed.
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A winter storm rolls in
from the Antarctic,
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battering the Cape, bringing cold water.
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Driven by their hunger,
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gannets still try to hunt
in these dangerous conditions.
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In fact, this wild weather
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is just what all the predators
have been waiting for.
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For them, it's a perfect storm.
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It has pushed a narrow tongue
of colder water up the coast.
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This chilly current carries wave
after wave of sardines with it.
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Hemmed in by the land on one side
and warm water on the other,
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the sardines are
being drawn into a trap.
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Nature is playing a cruel trick
on these unfortunate fish,
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as they'll get no benefit
from their mass voyage.
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They're slaves
to the cold ocean currents.
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More than 500 million fish
are swimming towards disaster,
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and yet this is just a tenth
of the sardine population.
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The run is on.
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Ahead, an ambush is being prepared.
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As the seas begin to calm,
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00:30:28,787 --> 00:30:31,859
the dolphins relocate
the sardine shoals.
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As they track up the coast,
the pods unite, combining forces.
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They form super-pods
of incredible numbers,
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up to 5,000 dolphins in one group.
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This is fast becoming one of
the biggest groups of predators
234
00:31:15,827 --> 00:31:17,863
anywhere on the planet.
235
00:31:22,987 --> 00:31:25,899
The attackers spread out
into wide hunting lines,
236
00:31:25,987 --> 00:31:28,421
stretching up to a mile across.
237
00:31:38,467 --> 00:31:42,301
Other divisions follow on,
as ever tracking the dolphins.
238
00:31:51,027 --> 00:31:54,383
Shadowing them all, the Bryde's whale.
239
00:32:04,267 --> 00:32:06,542
They're all heading in one direction,
240
00:32:06,627 --> 00:32:09,778
towards a place
known as Waterfall Bluff.
241
00:32:16,787 --> 00:32:21,178
It's an arc in the coastline
which interrupts the flow of currents,
242
00:32:21,267 --> 00:32:23,940
trapping the water in a swirling eddy.
243
00:32:25,867 --> 00:32:28,700
And the dolphins know
that the massive shoals
244
00:32:28,787 --> 00:32:31,460
often get caught in this bottleneck.
245
00:32:41,587 --> 00:32:45,466
But these sardines
have managed to avoid the trap.
246
00:32:48,787 --> 00:32:52,780
The first shoals have been carried
well to the north of Waterfall Bluff,
247
00:32:52,867 --> 00:32:55,335
ahead of the dolphin super-pods.
248
00:33:03,147 --> 00:33:06,856
As the cool water is squeezed
into an ever thinner band
249
00:33:06,947 --> 00:33:08,300
closer to the shore,
250
00:33:08,387 --> 00:33:11,265
the shoals are forced up
into the shallows.
251
00:33:22,907 --> 00:33:27,617
Only now do we get a real sense
of the sheer volume of fish.
252
00:33:29,227 --> 00:33:33,857
This one shoal stretches
along the coast for 15 miles.
253
00:33:39,267 --> 00:33:41,542
The water is 15 metres deep
254
00:33:41,627 --> 00:33:44,539
and packed with sardines
from top to bottom.
255
00:33:47,547 --> 00:33:52,621
There could be more than 100 million
fish in this single shoal alone.
256
00:33:53,627 --> 00:33:56,346
As long as the sardines
are in such shallow water,
257
00:33:56,427 --> 00:33:58,338
they're beyond
the reach of the dolphins,
258
00:33:58,427 --> 00:34:01,385
who won't follow for fear of stranding.
259
00:34:02,867 --> 00:34:06,906
And the gannets can't risk diving
into such shallow water either.
260
00:34:11,267 --> 00:34:13,861
But there are hunters who can follow.
261
00:34:14,587 --> 00:34:17,340
And they've arrived in their thousands.
262
00:34:19,507 --> 00:34:20,860
Sharks.
263
00:34:38,827 --> 00:34:43,981
Dusky, copper and ragged-tooth sharks
encircle the sardines.
264
00:34:48,147 --> 00:34:52,459
But for the little fish,
there's safety in such vast numbers.
265
00:34:52,747 --> 00:34:56,945
The sheer volume of sardines,
the way they twist and turn in harmony,
266
00:34:57,027 --> 00:34:58,779
confuses the sharks.
267
00:35:05,627 --> 00:35:07,777
Without dolphins to round up the fish,
268
00:35:07,867 --> 00:35:10,939
these sharks have to
find their own solution.
269
00:35:22,907 --> 00:35:26,820
They try to trap the fish
against the water's surface.
270
00:35:32,267 --> 00:35:35,782
But this boiling water
is mostly sardines escaping.
271
00:35:35,867 --> 00:35:37,823
Few are actually eaten.
272
00:35:50,467 --> 00:35:54,176
Tiny fish triumph
over the marauding sharks.
273
00:36:05,907 --> 00:36:10,822
The sharks continue to harry the shoal,
pushing it ever northwards.
274
00:36:21,667 --> 00:36:24,579
Back at Waterfall Bluff,
the dolphins and gannets
275
00:36:24,667 --> 00:36:27,420
are waiting for the next
pulse of sardines
276
00:36:27,507 --> 00:36:29,862
to come up from the south.
277
00:36:30,467 --> 00:36:31,900
If there is another shoal,
278
00:36:31,987 --> 00:36:35,980
this kink in the coastline
is the perfect place to ambush them.
279
00:36:36,267 --> 00:36:38,098
But if the fish don't come,
280
00:36:38,187 --> 00:36:42,897
these hungry predators face a long
journey all the way back to the Cape.
281
00:36:48,507 --> 00:36:50,896
To the north,
the survivors of the shark attack
282
00:36:50,987 --> 00:36:54,866
are nearing the end of their run
at the beaches around Durban.
283
00:36:59,067 --> 00:37:01,627
These seem like the lucky ones.
284
00:37:01,707 --> 00:37:05,859
On their epic journey
they've evaded an army of hunters.
285
00:37:07,947 --> 00:37:12,020
But one final, unexpected
predator lies in wait.
286
00:37:24,787 --> 00:37:28,985
Fishermen can only net the sardines
once they've swum this far north,
287
00:37:29,067 --> 00:37:31,376
within easy reach of the shore.
288
00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:38,017
Last year no sardines
were seen on this coast.
289
00:37:38,227 --> 00:37:42,106
So far this winter, the fishermen
have landed only 50 tonnes,
290
00:37:42,187 --> 00:37:46,180
barely a tenth of what they'd expect
in a good year.
291
00:37:52,227 --> 00:37:55,776
That's how unpredictable
the Sardine Run has become.
292
00:38:09,227 --> 00:38:11,866
After such a long and hazardous voyage,
293
00:38:11,947 --> 00:38:15,303
it's a sad end for these sardines.
294
00:38:24,307 --> 00:38:29,506
At Waterfall Bluff, the dolphins
and gannets have had to bide their time.
295
00:38:34,427 --> 00:38:36,463
After missing the first shoal,
296
00:38:36,547 --> 00:38:38,663
these predators
are relying on the currents
297
00:38:38,747 --> 00:38:42,626
to sweep another big pulse of sardines
up the coast.
298
00:38:44,947 --> 00:38:48,178
Now another great shoal is on the way.
299
00:38:48,267 --> 00:38:51,418
And it's heading straight
for Waterfall Bluff.
300
00:38:58,507 --> 00:39:02,705
Trapped between the shore on one side
and the warm water on the other,
301
00:39:02,787 --> 00:39:06,063
these fish are swimming straight
towards the enemy.
302
00:39:18,827 --> 00:39:22,263
The sardines fall back
on their instinctive defence,
303
00:39:22,347 --> 00:39:26,420
swarming into a huge mass
that confuses a predator.
304
00:39:37,747 --> 00:39:41,899
But the dolphins have a strategy
that turns this to their advantage.
305
00:39:46,587 --> 00:39:50,466
Working together,
they separate off a pocket of sardines.
306
00:39:54,467 --> 00:39:59,587
In smaller numbers the fishes
shoaling defence now works against them.
307
00:40:00,907 --> 00:40:05,139
The dolphins corral the bait ball
and herd it to the surface.
308
00:40:19,067 --> 00:40:22,423
This is what the other hunters
have been waiting for.
309
00:40:24,867 --> 00:40:28,018
Now the sardines are within range
of the gannets.
310
00:40:49,867 --> 00:40:52,461
The bait balls form and reform,
311
00:40:52,547 --> 00:40:55,698
seldom lasting longer than
a few minutes each.
312
00:41:19,627 --> 00:41:23,984
The sharks pile in, taking advantage
of the dolphins' hard work.
313
00:41:31,707 --> 00:41:35,495
The predators ignore each other.
There's only one victim here -
314
00:41:35,587 --> 00:41:39,819
the millions of tasty little fish
they've been stalking for so long.
315
00:42:02,027 --> 00:42:04,143
Young gannets join the frenzy.
316
00:42:04,227 --> 00:42:08,345
In just six months they have become
superb aerial hunters.
317
00:42:17,547 --> 00:42:22,462
Time after time, the dolphins round up
another shoal for destruction.
318
00:42:47,267 --> 00:42:49,861
Frantically, the little fish
try to get away
319
00:42:49,947 --> 00:42:54,782
from the seething surface of the water
to dive beyond the range of the gannets.
320
00:42:58,947 --> 00:43:02,826
Now,
something truly astonishing happens.
321
00:43:05,147 --> 00:43:08,856
Diving takes the gannets
down to 10 metres.
322
00:43:10,467 --> 00:43:14,142
Then the aerial squadrons
become shoals of swimmers
323
00:43:14,227 --> 00:43:18,664
as they pursue the fish
down to 20 metres.
324
00:43:22,267 --> 00:43:24,906
Sardines join with their predators
325
00:43:24,987 --> 00:43:28,616
in a beautiful
yet macabre underwater ballet.
326
00:43:29,307 --> 00:43:32,504
There's little chance of escape
for these fish.
327
00:44:12,907 --> 00:44:16,741
The stage is set
for the biggest predator of all.
328
00:44:23,787 --> 00:44:29,100
The Bryde's whale takes in
10,000 fish in one giant mouthful.
329
00:44:33,507 --> 00:44:37,182
But this time around,
there are plenty of sardines for all.
330
00:44:46,547 --> 00:44:51,223
Each hunter amongst these millions
plays its part in the drama
331
00:44:51,307 --> 00:44:53,901
and each is dependent upon the other.
332
00:45:07,787 --> 00:45:10,460
The annual spectacle of the Sardine Run
333
00:45:10,547 --> 00:45:15,701
is undoubtedly the greatest gathering
of predators anywhere on the planet.
334
00:45:21,947 --> 00:45:25,906
It's surely
one of nature's great events.
335
00:46:16,387 --> 00:46:19,618
Then, almost as quickly as it began,
336
00:46:20,867 --> 00:46:22,380
it's over.
337
00:46:24,747 --> 00:46:27,136
As the brief winter comes to an end,
338
00:46:27,227 --> 00:46:32,301
warm currents flowing south
displace the corridor of cool water.
339
00:46:37,227 --> 00:46:38,899
Despite the massacre,
340
00:46:38,987 --> 00:46:43,503
more than half of all the sardines
swept up on the great run, survive.
341
00:46:47,787 --> 00:46:49,823
As the currents switch,
342
00:46:49,907 --> 00:46:52,785
the fortunate ones
make good their escape.
343
00:46:55,747 --> 00:46:58,739
From here,
they'll follow deep water currents,
344
00:46:58,827 --> 00:47:02,137
hitching a ride
back to the cool waters of the Cape.
345
00:47:07,947 --> 00:47:13,101
The Bryde's whale melts away
to resume its secretive life
346
00:47:13,187 --> 00:47:15,781
somewhere out in the big blue.
347
00:47:21,507 --> 00:47:26,740
The dolphin super-pods break up and
begin their long trek back to the Cape.
348
00:47:32,227 --> 00:47:34,821
Gannets, too, head south.
349
00:47:43,227 --> 00:47:46,537
As Waterfall Bluff
falls quiet once more,
350
00:47:46,627 --> 00:47:49,346
no one can say whether
this spectacular event
351
00:47:49,427 --> 00:47:52,146
will be repeated here in years to come.
352
00:48:01,187 --> 00:48:05,578
The Sardine Run may be unique
to the coast of South Africa,
353
00:48:05,667 --> 00:48:11,139
but it's a vivid reminder of the riches
that our oceans can still support.
354
00:48:38,467 --> 00:48:42,858
The amazing bait balls that characterise
the Sardine Run are short-lived
355
00:48:42,947 --> 00:48:44,619
and very hard to find.
356
00:48:44,707 --> 00:48:47,665
Filming them was to turn
into a two-year mission
357
00:48:47,747 --> 00:48:49,863
for the underwater team.
358
00:49:00,867 --> 00:49:02,823
To film the feeding frenzies,
359
00:49:02,907 --> 00:49:06,422
the team would need three key elements
to come together -
360
00:49:06,507 --> 00:49:10,705
a huge shoal of sardines,
the right mix of predators
361
00:49:10,787 --> 00:49:14,097
and water clear enough to
be able to see the action.
362
00:49:17,227 --> 00:49:21,584
The most important element to start with
was being able to see underwater.
363
00:49:21,667 --> 00:49:23,737
And at the beginning
of the first the season
364
00:49:23,827 --> 00:49:28,184
it wasn't looking good for
underwater cameraman Didier Noirot.
365
00:49:28,547 --> 00:49:32,176
It looks like dirty water, but
I'm going to check anyway to be sure.
366
00:49:36,587 --> 00:49:39,784
Didier was
Jacques Cousteau's underwater cameraman
367
00:49:39,867 --> 00:49:41,380
for more than a decade.
368
00:49:41,467 --> 00:49:44,186
He knows that the Sardine Run
is very unpredictable
369
00:49:44,267 --> 00:49:47,145
and that some years
it never happens at all.
370
00:49:50,307 --> 00:49:51,820
The predators were gathering,
371
00:49:51,907 --> 00:49:55,422
but the ocean currents
weren't bringing any sardines.
372
00:49:58,227 --> 00:50:01,583
It wasn't a good start
to the first season's filming.
373
00:50:04,707 --> 00:50:06,584
What's it like?
374
00:50:06,667 --> 00:50:08,897
No vis. No visibility.
375
00:50:11,947 --> 00:50:14,586
And the murky water
held further risks.
376
00:50:15,667 --> 00:50:17,623
Poor vis you don't see what's coming,
377
00:50:17,707 --> 00:50:21,780
so it's not that we're scared
of all the sharks,
378
00:50:23,027 --> 00:50:27,498
but we notice that accidents,
people get bitten always in dirty water.
379
00:50:27,667 --> 00:50:29,897
So why should we take the risk?
380
00:50:29,987 --> 00:50:32,421
We go in dirty water
to make bad pictures
381
00:50:32,507 --> 00:50:34,657
and get bitten by sharks.
382
00:50:34,867 --> 00:50:36,459
It's not worth.
383
00:50:37,227 --> 00:50:39,616
I'd rather stay dry!
384
00:50:42,027 --> 00:50:45,576
After 20 days at sea
with no sign of sardines,
385
00:50:45,667 --> 00:50:49,979
the crew kept themselves busy
with some sound recording for the film.
386
00:50:51,667 --> 00:50:55,296
I didn't take my mask, you see,
so I don't intend to dive.
387
00:50:57,627 --> 00:51:00,585
The team developed
some ingenious techniques
388
00:51:00,667 --> 00:51:03,500
to get microphones close
to the dolphins and gannets
389
00:51:03,587 --> 00:51:06,465
that were also waiting for the sardines.
390
00:51:06,827 --> 00:51:12,185
So what we're doing today
is trying a radio mic and a Frenchman.
391
00:51:14,467 --> 00:51:18,346
The problem is he doesn't
know when to stop talking.
392
00:51:18,427 --> 00:51:22,818
It's the quietest we've had him
for days, but he still rabbits on.
393
00:51:26,307 --> 00:51:29,982
No one was prepared
for what happened next.
394
00:51:31,907 --> 00:51:34,182
The thing is these aren't
waterproof at all.
395
00:51:34,267 --> 00:51:36,656
-Shark, shark! Quick, quick!
-Go, go!
396
00:51:36,747 --> 00:51:38,339
Quick, quick!
397
00:51:49,867 --> 00:51:52,586
He bit me. Big copper.
398
00:51:53,027 --> 00:51:57,179
It's late, it's murky water.
We cannot stay there too long, you see.
399
00:52:00,227 --> 00:52:04,266
-Did he come right underneath you?
-No, he bit my fins. I kick.
400
00:52:04,347 --> 00:52:06,577
-Seriously?
-Yeah, I told you
401
00:52:06,667 --> 00:52:09,386
there are sharks, so come and fetch me.
402
00:52:11,147 --> 00:52:14,264
The sharks were definitely about,
403
00:52:14,747 --> 00:52:19,059
but the first season ended
without Didier seeing any sardines.
404
00:52:23,867 --> 00:52:26,825
At the beginning of the second year
the pressure was on.
405
00:52:26,907 --> 00:52:29,102
But things were looking up.
406
00:52:31,947 --> 00:52:34,415
With the help of aerial spotter
Eric Webber,
407
00:52:34,507 --> 00:52:38,500
Didier and the team
could search a greater stretch of ocean.
408
00:52:41,667 --> 00:52:43,498
For the first time in three years,
409
00:52:43,587 --> 00:52:46,738
a huge slick of fish
had been swept up the coast.
410
00:52:49,947 --> 00:52:53,064
The Sardine Run was well and truly on.
411
00:52:54,707 --> 00:52:57,221
And it was down to the eye in the sky
412
00:52:57,307 --> 00:52:59,867
to get Didier
into the heart of the action.
413
00:52:59,947 --> 00:53:04,259
We've got thousands of sharks
approximately 200 metres offshore.
414
00:53:04,387 --> 00:53:05,979
You guys make your way out there,
415
00:53:06,067 --> 00:53:07,898
you'll be mad enough
to go into the water.
416
00:53:07,987 --> 00:53:10,296
I'll talk you onto it, guys.
It's really looking good.
417
00:53:10,387 --> 00:53:12,457
It's just sharks and sards
all over the place.
418
00:53:12,547 --> 00:53:14,060
We are in the area.
419
00:53:14,147 --> 00:53:17,617
Didier wants us to deploy on
the highest concentration of sharks.
420
00:53:17,707 --> 00:53:19,618
Would you please guide us
onto that area.
421
00:53:19,707 --> 00:53:22,983
Come 20 degrees left, you've got
40 metres to run. 40 metres to run.
422
00:53:23,067 --> 00:53:27,265
I'm going to put you
in the front of the sards.
423
00:53:27,547 --> 00:53:29,981
Seconds to run, divers ready.
424
00:53:30,107 --> 00:53:34,544
Nine, eight, seven, six,
425
00:53:34,627 --> 00:53:36,583
five... Divers ready.
426
00:53:36,667 --> 00:53:41,900
Four, three, two, one.
Go! Divers away.
427
00:53:47,267 --> 00:53:51,101
The great tide was indeed
living up to its name.
428
00:53:52,387 --> 00:53:55,185
At last Didier had some action to film.
429
00:53:55,267 --> 00:53:58,896
He had good visibility
and sardines in abundance.
430
00:54:03,587 --> 00:54:05,384
But without dolphins around,
431
00:54:05,467 --> 00:54:08,379
the feeding frenzies
just weren't happening.
432
00:54:09,467 --> 00:54:12,777
The sharks were unable to feed
on the vast walls of fish
433
00:54:12,867 --> 00:54:17,861
and despite their impressive numbers,
they were surprisingly wary of Didier.
434
00:54:19,587 --> 00:54:24,615
No, very quiet, moving slowly.
They are the lords of the sea.
435
00:54:25,507 --> 00:54:27,782
No, there was no frenzy, no attack.
436
00:54:27,867 --> 00:54:31,143
I think they get prepared
for the big action.
437
00:54:32,427 --> 00:54:35,464
Didier had yet to even
see a big bait ball
438
00:54:35,547 --> 00:54:39,460
and there was only one week left
for all the elements to come together -
439
00:54:39,547 --> 00:54:43,779
clean water, lots of sardines,
and just the right mix of predators.
440
00:54:45,547 --> 00:54:49,426
And if there was one place
to find it, it was Waterfall Bluff.
441
00:54:51,107 --> 00:54:54,463
Huge numbers of predators
were starting to gather.
442
00:54:57,067 --> 00:55:00,662
This was the most action the underwater
crew had seen in two years,
443
00:55:00,747 --> 00:55:03,864
and again it was down to Eric
to put them on it.
444
00:55:05,227 --> 00:55:09,345
This is Raven. Yeah,
we've got some major activity here
445
00:55:09,427 --> 00:55:11,782
just off Mkambati.
446
00:55:11,867 --> 00:55:14,142
They were into
the last week of filming
447
00:55:14,227 --> 00:55:16,422
and the pressure was showing.
448
00:55:16,987 --> 00:55:19,262
Yeah, this looks very, very good.
449
00:55:19,347 --> 00:55:22,384
At two o'clock, just here,
but it's moving quite fast.
450
00:55:22,467 --> 00:55:24,264
'Cause the dolphins are chasing it.
451
00:55:24,347 --> 00:55:27,305
Make a slow 90.
Go right 90 degrees.
452
00:55:27,867 --> 00:55:30,665
The tricky part is
actually getting us onto the bait ball
453
00:55:30,747 --> 00:55:32,738
without breaking it up.
454
00:55:38,107 --> 00:55:41,895
Ridden over the bait ball. Just stop.
455
00:55:41,987 --> 00:55:43,625
Joker, I think
you've screwed that up.
456
00:55:43,707 --> 00:55:47,177
Too far! Don't get there.
Move the boat, to the right!
457
00:55:49,787 --> 00:55:53,939
-Below Eric. Below Eric. Where's Eric?
-We should go outside there.
458
00:55:57,827 --> 00:56:00,580
Now we have to go fast
and to think fast!
459
00:56:01,347 --> 00:56:03,622
On the second-to-last day of filming,
460
00:56:03,707 --> 00:56:06,096
Didier finally got his chance.
461
00:56:06,627 --> 00:56:08,106
Okay, Didier.
462
00:56:11,947 --> 00:56:15,906
Years of work had gone
into putting Didier on the front line.
463
00:56:15,987 --> 00:56:17,943
Now it was down to him.
464
00:56:25,467 --> 00:56:27,537
After 90 days of filming,
465
00:56:27,627 --> 00:56:31,859
he had less than an hour
in which to fulfil his dream -
466
00:56:32,147 --> 00:56:35,537
to film a bait ball
in perfect conditions.
467
00:56:56,187 --> 00:56:57,905
Didier was at last
468
00:56:57,987 --> 00:57:01,616
amongst the greatest gathering
of predators on the planet.
469
00:57:05,467 --> 00:57:09,346
He'd managed to get closer
than anyone to the feeding frenzy,
470
00:57:10,747 --> 00:57:13,056
without becoming part of it.
471
00:57:18,067 --> 00:57:21,025
Ah! Today was the day.
We just found a bait ball.
472
00:57:21,107 --> 00:57:25,020
We were looking for months, years,
473
00:57:25,107 --> 00:57:27,826
and we finally found it.
474
00:57:27,907 --> 00:57:31,661
Only one problem.
The sharks were too much aggressive.
475
00:57:32,107 --> 00:57:35,304
We were very...
We got bumped a few times by sharks,
476
00:57:35,387 --> 00:57:39,938
and that was just a bit serious.
477
00:57:40,987 --> 00:57:44,741
All that action came and that was
just an amazing spectacle.
478
00:57:44,867 --> 00:57:46,903
All those birds diving together.
479
00:57:47,027 --> 00:57:49,018
Bom, bom, bom. Boom, boom.
480
00:57:49,107 --> 00:57:51,496
Like real cannon explosion.
481
00:57:52,987 --> 00:57:55,626
And all those sharks under, following.
482
00:57:55,707 --> 00:57:59,939
And the dolphins.
That was just magical. Magical.
483
00:58:03,027 --> 00:58:05,587
The feeding frenzy
they filmed that day
484
00:58:05,667 --> 00:58:08,545
ended as quickly as it had begun.
485
00:58:08,627 --> 00:58:11,266
After two long years,
Didier and the crew
486
00:58:11,347 --> 00:58:13,941
had managed to be
in just the right place
487
00:58:14,027 --> 00:58:15,779
at just the right time
488
00:58:15,867 --> 00:58:18,859
for one of our ocean's greatest events.
489
00:58:19,305 --> 00:58:25,827
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