- 1 day ago
Exploring Europe's Danube River, including secret tributaries, baby turtles and a waterfall riding kayak...
多瑙河被誉为世界上“最国际化”的河流——它汇集了来自十九个国家的支流之水，最终奔流入黑海。跟随镜头，领略它那独一无二的壮阔旅程：探寻鲜为人知的绝美支流，邂逅幼龟，并见证一位勇敢的皮划艇选手挑战飞瀑的惊险时刻。
多瑙河被誉为世界上“最国际化”的河流——它汇集了来自十九个国家的支流之水，最终奔流入黑海。跟随镜头，领略它那独一无二的壮阔旅程：探寻鲜为人知的绝美支流，邂逅幼龟，并见证一位勇敢的皮划艇选手挑战飞瀑的惊险时刻。
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TVTranscript
00:03The majestic Danube, running through the heart of Europe, so much more than a
00:14single river. The Danube is a giant network of water reaching across the continent, flowing
00:38east, from Germany and Austria, all the way to Romania and the Black Sea. Its tributaries
00:53gather water from 19 countries, making it the most international river on Earth.
01:05On its epic journey, it will cross formidable landscapes and ancient kingdoms, revealing
01:18glorious riches and magical surprises.
01:36Earth's great rivers make extraordinary journeys, carving through continents,
01:53feeding and connecting life, nurturing culture, providing a place for adventure.
02:12From the frozen wilderness of the Yukon, to the tropical heat of the Zambezi, and the magical
02:27hidden worlds of the Danube. Rivers are the lifeblood of planet Earth.
02:52Rivers of Life was made possible in part by contributions to your PBS station from viewers
02:56like you. Thank you.
03:04The story of the Danube is an extraordinary one.
03:12To reveal the magical and surprising character of this unique river, we start at the very top.
03:29Over 13,000 feet above sea level, Piz Bernina Mountain in Switzerland is the highest point of the entire Danube
03:40system.
03:42Here, almost 900 million tons of water is locked in as ice.
03:52The Mortarash Glacier, four miles long and 800 feet deep, is covered in snow for most of the year.
04:08But when temperatures rise in spring, and conditions are just right,
04:21there's a window of opportunity.
04:29Running keeps me alive.
04:32It connects me with nature, and connects me with my own spirit.
04:40Anne-Marie Flammersfeld has spent most of her life running the world's toughest landscapes.
04:50Today, she is seizing her moment to run on the frozen headwaters of the Danube.
04:58Running on a frozen river is something really weird, because it's only there in a special period of time.
05:09It looks beautiful, but looks can be deceiving.
05:16Even in the summertime, running on a glacier is really dangerous.
05:20You don't know where the crevasses are.
05:24When you fall into a crevasse, you can fall for three or five meters.
05:30So it pays to follow a planned route.
05:34I always try to look for the best line when I run downhill, because I run downhill really fast, and
05:41I really enjoy it.
05:42And then my eyes are concentrated on every step, and tack, tack, tack, tack, tack, tack.
05:47And, yeah, this is most of the fun.
05:52As she nears the base of the glacier, there's a glimpse of the true power locked up in the ice.
06:05When you look into it and you see that the water is coming from somewhere, and you think, oh, it's
06:16a river.
06:21Beneath the glacier, the headwaters of the Danube are on the move.
06:32More than a quarter of the river's water comes from the Alps.
06:40And in spring, it becomes an unstoppable force of nature.
06:48Fueling the flow of the Danube River across the continent, all the way to the Black Sea.
06:59It's journey has only just begun.
07:16A few miles away, on the slopes of the valleys below,
07:24the melting snow makes way for new beginnings, revealing someone's home.
07:46Inside is a creature who has been waiting to come out for nearly eight months.
07:58A male alpine marmot.
08:02They may seem small, but growing up to 16 pounds, these are the heavyweights of the squirrel family.
08:13Winter has not been easy on him and his kind.
08:18Alpine marmots lose about a third of their body weight stuck in their burrows during winter.
08:26Now he needs to fatten up.
08:32The melting snow has uncovered valuable food.
08:39Marmots eat grasses, flowers, and even a worm or two, if they can find them.
08:48But there's a problem.
08:50Other families live here too.
08:56With only so much food to go around, he'll need to defend his territory.
09:02And when it comes to protecting home, marmots mean business.
09:12An intruder approaches.
09:16It's time to go on the offensive.
09:20To get an advantage, marmots rise up and stand tall.
09:29Here in the valley, it's hand-to-hand combat.
09:34Each pushing and grappling.
09:41Now keeping your footing is everything.
09:50But just when the coast seems clear, there's more danger.
09:57The heat from the sun now causes giant icicles to fall from frozen waterfalls.
10:05A blow from one of these would spell disaster.
10:27Crisis over.
10:30In the valley of the marmots, life is looking good.
10:53As the meltwater is run on, they join countless other streams and tributaries.
11:03As the meltwater is run on, they join countless other streams and tributaries.
11:07Flowing from all corners of the Danube system.
11:18Passing through a myriad of habitats, some of which hide secret wonders.
11:32In the forests of Bosnia, one Danube tributary has a very different source.
11:41These crystal clear waters are fed by underground springs, creating a magical water world.
11:59An MOUNTAIN
12:00And a river of the river reaching deep into the land.
12:00The the island of Ros aspiration is a magical war.
12:02But the island of Bosnia is the opportunity.
12:04Now with the Smithsonian, we seize the sea to reach the ox, theias to therum.
12:09The island of Bosnia is an insider of the islands.
12:10And the island of Bosnia is an unique crusade
12:17On the island of Bosnia is an ideal coven, the land of Bosnia is an amazing creator of the island
12:23of Bosnia.
12:23minerals from the limestone below producing a special kind of river with
12:32miniature waterfalls and pools
12:41as water flows over moss and other plants the dissolved minerals are
12:47gradually absorbed and collected by this natural sponge which hardens and starts to build
13:00eventually forming whole new waterfalls
13:07it's like something from a fairy tale
13:25but not everything to see here is above the water
13:34below there's a party underway
13:39these nutrient and oxygen-rich headwaters of the danube
13:44create the perfect place to gather and search for food
13:50golden shoals of barbel mixed with graceful grayling and busy trout
14:01many use these fresh waters to spawn
14:05including one species
14:09found nowhere else on earth
14:14each spring if you look carefully you'll find one of the river's top predators
14:26the hookon also known as the danube salmon can grow over three feet long
14:34the largest freshwater salmon in the world
14:41today this pair are showing their softer side
14:44they're here to perform a mating ritual
14:52with her powerful tail
14:54the female sweeps away the gravel
14:58to make a small depression in the riverbed
15:02a nest in which to lay her eggs
15:11very soon the riverbed looks like it's had a spring clean
15:17the male joins her to mate
15:21and guards her from any unwanted attention
15:26but then perhaps it's best to leave these giant predators to it
15:36the secret headwaters of the danube provide a bounty of opportunity for life
15:45and where there are fish
15:46and where there are fish
15:49others will surely follow
15:58the fish that thrives in crystal clear waters
16:05the trout
16:08she starts by making some fishing flies
16:22her aim is to make the perfect insect
16:27something that might just trick a trout
16:38to eat it
16:44tiny feathers for the wings
16:46and silk for the body
16:50solid enough to look the part
16:53yet delicate enough to cast
16:58the fish that they're in the forest
16:59now time to put them to use
17:12first she casts out her line
17:19with a loop of the air
17:31the fish that they're in the forest
17:32released onto the water
17:33as light as she can
17:37placing the fly to entice
17:39her quarry
17:45fly fishing is a special kind of fishing
17:51as a
18:02time
18:07and rhythm
18:08are everything
18:11each cast
18:12lets out a little more line
18:16A little more hope.
18:27For me, the river is something I could not imagine.
18:32The river and the fly fishing are alive.
18:47No luck this time. Not that it matters.
18:52When a river is as beautiful as this, that is rewarding enough.
19:01While some are drawn to the tranquility of the river,
19:06others look for something entirely different.
19:12In Slovenia, spring meltwater from the mountains has swollen one of the Danube's largest tributaries.
19:23Which is irresistible for one local kayaker.
19:33Rock Rosman has lived on the banks of the Sava River all his life.
19:41It's this mighty river that I call home.
19:46The meaning of it is just extremely big in every way.
19:52It has a way to go before it reaches the main flow of the Danube.
19:57But for Rock, this early part of the river is full of possibilities.
20:07White water kayaking is not really a sport, it's a way of life.
20:16You base your life on what the river does.
20:25But in general, the process is simple.
20:32You go to the top of the river and you follow the flow downstream and try and have fun while
20:40doing it.
20:42Rock's idea of fun is more extreme than most.
20:47And spring on the Sava is the ideal time to find it.
21:16Let's go.
21:23Like the rushing waters around him, he finds a freedom here.
21:31But it's not without risk.
21:34There might be trees in the rapids, which can be really dangerous.
21:39There's some rocks that produce siphons.
21:44So like old people said, the river is full of traps.
21:51But at the same time, the river is full of joy.
21:57People who meet the river in a kayak will always see the river differently.
22:06For Rock, who is also a biologist, rivers bring so much more than just enjoyment.
22:14Because the river has the most abundance in diversity and life out of any habitat, you know.
22:40And when faced with the pressures of life, Rock also believes the river can help.
22:48If you have problems, you can go and talk to the psychiatrist or you can go and sit next to
22:54the river.
22:55It's up to you what's nicer, cheaper and better.
23:08As they flow down from headwaters and alpine valleys,
23:13the Danube tributaries finally come together
23:18to become this great river.
23:24Towns,
23:27farmland,
23:32and cities
23:35begin to line its route.
23:39Over thousands of years, people have settled on its banks and have tamed the river,
23:47straightened and engineered to help protect against annual flooding.
23:53But there are still wild places here.
23:57Just outside Austria's capital, Vienna,
24:01lies Dornau-Awen National Park.
24:05A strip of protected forest and wetland
24:08on the banks of the Danube.
24:13Home to some extraordinary creatures.
24:40A baby European palm turtle.
24:46Buried as an egg four months ago,
24:49it's now hatched and free.
24:59Its mother chose a nesting spot that would be safe from flooding.
25:07But now it's far away from water.
25:12And this tiny creature needs to go on an epic journey.
25:19All on its own.
25:26But when you're the size of a thumbnail,
25:30everything is so much larger.
25:37Even tiny ants are a big deal.
25:44But this turtle comes with its very own suit of armor.
25:50Its arms and legs might be small,
25:54but they are powerful.
26:00Using all its energy,
26:02it instinctively heads towards water.
26:11Out of all the baby turtles that hatch each year,
26:14only 2% will make it to adulthood.
26:22And just when you think you've made it,
26:27the path to success seems so very long.
26:38And it's not just the turtles on the move.
26:54Now or never.
26:56Now or never.
26:57Now or never.
27:24A close shave, fortune favours the brave, critically endangered in Austria, every turtle
27:38that makes it counts.
27:52At last, cool and refreshing water.
27:59It might at first seem unfamiliar for our young turtle, but finally, it's home, safety, food,
28:13and even some friends.
28:23Having passed through Germany, Austria, and Slovakia, the Danube is now at the midpoint
28:31of its great journey, and arrives in Hungary, at the majestic capital of Budapest.
28:47A city that owes its existence to the Danube, and has seen empires rise and fall.
28:56From the Romans to the Crusaders.
29:01In Budapest, art and romance intertwined.
29:07Grand architecture and no less than seven bridges showcase a place that has been the source of
29:16cultural inspiration down the ages.
29:21Today with a population of 1.7 million, it is as important as ever.
29:36Water might be one of the oldest means of transport, but it's still the cheapest.
29:44And Budapest, because of its unique location, is key to the Danube's continued success as the
29:52backbone of the European transport network.
29:56Up to 55 million tons of freight are transported along the Danube each year.
30:04Giant cargo ships and barges sail from port to port, carrying large and heavy loads, like cereals,
30:14sand, and fuel, that would otherwise have to take less economical routes.
30:24Dockyards act as transport hubs, where shipping containers and goods are ferried like clockwork.
30:33A giant moving jigsaw puzzle, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
30:47It's easy to see the importance of the Danube to everyday life in Budapest.
30:53But there's more.
31:03A secret, hidden out of view.
31:10A shaded pool is hard to spot.
31:19But for two scientists, it's an ancient wonder that connects the Danube to the last ice age.
31:36To explore it, Dr. Gergay Ballage and Dr. Danish Siebert need to put on specialized equipment as they prepare to
31:49enter a cave that is completely filled with fresh water.
32:06The Molnar Janosch caves only started to be explored in the 1950s with the invention of suitable diving equipment.
32:19We have this busy city on top of it, but the cave is an ancient thing.
32:28Crystal clear water, filtered through rock over millennia, stretches for almost four miles right under Budapest.
32:43And there is more to be discovered with each dive.
32:47Some of the passages here are huge.
32:50And the water is so clean that you don't even see that you are in the water.
32:57So you are just flying through these huge spaces.
33:05The caves offer unique opportunities for the scientists.
33:10You see things which no one had seen.
33:13You make measurements which no one had the opportunity to make.
33:21This is pure exploration.
33:26Working here does not come without risk.
33:33I think what's special about cave diving is that if everything goes fine, you don't feel the danger.
33:43Because you are just swimming around in a beautiful environment and you are weightless and it's all quiet.
33:54And you have to remind yourself that this is not your environment.
33:58You need all this equipment to survive there.
34:03And I think you have to remind yourself all the time that it doesn't matter how you feel now.
34:08It can change in a second.
34:10Despite the challenges, the scientists have already begun to unlock the secrets of these waters.
34:20Concluding that over 200,000 gallons of water a day flows imperceptibly through these caves.
34:30And in Budapest, there can only be one destination.
34:35There is an obvious connection.
34:39The cave feeds a lake, which through a channel under the Lukács bath.
34:47The water of this lake is flowing directly into the Danube.
34:57A hidden tributary joining the Danube on its great journey downstream.
35:11Here in Hungary, the Danube's waters may seem slow and sluggish.
35:19But they still have the ability to conjure up moments of wildlife magic.
35:28On one of its middle tributaries, there's an animal that produces one of the most spectacular natural events on Earth.
35:48The freshwater scientist Dr. Bela Kish is trying to find some of them.
35:59Bela monitors the population of an insect that hides underwater for up to three years.
36:07But to do that, he has to dive down over ten feet to the riverbed.
36:37It might not look like much.
36:48But in a few months, these larvae will transform themselves to become one of the largest mayflies in the world.
37:00For just a few days in June, when the water temperature rises, they begin to hatch.
37:15First, the males take flight.
37:27For some, life is very short indeed.
37:47Soon, more and more appear from the water.
37:55Flying to the trees, where they will transform into sexually mature adults.
38:05There's no time to hang around.
38:08They have only three hours to live.
38:14And just one purpose.
38:17To find a female and mate.
38:26The search for newly hatched females begins a frenzied mating dance.
38:38The sky soon becomes thick with several million mayflies, all mating in groups.
38:46Once common in many parts of the Danube system, pollution and habitat loss mean this great event is becoming harder
38:55to find.
38:58But if you know where to look, it's an astonishing super swarm of life.
39:19As quickly as it began, this remarkable event is over.
39:33After a three-year wait, it's a short existence.
39:39But it's a life well lived.
39:43In just one day, they have flown, mated, and died.
39:59By this stage of its journey, the Danube has been joined by its major tributaries.
40:05The Drava, the Tiza, and the Sava.
40:14Combined, they almost triple its flow as it reaches its third and final capital city, Belgrade in Serbia.
40:26Over half a mile wide, discharging 1.5 million gallons per second, this now mighty river flows on towards the
40:40border with Romania.
40:43And one of the last great landmarks on its epic journey.
40:53The Iron Gate Gorge.
40:5790 miles long, yet shrinking to just 500 feet wide.
41:03For thousands of years, all traffic on the river had to pass this daunting gateway.
41:11The narrow gorge with towering cliffs was infamous for its dangerous rapids and whirlpools.
41:21Making passage in a boat extremely treacherous.
41:37But in the 1970s, this part of the Danube was changed forever.
41:46When engineers harnessed the river's power and created the Iron Gate's Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe.
41:58This giant feat of engineering produces 5.5 million megawatts of electricity relied upon by 25 million people in Romania
42:10and Serbia.
42:14A super structure that has had an impact on both people and the river.
42:26Below the dam, the Danube enters the lowlands of Romania and Bulgaria.
42:33In these waters, there is one group of animals that has been deeply affected by the man-made barrier upstream.
42:43A true monster of the deep.
42:47The sturgeon.
42:51Some species of sturgeon, such as the beluga, live for over 100 years and grow over 20 feet long.
43:00The size of a shark.
43:07But it's their eggs that have made them famous.
43:11Sold as luxury caviar and shipped around the world.
43:18As one of the major rivers draining into the Black Sea, the Danube is a vital spawning ground for sturgeon.
43:28But overfishing, pollution and the construction of dams, which have blocked them from their spawning grounds upstream,
43:37have hit the sturgeon hard.
43:42Now sturgeon are thought to be more critically endangered than any other group of species on the planet.
43:55For one person, their future is something worth fighting for.
44:01It's my passion.
44:03I want to do it all the time.
44:08Borislava Margaritova, a fish biologist working in Bulgaria,
44:15is trying to conserve the health of the Danube and its fish.
44:20Especially, four species of extremely rare sturgeon still found here.
44:27The Danube is the last river in the Europe that they spawn naturally.
44:37So we try to protect them because they are very rare now.
44:43Today, she's going out with her team to survey the river.
44:52We are on the river at five in the morning.
44:57And we work most of the time in the evening, time ten in the evening.
45:03It depends what we catch.
45:07Using nets, they hope to find some fish for their research.
45:13But in such a large river, and with a small team, it's not going to be easy.
45:20In nine years of doing this work, Borislava and her team have only ever caught six sturgeon.
45:28It's very difficult.
45:30You spend eight, nine hours on the river, on the boat, and you pick up the nets, and you see
45:39the empty nets.
45:41It's very frustrating for me.
45:45But there is always hope.
45:49And today is a very special day indeed.
45:54Yes!
45:56Oh!
46:00Come on!
46:01Come on!
46:03Come on!
46:05Come on!
46:05Come on!
46:06Come on!
46:09Come on!
46:10Come on!
46:10Incredibly, the team catched not just one sturgeon, but two.
46:15Come on!
46:18Smaller than the famous beluga, but no less precious.
46:23A sterlet sturgeon, between three and five years old.
46:30And a young, starry sturgeon, between five and seven years old.
46:35Woo!
46:37It's a huge result for the team.
46:40We tried to catch these specimens for months, so it's very rare, and we are looking at them.
46:48It's like when somebody has a birthday, and you have this present that you want for many, many years.
46:59And you have it, and it's not only one, you have a boat.
47:04They use their precious time with the fish to record important data.
47:09This is good.
47:11Including size and weight.
47:14And carefully attach tags, so they can monitor the fish's movements.
47:25The significance of this unique encounter is not lost on Borislava.
47:31The sturgeons are like a flagship on the Danube.
47:36So if the sturgeons are still here, we'll know that the river is healthy.
47:43There is a way to go.
47:48But for now, Borislava can celebrate this small victory.
48:03It's hoped that conservation efforts, like restocking and protecting migration routes,
48:09might just give these iconic fish a future.
48:24The Danube has finally arrived at the last stage of its epic journey.
48:32Saving the greatest surprise to last.
48:39The Danube Delta.
48:43Passing through Romania and Ukraine.
48:47This mighty river finally breaks free.
48:54At almost 2,000 square miles,
48:59this is the largest undisturbed wetland in Europe.
49:07A place that is only really accessible in one way.
49:13One of the main ways to be able to see the natural beauties of the Danube Delta
49:18is to travel around in boats that are very quiet.
49:24Sebastian Bugariu, a Romanian biologist,
49:31knows that you need to slow down
49:36to discover the secrets of the Delta.
49:41You can find very beautiful things in the Delta almost all the time.
49:48As the Danube opens out onto endless freshwater marshes
49:56and vast lakes covered in water lilies,
50:01it is at its wildest.
50:05One of Europe's least inhabited places.
50:14Still a very wild place.
50:17And due to the fact that it has been kept in a natural state
50:21for a very long period of time,
50:23it is the place where many bird populations have found a refuge.
50:35There are more than 300 species of birds here.
50:42The Delta is a globally important destination.
50:47Some migrating from as far away as Africa and Asia to breed.
50:58And one bird that has made the Danube Delta its own.
51:09The Great White Pelican.
51:13With 17,000 breeding pairs, this is the largest colony in the world outside of Africa, and
51:24their numbers are increasing.
51:27For just a few months, they'll nest here and feed on the Delta's bounty, working together
51:37in giant flotillas to feast on fish, a glorious spectacle at the end of the Danube's great
51:53journey before once more heading into the Black Sea and beyond.
52:04The Danube's waters have flowed through more countries than any river on Earth, through
52:12a continent separated by borders and changed by humanity.
52:18But despite these challenges, always finding a way to keep going, to inspire, to nourish,
52:27and even astonished, one continent connected and united by water.
52:52Next week on Rivers of Life, we head to the frozen north, to the Yukon River.
52:58In this land of extremes, the call of the wild is strong.
53:03Through the seasons, those living along the river may face many challenges, both old and
53:10new.
53:11The Yukon is the natural and spiritual heart of this great northern wilderness.
53:16The Yukon, America's legendary frozen river.
53:22Rivers of Life Season 2 is available on Amazon Prime Video.
53:27The Yukon River.
53:50The Yukon, America's legendary frozen river.