- 28 minutes ago
Dedicated ocean mothers risk everything for the next generation, the filmmaker sheds light on the mothers of the ocean who are risking everything on the line for the next generation of their species, animals in every landscape are embarking on epic migrations in search of food, shelter, and love.
• 座头鲸：跟随一头座头鲸妈妈，看她带领刚出生的幼鲸横跨太平洋，往返于阿拉斯加与夏威夷之间——那是一段长达3000英里的旅程，目的地是温暖且没有捕食者威胁的海域。
• 绿海龟：跟随一头绿海龟妈妈，看她如何与鲨鱼搏斗、克服重重险阻，只为回到自己出生的那片海滩产卵。
• 座头鲸：跟随一头座头鲸妈妈，看她带领刚出生的幼鲸横跨太平洋，往返于阿拉斯加与夏威夷之间——那是一段长达3000英里的旅程，目的地是温暖且没有捕食者威胁的海域。
• 绿海龟：跟随一头绿海龟妈妈，看她如何与鲨鱼搏斗、克服重重险阻，只为回到自己出生的那片海滩产卵。
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TVTranscript
00:07Long before us, great travelers were crossing our oceans, risking it all to ensure the future
00:17of the next generation.
00:25This female humpback whale is exhausting.
00:34She's journeyed 3,000 miles to escape the cold, stormy seas of Alaska, and finds sanctuary
00:43here, in the predator-free waters of Hawaii, but she can't rest yet.
01:0330-ton maids, over 20 of them, hot on the table, battling for a chance to mate.
01:34At this time of year, scientists observe these aggressive heat runs almost every day.
01:44But what happens next comes completely out of the blue.
01:55Suddenly, the chasing stops.
02:04A tiny tail.
02:11This ocean voyager is about to become a mom.
02:19Humpback births are so rarely witnessed.
02:22No one's ever been this close.
02:33Her pursuers seem to have had a change of heart.
02:37They've become her protectors.
02:51The lead male blows bubbles, forming a scream that allows this cautious mother a moment.
03:11Shared only between her and the deep.
03:36Shared only between her and the deep.
03:39Shared only between her and the deep.
03:43It Ruth is like a normal man.
03:44A new-born calf.
03:47A boy.
03:50He can't breathe underwater, so mom gives him a gentle nudge...
03:55...towards the surface.
03:59To take their first breath together.
04:16There's almost nothing to eat here for humpbacks, so he'll have to learn to live life on the
04:23move fast. He only has five weeks to get up to speed, preparing for a 3,000-mile voyage back
04:41to their feeding
04:42grounds in Alaska, one of the longest migrations in the world.
04:56From the tropics to the poles, two-thirds of our planet is ocean, home to some of Earth's
05:05most heroic travelers. Animals here must make incredible journeys, going to extraordinary
05:16lengths to bring new life into the world. Journeys that can take weeks or a lifetime, all with
05:31one mission, to secure the future of the next generation.
05:51On Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of these lifelong ocean journeys is just about to begin.
06:05A green turtle hatchling has only one mantra, just keep moving.
06:17With no mother to guide it, a turtle is born hardwired to head to the light on the horizon.
06:35Out of every thousand, only one will survive.
06:56Some even struggle at the start line.
06:58Some even struggle at the start line.
07:03This little one is slow out of the nest.
07:10The later she leaves it, the more predators circle.
07:21But, like every hatchling before her, she's determined.
07:47The final stretch.
07:49The final stretch.
07:50The final stretch.
08:01Sometimes, it pays to be last.
08:08The goals are so full, they can't even be bothered.
08:17The final stretch.
08:18Finally, she's in her element.
08:23Five times faster in the ocean.
08:30Ahead, the first wave of hatchlings are in deeper water.
08:37They are less vulnerable to attack from above.
08:42But not below.
08:47Black-tipped reef sharks stalk the shallows.
08:53Up to six foot long, they're insatiable.
09:05Being last won't save her out here.
09:17The final stretch.
09:17The final stretch.
09:19The final stretch.
09:46Instinct drives her straight out through the waves.
09:52The next time she'll come ashore, we'll be in 30 years.
10:03She's heading out into the safety of the open ocean, to feed and grow, until she returns,
10:18ready to become a mom.
10:36In the safe haven of Hawaii's waters.
10:41The humpback calf's still a little too small to begin his voyage just yet.
10:53Nap time is crucial, when you've gotta grow up so fast.
11:00He's too young to control his buoyancy.
11:05So this sleepy head snuggles against his mom, to avoid drifting away.
11:23He rests up to 16 hours a day.
11:33The others in their community are already en route north to their feeding grounds in Alaska.
11:50But mom needs to be patient.
11:56Nap time's over.
11:58And this two-ton toddler is ready to play.
12:04Tail slapping.
12:11And breaching.
12:13Helps build strength for the big trip ahead.
12:23And fuels his appetite.
12:35He guzzles a bathtub of milk every five days.
12:45But her reserves won't last forever.
12:51She's gotta time their departure just right.
12:57Leave too soon, her calf won't be strong enough to make it.
13:03Too late, and she risks starvation.
13:08Too late, and she risks starvation.
13:23Five weeks after he was born, the time has come.
13:31Ahead, one of the longest migrations of all mammals on the planet.
13:38Three thousand miles north, across the Pacific, to Alaska, where mom will finally get to eat.
14:00The Indian Ocean, another mom has to time her journey to perfection.
14:14On a tiny speck of land, monsoon rains trigger a miracle of nature.
14:35She may not look that impressive, but this little Christmas Island red crab, around the size of your hand, is
14:47on a mission to become a mom.
14:55The crab has evolved for spring and isued to be in the sea.
14:57The crab has evolved in the sea.
14:59But she has completely adapted to a life on land.
15:06The crab has evolved in the sea.
15:09The crab has evolved in the sea, but she has completely adapted to a life on land.
15:16But, to get there, a five-mile trek, from her home in the forest, all the way down to the
15:30beach.
15:34It's a long way on four-inch legs, especially walking sideways.
15:44At least, she's got comfort.
15:5170 million moms and dads-to-be, called back to the ocean once a year, to breed.
16:13This big, little journey can take two weeks.
16:20And on the way, there will be casualties.
16:36Ten times her size, the largest land crab on Earth, robber crab, armed with crustacean-crushing
16:51pincers, the red crab's eyesight so bad that it's easy to run into trouble.
17:07And harder to get out alive.
17:14And less luck is on your side.
17:22But there are bigger dangers still to face.
17:44She's got to time this, just right.
18:14Fortunately, on lots of roads here today,
18:18it's a public area.
18:18The crabs get the right-of-way.
18:26A million-strong march all arrived...
18:31right on schedule at the beach.
18:46The first thing a little red crab does...
18:51is dip her toes in the ocean.
18:57She needs to replenish her salts...
19:01so that she and all her companions...
19:05are in prime condition...
19:10ready for one...
19:13special moment.
19:18She mates.
19:23But her mission...
19:26is far from over.
19:38Heading north in the Pacific...
19:41one ocean mother...
19:43still has a long way to go.
19:47With Hawaii far behind them...
19:52the humpback mom...
19:54leads her calf at a steady...
19:57four miles an hour.
20:01She uses contact calls...
20:04to keep him close.
20:15getting lost in the big blue...
20:17would be fatal.
20:27It's another 2,000 miles...
20:30before she can find food.
20:37But she tunes into the Earth's magnetic field...
20:42and plots her course...
20:44by sun...
20:45moon...
20:46stars...
20:47and memory.
20:54Steering straight...
20:55as an arrow...
20:56she veers less...
20:57than one degree...
20:59from her destination.
21:04along the way...
21:06mom teaches her calf...
21:08these hidden highways.
21:17But some...
21:19will never find their way home.
21:27Another ocean voyager...
21:29is in trouble.
21:41This...
21:42young female...
21:44has become tangled...
21:45in fishing gear.
21:53up to a million tons...
21:55of nets...
21:56and lines...
21:57like this one...
21:59are now lost...
22:00in our oceans...
22:01each year.
22:06The rope...
22:08is caught around her tongue...
22:10and she is starving.
22:17So weak...
22:18she can barely break...
22:19the surface...
22:20to breathe.
22:25She can't survive...
22:27much longer.
22:34Predators sense...
22:35that she is vulnerable.
22:4215 foot long tiger sharks...
22:44close in.
22:466 foot long not greenзine.
22:54Chifica fairy sharks...
22:55half off
23:00But no whale...
23:02is ever truly alone.
23:08Hemp back calls...
23:10can travel...
23:11a hundred miles...
23:12through the blue...
23:13whale.
23:19Another voyager comes to her aid.
23:44He slaps his tail to drive off the circling sharks.
24:06And then, something never filmed before.
24:20He lifts her to the surface to help her breathe.
24:44An extraordinary act of kindness.
25:02In her final moments, this weary traveler has a companion.
25:12I'm sorry.
25:45All alone.
25:47A thousand miles from the beach where she was born.
25:55This juvenile green turtle is ten years into her journey.
26:05Like her mother before her, she taps into the Earth's magnetic field and steadily steers
26:16towards the outer reaches of Australia's coral sea.
26:24Home to some of the richest seagrass meadows on Earth.
26:37Her grazing of these lush pastures helps them flourish and fills her belly.
26:51Seagrass beds absorb carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
26:59So, by maintaining them, she plays a vital role in the fight against climate change.
27:11She'll graze meadow after meadow for 20 more years.
27:20Until destiny calls her home.
27:25All grown up and ready to become a mom.
27:46Back in the Indian Ocean, the Red Crab's mission is almost complete.
28:08Now, with 100,000 precious eggs safely tucked underneath her, she's got one last thing to do.
28:21Release them to the sea.
28:25At the exact same time as 30 million other moms.
28:37All arriving on the last quarter moon for the perfect high tide.
28:46To give her babies the best start in life, she must risk her own.
28:51To give her babies the best start in life.
29:04Unlike most crabs, she can't swim.
29:09But maternal instinct drives her forward.
29:20All she can do is hold on tight and release her babies to the waves.
29:32The salt water works its magic, hatching her eggs instantly.
29:40These tiny travelers will spend the next four weeks growing up in the ocean.
29:51Until they are strong enough for the trip home.
30:09Also on the moon, night and day.
30:18The humpback mom still leads her calf onwards.
30:28In just five weeks, he's gained another ton.
30:33Good protection as they enter colder northern waters.
30:40But nursing all the way, mom's lost over a quarter of her body weight.
30:50Thousands of punishing miles means she's running on empty.
31:01Just one last push to reach the feeding grounds of North America.
31:18With her calf reaching ahead of her.
31:25They're finally entering the Gulf of Alaska.
31:38These fertile northern waters are full of food.
31:51But also, danger.
32:03Orca.
32:07Known as killer whales for a reason.
32:14Some pods patrolling this coast target baby whales.
32:28So experienced moms switch to traveling in stealth mode.
32:36Hiding in the gloomy kilt.
32:38To protect her calf.
32:41To protect her calf.
32:51As the orca calls get louder.
32:55And closer.
33:12But for some reason, she no longer seems worried.
33:20Instead, she relaxes in the kelp.
33:27That's because incredibly, she recognizes these calls.
33:39She knows orca that make lots of noise when they hunt.
33:45Are not real killers.
33:52They specialize in hunting fish.
34:09It's a good sign.
34:13The fishing grounds.
34:15The fishing grounds.
34:15And the end of their journey.
34:17Must be close.
34:30In Northeast Australia.
34:34Another extraordinary mother is on the last leg.
34:39Of her great ocean odyssey.
34:48One that's lasted a lifetime.
34:54After 30 years all alone, this female green turtle is finally mature enough to breed.
35:16On her 1,000-mile journey, returning to the Great Barrier Reef, she found a mate and is ready to
35:29lay her eggs.
35:36Almost home.
35:45The closer she gets to the beach, more and more moms-to-be join her.
35:58Tens of thousands of them.
36:01The largest gathering of green turtles on Earth.
36:05All on the same mission.
36:25But not all of them will make it.
36:34Every year, tiger sharks come here to prey on the exhausted.
36:51A panicked turtle quickly runs out of air.
37:04And every breath makes her more vulnerable.
37:13Her best hope.
37:15Turn and face her enemy.
37:28Maneuvering.
37:29Maneuvering.
37:31So her shell becomes her shield.
37:51Ears at sea have made her wise.
38:23Maneuvering.
38:24She's been ashore.
38:34Like an astronaut, returning to Earth.
38:40Gravity takes its toll.
38:45But she's come this far.
38:52Tonight, they make a pilgrimage that her ancestors have made since the dinosaurs.
39:04To keep her legacy alive, she buries her hundred eggs deep in the sand.
39:14To incubate safe from predators and the sun.
39:37But today, the chance that her daughters will make the same journey only gets worse.
39:48The sex of turtles is determined by temperature.
39:54In our warming world, just one in a hundred hatchlings here will now be male.
40:03So, most females may never get to breathe.
40:14While this single-minded mother has done all she can, the future for green turtles is in our hands.
40:41No matter the obstacles found along the way, through resilience and determination, even today, the ocean's most heroic travelers still
40:53find their way home.
41:08Four weeks after their mothers cast them to the waves, the red crab babies miraculously return on the tide.
41:20As fully formed crab babies.
41:31Thanks to their mothers' perfect timing, they all arrive safely together.
41:50Their homecoming carpets the beaches of Christmas Island.
42:00The next generation scurry into the forest.
42:10Born to bring life to this tropical paradise and begin the cycle all over again.
42:34At the end of one of the world's longest migrations, one of the greatest rewards.
42:45After her 6,000-mile round trip and three months of hunger, her calf is still right by her side.
42:59The weary humpback mom is homing in on familiar calls.
43:19It's the other humpbacks from Hawaii.
43:26A community bonded by friendship.
43:35Reunited at last.
43:42By working together as a team, these highly intelligent, intensely social animals can finally eat.
44:04One swims in circles, blowing bubbles, trapping shoals of fish in the center.
44:20So everyone can eat their fill.
44:51They need a Damage and a 32-year-old pregnancies.
44:53It's cool.
45:02Mom can finally feast, eating over a ton of fish a day.
45:13Not yet weaned.
45:15The calf watches and learns from the sight lines.
45:25He's building the skills he'll need to survive when he goes it alone in just a few months.
45:46His mom's given him the best start in life.
45:58Like so many mothers, risking it all to secure his future.
46:07In the hope that these great ocean odysseys continue for generations to come.
46:15To be continued...
46:22To be continued...
46:24To be continued...
46:25To be continued...