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An island world in the vast Pacific.
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A land of extreme contrasts.
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Hellishly hostile in some parts
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Idyllic in others.
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Where survival depends on wits, guts
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and a fair degree of luck.
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Cut off from the rest of the world.
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Life evolves differently here.
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Thriving or struggling in this temperamental paradise.
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A volcanic landscape
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that looks like the surface of the moon.
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It wasn't easy for life to colonize it.
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And yet, somehow, it did.
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Mighty ocean currents roll thousands of miles toward
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the Galapagos Islands.
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Often carrying some curious cargo.
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(quirky music)
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That's what happened to the ancestors
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of the Galapagos penguin.
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(wings flapping)
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The Humboldt Currents washed them here.
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All the way from Antarctica.
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Imagine their surprise.
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Black lava instead of white snow.
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They had a lot to learn.
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Lesson one, rocks can be as slick as ice
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but not so forgiving.
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The Galapagos penguins are the only penguins that
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can survive at this latitude.
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The Galapagos Islands lie around 600 miles off
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the coast of South America.
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Virtually on the equator.
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You would think the ocean would be very warm here.
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But, for six months of the year,
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the ice cold Humboldt Current surges up from Antarctica
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and bathes the islands.
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Once upon a time, it brought the penguins and it still
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keeps them alive.
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They're in good company.
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(splashing)
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(playful music)
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The ancestors of these baby fur seals were also delivered
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by the current.
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Life here isn't as heavenly as it looks.
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Even though they've been here for millions of years,
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they don't actually belong here.
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And that is about to get painfully obvious.
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The heat's too hellish to bear.
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So they hide beneath the lava sheets.
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Fur seals may look no different from other seals.
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But, their much thicker fur
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is suited for sub zero temperatures.
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Here at the equator, they are way overdressed.
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So, they sleep the day away.
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Waiting for the cool of the evening to go hunting.
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They're stuck working the night shift.
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Conditions on the Galapagos can be harsh,
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even for seasoned natives.
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A crisis is brewing for the island's largest reptile.
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The Galapagos Giant Tortoise.
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This time of year the cold waters do him no favors
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altering the weather.
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On Santa Cruz Island,
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not a drop of rain from July to December.
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This very old male, a veteran of these hard times
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can barely find anything to eat here.
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While he can go for prolonged periods without food,
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six months of no rain will push him past his limits.
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To avoid starvation, he needs to act fast.
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Something tortoises aren't known for.
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He sets out on an exhausting journey.
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As if by a secret signal,
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more tortoises join him on their annual migration.
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Over the millennia,
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they've beaten paths through the vegetation.
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But it never gets any easier.
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Their heavy, yard wide shells add to the journey's burden.
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Slow and steady wins the race.
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Keeping one step ahead of the coming drought.
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There's really no other way to heave several hundred pounds
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over a tree trunk.
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Migrating for days on end requires huge effort.
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And not all of them make it.
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Undeterred, the old male keeps going.
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Where will his journey take him?
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Now, the dry season has huge swaths
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of the island firmly in its grip.
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No rain, no gain.
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Only one plant has the power to shrug it off.
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The mangrove.
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Dangling its feet into the salty sea it thrives
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and forms lagoons.
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Mangroves have evolved
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to take what they need from the ocean.
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Drinking it in with salt filtering roots.
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And giving Galapagos animals a rare and generous shelter.
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It's the nursery ground for fish.
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And the dining table of the lava heron.
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He succeeds only when the tiny fish are densely packed.
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He's not the only hunter here.
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Something strange lurks just below the surface.
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Penguins.
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An unusual sight among the tropical mangroves.
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The penguins exiled from Antarctica had to adjust.
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The warmer warmer shrank these tuxedos.
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Today, they're no bigger than ducks.
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Learning how to hunt here remains a challenge.
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The heron doesn't appreciate these polar castaways
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competing for his meal.
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(quirky music)
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The heron needn't worry, they're not very good at it.
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The speedy fish keep guarding among the mangrove roots.
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One of the penguins tries to drive them to the center
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of the lagoon.
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(quirky music)
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It works.
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Until it doesn't.
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Those tantalizing little fish are just too fast.
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The heron couldn't be happier.
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The commotion corralled his prey right where he wanted it.
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Evolution has pushed these penguins to the very limit
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of their survival.
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Conditions are so extreme that fewer than 500 remain.
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Another of the Galapagos's flightless birds
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isn't faring much better.
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In fact, it wasn't flightless until it came to this island.
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By picking this paradise,
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the Galapagos cormorant found itself grounded for life.
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Over the generations,
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it's body grew while it's plumage plummeted.
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Today, at three feet tall he's the biggest
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cormorant on earth.
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At least, up and down.
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Not side to side.
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So, unlike most cormorants that deftly fish from the skies,
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the Galapagos cormorant has to wing it.
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With food nearby, he doesn't need to travel.
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He fishes right from his doorstep.
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If only he didn't have to walk everywhere.
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While evolution took away the cormorants flight suit,
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it gave him the perfect diving gear.
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Its small wings reduce drag in the water.
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And it's giant feet work like an outboard motor.
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The cormorant's enormous size lets it dive deeper
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and for longer than any other sea bird.
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As hard as he tries, it doesn't seem to be his day.
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After a short rest, he'll try again.
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The Galapagos Islands provide him
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with all he needs to survive.
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Courtesy of his humble servant, the Humboldt Current.
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Not only the cormorants,
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all seabirds benefit from the cold flow.
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Even albatrosses who can go practically anywhere travel
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thousands of miles to come here.
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The nutritious waters infuse the Galapagos with life.
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Isolated in the middle of the Pacific,
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the island oasis has one of the largest populations
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of fish in the world.
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It's both a haven and a hunting ground.
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Microorganisms attract small fish.
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And then, come the big fish.
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And then, even bigger fish.
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Hammerhead sharks in huge schools
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spend their honeymoon here.
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And even the biggest fish on the planet, the whale shark,
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drops by to say hello.
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The Humboldt Current is the engine
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that drives all marine life.
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While it brings paradise to the sea,
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it can also bring hell on earth for some island residents.
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The island of Plaza is habitat for the hardy.
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Even though the undemanding land iguanas have no predators,
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they get pushed to their limits here.
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In this hellish, dry season,
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even their main source of food
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presents a devilish challenge.
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The prickly pear's thick skinned leaves are full of water.
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Easy picking for a small finch.
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An angel in disguise.
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For the iguanas, unreachable.
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They're waiting for a miracle.
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Bellies empty, they sit and watch the cactus finches
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having their fill of the forbidden fruit.
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It's almost too much to bear.
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Then, their prayers are answered.
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Salvation at last.
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But the single leaf won't feed them all.
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The competition brings out their worst.
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Some forget about the food and pick fights instead.
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(thrilling music)
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The situation leaves almost no one satisfied.
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The tough, rainless season
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keeps the iguana population in check.
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Out of options, they'll have to wait for months
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until the rains finally come.
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On Plaza island, finches are the iguanas best friend.
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But, on the Galapagos most remote island,
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they play the villain.
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Hundreds of miles from the other islands,
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Wolf Island has very little vegetation
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and no drinking water.
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Not a problem for the Nazca boobies.
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They've adapted to find everything they need in the ocean.
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The island's isolation provides another advantage.
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Boobies are the unchallenged kings of Wolf.
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Sounds like paradise.
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(quirky music)
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If you're a little finch with a ghoulish appetite.
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She's a blood sucker.
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The razor sharp beak of the vampire finch can pierce the
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skin with surgical precision.
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Its ancestors probably started out pecking for parasites.
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Drew blood, and developed a taste for it.
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Her victim barely notices.
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The skillful finch minimizes the bleeding to prevent
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the booby from bolting.
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And she's persistent.
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One thirsty vampire finch is almost tolerable if she doesn't
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overstay her welcome.
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Or draw a crowd.
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The finches need to take turns or their lunch will fly off.
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But not everyone is willing to wait.
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Eventually, their host has had enough.
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Get off my back.
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For boobies and finches,
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life on this island paradise comes at a cost.
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Neither resident has to worry about predators
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or even competitors.
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But the vampire finch owes its life
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to the long suffering boobies.
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And the boobies have to be willing
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to shed a little blood now and then.
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It's a small price to pay to live in Wolf Island's
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peculiar peaceable kingdom.
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It's not so different for the giant tortoise.
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He also pays a price for the promise of paradise.
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As he negotiates his way out of the dry forest
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and into the greenery,
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he's still not quite out of the woods.
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His shell is burdensome.
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The vines are oppressive.
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Every step is an effort.
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On this island, that both protects him and torments him
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as he pursues his singular goal.
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While the Galapagos Islands hold many inhabitants hostage,
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these sea lions stay here voluntarily.
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Around two million years ago,
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a couple of Californian sea lions lost their way
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and ended up on the island.
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They stayed here, multiplied,
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and their descendants became a new species.
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The Galapagos sea lion, the smallest in the world.
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When the ocean water turns cold,
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it's time to care for the offspring.
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This little one is only a few days old
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but already very agile.
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(cute music)
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She'll need to hunt every couple of days to ensure
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she has enough milk for her baby.
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It means, she'll have to leave her pup behind.
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The little one with no one to play with hopes to make
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new friends among his fellow sea lions.
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But they apparently have enough friends already.
264
00:30:59,024 --> 00:31:00,907
(snarling)
265
00:31:00,907 --> 00:31:05,293
Once the female realizes she's not her baby,
266
00:31:05,293 --> 00:31:08,043
she wants nothing to do with him.
267
00:31:12,748 --> 00:31:15,665
The bewildered pup beats a retreat.
268
00:31:21,197 --> 00:31:23,008
(wailing)
269
00:31:23,008 --> 00:31:26,925
Without his mother, he's completely on his own.
270
00:31:29,757 --> 00:31:31,590
When will she be back?
271
00:31:38,764 --> 00:31:40,079
On a different shore,
272
00:31:40,079 --> 00:31:43,292
a male cormorant uses this time of ocean abundance
273
00:31:43,292 --> 00:31:44,792
to start a family.
274
00:31:49,437 --> 00:31:51,854
It begins with nest building.
275
00:31:56,701 --> 00:31:59,284
And the love birds' first spat.
276
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,787
They disagree on the decorating.
277
00:32:07,373 --> 00:32:09,956
(quirky music)
278
00:32:19,739 --> 00:32:21,572
It's a common problem.
279
00:32:22,476 --> 00:32:26,559
The neighbors argue over where to place the bone.
280
00:32:36,364 --> 00:32:39,209
(squawking)
281
00:32:39,209 --> 00:32:41,341
With all furnishing questions solved,
282
00:32:41,341 --> 00:32:44,584
they move on to family planning.
283
00:32:44,584 --> 00:32:47,251
(playful music)
284
00:33:04,305 --> 00:33:06,972
It's giving the neighbors ideas.
285
00:33:21,521 --> 00:33:24,785
Cormorants don't mate for life.
286
00:33:24,785 --> 00:33:26,991
After the female lays her eggs,
287
00:33:26,991 --> 00:33:29,658
she won't stick around for long.
288
00:33:30,927 --> 00:33:35,710
The father will have to raise the chicks on his own.
289
00:33:35,710 --> 00:33:39,460
He has no idea how difficult things will get.
290
00:33:41,525 --> 00:33:44,290
But meeting the challenge of raising the next generation
291
00:33:44,290 --> 00:33:47,290
is what brings stability and change.
292
00:33:54,112 --> 00:33:57,529
And that includes the oldest inhabitants.
293
00:34:02,816 --> 00:34:05,838
After days of traveling through the brittle forest,
294
00:34:05,838 --> 00:34:10,005
the male tortoise finally reaches his destination.
295
00:34:12,142 --> 00:34:13,809
A glistening lagoon.
296
00:34:25,052 --> 00:34:28,469
He'll spend the night sleeping in a pool.
297
00:34:40,465 --> 00:34:42,210
When he wakes the next morning,
298
00:34:42,210 --> 00:34:45,379
it's easy to see why the Galapagos giant tortoises go
299
00:34:45,379 --> 00:34:48,129
to such great efforts to migrate.
300
00:34:52,033 --> 00:34:56,116
He's arrived in a dense forest of Scalesia trees.
301
00:34:58,768 --> 00:35:03,087
Where the vegetation soaks up water like a sponge
302
00:35:03,087 --> 00:35:06,587
and blankets the extinct volcanic craters.
303
00:35:14,662 --> 00:35:18,829
The forest remains the only oasis on these islands.
304
00:35:20,385 --> 00:35:24,031
A gift from the cold ocean current.
305
00:35:24,031 --> 00:35:27,891
While it sends the lowlands into a drought,
306
00:35:27,891 --> 00:35:31,055
it brings life into the highlands.
307
00:35:31,055 --> 00:35:33,536
It's the season of the garua,
308
00:35:33,536 --> 00:35:35,619
a moist, persistent mist.
309
00:35:41,504 --> 00:35:44,624
Up here is where the Galapagos giant tortoises
310
00:35:44,624 --> 00:35:46,291
find their paradise.
311
00:35:49,393 --> 00:35:52,893
After their long trip, many are exhausted.
312
00:36:00,428 --> 00:36:03,428
The male enjoys the tender greenery.
313
00:36:06,915 --> 00:36:10,688
But he didn't come here just for the salad.
314
00:36:10,688 --> 00:36:12,188
He's here for her.
315
00:36:16,979 --> 00:36:19,562
(pretty music)
316
00:36:38,786 --> 00:36:41,786
(breathing heavily)
317
00:36:47,122 --> 00:36:50,513
He's following in the footsteps of his ancestors.
318
00:36:50,513 --> 00:36:53,832
For millennia they've made the same arduous
319
00:36:53,832 --> 00:36:57,499
annual trek to mate in these lush highlands.
320
00:37:02,232 --> 00:37:05,352
But escaping to paradise is only an option on the
321
00:37:05,352 --> 00:37:07,769
Archipelagos younger islands.
322
00:37:10,936 --> 00:37:13,656
Here, big differences in altitude
323
00:37:13,656 --> 00:37:16,073
create a variety of habitats.
324
00:37:24,825 --> 00:37:28,632
The older islands have lost their volcanic mountains
325
00:37:28,632 --> 00:37:32,799
and have no lush island for animals to migrate to.
326
00:37:38,327 --> 00:37:40,614
The giant tortoise on EspaƱola Island
327
00:37:40,614 --> 00:37:42,781
had to compensate somehow.
328
00:37:46,117 --> 00:37:47,623
To reach more leaves
329
00:37:47,623 --> 00:37:50,956
it learned to really stick its neck out.
330
00:37:56,472 --> 00:37:59,991
The shell evolved a curve to give the reptile more
331
00:37:59,991 --> 00:38:01,324
freedom to move.
332
00:38:02,871 --> 00:38:06,760
The saddle shaped shell, Galapagos in old Spanish,
333
00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:10,510
gives the tortoise and it's islands its name.
334
00:38:20,456 --> 00:38:23,223
Though the tortoise goes to great lengths to eat,
335
00:38:23,223 --> 00:38:26,806
once the leaves are gone, he's out of luck.
336
00:38:27,817 --> 00:38:30,650
He'll have to wait for new growth.
337
00:38:36,872 --> 00:38:41,111
On the beach, the sea lion pup is tired of waiting.
338
00:38:41,111 --> 00:38:43,778
His mother's been gone for days.
339
00:38:47,707 --> 00:38:50,707
Starved for milk, he's growing weak.
340
00:38:53,128 --> 00:38:55,378
She'd better get back soon.
341
00:39:08,232 --> 00:39:09,860
That's not his mother.
342
00:39:09,860 --> 00:39:12,527
It's the alpha male of the herd.
343
00:39:19,589 --> 00:39:23,422
He controls a harem of around a dozen females.
344
00:39:24,918 --> 00:39:28,585
As sea lions go, that's not very impressive.
345
00:39:30,921 --> 00:39:34,840
In his ancestral home in California he might guard
346
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,408
twice that many.
347
00:39:36,408 --> 00:39:40,650
But here on the Galapagos life is more laid back.
348
00:39:40,650 --> 00:39:43,067
Even by California standards.
349
00:39:44,214 --> 00:39:46,339
And like his California cousins,
350
00:39:46,339 --> 00:39:50,506
there's always time to catch a little surf action.
351
00:39:54,344 --> 00:39:55,564
But look out,
352
00:39:55,564 --> 00:39:59,731
the male is hardly gone before a beach bully rolls in.
353
00:40:03,638 --> 00:40:07,305
An outside male who wants to take his harem.
354
00:40:09,559 --> 00:40:12,559
(suspenseful music)
355
00:40:19,224 --> 00:40:23,781
The drama has caught the little guy's interest
356
00:40:23,781 --> 00:40:26,531
and the harem leader's attention.
357
00:40:30,886 --> 00:40:32,303
Not on his watch.
358
00:40:36,436 --> 00:40:39,186
(exciting music)
359
00:40:41,830 --> 00:40:44,080
(snarling)
360
00:40:48,959 --> 00:40:52,162
The reigning male kicks sand in the bully's face and
361
00:40:52,162 --> 00:40:53,662
sends him packing.
362
00:40:56,993 --> 00:41:00,591
These battles happen from time to time on the Galapagos.
363
00:41:00,591 --> 00:41:01,774
But in California,
364
00:41:01,774 --> 00:41:05,857
fights like this break out dozens of times a day.
365
00:41:08,011 --> 00:41:10,844
The alpha bull enjoys his victory.
366
00:41:14,670 --> 00:41:18,837
The starving pup no longer distracted has reached his limit.
367
00:41:41,471 --> 00:41:43,471
(barks)
368
00:41:45,163 --> 00:41:46,746
Is that his mother?
369
00:41:48,701 --> 00:41:50,082
(barks)
370
00:41:50,082 --> 00:41:50,915
Yes.
371
00:41:53,250 --> 00:41:55,250
(barks)
372
00:41:56,270 --> 00:41:59,083
(barks)
373
00:41:59,083 --> 00:42:01,248
But how to catch her attention?
374
00:42:01,248 --> 00:42:03,248
(barks)
375
00:42:06,989 --> 00:42:08,989
(barks)
376
00:42:13,950 --> 00:42:17,117
He summons his last ounce of strength.
377
00:42:32,763 --> 00:42:37,094
Life is tough everywhere but the Galapagos sea lions have
378
00:42:37,094 --> 00:42:40,136
found their paradise right here.
379
00:42:40,136 --> 00:42:44,299
Unlike many inhabitants they could leave at any time
380
00:42:44,299 --> 00:42:45,549
but they don't.
381
00:42:48,042 --> 00:42:50,012
In this remote place,
382
00:42:50,012 --> 00:42:52,454
they face less competition and have
383
00:42:52,454 --> 00:42:55,037
more time to bask on the beach.
384
00:42:57,771 --> 00:43:00,438
(waves lapping)
385
00:43:04,315 --> 00:43:06,125
Elsewhere on the Galapagos,
386
00:43:06,125 --> 00:43:09,375
the cormorant chicks are coming of age.
387
00:43:12,028 --> 00:43:16,195
They've spent weeks in their nests slurping down free meals.
388
00:43:19,536 --> 00:43:21,619
Now, those days are done.
389
00:43:29,071 --> 00:43:31,355
Mother left to start a new family.
390
00:43:31,355 --> 00:43:35,522
Leaving dad to push the chicks into the real world.
391
00:43:37,082 --> 00:43:39,415
(squawking)
392
00:43:42,296 --> 00:43:45,963
The older chicks have gathered by the water.
393
00:43:46,973 --> 00:43:50,214
For them, it's not a question of learning to fly.
394
00:43:50,214 --> 00:43:53,381
But figuring out how to swim and dive.
395
00:43:56,877 --> 00:43:59,294
The father starts the lesson.
396
00:44:06,268 --> 00:44:09,307
From now on he'll only serve food in the water
397
00:44:09,307 --> 00:44:11,557
forcing the chicks to swim.
398
00:44:17,691 --> 00:44:21,608
It's like riding a bike, keep moving your legs.
399
00:44:32,539 --> 00:44:34,372
Easier said than done.
400
00:44:38,798 --> 00:44:42,798
Instinct tells them to flap their useless wings.
401
00:44:47,899 --> 00:44:51,149
Dad's not happy and withholds the fish.
402
00:44:53,611 --> 00:44:56,111
But the chick really wants it.
403
00:45:01,471 --> 00:45:03,638
And he's not the only one.
404
00:45:08,731 --> 00:45:10,981
A magnificent Frigate bird.
405
00:45:17,596 --> 00:45:21,263
These pirates of the air can't swim or dive.
406
00:45:26,472 --> 00:45:28,972
They steal most of their food.
407
00:45:33,705 --> 00:45:37,288
For the young hungry chick, a tough lesson.
408
00:45:40,056 --> 00:45:41,306
Second attempt.
409
00:45:44,653 --> 00:45:47,653
(suspenseful music)
410
00:46:15,314 --> 00:46:19,481
Fathers have only a few weeks to train their chicks.
411
00:46:20,642 --> 00:46:23,725
Growing up in the Galapagos is tough.
412
00:46:25,020 --> 00:46:26,994
In fact, so tough,
413
00:46:26,994 --> 00:46:31,161
only around a thousand of these cormorants exist.
414
00:46:36,962 --> 00:46:39,800
Conditions here can only sustain a small population
415
00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:41,133
of many animals.
416
00:46:43,139 --> 00:46:44,472
Even underwater.
417
00:46:50,307 --> 00:46:54,785
Tropical islands are normally bejeweled with corals.
418
00:46:54,785 --> 00:46:56,202
Not on Galapagos.
419
00:46:59,920 --> 00:47:03,271
Only small reef oases exist here.
420
00:47:03,271 --> 00:47:05,521
The water is just too cold.
421
00:47:07,441 --> 00:47:10,358
A challenge for coral connoisseurs,
422
00:47:12,064 --> 00:47:14,064
the guinea fowl boxfish.
423
00:47:17,021 --> 00:47:20,678
It uses its strong teeth to break open small pieces
424
00:47:20,678 --> 00:47:24,511
and eat the algae that grows inside the coral.
425
00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:34,087
And in the process leaves the coral with a carpet of scars.
426
00:47:39,344 --> 00:47:42,261
It's the only food the boxfish eat.
427
00:47:49,204 --> 00:47:52,908
So this reef dweller is found in very few locations
428
00:47:52,908 --> 00:47:54,658
across the Galapagos.
429
00:48:00,464 --> 00:48:04,131
This little coral garden is its gilded cage.
430
00:48:13,086 --> 00:48:17,253
The vampire finches are also prisoners of paradise.
431
00:48:21,105 --> 00:48:23,520
And though they eat only blood,
432
00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:26,528
once a year they make an exception.
433
00:48:26,528 --> 00:48:28,278
Eggs are on the menu.
434
00:48:32,368 --> 00:48:34,951
(quirky music)
435
00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:43,293
A booby has left its clutch.
436
00:48:52,862 --> 00:48:54,529
But how to open one?
437
00:48:58,411 --> 00:49:02,578
The finch's fine flesh piercing beak is useless here.
438
00:49:06,527 --> 00:49:09,027
They wily bird hatches a plan.
439
00:49:31,515 --> 00:49:35,015
Her efforts quickly draw hungry neighbors.
440
00:50:00,641 --> 00:50:03,558
(fast paced music)
441
00:50:43,426 --> 00:50:46,843
The finches will fight til the last drop.
442
00:50:51,487 --> 00:50:54,051
On this island with no water to drink,
443
00:50:54,051 --> 00:50:56,801
a juicy egg is a golden treasure.
444
00:51:02,757 --> 00:51:06,975
The vampire finches are no different from so many other
445
00:51:06,975 --> 00:51:10,058
inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands.
446
00:51:14,545 --> 00:51:16,212
Thrown here by fate.
447
00:51:17,436 --> 00:51:20,704
Facing a slim chance of survival in this remote part
448
00:51:20,704 --> 00:51:21,984
of the world.
449
00:51:21,984 --> 00:51:25,067
They made the best of it by adapting.
450
00:51:31,646 --> 00:51:34,396
The result, a thriving Galapagos.
451
00:51:37,776 --> 00:51:41,276
A small but vibrant and peculiar paradise.
452
00:51:43,488 --> 00:51:47,238
A testament to the great power of evolution.
33917
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