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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: There are songs around
the world that rise up to be heard.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: Voices that unite
communities and cultures.
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This young humpback
will learn the power of such language.
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He'll connect to others...
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and broadcast loud, and long, and clear.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: But that's later.
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For now, he's a baby learning to speak.
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In whispers at first...
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with his mother.
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(whales vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY:
It is a tender language, of love...
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-commitment...
(whale vocalizing)
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...and sacrifice.
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(whales vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: This whale mother traveled
more than 4,000 miles,
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from Antarctica
to the warmth of the equator,
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to have her baby.
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Now, together, they will journey back.
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In all this time, she won't eat.
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Yet, her child drinks from her
all the way to the pole.
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It's an epic voyage with a purpose.
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To see if this baby has
what it takes to thrive.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: And to become
the singing sensation of a hidden world.
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{\an8}(whale screeching)
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Series brought to you by Sailor420
!!! Hope you enjoy the Mini-Series !!!
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SIGOURNEY: Only now are we beginning
to understand how much
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humpback whales are like us.
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They breathe air...
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have large brains...
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and big hearts.
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But they also have culture.
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Their world depends
upon educating their young,
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and sophisticated communication.
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(whale vocalizing softly)
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SIGOURNEY: And in at least one place,
they even foster special friendships.
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(music playing)
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SIGOURNEY: It's summer in Sitka, Alaska.
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Stand by for the spectacle of the season.
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(sea lions barking)
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SIGOURNEY: The sea lions know it's coming.
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(seagulls screeching)
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SIGOURNEY: And the gulls...
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they mark the spot.
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(whale vocalizing)
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(seagulls screeching)
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SIGOURNEY: Only about a hundred
Alaskan humpbacks
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can put on a show like this.
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(seagulls screeching)
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SIGOURNEY:
It's called bubble-net feeding.
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Each individual whale plays a role
in using bubbles to corral fish.
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Think of it like an orchestra.
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(orchestra music tuning)
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY:
First, there are trumpeters.
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(whale moans)
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They use sound
to scare herring into a group.
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY:
Then, herders bring them in closer.
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY: The final members
of the ensemble are bubblers.
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY:
They blow bubbles that force fish
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into tight balls near the surface.
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY:
They talk to each other to coordinate.
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(whale trumpeting)
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SIGOURNEY:
And then, the orchestra becomes a ballet.
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(whales bellow)
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SIGOURNEY: This is only a small part
of the real magic going on here.
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(seagulls screeching)
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These whales are not family.
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SIGOURNEY: Yet, every year,
they somehow find one another
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in the dark depths
of the Gulf of Alaska...
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and regroup like old friends.
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(seagulls screeching)
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SIGOURNEY:
Working solo is just as effective,
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but they've chosen to perform
as a group for decades.
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Only today, they have a dedicated fan
trying to track them down.
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National Geographic explorer,
and world-famous whale photographer,
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Brian Skerry.
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God, I love that. Love that.
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These giant animals, 43 feet long.
You know, 50, 70 tons.
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I would love to get an answer
for how it's all working
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and exactly what is going on down there.
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These are highly social animals,
maybe even more than we ever comprehended.
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SIGOURNEY: Brian spends weeks
trying to find and document
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this type of feeding.
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It's a sign that humpback whale clans
have a culture all their own.
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BRIAN: You know, these are not just
big fish swimming around in the ocean.
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There's a lot more cognition.
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There's social behaviors,
and they work cooperatively.
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They have formed these bonds,
these relationships.
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Clearly, there's a complexity
that's occurring on a very high level.
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(seagulls screeching)
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SIGOURNEY: This is just one ritual
in a unique whale society
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full of different traditions.
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And it all begins with communication.
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Scientist Andy Szabo has spent his life
gaining a deep understanding
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of humpback language.
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(whale trumpeting over headphones)
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-Listen to that.
-Yeah, I'd like to.
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(whale trumpeting over headphones)
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That's definitely a feeding call.
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BRIAN: That is wild.
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(whale continues trumpeting)
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That's that long, that...
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(Andy imitating whale trumpeting)
-Yeah, no kidding. Wow.
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(whales vocalizes, trumpeting)
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(deep bellowing)
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SIGOURNEY: If Andy interprets correctly,
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the whales will tell him
when and where they'll surface.
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(seagulls screeching)
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BRIAN:
Oh, they're gonna be right around us.
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Holy... Oh, my God!
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Oh, my God!
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Wow!
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(seagulls screeching)
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BRIAN: Oh, oh, oh.
Right here, beside us again!
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ANDY: Right there, right there.
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(camera shutter clicks rapidly)
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SIGOURNEY: These old friends
have been meeting up every year
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in this same place for decades.
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(camera shutter clicking)
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BRIAN: I can see the bubble net.
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Oh!
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ANDY: It's pretty cool.
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There's not a lot of animals out there
that have... enduring bonds
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like this that will persist for,
in the case of these whales right here...
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forty-plus years.
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BRIAN: Maybe, there is a social element
to this culture.
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Maybe these groups of whales
enjoy working together.
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When you see something
like this bubble-net behavior,
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I can't help but wonder,
"What's going on elsewhere in the world?"
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: The world's humpbacks
fall into three groups.
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The Atlantic and Pacific populations
stick to the Northern Hemisphere.
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Meanwhile, the Southern Ocean humpbacks
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take their social communications
to a whole different level.
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(whale vocalizes softly)
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There are lots of ways
for humpbacks to converse.
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Like people, a lot of their communication
is non-verbal.
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It's complex...
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and with humpbacks, way more spectacular.
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Off the coast of Western Australia,
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what's likely the world's
largest migration of humpback whales
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turns the water into a highway.
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(whales vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: They are all talking,
not only with words, but with actions.
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(whales bellowing)
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SIGOURNEY: Scientists used aircraft
to count as many as 30,000 humpbacks
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charging down the coast.
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They pass the west Australian
capital of Perth.
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And steam south towards Antarctica.
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(whales squeaking)
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SIGOURNEY:
They use breaches to talk to each other.
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(gentle music playing)
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SIGOURNEY: Underwater, the splash
can be heard for miles.
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Big leaps tell other whales
where they are,
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maybe even call them over.
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Just as common in whale chat
is fin slapping...
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and humpbacks have the largest fins
of any whale.
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It's like raising your hand
to attract a waiter.
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And it may be a way for this mother
to call over her calf.
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(calf vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: For the calf,
breaching is less about chat.
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It's pure play.
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A single calf may breach
as many as 40 times in a row.
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(calf vocalizing)
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And for this adult male,
it's more about attracting a mate.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: The bigger the splash,
the more he'll stand out.
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But his hulking 40-ton body
isn't enough on its own.
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He also needs to romance with a melody.
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(whale vocalizing)
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His is a special tune.
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(whale deep vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: Just a few months ago,
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each male was singing a song
from last year.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: During mating season,
males introduce variations.
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(whale rhythmic popping sound)
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Together, they craft a new number one hit.
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(whales vocalizing,
rhythmic popping sound)
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SIGOURNEY:
Then, all the male humpbacks join in
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and start singing the exact same tune.
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(whales vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: And where it goes from here
is one of the greatest communication feats
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on the planet.
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(distant whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: Somehow, it travels...
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and travels.
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Across a continent,
an incredible 3,000 miles.
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All at once, the male humpbacks
on the East Coast of Australia
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take up this new hit from the West.
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(whales vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: Soon, all the males
sing the exact same whale song...
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(whales vocalizing)
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...and this infectious tune
may spread even farther east.
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(dramatic music playing)
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SIGOURNEY: In the South Pacific,
there are 15 Cook Islands...
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some of the most remote places
on the planet.
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There are stories that male humpbacks
somehow use coral
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to boost their sound.
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National Geographic photographer
Brian Skerry
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heads down to see if he can capture
this behavior on camera.
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BRIAN: I can hear this haunting melody.
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(whale bellowing)
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This sound of a humpback whale
doing its song.
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(whale vocalizing)
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BRIAN:
It resonates within my entire body cavity.
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I swim down to a depth
of maybe 30 or 40 meters,
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and there is the whale.
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SIGOURNEY: And he's using the coral.
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This is rarely seen behavior,
and barely studied.
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(whale vocalizing)
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00:21:56,900 --> 00:22:00,010
SIGOURNEY:
He's head-first in this ring of coral,
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working it like a tenor in an opera house
to broadcast his song.
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BRIAN: He's taking this place, the corals,
to amplify the sound.
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(whale vocalizing)
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BRIAN: Using it as a natural amphitheater
to project that sound outward.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: This whale projects his voice.
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(whale vocalizing)
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SIGOURNEY: But does he sing the same song
that the unrelated humpbacks first created
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more than 5,000 miles away
in Western Australia?
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Whale biologist Nan Hauser
will be able to tell from a phrase or two.
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NAN: It's clear.
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(whale vocalizing over device)
-Yes!
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Yes! (chuckles)
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Oh, my gosh.
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SIGOURNEY: She confirms the same tune
has traveled from whale to whale,
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a fifth the way around the globe.
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When we do get little pieces
solved of that mystery,
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it's a gift from the whale,
because they don't have to give it to us.
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SIGOURNEY: The songs likely help
female humpbacks choose a mate,
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but Nan's trying to figure that out.
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NAN: This whole complex behavior
that humpbacks have,
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is... it's staggering.
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Sometimes at night I just fall asleep,
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trying to imagine
what it could possibly mean.
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We know that these phrases
are being passed
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from west to east,
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starting in Western Australia,
to Eastern Australia,
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and then all the way across
to French Polynesia.
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There are no other mammals
that use song this way.
250
00:24:04,670 --> 00:24:05,670
There are none.
251
00:24:06,470 --> 00:24:07,870
It's a cultural phenomenon.
252
00:24:08,740 --> 00:24:09,740
It's a ripple!
253
00:24:10,870 --> 00:24:14,510
It's horizontal cultural transmission.
254
00:24:19,780 --> 00:24:23,720
SIGOURNEY: The song of the season
is like a viral pop tune.
255
00:24:25,890 --> 00:24:31,990
And as it spreads, the art of the song
is handed down to the next generation.
256
00:24:39,030 --> 00:24:41,840
Brian and Nan
aren't the only ones listening.
257
00:24:47,110 --> 00:24:50,480
This newborn male also takes in the tunes.
258
00:24:51,350 --> 00:24:55,520
(whale vocalizing)
259
00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,690
SIGOURNEY: It could be another ten years
or more before he's ready to introduce
260
00:25:00,750 --> 00:25:02,760
his own song variations.
261
00:25:06,730 --> 00:25:11,230
For now, he's listening,
learning, and exploring.
262
00:25:14,470 --> 00:25:17,670
And he discovers quite the curiosity.
263
00:25:22,980 --> 00:25:24,480
BRIAN: He kinda' got a glimpse of me,
264
00:25:24,580 --> 00:25:26,850
and it was almost like
he just stopped and...
265
00:25:27,650 --> 00:25:29,980
(chuckles) ...you know, he was kinda like,
“Whoa, who are you?”
266
00:25:32,420 --> 00:25:37,730
It's like a human toddler.
It's like a little child that, you know,
267
00:25:38,190 --> 00:25:40,160
sees things for the first time.
268
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,400
SIGOURNEY: Brian is a strange-looking,
one-eyed creature
269
00:25:45,700 --> 00:25:47,370
with a tube for a mouth.
270
00:25:50,740 --> 00:25:52,970
It seems worthy of show and tell.
271
00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:16,930
Brian follows the calf to its mom...
272
00:26:18,230 --> 00:26:21,740
and gets a rare glimpse
of humpback whale kinship.
273
00:26:27,470 --> 00:26:31,350
BRIAN:
You just really sense this emotional bond.
274
00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:34,850
That's really special.
275
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:45,030
These moms invest so much time
in their calves.
276
00:26:47,330 --> 00:26:49,900
(whales squeaking)
277
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,070
BRIAN: And the calves stay with their moms
for about a year,
278
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,070
and during that period...
279
00:26:56,870 --> 00:27:01,310
Mom is teaching them so many things
that they need to know to live.
280
00:27:01,510 --> 00:27:04,510
It's learned behavior.
It's what humans do.
281
00:27:05,550 --> 00:27:07,550
Those family relationships...
282
00:27:08,420 --> 00:27:11,950
are as important to them
as families are to us.
283
00:27:12,550 --> 00:27:15,320
(whales vocalizing and squeaking)
284
00:27:15,490 --> 00:27:17,320
SIGOURNEY: Mom and calf stay close...
285
00:27:18,330 --> 00:27:22,130
as the calf learns one of the most
important lessons of its life...
286
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,000
how to get to Antarctica.
287
00:27:27,970 --> 00:27:30,940
His first solid meal depends on it.
288
00:27:35,980 --> 00:27:38,180
He will have to stay close to Mom.
289
00:27:39,550 --> 00:27:42,320
It will be grueling, and relentless...
290
00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:45,520
and it will test them both.
291
00:28:01,940 --> 00:28:04,270
NAN: They don't even deviate
by one degree.
292
00:28:06,310 --> 00:28:08,980
That means they're following
a straight line, straight as an arrow.
293
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,050
And that's amazing, because you're talking
about this vast blue ocean
294
00:28:18,490 --> 00:28:19,750
with no landmarks.
295
00:28:24,790 --> 00:28:27,430
SIGOURNEY: This mother and her calf
are not alone.
296
00:28:27,930 --> 00:28:30,330
They are part of something much bigger,
297
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,570
a network of singers
and global communicators.
298
00:28:38,670 --> 00:28:42,080
Humpbacks pour down
the east and west coasts
299
00:28:42,210 --> 00:28:45,480
of the southern continents, Australia...
300
00:28:46,850 --> 00:28:50,580
Africa, South America.
301
00:28:52,350 --> 00:28:55,320
Almost 100,000 whales.
302
00:28:59,860 --> 00:29:02,500
Their chorus is very different now.
303
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,840
The males sing much less
during this journey.
304
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:12,240
(whales squeaking)
305
00:29:13,670 --> 00:29:16,710
SIGOURNEY:
While Mom and calf talk in whispers,
306
00:29:16,940 --> 00:29:20,810
forty decibels lower
than an adult conversation.
307
00:29:23,780 --> 00:29:25,350
Mom continues to fast...
308
00:29:27,050 --> 00:29:29,760
and only pauses to rest and nurse.
309
00:29:36,860 --> 00:29:40,800
They are mammals like us,
only she feeds her baby
310
00:29:41,030 --> 00:29:45,510
an incredible 150 gallons of milk a day.
311
00:29:53,980 --> 00:29:57,250
They power on south like steam trains.
312
00:30:11,330 --> 00:30:14,030
After some 5,000 miles...
313
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,510
Mom and son near the bottom of the world.
314
00:30:30,180 --> 00:30:33,050
(gentle music playing)
315
00:30:40,330 --> 00:30:43,430
At first, just a few humpbacks arrive...
316
00:30:46,500 --> 00:30:47,970
then hundreds...
317
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:52,610
then thousands.
318
00:30:58,710 --> 00:31:02,650
This last chapter of their yearly cycle
is a rendezvous.
319
00:31:06,220 --> 00:31:07,620
There's lots of chatter.
320
00:31:08,220 --> 00:31:09,820
(whales whistling)
321
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:11,990
SIGOURNEY: Old friends reunited...
322
00:31:12,690 --> 00:31:14,190
(whales whistling)
323
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,130
...and new ones to meet.
324
00:31:18,370 --> 00:31:22,570
(whales vocalizing and trumpeting)
325
00:31:25,740 --> 00:31:28,810
SIGOURNEY: The youngster
from the Cook Islands has grown strong,
326
00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:33,310
and gained nine tons in six months
on Mom's milk alone.
327
00:31:38,950 --> 00:31:41,960
He's spent most of his energy
keeping up with her,
328
00:31:42,490 --> 00:31:44,860
but now he can play again.
329
00:31:59,870 --> 00:32:03,280
All are famished, especially the mothers.
330
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,820
And that's why they're here.
331
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:19,260
Antarctica has been busy
preparing a feast for these giants.
332
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,540
With summer, comes endless sunshine
that melts the glaciers.
333
00:32:34,740 --> 00:32:39,850
The freshwater flushes in nutrients
and turns the ocean milky.
334
00:32:45,390 --> 00:32:48,520
Algae grows on the bottom of ice floes.
335
00:32:50,990 --> 00:32:54,960
And a tiny creature
that eats nothing but algae
336
00:32:55,260 --> 00:32:57,800
swims deep beneath Antarctic ice.
337
00:33:05,370 --> 00:33:06,370
Krill.
338
00:33:09,710 --> 00:33:13,310
Shrimp-like crustaceans
just two inches long...
339
00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,420
and almost transparent.
340
00:33:22,620 --> 00:33:26,260
Inside their bellies,
you can see the algae they've eaten.
341
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,940
Individually, a krill doesn't look like
much of a meal.
342
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:41,710
(whale bellowing)
343
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,050
SIGOURNEY:
But the whales are here to buy in bulk.
344
00:34:03,060 --> 00:34:04,630
As a single mass,
345
00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:08,770
krill outweigh the world's
entire human population
346
00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:11,810
by more than 90 million tons.
347
00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:28,620
For the next four months,
this humpback mother will try to eat
348
00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,130
around 5,000 pounds of krill a day.
349
00:34:35,100 --> 00:34:38,430
She'll talk to other humpbacks
about where to find them.
350
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,200
(squawking)
351
00:34:41,770 --> 00:34:46,870
And put on as much as 12 pounds
of bodyweight per hour.
352
00:34:57,580 --> 00:34:58,890
In between meals,
353
00:34:59,690 --> 00:35:03,290
she pauses her home schooling
and catches a nap.
354
00:35:13,770 --> 00:35:16,970
She rests at the surface
for an hour or more...
355
00:35:20,810 --> 00:35:23,240
and sometimes her calf joins her.
356
00:35:27,780 --> 00:35:30,080
They sleep through changing currents.
357
00:35:34,990 --> 00:35:38,220
(wind blistering)
358
00:35:47,470 --> 00:35:48,870
SIGOURNEY: Noisy neighbors.
359
00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:53,010
(penguins squawking)
360
00:35:54,410 --> 00:35:57,210
SIGOURNEY:
And nature's endless renovations.
361
00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:03,750
(birds squeaking)
362
00:36:07,020 --> 00:36:11,290
SIGOURNEY: Each time they wake up,
their work is a little bit harder.
363
00:36:16,130 --> 00:36:19,470
As the season wears on,
the krill thins out,
364
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,530
and must be rounded up.
365
00:36:27,270 --> 00:36:30,010
Like the humpbacks
that eat herring in Alaska,
366
00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:33,310
this mother also has a special skill.
367
00:36:35,650 --> 00:36:39,390
She calls out,
and finds a willing teammate.
368
00:36:39,850 --> 00:36:42,120
(whale vocalizing)
369
00:36:46,860 --> 00:36:48,500
SIGOURNEY: Her baby waits behind.
370
00:36:53,830 --> 00:36:57,870
Together, they dive down to the krill,
and do this.
371
00:37:12,790 --> 00:37:16,490
It's a highly specialized form
of bubble-net feeding
372
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:19,530
that only some whales down here practice.
373
00:37:22,030 --> 00:37:25,930
The dual stream of bubbles
scares the krill into a tight ball...
374
00:37:27,100 --> 00:37:28,540
ready for scooping.
375
00:37:56,500 --> 00:38:00,530
(whales vocalizing)
376
00:38:00,770 --> 00:38:05,540
SIGOURNEY: Learn to do this well,
and every summer the living will be easy.
377
00:38:08,810 --> 00:38:10,910
Mother needs to teach her calf.
378
00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,250
But the fun-loving youngster
tires of watching
379
00:38:18,350 --> 00:38:20,590
and wanders off on his own.
380
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:25,130
It's a dangerous choice.
381
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:29,860
He may not realize what's at stake.
382
00:38:33,300 --> 00:38:39,710
Orcas patrol this part of Antarctica,
ready to attack the young and the weak.
383
00:38:46,910 --> 00:38:48,780
(ominous music playing)
384
00:38:59,690 --> 00:39:02,300
Humpback and orcas are mortal enemies.
385
00:39:06,870 --> 00:39:08,940
(orca whistling)
386
00:39:10,700 --> 00:39:12,410
SIGOURNEY: And this is why.
387
00:39:16,540 --> 00:39:20,650
This orca stumbled across
this lone humpback calf
388
00:39:20,750 --> 00:39:21,920
and makes a move.
389
00:39:32,060 --> 00:39:36,060
It's likely a test,
to see if the humpback is vulnerable.
390
00:39:36,660 --> 00:39:40,900
(dramatic music playing)
391
00:39:43,370 --> 00:39:46,040
SIGOURNEY:
But the orca has a calf of her own.
392
00:39:59,550 --> 00:40:02,660
And even young humpbacks
have sharp barnacles
393
00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:07,030
growing on their flippers,
making them into powerful weapons.
394
00:40:12,430 --> 00:40:14,130
The table is turned.
395
00:40:25,210 --> 00:40:28,410
The bold humpback calf
is safe for the moment...
396
00:40:30,850 --> 00:40:33,120
but the orca's pod is nearby,
397
00:40:33,620 --> 00:40:37,020
and no telling what will happen
if they return in numbers.
398
00:40:40,130 --> 00:40:42,060
He doesn't stay to find out.
399
00:40:45,060 --> 00:40:48,840
(whale vocalizing)
SIGOURNEY: The humpback mom calls.
400
00:40:51,470 --> 00:40:53,010
(whale whistling)
401
00:40:53,940 --> 00:40:56,940
SIGOURNEY: Her baby knows
what this communication means...
402
00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:01,750
"Get back to Mom ASAP."
403
00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:08,550
She's not happy he swam off.
404
00:41:14,260 --> 00:41:17,800
Once they leave these feeding grounds,
the calf will be weaned...
405
00:41:19,430 --> 00:41:22,500
and he won't eat again
for another eight months.
406
00:41:26,370 --> 00:41:29,380
But before he can join his elders
in the feast,
407
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:34,680
he must master making the perfect
P-shaped ring of bubbles.
408
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,650
Almost always in a clockwise direction.
409
00:41:48,330 --> 00:41:50,300
Like a toddler learning to walk,
410
00:41:50,730 --> 00:41:54,970
his first attempts are adorable,
but all wrong.
411
00:42:14,950 --> 00:42:18,460
Over the course of a few weeks,
he gains more confidence.
412
00:42:32,870 --> 00:42:35,580
His letter Ps start to show promise.
413
00:42:45,950 --> 00:42:48,290
Now, the moment of truth.
414
00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:55,830
Mom invites him to join them for a try.
415
00:42:59,930 --> 00:43:05,240
If he's learned well, there will be three
perfect P-shaped rings,
416
00:43:05,570 --> 00:43:07,710
and the third will be his.
417
00:44:06,570 --> 00:44:10,600
Now that he's got the hang of it,
there's no stopping him.
418
00:44:20,780 --> 00:44:24,720
What he's done is more significant
than learn how to bubble-net.
419
00:44:28,020 --> 00:44:29,390
He has learned a custom...
420
00:44:35,930 --> 00:44:40,770
a secret passed down through the ages
with sophisticated communication.
421
00:44:44,740 --> 00:44:48,140
And these are traditions he will pass on.
422
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:51,380
How to feed...
423
00:44:52,910 --> 00:44:54,050
how to sing...
424
00:44:54,550 --> 00:44:56,450
(whale vocalizing)
425
00:44:56,950 --> 00:44:58,080
...how to connect.
426
00:45:02,090 --> 00:45:06,130
This is also what culture looks like
for other whale species.
427
00:45:08,460 --> 00:45:11,530
Some have even stronger ties
with their clan...
428
00:45:13,370 --> 00:45:16,440
behaviors that define distinct tribes...
429
00:45:16,940 --> 00:45:18,170
(whale squeaking)
430
00:45:18,270 --> 00:45:21,340
...and communication even more advanced.
431
00:45:21,510 --> 00:45:22,540
(whale squeaking)
432
00:45:24,010 --> 00:45:29,520
SIGOURNEY: This is the incredible nature
of the love, the songs,
433
00:45:29,750 --> 00:45:32,750
and the Secrets of the Whales.
434
00:45:46,470 --> 00:45:48,870
(whale screeching)
435
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:58,540
JAMES: The ocean is not the easiest
environment to shoot in, you know?
436
00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:00,350
You've got wind.
You've got sea sting.
437
00:46:00,410 --> 00:46:03,020
You've got rapidly-changing weather.
You've got saltwater,
438
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:06,390
which is hell on your camera equipment
and your electronics.
439
00:46:06,790 --> 00:46:08,990
Any time you're shooting underwater,
440
00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:12,060
everything just goes up
by a couple of orders of magnitude
441
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:13,390
in terms of difficulty.
442
00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:17,830
(whale vocalizing)
443
00:46:19,100 --> 00:46:21,000
BRIAN: Let's hope they're here tomorrow.
I mean...
444
00:46:22,540 --> 00:46:23,870
I guess let's see if they come up...
445
00:46:24,170 --> 00:46:25,500
-ANDY: Yeah.
-...feeding here.
446
00:46:28,070 --> 00:46:29,440
But now and then you get lucky.
447
00:46:30,340 --> 00:46:32,810
(birds squawking)
448
00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:39,250
JAMES: Oh, right there.
449
00:46:39,420 --> 00:46:41,550
BRIAN:
Oh, it's gonna be right around us. Holy...
450
00:46:42,150 --> 00:46:43,290
Oh, my God.
451
00:46:43,890 --> 00:46:45,630
Oh, my God.
452
00:46:48,460 --> 00:46:49,460
Wow!
453
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:52,900
(camera shutter clicking)
454
00:46:52,970 --> 00:46:56,040
JAMES: This is probably
one of the most amazing things I've seen
455
00:46:56,140 --> 00:46:58,370
in years of trying to go out
into the ocean
456
00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:00,740
and wrestle away a bit of imagery.
457
00:47:00,940 --> 00:47:03,540
You know, in the months,
if not years, of preparation,
458
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,450
and the hours and hours long weeks
that you spend at sea.
459
00:47:06,610 --> 00:47:07,910
(camera shutter clicking)
460
00:47:08,350 --> 00:47:10,020
You know,
the whales didn't get the script.
461
00:47:10,180 --> 00:47:12,020
You know,
they didn't get the memo, you know?
462
00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:14,250
"Show up at 9:00 a.m. We'll be there."
463
00:47:17,660 --> 00:47:20,560
You know, the interesting thing here
is that these individuals
464
00:47:20,690 --> 00:47:22,930
are not family members.
465
00:47:23,030 --> 00:47:26,530
They travel from widely separate places
in the ocean
466
00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:30,270
to come back to this place,
like a reunion, every year,
467
00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:32,770
to do this group feeding strategy.
468
00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:36,840
They can do it as effectively
on their own, individually,
469
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,450
but they choose to do it together.
470
00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:43,780
There's a social component to it.
471
00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:48,420
There's a, maybe a joyful component to it,
or a comforting component to it.
472
00:47:50,460 --> 00:47:54,230
The keyword here is tradition.
It's something they elect to do.
473
00:47:54,630 --> 00:47:57,800
Something that has value to them.
It's learned.
474
00:47:58,260 --> 00:48:01,300
It requires communication.
It requires coordination.
475
00:48:01,770 --> 00:48:02,770
That's a tradition.
476
00:48:03,240 --> 00:48:06,470
It might be like getting together
for Thanksgiving dinner is to us.
477
00:48:07,070 --> 00:48:09,680
It has meaning.
It has cultural meaning.
478
00:48:11,180 --> 00:48:15,920
The great sort of observation,
if not discovery, of this show
479
00:48:16,250 --> 00:48:20,020
is that there is
demonstrable whale culture.
480
00:48:21,550 --> 00:48:24,690
(whales whistling)
481
00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:27,790
JAMES: (chuckling) Look at Brian.
482
00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:30,500
He's like, "Wow!"
483
00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:35,670
(whales whistling)
56716
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