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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 seas along the Pacific coast
of North America

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can be some of the richest
on the planet.

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These coastal waters
create the perfect conditions

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for the greatest explosion
of life on Earth.

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It's driven by some of
the tiniest creatures.

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As their numbers multiply,
they feed vast shoals of fish,

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which in turn provide food
for ever larger hunters.

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Billions of lives will be shaped
by this immense bloom.

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And the mightiest hunter of them all

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has devised a remarkable way
to harvest this great feast.

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It's January.

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Both land and sea are locked
in the depths of winter.

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The seas along the coast of
Alaska and British Columbia

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can become the richest on Earth.

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But for the moment, they lie dormant.

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The time of great feasting
is many months away,

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and a number of magical changes
must first take place.

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The most crucial change
will be driven by the sun.

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But now it is weak and offers little
to those trapped here for winter.

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This coastline,
a maze of islands and inlets

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carved by glaciers,
will also shape this great event.

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For now, it remains shrouded in cold.

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Only the toughest can survive.

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Steller's sea lions huddle together
to share warmth.

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It's 15 degrees below zero.

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They have little choice
but to suffer this,

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the coldest Alaskan winter on record.

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The shoals of fish they depend on

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spend winter in the deepest water.

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For now the fishing is hard.

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It's an unforgiving place
to raise a family.

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Conditions are so severe

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that mothers must suckle their young
for up to three years.

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For this pregnant sea lion,
the risks are even greater.

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The seas must come to life in good time

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for the arrival of her pup,

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and at this stage,
the odds don't look good.

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For now, all she can do is wait

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for the sun to bring change.

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These seas have the potential

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to be so rich at the height
of the great feast,

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that they will attract animals
from across the vast Pacific.

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And 3,000 miles away
in the waters of Hawaii,

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another mother is about to embark
on an epic journey.

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This humpback whale
has already given birth.

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Her calf is just a few weeks old.

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He stays close to his mum.

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The difference between Hawaii
and Alaska could hardly be greater.

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These are calm, warm waters
with few predators,

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an ideal nursery for the youngster.

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The calf is now drinking

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400 litres of milk every day,

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building up strength

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for the long voyage
he'll soon have to undertake.

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More than 5,000 humpbacks
come to Hawaii each year.

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The males,
lured here in the hope of mating,

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compete among themselves
with great shows of strength.

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But none of these whales
can actually feed here,

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for these tropical waters
are comparatively lifeless.

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The ocean's greatest riches

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are only to be found in colder seas.

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So all these whales must return
to the North Pacific to feed.

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The playful calf suckles
from his mother every day.

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But she hasn't had anything to eat

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since she left Alaska
over four months ago,

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and she won't feed again
until she returns.

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Like the pregnant sea lion,

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this mother has to get her timing right.

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She must arrive in Alaska
for the moment when the seas

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are at their richest, full of fish.

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Their journey north
will take three months.

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Back in Alaska,
the seas are starting to awaken.

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It's March,
and as the sun gathers strength,

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winter loosens its grip.

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For the sea lions,
things are beginning to look up.

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The sun is drawing life from the depths.

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With each passing day,
the sun warms the water for longer,

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penetrating deep into
the mineral-rich waters.

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Fertilising nutrients of
phosphorous and nitrogen

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fuel a miraculous change
that is just beginning.

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Empty seas start to come to life.

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As we enter an enhanced view
of this microscopic world,

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we see the beginnings
of a magical transformation.

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Phytoplankton,
tiny floating plants, emerge.

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Each is scarcely bigger
that a speck of dust.

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But together, these plankton will bloom
in such immense numbers

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that they transform lifeless seas.

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And whether that will happen this year
is yet to be determined.

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All creatures here, from the sea lions
to the migrating whales,

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ultimately depend on
these miniature plants.

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For one creature that relies
directly on the plankton,

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this is the moment to emerge.

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Pacific herring have spent the winter
in the depths of the fjords,

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but they now rise up and
head for the shallow coast.

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Stimulated by the sun
and the warming water,

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they gather
in their hundreds of millions.

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But they're not drawn here to feed.

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They're following
an irresistible urge to breed.

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Groups of males
sweep through the shallows

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and release their sperm
in vast, milky clouds.

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The females follow,
covering the seabed with eggs.

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Such a concentration of fish

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is just what the sea lions
have been waiting for.

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The herring won't be here for long.

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The sea lions must make the most
of the fishing while it lasts.

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Other predators gather,
also hungry after the lean winter.

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This short-lived bounty

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is a magnet
for millions of migrating birds.

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This is just the first brief course
in the great feast.

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The herring spawning
will be over in a matter of days,

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and the shoals of fish
will then scatter along the coast.

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The herring have spawned
on an astonishing scale.

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They turn hundreds of miles
of coastline white with spawn.

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In this bay alone,

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they have laid 800 billion eggs.

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The herrings' spawning is so timed

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that when the next generation hatch
in a few weeks

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they'll be able to feed
on the growing plankton.

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And this year, the herring
appear to have timed it just right.

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The minute plant plankton,

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the driving force behind
the seas' transformation,

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are starting to bloom.

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Great swathes of sea
grow green with life.

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The humpbacks are still
out in the middle of the Pacific.

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They've missed the first taste
of the great feast.

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At just eight weeks old,

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the young calf must cross
the biggest ocean in the world.

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His mother will only swim
as fast as her young calf.

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As he tires,
she supports him from beneath.

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She's been living off her fat reserves

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for the last six months,

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and has lost a third of her body weight.

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She's close to starving.

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It will be a further two months
before mother and son

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reach their feeding grounds
in the North Pacific.

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It's May, early summer in Alaska,

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and the days are getting ever longer.

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The sun continues to fuel
the growth of microscopic plants

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that make up the plankton bloom.

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They're joined by a growing community
of tiny animals...

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zooplankton.

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These are the first creatures
to feed on the bloom.

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Over the coming months
they will multiply,

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crowding the surface waters
in their trillions.

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The next stage of
the great feast is underway.

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All life here depends
on this plankton bloom.

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The herring feed on it directly.

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The greater the bloom,
the more abundant the shoals.

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And the fish themselves
become food for the larger hunters.

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But the shoals of herring
are now spread far and wide,

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and once again, for the sea lions

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the fishing is tough.

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They must venture further to find food.

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But open water is a risky place to fish.

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This male sea lion hunts alone.

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He is three metres long
and a ton in weight.

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Few would dare tackle him.

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The smaller females travel as a group,

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keeping a watchful eye
in all directions.

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They know that killers lurk
in the depths.

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The surface is
a dangerous place to linger,

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especially if you're alone.

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Orca. Killer whales.

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The sea lion is wounded,
but the killers keep their distance.

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His powerful jaws are
still a threat to the hungry orca.

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He struggles towards the safety of land.

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But his injuries are slowing him down.

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Blow by blow, they wear him down.

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It's a carefully coordinated attack.

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One killer distracts his attention,

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while another hits his soft underside.

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The richest seas on Earth
can be treacherous.

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Orca attacks, although savage,

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have little impact on the fate
of most sea lions.

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Their survival depends
more on the tiny plankton

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that sustains the great shoals of fish
on which they feed.

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It's now late May.

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The sunlight lasts for 17 hours a day.

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But the bloom will need
more than just sun

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if it's to reach its full extent.

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Nutrients held in these waters
are continuously used up

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as the bloom increases.

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If they're exhausted too early,

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the plankton will die
and the food chain will collapse.

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The effects will be felt by all.

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Meanwhile, on the sea lion colony,

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new life is now arriving.

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After a year carrying her pup,

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this mother can at last give birth.

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The pup is utterly dependant on his mum.

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As he makes sense of his new world,

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she encourages him
to take his first feed of milk.

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The mother has waited
until early summer to have her baby -

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such a small pup
would never survive the winter.

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Along this coast,

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thousands of pups are born
within a matter of weeks,

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timed to coincide with the better
conditions that may lie ahead.

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The migrating humpbacks
are still weeks away from Alaska

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and their first meal.

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In these turbulent seas,

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mother and calf must stay close.

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A huge Pacific storm is brewing

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and heading straight for
the coast of British Columbia.

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Directly in its path
lies the sea lion nursery.

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The pups are now
at the mercy of the elements.

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The mothers must get their young
to the safety of higher ground,

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if they can find it.

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In desperation,
a mother tries to drag her pup away

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from the gathering tempest.

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A pup swept into the water

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is unlikely to be seen again.

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As the seas begin to subside,
many have survived.

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But others have not.

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There's nothing this mother
could have done to save her pup.

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These mighty storms,
though devastating for some,

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bring fresh life to the great feast.

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When these storms hit the coast,

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they stir up vital nutrients

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into the surface waters,
nutrients that feed the plankton.

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Replenished seas combine
with the lengthening days

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to create a plankton explosion.

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And this has come just in time

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for those at the end
of an incredible journey.

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The humpbacks have arrived.

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After 3,000 miles, mother and calf

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have finally made it
to the coast of Alaska.

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They join other whales
that have also made the long voyage.

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00:30:38,858 --> 00:30:43,454
But their journey isn't over,
for they have yet to feed.

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They're heading for
a particular stretch of coast

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deep in the network of channels,

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where they know they can find
the great shoals of herring.

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It's to these ancestral feeding grounds

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that the mother now guides her new calf.

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00:31:12,538 --> 00:31:15,530
The unique geography of this coastline

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holds the final secret
to this great event.

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Glaciers have carved a landscape

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of deep fjords and islands
over tens of thousands of years.

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This patchwork creates a labyrinth

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00:31:41,658 --> 00:31:45,731
through which powerful ocean
and tidal currents flow,

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bringing up the vital raw ingredients
needed for the bloom.

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It's as if an endless supply
of fertiliser

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is being added to the water.

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00:31:59,938 --> 00:32:04,136
In other seas, the plankton
would be subsiding by now.

251
00:32:05,298 --> 00:32:08,529
But here the seas are
repeatedly invigorated,

252
00:32:08,618 --> 00:32:10,495
which fuels the plankton bloom

253
00:32:10,578 --> 00:32:13,490
time and again throughout the summer.

254
00:32:18,698 --> 00:32:21,166
And with the sun at its most powerful,

255
00:32:21,258 --> 00:32:23,214
all these elements combine

256
00:32:23,298 --> 00:32:27,132
to create a plankton bloom
of great intensity.

257
00:32:31,578 --> 00:32:35,173
In July, the ocean is alive.

258
00:32:38,738 --> 00:32:42,094
This floating community
of plants and animals

259
00:32:42,178 --> 00:32:44,976
is the basis for all life here,

260
00:32:45,058 --> 00:32:47,049
and a bloom of this intensity

261
00:32:47,138 --> 00:32:51,017
signals the start
of a truly great feast.

262
00:32:55,458 --> 00:32:58,018
Where this rich soup hits the sea bed,

263
00:32:58,098 --> 00:33:01,374
life carpets every available surface.

264
00:33:13,978 --> 00:33:18,654
The feasting begins
with millions of tiny mouths.

265
00:33:24,378 --> 00:33:29,168
Barnacles sift morsels of plankton
brought in on the currents.

266
00:33:31,138 --> 00:33:33,811
Many of these creatures
started their lives

267
00:33:33,898 --> 00:33:37,208
as part of the plankton
before reaching adulthood

268
00:33:37,298 --> 00:33:39,812
and settling on the sea floor.

269
00:33:46,298 --> 00:33:48,607
These animals are giants.

270
00:33:48,698 --> 00:33:50,928
They filter the plankton-rich water,

271
00:33:51,018 --> 00:33:54,454
growing larger here
than anywhere else in the world.

272
00:34:04,218 --> 00:34:08,131
Jellyfish gather, forming great swarms.

273
00:34:16,418 --> 00:34:20,536
They, too, eat the plankton,
rising to the surface

274
00:34:20,618 --> 00:34:23,086
where it is at its most abundant.

275
00:34:34,058 --> 00:34:37,733
By late summer,
the plankton bloom is so vast

276
00:34:37,818 --> 00:34:40,491
it radiates across the North Pacific.

277
00:34:44,338 --> 00:34:49,571
Blooms like these provide Earth
with over half of its oxygen.

278
00:34:51,738 --> 00:34:55,014
This bloom eclipses even
the Amazon rainforest

279
00:34:55,098 --> 00:34:58,010
in sheer abundance of plant life.

280
00:35:03,578 --> 00:35:05,489
And it is most intense

281
00:35:05,578 --> 00:35:10,015
where the ocean streams through
the maze of coastal waterways.

282
00:35:16,098 --> 00:35:19,693
The shoals of herring are now
at their most plentiful.

283
00:35:27,418 --> 00:35:29,488
After feeding through the summer months,

284
00:35:29,578 --> 00:35:32,729
the fish themselves are a good catch,

285
00:35:32,818 --> 00:35:36,333
the main target for predators
now gathering here.

286
00:35:51,098 --> 00:35:53,293
After enduring the bitter winter,

287
00:35:53,378 --> 00:35:57,166
the sea lions can enjoy the bounty
they've been waiting for.

288
00:36:12,778 --> 00:36:16,976
Hunting together,
they drive the herring to the surface.

289
00:36:31,338 --> 00:36:34,330
Then, with mesmerising grace,

290
00:36:34,418 --> 00:36:37,251
they pick off fish one by one.

291
00:37:05,258 --> 00:37:07,169
For a few short weeks,

292
00:37:07,258 --> 00:37:10,933
they'll have their share
of the great feast.

293
00:37:17,178 --> 00:37:20,966
Others arrive to feed
in the coastal waterways.

294
00:37:27,818 --> 00:37:30,890
Pacific white-sided dolphins.

295
00:37:35,898 --> 00:37:39,686
They dart in and snatch fish as they go.

296
00:37:44,378 --> 00:37:48,815
The tidal currents now
sweep herring up to the surface.

297
00:37:57,538 --> 00:38:01,292
Here, they're within
diving range of sea birds.

298
00:38:07,738 --> 00:38:10,855
Murres are the first to find the fish.

299
00:38:16,458 --> 00:38:18,528
The shoal twists and turns,

300
00:38:18,618 --> 00:38:21,337
trying to escape the surface dangers.

301
00:38:31,658 --> 00:38:35,890
But murres are so fast
they can even out-swim the herring.

302
00:38:37,818 --> 00:38:39,251
They head off the escape,

303
00:38:39,338 --> 00:38:44,093
making the shoal turn in on itself,
creating a bait ball.

304
00:38:50,618 --> 00:38:52,529
The birds corral the herring

305
00:38:52,618 --> 00:38:55,052
into an ever-tighter ball.

306
00:39:01,058 --> 00:39:03,936
But the commotion hasn't gone unnoticed.

307
00:39:07,058 --> 00:39:11,574
Gulls, ever the opportunists,
are the next to turn up.

308
00:39:18,058 --> 00:39:20,731
They can dive no more than a metre,

309
00:39:20,818 --> 00:39:23,616
so the fish are still out of reach.

310
00:39:27,218 --> 00:39:30,255
The murres only attack from beneath,

311
00:39:30,338 --> 00:39:33,057
trapping the fish against the surface.

312
00:39:39,538 --> 00:39:42,735
But they push the herring
within range of the gulls.

313
00:39:46,338 --> 00:39:48,374
It's a feeding frenzy.

314
00:40:12,778 --> 00:40:17,169
The table is set for
the mightiest predator of them all.

315
00:40:26,418 --> 00:40:30,172
The humpbacks have reached
their feeding grounds.

316
00:40:34,058 --> 00:40:36,652
After six months without a bite to eat,

317
00:40:36,738 --> 00:40:39,616
the humpbacks can finally
break their fast.

318
00:40:46,178 --> 00:40:51,047
The whales have learned to target
these ready-made balls of fish.

319
00:41:08,378 --> 00:41:10,846
But they'll need more than
just a mouthful,

320
00:41:10,938 --> 00:41:13,213
and with the feast now in full swing,

321
00:41:13,298 --> 00:41:15,334
this is their chance.

322
00:41:21,938 --> 00:41:25,897
To exploit the vast shoals of herring
that are in deeper water,

323
00:41:25,978 --> 00:41:28,173
they rely on teamwork.

324
00:41:28,258 --> 00:41:32,888
For these whales have developed
a truly remarkable way of hunting.

325
00:41:51,858 --> 00:41:56,773
The inlets echo to the sound
of a mysterious song.

326
00:42:05,458 --> 00:42:07,813
A curtain of bubbles

327
00:42:07,898 --> 00:42:11,334
and a haunting call hold the secret

328
00:42:11,418 --> 00:42:14,091
to an ingenious way of fishing.

329
00:42:37,178 --> 00:42:39,851
This is "bubble-net feeding".

330
00:42:47,818 --> 00:42:52,414
A dozen whales work together
to harvest the herring bonanza.

331
00:43:03,658 --> 00:43:06,934
Such fishing requires
an extraordinary level

332
00:43:07,018 --> 00:43:09,486
of intelligence and cooperation.

333
00:43:12,378 --> 00:43:14,608
The lead whale dives first.

334
00:43:14,698 --> 00:43:17,087
She is the bubble-blower.

335
00:43:19,618 --> 00:43:22,007
It's her job to find the fish.

336
00:43:24,898 --> 00:43:27,492
The rest follow in formation.

337
00:43:33,978 --> 00:43:38,256
Each takes exactly
the same position in every lunge.

338
00:43:47,818 --> 00:43:49,729
Once she's located the fish,

339
00:43:49,818 --> 00:43:52,048
the leader blows a net of bubbles

340
00:43:52,138 --> 00:43:54,652
that completely encircles the shoal.

341
00:44:02,978 --> 00:44:06,414
Another whale calls
to synchronise the group.

342
00:44:27,258 --> 00:44:30,648
Panicked by the eerie sound
and the blinding bubbles,

343
00:44:30,738 --> 00:44:33,775
the fish won't cross
this fizzing curtain.

344
00:45:22,338 --> 00:45:24,056
As few as 100 humpbacks

345
00:45:24,138 --> 00:45:27,733
have learnt how to feed
as a team like this.

346
00:45:41,498 --> 00:45:46,049
And this is the only place on the planet
where whales fish in this way.

347
00:45:57,898 --> 00:45:59,695
At the height of the great feast,

348
00:45:59,778 --> 00:46:02,053
these humpbacks fish around the clock,

349
00:46:02,138 --> 00:46:05,210
each eating a ton of herring a day.

350
00:46:11,858 --> 00:46:15,089
Only man has learnt to exploit the seas

351
00:46:15,178 --> 00:46:16,896
on a greater scale.

352
00:46:32,098 --> 00:46:36,171
As the summer ends,
the feast draws to a close.

353
00:46:42,698 --> 00:46:44,450
The sun is weakening,

354
00:46:44,538 --> 00:46:48,167
and with it,
the plankton bloom subsides.

355
00:46:51,898 --> 00:46:54,048
The microscopic plants that brought life

356
00:46:54,138 --> 00:46:57,414
to empty seas begin to die.

357
00:47:03,858 --> 00:47:08,170
The herring descend
to spend the winter in the depths.

358
00:47:15,538 --> 00:47:19,690
Life for the sea lions
will be harder once again.

359
00:47:23,538 --> 00:47:27,497
But they've fed well enough
to face the dark days ahead.

360
00:47:42,978 --> 00:47:46,527
The humpback whales
will soon leave these shores.

361
00:47:53,138 --> 00:47:54,696
It's astonishing to think that

362
00:47:54,778 --> 00:47:57,531
some of our world's mightiest creatures

363
00:47:57,618 --> 00:48:00,815
ultimately rely on some of its tiniest.

364
00:48:09,698 --> 00:48:12,610
Here, along the North Pacific coast,

365
00:48:12,698 --> 00:48:16,452
the interplay between land, sea and sun

366
00:48:16,538 --> 00:48:19,769
has produced a bloom of plankton
so immense

367
00:48:19,858 --> 00:48:24,329
it has created
one of nature's great events.

368
00:48:42,018 --> 00:48:44,578
To capture the spectacle
of the great feast,

369
00:48:44,698 --> 00:48:46,893
the team would face many challenges,

370
00:48:46,978 --> 00:48:50,129
none greater than filming it underwater.

371
00:48:51,498 --> 00:48:54,888
It was to lead
to some surprising encounters.

372
00:49:05,778 --> 00:49:08,338
The crew had three weeks in late summer

373
00:49:08,418 --> 00:49:11,649
to try to film all the underwater drama.

374
00:49:16,738 --> 00:49:20,128
They wanted to find the bait balls
of herring that occur here,

375
00:49:20,218 --> 00:49:22,368
in the hope of discovering exactly how

376
00:49:22,458 --> 00:49:25,131
the different predators round them up.

377
00:49:29,338 --> 00:49:32,250
Cameramen Shane Moore
and David Reichert

378
00:49:32,338 --> 00:49:35,171
both have years of experience
working here,

379
00:49:35,698 --> 00:49:39,008
but even they were in
for a big surprise.

380
00:49:41,818 --> 00:49:46,289
The key to filming the bait balls
was to first find the predators.

381
00:49:50,138 --> 00:49:53,255
We're looking for gulls
because the gulls tell us

382
00:49:53,338 --> 00:49:56,648
where the diving birds are
that are pushing the herring up.

383
00:49:56,738 --> 00:49:59,457
So, these are our first clue

384
00:49:59,578 --> 00:50:04,254
to the good action, is these gulls,
distant gulls in the air.

385
00:50:04,778 --> 00:50:06,131
A lot of diving birds, though.

386
00:50:06,218 --> 00:50:08,448
The murres are all here,
and the auklets.

387
00:50:08,538 --> 00:50:12,326
So they're the ones that bring it
all together, so they're all here.

388
00:50:12,418 --> 00:50:14,488
So we just have to watch it.

389
00:50:16,498 --> 00:50:19,968
That's something.
I think that's some bait right there.

390
00:50:20,538 --> 00:50:22,210
Bait balls don't last long,

391
00:50:22,298 --> 00:50:25,290
so the crew had to
get to this one quickly.

392
00:50:31,778 --> 00:50:35,976
But once in the water,
a very careful approach is called for.

393
00:50:41,618 --> 00:50:43,688
So as not to panic the birds,

394
00:50:43,778 --> 00:50:46,770
David eased closer to the action.

395
00:50:56,858 --> 00:50:58,894
And with this sensitive approach,

396
00:50:58,978 --> 00:51:02,334
the birds stayed focussed
on the feeding frenzy,

397
00:51:02,418 --> 00:51:06,047
giving David the chance
for a rather close-up view.

398
00:51:12,418 --> 00:51:16,616
But with so many predators,
the fish were getting hammered.

399
00:51:16,698 --> 00:51:19,371
The bait ball was gone within minutes.

400
00:51:23,538 --> 00:51:25,415
It was an encouraging start,

401
00:51:25,498 --> 00:51:27,693
but to get the full sequence
they hoped for,

402
00:51:27,778 --> 00:51:30,690
the crew would need to
film more bait balls.

403
00:51:31,898 --> 00:51:35,777
And of course, they weren't
the only ones looking for herring.

404
00:51:42,898 --> 00:51:45,014
It's only in the last
five or six or seven years

405
00:51:45,098 --> 00:51:49,296
that the humpback population
here in this area has increased,

406
00:51:49,378 --> 00:51:51,448
which is really encouraging.

407
00:51:51,538 --> 00:51:54,006
Look, you can see one way over there.

408
00:51:57,978 --> 00:52:00,173
It was good to see
the whales return,

409
00:52:00,258 --> 00:52:04,297
but it posed an intriguing
safety concern for Shane.

410
00:52:04,378 --> 00:52:06,573
I think it's extremely unlikely

411
00:52:06,658 --> 00:52:08,216
that you could get swallowed by a whale,

412
00:52:09,658 --> 00:52:12,013
but if there is a place,
this is the place to do it because

413
00:52:12,098 --> 00:52:15,090
they're coming up, they're very
motivated to get his ball of fish,

414
00:52:15,178 --> 00:52:19,410
and we're right there and we're just
a little thing to a 30-ton whale.

415
00:52:19,498 --> 00:52:22,535
The good news is I've seen whales
swallow birds and other things

416
00:52:22,618 --> 00:52:25,849
and even big fish that they don't like,
and they stop and spit it out.

417
00:52:25,978 --> 00:52:28,651
So, just way, way, way
in the back of my mind

418
00:52:28,738 --> 00:52:31,855
is the outside possibility
that they might swallow David.

419
00:52:31,938 --> 00:52:33,451
You didn't tell me that.

420
00:52:35,778 --> 00:52:38,087
Mindful that
there were whales in the area,

421
00:52:38,178 --> 00:52:40,134
the crew turned
their attention to filming

422
00:52:40,218 --> 00:52:42,573
the other stars of the great feast,

423
00:52:42,658 --> 00:52:44,410
Steller's sea lions.

424
00:52:47,418 --> 00:52:49,613
The plan was to dive amongst the kelp

425
00:52:49,698 --> 00:52:52,656
and wait for the sea lions
to come to them.

426
00:52:52,738 --> 00:52:55,127
We'll go in and try to, like,
find a little eddy in there

427
00:52:55,218 --> 00:52:57,891
because the animals
are just on that point there.

428
00:53:00,738 --> 00:53:04,731
This coast has some of the
strongest tidal currents in the world,

429
00:53:04,818 --> 00:53:08,208
essential for fuelling
the plankton bloom,

430
00:53:08,298 --> 00:53:10,892
but not so good
if you're swimming against them

431
00:53:10,978 --> 00:53:12,889
pushing a bulky camera.

432
00:53:18,538 --> 00:53:23,089
The current was getting stronger and
the sea lions were nowhere to be seen.

433
00:53:27,858 --> 00:53:29,655
David was forced to admit

434
00:53:29,738 --> 00:53:33,777
that even the best-laid plans
don't always work.

435
00:53:33,858 --> 00:53:35,769
That dive was a bit of a mess.

436
00:53:35,858 --> 00:53:37,769
You know, the currents come up
so fast around here

437
00:53:37,858 --> 00:53:40,850
that as soon as we got down there
and got set up,

438
00:53:40,938 --> 00:53:42,894
the current was going like four knots

439
00:53:42,978 --> 00:53:44,889
and we were just hanging on to kelp

440
00:53:44,978 --> 00:53:48,334
and trying to get in to find,
like, some sort of

441
00:53:48,418 --> 00:53:50,249
an eddy or something to work in,

442
00:53:50,338 --> 00:53:52,898
but we never did and finally
we just got washed down.

443
00:53:54,418 --> 00:53:58,093
The team had
to wait for the tide to calm down.

444
00:54:00,698 --> 00:54:02,017
And it wasn't just the currents

445
00:54:02,098 --> 00:54:05,568
that made filming sea lions underwater
a bit tricky.

446
00:54:07,778 --> 00:54:10,736
What's really kinda driving us crazy
here is all this plankton,

447
00:54:10,818 --> 00:54:12,809
the water's very green,

448
00:54:12,898 --> 00:54:16,891
not at all like the tropics where
it's, you know, clear and beautiful.

449
00:54:16,978 --> 00:54:20,254
It's also what feeds everything here
and that's why we have

450
00:54:20,338 --> 00:54:23,967
the great amount of sea lions
and all the fish and invertebrates.

451
00:54:24,778 --> 00:54:26,769
On the next slack tide,

452
00:54:26,858 --> 00:54:30,214
it was back into the soupy water
to try again.

453
00:54:31,978 --> 00:54:34,412
They'd have to settle down
on the sea bed and hope

454
00:54:34,498 --> 00:54:37,888
the sea lions' inquisitive nature
would draw them in.

455
00:54:41,178 --> 00:54:44,966
And this year's youngsters
were definitely not camera-shy.

456
00:54:50,498 --> 00:54:52,614
The sea lions were obviously comfortable

457
00:54:52,698 --> 00:54:55,815
getting up close
and personal with Shane.

458
00:54:58,378 --> 00:55:00,972
Sometimes even a bit too personal.

459
00:55:09,778 --> 00:55:12,497
Even this three-metre-long male

460
00:55:12,578 --> 00:55:15,854
seemed to want his share
of the limelight.

461
00:55:20,138 --> 00:55:22,208
After success with the sea lions,

462
00:55:22,298 --> 00:55:24,414
it was time for Shane and David

463
00:55:24,498 --> 00:55:27,535
to turn their attention
back to the bait balls.

464
00:55:32,018 --> 00:55:35,294
The strengthening tides were
bringing more fish to the surface

465
00:55:35,378 --> 00:55:37,687
and so, with just a few days left,

466
00:55:37,778 --> 00:55:41,612
this was their best chance
to get the shots they still needed.

467
00:55:54,858 --> 00:55:58,328
The birds were gorging on herring,

468
00:55:58,418 --> 00:56:01,171
but at least one fish
had a lucky escape.

469
00:56:01,978 --> 00:56:04,936
The herring, of course, in a panic
look for a place to hide,

470
00:56:05,018 --> 00:56:06,929
and they found my camera,

471
00:56:07,018 --> 00:56:08,895
so they'd be up in my view finder,

472
00:56:08,978 --> 00:56:10,809
and of course they get
in between those tubes there

473
00:56:10,898 --> 00:56:13,890
because everything is
trying to eat them, you know,

474
00:56:13,978 --> 00:56:15,730
the murres and the... Everything.

475
00:56:17,618 --> 00:56:19,927
There he is. Okay.

476
00:56:20,018 --> 00:56:23,533
So, this might be the lucky one.

477
00:56:31,938 --> 00:56:33,849
Big ball of fish.

478
00:56:34,778 --> 00:56:37,087
It was
the best year for bait balls

479
00:56:37,178 --> 00:56:40,090
that David and Shane had ever seen.

480
00:56:41,458 --> 00:56:45,087
And they discovered how
each of the predators feeds.

481
00:56:45,178 --> 00:56:48,887
It's the murres that corral
the bait ball against the surface,

482
00:56:48,978 --> 00:56:51,253
only ever attacking from beneath,

483
00:56:51,338 --> 00:56:54,171
while the gulls just grab what they can.

484
00:56:58,818 --> 00:57:02,333
But no one was prepared
for what happened next.

485
00:57:12,418 --> 00:57:13,487
Oh!

486
00:57:13,578 --> 00:57:15,853
And David was right there.

487
00:57:17,338 --> 00:57:22,287
So, what's it like to find yourself
that close to a feeding humpback?

488
00:57:22,378 --> 00:57:24,767
Everything was hitting the ball,

489
00:57:24,858 --> 00:57:28,009
and then I could hear the seagulls,
of course, they were all around,

490
00:57:28,098 --> 00:57:30,407
all of a sudden, poom,
it got quiet and they all lifted off

491
00:57:30,498 --> 00:57:31,772
and I said, "Hmm."

492
00:57:31,858 --> 00:57:34,770
And then sure enough, all the murres
dropped out of the bottom,

493
00:57:34,858 --> 00:57:37,247
and he was right there, right?
When I got real close, I was like...

494
00:57:38,818 --> 00:57:40,376
His mouth was just...

495
00:57:49,258 --> 00:57:51,567
Scary?
-Yeah, it was scary.

496
00:57:53,778 --> 00:57:56,497
To capture
such astonishing images,

497
00:57:56,578 --> 00:58:01,174
and for the very first time,
was an unforgettable experience.

498
00:58:02,058 --> 00:58:06,176
Sitting beside that bait ball,
and there's that moment of tension,

499
00:58:06,258 --> 00:58:08,931
and that whale just came
roaring through there,

500
00:58:09,018 --> 00:58:13,136
and, you know, that's something
that's gonna stay with me forever.

501
00:58:18,818 --> 00:58:22,447
Shane and David
had revealed a dramatic new way

502
00:58:22,538 --> 00:58:26,577
that humpback whales take advantage
of the great feast.

503
00:58:27,305 --> 00:58:33,867
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