1
00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,080
On Argentina's eastern coast,

2
00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,760
a vast, parched desert

3
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,840
collides with a brutal ocean.

4
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,400
Here, nature truly shows its teeth.

5
00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,960
Some of the planet's
most iconic species

6
00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,680
battle the elements...

7
00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:42,800
and each other.

8
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,640
Adapting to survive...

9
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,680
producing some of
the greatest shows on Earth...

10
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,480
on this wild and extreme coast
of Patagonia.

11
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,200
Stretching over 3,000 kilometers

12
00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,360
from Bolivia to Cape Horn...

13
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,200
Argentina is South America's
second largest country,

14
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,440
and it's also a land of extremes.

15
00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:10,600
From lush rainforests...

16
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,280
to parched deserts...

17
00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,080
giant wetlands...

18
00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,080
to the towering peaks of the Andes.

19
00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:29,080
This variety of habitats
support a vast array of wildlife...

20
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,880
making it one of the most
biodiverse countries on the planet.

21
00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,200
But it's most spectacular animals
lie here...

22
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,480
n the remote and wild region
of Patagonia.

23
00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,840
On the isolated beach
of Punta Loma...

24
00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,040
a large colony of sea lions

25
00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,280
are basking
in Patagonia's summer sunshine.

26
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,640
This coast is home to around
100,000 southern sea lions,

27
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,640
one of the largest populations
in South America.

28
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,200
Sea lions sometimes travel hundreds
of kilometers from the coast

29
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:22,480
n search of food.

30
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,080
But this colony
live here all year round,

31
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,440
playing and feeding
in Patagonia's rich, shallow waters.

32
00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,000
Within the colony
are smaller groups...

33
00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,080
each made up of multiple females...

34
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,800
dominated by a single male,

35
00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,400
up to three times their size.

36
00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:14,920
Unlike seals...

37
00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,200
sea lions can walk
on their flippers...

38
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,960
but these colonies are so crowded,

39
00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,600
finding a clear path
can be difficult.

40
00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,320
The males protect
their territory with force,

41
00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,200
and during the mating season
fights can be brutal.

42
00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,040
And so usually younger males

43
00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,120
live elsewhere in bachelor groups.

44
00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,080
But this one has decided
to try his luck.

45
00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,480
Venturing towards the females,

46
00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,360
while the bigger bulls
have their backs turned.

47
00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,640
But he doesn't make it far.

48
00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,960
Maybe one day
he'll be big enough to fight back.

49
00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,600
But for now he wisely backs off.

50
00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,160
But it isn't just the bulls
the sea lions need to be wary of.

51
00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,280
There are much bigger carnivores
lurking in these waters.

52
00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,040
Orcas.

53
00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,400
Killer whales have developed

54
00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,360
some of the most sophisticated
hunting techniques

55
00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,520
seen among marine mammals.

56
00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,880
Often working together
to capture prey.

57
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,360
They are the only cetacean
to routinely hunt marine mammals,

58
00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,080
and are even capable
of killing other whales.

59
00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,440
Here in Patagonia,

60
00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,040
seal pups and young sea lions
are their staple diet.

61
00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,200
But the smaller more agile sea lions

62
00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,840
can easily outmaneuver
a killer whale in the water.

63
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:46,440
So catching one requires a savage,
but risky hunting technique.

64
00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,360
Ambushing the sea lions on land.

65
00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:05,440
This Patagonian shoreline is
one of only two places in the world

66
00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:10,360
where killer whales regularly strand
themselves to catch their prey.

67
00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:14,720
But get it wrong,

68
00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,480
and the whales will be unable
to wriggle back into the water...

69
00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,440
slowly dying
as their bodies collapse

70
00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,600
under their own immense weight.

71
00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,240
So today these adults are here

72
00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,360
to teach these young orcas
the dangerous hunting technique.

73
00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:06,080
Here, in Peninsula Valdes,
at low tide

74
00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:07,600
this colony of sea lions

75
00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,680
are protected
by shallow reefs and sand bars.

76
00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:16,120
Frolicking at the water's edge,

77
00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,280
the sea lions appear
to be taunting the orcas,

78
00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,360
enjoying the protection of the bay.

79
00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,480
But these waters
aren't as safe as they seem.

80
00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:35,120
These lethal predators are called
killer whales for good reason.

81
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,800
They know this beach
has a huge tidal range,

82
00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:45,520
and as it changes the South Atlantic
quickly floods a hidden channel,

83
00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,240
allowing the orcas to swim in.

84
00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,360
Here in Patagonia,
during the breeding season

85
00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,080
these beaches are littered
with newborn sea lion pups.

86
00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,160
It's a rich but risky food source,

87
00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,880
so the adult whales
spend time training their young

88
00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:13,160
how to purposely beach themselves
without becoming stranded.

89
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,320
Even when there are no pups around.

90
00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,400
First, the adults demonstrate
how to get close enough

91
00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,480
to catch a seal pup
to beach two-thirds of their body.

92
00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:33,280
Then using the next wave
to wriggle back into deeper water.

93
00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,200
They then force the young orcas
to beach themselves.

94
00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:47,280
Teaching these skills demonstrates
extremely high intelligence.

95
00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:56,120
And illustrates why killer whales
are the ocean's top predator.

96
00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,280
With the sea lion pup season
months away...

97
00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:18,880
the elephant seals
basking at the water's edge

98
00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,440
appear to believe
they aren't at risk.

99
00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,960
But today the orcas
have changed the rules...

100
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:30,880
launching a surprise attack.

101
00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,680
Propelling itself onto the shore,

102
00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,400
this adult orca takes a large seal.

103
00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:55,320
Hauling it back into the water.

104
00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,960
It would be enough
to feed the whole pod.

105
00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:02,240
But he doesn't kill it.

106
00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:09,280
Instead the orca delicately carries
the seal to the center of the bay.

107
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,960
Then surprisingly...

108
00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:19,960
he lets it go.

109
00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,840
The injured seal heads for shore,

110
00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,880
but then the orca's
terrifying game begins.

111
00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,480
The injured seal
is caught and released...

112
00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,240
over and over again.

113
00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,200
Each time the seal believes
it has a chance of escape...

114
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,800
the pod corral it back
to deeper water.

115
00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,160
And once it's been exhausted
by the adults...

116
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,720
the youngest orca is now trained

117
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,160
on how to strike its prey
in the water.

118
00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,760
The seal's torture
continues for hours...

119
00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,400
before finally
being put out of its misery.

120
00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,200
But as the sun sets...

121
00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,160
the lagoon is emptying fast.

122
00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,840
And the pod must now
retreat to the ocean,

123
00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,320
or risk becoming stranded
on the sand.

124
00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,080
Now against the clock,

125
00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,560
the adult shepherds her pod
over the sand bar

126
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,200
right past
the on-looking sea lions.

127
00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:35,880
For now this lagoon offers them
a safe harbor once more.

128
00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,120
Patagonia's rugged coastline

129
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,280
carves its way over 1,600
kilometers from north to south.

130
00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,640
But one 12-kilometer stretch
of its sandstone cliffs...

131
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,480
s home to the largest parrot
population anywhere on Earth.

132
00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,880
More than 70,000 Patagonian conures

133
00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,760
make their nests
in these sheer cliffs.

134
00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,800
Parrots are more usually associated

135
00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,760
with South America's dense forests.

136
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,400
But in this coastal habitat,

137
00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,800
a unique adaptation
has allowed them to thrive.

138
00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,920
After squabbling
over prime position...

139
00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,120
these birds burrow their way

140
00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,440
up to four meters
into the sandstone,

141
00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,800
using their tough beaks
just like an axe.

142
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,720
These burrows protect their eggs,

143
00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,800
allowing more young to survive.

144
00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,800
But they also
use their beak for preening.

145
00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,600
Vital for removing
the inevitable parasites

146
00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,160
from living in such a huge colony.

147
00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:19,280
And the enormous numbers of birds
nesting in these cliffs

148
00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,160
also has a direct effect
on the landscape.

149
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,760
The thousands of nests here

150
00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,440
destabilize
the soft rock of the cliffs...

151
00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,000
and leave them exposed
to much faster erosion

152
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,160
by Patagonia's wind and waves.

153
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,880
But Patagonia's coastal terrain

154
00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,840
has been shaped
by many natural forces.

155
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,360
And one exerts its power

156
00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,440
from over 1,500 kilometers away.

157
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,040
The western coast
of this remote wilderness

158
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,400
s flanked by the world's
longest mountain range.

159
00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,440
Rising steeply from the Pacific,

160
00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,880
the Andes force air upwards,

161
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,640
draining all moisture from the skies
on their western slopes...

162
00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,800
leaving a parched,
desiccated desert to the east.

163
00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:37,560
This arid land stretches all the way
to Argentina's eastern coast...

164
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,200
where it is battered by some
of the most powerful seas on Earth.

165
00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,880
Fueled by strong winds
and huge storms...

166
00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,480
the southern Atlantic
bombards these cliffs

167
00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,800
with waves over 12 meters high...

168
00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,880
carving out a landscape
unlike anywhere else on Earth.

169
00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:13,040
But despite such extreme conditions,

170
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:17,520
this is one of nature's
richest ecosystems.

171
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,400
Both on land,

172
00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:22,600
and in the sea.

173
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:33,400
The waters of southern Patagonia
and its surrounding islands

174
00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,640
are home to almost two-million
southern rockhopper penguins...

175
00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,600
that brave
these tumultuous waves every day

176
00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,960
to get back to dry land.

177
00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:01,280
But surviving this battering
is the easy part.

178
00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:16,560
Now they need
to climb hundreds of meters

179
00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,760
to the safety
of their clifftop nests.

180
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,680
But a potentially deadly obstacle
lies in their path.

181
00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,720
A colony of fur seals.

182
00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,040
Seals are one of
the penguin's main predators.

183
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,240
And hundreds now stand
between these birds...

184
00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,120
and the hungry chicks
waiting at the top of the cliff.

185
00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,800
The seals' teeth can quickly
dispatch a rockhopper.

186
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,160
But not today.

187
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:23,760
For some reason this seal colony...

188
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,880
have accepted these penguins.

189
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,280
Letting them pass through peacefully

190
00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,120
on their way to their nests.

191
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,920
Sometimes, however,
the penguins push their luck.

192
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,040
Luckily, he gets away with it.

193
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,040
But another obstacle
now lies ahead.

194
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:19,280
The 100-meter high cliff.

195
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,960
Fortunately, rockhoppers
are the most agile of all penguins.

196
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:35,080
They choose their clifftop-nest site
to avoid predators...

197
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:44,200
and this colony have been treading
this path for generations.

198
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,240
Full of fish
from their hunting exploits...

199
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,120
the rockhoppers must also navigate
two-meter high grass...

200
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,280
all the way back to their colony.

201
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,320
Battling through the crowd,

202
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,480
he first reacquaints himself
with his mate.

203
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,880
Then feeds
his single surviving chick.

204
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,000
Rockhoppers lay two eggs,

205
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,520
but like in almost every nest,

206
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,720
the first smaller egg
failed to hatch.

207
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,880
In such a battle for space,

208
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,640
there often
isn't enough to go around.

209
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:33,160
Starvation isn't the only threat
to the chicks up here on the cliffs.

210
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:40,120
Weaker birds will often be taken
by Patagonia's aerial predators

211
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,960
that lurk on the edge
of its penguin colonies.

212
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,800
In an amazing display
of natural instinct,

213
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,120
thousands of pregnant elephant seals

214
00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,640
arrive on the Argentinian coast,

215
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,600
just days before
they are due to give birth.

216
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,160
This female has spent
an 11-month gestation at sea...

217
00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,520
feeding several thousand
kilometers away.

218
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,480
And she needed
to build up her energy.

219
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,280
She will not feed for the duration
of the breeding season.

220
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,880
As she gives birth,
gulls lurk menacingly.

221
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:10,640
But it isn't the pup
they are after...

222
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:13,080
t's the placenta.

223
00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,880
This newborn pup weighs 40 kilos.

224
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,880
It will be nursed by its mother
for around 23 days,

225
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:40,640
gaining almost seven kilos every day
from the fat-rich milk.

226
00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:44,720
And they need to grow fast.

227
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,720
Their mothers will desert them
when they are less than a month old.

228
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,560
But it is little wonder
they want to leave.

229
00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:57,840
Having just given birth,

230
00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,640
the breeding season
is a brutal time for the females.

231
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,440
These are some of the most
sexually dimorphic mammals.

232
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,600
The largest males can weigh up
to ten times as much as females...

233
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,560
making them impossible to fight off.

234
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:39,320
Only the dominant male
is allowed to breed in his domain.

235
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,280
And once he's successfully mated

236
00:26:44,360 --> 00:26:47,280
with all the sexually
mature females,

237
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:52,560
the beach-master bull
decides it's time to leave.

238
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:06,240
But the females must remain
until their pups are fully weaned...

239
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,200
opening a short window
of opportunity

240
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,000
for other males hoping to reproduce.

241
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:25,120
This sub-adult is searching for any
females that haven't already mated.

242
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,480
But in his desperation,

243
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:33,760
he is targeting
very young, immature seals.

244
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,280
This tiny seal won't be ready

245
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:42,480
to produce her own pups
for another few years.

246
00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:50,280
And even this less dominant male
is ten times her size.

247
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,960
And all the other females
can do is watch.

248
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,120
But despite his size...

249
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:24,800
she can't outrun him.

250
00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,160
And no matter how many times
she tries to escape,

251
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,680
he doesn't want
to let this opportunity slip away.

252
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,040
The biggest males are so dominant...

253
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,880
that less than 10%
of male elephant seals

254
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,760
will successfully mate
in their lifetime.

255
00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,840
Using his sheer weight
and powerful bite,

256
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,840
he repeatedly attempts
to mate with this young female.

257
00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,640
But he's inexperienced,
and she isn't receptive.

258
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,000
Now battered and bleeding,

259
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,520
the young seal
is becoming exhausted.

260
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,800
But after yet another
failed attempt...

261
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,200
she spots her chance
and makes a dash for the water.

262
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,880
As the older seals
have already learnt,

263
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,480
amongst the waves she'll have
more chance of evading him.

264
00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:12,680
And just in time...

265
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,520
she makes it safely to the water.

266
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,920
And for this male, his attempt
to reproduce drifts away.

267
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,120
The southern tip
of Patagonia's coast.

268
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,160
This archipelago
is known as Tierra del Fuego,

269
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:45,960
the Land of Fire.

270
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,320
But this entire region
was actually carved by ice.

271
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:18,200
At its southernmost point,
Cape Horn, Antarctica

272
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,800
s just 1,000 kilometers away.

273
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,680
And even in the height of summer,

274
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:29,480
Tierra del Fuego's glaciers
continue to shape the landscape.

275
00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,360
Around 9,000 years ago,

276
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,840
the ocean broke through the tip
of this continent,

277
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,960
completely isolating
Tierra del Fuego

278
00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,000
from mainland Patagonia.

279
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,920
But despite the harsh climate
this close to the South Pole...

280
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,040
the planet's most notorious seabird

281
00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,640
makes these cliffs its home.

282
00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,720
With a wingspan of
almost two-and-a-half meters...

283
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:16,120
this black-browed albatross
will spend years at time at sea.

284
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:23,360
But has returned here
for the breeding season.

285
00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:28,360
Along with almost 200,000 others.

286
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:37,080
These birds are found on cliffs
right across the southern ocean.

287
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,320
Although often solitary when at sea,

288
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,040
albatross pairs mate for life.

289
00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:56,520
And like many penguins...

290
00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:02,160
their beak clattering is
all part of their courtship ritual.

291
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:07,840
Reacquainting themselves

292
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,720
after spending the year
thousands of kilometers apart.

293
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,240
They usually return
to the same nests each year...

294
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:47,240
raising a single chick
in a solid pillar-like structure.

295
00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,600
The chicks remain on their nest
for around four months...

296
00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:09,000
being fed by the parents once a day
on regurgitated fish.

297
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,600
And these young birds
need to build their strength.

298
00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:26,640
In just a few weeks,

299
00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:30,480
they will have one chance
to launch themselves

300
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,960
safely from these sheer cliffs.

301
00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,720
And once they take flight...

302
00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:47,280
they won't return to land
for at least two years.

303
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,680
Late-November
on the northern Patagonian coast.

304
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:29,840
And the thousands of Magellanic
penguins are still in their burrows.

305
00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:32,920
And for good reason.

306
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,880
Like most of the penguins here,

307
00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:45,440
this bird laid a clutch of two eggs
40 days ago.

308
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,800
They've been incubated
by both adults,

309
00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,240
taking shifts of around two weeks...

310
00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,120
while the other bird
searches for food.

311
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,320
The first egg is now ready to hatch.

312
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,880
It's a slow process...

313
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,560
and the mother must keep it warm
as it emerges.

314
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:55,200
The first chick hatched
roughly two days before the other.

315
00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,280
It is therefore larger
and better able

316
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,760
to obtain food from the parents.

317
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:18,160
Once hatched the young penguins

318
00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:21,080
are brooded for around a month.

319
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,600
There's only one thing on the menu.

320
00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,400
Regurgitated fish.

321
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,240
Often the second chick
will die from starvation.

322
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,360
But this mother
is doing her best to share equally.

323
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:54,920
At around four weeks old, these
chicks will be left unattended,

324
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,520
as both parents head out to hunt.

325
00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:02,400
But unless there is
an overabundance of fish,

326
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,760
this smaller chick
will probably perish

327
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:08,960
before it ever gets a chance
to leave the nest.

328
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:17,720
By February, in Patagonia,

329
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:22,120
t's time for Magellenic penguin
chicks to fend for themselves.

330
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,440
The adult penguins
have now molted...

331
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,440
and are restless
to get back in the ocean.

332
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:37,000
Right now, algae blooms,
big enough to be seen from space,

333
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:41,400
are attracting billions of fish
to Patagonia's northern waters.

334
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:49,120
In turn, these shoals attract
predators from all directions.

335
00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,440
But with so many predators,

336
00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:03,880
even this many fish
won't last forever.

337
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:09,480
The penguins must move now,

338
00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,600
f they are to follow
the shoals northward.

339
00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:19,160
This could be the last time
these penguins will touch dry land

340
00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:20,720
for six months.

341
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,240
And despite being
perfectly adapted to life at sea...

342
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,520
many will not return at all.

343
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,880
Patagonia's
vast array of penguins...

344
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,960
attract a predator just as agile.

345
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:49,840
Sea lions.

346
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:56,360
In Patagonia,
wherever you find penguins...

347
00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:01,160
you will also usually find
these deadly hunters.

348
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:05,400
On this island just off the coast,

349
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,200
this colony of gentoo penguins

350
00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,160
must enter the water
to feed their chicks.

351
00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:24,960
And this sea lion knows it.

352
00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,040
As they edge towards the water,

353
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,320
he attempts to catch them on land.

354
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,360
He causes confusion,
scattering the group,

355
00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:48,960
but here he is slow and clumsy.

356
00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:56,640
But in the water,
he'll be a deadly assassin.

357
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,680
So he decides to lie in wait,

358
00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,480
knowing the penguins must
eventually risk entering the water.

359
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:11,920
Cautiously...

360
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:14,760
they make their move.

361
00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:28,320
These gentoos are the fastest
swimming birds on Earth.

362
00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:35,040
But the sea lion
is more than their equal.

363
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:44,080
They may be safety in numbers...

364
00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,560
but the sea lion works
to split the pack.

365
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:14,480
And this gentoo
is now in his sights.

366
00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:25,600
And his fate...

367
00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:30,480
s sealed.

368
00:43:02,720 --> 00:43:05,200
From the glaciers
of Tierra del Fuego...

369
00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:11,760
to the arid, desert beaches
of the north...

370
00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:18,480
Argentina's Patagonian coast
is a land of extremes.

371
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,360
Stretching over 1,600 kilometers...

372
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:31,480
this remote and often
inhospitable corner of the Earth...

373
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,040
attracts millions of animals.

374
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:43,520
They must battle this region's
harsh conditions and each other...

375
00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:47,320
n order to survive...

376
00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:52,240
and even thrive
in this unique habitat.

377
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,880
Subtitles: Asha Chong
www.btistudios.com