All language subtitles for New Kids In The Wild 07

[NARRATOR] Meet Lola,
the sea lion pup.

For this youngster
growing up wild,

is one giant adventure.

To thrive on Argentina's
wild coast,

Lola must learn
the ways of land,

and the sea.

How to handle the tides...

[Sea lions barking]

...and the fights.

She has her mother
to teach her.

But her greatest test

will be learning
to dodge hungry neighbours.

Across South America,

baby animals are
taking their first steps

and tackling
their first challenges.

Their generations are
the future of their species.

They are...

the New Kids In The Wild.

[Seagull squawks]

[Growling]

[NARRATOR] This is Maria.

She's an adult
Southern sea lion.

[Growling]

She's landed on the beach,

carrying precious cargo.

It's a very special shoreline.

Midway down
the coast of Argentina,

Peninsula Valdes juts out
into the South Atlantic Ocean.

At the top, is Punta Norte,
Maria's Beach.

The peninsula, has around
400 kilometres of coastline,

and is home to over 30,000
Southern sea lions.

Now, in summer,
Maria's joining

over a thousand who choose
Punta Norte Beach

to give birth and breed.

[Sealions grunting]

[Grunts]

Lots of huge males
are lined up along the shore,

each surrounded by his group,
or harem of females.

Maria spots a top male that
looks able to keep her safe

and protect her unborn pup.

This is Ramiro.

He weighs over 300 kilograms

and looks strong enough
for the job.

[Ramiro grunting]

Maria joins his harem.

[Ramiro growling]

Rubbing necks helps them
to get to know

each other's face and smell.

[Growling]

Ramiro probably isn't
the father of her unborn pup,

but his aim is to keep Maria
safe in his harem,

until he mates with her.

Indirectly,
that's good for her pup.

Giving birth in a big colony
like Punta Norte

means Maria is safer
from outside predators.

But predators aren't
the only threat.

The other males nearby
are all poised to steal females

if they get the chance.

Ramiro must be bigger,
stronger, and wiser

than his neighbours.

Maria needs
the best protection,

for her and her pup.

[Seagull squawks]

[♪]

Two days later,

and morning brings
the dawn of a new life.

[Maria growling]

Maria was born
on this beach.

And now, a new generation
is on the way.

Her pup arrives.

[Grunting]

She's able to see,
and weighs a hefty, 12 kilos.

[Grunts]

Little Lola.

Immediately, she calls out.

[Growls]

[Maria growling]

Her mum calls back,

and they begin
to sniff each other.

[Both sniffing]

It's a great start.

Soon, there will be around
a thousand pups on this beach.

It's vital she and Maria
can recognize each other quickly

by their unique
smells and calls.

[Lola barks]

In the coming days,

the pair will most surely
get separated.

[Maria growling]

This is not a peaceful nursery.

[Sea lions roaring]

Lola has been born
in a battleground.

Like Ramiro, the big males want
as many females as possible

in their harems.

[Roaring]

They will all
grab and steal more

whenever they get the chance.

[Both sea lions roaring]

Every top male has to protect
his harem night and day.

They won't leave their females,
not even to eat.

[Roaring]

[Both roaring]

In the mayhem,

pups are caught
in the crossfire.

They often get separated
from their mums.

[Ramiro grunting]

Sometimes, worse.

[Barking]

It's all very intimidating
to a newborn pup.

In Ramiro's harem,

one of the other females
has just given birth.

Lots of males are close by...

[Roaring]

...some looking
for their first female.

One sees his chance.

He tries to steal the new mum.

[Ramiro growling]

Ramiro fights,
and wins her back.

Next door, others are cashing in
on the chaos.

This male has
slunk in from the sea.

[Roaring]

He grabs another new mum

and swings her away
from her protector.

Other males try to keep him away
from their harems.

[Males roaring]

The female tries
to fight him, too.

[Roaring]

But he's won her, for now.

[Growling]

In the mayhem,

the helpless newborn
is left calling for its mum.

[Pup growling]

For Maria and Lola...

it's a close call.

They need to watch their backs

and hope Ramiro doesn't
drop his guard.

[Seagull squawks]

As an uneasy peace falls,

the gulls start tidying up.

[Bleating]

Lola is getting used
to her mum's smell,

and call,

and is nursing.

Maria's milk is packed with fat
to help her create

the layer of blubber Lola needs
underneath her skin.

It will keep her warm,

especially when
she starts swimming.

The more she drinks, the fatter,
warmer, and stronger she'll get.

[Maria grunting]

[Lola growling]

Further along the shoreline,
huge elephant seals

are frolicking in the surf.

[Seals grunting]

The peninsula is
a vital breeding ground

for these giants, too.

Males can weigh
over 3,000 kilograms,

and females can reach an
impressive 900.

Elephant seals can't walk,

so they heave their bodies
around on land.

It's a slow
and cumbersome process.

Sea lions though,
can walk on their flippers.

And adults can reach
quite a speed.

[Ramiro roaring]

[Pups calling out]

Just a few days later,
Lola is practicing.

Slowly.

Her long flippers
are built for swimming,

but they can
bend and twist, to walk.

[Bleating]

It's really hard work, though.

Especially on the pebbles.

But mastering this skill

will give her more chance
of getting out of trouble

when the next fight erupts.

[Pups grunting]

A sleep would be
good right now.

But it sounds like
there's trouble brewing.

[Roaring]

Another series of fights
have broken out on the beach.

[Both roaring]

In the melee, Ramiro is busy

fending off a neighbour
on his left.

While his back is turned,

his right-hand neighbour
cashes in.

He grabs Maria for his harem.

[Growling]

[Lola calling out]

If she tries to flee,
he might grab her again,

and she could get hurt.

Lola is left stranded.

She won't survive long
on her own.

Instinct tells her she must
find her mum, somehow.

There's a maze of other mums
to negotiate.

All fiercely
protective of their pups,

and their prized milk.

But then...

[Maria calling out]

...she hears a familiar call.

[Lola barking]

She's found her.

They have a new protector,

and he seems quicker
on his flippers than Ramiro.

But though it's peaceful now,

on this beach,
that never lasts for long.

[♪]

[Grunts]

[Seagull squawks]

[♪]

[Maria grunting]

It's a big morning for Lola.

She's over a week old,

and already,
she's much stronger.

Her walking is bolder.

And thanks to
all that rich milk,

she's putting on weight.

But while Lola has been
nursing for days,

Maria hasn't eaten at all.

[Seagull squawking]

She hunts for her food
in the sea.

So today, she needs
to go and forage,

out in the ocean.

Lola hasn't been
on her own before.

The beach is more dangerous

without her mother
to defend her.

Her mum could be gone
for days.

It's a long time to be alone
in a battleground.

But actually,
Lola won't be on her own.

Sea lions have
a sort of day care.

With lots of pups born
at the same time,

other mums need
to go hunting, too.

So today, Lola joins
the colony kindergarten.

It's a busy place

full of complaining,
wriggling pups.

[Bleating]

There's no nursery staff
as such,

but other mums
tolerate pups nearby,

so long as they don't
get too close.

It's a big first
without Maria.

But at least Lola has
new friends to snuggle with.

Maybe growing up on this beach
isn't so bad after all.

In fact, Lola's home

is an ideal spot
for a new sea lion.

It's on the edge
of a huge, dry plateau.

A windswept desert
with no trees...

but lots of tough plants.

There's steep cliffs, around
100 metres high.

Rocky pools and channels
fringe the shore.

It's home to
so much wildlife,

it's a protected UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

Offshore, around 24 orcas
visit this coastline...

along with rare
Southern Right whales.

On the beaches,

just like sea lions,

penguins come back
to the same beach

every year to breed.

[Penguins squawking]

These are
Magellanic penguins.

Unlike the sea lions,

they mate for life.

And when the pair meet again,

after months apart at sea,

there's a gently
rapturous reunion.

When the chicks arrive,

Mum and Dad
share the parenting, too.

They're a small,
tight-knit family

with doting parents.

It's a stark contrast
to Lola's life,

just along the beach.

Out at sea,

Maria is fishing.

She's a fabulous diver,

and scours the seabed,
hunting for octopus and squid.

Her eyes are adapted
to see in low light,

which is really useful,

as her average dive is
around 45 metres deep.

Her body is
so evolved for diving,

she only needs to come up
for air every 20 minutes.

And her long front flippers,

provide superb speed
in the water.

She needs to catch a load
of squid and fish

to make that rich milk
for her daughter.

On the beach,

Lola has had
enough of waiting.

[Bleating]

It's been three days.

She's hungry,

and there's
so much trouble to avoid.

[Growling]

Other mums are
as grumpy as usual.

[Both grunting]

And all the males,
young and old,

fight at a moment's notice.

[♪]

She has to steer clear
of so many big sea lions.

It's tough being a pup.

[Growling]

Lola sees
mums are coming home.

She calls...

but none are Maria.

[Calling out]

And then...

[Roaring]

...she hears the unique reply
she's been waiting for.

[Calling out]

Mum is back.

After three days
hunting at sea,

there's lots of milk to fill
a growing, hungry tummy.

Another morning
at Punta Norte...

The sun is just
pushing through.

Everyone is resting
on the beach.

[Lola moaning]

Thanks to her mother's milk,
Lola's packing on more weight.

Her growing layer of blubber
is helpful in the cold.

But on a sunny day,
it's easy to get too hot.

[Moaning]

[♪]

By watching her mum,

Lola has a new trick.

Flipper lifting.

Her flippers
are long and slender,

with blood vessels
close to the surface.

When she lifts them
into the breeze,

or pushes them
into the wet pebbles,

her body loses heat,
really quickly.

Everyone does it.

It's really cool.

[Distant growling]

It's getting quieter
at Punta Norte these days.

[Pup growling]

The big males
are leaving the beach.

Now they've mated
with their females,

they're off to hunt and eat

for the first time
in about two months.

For Lola
and the other pups,

it's the start of a new
and very special time.

With mostly mums, pups,
and young adults on the beach,

everyone can relax.

There's more space
to play and to learn

and more time for both.

Lola has many lessons ahead
to become a savvy sea lion.

Punta Norte is
the perfect place

to start a crucial one.

Swimming.

The steep beach is
fringed with rocks...

creating loads of sea lion
paddling pools.

[♪]

Unlike a lot of marine mammals
who swim well from birth,

Lola needs her mum
and aunties to teach her.

[Sea lions barking]

At four weeks old now,
she's strong enough to learn.

Lola's nose closes naturally
when she's in the sea...

but she can't
breathe underwater.

So she learns
to come up for air.

She's starting
to get the hang of it...

until she opens her mouth

and gets a load of
sea water and sand.

When the tide drops further,

it gets even more fun.

[♪]

Extra pools appear.

The whole area
is one great pup playground.

It's a big reason why Lola's mum
and probably grandma

were born at Punta Norte.

It's such a safe
swimming place,

mums can leave pups
to explore alone.

[♪]

She finds pool after pool.

[Barks]

She plays bitey-face games
with her friend Sophia,

practicing how to defend herself
and catch things with her teeth.

And she has
such fun swimming,

she doesn't notice

that most of the others
have already gone back.

It's a long way back
to the beach

when the tide is out.

[Grunting and growling]

Other pups are heading
for a snooze with creche mates.

They choose
the most direct route.

The middle is
the safest place to be,

and the favourite.

But Lola's mum is
waiting on the beach,

and that's
the best place of all.

[Lola growling]

It's a very different day
at Punta Norte.

The tide is in,

and the wind is
whipping up the waves.

Maria is hungry.

She heads off
for a few days' feeding.

Lola doesn't want to be
left behind this time.

After swimming
in the rock pools,

her confidence is high.

She sets off
to follow Maria.

Her mum dips
under the next wave.

[Lola moans]

And Lola feels the full force
of the Southern Atlantic.

This huge sea is
way out of her league.

[Growling]

She hurries back
to her friends.

[Roars]

[♪]

As Peninsula Valdes
is a protected area,

pleasure boats
and fishing activities

are restricted.

[Roars]

[Distant roaring]

It means Maria can find food
close to the shore,

ideal for a mum with
a hungry daughter on the beach.

Her hearing is superb,

and her sensitive whiskers
pick up vibrations in the water.

So even when visibility is poor,
she can still find fish to hunt.

Bigger prey, she'll often
shake to rip it apart.

Small anchovies like these,
she swallows whole.

Hunting well takes
months of practice.

Maria will be alongside
her daughter for almost a year,

teaching the skills
she needs.

[♪]

Back on the beach,

Lola's day
has gotten much better.

There's so many things
to discover and play with.

[Lola moaning]

She practices
shaking seaweed prey,

and feels new textures
with her whiskers.

She tests out
what might be good to eat,

what smells bad,

and how her flippers work.

It's all very intriguing.

[Growling]

There's lots of bitey-face games
on the beach today.

As she plays, Lola's jaws
are getting stronger and faster.

It means she'll catch
more fish in the future,

and one day, be able
to defend her own pup.

It's even possible
to play with three,

if you're really quick.

As the wind picks up,
the sea gets rougher.

Maria is back from hunting,
and wants to sleep.

But Lola has spotted something,
and it needs investigating.

[Growling and moaning]

It's unusual.

Lola's not met a penguin before.

[Lola growling]

She spots a youngster, too.

[Distant moaning]

She tests it out
with her teeth.

[Moaning]

But he doesn't flap
like seaweed.

It seems quite cross...

and doesn't like
bitey games.

She tries again,

but he doesn't join in.

Hmph. He's no fun.

The tide is on its way out,

so soon, better games
are on offer.

The rock pool playground
is open,

Maria takes Lola down
to hone her swimming skills.

Some friends have
come along, too.

[♪]

Sophia, is the best
rock pool buddy.

Together,
they play great games.

Dipping under the water
to avoid a bite.

Swimming further
in a game of sea-lion-tag.

It's really easy to float.

But diving down
is trickier.

To practice swimming
in deeper water,

Maria takes her
closer to the sea.

[Maria roaring]

Maria calls, trying
to keep Lola close...

and to warn off other mums
coming back from hunting.

They're making the long,
rocky trek to the beach.

Lola is having too much fun
to listen to Maria.

One mum is scratching
in the rock pools.

They get too close
to the scratcher.

[Barking]

The scratcher sneaks up
from behind

to tell Lola off.

[Barks]

Maria defends her daughter,

and barks a warning
to keep away.

[Barking]

It's a big lesson.

[Growls]

The next time Maria
calls like that,

Lola knows to pay
more attention.

Two months on
at Punta Norte...

[Sea lions barking]

...and now, all the pups
are enjoying deep water.

[♪]

It's great fun to
swim out with the swell

and surf back in.

[Moaning]

Lola is at
the water's edge,

but not for long.

She's learned
to duck under the waves,

dodging the full force.

And play chase, twisting,
turning, and doubling back.

It's an important game.

The better Lola gets
at swimming,

the more fish she'll catch.

Some of the older pups
are heading off with their mums

to other beaches
on the peninsula.

That means
swimming in open sea,

and covering
longer distances.

Larger pups are
strong enough to travel.

Far-off waters
might be treacherous,

but there are still
dangers close to home.

The rocks that are
visible at low tide

form a barrier between
the beach and the open sea.

They create a stretch
of protective shallows

until the huge tide
gets high.

Between the rocks,

there are also deep channels
leading in from the sea.

These waterways provide routes
for bigger creatures

to access the beach easily,
and for longer.

They're called
attack channels.

For good reason.

[♪]

These orcas eat fish, squid,
and sometimes even whales.

In open water, adult sea lions
dodge and dive so quickly,

orcas can struggle
to catch them.

This year's pups
have yet to master the skills.

They are an orca's favourite.

But these predators

don't need to wait
for pups to leave the beach.

[♪]

Punta Norte orcas
are thought to be

one of two groups
in the world

who have learned
to hunt sea lion pups

by waiting for a high tide...

and using the attack channel

to launch themselves
onto the beach.

They will try to grab a pup,

then wriggle back
off the pebbles.

Get it wrong,
and they're stranded.

But these skills
have been handed down

through the generations.

They're very successful.

This morning,
the tide is in,

the rock pools
are deep underwater.

[Moaning]

Maria and Lola are resting
on the beach.

Some juvenile sea lions
are playing in the swell.

Lola wants to join them,
but her mum isn't keen.

Maria has spotted fins.

It's a pod of three,
a mother and two daughters.

In today's weather,
the orcas have a problem.

To catch the pups,

they listen for them
playing in the shallows.

In this swell, sound can be
drowned out by the waves.

Instead, the trio start
to cruise along the beach,

hoping to catch a pup
in the surf.

The youngsters haven't
spotted the fins.

In open water,
they're too quick and agile

for orcas to catch.

But in the surf, these killers
can arrive with no warning.

One youngster finds itself
just meters from a fin.

[♪]

Another meets them head-on
in the surf.

But the orcas can't turn
sharply enough to make the grab.

That was a narrow escape.

The orcas do a last pass,
and head off.

They may not have been
successful today,

but they'll be back.

Lola sees why her mum
kept her on the beach.

Fins aren't friendly.

[♪]

It's a great morning
for games at Punta Norte.

The big swell has brought in
a new piece of driftwood.

And Lola's playing
Queen of the Castle.

She's older and bigger
than her male friend.

But he's more aggressive...

and bites really hard.

This bolshie male
seems to be starting young.

By late morning,
the wind has dropped.

The tide is high...

[Barking]

...and the sea is calm.

Most of the colony is snoozing,
while Maria is away fishing.

Lola is down on the beach,
playing chase in the tiny waves.

She's so busy having fun...

she doesn't spot the fins...

[Roaring]

...or hear adults calling.

In this quiet sea, the orcas
can easily pinpoint a pup.

Lola zooms along
the tide line.

She races
as fast as she can,

and overtakes her playmate.

She hears something new
in the water.

But she can't see
over the waves.

There's no time to react.

The orca has caught
the other pup,

turning and carrying its prey
out to sea.

Lola is alive,
by pure luck.

Fins really can come
from nowhere.

[Growls]

She knows that now.

She hurries back
along the dry beach

to reach the others.

The lesson was terrifying...

but living through it

has upped her odds
of survival.

She understands orcas now,

and she'll be far more savvy
when she takes to the open sea.

[Growling]

Punta Norte is
a challenging beach.

[Growls]

But it creates
elite sea lions.

Lola will definitely be
one of them.

[♪]

It's been a dramatic
first four months for Lola.

Born into a battleground,

she survived fights
and separation.

She's learned
about big waves,

small pools,

and how much fun
it is to swim.

And she knows
what danger looks like.

Soon she'll venture
into the sea with Mum,

learning to hunt, becoming
stronger and more agile.

One day, she'll be
a mum herself,

teaching her own pups

how to be a savvy Southern sea lion.