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(BIRD CALLING)
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♪
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For most of European history,
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Ireland was the very edge of
the world.
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A remote green land
looking out into the abyss.
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The great ocean
that stretched into eternity.
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And off Ireland's north and west
coasts,
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were the most
extreme places of all.
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Rocky citadels that were
the very first
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to face the Atlantic storms.
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♪ (MUSIC SURGING)
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Whoa!
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These savage islands
were sought out
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by a handful of humans
looking for God and refuge.
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And by wild creatures
in search of shelter and food.
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♪ (TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC)
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My name is Eoin Warner
and I've spent my life
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travelling the length of Ireland
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in search of its
precious wild places
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and the elusive animals that
make them their home.
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(SEAL CRYING)
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(ANIMALS ROARING, CRYING)
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But I've always
wanted to explore
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the most remote places of all
and on this journey
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I'll be sailing out
into the Atlantic -
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to the hidden worlds
on Ireland's Wild Islands.
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(BELLOWING)
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(BIRDS CALLING)
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(WATER GURGLING)
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♪ (UP-TEMPO MUSIC)
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Fair Head on a fair day.
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Fair Head is a giant wedge
of volcanic rock,
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on the coast of Northern Ireland
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and about as far from home
as I can get on this island.
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For I grew up in West Cork
on Ireland's southern tip
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and this far north
is unknown country to me.
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But I'm not travelling alone.
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I'm travelling with a saint
- Naomh Sinach.
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Naomh Sinach Mac Dara
is the patron saint
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of seafarers in Connemara.
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He has power over the wind
and on this little voyage,
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I need all the help I can get.
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Barely 25 kilometres
from Scotland,
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this is where my journey begins.
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From here I'll head west
into the setting sun,
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exploring the wild islands off
Ireland's north coast
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before turning due south and
down our Atlantic seaboard,
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ending my trip
in more familiar territory,
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the southern rocks and islands
of my home County Cork.
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But that's a long way off yet.
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The very first step
on my Atlantic journey
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is Rathlin Island.
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♪ (TRADITIONAL MUSIC)
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Rathlin is the largest island
off Ireland's northern coast.
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With over 40 shipwrecks
on the seabed round here,
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It's no wonder it ended up with
not one,
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but three lighthouses.
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Away from the coast,
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Rathlin has a sheltered,
gentle personality.
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00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,200
But head to the north side
of the island
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and it's a very different story.
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Up here you'll find
one of Ireland's
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most spectacular wildlife
spectacles.
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The sea stacks
and bird cliffs of Kebble.
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(MID-TEMPO MUSIC ON FIDDLE)
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(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
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Rathlin Island is a beacon
for seabirds
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from all over
the North Atlantic.
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(LONG, DRAWN-OUT SQUAWK)
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For there is one time
in the year,
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when these open ocean
dwellers need dry land.
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(CHORUS OF SQUAWKING)
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(FURIOUS SQUAWKING)
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There's over a quarter
of a million seabirds
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00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,240
nesting around Rathlin Island.
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(BIRDS CALLING, SQUAWKING)
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It's just... fizzing.
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The place is fizzing
with energy.
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Like... it's just magnificent.
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What I've really come here
to see,
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are the baby guillemots.
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And one of the most
dangerous leaps of faith
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undertaken by any animal
on the planet.
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(WAVES CRASHING)
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00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,880
The first three weeks
of their lives
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are spent on tiny ledges,
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trying not to fall off.
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(LOUD CAWING, SQUAWKING)
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But then the day comes
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when Mum's behaviour
suddenly changes.
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She stops feeding her chick
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and as it gets
hungrier and hungrier,
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she tries to lure it
to the edge.
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There's only one problem.
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The chicks can't fly.
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(MUSIC DARKENING)
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These little balls
of fat and fluff,
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00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,480
they're coming to the edge,
they're looking over it
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nervously. And you can
see in their little faces
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how vulnerable they feel,
101
00:06:32,239 --> 00:06:34,599
how... how scared they are
to face that huge jump.
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00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,080
The chick's mother keeps
encouraging him to the edge.
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(WAVES CRASHING)
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It's over 100 metres
to the water.
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From the waves below,
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his father calls up
to reassure him.
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(WAVES CRASHING)
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00:07:04,959 --> 00:07:07,959
Finally, the moment of truth.
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♪ (MUSIC PLAYING)
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♪ (MUSIC DARKENING)
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But his troubles
aren't over yet.
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After the biggest jump
of his life,
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00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,200
now he must now swim
for his life.
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(WATER ROARING)
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(SHRIEKING, CALLING)
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♪ (MUSIC BUILDS AGAIN)
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(BIRD CRYING)
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(YELPING)
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Many don't make it.
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(SQUAWKING)
121
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(SING-SONG CALLING)
122
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(CHIRPING)
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Others land among
the rocks below.
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Unharmed but not out of danger.
125
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Here,
they're extremely vulnerable
126
00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:46,400
and are an easy meal
for the gulls.
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00:08:49,519 --> 00:08:51,559
From the water,
her father calls.
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Desperate to make contact.
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(INSISTENT CHIRPING)
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She hears him and calls back.
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♪ (HOPEFUL MUSIC ON BANJO)
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(CHIRPING)
133
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♪ (MUSIC PLAYING)
134
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(WAVES CRASHING)
135
00:09:33,519 --> 00:09:36,799
Finally she makes it
to the water.
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00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,680
That very tender moment,
it's just special
137
00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,160
when you see them just going
off, facing into the open ocean.
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00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,040
Two little black dots on top
of the cresting waves.
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00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,400
♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS ON BANJO)
140
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Many chicks jump in the dark,
141
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when there's less chance
of being attacked by gulls.
142
00:10:09,919 --> 00:10:11,679
So the jumping continues
143
00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,200
all through these short
summer nights.
144
00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,080
(GENTLE CHIRPING)
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00:10:28,639 --> 00:10:33,119
But come late July,
the cliffs are falling quiet.
146
00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:35,800
The last jumplings heading out
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00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:38,359
for their very first winter
at sea.
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(WATER LAPPING)
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Rathlin is believed to be
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00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,880
the very first Irish island
to be settled by humans,
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with the earliest pioneers
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crossing over from Scotland
8,000 years ago.
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00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:15,839
Rathlin was at the very heart
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00:11:15,959 --> 00:11:18,639
of the ancient Gaelic kingdom
of Dál Riada,
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encompassing the coast of Antrim
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and the west coast of Scotland.
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And it's had
a really chequered history.
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00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,360
It's been a place of refuge
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00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:30,920
but also a place of massacre.
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00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:32,840
It was here on Rathlin Island
161
00:11:32,959 --> 00:11:36,959
that the Vikings
first attacked Ireland in 795.
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00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:38,920
And to add insult to injury,
163
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they use it as a base then
to control the Irish Sea.
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If these cliffs could speak.
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(BIRDS CALLING)
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I'm on the hunt
for a shape-shifter...
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.. a witch in deep disguise.
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Mists, caves and lakes
were gateways
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to the Celtic underworld.
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00:12:24,199 --> 00:12:26,279
Through these portals,
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female spirits could enter
our world,
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and take the form
of this animal.
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The Irish hare.
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♪ (LIVELY MELODY ON FLUTE)
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00:12:42,599 --> 00:12:44,399
Ever since I've been a child,
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I've loved that intimate moment
that you have with a hare
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00:12:47,239 --> 00:12:52,399
when you accidentally flush it
from its form, from its nest.
178
00:12:52,519 --> 00:12:55,479
And then you reach down
and you can touch and feel
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00:12:55,599 --> 00:12:57,559
the shape of the hare.
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You can feel their warmth.
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♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES)
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Superstitions apart,
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00:13:08,879 --> 00:13:10,799
it is something very special
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00:13:10,919 --> 00:13:14,279
to see these beautiful creatures
on an island, off an island,
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off the far edge of Europe.
186
00:13:23,639 --> 00:13:25,559
Birds can fly to Rathlin,
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00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:28,800
but creatures of the Earth
had to find another way.
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♪ (MUSIC BUILDS TO STOP)
189
00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,919
But maybe they're not
creatures of this Earth.
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In Irish mythology,
witches turned into hares
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so they could creep up on cows
192
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and steal their milk and butter.
193
00:13:48,199 --> 00:13:50,919
And shadowing the cows
in these fields,
194
00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,400
is a very strange beast indeed.
195
00:13:56,199 --> 00:13:59,239
The Golden Hare of Rathlin.
196
00:14:02,599 --> 00:14:04,479
♪ (MAGICAL SOUNDING MELODY)
197
00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:12,040
The very first Golden Hare was
seen here in the 1970s.
198
00:14:14,279 --> 00:14:16,239
Some jumble of genetics
has given Rathlin
199
00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,360
a truly unique animal
200
00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,960
found nowhere else
on the planet.
201
00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:29,399
And there's something so regal
and noble about any hare,
202
00:14:29,519 --> 00:14:32,559
but to see a Golden Hare
standing on its back legs,
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00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,880
almost sizing you up
204
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,360
and those striking blue eyes
are just fantastic.
205
00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,160
A blonde bombshell
of Rathlin Island.
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00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,760
And just for that moment
you have that connection
207
00:14:48,879 --> 00:14:50,879
and then they're gone.
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00:14:54,639 --> 00:14:56,439
♪ (MUSIC QUIETENING)
209
00:15:01,559 --> 00:15:03,599
(FLAPPING)
210
00:15:04,959 --> 00:15:07,239
(ROPE KNOCKING ON BOAT)
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00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,400
During both world wars,
212
00:15:16,519 --> 00:15:20,039
these northern waters
became critical shipping lanes
213
00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:22,880
between America
and the Allies in Europe.
214
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,800
German U-boats
lurked everywhere.
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00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,240
Huge numbers of ships were lost
216
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,240
as torpedoes and bad weather
took their toll.
217
00:15:37,959 --> 00:15:40,479
♪ (MYSTERIOUS MELODY ON PIANO)
218
00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,800
The Lochgarry was
a troop transport ship
219
00:15:54,919 --> 00:15:56,919
that sank in 1942
220
00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,480
when she hit rocks off Rathlin.
221
00:16:03,319 --> 00:16:05,879
23 lives were lost on that day.
222
00:16:10,319 --> 00:16:15,199
Further west, HMS Audacious
lies more than 60 metres down.
223
00:16:16,319 --> 00:16:19,919
She hit a German mine in 1914.
224
00:16:22,839 --> 00:16:25,879
Her giant guns, now silent.
225
00:16:28,879 --> 00:16:31,839
These wrecks are a magnet
for marine life.
226
00:16:34,839 --> 00:16:38,119
Coal fish, Catshark and lobster
take every advantage
227
00:16:38,239 --> 00:16:41,519
of the countless nooks and
crannies on offer.
228
00:16:44,839 --> 00:16:48,239
In death, the ships bring
new life to these waters.
229
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,440
(WATER LAPPING)
230
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,080
Saying goodbye to
the northwestern end of Rathlin.
231
00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,520
Saying goodbye
to the little jumplings.
232
00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,680
I'm really happy to have
the first island under my belt
233
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,760
and to have the summer sun
in my face,
234
00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,720
it's just a great,
it's a great start.
235
00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,440
That's if the wind picks up
and I actually start to move.
236
00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,640
So I can eventually leave
Rathlin Island behind me.
237
00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,320
At the rate I'm going,
I'm probably gonna end up
238
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,080
in Scotland
rather than in Inishtrahull.
239
00:17:41,919 --> 00:17:44,879
Inishtrahull is my next island
240
00:17:44,999 --> 00:17:48,079
and lies just off the most
significant landmark
241
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,000
on this entire stretch of coast.
242
00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:57,120
Malin Head - the northern tip
of mainland Ireland.
243
00:18:02,319 --> 00:18:05,319
Legend has it that the waters
off Malin Head
244
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,000
would fill with
so many sea serpents
245
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:11,800
that you could walk over their
backs to the islands offshore.
246
00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,160
In recent years there have been
curious sightings here,
247
00:18:18,279 --> 00:18:20,439
suggesting there
could be some truth
248
00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:22,640
behind this massing of monsters.
249
00:18:26,639 --> 00:18:28,479
♪ (GENTLE MELODY PLAYING)
250
00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,280
Once hunted
to the edge of oblivion,
251
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,800
some old friends have returned.
252
00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,520
(MUFFLED SPLASH)
253
00:18:44,639 --> 00:18:46,999
I've seen many strange
animals in my life,
254
00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:49,400
but these giants have swum
255
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,760
straight out
of prehistoric times.
256
00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:02,080
Basking sharks have hardly
changed in 35 million years,
257
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,000
so they must be doing
something right.
258
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:15,120
Basking sharks are the second
biggest fish on the planet.
259
00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,480
And they survive on some
of the smallest life
260
00:19:21,599 --> 00:19:23,799
in the ocean
- plankton -
261
00:19:23,919 --> 00:19:26,599
sieving 2,000 tonnes
of water an hour
262
00:19:26,719 --> 00:19:29,039
through their giant gills.
263
00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:39,720
I've been trying to swim
with basking sharks for years,
264
00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,760
and every year,
they've eluded me.
265
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,880
I've always been a day too late.
266
00:19:43,999 --> 00:19:46,079
And it's unbelievable
when you see
267
00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,400
how incredibly large they are.
268
00:19:51,959 --> 00:19:55,519
In spring, they appear like
phantoms off the west coast
269
00:19:55,639 --> 00:19:59,359
and then slowly work their way
northwards through the summer.
270
00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,560
slow being the operative word.
271
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,320
But very occasionally,
for reasons unknown,
272
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,280
they get notions.
273
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,520
They head for the sky.
274
00:20:12,679 --> 00:20:14,519
♪ (MUSIC BUILDS)
275
00:20:17,639 --> 00:20:20,759
This breaching behaviour
is very rarely seen
276
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,880
and, like so much about them,
little understood.
277
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,680
♪
278
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,520
It was always thought
279
00:20:37,639 --> 00:20:41,479
that basking sharks overwintered
out in the deep Atlantic.
280
00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:43,879
But recent research
has cast new light
281
00:20:43,999 --> 00:20:46,519
on their hidden lives.
282
00:20:46,639 --> 00:20:48,919
Many spend the winter
just off Ireland,
283
00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:54,039
but in black water down
a thousand metres or more.
284
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,480
Others head west to America,
285
00:20:56,599 --> 00:20:59,079
or south to Africa and beyond.
286
00:21:09,279 --> 00:21:12,759
Inishtrahull is coming up
on my port side
287
00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,800
and with it has come the wind.
288
00:21:15,919 --> 00:21:18,279
And along with it,
a decent swell,
289
00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,000
so I'm kind of surfing
and sailing at the same time.
290
00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,640
Woo, this is fun.
291
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,040
(CHUCKLING)
292
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,000
Oh my God. Woohoo.
293
00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,160
Wahey!
294
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,160
The rocks that make up
Inishtrahull
295
00:21:41,279 --> 00:21:45,119
are a third as old
as the planet itself.
296
00:21:45,239 --> 00:21:47,559
1.6 billion years,
297
00:21:47,679 --> 00:21:49,959
the oldest rocks in Ireland.
298
00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:54,920
(BIRD CHIRPING)
299
00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,159
On a day like today I couldn't
think of a nicer place to be,
300
00:21:59,279 --> 00:22:02,119
but in the heart of winter,
the darkness, the wind,
301
00:22:02,239 --> 00:22:04,079
the wildness,
302
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,480
it must have been
a raw rock to live on.
303
00:22:11,319 --> 00:22:14,559
So the last island I was on,
Rathlin,
304
00:22:14,679 --> 00:22:16,799
it's still got
that manicured feel
305
00:22:16,919 --> 00:22:18,839
because people are living on it.
306
00:22:18,959 --> 00:22:20,959
And funny,
when you're walking through
307
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,460
the little houses around here
and they're just crumbling away,
308
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,160
you can see that
as soon as people leave,
309
00:22:26,279 --> 00:22:28,759
nature takes over and bit by bit
310
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,080
our mark on the landscape
just begins to fall away.
311
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,000
It just starts to feel wild.
312
00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:42,880
Until 1929, up to 80 people
lived on Inishtrahull,
313
00:22:42,999 --> 00:22:46,279
scraping an existence
through farming and fishing.
314
00:22:49,919 --> 00:22:52,999
Today Inishtrahull is deserted.
315
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,000
(BIRDS CALLING)
316
00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,440
Sometimes I think
we look for wild places,
317
00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,360
but realistically there's
very few wild places left.
318
00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,760
You know, the touch
of humans are everywhere
319
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,840
and I'm starting to think now
that it's not wild places,
320
00:23:18,959 --> 00:23:21,199
it's people-less places,
321
00:23:21,319 --> 00:23:23,199
places where
there are no humans.
322
00:23:23,319 --> 00:23:25,239
That's what makes it different.
323
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,359
That's what gives us that
strange, I suppose wild magic.
324
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:33,920
(BIRD CALLS ECHOING)
325
00:23:34,039 --> 00:23:36,159
(SPLASHING)
326
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,800
These are Eider ducks -
327
00:23:43,919 --> 00:23:47,919
source of those most famous
of all feathers - Eider down.
328
00:23:50,679 --> 00:23:53,199
Eiders are Arctic birds,
329
00:23:53,319 --> 00:23:56,159
found all around the world
at northern latitudes.
330
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,280
I love their calls -
331
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,840
it's like they're constantly
surprised to see each other.
332
00:24:03,959 --> 00:24:06,279
(COOING, EXCITED CALLING)
333
00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,320
In spring,
the gaudy males display
334
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,400
for the attention of the ladies,
335
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,160
fighting rivals and
showing off their wares
336
00:24:15,279 --> 00:24:17,639
to the far less
colourful females.
337
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:22,320
(LOW, FUNNY CALLING)
338
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,720
A fleeting affair,
and the job is done.
339
00:24:41,719 --> 00:24:43,519
(BIRD SQUAWKING)
340
00:24:49,239 --> 00:24:51,399
Because these islands are
uninhabited,
341
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,360
there's no ground mammals
like rats or foxes
342
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,480
to predate the eggs
and that's why they choose
343
00:24:55,599 --> 00:24:57,719
these out of the way places.
344
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,640
♪
345
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,400
They have this really cosy
eider down
346
00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,440
underneath
their breast feathers.
347
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,520
She plucks these feathers
from her breast
348
00:25:12,639 --> 00:25:14,679
just to line her nest.
349
00:25:16,999 --> 00:25:19,199
I think when any of us
think of being in a nest,
350
00:25:19,319 --> 00:25:21,919
we think of something
that's really comfy and cosy,
351
00:25:22,039 --> 00:25:24,959
but there's nothing
as cosy I'd say,
352
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,600
as being in
an eider duck's nest.
353
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,800
Literally these ducklings
354
00:25:30,919 --> 00:25:33,639
have the bed of a king
underneath them.
355
00:25:38,279 --> 00:25:41,559
Mother duck will sit on the eggs
for nearly a month
356
00:25:41,679 --> 00:25:44,239
and won't feed
in that entire time.
357
00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:47,159
She may leave briefly
to get a drink,
358
00:25:47,279 --> 00:25:49,199
maybe once a week.
359
00:25:49,319 --> 00:25:52,039
Otherwise she just sits tight,
360
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,720
minding her precious cargo.
361
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,680
Through thick and thin.
362
00:26:00,679 --> 00:26:02,559
(WATER SPRAYING)
363
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,340
Like imagine sitting in
one place for nearly a month,
364
00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,999
without eating.
That ultimate sacrifice
365
00:26:08,120 --> 00:26:11,000
to hold back,
to give the next generation
366
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:14,680
the best chance of survival.
That to me is really beautiful.
367
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,480
(WAVES CRASHING)
368
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,400
Coming to this island
has been like a pilgrimage
369
00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:25,320
but also a waiting game,
370
00:26:26,239 --> 00:26:28,879
waiting to see
the ducklings when they hatch.
371
00:26:28,999 --> 00:26:30,839
And for that
you just need patience.
372
00:26:30,959 --> 00:26:33,119
And ever since
I've been a child,
373
00:26:33,239 --> 00:26:35,879
that's one thing that nature
has taught me
374
00:26:35,999 --> 00:26:38,719
and that is just patience.
375
00:26:43,919 --> 00:26:46,359
(WAVES CRASHING)
376
00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:49,120
At nighttime myself,
377
00:26:49,239 --> 00:26:51,679
when I'm lying by the ocean,
378
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,840
it's the most beautiful lullaby.
379
00:26:53,959 --> 00:26:55,919
And that's exactly the lullaby
380
00:26:56,039 --> 00:26:58,399
that these eider ducklings
are listening to
381
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,800
as they develop
within the shell.
382
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,760
(ROARING AND CRASHING
OF THE OCEAN)
383
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,040
♪
384
00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,240
This is a remote island,
385
00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,599
but on the horizon is a reminder
386
00:27:17,719 --> 00:27:20,479
that the surrounding waters
are a strategic highway
387
00:27:20,599 --> 00:27:22,599
between east and west.
388
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,520
A huge nuclear submarine
from God knows where,
389
00:27:26,639 --> 00:27:28,639
is heading out to sea.
390
00:27:31,039 --> 00:27:33,759
(HARP PLAYING SYNCOPATED TUNE)
391
00:27:42,279 --> 00:27:44,519
These little guys,
as soon as they hatch,
392
00:27:44,639 --> 00:27:47,199
they're able to swim
and they're even able to dive.
393
00:27:47,319 --> 00:27:49,799
That's no good to you
if you're sitting on dry rock
394
00:27:49,919 --> 00:27:52,799
or on grassland, you need
to get down to the waves.
395
00:27:52,919 --> 00:27:55,399
You need to get down
there as soon as possible.
396
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,639
♪ (MUSIC RESUMES)
397
00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:11,080
The first day of
these little ducklings' lives
398
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:12,880
is their most challenging day.
399
00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:15,999
And almost ironic when you think
400
00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:17,920
that the safest place
for those ducklings
401
00:28:18,039 --> 00:28:20,239
is in the crashing waves
down below.
402
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,000
(SQUAWKING)
403
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:28,920
When they're in the open, that's
when they're most vulnerable
404
00:28:29,039 --> 00:28:31,959
to predators from the air,
to black-backed gulls.
405
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,680
(LOUD, ANGRY SQUAWK)
406
00:28:39,719 --> 00:28:42,519
But to watch that
really careful procession
407
00:28:42,639 --> 00:28:44,679
down through these rocks
408
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,240
to reach those crashing waves
is something to behold.
409
00:28:47,359 --> 00:28:51,679
And I really hope she makes it
because she has put the time in.
410
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,240
(GULL CRYING)
411
00:29:06,959 --> 00:29:08,959
♪
412
00:29:11,599 --> 00:29:14,279
They tend to nest
in small, loose colonies,
413
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,520
and when all the ducklings
are hatched together,
414
00:29:16,639 --> 00:29:18,919
they form
these little nurseries.
415
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,840
(COOING)
416
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,500
They're the cutest little sight
when you see them all together,
417
00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:29,520
a whole raft of ducklings.
418
00:29:31,359 --> 00:29:33,479
A little playschool
amongst the waves,
419
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,200
learning about life.
420
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,080
(GENTLE MELODY ON VIOLIN)
421
00:29:49,639 --> 00:29:51,919
(OCEAN ROARING)
422
00:29:54,919 --> 00:29:57,799
Such a lovely end
to my time in Inishtrahull
423
00:29:57,919 --> 00:30:00,559
to watch the sun going down
over the Tór Rocks -
424
00:30:00,679 --> 00:30:03,039
the most northerly part
of Ireland.
425
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,160
Ireland is a pretty small place,
426
00:30:14,279 --> 00:30:16,719
barely 500 kilometres
top to bottom.
427
00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,440
But it's remarkable
the difference
428
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,520
that 500 kilometres makes.
429
00:30:21,639 --> 00:30:24,359
Up here feels almost
Arctic to me.
430
00:30:27,319 --> 00:30:30,239
It's midsummer and
the sun both rises and sets
431
00:30:30,359 --> 00:30:32,839
in open sea to the north.
432
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,000
There's just three
or four hours of darkness
433
00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,720
and even then
it's not complete darkness.
434
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,160
Sail into the setting sun
435
00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:47,679
and the next stop is Greenland.
436
00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:52,480
At certain times of the year,
437
00:30:52,599 --> 00:30:54,599
the night skies here
can come alive
438
00:30:54,719 --> 00:30:56,799
with the northern lights.
439
00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:59,520
♪ (LULLABY MUSIC)
440
00:31:07,959 --> 00:31:10,959
A very different world
for a southern lad like me
441
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,240
a long way from home.
442
00:31:19,239 --> 00:31:20,959
(WATER LAPPING GENTLY)
443
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,200
(BOAT ROCKING)
444
00:31:29,359 --> 00:31:33,119
A whole pod of dolphins just
skipped right under the boat.
445
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,560
♪ (MELLOW MUSIC)
446
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,280
♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES)
447
00:32:07,279 --> 00:32:08,919
♪ (MUSIC FADES)
448
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,600
This boat is a Galway hooker -
449
00:32:12,719 --> 00:32:16,199
a classic traditional boat that
for hundreds of years
450
00:32:16,319 --> 00:32:19,399
was used to transport goods
along Ireland's west coast
451
00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,600
and out to the islands
off-shore.
452
00:32:25,279 --> 00:32:27,559
She was built in the late 1800s.
453
00:32:27,679 --> 00:32:30,959
140 years old
and doing very well
454
00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:33,040
for such an old girl.
455
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,920
It's like sailing through
a picture.
456
00:32:47,639 --> 00:32:49,479
And you rarely get days
like this,
457
00:32:49,599 --> 00:32:52,959
where you've got sunlight,
the perfect wind...
458
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,260
It's consistent and it's even
blowing in the right direction
459
00:32:55,279 --> 00:32:57,679
and I'm getting
a straight line into Tory.
460
00:33:00,639 --> 00:33:03,679
Tory Island, the furthest of all
the inhabited islands
461
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:05,680
off the coast of Ireland.
462
00:33:08,999 --> 00:33:10,839
♪
463
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,720
In ancient times,
Tory was a pirate's den,
464
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:29,360
ruled by a one-eyed God king
called Balor of the Evil Eye.
465
00:33:35,239 --> 00:33:38,799
It was on this magnificent crag
- Tor Mór,
466
00:33:38,919 --> 00:33:41,639
that he imprisoned
his only daughter Eithne,
467
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,840
for a Druid's prophecy foretold
that if she had a son,
468
00:33:44,959 --> 00:33:47,039
he would kill Balor.
469
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,040
Today part of the headland
is still called "Dún Bhaloir" -
470
00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:56,880
Balor's fort.
471
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:06,000
(BIRDS CRYING)
472
00:34:14,999 --> 00:34:16,799
(SHARP-WHISTLE LIKE CALLS)
473
00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,560
Walking down these laneways
474
00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:25,239
and you're just bathed
in bird song.
475
00:34:25,359 --> 00:34:28,679
Meadow pipits, skylarks,
red shanks, lapwings.
476
00:34:29,919 --> 00:34:33,759
It's almost like a warm duvet
of sound around you
477
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,240
on a summer's day.
478
00:34:36,359 --> 00:34:37,999
(DETERMINED TRILLING)
479
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,840
First settled 4,500 years ago,
480
00:34:47,959 --> 00:34:51,319
today around 120 people
live on Tory.
481
00:34:53,679 --> 00:34:56,759
While tourism is one of
the islanders' mainstays,
482
00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,640
peak holiday season
is a while away yet.
483
00:35:01,319 --> 00:35:03,839
But some important visitors
have arrived.
484
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,120
And their annual stay has made
Tory internationally famous.
485
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,320
They've flown from Africa
486
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,240
and will spend
the next four months on Tory
487
00:35:14,359 --> 00:35:17,119
before heading south again
for the winter.
488
00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,679
Elusive in the extreme...
489
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,480
.. you'll be lucky to catch
a glimpse.
490
00:35:23,319 --> 00:35:25,559
But you will always hear them.
491
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:34,880
(CREAKING-LIKE CALL)
492
00:35:35,919 --> 00:35:37,759
(CREAK-CREAK)
493
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,360
Once their calls echoed
494
00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,880
the entire length of Ireland's
Atlantic seaboard.
495
00:35:45,999 --> 00:35:47,879
But no more.
496
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,680
(CREAKING NOISE)
497
00:35:57,959 --> 00:36:01,359
The Corncrake is now threatened
with extinction In Ireland.
498
00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,720
Once, so many came here,
they were uncountable.
499
00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:11,119
But like all of these
little local populations,
500
00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:14,119
they're on an absolute
knife edge.
501
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,040
13 males made it this year...
502
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,440
to try and find a female
503
00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,240
and ensure the survival
of their kind.
504
00:36:24,359 --> 00:36:26,199
(CORNCRAKE CRYING)
505
00:36:35,359 --> 00:36:39,559
Night and day this male calls
for a mate.
506
00:36:40,999 --> 00:36:44,079
But have any made it
out of Africa alive?
507
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,000
His hard work finally pays off -
508
00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:55,160
a female appears.
509
00:36:55,279 --> 00:36:58,879
With an elaborate display,
and some choice gifts,
510
00:36:58,999 --> 00:37:00,959
he tries to woo her.
511
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,720
So rare and elusive
are these birds here,
512
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,440
that as far as we know,
this is the first time
513
00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,000
their mating behaviour has ever
been filmed on these islands.
514
00:37:17,999 --> 00:37:20,079
♪ (MAJESTIC MUSIC)
515
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,400
Once mating has taken place,
516
00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,920
the male moves on
to search for other partners,
517
00:37:37,039 --> 00:37:40,079
while the female is left
to fend and nest for herself.
518
00:37:47,279 --> 00:37:50,119
(DISTANT TRILL OF OTHER BIRDS)
519
00:37:51,319 --> 00:37:53,279
(RUSTLING)
520
00:37:56,919 --> 00:37:58,999
Mowing fields
with modern machinery
521
00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:02,960
is one of the main reasons for
the Corncrake's downfall.
522
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,120
In past times,
the hand-cutting of meadows
523
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:07,639
later in the season
allowed the birds
524
00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,360
ample time to nest
and rear their young.
525
00:38:12,999 --> 00:38:15,199
And one thing we've really
learned from the Corncrake,
526
00:38:15,319 --> 00:38:17,159
and particularly
in the initiatives
527
00:38:17,279 --> 00:38:19,599
in trying to protect them -
is that agriculture and nature
528
00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:22,559
don't have to be
mutually exclusive.
529
00:38:22,679 --> 00:38:25,399
We just have to think of our
agriculture in a different way
530
00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:28,520
and understand and believe
that this isn't our land,
531
00:38:28,639 --> 00:38:30,879
that we're actually sharing
it with nature.
532
00:38:31,639 --> 00:38:33,639
And I suppose
it's really important
533
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,040
that we can still hear
these birds because,
534
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:40,360
it reminds us of what we had
and what we can have again.
535
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,640
(CORNCRAKE CALLING)
536
00:38:51,959 --> 00:38:53,639
(DISTANT BIRD SOUNDS)
537
00:38:58,999 --> 00:39:00,759
(WATER LAPPING)
538
00:39:05,039 --> 00:39:07,959
I'm just coming up
along the Donegal coast
539
00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,960
and there's a whole
flock of Gannets
540
00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:14,440
and they are just like daggers
spearheading into the ocean.
541
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,480
(SPLASH)
542
00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:20,520
And it is spectacular,
543
00:39:20,639 --> 00:39:22,399
the way they fold back
their wings
544
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:24,960
to make themselves
so aerodynamic
545
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,880
and then they just spearhead
into the water.
546
00:39:27,999 --> 00:39:31,119
The perfect 10 out of 10
Olympic dive every single time.
547
00:39:35,279 --> 00:39:36,879
(GANNETS CALLING)
548
00:39:37,359 --> 00:39:39,599
(CALLING GATHERS PACE)
549
00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:41,239
(SPLASH)
550
00:39:41,359 --> 00:39:43,319
The place is just fizzing
with life and you can...
551
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,560
.. you can just sense it
in the air.
552
00:39:45,679 --> 00:39:47,959
And then you just sail through
it and out the other end
553
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:51,200
and it's just calm,
deep blue again.
554
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,680
♪ (UP-TEMPO TECHNO MUSIC)
555
00:40:02,039 --> 00:40:04,039
It's great to finally finish
556
00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,560
the first leg of my journey
557
00:40:06,679 --> 00:40:08,719
after coming along
the north coast
558
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,080
and in the top northwest
part of the country.
559
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:12,920
So heading south,
560
00:40:13,039 --> 00:40:15,999
and getting closer to Cork and
closer to home all the time.
561
00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:22,919
The one thing that is
instantly recognisable
562
00:40:23,039 --> 00:40:25,519
when you get
to the north Mayo coastline
563
00:40:25,639 --> 00:40:28,879
is that this is big country.
564
00:40:32,039 --> 00:40:34,479
♪ (UP-TEMPO TRADITIONAL MUSIC
ON FIDDLE)
565
00:40:37,919 --> 00:40:39,839
And it's made all
the more spectacular
566
00:40:39,959 --> 00:40:43,079
when you have the full weight
of Achill Island laid out
567
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:45,920
across the sea before you.
568
00:40:46,919 --> 00:40:49,039
And the most spectacular part
569
00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:53,120
are the cliffs of Cruachán
mountain over 2,200 feet high.
570
00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:56,719
The highest cliffs
in the country.
571
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:01,880
This is Mayo's best kept secret.
572
00:41:04,999 --> 00:41:07,199
♪ (DESCENDING NOTES ON FLUTE)
573
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:20,479
Achill, the largest Irish island
of all.
574
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,920
A true Atlantic fortress.
575
00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:35,600
Before the Great Famine
of the 1840s,
576
00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:39,319
almost 5,000 people
lived on Achill.
577
00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,159
Today barely half that number
578
00:41:43,279 --> 00:41:45,919
lives in small settlements
and isolated houses
579
00:41:46,039 --> 00:41:49,159
concentrated along the south
and east coasts of the island.
580
00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:58,200
Most of Achill is farmland,
581
00:41:58,319 --> 00:42:00,759
open bog and high mountains.
582
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:04,560
(GULL CRYING)
583
00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,800
Achill may be magnificent,
584
00:42:10,919 --> 00:42:13,159
but it's also bare.
585
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,440
The island was once covered
in native forest,
586
00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,560
but over thousands of years,
that was completely cleared,
587
00:42:20,679 --> 00:42:24,959
leaving the vast open hills and
bog lands we see today.
588
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,600
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
589
00:42:30,679 --> 00:42:34,519
But tiny pockets of deciduous
woodland still exist here -
590
00:42:34,639 --> 00:42:38,079
planted by wealthy landowners
in the 1800s.
591
00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:43,240
(BIRDSONG)
592
00:42:46,919 --> 00:42:48,679
There's a real magical contrast
593
00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:51,760
when you leave the windswept
landscape of the island
594
00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,320
and you enter this other world.
595
00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,400
It's great.
596
00:43:00,279 --> 00:43:02,559
The lovely rolling notes
of wood pigeons
597
00:43:02,679 --> 00:43:04,999
and the melodic calls
of blackbirds and wrens.
598
00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:09,840
But then suddenly,
the atmosphere changes...
599
00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:13,600
(CAWING)
600
00:43:14,279 --> 00:43:16,679
.. and the songs become
alarm calls.
601
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:18,880
Those initial calls
to let everyone know
602
00:43:18,999 --> 00:43:21,199
in the woodland
that the predator's nearby.
603
00:43:22,599 --> 00:43:24,839
(TRILLING, CAWING)
604
00:43:30,999 --> 00:43:32,799
And then she just appears,
605
00:43:32,919 --> 00:43:35,399
bursts onto the scene,
this ball of energy.
606
00:43:36,599 --> 00:43:38,319
But you only get
a glimpse because,
607
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:40,720
one thing about stoats is that
they're always on the move.
608
00:43:44,319 --> 00:43:47,319
And every so often they'll stop
to get a better vantage point.
609
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:49,560
And the first thing
that you spot
610
00:43:49,679 --> 00:43:52,039
are those beautiful alert eyes,
611
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:56,440
black shiny pools of mischief.
612
00:43:57,919 --> 00:44:00,079
♪ (LIVELY, PUNKY TRADITIONAL
MUSIC)
613
00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:09,640
This mother is collecting moss
614
00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,000
to keep her kits warm somewhere
deep underground.
615
00:44:16,039 --> 00:44:18,239
♪ (MUSIC RESUMES)
616
00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:23,079
But they'll need more than
moss to keep them going.
617
00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:33,320
I've been watching her now
for several hours
618
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:37,440
and every so often she returns
back with another prey item,
619
00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,240
another sacrificial victim.
620
00:44:46,279 --> 00:44:48,199
A wild Irish stoat like this
621
00:44:48,319 --> 00:44:51,079
has to use every tool
in its toolbox.
622
00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:53,120
They've somehow adapted to use
623
00:44:53,239 --> 00:44:55,119
all the skills
that a hunter must have.
624
00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:57,719
They can climb trees to steal
eggs and nestlings.
625
00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:01,120
They can swim. The only thing
they can't really do is fly.
626
00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:04,519
And even at that they can jump
huge distances.
627
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:12,720
And it's all the more poignant
when you think
628
00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,520
how little woodland
like this we have left,
629
00:45:15,639 --> 00:45:17,559
that these little pockets
630
00:45:17,679 --> 00:45:20,439
where these animals have been
marginalised over centuries
631
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:23,040
are so, so important.
632
00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:26,680
These guys have been pushed
to the very extremes to survive.
633
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,280
And these are the survivors.
634
00:45:30,319 --> 00:45:32,359
They just need
a little help from us
635
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:34,440
and they'll do
the rest themselves.
636
00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:40,160
♪
637
00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:51,960
(DISTANT SOUND OF BREAKING
WAVES)
638
00:45:55,639 --> 00:46:00,879
I think the Irish language
found itself in this landscape.
639
00:46:02,039 --> 00:46:05,159
It evolved here in places
like this for millennia.
640
00:46:05,279 --> 00:46:09,239
Like even this place, Keem Bay
is "An Choim" in Irish,
641
00:46:09,359 --> 00:46:11,559
which is a hollow in a mountain,
642
00:46:11,679 --> 00:46:15,759
which perfectly describes what
this natural amphitheatre is.
643
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:26,280
Keem Bay, often voted one
of the world's most beautiful.
644
00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:30,760
But it's a bay with a dark side.
645
00:46:31,599 --> 00:46:33,439
(BIRD CALLING)
646
00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,880
For millennia, sharks have been
coming to this particular spot.
647
00:46:46,959 --> 00:46:49,279
But humans took advantage
of this,
648
00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:51,240
and this quiet,
serene looking bay
649
00:46:51,359 --> 00:46:53,879
for decades became the scene
650
00:46:53,999 --> 00:46:57,079
of the most successful basking
shark fishery in the world.
651
00:46:59,679 --> 00:47:04,919
Over 9,000 basking sharks were
killed here over 15 years,
652
00:47:05,039 --> 00:47:07,479
during the 1950s and 60s.
653
00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:13,240
During the height of the basking
shark fishery here in Keem Bay,
654
00:47:13,359 --> 00:47:16,199
there were 45 people employed
over three crews.
655
00:47:16,319 --> 00:47:18,799
Each one of them had a hut
and they fished 24 hours a day,
656
00:47:18,919 --> 00:47:21,039
right through the night.
657
00:47:25,359 --> 00:47:27,239
(DRAMATIC, MOURNFUL MUSIC)
658
00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:34,439
The focus of the crew was to
control the head,
659
00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:36,760
to keep away from the tail
660
00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:38,800
because that's where
the power was.
661
00:47:38,919 --> 00:47:41,159
That's where the huge
trashing of a fish
662
00:47:41,279 --> 00:47:43,839
that was 30 foot long,
4 tonnes in weight
663
00:47:43,959 --> 00:47:46,199
could upend a boat in no time.
664
00:47:50,239 --> 00:47:52,319
One old fisherman described how
665
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:54,640
once the eyes of the shark
rolled back
666
00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:57,760
and turned white,
that the job was done.
667
00:47:58,319 --> 00:47:59,879
(GUNSHOT)
668
00:47:59,999 --> 00:48:04,399
The awful violent end
of an animal
669
00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:06,520
that is so quiet, so serene,
670
00:48:06,639 --> 00:48:10,159
and that knows no predators
in these waters - except man.
671
00:48:17,959 --> 00:48:19,759
And after a few decades,
672
00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:21,880
the population
completely collapsed
673
00:48:21,999 --> 00:48:24,119
and the fishery disappeared.
674
00:48:24,239 --> 00:48:27,039
The last one was
only killed here in 1984.
675
00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:32,679
It's amazing how we as a species
676
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,360
have this sense
of a God-given right
677
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:39,520
to take from the environment
what we want.
678
00:48:40,679 --> 00:48:42,759
And when we single out
one particular species
679
00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:46,480
like the basking shark because
of its valuable oil to us,
680
00:48:46,599 --> 00:48:49,199
that we can almost hunt them
to extinction.
681
00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:56,560
Despite the fact
682
00:48:56,679 --> 00:48:59,039
that for decades
these sharks were hunted,
683
00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:01,840
they still come back
to this place.
684
00:49:01,959 --> 00:49:04,959
Nature has this amazing way of
wiping the surface clean,
685
00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:08,040
of cleaning itself
of that history.
686
00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:11,479
The curve of the coastline,
the high cliffs,
687
00:49:11,599 --> 00:49:13,839
whatever it is that draws
in the plankton in here,
688
00:49:13,959 --> 00:49:16,439
every summer like clockwork,
the sharks return.
689
00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:22,559
(GULLS CALLING)
690
00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:28,480
♪ (MUSIC)
49238
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