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In the course of making Blue Planet II,
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we've explored every corner
of the underwater world.
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We've encountered extraordinary animals,
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and discovered new insights into
how life is lived beneath the waves.
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For years we thought
that the oceans were so vast
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and the inhabitants
so infinitely numerous
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that nothing we could do
could have an effect upon them.
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But now we know that was wrong.
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The oceans are under threat now
as never before in human history.
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In this final episode,
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we will meet the pioneers
who are striving to turn things around.
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People who are helping to save
the ocean's most vulnerable inhabitants
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and dedicating their lives
to protecting the seas.
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But is time running out?
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Many people believe that our oceans
have reached a crisis point.
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So just how fragile is our blue planet?
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Winter in the Arctic Circle.
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Every year, the waters of Norway
are the setting
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for one of the greatest
wildlife spectacles in the ocean.
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Over a billion herring
pour into these fields.
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The Blue Planet II team
spent three years
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documenting this astonishing event.
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Such a wealth of prey attracts predators
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in extraordinary numbers.
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Orcas
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and humpback whales.
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But this migration
hasn't always been so bountiful.
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Leif Notastad is a Norwegian
fisheries scientist.
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It's been one of
the most important fisheries
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that we had for centuries
along the whole coast of Norway.
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But in the late 1960s
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the herrings that we see around us here
was on the brink of collapse.
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50 years ago,
fishing was so intensive
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that the herring had all
but disappeared.
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Orcas were seen as rivals
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and hundreds of them were killed.
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It was only after the Norwegian
government imposed severe restrictions
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that the herring began to recover.
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Today, this is once again
an immensely productive fishery,
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closely monitored
by teams of scientists.
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Marine biologist Eve Jourdain
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is one of the resident orca experts.
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From 1982, orcas got protected in Norway
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and we have clearly one of the largest
orca population in the world out here.
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There are now over
a thousand orcas here.
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But with so many mouths to feed,
including ours,
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can the mistakes of the past be avoided?
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To answer this vital question,
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Eve and her team are using
multi sensor camera tags.
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With the tags we try to see
how the orcas interact with their prey.
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How they hunt and all about
the underwater behaviour
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that we are not able to see
from the boat.
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A tag has to be attached
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to the orca in
exactly the right position.
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Here it goes. Here it comes.
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Oh, that's a good shot.
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It is the least invasive method.
It is suction cups.
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So it is not a scratch
on the whale afterwards
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which is something we really like.
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While studying the orcas,
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Eve noticed a worrying change
in their behaviour.
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They had worked out
the easiest way to get a meal.
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We have seen that
the orcas are waiting
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for those fishing boats to drop the net.
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It acts like a dinner bell
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and then all the orcas
of the area gather.
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Quite a lot of herring slip from the net
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and this is exactly what
the orcas are looking for.
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But this new tactic
is dangerous, as Eve has witnessed.
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We were there to monitor
the behaviour of the orcas
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scavenging around the nets.
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And we realised that
one large adult male
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was actually trapped inside the net.
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When the fishermen
started to retrieve the net
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the orca was obviously starting to panic
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and trying to pull as much as he could.
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This orca was really fighting
for his life.
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Stringent rules require fishermen
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to get permission
before they open their nets.
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But that took time.
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It was such a long process.
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We thought that the whale
was going to die of exhaustion.
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Thankfully, the fishermen
finally got the clearance
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to release their net
freeing the exhausted orca.
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It was a huge relief to see that
this orca made it until the end
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and finally got back to his family.
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With marine mammals
and humans competing so directly
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accidents are inevitable.
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Two days after tagging an orca,
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it's released and Eve collects it.
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This tag is full of secrets, you know,
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because it has been on
the whale for several days
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and will just reveal exactly
what the whales have been doing.
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Pictures from the tag
reveal the hunting technique in detail.
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They dive below the ball of fish
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and then back flip.
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The tail slap stuns the herring.
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Eve can even work out
how many fish the orcas are taking.
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They can kill up to 30 herring
with just one tail slap.
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And then what is pretty amazing is
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all the individuals of the group
share the dead herring.
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And it's not just
the orcas feeding here...
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Humpback whales
are also drawn to the feast.
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They too are being tagged and monitored
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giving fishery scientist Leif
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a complete picture of
how much herring is being eaten.
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The whales, they take
probably less than 1%.
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00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,920
The fishermen take less than 10%.
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So the balance there is that
there is enough for everybody.
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Given that we manage to stock
in sustainable
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and a long term sustainable way.
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00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,960
But it's estimated that
almost a third of ocean fisheries
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are being over exploited.
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The remarkable recovery
of the herring here
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demonstrates what can happen
if a fishery is carefully managed.
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Our maltreatment of the seas
has many effects.
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Some are predictable,
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but there are others
that are rather more surprising.
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Southeast Asia.
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The coral reefs here are among
the richest on the planet.
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Marine biologist Steve Simpson,
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is discovering how important sound is
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to the animals that live in these
bustling coral cities.
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00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,400
We're only now just realising
by listening underwater
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that the fish are making
all these sounds.
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They use sound to attract a mate.
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To try and scare away a predator.
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You hear pops and grunts
and gurgles and snaps.
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There's a whole language underwater
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that we're only just starting
to get a handle on.
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Using an advanced
multi directional hydrophone,
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Steve is trying to make sense
of this extraordinary chorus
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by working out who is making
which noise.
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One fish is especially talkative.
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It's perhaps the reef's
most famous resident.
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The clownfish.
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While filming for the series,
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we followed this particular family
of saddleback clownfish
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as they search for a suitable place
to lay their eggs.
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It's a noisy affair.
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For clownfish sound
really is everything.
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They spend all day
talking to each other.
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You've got dominance and submission.
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You've got all the others
calling to each other.
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It seems that they also use sound
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in protecting themselves from the many
predators that hunt around the reef.
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Including coral trout.
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Will this model trout
fool the clownfish?
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They react almost immediately.
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By mimicking a predator,
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Steve manages to record their alarm
calls without putting them at risk.
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00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,480
You can really hear the deeper
pulsing sound of the female
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as she tries to scare
the coral trout away.
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And all the little ones are
just popping... Pop, pop, pop.
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As if to say, "I'm still okay.
I'm still alive."
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So they've got this real language
of sounds that they're using
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just to try and defend the colony
against this coral trout.
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But that discovery
has led to a serious worry.
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The fish were really
popping away at the predator.
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But as soon as the boat came over
they looked completely distracted.
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With all that noise it completely
changed how the fish were behaving.
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Unable to make themselves
heard above the noise of boats,
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the family can't warn each other
of danger.
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And so they are now
vulnerable to attack.
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You think about how many boats
are driving around.
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All of the ships,
all of the offshore drilling.
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All the noise that we're making
in the ocean
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you realise just how much
we're drowning out
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this natural biological noise,
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robbing animals of their ability to be
able to talk to each other.
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All this noise may have
serious consequences for many reef fish
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because their babies, as soon as they
hatch are swept out to sea.
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There they feed and grow
until strong enough to swim back.
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And to find the reef, they use sound.
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They listen in. They eavesdrop
to the noises that they can hear
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and they use that to choose which reef
they want to make their home.
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But obviously because we're adding
all this noise to the ocean
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it's a wonder whether they can even
hear the reef at all.
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00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,000
Man-made noise is now
everywhere in the ocean.
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And it has an effect on
marine creatures of all kinds.
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From tiny fish
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to gigantic whales.
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But Steve believes there are solutions.
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Noise in the ocean
is a real problem.
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But, it's something that we can control.
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We can choose where we make the noise.
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We can choose when we make the noise.
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We can directly reduce
the amount of noise that we make
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and we can start doing that today.
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We're only now beginning to realise
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what an impact our noise is having
on the inhabitants of the ocean.
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Other forms of pollution
are only too familiar.
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Since its invention some
hundred years ago,
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plastic has become an integral part
of our daily lives.
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But every year,
some eight million tonnes of it
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ends up in the ocean.
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And there, it could be lethal.
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While filming Blue Planet II,
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the crews found plastic in every ocean.
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Even in the most remote locations.
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South Georgia.
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900 miles north of Antarctica,
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this isolated wilderness
is the breeding place
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for vast numbers of penguins
and elephant seals.
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It's also a favourite nesting site
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for the largest bird in the sky.
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A wandering albatross.
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Here we learn of
the extraordinary lengths
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ancient parents go to give their chicks
the best chance of survival.
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Each devoted parent travels thousands
of miles searching for fish and squid
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to feed their hungry chick.
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But despite all their efforts,
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00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,280
the albatross colony here is in trouble.
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00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:56,400
Lucy Quinn is part of
the British Antarctic Survey team
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00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,960
studying the birds here
for the last 40 years.
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00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:03,240
Its only through looking at
long terms studies
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that you get a sense of these creatures.
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And the albatrosses here have,
over the past 10 years, been in decline.
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There are a number of
possible reasons.
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While foraging at sea,
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albatross can get entangled
and drowned by fishing gear.
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But Lucy is particularly alarmed
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by what the parents are bringing back
for their chick.
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Albatrosses have
the ability to cough up
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bits of food that they can't digest.
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And from that we can tell
what they've been eating.
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A healthy albatross chick in its diet
should really have things like squid.
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So we can find the squid beaks
that come out of the pellet.
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00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,720
And also things like fish
so we can find fish bones as well.
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But these chicks are being
fed something very different.
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We have some plastic that
this poor chick has had to bring up.
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Plastic bag.
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Here we have some food packaging.
Looks like rice.
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00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:16,160
Luckily for this chick, he has managed
to get this out of his stomach.
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00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,360
So, fingers crossed he doesn't have
any more plastic left in there
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before he fledges.
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00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,720
For other chicks, plastic can be fatal.
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00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,360
Unfortunately,
there is a plastic toothpick
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00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,560
that have actually gone through
the stomach.
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00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:39,000
Something just as small as that has
actually has managed to kill the bird.
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00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,680
It's really sad to see.
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Lucy collects and records
what plastic she finds around the nests.
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00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:56,280
These are items that were
regurgitated just from last season.
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00:20:56,360 --> 00:20:59,320
And that's gonna be
a vast underestimation
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00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,240
because that's just ones
that we happen to find.
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00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,000
There'll be many more that
we never see being brought back.
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00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,080
To find out where
all this rubbish is coming from,
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00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:17,640
Lucy and her team have attached
GPS trackers to adult birds.
249
00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:25,800
It's showing where they're
going to find food for themselves
250
00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,440
and to find food to bring back
for their chicks.
251
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,240
It really shows us that
they could be picking up plastic
252
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,720
from thousands of miles away.
253
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,280
Plastics coming from either being
dumped at sea
254
00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:40,960
or also from people's homes.
255
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,760
Plastic gets into the rivers and then
the rivers flow into the sea.
256
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:48,920
So this isn't just a problem
around these remote parts.
257
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,000
This is happening worldwide.
258
00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,760
And it's our rubbish
that's going into the oceans.
259
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,320
It's our problem that we need to solve.
260
00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:02,920
In some parts of the ocean,
261
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:08,080
it's estimated that there are now over
one million pieces of plastic
262
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,840
for every square mile.
263
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:12,920
And we're only beginning to discover
264
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,440
just how seriously
that affects marine life.
265
00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,800
On the east coast of the United States,
266
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:31,960
researchers are investigating
the mysterious deaths of young dolphins.
267
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,480
The team is led by Dr Leslie Hart.
268
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,840
It looks to be a young animal.
269
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,680
Maybe a little bit over a year.
270
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,080
So we're gonna try to find out more
information on why this dolphin died.
271
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,840
Looking at young dolphins...
272
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,640
The very young dolphins,
it's always heart-breaking.
273
00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:17,080
Leslie takes tissue samples.
274
00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,360
Their chemical analysis
could provide crucial evidence.
275
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,520
We are often shocked
by the high levels of toxins
276
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,400
that we detect in these animals.
277
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,200
These young calves are dying
for a number of reasons.
278
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,280
But we suspect man-made toxins
are playing a large role.
279
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,600
And plastic could be
part of the problem.
280
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,280
Once in the ocean,
281
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,440
plastic breaks down into tiny fragments.
282
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,160
Micro plastics.
283
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,440
Along with all the industrial chemicals
that have drained into the ocean
284
00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,600
these form a potentially toxic soup.
285
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:18,760
The really small organisms
286
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,240
can mistake these tiny,
tiny plastics as food.
287
00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:25,000
Then the larger organisms
eat the plankton.
288
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,640
Then the larger fish
eat the smaller fish,
289
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:29,160
and so on and so forth.
290
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,400
Dolphins are
at the top of this food chain
291
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,040
and it's now thought that pollutants
may be building up in their tissues
292
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:43,760
to such a degree that a mother's
contaminated milk could kill her calf.
293
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:06,200
Industrial pollution
and the discarding of plastic waste
294
00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,600
must be tackled for the sake of
all life in the ocean.
295
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,120
Around the world,
people are now devoting their lives
296
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,400
to saving some of the most
threatened sea creatures.
297
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,080
As here in the Caribbean.
298
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,640
Every year on just a few islands,
299
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,360
a remarkable event takes place.
300
00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,680
As the sun sets,
301
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,760
giant reptiles begin to emerge.
302
00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,640
This magnificent creature preparing...
303
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,680
Whoops.
304
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,200
Preparing to lay her eggs
305
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,160
is the largest of all turtles.
306
00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,600
A leatherback.
307
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,320
They can grow up to
half a tonne in weight.
308
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,240
And they have an ancestry that
goes back a hundred million years
309
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,320
to the age of the dinosaur.
310
00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:46,680
But in recent times their numbers
have fallen catastrophically.
311
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,840
Here, however, in the Caribbean
there is hope.
312
00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,880
Leatherback turtles leave the sea
313
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,120
in order to lay their eggs
in the dry sand.
314
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:09,480
But out of water, these huge creatures
are easy targets for hunters.
315
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,000
In a small fishing village in Trinidad,
316
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,920
Len Peters has experienced this
first hand.
317
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:25,600
I grew up in a household where
the presence of turtle meat was normal.
318
00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,480
The fridge was always full of it.
319
00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,600
Everybody... Everybody harvested
turtles, including my parents.
320
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:34,040
It's only when I became
exposed to things
321
00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:35,920
that were being published
about leatherbacks
322
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:37,440
who were on the verge of extinction.
323
00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:39,080
And nobody cares.
324
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:40,640
That piqued my interest.
325
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,720
Len took the leatherback's
future into his own hands.
326
00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,440
He began patrolling the beach at night
to protect the turtles.
327
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,640
A brave thing to do.
328
00:27:57,360 --> 00:28:00,160
We were met with
tremendous resistance.
329
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,000
People would pelt us at night.
330
00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,240
I have had persons insult me.
331
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:05,880
I've had persons curse me.
332
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:10,680
I've had persons physically
try to wrestle me with a machete.
333
00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,400
So it was really
a hostile time back then.
334
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,200
If Len was going to
save these turtles
335
00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,040
he needed to win over
the whole community.
336
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,480
We had to find a way to
get the villagers to benefit
337
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,600
from the presence of these animals.
338
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,440
He began to encourage
tourists to visit the beach
339
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,440
and trained some villagers
to be their guides.
340
00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,120
To help secure the turtles' future,
341
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,280
he took the message
to the next generation.
342
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,840
Now what's... What's the largest size
a leatherback can grow to?
343
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,280
Uh, Shanie.
344
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,440
- 2,000 pounds.
- That's correct.
345
00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:00,280
Leatherbacks can grow to 2,000 pounds.
346
00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:01,920
Well, that's a big turtle.
347
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:04,600
Len's hard work paid off.
348
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,000
And now, attitudes have changed.
349
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:14,280
It took us a while to
reach out to the villagers.
350
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,800
But gradually we got them
involved as well.
351
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,840
We got some of the poachers who
would be hunting the animals to
352
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,800
be part of the conservation programme.
353
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,920
As well as protecting
the adult turtles,
354
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,280
the team also collect any eggs
that might be flooded at high tide.
355
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,160
If the eggs are laid
too close to the sea,
356
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,840
we relocate the eggs and rebury them.
357
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,800
Thanks to the efforts of this community,
358
00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,400
these turtles have had an extraordinary
change in fortune.
359
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,120
This is now thought to be
one of the densest
360
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,000
leatherback nesting beaches
in the world.
361
00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,400
When we started at the height
of the nesting season,
362
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,160
the numbers will be 30-40 turtles
a night.
363
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,960
Now, it's over 500.
364
00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,360
So, we have seen an increase
from 40 turtles
365
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,400
to 500 turtles a night
in just around 20 years.
366
00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,800
Precious new hatchlings
are also given a helping hand.
367
00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,440
Any that emerge during the day
are collected
368
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:33,240
to be released safely back to the sea,
away from hungry birds.
369
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:45,040
This little leatherback will have to
face a thousand hazards
370
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,480
before it returns as an adult
to this beach where it hatched.
371
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,560
And those dangers will be
greatly increased
372
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,840
because of damage that we have done
to the ocean.
373
00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:00,200
Good luck, little leatherback.
374
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,040
Protecting breeding sites on beaches
375
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:38,560
may improve the fortune
of some marine animals,
376
00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,800
but safeguarding them while they roam
the high seas is much more difficult.
377
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,720
Out here, there is little protection.
378
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:05,600
Every night, thousands of miles of
fishing lines laden with hooks are set.
379
00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,280
There's enough, it's said,
to wrap twice around the world.
380
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,520
Nets large enough to engulf cathedrals
381
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,840
trap hundreds of tonnes of fish
at a time.
382
00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:30,000
Long distance travellers such as sharks
are particularly at risk.
383
00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:40,560
It's estimated that tens of millions
are killed every year,
384
00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:45,440
including the biggest fish in the sea,
the whale shark.
385
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,160
Shark biologist Jonathan Green
is concerned
386
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,640
that time is running out
for these extraordinary creatures.
387
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,560
We know that they're being fished
possibly at a massive rate.
388
00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,480
They may be taken by the thousands,
possibly tens of thousands a year.
389
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:14,880
If that is indeed true,
390
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,440
we don't know how long they can
withstand that kind of fishing pressure.
391
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,160
To save them,
Jonathan is trying to solve
392
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:25,880
the mystery of where they give birth.
393
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:36,320
And, for the first time, he has a clue
as to where this might be.
394
00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,680
Pregnant whale sharks are thought to be
travelling from across the Pacific Ocean
395
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,480
to Darwin Island in the Galapagos.
396
00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,360
Jonathan is going to try and attach
397
00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,920
a multi-sensor camera tag
to a pregnant female.
398
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:07,280
Okay. We're good to go.
399
00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,000
These sharks only stay in the area
for a few days.
400
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:21,880
This may be his only chance.
401
00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:39,520
Jonathan has to attach the tag before
the shark dives to dangerous depths.
402
00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,000
The tag will remain on the giant's fin
for two days
403
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,160
before it's automatically released.
404
00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,760
Once retrieved, it reveals
some unusual behaviour.
405
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:14,920
Oh, beautiful, beautiful.
406
00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:21,840
There's a silky rubbing up against
the front. Next to her right.
407
00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:25,960
The silky sharks are
brushing up against her rough skin,
408
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,320
perhaps to scrape off parasites.
409
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:34,920
These predatory sharks make the surface
waters very unsafe places
410
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,200
for young fish of any kind.
411
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,280
There is a surprise in store.
412
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,000
The tag's depth sensor reveals
that she dived
413
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,720
to a depth of 600 metres.
414
00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:55,320
But down there,
it's too dark for the camera.
415
00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,800
The only way Jonathan can prove
if they're giving birth
416
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:07,480
is to go down and look.
417
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,800
Out of the gloom, a shape materialises.
418
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,440
Another massive whale shark.
419
00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:44,480
Oh, look at her. She's having a look
at us. She's looking right at us.
420
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:51,640
She is huge.
421
00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,160
And look at the belly.
Absolutely massive.
422
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:57,200
That's a large pregnant female.
423
00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,120
She's turning around.
She's turning around.
424
00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,960
Goes to show we can follow them.
We can follow them in the submarine.
425
00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,880
She leads them down
into the darkness.
426
00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:22,720
Rover control.
Passing 100 metres, descending.
427
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,800
Heading down.
I think she's accelerated slightly.
428
00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,320
She's too fast.
429
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:39,320
And with the strong current running
against them, the sub can't keep up.
430
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,680
But, for the first time,
Jonathan can see for himself
431
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,600
exactly where she's headed.
432
00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:54,320
What specifically Darwin
could provide
433
00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:59,160
is a safe refuge for those new-born pups
where predators can't access.
434
00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,560
Perfect conditions
for the formative years
435
00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,480
of these ocean-travelling giants.
436
00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:14,960
That was unbelievable.
437
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:18,360
Dream of a lifetime.
438
00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:23,240
His discovery
that pregnant whale sharks
439
00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,280
are visiting this very deep patch
of the sea floor
440
00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:30,520
is strong evidence that this is indeed
where the giants produce their young.
441
00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:36,680
If I can actually prove
that they are giving birth in this area,
442
00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:38,840
then we'll have
the information necessary
443
00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:40,920
to go to governments and actually say,
444
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,200
"You must preserve those routes
that they're migrating through."
445
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,640
And then, and only then,
can we really truly afford protection
446
00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:49,800
for this beautiful ocean traveller.
447
00:38:57,680 --> 00:38:59,840
Today, less than one percent
448
00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:02,600
of our international waters
are protected.
449
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,880
And the creation of marine reserves
is vital
450
00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,920
if we're to safeguard the future
of many ocean creatures.
451
00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:21,440
It will require
international cooperation.
452
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,800
But here, too, there is hope.
453
00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,280
We can turn things around.
454
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:31,960
We've done so once before.
455
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:36,640
For centuries,
the sea-going nations of the world
456
00:39:36,720 --> 00:39:39,680
hunted the great whales
until they were close to extinction.
457
00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:44,840
And then, in 1986,
those nations got together
458
00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,800
and agreed to put a stop
to commercial whaling.
459
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,320
Today, although a few nations
continue to hunt whales,
460
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,160
some of the great whales
are making a recovery.
461
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,280
In the tropical seas
surrounding Sri Lanka,
462
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,840
there are stories of vast gatherings
of whales.
463
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,480
When the civil war ended in 2009,
464
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:25,440
locals here were able once again
to fish these waters.
465
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,720
There were soon reports of assemblies
of sperm whales,
466
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,960
the likes of which had not been seen
for centuries.
467
00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:41,120
Marine guide Daya was determined
to get to the truth
468
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,520
behind these fishermen's tales.
469
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,720
The fishermen told me that
there are lots of whales
470
00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,000
a little bit north from here.
471
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,320
They didn't actually tell me a number,
472
00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,760
but in big numbers, not one or twos.
473
00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:56,800
Er, many.
474
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:03,600
It took him three years,
475
00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:08,240
but eventually, he found evidence
to support these rumours.
476
00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:58,000
We saw about 15 sperm whales
go past us.
477
00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,800
Then, another four came past us.
478
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:16,600
After about 40 then passed me,
I started counting.
479
00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:24,080
Still, they kept coming,
so I lost count.
480
00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,480
I estimated that we saw about
300 sperm whales.
481
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:40,960
Sperm whales were once
killed in vast numbers
482
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:43,880
and it's thought that if the slaughter
had continued,
483
00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,360
the species would be in danger
of extermination.
484
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:55,360
But now, here at least,
they are being seen in huge numbers.
485
00:42:56,840 --> 00:43:00,680
I believe they come here to feed,
mate, and raise their young.
486
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:03,320
So, this must be a holiday spot
for them, you know.
487
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:06,960
At the moment, I don't know
of any other place in the world
488
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,760
that, er, sperm whales gather like this.
489
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:16,800
Although some whale
populations are still in decline,
490
00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:21,600
scenes like this prove that when
sea-going nations come together,
491
00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:24,720
they can achieve astonishing results.
492
00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:38,080
But today, the oceans face threats
on a truly global scale.
493
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:45,800
The Great Barrier Reef.
494
00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:51,680
The largest coral reef system
in the world.
495
00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:59,640
Here, we filmed stories which reveal
just how smart fish can be.
496
00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,080
This ingenious tuskfish, for example,
497
00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:12,560
used a favourite coral anvil
to smash open shellfish.
498
00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:18,320
This astonishing behaviour
has been closely studied
499
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:20,840
by local scientist Alex Vail.
500
00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:25,080
We're calling Percy
"Percy the Persistent"
501
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:29,600
because he took, like, an hour
to open the first shell.
502
00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:37,440
He must have hit it well over 50 times,
503
00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:40,400
but he just kept on going
and finally got it open.
504
00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:52,880
Alex grew up
on the Great Barrier Reef
505
00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:55,760
on one of its more remote islands,
Lizard.
506
00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:00,400
He knows the reef intimately.
507
00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:09,480
But, in 2016, while he was filming
for Blue Planet II,
508
00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,080
Alex witnessed a catastrophe.
509
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,920
When we started filming,
everything was pretty much fine.
510
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,080
All of the corals
were basically healthy.
511
00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:24,480
But in the last few weeks,
everything changed.
512
00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:28,240
I have never seen anything
like this before.
513
00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:33,600
A combination of a warming ocean
514
00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:37,280
and an unpredictable weather event
called El NiƱo
515
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,000
raised sea temperatures
to record levels.
516
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:48,280
And this had a disastrous effect
on the corals.
517
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:54,040
The heat causes reef-building corals
to lose their nourishing algae,
518
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,560
exposing their white skeletons.
519
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:06,560
When temperatures remain high,
bleached corals die off.
520
00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:12,400
The bleaching this year has been
the worst in history
521
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:13,920
for the Great Barrier Reef.
522
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:16,440
About 90 percent of the branching corals
523
00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:18,880
on the reef out here at Lizard Island
are dead.
524
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:24,520
It also has disastrous consequences
525
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:26,760
for the other creatures that live here.
526
00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:33,000
Percy swimming around out there.
527
00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:36,080
The really sad thing is that his
castle's starting to bleach.
528
00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:40,600
If we lose our coral, there's a chance
we're going to lose our tuskfish.
529
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:46,160
It's incredibly sad to see areas
that you've dived on
530
00:46:46,240 --> 00:46:49,440
since you were a little kid
just turn to rubble.
531
00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:54,720
I cried in my mask, when I saw,
532
00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:56,920
you know, some of the devastation
from this bleaching.
533
00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:06,720
In the last three years,
534
00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:09,720
over two-thirds
of the world's coral reefs
535
00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:13,520
are thought to have suffered from rises
in ocean temperatures.
536
00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:28,680
This is not the only challenge
they face.
537
00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:33,800
Research is revealing
how the fundamental
538
00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,160
chemistry of the ocean is changing.
539
00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:42,880
Professor Chris Langdon shows me
what this might mean
540
00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:47,840
for the future of our seas
by pouring dilute acid over shells.
541
00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:56,480
And how much more acidic is this
than the present ocean?
542
00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:00,600
This is more concentrated than
the pH of the ocean
543
00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:04,480
but it accelerates the process
so we can see something visually.
544
00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:08,280
So, what's happening is, these shells,
they're made out of calcium carbonate,
545
00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:10,560
and the acid is dissolving them.
546
00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:14,920
And coral reefs are made out of
the same material as these shells here.
547
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:19,840
But surely this is not happening
in the ocean now. Right now?
548
00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:23,400
What we're seeing here is more dramatic
than what's happening in the ocean.
549
00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:28,160
But the shells and the reefs
are really truly dissolving.
550
00:48:28,240 --> 00:48:31,360
Coral reefs could be gone by the end
of this century.
551
00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:38,040
And the cause of this?
Carbon dioxide.
552
00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:43,280
Dissolved in the sea water,
it forms carbonic acid.
553
00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:46,720
The more carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere,
554
00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:49,120
the more acidic the ocean becomes.
555
00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:54,120
Evidence points to the burning
of fossil fuels
556
00:48:54,240 --> 00:48:58,800
as the primary cause for these
increasing levels of carbon dioxide.
557
00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:03,200
And this is man-made beyond question.
558
00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:04,480
Beyond question.
559
00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:11,680
But Chris believes all is not lost.
560
00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:17,160
All we have to do, and I say all,
is reduce our CO2 emissions.
561
00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:21,360
We can switch to renewable fuels,
wind and solar,
562
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:23,400
instead of natural fossil fuels.
563
00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:25,160
And so, none of this has to
564
00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:28,480
- develop to the worst case.
- And that could fix it?
565
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:33,160
Yeah, absolutely. So, this future does
not have to play out. It's up to us.
566
00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:47,680
As the climate changes,
the seas warm.
567
00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:50,680
Our oceans are being seriously affected.
568
00:49:53,240 --> 00:49:57,560
And this is nowhere more apparent
than at the poles.
569
00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:08,120
Antarctica.
570
00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:16,560
For the Blue Planet II team, this was
their most ambitious expedition.
571
00:50:19,240 --> 00:50:23,120
For the first time in history,
a manned submersible
572
00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:26,680
will try to dive to a depth
of 1,000 metres
573
00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:29,160
and reach the Antarctic seabed.
574
00:50:30,560 --> 00:50:33,360
A true journey into the unknown.
575
00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:53,240
Control rover. Passing 40 metres.
Over.
576
00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:02,240
Leading the team
on this historic dive
577
00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:04,560
is deep sea scientist John Copley.
578
00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:15,920
We get our first glimpse
of this landscape.
579
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:22,280
And the carpet of life around us
is astounding.
580
00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:24,320
It's beautiful.
581
00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:38,000
Diving in a submersible
gives John an entirely new understanding
582
00:51:38,080 --> 00:51:40,760
of how this rich ecosystem works.
583
00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,560
But it also offers him
a unique opportunity
584
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,560
to investigate how the ocean here
is changing.
585
00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:51,800
While we're observing the marine life
down there,
586
00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,200
the subs are also recording
what the environment is like,
587
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:56,640
so we're getting measurements
of temperature, of salinity.
588
00:51:56,720 --> 00:51:59,000
It's hopefully gonna enable us
to understand the changes
589
00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:01,240
that are happening in this vital part
of our planet.
590
00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:06,880
To get a fuller picture,
John also lowers
591
00:52:06,960 --> 00:52:09,200
a deep sea temperature probe.
592
00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:18,200
His data is contributing
to an international attempt
593
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:21,920
to chart the rise in both sea
and air temperatures.
594
00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,240
What shocks me about
what all the data show
595
00:52:27,360 --> 00:52:29,880
is how fast things are changing here.
596
00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,320
We're headed into uncharted territory.
597
00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:44,560
To truly comprehend
598
00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:46,840
the effect of the temperature
increases here,
599
00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:49,040
John takes to the skies.
600
00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:53,520
From here, he can record
the number and size
601
00:52:53,600 --> 00:52:58,080
of the icebergs being produced
as the ice shelves melt and break apart.
602
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:04,080
The bergs we're seeing all around us
give you some idea
603
00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:08,520
of how huge this process is
that's taking place on the Antarctic.
604
00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:13,560
As the floating shelves
break up, they allow water,
605
00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:17,120
which has been locked up on land as ice
for thousands of years,
606
00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:19,000
to empty into the sea.
607
00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:24,080
And this is predicted to push up
sea levels.
608
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,760
If the ice shelves break up,
then that opens the flood gates.
609
00:53:32,600 --> 00:53:34,720
Ice on land flows faster into the sea
610
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:36,440
and that's what pushes up
the sea levels.
611
00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:42,120
So, what's happening here right now
affects all of us.
612
00:53:56,520 --> 00:54:00,520
Already, cities like Miami here
are under threat.
613
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,560
Scientists predict that by the end
of the century,
614
00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:08,440
the sea levels could have risen
by a metre or even two.
615
00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:13,640
Were that to happen, parts of this city
would certainly be submerged.
616
00:54:18,360 --> 00:54:22,920
Around the world, hundreds of millions
of people live near the coast,
617
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:27,520
and as sea levels rise,
their lives will be seriously affected.
618
00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:44,800
It's now clear that our actions
are having a significant impact
619
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:46,640
on the world's oceans.
620
00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:54,760
During the four years it took
to make this series,
621
00:54:54,840 --> 00:54:57,920
we've witnessed many of these changes
first-hand.
622
00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:09,880
But we've also worked alongside
men and women
623
00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:13,720
dedicating their lives to safeguarding
the ocean's future.
624
00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:24,440
The oceans provide us with oxygen,
625
00:55:24,520 --> 00:55:26,480
they regulate temperature,
626
00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:29,600
they provide us with food
and energy supplies.
627
00:55:30,240 --> 00:55:35,080
And it's unthinkable to have a world
without a healthy ocean.
628
00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:41,720
I still think we have
the capability
629
00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:44,880
to change the manner in which
we're wasting resources,
630
00:55:44,960 --> 00:55:46,920
in which we're poisoning our oceans,
631
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:50,600
and we can look to a future
with healthy oceans.
632
00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:57,600
When I look forward, I believe
that if what we are doing
633
00:55:57,680 --> 00:56:00,120
can be duplicated just a little bit.
634
00:56:00,240 --> 00:56:03,080
These animals will have a chance
of surviving.
635
00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:09,040
It comes down, I think, to us each
taking responsibility
636
00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:11,760
for the personal choices that we make
in our everyday lives.
637
00:56:11,840 --> 00:56:14,680
That's all any of us can be expected
to do.
638
00:56:14,760 --> 00:56:17,320
And it is those everyday choices
that add up.
639
00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,680
We are at a unique stage in our history.
640
00:56:36,600 --> 00:56:40,520
Never before have we had
such an awareness
641
00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:42,560
of what we are doing to the planet.
642
00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:48,640
And never before have we had the power
to do something about that.
643
00:56:50,720 --> 00:56:54,560
Surely, we have a responsibility
to care for our blue planet.
644
00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:58,480
The future of humanity,
645
00:56:58,560 --> 00:57:01,800
and indeed all life on Earth,
646
00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:04,160
now depends on us.
54866
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