1

00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:14,840

Almost 200 years ago,

2
00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:19,300
whilst walking these very paths
in the English countryside

3
00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:22,300
and observing the banks and meadows
near his home,

4
00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:24,000
Charles Darwin developed

5
00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000
his ground-breaking ideas
about evolution,

6
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,800
casting a new light
on the natural world

7
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,500
and opening our eyes
to its true wonder.

8
00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:37,620
Since then, we've explored
almost every part of the planet

9
00:00:37,620 --> 00:00:41,940
and seen nature in its
astounding variety.

10
00:00:41,940 --> 00:00:44,460
But there's still much to discover.

11
00:00:47,500 --> 00:00:49,940
In this new series
of Planet Earth...

12
00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:55,220
..we travel to the most astonishing
wild places...

13
00:00:57,380 --> 00:01:00,100
..see mysterious creatures...

14
00:01:05,020 --> 00:01:08,060
..witness spectacular wonders...

15
00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:13,140
..and reveal breathtaking
animal dramas.

16
00:01:27,980 --> 00:01:31,940
The natural world
continues to surprise us.

17
00:01:36,380 --> 00:01:41,660
But since Darwin's time,
it has changed beyond recognition...

18
00:01:42,820 --> 00:01:45,420
..transformed by a powerful force.

19
00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:47,660
Us.

20
00:01:50,740 --> 00:01:54,780
We will see how animals are adapting
in extraordinary ways

21
00:01:54,780 --> 00:01:58,180
to survive the new challenges
they face.

22
00:02:00,860 --> 00:02:03,220
At this crucial time in our history,

23
00:02:03,220 --> 00:02:07,020
we must now look at the world
through a new lens.

24
00:02:08,260 --> 00:02:11,020
This is Planet Earth III.

25
00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:56,860
Tasmania, Shipstern's Bluff...

26
00:02:58,420 --> 00:03:00,900
..where two worlds collide.
27
00:03:23,740 --> 00:03:28,340
These waves have crossed more than
1,000 miles of open ocean...

28
00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:33,180
..building in strength.

29
00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,060
It's here that they meet
their explosive end.

30
00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:21,820
Coasts are dangerous
and dynamic frontiers.

31
00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:27,300
To succeed here,
life must adapt to constant change.

32
00:04:33,940 --> 00:04:36,580
South Africa's Robberg Peninsula.

33
00:04:40,700 --> 00:04:44,460
Thousands of Cape fur seals
gather here to breed.

34
00:04:57,460 --> 00:05:01,380
This pup was born
into a crowded world.

35
00:05:05,780 --> 00:05:10,860
But now, at nearly a year old,
he can escape to the water.

36
00:05:18,220 --> 00:05:20,420
He just has to get there.

37
00:05:51,980 --> 00:05:56,500
There is no question
as to where this pup belongs.

38
00:06:04,780 --> 00:06:08,700
In the water, he's fast and agile.

39
00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:23,700
And he needs to be.

40
00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:31,900
The rolling surf conceals
life-threatening dangers.

41
00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:06,100
A great white shark.

42
00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:27,700
This young pup
has had a very lucky escape.

43
00:07:46,580 --> 00:07:49,060
Here on Africa's southern coast,

44
00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:53,140
seals risk their lives
every time they set out to eat.

45
00:07:59,900 --> 00:08:03,940
Powerful ocean currents
attract huge shoals of fish.

46
00:08:13,180 --> 00:08:15,460
But in recent years,

47
00:08:15,460 --> 00:08:20,020
this stretch has attracted increased
numbers of great whites too.

48
00:08:23,940 --> 00:08:28,620
The great whites are shrewd hunters
and use whatever cover is available.

49
00:08:58,020 --> 00:09:01,820
This shark won't need to eat
for another few days.

50
00:09:05,740 --> 00:09:07,900
But he's not alone.

51
00:09:11,780 --> 00:09:14,380
These usually solitary hunters

52
00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:17,780
are gathering in
unprecedented numbers.

53
00:09:20,060 --> 00:09:22,100
A dozen at a time.

54
00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:36,300
The seals are nimble...

55
00:09:42,220 --> 00:09:44,380
..but great whites are patient...

56
00:09:50,980 --> 00:09:53,220
..and have explosive acceleration...

57
00:09:56,540 --> 00:10:00,460
..hitting top speed with just
five swipes of their tails.

58
00:10:11,980 --> 00:10:14,100
Cornered...

59
00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:16,980
..the seals keep close
to the jagged cliffs.

60
00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:25,420
They are trapped.

61
00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:12,540
But as the great whites
move in for the kill...

62
00:11:14,540 --> 00:11:17,380
..the seals do something
astonishing.

63
00:11:21,300 --> 00:11:22,780
Together...

64
00:11:24,020 --> 00:11:26,220
..they turn on their enemy.

65
00:11:38,980 --> 00:11:42,060
As more join, the mob grows...
66
00:11:43,940 --> 00:11:46,740
..in both number and confidence.

67
00:12:00,020 --> 00:12:02,340
The tables are turning.

68
00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:30,060
By sheer force of numbers...

69
00:12:31,060 --> 00:12:34,900
..these fur seals drive the world's
most notorious predator...

70
00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:39,420
..back out to sea.

71
00:12:47,140 --> 00:12:51,300
Here, animals are adapting
to new challenges

72
00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:53,580
in a rapidly changing world.

73
00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:03,540
In the Arctic...

74
00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:07,900
..monumental change
is a regular event.

75
00:13:16,020 --> 00:13:17,660
Summer.

76
00:13:17,660 --> 00:13:20,100
Visitors are arriving en masse...

77
00:13:21,420 --> 00:13:25,460
..attracted by the biggest
seasonal transformation

78
00:13:25,460 --> 00:13:27,380
on any coast on Earth.

79
00:13:38,180 --> 00:13:42,660
Over 300 billion tonnes
of ice are melting...

80
00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:50,380
..releasing nutrient-rich water.

81
00:13:54,860 --> 00:13:58,100
Extraordinary newcomers
appear from the depths.

82
00:14:09,340 --> 00:14:11,300
A sea angel.

83
00:14:13,860 --> 00:14:16,220
No bigger than your little finger.

84
00:14:25,940 --> 00:14:28,780
It's eaten little for months.

85
00:14:28,780 --> 00:14:31,900
Its empty stomach glows orange.

86
00:14:42,380 --> 00:14:45,100
And there are other hungry arrivals.

87
00:14:50,020 --> 00:14:51,900
A sea butterfly.

88
00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:56,380
A snail with wings.

89
00:15:05,060 --> 00:15:08,060
Both angel and butterfly are blind.

90
00:15:10,580 --> 00:15:16,220
But each monitors minute changes in
the water as they search for a meal.

91
00:15:31,340 --> 00:15:34,180
This angel has a devilish side.

92
00:15:37,220 --> 00:15:40,500
Its mouth parts invert

93
00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:43,420
to form a deadly trap
of tentacles...

94
00:15:54,580 --> 00:15:57,460
..from which there is
little chance of escape.

95
00:16:36,380 --> 00:16:41,020
With a stomach full of prey,
this angel has lost its glow...

96
00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:45,180
..but not its appetite.

97
00:16:49,820 --> 00:16:52,580
It feasts while it can.

98
00:16:59,260 --> 00:17:03,420
Both predator and prey
will soon return to the depths...

99
00:17:05,260 --> 00:17:08,700
..before the ice transforms
this coast once again.

100
00:17:26,940 --> 00:17:28,460
Namibia...

101
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:33,580
..where desert lions
roam across vast territories.

102
00:17:42,660 --> 00:17:47,140
These desert cats are on
a never-ending search for food.

103
00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:56,300
And that has brought
these young sisters...

104
00:17:57,740 --> 00:17:59,140
..here.

105
00:18:08,980 --> 00:18:13,060
Africa's infamous Skeleton Coast.

106
00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:23,100
Following years of persecution,
Namibia's lions are now protected...

107
00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:27,060
..and their range
is expanding again.

108
00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:33,420
These are the first to be seen
on these shores for 40 years.

109
00:18:38,540 --> 00:18:41,380
By day, there is little
for them here.

110
00:18:45,180 --> 00:18:47,940
But at night,
it's a different story.

111
00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:00,660
Sea birds come here to roost

112
00:19:00,660 --> 00:19:02,820
in their thousands.

113
00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:17,540
These hungry sisters have never
seen an opportunity like this.

114
00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:25,740
But no cats,
certainly no desert cats,

115
00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:27,940
enjoy getting their paws wet.

116
00:19:41,740 --> 00:19:46,460
These roosting cormorants
are sitting ducks

117
00:19:46,460 --> 00:19:48,940
for hunters with good night vision.

118
00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:00,900
In theory.

119
00:20:10,900 --> 00:20:13,980
Birds are not a big cat's
usual prey,

120
00:20:13,980 --> 00:20:15,900
let alone sea birds.

121
00:20:17,660 --> 00:20:20,660
And these sisters
need to get their eye in.

122
00:20:53,780 --> 00:20:57,060
Catching flying prey
in the dark is not easy...

123
00:20:59,100 --> 00:21:01,780
..but these lions
have acquired the knack.

124
00:21:06,140 --> 00:21:08,740
Coasts can not only provide food...

125
00:21:21,540 --> 00:21:24,100
..they can also be a sanctuary.

126
00:21:37,460 --> 00:21:41,540
This female southern right whale
is nearing the end

127
00:21:41,540 --> 00:21:45,420
of a 5,000 mile journey
across open ocean.

128
00:21:58,540 --> 00:22:00,700
She's kept a steady course...

129
00:22:02,740 --> 00:22:06,180
..to a special place
she has known all her life.

130
00:22:11,140 --> 00:22:14,500
Peninsula Valdes, Argentina.

131
00:22:37,620 --> 00:22:39,780
In these calm, shallow waters...

132
00:22:41,140 --> 00:22:43,580
..her behaviour starts to change.

133
00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:49,420
She rolls and shifts her great body.

134
00:22:54,020 --> 00:22:56,780
Perhaps she's trying
to get comfortable.

135
00:23:24,980 --> 00:23:27,220
Other females are close by.

136
00:23:31,020 --> 00:23:34,140
Some have been coming here
for five decades...

137
00:23:35,780 --> 00:23:40,100
..seeking the shelter of this bay
at a key time in their lives.

138
00:23:57,500 --> 00:23:59,540
This whale is here...

139
00:24:00,700 --> 00:24:02,500
..to give birth.

140
00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:35,700
A new life begins.

141
00:24:47,580 --> 00:24:50,660
The calf is totally dependent
on its mother.

142
00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:57,780
She's producing as much
as 200 litres of milk a day.

143
00:25:00,300 --> 00:25:04,940
The strength she loses,
the calf gains.

144
00:25:11,060 --> 00:25:16,140
And it becomes more and more
independent and playful.

145
00:25:26,020 --> 00:25:30,300
In this nursery bay,
there are plenty of playmates.

146
00:25:40,660 --> 00:25:43,980
But a mother never lets her calf
stray too far...

147
00:25:52,500 --> 00:25:55,980
..and will always offer
a welcome embrace.

148
00:26:09,180 --> 00:26:14,420
The family keeps in constant contact
with whispered calls.

149
00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:18,220
New research has revealed

150
00:26:18,220 --> 00:26:23,380
that in shallow coastal waters,
their calls not only fade quickly,

151
00:26:23,380 --> 00:26:28,300
but are also concealed by the sound
of waves breaking on the shore...

152
00:26:34,380 --> 00:26:38,140
..so they won't attract
the attention of predators.

153
00:26:43,380 --> 00:26:47,380
Not so long ago,
these whales faced a graver threat.

154
00:26:50,660 --> 00:26:53,300
They were hunted to near extinction.

155
00:26:56,660 --> 00:27:01,020
But 40 years ago,
commercial whaling was banned.

156
00:27:04,380 --> 00:27:08,260
Today, their population
is 12,000 strong...

157
00:27:09,700 --> 00:27:13,220
..and this bay now attracts
one of the largest gatherings

158
00:27:13,220 --> 00:27:15,980
of these whales anywhere on Earth.

159
00:27:37,940 --> 00:27:42,100
There are over a million miles
of coastline around the world.

160
00:27:44,020 --> 00:27:48,740
Together, they constitute the
most varied habitat on the planet.

161
00:27:52,660 --> 00:27:55,420
Here on Canada's west coast,

162
00:27:55,420 --> 00:27:59,020
some of the most powerful
of all ocean currents

163
00:27:59,020 --> 00:28:01,900
deliver a constant
supply of nutrients

164
00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:04,580
to the shores of countless islands.

165
00:28:18,820 --> 00:28:22,780
And those that live here
take full advantage.

166
00:28:29,340 --> 00:28:34,020
This is the aptly-named
wandering garter snake.

167
00:28:52,100 --> 00:28:54,140
He may seem out of place...

168
00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:57,300
..but he's here to eat.

169
00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:13,380
The water here is more than
ten degrees colder than the air.

170
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:25,660
But that doesn't deter this intrepid
hunter from taking the plunge.

171
00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:34,940
Under the water,
there is an abundance of food...

172
00:29:37,020 --> 00:29:39,060
..if he can catch it.

173
00:30:05,940 --> 00:30:08,140
Snakes are cold-blooded,

174
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:11,540
so he can't stay in these
chilly waters for long.

175
00:30:19,020 --> 00:30:22,340
Back in the sunshine,
he warms his head,

176
00:30:22,340 --> 00:30:25,020
perhaps sharpening his senses.

177
00:30:28,100 --> 00:30:30,140
And then, with a gulp of air...

178
00:30:31,740 --> 00:30:33,820
..he continues his hunt.

179
00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:43,420
It's thought that garter snakes

180
00:30:43,420 --> 00:30:47,380
can use their forked tongue
underwater as they do in air,

181
00:30:47,380 --> 00:30:50,460
smelling in stereo...

182
00:30:50,460 --> 00:30:53,940
..detecting prey wherever it hides.

183
00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:11,100
He's got something.
184
00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:14,260
A small fish.

185
00:31:19,420 --> 00:31:21,540
Now, he has to land it.

186
00:31:25,540 --> 00:31:27,180
Success.

187
00:31:32,340 --> 00:31:36,940
For those animals able to cross
the divide between land and sea,

188
00:31:36,940 --> 00:31:39,420
there are surprising rewards.

189
00:31:45,980 --> 00:31:48,820
Raja Ampat in Indonesia.

190
00:31:52,740 --> 00:31:55,740
Here, there's a greater
variety of animals

191
00:31:55,740 --> 00:31:58,380
than on any other coast on Earth.

192
00:32:04,420 --> 00:32:07,220
The corals are protected
by mangroves.

193
00:32:08,620 --> 00:32:14,380
Salt tolerant trees that prop
themselves on curving aerial roots.

194
00:32:27,620 --> 00:32:32,340
These fish have learned how to
catch prey from high in the trees.

195
00:32:38,740 --> 00:32:42,540
Archerfish use jets of water
like arrows.

196
00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:48,780
This pinpoint accuracy...
197
00:32:50,020 --> 00:32:52,620
..requires some
complex calculations.

198
00:32:55,020 --> 00:32:58,460
The hunter first estimates
the range of its target...

199
00:33:01,700 --> 00:33:05,020
..then loads with a precise
amount of water.

200
00:33:07,580 --> 00:33:11,580
Aiming, they allow
for the refraction and distortion

201
00:33:11,580 --> 00:33:14,220
created by the water's
moving surface.

202
00:33:18,340 --> 00:33:19,740
And then...

203
00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:22,420
..release...

204
00:33:24,940 --> 00:33:26,780
..an arrow of water.

205
00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:34,100
They can hit prey
up to two metres above them.

206
00:33:43,980 --> 00:33:46,420
But they're not born
with this skill.

207
00:33:48,300 --> 00:33:50,220
They have to learn it.

208
00:33:52,260 --> 00:33:55,300
And they do that by studying others.

209
00:34:00,620 --> 00:34:04,980
This youngster is watching
a master at work.
210
00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:24,020
It's time for the apprentice
to have a go.

211
00:34:26,580 --> 00:34:29,860
First, he must select a target.

212
00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:35,020
This seems rather ambitious.

213
00:34:44,100 --> 00:34:45,620
Missed.

214
00:34:47,260 --> 00:34:50,140
Others watch to learn
from his mistakes.

215
00:34:59,780 --> 00:35:01,140
Or...

216
00:35:03,500 --> 00:35:05,660
..to steal his prize.

217
00:35:42,780 --> 00:35:44,780
Enough is enough.

218
00:35:47,060 --> 00:35:49,700
There is one way
to beat the thieves.

219
00:35:54,540 --> 00:35:56,180
The archer himself...

220
00:35:57,820 --> 00:35:59,540
..becomes the arrow.

221
00:36:20,940 --> 00:36:25,180
Mangroves are unusually
stable coastal environments,

222
00:36:25,180 --> 00:36:29,100
where an archerfish can focus
on beating the competition.

223
00:36:49,100 --> 00:36:53,060
But on the exposed coast
of Mexico's Yucatan,

224
00:36:53,060 --> 00:36:55,100
life is precarious.

225
00:36:57,780 --> 00:37:00,980
Concentrated by
the tropical sunshine,

226
00:37:00,980 --> 00:37:06,060
the brine in these shallow lagoons
cannot be tolerated by most animals.

227
00:37:10,540 --> 00:37:14,300
And yet, these Caribbean flamingos

228
00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:17,580
have flown hundreds of miles
to gather here.

229
00:37:53,620 --> 00:37:57,860
These hypersaline waters
keep many predators at bay...

230
00:38:01,140 --> 00:38:03,700
..so it's here they choose to nest.

231
00:38:07,060 --> 00:38:10,180
There are more than
10,000 pairs here.

232
00:38:10,180 --> 00:38:13,540
It's the largest breeding colony
in North America.

233
00:38:27,500 --> 00:38:30,820
Nest mounds keep chicks
clear of the brine

234
00:38:30,820 --> 00:38:33,380
while they are still
at their most vulnerable.

235
00:39:10,060 --> 00:39:12,860
But this generation faces a problem.
236
00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:26,180
The storms that come each season
are arriving earlier every year.

237
00:39:30,460 --> 00:39:33,780
And the colony lies directly
in their path.

238
00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:47,700
Rising winds create a storm surge

239
00:39:47,700 --> 00:39:51,380
that overwhelms
the most exposed nests.

240
00:40:14,380 --> 00:40:15,900
And then...

241
00:40:16,980 --> 00:40:18,460
..it rains.

242
00:40:26,660 --> 00:40:30,620
The adults do what they can,
bailing out their nests.

243
00:40:37,940 --> 00:40:40,140
But they can only do so much.

244
00:40:56,980 --> 00:41:01,980
The storm passes,
but leaves devastation in its wake.

245
00:41:06,740 --> 00:41:09,180
Most nests are submerged.

246
00:41:25,580 --> 00:41:28,340
The chicks are soaked and cold...

247
00:41:30,060 --> 00:41:31,740
..and will soon perish...

248
00:41:33,100 --> 00:41:35,340
..unless they can
get out of the water.
249
00:41:49,460 --> 00:41:52,100
The adults are unable to help.

250
00:41:56,740 --> 00:41:59,180
A chick must save itself.

251
00:42:25,740 --> 00:42:30,260
Some years,
no chicks survive in this colony.

252
00:42:34,060 --> 00:42:36,740
Our coasts are vulnerable places.

253
00:42:38,620 --> 00:42:44,020
Increasingly so, as rising global
temperatures create bigger storms.

254
00:42:48,220 --> 00:42:51,380
The biggest are hurricanes.

255
00:42:55,380 --> 00:43:00,020
They form over warm tropical water,
building in strength at sea.

256
00:43:04,060 --> 00:43:08,100
But their full force
is unleashed on our coasts...

257
00:43:10,980 --> 00:43:15,980
..where 40% of the world's human
population have made their homes.

258
00:43:29,300 --> 00:43:31,260
In this changing world...

259
00:43:32,900 --> 00:43:35,340
..coasts are on the front line.

260
00:43:51,860 --> 00:43:53,540
Raine Island.

261
00:43:54,820 --> 00:43:57,860
One of the planet's most important
breeding sites

262
00:43:57,860 --> 00:44:01,100
for one particularly
precious species.

263
00:44:14,660 --> 00:44:16,380
The green turtle.

264
00:44:20,940 --> 00:44:23,580
On a few special nights each year,

265
00:44:23,580 --> 00:44:27,780
as many as 20,000 females
come ashore here.

266
00:44:30,540 --> 00:44:32,820
Their instinct to nest is strong...

267
00:44:35,340 --> 00:44:41,060
..and many haul themselves far
inland in search of nesting space.

268
00:44:43,860 --> 00:44:49,300
In a single night, they may lay
as many as two million eggs.

269
00:45:02,060 --> 00:45:03,540
Dawn.

270
00:45:06,620 --> 00:45:09,780
This exhausted female has nested,

271
00:45:09,780 --> 00:45:12,980
but now she faces
a long return journey

272
00:45:12,980 --> 00:45:15,300
through the dunes to the sea.

273
00:45:28,420 --> 00:45:30,300
As the sun rises...

274
00:45:32,660 --> 00:45:35,900
..she's at risk of being
baked alive.

275
00:45:43,740 --> 00:45:47,700
Every inch she travels is gruelling.

276
00:45:56,060 --> 00:46:00,140
And the ebbing tide
has exposed a rocky reef.

277
00:46:05,020 --> 00:46:07,940
It has already claimed many lives.

278
00:46:12,980 --> 00:46:17,220
Other females overcome
by heat and exhaustion.

279
00:46:27,220 --> 00:46:28,940
Her temperature is rising.

280
00:46:29,940 --> 00:46:31,940
She has to keep going.

281
00:46:57,020 --> 00:47:02,780
As many as 2,000 female turtles
may die here each year.

282
00:47:24,700 --> 00:47:27,220
But the coast is always changing.

283
00:47:37,060 --> 00:47:39,980
And the turning tide

284
00:47:39,980 --> 00:47:41,900
may yet save her.

285
00:48:10,620 --> 00:48:15,620
Half of all the green turtles
in the Pacific come here to nest,

286
00:48:15,620 --> 00:48:19,220
as they have done
for at least 1,000 years.

287
00:48:28,140 --> 00:48:30,340
But for how much longer?

288
00:48:36,340 --> 00:48:41,340
If sea levels rise as predicted,
within the next 30 years,
289
00:48:41,340 --> 00:48:45,620
Raine Island will disappear
beneath the waves.

290
00:48:53,620 --> 00:48:57,380
Coasts are dynamic,
dangerous frontiers...

291
00:48:59,660 --> 00:49:04,020
..and they are changing faster
than ever before in human history.

292
00:49:07,580 --> 00:49:10,140
Life is remarkably resilient...

293
00:49:11,580 --> 00:49:14,100
..and adapts to new challenges.

294
00:49:16,940 --> 00:49:21,420
But there is a limit
on how fast it can do so.

295
00:49:42,620 --> 00:49:44,420
As far as I know,

296
00:49:44,420 --> 00:49:49,420
I was one of the first people to
film on Raine Island, back in 1957.

297
00:49:52,100 --> 00:49:54,300
YOUNGER DAVID: After a fortnight
of travelling north,

298
00:49:54,300 --> 00:49:56,620
we at last sighted Raine Island.

299
00:49:57,900 --> 00:50:02,980
From the sea, it looked no more than
a low sandbank covered in scrub.

300
00:50:02,980 --> 00:50:05,660
But as we rowed ashore,

301
00:50:05,660 --> 00:50:09,700
we were deafened by the cries
of thousands of sea birds

302
00:50:09,700 --> 00:50:12,580
which hung above the island
like a black cloud.

303
00:50:15,980 --> 00:50:20,740
I was 31 and it was here
that I first met a green turtle.

304
00:50:22,380 --> 00:50:24,940
The turtles come up to lay at night,

305
00:50:24,940 --> 00:50:28,980
and after a night spent laying
maybe over 100 eggs,

306
00:50:28,980 --> 00:50:33,100
she's very weary and very anxious
to get back to the sea.

307
00:50:36,620 --> 00:50:38,580
Nearly 70 years later,

308
00:50:38,580 --> 00:50:41,900
the Planet Earth III team
are welcomed by people

309
00:50:41,900 --> 00:50:46,060
whose connection to the island goes
back very much further than mine.

310
00:50:46,060 --> 00:50:47,820
Welcome to Raine!

311
00:50:47,820 --> 00:50:49,940
The Wuthathi and Meriam people

312
00:50:49,940 --> 00:50:52,860
have been coming here
for several thousand years.

313
00:50:54,660 --> 00:50:57,020
Raine Island's a beautiful
and special place.

314
00:50:57,020 --> 00:50:59,540
Like, there's nowhere
else on the planet

315
00:50:59,540 --> 00:51:01,900
where you come and see
this much turtles.

316
00:51:01,900 --> 00:51:03,780
It's a wonder to see.

317
00:51:07,500 --> 00:51:10,780
Since I was there, it's been
discovered that Raine Island

318
00:51:10,780 --> 00:51:14,860
attracts more nesting green turtles
than anywhere else on the planet.

319
00:51:21,020 --> 00:51:22,780
There's so many, isn't there?

320
00:51:22,780 --> 00:51:25,660
As soon as you're up, you're like,
"Oh, there are a lot."

321
00:51:25,660 --> 00:51:28,460
And the crew soon meet
some other residents too.

322
00:51:29,740 --> 00:51:31,700
This is behind
the behind the scenes!

323
00:51:36,660 --> 00:51:38,020
See you, mate!

324
00:51:41,540 --> 00:51:43,540
The team are here to record

325
00:51:43,540 --> 00:51:46,500
the mother turtles'
perilous journeys back to the sea.

326
00:51:48,540 --> 00:51:50,340
Oh, God.
327
00:51:52,740 --> 00:51:55,260
Trapped turtles can often
free themselves

328
00:51:55,260 --> 00:51:57,500
with the help of the rising tide.

329
00:51:58,780 --> 00:52:01,980
Nearly. Just a bit more to
the right there. Yeah, there.

330
00:52:01,980 --> 00:52:06,060
But in this case, Keron
makes the decision to intervene.

331
00:52:07,260 --> 00:52:10,100
Ready? One, two, three.

332
00:52:10,100 --> 00:52:12,700
Yeah, any time we're here
we'll walk the beach.

333
00:52:12,700 --> 00:52:16,340
Any turtles that have no chance
of making it back to the ocean,

334
00:52:16,340 --> 00:52:21,420
if we can save them, we save them,
because every turtle is precious.

335
00:52:21,420 --> 00:52:23,660
At the time of my first visit,

336
00:52:23,660 --> 00:52:26,900
little was known to outsiders
about Raine Island.

337
00:52:26,900 --> 00:52:29,140
But for the last few decades,

338
00:52:29,140 --> 00:52:33,180
scientists have been working with
the Wuthathi and Meriam people

339
00:52:33,180 --> 00:52:36,100
to understand more
about this special place.

340
00:52:37,180 --> 00:52:40,500
Scientists have been coming to Raine
Island since about the mid '70s

341
00:52:40,500 --> 00:52:42,920
and over that time
they've been monitoring

342
00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:44,860
the nesting population here.

343
00:52:46,460 --> 00:52:48,460
This work involves long hours...

344
00:52:50,500 --> 00:52:52,340
98.7.

345
00:52:52,340 --> 00:52:54,860
..and a certain degree of patience.

346
00:52:56,900 --> 00:52:58,620
Oh!

347
00:52:58,620 --> 00:52:59,740
SHE LAUGHS

348
00:53:03,620 --> 00:53:07,140
We're going to be wearing half of
Raine Island by the end of tonight!

349
00:53:09,900 --> 00:53:13,340
Helping the year's first hatchlings
is a little easier.

350
00:53:14,780 --> 00:53:16,740
So we'll take these ones
down to the water's edge

351
00:53:16,740 --> 00:53:18,940
and so hopefully we'll see
these turtles back here,

352
00:53:18,940 --> 00:53:20,620
laying eggs in 30 years' time.
353
00:53:21,940 --> 00:53:24,540
With the help of this
dedicated team,

354
00:53:24,540 --> 00:53:28,140
Raine Island's turtles might
seem to have a good future.

355
00:53:33,060 --> 00:53:36,180
But research is revealing
a hidden threat.

356
00:53:40,900 --> 00:53:43,620
The direct effects
of climate change.

357
00:53:47,860 --> 00:53:51,380
Do you want to hold this against
the flat part of the data-logger?

358
00:53:51,380 --> 00:53:53,540
A developing turtle's sex

359
00:53:53,540 --> 00:53:56,460
is determined by the temperature
of its nest.

360
00:53:57,940 --> 00:54:01,380
Higher temperatures
produce female hatchlings.

361
00:54:03,300 --> 00:54:07,780
The temperature of the sand on Raine
Island is now at a record high.

362
00:54:09,140 --> 00:54:13,700
So 99% of the turtles
that hatch here are female.

363
00:54:15,220 --> 00:54:18,500
More alarmingly, we now know
this has been case

364
00:54:18,500 --> 00:54:21,020
for at least the last 20 years.
365
00:54:22,140 --> 00:54:23,820
You do the maths.

366
00:54:23,820 --> 00:54:28,220
All females, no males.
What's going to happen?

367
00:54:28,220 --> 00:54:30,380
There's going to be
a population crash

368
00:54:30,380 --> 00:54:31,980
and there'll be no more turtle.

369
00:54:35,460 --> 00:54:38,620
Work is under way to find solutions.

370
00:54:38,620 --> 00:54:40,740
But that's not their only problem.

371
00:54:42,380 --> 00:54:46,860
Not only are temperatures rising,
sea levels are too.

372
00:54:48,460 --> 00:54:51,100
Increasingly, high tides on Raine

373
00:54:51,100 --> 00:54:54,180
are flooding many of the nests
from below...

374
00:54:56,380 --> 00:54:59,980
..drowning the developing turtles
before they hatch.

375
00:55:01,780 --> 00:55:03,260
It's really upsetting.

376
00:55:03,260 --> 00:55:06,220
You'll dig down to check
to see success,

377
00:55:06,220 --> 00:55:08,580
and you get down to the nests

378
00:55:08,580 --> 00:55:10,780
and you're just pulling up
dead eggs.

379
00:55:12,500 --> 00:55:17,100
To try to stop this happening, they
have devised a heavy-duty solution.

380
00:55:21,820 --> 00:55:25,060
These machines have been
shipped hundreds of miles

381
00:55:25,060 --> 00:55:28,540
from the Australian mainland
to re-shape the beach.

382
00:55:31,340 --> 00:55:33,700
They have already shifted sand

383
00:55:33,700 --> 00:55:37,060
that would fill 16 Olympic-sized
swimming pools

384
00:55:37,060 --> 00:55:40,060
and doubled the number
of safe nesting sites.

385
00:55:42,620 --> 00:55:47,020
The hope is that this will ensure
that over five million more eggs

386
00:55:47,020 --> 00:55:49,060
will hatch in the next decade.

387
00:55:52,420 --> 00:55:57,660
But from then on, the future of
Raine Island looks very uncertain.

388
00:55:58,980 --> 00:56:02,180
At this stage, we think
that we have to about 2050

389
00:56:02,180 --> 00:56:05,220
until we start seeing massive
impacts of sea level rise.

390
00:56:06,220 --> 00:56:10,620
It's crazy to think that,
you know, the work that we do here,

391
00:56:10,620 --> 00:56:12,700
someone might not be doing this
in 30 years' time

392
00:56:12,700 --> 00:56:14,300
cos there's no island to do it on.

393
00:56:18,100 --> 00:56:23,420
What sort of world is it going to be
for my children and their children?

394
00:56:23,420 --> 00:56:25,260
Is there going to be anything for...

395
00:56:26,620 --> 00:56:28,260
..for them? Or is it...

396
00:56:29,660 --> 00:56:31,180
..all in vain?

397
00:56:36,340 --> 00:56:40,100
We'll always be here fighting
for Raine Island, for the turtles.

398
00:56:40,100 --> 00:56:43,940
But we can't do it alone and
we need government and big business

399
00:56:43,940 --> 00:56:47,900
to wake up and see what they're
doing to the planet and get real.

400
00:56:54,180 --> 00:56:57,380
This little fellow
is newly hatched from an egg

401
00:56:57,380 --> 00:56:59,660
which had been laid
a month or so earlier

402
00:56:59,660 --> 00:57:02,580
and he too is very anxious
to get down to the sea.
403
00:57:06,820 --> 00:57:09,500
Having at last successfully
reached the water,

404
00:57:09,500 --> 00:57:13,260
he's still got a great number of
hazards to face before he grows up.

405
00:57:15,620 --> 00:57:17,540
Little did I know then

406
00:57:17,540 --> 00:57:20,580
what hazards that little turtle
would have to face

407
00:57:20,580 --> 00:57:24,100
or the extraordinary lengths
to which people would go

408
00:57:24,100 --> 00:57:26,380
to protect it and its island.

409
00:57:27,980 --> 00:57:33,180
In the 66 years since my visit,
Raine Island has remained

410
00:57:33,180 --> 00:57:36,540
the most important green turtle
nesting site on the planet.

411
00:57:37,580 --> 00:57:41,340
The question is,
can it last another lifetime?

412
00:57:46,340 --> 00:57:47,820
Next time...

413
00:57:49,180 --> 00:57:52,020
..an extraordinary journey
through the ocean.

414
00:57:54,260 --> 00:57:57,340
The last unexplored
frontier on our planet...

415
00:58:01,380 --> 00:58:02,980
..where life has evolved...

416
00:58:04,340 --> 00:58:06,740
..in the most surprising ways.

417
00:58:12,140 --> 00:58:15,820
Habitat Explorer brings animals
and their habitats to life.

418
00:58:15,820 --> 00:58:19,380
Explore this free interactive
and make origami animals.

419
00:58:19,380 --> 00:58:23,340
Go to bbc.co.uk/planetearth3

420
00:58:23,340 --> 00:58:25,620
and follow the links
to the Open University.

421
00:58:25,620 --> 00:58:27,860
Or to order a free printed version,

422
00:58:27,860 --> 00:58:31,100
visit the website
or call the numbers on the screen.