All language subtitles for Great Parks of Africa - 01x03 - 3 Eng

*

NARRATOR: In the northeastern
corner of South Africa

lies a land
of unparalleled beauty.

From pristine beaches
and vibrant coral reefs,

through lush wetlands and lakes,

to vast forests
and open plains...

each landscape
provides sanctuary

for a range of animals.

Known locally as "The Miracle,"
due to its beauty,

this is the magical world
of iSimangaliso.

These remote shores
lie nestled between

an ancient forest
and the Indian ocean.

They are beautiful
yet unpredictable.

For most of the year
they are relatively quiet.

But tonight
they have a visitor.

A female loggerhead turtle
hauls herself onto the shores

of iSimangaliso's
Bhanga Nek coastline.

She has traveled
the world's oceans to return

to this exact spot: the same
beach where she was born.

This is one of the few times
in her life

she will come onto land.

And she is here
for one special reason:

to start the next generation.

She slowly digs a nest
three feet deep in the sand

with her huge flippers.

This isn't an easy task.

She's out of her element,

exhausted
and at her most vulnerable.

But her whole life
has lead to this moment.

She slowly lays
around 100 eggs in the nest.

She will be lucky
if ten survive.

The sex of her hatchlings
will be determined

by how deep she buries her eggs.

The temperature
in loggerhead turtle nests

ranges from 79 to 90 degrees
Fahrenheit.

Eggs that are incubated
in cool conditions become males.

Those that develop at higher
temperatures become females.

The process is long and arduous,
taking hours to complete.

When she has finished laying,

she covers her eggs with sand
and returns to the sea.

She won't return to land until
she is ready to lay eggs again.

Her job is done.

There is a reason
why she swam great distances

to return to this coastline.

It's because of the sand
at the base of the dunes.

They're full of titanium ore,
which heats up under the sun,

turning the sand into
the perfect egg incubator.

Titanium ore is also
a hydrophilic agent,

meaning it attracts water,

ensuring the turtle eggs
never dry out.

This isn't only crucial
for loggerhead turtles,

it's vital
for the whole wetland.

When it rains,
water draining through the sand

is drawn to the titanium,

which slows,
the passing of moisture

through the water table.

As a result, the dunes store
huge amounts of rainwater,

which slowly seeps out,

nurturing the
surrounding forest.

These are some of the largest
and oldest forested dunes

in the world.

They form the eastern border
of South Africa's

first World Heritage Site and
most spectacular wetland park.

iSimangaliso,
the Zulu word for miracle,

so named for its beauty and
the miraculous abundance of life

found within its borders.

Eight interlinking ecosystems,

three major lakes,

and South Africa's most pristine
estuary form the heritage site.

iSimangaliso combines
dry savannah

and sumptuous reefs;

dense coastal forests

and untainted estuaries.

This incredible mix of habitats
supports a wealth of wildlife.

(screeching)

Families thrive,

bonds are strengthened

and enemies battle.

From the young...

to the old,

iSimangaliso provides
for all of those who live here.

The dune forests
of the Bhanga Nek coastline

are home to a special family.

(screeching)

Samango monkeys
are South Africa's

only exclusively forest dwelling
primate.

They're arboreal, which means
they live almost entirely

among the trees and spend
very little time on the ground.

They don't like strong sunlight

and seek shelter
among branches and leaves.

Their diet is largely made up

of fruit, leaves, insects,
and fungi.

And they have their favorites.

They depend
on the rich diversity of flora

found in Bhanga Nek.

As a result, this dune forest
in iSimangaliso

is one of the few in the world
that can support them.

Samango monkey troops
are like one large family.

The females in the troop
provide guidance for the young.

They start learning
how to survive in the forest

from when they are
just a few weeks old.

Youngsters learn
how to eat, climb, and groom

by watching their mothers.

When monkeys groom each other,

it releases endorphins
in their brains.

Endorphins
are the happiness chemical--

and they are addictive.

Most monkeys spend up
to 20% of their day grooming.

The rest is spent
traveling and foraging.

By watching and learning
from her mother,

this juvenile will one day
pass on what she has learned

to her own children.

The young become independent
after a couple of months,

but continue to nurse
for another two years.

(screeching)

But not every animal
in iSimangaliso

has such a rich childhood.

A very different approach
to rearing young

can be found further inland,
in the center of the park.

Spanning over
115 square miles,

St. Lucia is the largest
marine lake system in Africa.

Five rivers flow into it.

(thunder cracking)

When the rains are good,
the flow of fresh river water

lowers the lake's salt content.

But when the rains dry up,
the rivers stop flowing

and the level of the lake
can drop below the sea.

When this happens,
seawater flows in

to replace the lost fresh water,
producing a salt content

that can be three times higher
than the ocean.

Animals that can't cope
with this much salt perish.

But others adapt.

Like a small fish
that has an intriguing way

of coping with excess salt.

The tilapia is able to change
the workings of its gills

to match the salinity
of the surrounding water.

Gills are the organs
through which fish

extract oxygen from water.

In freshwater fish,
gills work to retain the salt;

in saltwater fish,
they expel it.

But the tilapia
has the unique ability to adjust

the receptors in its gills
to match its habitat.

As a result, it is just as happy
in both salt and fresh water.

But even for the tilapia,
life in St. Lucia is difficult.

They may not have to worry about
the changes in salt levels,

but they do have to worry
about these.

Crocodiles.

Growing up to 19 feet long,
and weighing more than
2,000 pounds,

with rows of razor sharp teeth,
there is little in iSimangaliso

that does not fear
these apex predators.

(birds cawing)

St. Lucia boasts
the largest breeding population

of crocodiles in South Africa.

And they've adapted
to living here

in an inventive
and unexpected way

They make burrows.

When water is scarce,
the crocodiles dig large holes

into the riverbanks.

By burrowing down
through the water table,

they are able to access
beds of fresh water

other animals can't tap into.

They have been doing this
for generations.

But unlike samango monkeys,

childhood
for iSimangaliso's crocodiles

is not a time of nurturing
or learning.

From the day it was born,
this baby has been on its own.

Left to fend for itself,

it hasn't been taught
what to eat or how to survive.

It's also had to face a constant
threat from hungry birds

and the ever-changing water.

But the ever-resilient crocodile
is full of surprises.

This is the first time
a hatchling crocodile

has been filmed underground
in St. Lucia.

Without being shown
where to go or what to do,

she has found an abandoned
burrow through instinct alone.

The hollow remains
at a constant temperature,

whatever the season.

The baby crocodile
will hide here

until the cover of darkness.

Then it will leave to hunt.

This is an amazing adaptation
for survival in iSimangaliso,

evolved by one of the planet's
heartiest survivors.

(thunderclap)

*

The hippopotamus doesn't have
such an ingenious method

for surviving in St. Lucia,
but it does provide

an invaluable service
that helps nourish the lake.

Hippos seem
big and clumsy on land.

But in water
it's a different story.

The name hippopotamus
is an ancient Greek word

meaning "river horse"--

a term linked
to their surprising speed

and grace underwater.

The river helps the hippo
in many ways.

The hippo's unique skin
structure causes it

to lose moisture at a higher
rate than most animals.

They lose water up to five times
quicker than humans.

This is because they have
a thick skin,

but no sebaceous glands--

the glands responsible
for regulating temperature.

Because of this, hippos rely
on water to keep them cool.

And the hippo repays the favor.

Especially in St. Lucia.

When the rains lessen,
the rivers flowing into

St. Lucia are weakened.

Rivers are responsible
for carrying nutrients

into the lake.

When the river's flow is weak,
fewer nutrients arrive.

That's where hippos come in.

They leave the lake at dusk
to graze.

When they've finished eating,

they return and deposit
masses of nutrient-rich dung

into the water.

It's a vital service,

one which helps maintain
a healthy ecosystem.

The majority of the hippo's
activities take place in water--

including mating.

Conception usually happens
during the dry season,

so that births may coincide
with the rains.

Courtship
is surprisingly gentle.

Females start conceiving
at around nine years old,

and will calf every two years
from then on.

These waters,
though temperamental,

are also a nursery
for some of the park's

most impressive residents.

Of all iSimangaliso's
ecosystems,

one has supported life
for far longer than most.

Beneath the waves is a
spectacular underwater world.

This is home to some of nature's
most beautiful...

bizarre...

and cunning creatures.

This is Sodwana,
an oceanic realm

in the northeast
of iSimangaliso.

The coral reefs
have grown on the remains

of ancient fossilized dunes.

It is estimated
that this stretch of reef

is at least 4,000 years old.

Sodwana is the culmination of
a special set of circumstances.

As the warm Aghulhas current
moves down from Mozambique,

it begins to cool
near St. Lucia.

At the same time,
sediment-rich rivers

flow into the Indian Ocean.

In order for the coral
to survive,

the water must stay between
60 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

No silt or detritus can
come through the inbound rivers,

and the water must be shallow
enough to receive nutrients

from the sun.

This abundance of life, though
beautiful, is temperamental.

There are 95 species of hard
and soft coral in Sodwana,

and they host
over 1,200 types of fish.

Among them, the serpentine
king of the ocean--

the honeycomb moray eel.

They are one of the largest
and most distinctive

of the moray family.

They wait in the reef
for any chance to snatch prey,

which they pry apart
with their razor sharp teeth.

And they aren't
the only predators

to scour Sodwana's warm waters.

Ragged-tooth sharks
hunt here, too.

Their teeth are long and slim,
like avenues of spikes.

There are three rows
of 40 to 50 teeth in each jaw

and these will be used on any
of the smaller prey in Sodwana.

They hunt in packs,
surrounding their prey.

They also eat each other.

While in its mother's womb,
the first shark to wake

will feed
on its brothers and sisters.

Only two sharks will survive
this cannibalistic start,

continuously feeding
on the unfertilized eggs

their mother produces
until their birth.

The ragged-tooth shark
also has the unusual ability

to alter its buoyancy
by swallowing or belching air,

staying at a desired depth
and expending minimal energy.

This incredible underwater haven
has endured because it exists

where little can threaten it.

Above the surface,
in the far north of the park,

is another species that also
partly owes its success

to its remote location.

This is a raffia palm.

At 52 feet tall,

it is one of the largest
palm trees in the world.

Its leaves spread
up to 32 feet wide,

and it has a flowering head
almost ten feet across.

Remarkably,
this tree will only flower once,

just before it dies.

When this happens, it scatters
its seeds all over the swamp.

These are palm nuts.

Only the raffia palm
produces them.

And they make up the main diet

of South Africa's
rarest breeding bird--

the palm nut vulture.

Unlike most vultures,

the palm nut vulture
prefers nuts to meat.

It is now largely vegan.

The only place it roosts is
at the top of the raffia palm,

and the only place in the world
where the raffia palm

grows naturally
is iSimangaliso's Kosi Bay.

(birds squawking)

Kosi Bay is one of the
few pristine estuarine systems

left in South Africa.

The soils here
are mainly leeched acid sands,

which means that almost no silt
is carried in when it rains.

This sets the Kosi estuary apart
from all others.

Its waters
are always crystal clear,

no matter what time of the year,
or when it has rained.

But iSimangaliso's most
surprising habitat lies inland,

away from the waters
of the Indian Ocean,

and is unlike anything else
in the park.

The savannahs of Mkuze support

many of Southern Africa's
most iconic animals.

These two old elephant bulls

have formed
a temporary alliance.

They have been walking
for many days with little rest.

Although they are
mainly solitary animals,

elephant bulls
occasionally travel together

in search of females and food.

In times of drought they will
also travel great distances

to find fresh water.

Elephants have
an astounding ability to detect

where and when it will rain.

To locate an isolated
rain shower,

they can travel
up to 24 miles.

On these journeys
they constantly feed,

dispersing seeds along the way.

Their nutrient-rich dung
provides the perfect conditions

for the seeds to germinate.

And protects them during
the early stages of growth.

As a result,
iSimangaliso's elephants

have an important influence
on how the savannahs appear.

They are the veldts'
most important gardeners.

In a land as diverse
as iSimangaliso,

collaboration is often
the only way to survive.

The cheetah is the fastest
land mammal on earth.

Outrunning one would be
difficult for any animal.

Outrunning two
is near impossible.

These brothers have developed

a unique collaborative
hunting method.

Teaming up for any species
is a delicate balance.

More allies
mean more mouths to feed.

For two animals
to live and work together,

it requires
a unique relationship,

one founded largely on trust.

Today it has worked.

The brothers have killed
a young zebra foal.

Its mother was unable
to protect it,

but the herd has chased the
cheetahs into a nearby thicket.

The brothers bide their time
for a chance to feed.

The mare nudges her foal
for a response.

But none comes.

A waiting game has begun.

The cheetahs can't have their
meal while the herd is there.

They are surprisingly vulnerable
for a big cat

and an adult zebra
poses a serious threat.

The mare knows
they are no match for her.

She protects her young,
even in death.

(grunting)

The rest of the herd
seems to share in her loss.

For three days and nights,
she guards the carcass.

Eventually, hunger forces
the cheetah brothers

to give up their kill.

They need to eat
and must hunt again.

Although she has suffered
a huge loss,

this mother has managed
to hold onto her offspring

for a little longer.

(vultures screaming)

But even the most resilient
mothers can do little

against an onslaught
of vultures.

There is nothing more
the herd can do.

It doesn't take long for the
scavengers to strip the carcass.

Since a meal is not a guarantee
in the savannah,

and competition is fierce,
vultures have developed

the ability to eat
incredibly quickly.

In as little as two minutes
they can consume

three pounds of carrion.

The more dominant
lappet-faced vultures

have priority over
the smaller cape vultures,

who must wait their turn.

Of all the species of vulture,
these giant birds are the kings.

Their powerful bills
can tear through

tougher bits of the carcass
that others can't access.

But white-necked ravens
pay little regard

to vulture hierarchy.

These opportunists
will take a chance

regardless of the size
of the competition.

The foal is a welcome meal
for all.

Life cycles
continuously play out

across iSimangaliso's
many landscapes.

And for every end,
there is a new beginning.

It's been 70 days since
the female Loggerhead turtle

visited these shores.

As her hatchlings
breach the sand,

they begin a hazardous journey
to the sea.

These young, vulnerable babies
begin life

with the biggest challenge
they will have to face.

They are most at risk now--

small, exposed and defenseless.

Not all will make it.

Predators like crabs take many

before they even
reach the water.

But against the odds,
some survive.

Those that do
will travel the world,

migrating across
thousands of miles of ocean

before returning to these
same shores in 30 years time

to deliver the next generation
of loggerhead turtles.

The beauty of iSimangaliso
is seen in the lifecycles

of those who live
in its many different habitats.

From its underwater havens

and pristine beaches,

to its immense plains and lakes,

iSimangaliso is a refuge
that shelters life

from its first steps
until its final moments.

Nurturing some of the
natural world's most iconic...

striking...

and adaptable characters.

It is a land as beautiful
as it is varied...

A "miracle" unlike any other.