[Music] l a happy occasion in the middle of winter [Music] a female humpback whale has given birth to a calf with a light colored belly its skin is very wrinkly and its eyes are still closed to help it take its first breaths the mother makes sure that her calf's blo hole remains above water it's a very special moment only a few years ago this scene would have been Unthinkable there were no whales left in the area at all but thanks to a hunting moratorium they're back in all their glory and the waters around Lun an
island in the Indian Ocean have become a veritable whale nursery on this beautiful day in September a small whale joins the large whale [Music] family during the first few days of its life the calf stays close to its mother taking comfort from the physical contact its mother's large body is a safe haven in the vast expanse of [Music] ocean within a week the calf has already put on 200 kg it's still very attached to its mother but gradually the young whale builds up courage and begins to experiment with its body's extraordinary [Music] abilities the calf
ascends in the water and spreads its fins like a bird in flight [Music] its life is regulated by breathing intervals at the water's surface in the beginning these last only a few [Music] minutes but the mother is strict she trains her calf for longer and longer intervals [Music] with each passing day the calf's confidence grows gradually the mother coaxes her calf to dive deeper and deeper now she hovers just above the sand at a depth of 40 m [Music] [Music] the calf Ventures further and further away and senses the attraction of the vast unknown world
[Music] [Music] now the whale calf is about to meet people for the first [Music] time some divers have come to welcome the future sea giant they hold hands and wait for respectful distance for the calf to swim up to [Music] them a special moment for the divers and for the young whale [Music] Lun is one of the last places in the world where this kind of open SE encounter is still [Music] possible the way humans interact with whales here has changed too a few years ago encounters could be touch and go some swimmers with little
knowledge of ocean Wildlife were not even aware that they were in the presence of a 40 ton 15 M long animal ready to protect its [Music] young as a result swimmers frightened whale mothers into taking unnecessary flight measures with their calves mother and calf ended up stressed and exhausted during a phase in which rest was what they needed most fortunately swimmers today are better informed about whales and they approach with respect this more peaceful coexistence is essential if this type of encounter is to continue [Music] [Music] this sea turtle is used to sharing its Reef
with divers she's unfaced by her admirer [Music] interest and stoically continues feeding after all she needs her strength for the upcoming journey to Europa Island an atal in the waters between Madagascar and mosm Beek human activity can be dangerous for Animals this turtle was filmed at Night by divers it had been badly injured by a boat's propeller the scientists recognized the animal immediately it's Emma one of the rare green sea turtles that come to laun during the breeding season the scientists thought Emma had died but then she reappeared an event the head of the sea
turtle Observatory he found deeply moving normally there should be a rib along here it's been broken boats traveling too fast cause this kind of damage that was a hefty Collision for Emma it's the sixth season in a row we first saw her in 2007 last year she was expected in November but she didn't show up this year to our surprise and Delight she reappeared on the beach to lay her eggs that's when we saw her injury which is now almost completely healed but you can still see that the Shell's rigidity has changed and she has
a large scar for years now only two females have been coming to to lay their eggs during the breeding season Emma is the most faithful then after the boat accident she disappeared appeared without her the reproductive population on La would have been half and Decades of turtle conservation on R beginning in the 1980s would have been at least partially in vain it's all very fragile and you always have to keep that in mind attracting tourists with six speedboat tours a day on rayion is not sustainable for the island if increasing profits and economic growth are
the primary goals we simply won't make it the return of whales and sea turtles to the island of laun has led to the the development of new business models the number of whale watching tour operators has exploded often the welfare of the animals takes a back seat but there is a middle ground hello Mama thank you that's incredible they come to us of their own accord that's exactly what we want the animals should decide for themselves we're lucky on La that the whales come very very close to our Coast look at that eye it's incredible
we've decided on just one trip a day this year because these days there are a lot of people out at Sea so that's the best way to protect the whales we disturb them as little as possible we should really go further and limit the total number of trips allowed per day but you know how tempting money in business can be it's vital though that this doesn't get out of hand and jeopardize the wildlife this magic we've been able to experience for the last 15 years on an island as densely populated as Lun the return of
sea turtles and humpback whales presents a rare second chance to get things right on the west coast of Lun a Marine reserve has been set up its goal is to harmonize human activities with Wildlife Ware here the whale calf and its mother have recently been placed under the highest protection a quiet Zone keeps them safe from disturbance and possible collisions with boats [Music] [Music] both the baby whale and the green sea turtle are just passing through [Music] here the green sea Turtle has reached sexual maturity which takes upwards of 20 years now it's time for
her to return to the island where she was born and so begins an incredible journey to the island of Europa 2,000 kilm west of launo an island that she herself left just a few minutes after hatching and hasn't returned to since the whale calf is also ready it is now experienced enough to take on its first big Journey since leaving Antarctica its mother has been living off her fat reserves she can no longer stay in the waters of Lono she sets off with her little one in the direction of s Marie the island off the
coast of Madagascar is a meeting point for humpback Wales on their way to Antarctica [Music] the ocean currents are favorable and the turtle drifts along towards the coast of the karos her journey takes her past Northern Madagascar as she approaches the coast she's once again confronted with humans the muffled noises coming from the surface are meant to drive the turtles into the Nets others have fallen into the Trap but she escapes this fate [Music] although green turtles are now protected they are still hunted in Madagascar and the comos for the people here who are among
the poorest in the world it's often a matter of survival [Music] the green turtle is now approaching the coast of the Kos she's eaten virtually nothing since leaving Lon the beautiful seagrass beds of Moi Island are an important stopover on the turtle route [Music] that there are so many green sea turtles here is in large part thanks to the inhabitants of the small village of iima they do their utmost to protect the animals from poachers here humans and turtles live together in harmony it's a unique place [Music] [Music] I protect the turtles because they are
our future you hardly see any turt in Theos or anywhere else in the world for us they are our Treasures all small villages should do what we do turtles should be protected worldwide that would be a better world a modern world 25 years ago the beaches of itsya were littered with Turtle carcasses the slaughter prompted the young people of the village to organize they decided to take the protection of the sea turtles into their own hands it was the beginning of an anti-p poaching [Music] Movement we have to be careful fishing with fishing nets is
prohibited in the Marine reserve there's a guy we filed several complaints against but someone's always got his back I told you before let go this is evidence today I caught him red-handed I caught him they dragged her there look at the tracks up to there oh no even the eggs it really stinks people who kill Turtles are criminal if we lay hands on him in the village or he's really INF with the people of it every one of us will want to give him a smack in the neighboring Villages there are people who get it
and others who just don't want to understand the meat costs nothing that's why so many people come here to poach Turtles [Applause] itam Ya's anti- poaching movement has borne results today some 5,000 Turtles come here every year to lay their eggs on the beaches but vigilance is still required people here work together to ensure that the green sea turtles continue to visit the small village for a long time to come so that future Generations can enjoy this Rich environmental heritage [Music] the waters around the island of Mo are just one stage on the route of
our green sea turtle her journey continues southwards to Europa [Music] Island in just 7 Days the young whale calf and its mother have covered the 700 kilm separating lonon and Madagascar they make another stopover in the warm and shallow Waters of the island of Sam Mari a welcome committee awaits them on the beach in Winter whales set the Rhythm for humans the arrival of the sea Giants here so close to the coast is always an event you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Happ I know huh it first came up from the water then the little one
flapped its Flipper the mom came very close to her rafts and the baby was on her head she came closer and closer so we moved away whale season is a good time for us I don't know why but when the whales are here the fish show up too the Jack mackerel and chuna so the whale season is a blessing for us I fish close to them but compared to my little boat they're huge and I'm tiny fortunately they're friendly [Music] animals how deceptively peaceful a battle of the Titan is brewing in the waters the waters
around this malagasy island are the main breeding grounds for humpback whales in the Indian Ocean the competition between the Bulls is intense they have just discovered a young female accompanied by her young the courting bull whales pursue the pair and try to eliminate the competition at the same time they fight each other with powerful flipper blows and with their snouts also known as rostrums the young female and her calf are surrounded by about 10 fiercely determined Bulls [Music] these boisterous demonstrations of strength can be fatal for the whale calf the mother tries to protect her
baby by staying very close to it in the confusion of whale song and air bubbles the little one is suddenly separated from its mother if they were to lose each other the Little Whale would not be able to survive on its own but with just a few Strokes of her tail fin the mother is back with her [Music] calf when the situation threatens to become impossible there's only one way out she takes her calf on her back and ascends to the surface to remove it from the danger zone a few hours later there's only only
one bull left in the race he will now be allowed to escort the pair to Antarctica and perhaps win the young female's favor after a final battle his opponents retreat [Music] this whale calf was less fortunate after losing contact with its mother it wandered through the sea for several days before finally starving to death anjara has come to investigate the tragedy she's the scientific director of seta a malagi organization that works to protect humpback whales even though a whale carve can weigh a ton and be up to four or 5 m long it's still a
fragile creature that needs its mother's protection its survival is dependent on its mother's ability to protect and feed it and also on its own ability to stay in close proximity to her so good communication between mother and CF is essential acoustic and visual but also physical contact because contact between mother and calf is so vital for the whale calf's survival the pair are in constant communication [Music] examining recorded data malagi scientists recently discovered new facets of the communication that takes place between a mother whale and her Young [Music] it is now time for our whale
calf and its mother to leave the Waters of Madagascar and set off for Antarctica Europa Island the green GRE sea turtles Odyssey is coming to an end with the help of the ocean currents she's traveled 2,000 kilomet from Lon to these mating grounds her instincts have served her well this is where males and females from all corners of the Indian Ocean meet in the middle of the vast lonely sea the island of Europa is an oasis teeming with life [Music] for hours on end the turtle sways back and forth with the current Serene and unflappable
nothing has changed here since she was born [Music] [Music] two heads protrude from between the corals the green sea turtle has found a mate The Mating begins and it will take several hours [Music] to avoid drowning the female swims to the surface at regular intervals to breathe an enormous feat of strength [Music] exhausted she drifts and finally washes up about 100 m from the [Music] coastline the turtle is carrying new life within her in 2 months she'll entrust her eggs to the Sands of Europa until then she'll rest and recharge [Music] she waits in front
of the exact spot where she herself was born Where it All Began some 20 years earlier when the time comes she leaves the sea for the first time as an adult turtle and Ventures ashore at desk she uses the tide to climb the beach her body so light in the water is a burden on land nevertheless she climbs as far as possible up the beach to find the ideal nesting [Music] spot Guided by Instinct she finally digs the perfect hole [Music] [Music] There She lays around a 100 eggs her long journey has not been in
vain [Music] but the land phase can be risky the low tide has created a trap and our inexperienced Turtle finds herself behind sharp edged [Music] rocks completely exhausted she finally reaches the sea the mother whale and her calf have resumed their journey together with their escort they crossed the polar front where the warm Waters of the Indian Ocean meet the cold Waters of the Antarctic the whale calf navigates the stormy Tides with ease as if the roing ocean were nothing more than a large playground within just a few weeks the whale calf and its mother
have journeyed from Waters with a temperature of 24° C to Waters as cold as 0° the gates to Antarctica are finally in sight after a 6,000 km Journey instead of coral there's ice a new world awaits the calf [Music] winter at the South Pole is coming to an end the ice that has sealed the surface of the water is breaking up making new habitats accessible after the long journey the pair reach their destination just in time the ice is melting and light is finally penetrating the sea again life is Awakening underwater the Krill are emerging
from the depths of the ocean this annual Miracle is a blessing for wildlife higher up the food chain whose survival depends on these tiny crustations from the leopard seal the most voracious carnivore here to the smallest penguin many Antarctic animals feed on krill [Music] the whale cf's suckling season has just ended now it's enjoying the abundance of available food mouth wide open it rises from the depths and Scoops up tons of water full of krill then closing its jaws it expels the water through the baline filter trapping the crustacean on the inside the young whale
must now learn to feed itself to round up the Krill it experiments with an unusual hunting technique a skill that only this species [Music] possesses as it ascends it blows out a spiral of air bubbles which trap the crustations in a bubble [Music] net the calf's main priority now is to build up a thick layer of fat as quickly as possible [Music] these fat reserves will be crucial for surviving the six months of fasting on the long return Journey on the island of Europa the green turtles first progyny emerge from the sand although they've only
just hatched the little turtles are already completely on their own in a dangerous World on the island of Europa nature Reigns [Music] Supreme stunningly beautiful but harsh and merciless [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] of the 100 or so baby turtles born that day only one actually managed to escape the frigate Birds [Music] and its Adventure has only just [Music] begun in the Antarctic the southern summer window is already starting to close [Music] again soon the paths of the whales and the green sea turtles will once again cross with those of mankind it's our responsibility to
greet these ambassadors of the Seas with [Music] respect ultimately their Fates and ours are inseparably intertwined [Music] [Applause] [Music] m [Music]
