1 00:00:27,803 --> 00:00:31,778 Cuba is the Caribbean's most precious natural jewel. 2 00:00:37,522 --> 00:00:41,108 Forests still blanket large parts of the island. 3 00:00:41,133 --> 00:00:44,108 Her blue waters hide some of the richest coral reefs 4 00:00:44,133 --> 00:00:45,667 to be found anywhere. 5 00:00:48,213 --> 00:00:51,388 And while many of the wild lands and seas of the Caribbean 6 00:00:51,413 --> 00:00:55,468 are in trouble, Cuba's extraordinary history has created 7 00:00:55,493 --> 00:00:57,388 a true wildlife wonderland. 8 00:01:01,652 --> 00:01:06,747 Fully half of Cuba's animals and plants are found nowhere else. 9 00:01:08,013 --> 00:01:11,598 From their very own crocodiles and snakes to the smallest birds 10 00:01:11,623 --> 00:01:13,348 and frogs on the planet. 11 00:01:15,522 --> 00:01:18,778 My name is Colin Stafford -Johnson. 12 00:01:18,803 --> 00:01:20,858 I've been a wildlife cameraman 13 00:01:20,883 --> 00:01:22,988 for over 30 years, and have never 14 00:01:23,013 --> 00:01:26,958 lost my boyhood fascination with this remarkable island. 15 00:01:46,133 --> 00:01:49,547 I'm halfway through my Cuban adventure, and as my journey 16 00:01:49,572 --> 00:01:54,667 continues, Cuba's unique animals and wild places transport me 17 00:01:54,692 --> 00:01:56,028 to another world. 18 00:02:12,163 --> 00:02:14,028 It's a good night tonight. 19 00:02:14,053 --> 00:02:16,958 You see these sort of shadows appearing out of the waves 20 00:02:16,983 --> 00:02:20,468 and initially you think, is that one? 21 00:02:20,493 --> 00:02:23,058 And then suddenly, the wave retreats. 22 00:02:30,213 --> 00:02:35,828 Every July, this is where green turtles come to lay their eggs. 23 00:02:39,263 --> 00:02:43,388 Females that come to this beach would have been born here 24 00:02:43,413 --> 00:02:46,388 perhaps 20 years ago or so. 25 00:02:46,413 --> 00:02:50,708 Although these are very much Cuban turtles, they will wander 26 00:02:50,733 --> 00:02:54,828 far from these shores during their lives, and somehow 27 00:02:54,853 --> 00:02:59,308 they manage to find their way back to the very same place 28 00:02:59,333 --> 00:03:01,188 where they were born. 29 00:03:01,213 --> 00:03:05,958 It's one of the great mysteries, for me, of the animal world. 30 00:03:11,133 --> 00:03:14,388 Turtles are having a hard time these days. 31 00:03:14,413 --> 00:03:18,547 The oceans are not the pristine places they used to be. 32 00:03:21,053 --> 00:03:24,828 And it's a miracle, really, that they make it back here at all. 33 00:03:27,772 --> 00:03:29,747 TURTLE H ISSES 34 00:03:42,512 --> 00:03:44,978 It's a really difficult process. 35 00:03:45,003 --> 00:03:46,978 They have been buoyant all their lives. 36 00:03:47,003 --> 00:03:49,298 They've been supported by the salt water. 37 00:03:49,323 --> 00:03:51,818 And now they have to hold themselves, 38 00:03:51,843 --> 00:03:54,338 feeling the full effects of gravity, 39 00:03:54,363 --> 00:03:57,228 maybe for the first time in their lives. 40 00:04:09,432 --> 00:04:12,098 It's not just a question of reaching the beach. 41 00:04:12,123 --> 00:04:17,737 They know they have to travel right up beyond the spring tide mark. 42 00:04:17,762 --> 00:04:20,338 That's where their eggs will be safe. 43 00:04:34,682 --> 00:04:36,657 TURTLE H ISSES 44 00:04:50,323 --> 00:04:54,048 As soon as she feels that her flippers are reaching 45 00:04:54,073 --> 00:04:58,328 down deep enough into the sand, she goes into a trance and nothing 46 00:04:58,353 --> 00:05:00,328 will stop her at that point. 47 00:05:11,963 --> 00:05:15,938 TURTLE H ISSES 48 00:05:25,562 --> 00:05:29,407 Once she has them laid, she covers up that hole. 49 00:05:29,432 --> 00:05:31,508 That's all she can do. 50 00:05:31,533 --> 00:05:34,018 SH E H ISSES 51 00:05:41,762 --> 00:05:45,768 She will never meet her offspring, and those offspring 52 00:05:45,793 --> 00:05:50,458 that are developing there will never meet their mum. 53 00:05:59,403 --> 00:06:03,228 And hopefully, the eggs that she's left developing 54 00:06:03,253 --> 00:06:05,938 in the sand will be successful. 55 00:06:05,963 --> 00:06:09,378 And in a couple of months' time... 56 00:06:09,403 --> 00:06:12,048 ...they'll hatch and the little turtles will make their way 57 00:06:12,073 --> 00:06:14,098 to the surface and 58 00:06:14,123 --> 00:06:18,298 head to the ocean, just like she did, once upon a time. 59 00:06:40,603 --> 00:06:43,328 I think when you visit the tropics for the first time, the thing 60 00:06:43,353 --> 00:06:47,867 that really strikes you is just how much life is there. 61 00:06:53,432 --> 00:06:56,048 There are more species living in the tropical zones 62 00:06:56,073 --> 00:06:58,407 than all the other zones of the world put together. 63 00:06:58,432 --> 00:07:03,407 And when you have that heat and light and fresh water in abundance, 64 00:07:03,432 --> 00:07:07,407 and then stability over time, it seems that that is what has given 65 00:07:07,432 --> 00:07:10,407 rise to so many different creatures. 66 00:07:14,203 --> 00:07:16,298 BIRDS TWEET 67 00:07:19,203 --> 00:07:23,328 The island I come from was scraped clean by the ice just a few 68 00:07:23,353 --> 00:07:24,688 thousand years ago, 69 00:07:24,713 --> 00:07:27,578 not long ago, even in terms of human history, really. 70 00:07:27,603 --> 00:07:33,218 But these places have been stable and untouched for millions of years. 71 00:07:33,243 --> 00:07:36,617 These are the great cradles of evolution. 72 00:07:40,353 --> 00:07:43,048 BIRDS TWEET 73 00:07:49,682 --> 00:07:51,768 Cuba is woodpecker heaven. 74 00:08:01,353 --> 00:08:05,218 These old palm trunks are perfect nesting sites. 75 00:08:05,243 --> 00:08:10,098 But finding a good tree often means sharing with troublesome cousins. 76 00:08:12,882 --> 00:08:16,378 Here, two different kinds are close neighbours - 77 00:08:16,403 --> 00:08:19,657 a West I ndian and a Cuban Green woodpecker. 78 00:08:21,203 --> 00:08:24,378 The West I ndians are notorious and will do anything to avoid 79 00:08:24,403 --> 00:08:27,298 the hard work of drilling their own nest. 80 00:08:29,603 --> 00:08:33,178 And will even kill the other bird's chicks to take over. 81 00:08:33,203 --> 00:08:35,607 WOODPECKERS CHIRP 82 00:08:35,632 --> 00:08:39,657 This one thinks her green neighbour's nest is worth a try. 83 00:08:44,283 --> 00:08:46,768 WOODPECKER CHIRPS 84 00:08:49,882 --> 00:08:54,407 Luckily, the Cuban Green chicks are big enough to defend themselves. 85 00:08:54,432 --> 00:08:55,458 CHICK CHIRPS 86 00:08:58,283 --> 00:09:01,018 The parents return to find their chicks and family home 87 00:09:01,043 --> 00:09:02,607 safe and secure. 88 00:09:08,123 --> 00:09:11,098 Meanwhile, the raider heads off to try her luck 89 00:09:11,123 --> 00:09:13,018 on another promising nest. 90 00:09:18,923 --> 00:09:22,657 But the Fernandina's Flicker is at home and she's well able 91 00:09:22,682 --> 00:09:24,458 to take care of herself. 92 00:09:24,483 --> 00:09:26,857 BIRD SOUAWKS NOISILY 93 00:09:28,603 --> 00:09:31,857 The West I ndian finally gives up and resigns herself 94 00:09:31,882 --> 00:09:33,787 to finishing her own nest. 95 00:09:44,353 --> 00:09:47,178 Her neighbours, including this Screech owl, 96 00:09:47,203 --> 00:09:49,328 will just have to put up with the noise. 97 00:09:52,153 --> 00:09:53,818 And the rubbish. 98 00:10:10,483 --> 00:10:14,578 On the lower floor of the tree, the Cuban Green woodpecker chicks 99 00:10:14,603 --> 00:10:17,407 are getting close to the day they leave. 100 00:10:23,902 --> 00:10:26,918 For the parents, it's still a nonstop battle to keep them 101 00:10:26,943 --> 00:10:28,268 fed and happy. 102 00:10:31,263 --> 00:10:33,398 WOODPECKER CHIRRU PS 103 00:10:39,943 --> 00:10:41,988 CHICK CALLS 104 00:10:48,373 --> 00:10:52,677 Finally, the chicks are ready for the biggest step of their lives. 105 00:11:00,503 --> 00:11:02,708 One needs a little persuasion. 106 00:11:02,733 --> 00:11:04,158 CHICK CHEEPS IMPATIENTLY 107 00:11:16,813 --> 00:11:18,838 CH ICKS CHIRRUP NOISILY 108 00:11:18,863 --> 00:11:22,427 The parents will continue to feed them until the chicks are strong 109 00:11:22,452 --> 00:11:25,757 enough to fend for themselves and deal with all the challenges 110 00:11:25,782 --> 00:11:28,318 of life in Cuba's wild forests. 111 00:11:28,343 --> 00:11:33,268 CACOPHANY OF BIRDSONG 112 00:11:50,293 --> 00:11:54,677 Savannahs are really beautiful places, but I can't help realising 113 00:11:54,702 --> 00:11:57,908 how vulnerable all the cavity nesters are. 114 00:11:57,933 --> 00:12:01,118 Now, you would think there's lots of places to nest around here, 115 00:12:01,143 --> 00:12:02,958 you see all these palm trees, 116 00:12:02,983 --> 00:12:05,708 but they only actually nest in dead ones. 117 00:12:05,733 --> 00:12:08,068 They are very few and far between. 118 00:12:08,093 --> 00:12:11,627 You get a sense that there's a real competition for nesting spaces 119 00:12:11,652 --> 00:12:16,118 because you'll get more than one cavity nester within the one tree. 120 00:12:16,143 --> 00:12:18,627 And that really is a sign of... 121 00:12:18,652 --> 00:12:22,068 that there's a lack of decent nesting habitats here. 122 00:12:24,013 --> 00:12:27,877 And it's the woodpeckers that make the homes for all the other birds. 123 00:12:27,902 --> 00:12:31,988 It's the woodpeckers that make the holes that the owls will occupy. 124 00:12:32,013 --> 00:12:34,198 It's the woodpeckers that make the holes 125 00:12:34,223 --> 00:12:36,158 that the parrots will occupy. 126 00:12:38,933 --> 00:12:42,547 And they're facing another serious problem. 127 00:12:42,572 --> 00:12:45,598 That big, old, dead palm behind me - 128 00:12:45,623 --> 00:12:49,038 there's a pair of Cuban parrots nesting. 129 00:12:49,063 --> 00:12:51,318 People want to keep things like parrots as pets. 130 00:12:51,343 --> 00:12:54,838 And they don't quite realise, I think, what a massive impact 131 00:12:54,863 --> 00:12:57,268 that has on the natural world. 132 00:12:57,293 --> 00:13:01,068 The way that they get parrots in Cuba, like they do in most parts 133 00:13:01,093 --> 00:13:04,068 of the world, is if you find a dead tree with a parrot nest up in it, 134 00:13:04,093 --> 00:13:06,427 you just chop down the tree and then you take out 135 00:13:06,452 --> 00:13:08,038 the young parrots. 136 00:13:10,733 --> 00:13:13,958 And then, of course, the dead tree is not there next year. 137 00:13:13,983 --> 00:13:16,958 So there's less and less nesting habitat. 138 00:13:18,652 --> 00:13:20,268 A dead tree. 139 00:13:22,473 --> 00:13:24,348 It's not a huge amount to ask for. 140 00:13:24,373 --> 00:13:27,038 If we can't give them that, you know... 141 00:13:28,343 --> 00:13:29,797 ...a bit sad, really. 142 00:13:47,652 --> 00:13:49,518 Like so much of its wildlife, 143 00:13:49,543 --> 00:13:52,797 Cuba itself was born in the warm tropical sea. 144 00:13:52,822 --> 00:13:55,708 For three quarters of the island is limestone, 145 00:13:55,733 --> 00:13:58,478 formed from the skeletons of sea creatures, 146 00:13:58,503 --> 00:14:01,318 settled as fine sands on the seabed. 147 00:14:14,213 --> 00:14:18,627 Millions of years of pressure and upheaval created the rock 148 00:14:18,652 --> 00:14:21,188 that forms most of the island today. 149 00:14:31,093 --> 00:14:34,427 Limestone creates its very own wonderland. 150 00:14:35,933 --> 00:14:40,318 As rain and water dissolves it over time, it riddles the island 151 00:14:40,343 --> 00:14:43,677 with caves, both above and below water. 152 00:14:59,093 --> 00:15:01,188 This is a cenote, 153 00:15:01,213 --> 00:15:04,598 a vertical cave of collapsed limestone. 154 00:15:04,623 --> 00:15:07,627 Many are hundreds of metres deep 155 00:15:07,652 --> 00:15:09,318 and a very special 156 00:15:09,343 --> 00:15:11,398 world unto themselves. 157 00:15:24,983 --> 00:15:28,757 Over the eons, these peculiar places have become home to some 158 00:15:28,782 --> 00:15:30,877 very unusual creatures. 159 00:15:50,572 --> 00:15:54,318 And in Cuba, this is perhaps the most bizarre. 160 00:15:59,623 --> 00:16:03,068 A garfish known as a manjuari. 161 00:16:17,543 --> 00:16:19,547 One of the ancient fish designs, 162 00:16:19,572 --> 00:16:22,398 manjuari have an extraordinary ability - 163 00:16:22,423 --> 00:16:24,118 they can breathe air. 164 00:16:29,213 --> 00:16:34,038 If their water becomes too stagnant and oxygen runs low, they can gulp 165 00:16:34,063 --> 00:16:36,430 air from the surface to survive. 166 00:16:45,975 --> 00:16:50,110 Manjuari give a unique insight into how the very first fish 167 00:16:50,135 --> 00:16:53,110 evolved to leave the sea and survive on land 168 00:16:53,135 --> 00:16:55,110 many millions of years ago. 169 00:17:00,205 --> 00:17:03,900 A critical step in the evolution of life on Earth. 170 00:17:10,365 --> 00:17:14,030 BIRDSONG 171 00:17:39,365 --> 00:17:42,749 I've never been any place quite like this. 172 00:17:42,774 --> 00:17:48,030 These mogotes, these spectacular, steep, limestone mogotes. 173 00:17:59,615 --> 00:18:02,230 The agriculture that's found in the valleys 174 00:18:02,255 --> 00:18:05,869 is very traditional, low impact. 175 00:18:08,564 --> 00:18:12,260 And so, when you look at the mogotes covered in forest, 176 00:18:12,285 --> 00:18:15,150 they really look like forested islands 177 00:18:15,175 --> 00:18:17,230 in a sea of agriculture. 178 00:18:21,255 --> 00:18:25,430 And when you wander through these valleys around here, you can see 179 00:18:25,455 --> 00:18:28,820 this agriculture running right up to the mogotes. 180 00:18:28,845 --> 00:18:31,950 So the only place, really, to see the kind of animals 181 00:18:31,975 --> 00:18:36,619 that should be in this area, is by visiting the mogotes themselves. 182 00:18:47,485 --> 00:18:50,180 This is really a remarkable sight. 183 00:18:50,205 --> 00:18:54,789 You know, I'm so used to seeing limestone features in Cuba now, 184 00:18:54,814 --> 00:18:58,900 that, from a distance, these appear to be little stalactites 185 00:18:58,925 --> 00:19:00,260 all along the cliff. 186 00:19:00,285 --> 00:19:02,260 And it's only when you get closer, 187 00:19:02,285 --> 00:19:05,260 you realise some of them are moving in the wind. 188 00:19:05,285 --> 00:19:07,230 WASPS BUZZ 189 00:19:10,455 --> 00:19:14,030 And they're wasps nests, each of these is a separate 190 00:19:14,055 --> 00:19:15,669 little colony of wasps. 191 00:19:18,564 --> 00:19:22,230 Each one of these will have been started by a fertilised female. 192 00:19:22,255 --> 00:19:25,260 She would have made the decision as to where to make the initial 193 00:19:25,285 --> 00:19:27,539 attachment for the nest. 194 00:19:27,564 --> 00:19:29,649 And she will give birth 195 00:19:29,674 --> 00:19:31,699 to the whole colony - 196 00:19:31,724 --> 00:19:35,600 workers that then assist her in building up the colony. 197 00:19:35,625 --> 00:19:39,350 And over the season, it gets bigger and bigger. 198 00:19:39,375 --> 00:19:41,990 Eventually, it will be abandoned. 199 00:19:55,654 --> 00:20:00,879 Limestone is such a feature of Cuba, it really is, and it's difficult 200 00:20:00,904 --> 00:20:02,160 stuff to walk around on. 201 00:20:02,185 --> 00:20:05,879 It's incredibly jagged. Rain, when it falls, is slightly acidic 202 00:20:05,904 --> 00:20:08,440 and it actually cuts through this rock. 203 00:20:08,465 --> 00:20:11,629 Hence, that's why there are so many caves and crevices. 204 00:20:14,704 --> 00:20:20,160 These, sort of, sheer limestone cliffs afford some protection. 205 00:20:20,185 --> 00:20:23,549 I sort of sense that these are like fortresses, fortresses 206 00:20:23,574 --> 00:20:28,240 for nature, a place where wildlife retreats in time of danger. 207 00:20:37,375 --> 00:20:42,749 These sheer limestone cliffs attract the finest rock climbers in Cuba. 208 00:20:42,774 --> 00:20:47,600 This is one of the very best - a cliff anole. 209 00:20:52,185 --> 00:20:56,060 A lizard completely adapted to a vertical life. 210 00:21:01,295 --> 00:21:03,549 For dexterity on these walls, 211 00:21:03,574 --> 00:21:05,110 nothing can touch it, 212 00:21:05,135 --> 00:21:07,440 except another cliff anole. 213 00:21:10,375 --> 00:21:14,400 Fiercely territorial, this male is trying to hold his patch 214 00:21:14,425 --> 00:21:16,879 of the cliff from allcomers. 215 00:21:18,185 --> 00:21:20,749 Another male is attempting to move in. 216 00:21:20,774 --> 00:21:22,910 This means war. 217 00:21:35,745 --> 00:21:37,240 There's no violence, 218 00:21:37,265 --> 00:21:40,710 just acrobatics, showing who's king of this cliff. 219 00:21:50,185 --> 00:21:53,240 Anoles change colour depending on their mood. 220 00:21:53,265 --> 00:21:55,549 The intruder has flushed dark brown. 221 00:21:55,574 --> 00:21:57,160 He's not happy. 222 00:21:57,185 --> 00:22:00,440 The original owner has the upper hand here. 223 00:22:22,824 --> 00:22:26,080 Looks like the battle is over. 224 00:22:26,105 --> 00:22:28,240 He's maintained his patch. 225 00:22:30,904 --> 00:22:32,629 Low level aggression. 226 00:23:08,904 --> 00:23:10,879 Cuba's limestone country 227 00:23:10,904 --> 00:23:14,190 hides more than 20,000 caves and labyrinths, 228 00:23:14,215 --> 00:23:17,910 a dark underworld, threading through the whole island. 229 00:23:51,584 --> 00:23:55,000 For bats, this underworld is a lifeline, 230 00:23:55,025 --> 00:23:59,120 one of the very last places to be disrupted by humans. 231 00:24:02,914 --> 00:24:06,759 BATS SOUEAK 232 00:24:10,995 --> 00:24:14,730 Every night, these long tongued bats head out for their journey 233 00:24:14,755 --> 00:24:16,009 through the forest. 234 00:24:29,395 --> 00:24:33,759 Unlike most bats, which primarily eat insects, long tongue bats 235 00:24:33,784 --> 00:24:35,480 have a very sweet tooth. 236 00:24:38,475 --> 00:24:42,730 Like any sugar addict, it's a craving that must be satisfied, 237 00:24:42,755 --> 00:24:45,040 except their lives depend on it. 238 00:24:47,675 --> 00:24:48,920 Every night, 239 00:24:48,945 --> 00:24:52,090 the bats hunt down the sweet flowers of the forest - 240 00:24:52,115 --> 00:24:55,689 giant hibiscus with liquid treasures in its heart. 241 00:25:03,395 --> 00:25:06,170 The bats are wonderfully adapted to the job. 242 00:25:06,195 --> 00:25:10,480 Tiny bristles at the tip of their long tongues give them extra 243 00:25:10,505 --> 00:25:13,090 mopping power to soak up the nectar. 244 00:25:20,995 --> 00:25:24,280 The bats also play their part in the game of life. 245 00:25:24,305 --> 00:25:26,450 Diving headlong into the flowers, 246 00:25:26,475 --> 00:25:29,307 yellow powder dusts them over - 247 00:25:29,332 --> 00:25:30,817 pollen. 248 00:25:34,332 --> 00:25:37,377 The bats carry the pollen from flower to flower, 249 00:25:37,402 --> 00:25:41,947 and as they roam the dark forest, they fertilise other flowers. 250 00:25:46,011 --> 00:25:50,656 The same vital tasks carried out by insects in the light of day. 251 00:25:56,532 --> 00:26:00,147 All across the globe, bats are critical pollinators. 252 00:26:00,172 --> 00:26:02,947 But so much of their work is unseen in the night. 253 00:26:02,972 --> 00:26:06,097 They barely get any of the credit they deserve. 254 00:26:27,641 --> 00:26:30,587 Cuba has been isolated for a long time. 255 00:26:32,482 --> 00:26:36,866 And until human beings came here just 5,000 years ago, 256 00:26:36,891 --> 00:26:42,817 this place just had everything that was required for life to evolve. 257 00:26:49,972 --> 00:26:53,227 CACOPHANY OF BI RDSONG 258 00:26:53,252 --> 00:26:58,227 Sometimes we overuse phrases like "unique", I think. 259 00:26:58,252 --> 00:27:01,257 That really is what Cuba IS. 260 00:27:01,282 --> 00:27:03,817 It's a relatively small landmass 261 00:27:03,842 --> 00:27:06,177 that has so many creatures found no 262 00:27:06,202 --> 00:27:07,897 place else in the world. 263 00:27:07,922 --> 00:27:10,736 That's what makes it so special. 264 00:27:22,122 --> 00:27:24,427 As soon as I step down into this little gully, 265 00:27:24,452 --> 00:27:26,587 the whole atmosphere changes. 266 00:27:26,612 --> 00:27:30,947 It's much more, sort of, moist and humid than the surrounding area. 267 00:27:32,681 --> 00:27:36,786 Amongst the bird calls, you can hear these... 268 00:27:36,811 --> 00:27:39,017 ...tinkling sounds that almost 269 00:27:39,042 --> 00:27:41,736 have a slightly, sort of, metallic sound. 270 00:27:41,761 --> 00:27:44,616 That's the sound that tells me that they're an amphibian. 271 00:27:47,202 --> 00:27:50,786 It's only the sounds that give them away because you could wander 272 00:27:50,811 --> 00:27:54,257 through here, and if they remain silent, you'd have no idea 273 00:27:54,282 --> 00:27:55,707 that they were here. 274 00:28:01,172 --> 00:28:03,507 Oh, would you look at that! 275 00:28:03,532 --> 00:28:05,347 The size of him! 276 00:28:05,372 --> 00:28:09,986 Almost impossible to believe how small he is! 277 00:28:14,402 --> 00:28:16,656 I think I remember a time when they were described 278 00:28:16,681 --> 00:28:18,377 as the world's smallest frog. 279 00:28:18,402 --> 00:28:22,147 But since then, maybe one or two other species have been found 280 00:28:22,172 --> 00:28:26,347 on other islands, which are possibly a tiny bit smaller? 281 00:28:33,452 --> 00:28:36,297 Now, officially science knows this as the. 282 00:28:36,322 --> 00:28:39,707 Monte I beria Eleuth, named after the mountain 283 00:28:39,732 --> 00:28:42,587 where they were first discovered but locally, they're known as 284 00:28:42,612 --> 00:28:45,707 ranita - the little frog. 285 00:28:45,732 --> 00:28:47,067 I prefer that. 286 00:28:48,922 --> 00:28:50,227 Ranita. 287 00:28:58,372 --> 00:29:01,177 They were only discovered about 25 years ago, and I guess 288 00:29:01,202 --> 00:29:03,587 it would be very easy to overlook them. 289 00:29:03,612 --> 00:29:06,507 You go walking through the forest and you hear those calls. 290 00:29:06,532 --> 00:29:09,627 They could easily be mistaken for an insect. 291 00:29:14,532 --> 00:29:17,786 You know, the world is all the richer for having little creatures 292 00:29:17,811 --> 00:29:19,227 like this in it. 293 00:29:19,252 --> 00:29:21,177 And these are the sorts of little creatures 294 00:29:21,202 --> 00:29:23,707 that are disappearing every day... 295 00:29:23,732 --> 00:29:26,786 ...unnoticed, some before they've been discovered. 296 00:29:30,011 --> 00:29:34,067 They really live at a totally different sense of scale, and even 297 00:29:34,092 --> 00:29:38,656 little creatures, which I consider tiny, are enormous to them. 298 00:29:38,681 --> 00:29:41,457 They really live in the land of giants! 299 00:29:45,092 --> 00:29:48,347 They can do these enormous jumps for their size. 300 00:29:48,372 --> 00:29:51,257 And that, I guess, is their way of avoiding predators. 301 00:29:51,282 --> 00:29:53,507 If something comes across them, 302 00:29:53,532 --> 00:29:56,627 they can just leap totally out of the way. 303 00:30:02,681 --> 00:30:04,707 Besides that, I'm sure they taste bad. 304 00:30:04,732 --> 00:30:07,267 Now, they have those warning colours. 305 00:30:07,292 --> 00:30:10,507 They're telling a predator, "You don't want to eat me", and a 306 00:30:10,532 --> 00:30:13,736 lot of amphibians have toxins in their skin, 307 00:30:13,761 --> 00:30:17,347 but otherwise, they look incredibly vulnerable. 308 00:30:29,811 --> 00:30:33,577 These little guys must have evolved on what would've been a great, vast 309 00:30:33,602 --> 00:30:38,267 tract of primary forest once upon a time, before European man 310 00:30:38,292 --> 00:30:40,897 came and, sort of, upset the apple cart. 311 00:30:42,931 --> 00:30:46,427 They're very endangered now because the habitat 312 00:30:46,452 --> 00:30:49,897 in which they evolved, has, for the most part, gone. 313 00:30:53,322 --> 00:30:56,656 But they're surviving in little gullies and things which are damp 314 00:30:56,681 --> 00:30:59,627 and full of leaf litter, which will have mimicked their original 315 00:30:59,652 --> 00:31:03,577 rainforest home, and they can live out their entire lives 316 00:31:03,602 --> 00:31:07,937 without realising that that great, big forest where they evolved, 317 00:31:07,962 --> 00:31:10,017 hardly exists any more. 318 00:31:16,202 --> 00:31:21,986 And I 'd love to have the time to spend here to try and, you know, 319 00:31:22,011 --> 00:31:24,458 uncover the mysteries of these little creatures, because really, 320 00:31:24,482 --> 00:31:26,786 no-one knows anything about them. 321 00:31:26,811 --> 00:31:29,577 It's sort of hard to believe but people really don't know 322 00:31:29,602 --> 00:31:33,427 what they eat, how they breed, when they breed. 323 00:31:33,452 --> 00:31:36,736 And, in some ways, that's quite nice. I n some ways I think 324 00:31:36,761 --> 00:31:40,147 it's good when the natural world keeps some secrets to itself, 325 00:31:40,172 --> 00:31:41,866 that we don't know everything. 326 00:31:41,891 --> 00:31:43,297 Keeps us guessing. 327 00:32:37,944 --> 00:32:41,638 Cuba's classic American cars are not just for show. 328 00:32:41,663 --> 00:32:44,718 60,000 still travel Cuba's highways. 329 00:32:44,743 --> 00:32:47,359 And they survive for a reason. 330 00:32:47,384 --> 00:32:51,559 Cubans have often been too poor to afford new ones. 331 00:32:57,274 --> 00:33:01,279 For 60 years, a US embargo has placed enormous restrictions 332 00:33:01,304 --> 00:33:04,049 on the country and its ability to trade and prosper 333 00:33:04,074 --> 00:33:05,718 with the outside world. 334 00:33:10,634 --> 00:33:14,799 The embargo has also slowed down the development of Cuba's wild 335 00:33:14,824 --> 00:33:16,249 lands and waters, 336 00:33:16,274 --> 00:33:20,439 meaning less pressure on the creatures that live there. 337 00:33:22,024 --> 00:33:26,638 But an awful lot HAS changed since the first Europeans arrived. 338 00:33:28,434 --> 00:33:33,129 Historically, the great forests of Cuba were cleared, essentially 339 00:33:33,154 --> 00:33:36,879 any forest that could be easily accessed in the lowlands 340 00:33:36,904 --> 00:33:40,518 were all cleared for things like sugar cane plantations 341 00:33:40,543 --> 00:33:43,359 and for gathering charcoal, for timber, for building, 342 00:33:43,384 --> 00:33:45,129 and all that sort of thing. 343 00:33:45,154 --> 00:33:47,159 And I think sometimes people would come to a place 344 00:33:47,184 --> 00:33:50,439 like this and they'd think, oh, it's all lovely and green. 345 00:33:50,464 --> 00:33:52,919 But it's a very different green than it should be. 346 00:34:00,304 --> 00:34:05,249 The reality is that Cuba's natural world is a shadow of what it once 347 00:34:05,274 --> 00:34:08,249 was, and a huge amount of the damage 348 00:34:08,274 --> 00:34:11,129 was due to a system that bedevilled 349 00:34:11,154 --> 00:34:12,799 this part of the world, 350 00:34:12,824 --> 00:34:14,968 and this place is a monument 351 00:34:14,993 --> 00:34:17,079 to those savage times. 352 00:34:24,464 --> 00:34:28,199 Now, sometimes when you wander around a place like these old ruins, 353 00:34:28,224 --> 00:34:30,689 there's a real sense of nostalgia. 354 00:34:32,824 --> 00:34:36,129 But this place has a very different feeling for me. 355 00:34:36,154 --> 00:34:39,279 For me, there's just a real sense of sadness moving round in a place 356 00:34:39,304 --> 00:34:45,718 like this because it was built by exploiting other people. 357 00:34:52,793 --> 00:34:57,159 There were 450 slaves working on this particular plantation. 358 00:34:57,184 --> 00:35:01,559 But perhaps a million over the entire island, which is a pretty 359 00:35:01,584 --> 00:35:05,439 staggering statistic, a million people dragged from their homes 360 00:35:05,464 --> 00:35:08,838 in Africa, over here, to work 361 00:35:08,863 --> 00:35:13,529 this industry, incredibly difficult, hard, manual labour. 362 00:35:13,554 --> 00:35:15,768 It's just hard to imagine these days. 363 00:35:15,793 --> 00:35:17,379 It's just hard to... 364 00:35:20,933 --> 00:35:25,149 ...hard to imagine that people could treat others like that. 365 00:35:39,044 --> 00:35:41,379 The first thing, of course, you had to do, if you want 366 00:35:41,404 --> 00:35:44,499 to cultivate sugar cane or coffee on a vast scale, 367 00:35:44,524 --> 00:35:47,579 was that you had to remove the native vegetation. 368 00:35:47,604 --> 00:35:50,069 But so many of the animals that had evolved here, 369 00:35:50,094 --> 00:35:55,019 so many of the endemic ones evolved very closely with the plants. 370 00:35:56,044 --> 00:35:58,069 But when European man arrived, 371 00:35:58,094 --> 00:36:00,908 he had no intentions of living with that forest. 372 00:36:00,933 --> 00:36:03,819 It was all about clearing it, making land available. 373 00:36:03,844 --> 00:36:08,429 And most of the wildlife that lived here, they had no answer for that. 374 00:36:13,844 --> 00:36:18,819 The opulence of the big houses contrasted completely with the lives 375 00:36:18,844 --> 00:36:20,788 of the people who lived around them. 376 00:36:23,844 --> 00:36:26,658 I get a similar sense sometimes, when I'm sort of wandering 377 00:36:26,683 --> 00:36:28,939 through the big old houses in I reland 378 00:36:28,964 --> 00:36:31,429 that belonged to the landlords. 379 00:36:36,324 --> 00:36:39,069 But no nostalgia here. 380 00:36:39,094 --> 00:36:41,988 There was nothing good about those times. 381 00:36:43,683 --> 00:36:46,549 From a human and a wildlife point of view. 382 00:37:14,923 --> 00:37:19,489 Nothing like travelling by boat to get close to things. 383 00:37:22,644 --> 00:37:25,089 This is really my favourite time of day. 384 00:37:25,114 --> 00:37:28,728 It's listening to the world wake up. 385 00:37:28,753 --> 00:37:30,978 BI RDSONG 386 00:37:36,084 --> 00:37:39,518 Never tire of listening to the birds early in the morning, 387 00:37:39,543 --> 00:37:41,768 no matter where I am in the world. 388 00:37:44,084 --> 00:37:49,089 BI RDS CH I RRU P AN D SOUAWK 389 00:37:50,753 --> 00:37:52,768 BI RD TRI LLS 390 00:37:52,793 --> 00:37:55,339 That is a sound I recognise. 391 00:37:55,364 --> 00:37:58,619 BI RD TRI LLS 392 00:37:58,644 --> 00:38:03,259 Echoing from the cliffs, it's a wonderful sound. 393 00:38:11,444 --> 00:38:15,728 But they know exactly what bird that is that's calling right now. 394 00:38:15,753 --> 00:38:19,619 They're a family of birds that I've just always loved. 395 00:38:19,644 --> 00:38:22,648 BI RD TRI LLS 396 00:38:25,364 --> 00:38:28,898 That's the call of the Cuban Trogon, the national bird. 397 00:38:30,873 --> 00:38:34,648 And their colours represent the national flag of Cuba. 398 00:38:41,673 --> 00:38:45,898 Trogons, you can sort of creep up on them in the forest 399 00:38:45,923 --> 00:38:49,259 and they tend to perch on a branch with their backs to you, 400 00:38:49,284 --> 00:38:53,449 and then they slowly sort of look over their heads to see you, 401 00:38:53,474 --> 00:38:57,369 slow motion, you can get really close to them if you're careful. 402 00:39:05,724 --> 00:39:08,809 Shouldn't really have favourites amongst the birds, I guess. 403 00:39:08,834 --> 00:39:10,929 But Trogons are one of my favourites. 404 00:39:10,954 --> 00:39:12,978 There's something about them. 405 00:39:29,314 --> 00:39:32,768 Something incredibly relaxing, I think, about being surrounded 406 00:39:32,793 --> 00:39:34,978 by natural sounds. 407 00:39:37,314 --> 00:39:39,848 And I guess that's not surprising 408 00:39:39,873 --> 00:39:42,929 that when we evolved, this is what the world sounded like. 409 00:39:42,954 --> 00:39:44,539 No combustion engines. 410 00:39:44,564 --> 00:39:46,569 BI RDSONG 411 00:39:46,594 --> 00:39:48,449 Just nature. 412 00:39:55,474 --> 00:39:58,409 And it's a real example, like you've seen in so many parts 413 00:39:58,434 --> 00:40:02,179 of the world, where it's the sort of physical geography 414 00:40:02,204 --> 00:40:04,619 that has protected the forest. 415 00:40:04,644 --> 00:40:07,409 Lots of the original vegetation is still here. 416 00:40:07,434 --> 00:40:10,699 And so all the birds are here as a result. 417 00:40:18,673 --> 00:40:22,929 These old forests in Humboldt Province may hide the answer to one 418 00:40:22,954 --> 00:40:25,848 of the biggest mysteries in the bird world. 419 00:40:25,873 --> 00:40:30,489 Are there any ivory-billed woodpeckers left on Earth? 420 00:40:30,514 --> 00:40:33,809 These forests are the last place on Earth where the ivory-billed 421 00:40:33,834 --> 00:40:35,259 woodpeckers were seen. 422 00:40:35,284 --> 00:40:39,059 And many believe some may still survive here in Cuba. 423 00:40:48,873 --> 00:40:53,129 Amongst bird watchers, it became the Holy Grail to find that bird. 424 00:40:54,793 --> 00:40:59,129 It captured the imagination and I think, possibly, because some 425 00:40:59,154 --> 00:41:01,209 film of it exists. 426 00:41:01,234 --> 00:41:04,259 Back in the 1930s, someone actually filmed a pair 427 00:41:04,284 --> 00:41:06,728 at a nest before it disappeared. 428 00:41:14,644 --> 00:41:20,259 And it's a very evocative and sad piece of film to watch these days, 429 00:41:20,284 --> 00:41:25,259 to know that such a magnificent creature has actually disappeared. 430 00:41:25,284 --> 00:41:29,929 That we were responsible directly for its demise is something I think 431 00:41:29,954 --> 00:41:31,898 that hits pretty hard. 432 00:41:38,204 --> 00:41:41,209 But even to this day, there are people who I've met 433 00:41:41,234 --> 00:41:44,009 who are convinced that the woodpecker still exist 434 00:41:44,034 --> 00:41:47,768 here in some of the remnant patches of ancient forests 435 00:41:47,793 --> 00:41:52,898 that still are here. Although it's a very slim possibility, 436 00:41:52,923 --> 00:41:55,569 expeditions still come on a regular basis, 437 00:41:55,594 --> 00:41:58,819 exploring these forests in the hope of seeing this almost, sort 438 00:41:58,844 --> 00:42:01,289 of, mythical bird once more. 439 00:42:01,314 --> 00:42:06,449 But it's a nice thought that just perhaps, just perhaps, 440 00:42:06,474 --> 00:42:08,289 it's out there somewhere. 441 00:42:41,284 --> 00:42:46,339 To the first settlers and explorers, Cuba was a bewildering maze. 442 00:42:46,364 --> 00:42:50,009 The island itself has 6,000km of coastline and 443 00:42:50,034 --> 00:42:54,978 off shore, more than 4,000 islands and small coral quays. 444 00:43:01,954 --> 00:43:05,339 One of her most precious national treasures 445 00:43:05,364 --> 00:43:08,129 are vast forests, all along its coast, 446 00:43:08,154 --> 00:43:10,259 of a very special plant. 447 00:43:15,793 --> 00:43:17,439 Mangroves - 448 00:43:17,464 --> 00:43:20,179 the only trees that thrive in the sea. 449 00:43:24,484 --> 00:43:27,728 Almost no others can survive the salt of the ocean. 450 00:43:33,813 --> 00:43:36,918 So many parts of the Caribbean, the islands, 451 00:43:36,943 --> 00:43:39,229 have lost their mangrove cover 452 00:43:39,254 --> 00:43:41,788 and there's an active campaign in Cuba to look after them, 453 00:43:41,813 --> 00:43:44,389 you're not allowed to cut them down. 454 00:43:47,813 --> 00:43:51,429 There is no better coastal defence than mangroves. 455 00:43:51,454 --> 00:43:54,279 They can absorb just about anything. 456 00:43:54,304 --> 00:43:56,229 There's parts of the country where you'll see 457 00:43:56,254 --> 00:43:58,149 where there've been big cyclones. 458 00:43:58,174 --> 00:44:02,099 You can see the damage that's been done to the natural vegetation, 459 00:44:02,124 --> 00:44:05,029 but the coastline itself has been protected. 460 00:44:05,054 --> 00:44:07,998 If you look after your mangroves, 461 00:44:08,023 --> 00:44:10,029 you don't have to worry 462 00:44:10,054 --> 00:44:12,229 about your coast being destroyed. 463 00:44:12,254 --> 00:44:14,149 It's that sort of coastal protection, 464 00:44:14,174 --> 00:44:16,748 that's the reason why they're now being looked after. 465 00:44:16,773 --> 00:44:19,509 It just so happens that they are extremely 466 00:44:19,534 --> 00:44:21,839 important wildlife habitats. 467 00:44:42,864 --> 00:44:45,949 And lots of fish and the like 468 00:44:45,974 --> 00:44:48,099 that spend their lives on the reef, 469 00:44:48,124 --> 00:44:50,389 actually grow up here. 470 00:44:50,414 --> 00:44:55,509 So they're an essential part of the overall wellbeing of the sea. 471 00:44:56,893 --> 00:44:59,709 This is like one great, big nursery. 472 00:45:07,094 --> 00:45:10,099 The little creatures find great shelter here, where 473 00:45:10,124 --> 00:45:12,949 they would be gobbled up if they were out on the open sea. 474 00:45:12,974 --> 00:45:15,149 This gives them great protection. 475 00:45:15,174 --> 00:45:19,229 There are very few currents here, very few sort of larger fish. 476 00:45:19,254 --> 00:45:20,918 There's all sorts of food. 477 00:45:20,943 --> 00:45:23,988 Every root seems to be covered in little sponges, 478 00:45:24,013 --> 00:45:25,668 and urchins and polyps. 479 00:45:36,304 --> 00:45:39,759 And you're just aware that there is life everywhere. 480 00:45:39,784 --> 00:45:42,229 And I love places like that. 481 00:45:42,254 --> 00:45:46,279 And I think when you're surrounded by lots of living things, 482 00:45:46,304 --> 00:45:50,559 it's just good to know that's the way the world's supposed to be. 483 00:46:22,693 --> 00:46:27,118 Cuba has its very own breed of crocodile found nowhere else, 484 00:46:27,143 --> 00:46:29,349 and they like to eat hutia, 485 00:46:29,374 --> 00:46:34,309 one of only two kinds of land mammals native to Cuba. 486 00:46:34,334 --> 00:46:35,949 If they can catch one. 487 00:47:09,584 --> 00:47:14,118 Once widespread, Cuban crocodiles are now only found in the swamps 488 00:47:14,143 --> 00:47:16,479 of Zapata and on the Isle of Youth 489 00:47:16,504 --> 00:47:18,509 off Cuba's southern coast. 490 00:47:24,943 --> 00:47:27,559 Relentlessly hunted in the past, 491 00:47:27,584 --> 00:47:29,988 they're now critically endangered. 492 00:47:30,013 --> 00:47:34,629 Larger American crocodiles are invading their freshwater swamps 493 00:47:34,654 --> 00:47:38,509 and interbreeding with the Cuban females, threatening to wipe out 494 00:47:38,534 --> 00:47:40,629 the Cuban species completely. 495 00:47:53,334 --> 00:47:55,118 I n the crocodile world, 496 00:47:55,143 --> 00:47:57,668 the Cubans are regarded as being especially 497 00:47:57,693 --> 00:47:59,949 intelligent and inquisitive. 498 00:48:03,334 --> 00:48:05,199 CROCODI LE GROWLS 499 00:48:15,094 --> 00:48:19,839 Beside their needle sharp teeth, mobility is their other weapon. 500 00:48:19,864 --> 00:48:22,949 The Cubans are extremely agile and can sprint 501 00:48:22,974 --> 00:48:25,309 at more than 15km an hour. 502 00:48:27,693 --> 00:48:29,949 TH EY H ISS 503 00:48:33,334 --> 00:48:35,229 It's breeding time. 504 00:48:35,254 --> 00:48:38,019 And this female is looking for a mate. 505 00:48:39,763 --> 00:48:40,788 CROCODI LE GROWLS 506 00:48:45,504 --> 00:48:47,509 Eager to be of service, 507 00:48:47,534 --> 00:48:50,379 the two biggest males spring into action. 508 00:48:55,334 --> 00:49:00,108 TH EY GROWL TH REATEN I NGLY 509 00:49:03,753 --> 00:49:07,139 Widely regarded as the most aggressive of all crocodiles, 510 00:49:07,164 --> 00:49:12,299 in the past these huge reptiles were greatly feared by Cuban people. 511 00:49:16,883 --> 00:49:19,299 CROCODI LE GROWLS 512 00:49:19,324 --> 00:49:23,389 The victor of this brutal contest will father this year's 513 00:49:23,414 --> 00:49:24,858 brood of youngsters. 514 00:49:30,364 --> 00:49:35,359 Today, Cuba's unique crocodiles face a very uncertain future. 515 00:49:36,744 --> 00:49:39,549 Perhaps 3,000 remain on the planet. 516 00:49:46,133 --> 00:49:49,219 With so few surviving, every successful mating 517 00:49:49,244 --> 00:49:51,189 is a cause for celebration. 518 00:50:10,883 --> 00:50:14,059 These youngsters won't be independent for several months, 519 00:50:14,084 --> 00:50:17,619 but straight out of the egg, Cuban crocodile babies display 520 00:50:17,644 --> 00:50:20,898 the agility and resilience that has kept their kind alive 521 00:50:20,923 --> 00:50:23,299 for so many millions of years. 522 00:50:30,524 --> 00:50:33,579 Let's hope these survivors are a new beginning 523 00:50:33,604 --> 00:50:38,829 and not one of the final chapters in the story of the Cuban crocodile. 524 00:51:04,574 --> 00:51:07,499 Cuba now stands as a crossroads. 525 00:51:15,883 --> 00:51:20,469 For decades, the outside world has been largely kept at bay. 526 00:51:22,574 --> 00:51:26,978 And for most Cubans, the pace of life has changed very little. 527 00:51:33,604 --> 00:51:37,749 I've been obsessed with Cuba ever since I was a child. 528 00:51:39,364 --> 00:51:43,059 Remember from books I read and that idea of these faraway islands, 529 00:51:43,084 --> 00:51:45,579 tropical islands, coral shores. 530 00:51:45,604 --> 00:51:48,259 They were really the stuff, 531 00:51:48,284 --> 00:51:51,499 the stuff of my childhood imagination. 532 00:51:56,284 --> 00:52:00,978 For me, it's been an absolute privilege to explore wild Cuba, 533 00:52:01,003 --> 00:52:03,139 to see so many of its natural riches, 534 00:52:03,164 --> 00:52:06,829 and to realise just what a unique place this really is. 535 00:52:09,883 --> 00:52:14,499 I've seen some remarkable creatures I've always wanted to see. 536 00:52:14,524 --> 00:52:18,539 They're worth more than anything found in any museum in the world. 537 00:52:22,163 --> 00:52:25,069 This place is full of absolute treasures. 538 00:52:28,654 --> 00:52:32,429 But there's now huge pressure on Cuba to develop - 539 00:52:32,454 --> 00:52:33,908 more industry, 540 00:52:33,933 --> 00:52:35,629 more agriculture, 541 00:52:35,654 --> 00:52:37,019 more tourists. 542 00:52:40,404 --> 00:52:44,399 This place is a real cradle of evolution and many of the creatures 543 00:52:44,424 --> 00:52:48,149 that evolved here can survive no place else. 544 00:52:48,174 --> 00:52:50,868 This is their one and only home. 545 00:52:50,893 --> 00:52:54,299 They have no second Cuba. 546 00:53:20,683 --> 00:53:22,868 Under the sands of Caya Largo, 547 00:53:22,893 --> 00:53:25,658 hundreds of new lives are stirring. 548 00:53:25,683 --> 00:53:27,429 Their time has come. 549 00:53:43,174 --> 00:53:48,089 Two months have passed since our female green turtle laid her eggs. 550 00:53:49,683 --> 00:53:53,349 As the first babies break through, the eggs deep down 551 00:53:53,374 --> 00:53:56,349 hatch frantically so they're not left behind. 552 00:54:07,404 --> 00:54:11,589 So this baby turtle has never opened her eyes before now. 553 00:54:11,614 --> 00:54:14,788 Powerful instincts propel her toward the sound and smell 554 00:54:14,813 --> 00:54:15,839 of the sea. 555 00:54:33,697 --> 00:54:36,901 From the moment she left the warm embrace of the nest, 556 00:54:36,926 --> 00:54:39,752 she must fend entirely for herself. 557 00:54:46,056 --> 00:54:49,702 DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS 558 00:54:59,287 --> 00:55:03,142 On the very first day of her life, there's a good chance she will not 559 00:55:03,167 --> 00:55:05,182 even make it to the water. 560 00:55:27,847 --> 00:55:31,292 This time, another hatchling has paid the price. 561 00:55:35,676 --> 00:55:39,572 Less than one in 1,000 baby turtles reach adulthood. 562 00:55:52,006 --> 00:55:54,651 Their best defence are other turtles. 563 00:55:54,676 --> 00:55:57,572 It's why they hatch and break for the ocean together. 564 00:56:22,806 --> 00:56:26,822 She's made it to the sea, but there are countless challenges ahead. 565 00:56:28,237 --> 00:56:32,212 I n shallow water, she's easy prey and must get to deep water 566 00:56:32,237 --> 00:56:35,062 where she has some chance of surviving. 567 00:56:58,367 --> 00:57:01,651 If her luck holds, she will wander the open ocean, 568 00:57:01,676 --> 00:57:04,901 travelling up to a thousand kilometres from home. 569 00:57:08,957 --> 00:57:14,312 And 20 years from now, a mysterious switch will make her turn and head 570 00:57:14,337 --> 00:57:16,702 back to Cuba to lay her own eggs. 571 00:57:18,130 --> 00:57:19,904 The question is, 572 00:57:19,929 --> 00:57:23,458 will Cuba welcome her with the same clean sands enjoyed by her 573 00:57:23,483 --> 00:57:27,647 ancestors for so many generations before her? 574 00:57:31,163 --> 00:57:33,058 Only time will tell.