1
00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,160
Vancouver Island
is the largest island

2
00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,000
on the west coast of North America.

3
00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,200
All the habitats of this island...

4
00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,440
..its mountains...

5
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,360
its freshwater...

6
00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,880
..and its forests...

7
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,640
..are deeply connected to the sea.

8
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,520
And every animal,

9
00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,160
from the largest to the smallest...

10
00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,680
..has to find a way to fit into
that unique alliance

11
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,440
to survive.

12
00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:50,640
(ROARING)

13
00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,480
From the Arctic...

14
00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,440
..to the tropics...

15
00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,840
..islands are wild laboratories...

16
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,000
..where unique rules apply...

17
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,160
..and nature puts life...

18
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,240
..to the ultimate test.

19
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:19,840
(GROWLS)

20
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,400
Surrounded by the North Pacific,

21
00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,080
Vancouver Island has
a deep connection to the ocean.

22
00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,520
From its snow-capped mountain range

23
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,760
and vast network
of freshwater lakes and rivers...

24
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,360
..to its ancient rainforest...

25
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,320
..and ocean inlets
that cut deep into the island.

26
00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,360
But it's the most intense
along its western edge.

27
00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,240
The outer coast of Vancouver Island

28
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,360
is exposed to the full force
of the vast Pacific.

29
00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,120
It's a volatile environment...

30
00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,400
..unpredictable,
but full of opportunities.

31
00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:21,840
It's prime hunting ground
for the island's dominant predator.

32
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,600
A wolf family is on
the prowl for any food

33
00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:30,160
that the ocean may have thrown
onto the island's shore.

34
00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,600
(EAGLE SQUAWKS)

35
00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,760
(SNIFFING)

36
00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,960
These are sea wolves,

37
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,840
smaller and genetically distinct
from their mainland cousins.

38
00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,240
(SNIFFING)

39
00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,760
90% of their diet
comes from the sea.

40
00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,720
(SNIFFING)

41
00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:00,640
Today, they are only finding
small fish and invertebrates

42
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,680
hiding under the rocks.

43
00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,600
But the island is about
to lay on a massive feast.

44
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:12,480
(DISTANT WOLF HOWLS)

45
00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,720
(GULLS SQUAWKING)

46
00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,040
From deep water out in the Pacific...

47
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,160
..herring, in their millions,
are arriving.

48
00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,360
The herring are coming up
to the island's rocky reefs to spawn.

49
00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,120
Females stick their eggs
onto the rocks and seaweed.

50
00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,800
Males broadcast their sperm,

51
00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,200
changing the colour of the sea.

52
00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,840
The spawn can be so vast

53
00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,160
as to be visible from space.

54
00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,520
With so many spawning fish
crowding the island's shallow waters,

55
00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,760
these are perfect conditions
for a feeding frenzy.

56
00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,200
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

57
00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,160
A single sea lion can eat
half a tonne of herring

58
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,200
during the spawn.

59
00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,040
The eggs are also a big part
of this spring feast

60
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,040
for lots of animals...

61
00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,080
like sea otters.

62
00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,360
There can be hundreds
of thousands of them

63
00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,800
on every square metre of coastline.

64
00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,200
And even migrating birds
time their journey north

65
00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,320
for this annual event.

66
00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:31,160
A big male black bear
has just woken from hibernation.

67
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,200
(BEAR HUFFING)

68
00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,920
He hasn't eaten in four months.

69
00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,920
This protein-rich food helps to
restart his body's metabolism.

70
00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:59,520
Even a top predator like the wolf

71
00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,960
will spend hours
eating these tiny morsels.

72
00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,040
But the spawn only lasts a week.

73
00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:16,960
Soon, he'll be back
to patrolling the outer coast,

74
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000
looking for his next meal.

75
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,120
On this island,
the impact of the sea runs deep.

76
00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,920
Thousands of years ago,

77
00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,320
the glaciers that covered the island
carved deep channels

78
00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,760
into its bedrock.

79
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,760
When the ice retreated,

80
00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,520
the island let the ocean
into many of these channels,

81
00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:46,280
creating hundreds of kilometres
of protected tree-lined coast.

82
00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,680
This realm is always in motion.

83
00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,080
Tides rise and fall over four metres

84
00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,120
every six hours...

85
00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,280
..revealing secret food supplies...

86
00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,440
..and then hiding them again.

87
00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,960
It's all about timing.

88
00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,080
Trees along the inlet's shore
provide security

89
00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,360
for a mother black bear
and her two new cubs.

90
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,000
(HIGH-PITCHED YAPS)

91
00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,680
Only a few months old,

92
00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,040
everything out here is new to them.

93
00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,400
Rocks left behind
as the glaciers melted

94
00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,400
are good hunting grounds
for intertidal creatures, like crabs.

95
00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,480
(SNIFFING)

96
00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,960
The cubs learn by watching their mum.

97
00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,400
(BIRD SQUAWKS)

98
00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,240
They have a lot to learn
about seafood.

99
00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,000
They need to eat a lot of crabs,

100
00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,560
mussels, barnacles, and fish,
in the next five months,

101
00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,200
to gain enough weight
to survive winter hibernation.

102
00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:07,920
(BEAR SNIFFING)

103
00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:09,640
(GRUNTS)

104
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,880
A big male bear
is also trying his luck

105
00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:15,560
in the intertidal zone.

106
00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,120
Mum's unaware of him
across the inlet...

107
00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,680
(OMINOUS MUSIC)

108
00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:28,600
..but not for long.
(GRUNTS)

109
00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,160
Male bears sometimes
try to kill young cubs...

110
00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,400
..either to bring the mother
into breeding readiness again...

111
00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:41,960
..or simply to eat them.

112
00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,560
Mum's got to get her cubs
out of here...

113
00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,200
..before he gets too close.

114
00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,040
(CUB WHINES)

115
00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,360
(CUB CRIES)

116
00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,840
(OMINOUS MUSIC BUILDING)

117
00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,800
The tall trees along the shoreline

118
00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,120
prove vital to this family now.

119
00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,880
The cubs are born excellent climbers,

120
00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,160
a skill that can save their lives.

121
00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,200
The thin branches near the top

122
00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,600
can't support a big bear.

123
00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,160
Big trees along the island's inlet

124
00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,200
also provide an excellent vantage...

125
00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,000
..for some of the sharpest eyes
in the animal kingdom.

126
00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,280
(EAGLE CHIRPS)

127
00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,240
Bald eagles can only catch fish
within half a metre of the surface.

128
00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,200
So, these calm inlet waters

129
00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,320
help them spot their prey.

130
00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:24,600
A tall tree,
just above their ocean pantry...

131
00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,240
is also a perfect place

132
00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,760
to raise chicks.
(CHICKS CHEEPING)

133
00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,920
(MELLOW MUSIC)

134
00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,120
Mum comes back with breakfast.

135
00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,280
Now, Dad gets a chance
to stretch his wings.

136
00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,360
Competition between chicks is strong.

137
00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,440
(CHEEPING)

138
00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,400
Usually, only one survives.

139
00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,720
And catching enough for two
growing chicks will get harder...

140
00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:27,200
when hot summer weather drives fish
deeper into cool water.

141
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,880
This island will put
the eagle family to the test

142
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,920
in the months to come.

143
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,520
Oceans of salt water
surround Vancouver Island,

144
00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:58,160
but its heart is a vast network

145
00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,360
of freshwater lakes and rivers.

146
00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,280
The freshwater network
is sustained almost entirely

147
00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,920
by melting snow and ice

148
00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,320
flowing off the island's mountains.

149
00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,480
Water temperature can vary widely
through the seasons,

150
00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,720
so to thrive here,

151
00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,480
you have to know
how to go with the flow.

152
00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,720
In the spring, heat and light
concentrate food production,

153
00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,320
like algae growth near the surface...

154
00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,120
..where a western toad tadpole
is heading up to feed.

155
00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,720
He doesn't have any parents
to protect him...

156
00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,560
..but he's got company.

157
00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,160
Each morning,
he's joined by the three million

158
00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,200
other tadpoles he was born with.

159
00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:07,920
For these tiny tadpoles,

160
00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,360
it's an epic daily migration.

161
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,480
The tadpoles feast on algae

162
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,920
growing near the warmer
surface waters...

163
00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,840
..making them easier to find.

164
00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,600
Freshwater leeches hunt
without eyes or ears.

165
00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,000
They zero in on their prey

166
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,360
by sensing vibrations in the water.

167
00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,400
(OMINOUS MUSIC)

168
00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,480
They can hold prey
with tremendous force

169
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,520
despite their small size.

170
00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,360
Escape seems impossible.

171
00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,400
But his luck is in today.

172
00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,520
Over the next few weeks,

173
00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,040
the tadpoles will feed voraciously

174
00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,120
before morphing into adults

175
00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:22,480
and escaping the island's
water realm.

176
00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,640
Then the freshwater network
will be taken over by another species

177
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,840
that will transform
the entire island.

178
00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,320
Vancouver Island hasn't
always sat snuggly alongside

179
00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,720
the North American continent.

180
00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,600
Two hundred million years ago,

181
00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,240
its rocks were part of
the ocean crust,

182
00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,760
thousands of kilometres offshore.

183
00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,640
Over millions of years,
it crept closer and closer

184
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,600
until it merged
with the continental landmass.

185
00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,520
A large part of the island today
is still made up of that ancient rock

186
00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,800
borne from the seafloor.

187
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,360
Limestone.

188
00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,200
It's made from the skeletal remains

189
00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,360
of trillions of ancient
sea creatures...

190
00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,680
..and is loaded with minerals.

191
00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,000
And it lies under most
of the island's temperate rainforest.

192
00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,400
The temperate rainforest
is the island's largest,

193
00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,760
and most productive habitat.

194
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:54,680
And, of course,
any rainforest... needs rain.

195
00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,880
It arrives in moisture-laden clouds
formed over the ocean,

196
00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:03,600
that rise over the island's
forest mountain slopes.

197
00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,960
Up to four metres of rain
falls every year.

198
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,120
(FROG CROAKING)

199
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,520
It is one of the wettest
non-tropical places on the planet.

200
00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,880
All this rain shapes the island's
surface in surprising ways.

201
00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,240
Over the millennia,

202
00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,120
the soft limestone of the island
has been eroded,

203
00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,360
creating the highest
concentration of caves

204
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,120
found anywhere in North America.

205
00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,560
And the limestone's minerals,
washed out by the rain,

206
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,400
help grow some of the world's
biggest trees.

207
00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,800
One reason that
these temperate rainforests

208
00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,240
hold more carbon per hectare
than any other habitat on Earth.

209
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,280
(BIRDS TWITTERING)

210
00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:56,840
(RAIN PATTERING GENTLY)

211
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,320
Rain is critical to life here...

212
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,480
..especially for
the wandering salamander.

213
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,320
These amphibians don't have lungs

214
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:15,520
but absorb oxygen directly
through moisture on their skin,

215
00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,400
so the wetter... the better.

216
00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,400
This island is like
a wild laboratory,

217
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,680
creating special conditions for life

218
00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,720
found nowhere else.

219
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,880
In the upper canopy,

220
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,520
there are new species
still being discovered.

221
00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:42,400
Millions of tiny insects,

222
00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:44,560
many no bigger than a pinhead...

223
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,640
..that spend their whole lives
in clumps of wet moss,

224
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,920
60 metres above the forest floor.

225
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,840
In our world today,

226
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,040
this ancient rainforest
is irreplaceable.

227
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,080
(BIRDS TWITTERING)

228
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:09,960
(MACHINERY WHIRRING)

229
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,680
But it's disappearing
at an alarming rate.

230
00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,480
(TREE TRUNKS CRACKING)
Over ten thousand hectares

231
00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,440
of old growth forest
on Vancouver Island

232
00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,480
are cut each year.

233
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,440
Over the last 150 years,

234
00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,560
humans have cut down 77%

235
00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,200
of Vancouver Island's forests.

236
00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,400
Of the most productive
old growth forest,

237
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,920
only 3% remains.

238
00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:54,640
It takes several centuries
for these ancient forests to develop.

239
00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,960
(BIRDS TWITTERING)

240
00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,840
Once cut, they'll never get
the chance to grow old again.

241
00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:09,240
A 350-kilometre-long
backbone of mountains

242
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,800
runs through the centre
of the island.

243
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,680
These peaks are almost
2,000 metres above sea level,

244
00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,520
but still influenced by the ocean.

245
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,360
Moisture carried in by the clouds

246
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,080
falls as snow for most of the year.

247
00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:39,440
It lingers into summer,

248
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,320
making the growing season short...

249
00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,440
..a real challenge for plant-eaters,

250
00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,440
like the Vancouver Island marmot...

251
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,400
..one of the rarest mammals on Earth.

252
00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,200
There's only 250 left.

253
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,600
Found only on this island,

254
00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,680
they've been badly affected
by logging

255
00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,520
and other changes
humans have made here.

256
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:13,240
The island's mountains give them
only a few months to find enough food

257
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,880
to prepare for next
winter's hibernation.

258
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,960
So, mosquitoes are
an unwelcome distraction.

259
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,600
Marmots are social animals,

260
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,440
living in colonies
of multiple families.

261
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,440
Wrestling is one way that they
strengthen their social bonds.

262
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,040
Though, it can distract you
from potential dangers.

263
00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,160
A single predator can wipe out
the entire colony.

264
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,040
Their lookout needs to be alert.

265
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,600
(MARMOT SQUEALING)

266
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,320
(SQUEALING CONTINUES)

267
00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,480
The numbers are stable for now,

268
00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,640
but with so few left,

269
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,200
and isolated on these mountaintops,

270
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,760
the Vancouver Island
marmot population

271
00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,840
can't afford to lose anyone.

272
00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,080
Along Vancouver Island's
stormy outer shores,

273
00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:45,440
great quantities of logs
and driftwood accumulate.

274
00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,040
Beneath this jumble of dense wood,

275
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,960
there's a dry and dark world...

276
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,240
..where a fearsome predator
lies in wait.

277
00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,240
A female black widow spider.

278
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,560
Her venom poses little threat
to humans...

279
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,120
..but to an ant... it's deadly.

280
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,080
Her web lacks the usual
spider design aesthetic...

281
00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,200
..but there is method
in this apparent madness.

282
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:33,000
Sticky web lines run to the ground...

283
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,800
..perfect for catching ants.

284
00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:42,280
(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDING)

285
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,360
She uses her silk
to secure her catch...

286
00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,520
..and injects venom and enzymes

287
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,560
to kill and liquefy the body.

288
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:17,840
Later, she'll return

289
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:19,880
to drink up the fruits of her labour.

290
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,800
This driftwood provides her
with the perfect home

291
00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,000
in the stormy and harsh
outer coast habitat.

292
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,480
When you rely on finding food
on the island's shore,

293
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,120
it's either feast or famine.

294
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,480
And it's famine for
the wolves right now.

295
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,560
In summer, storms are rare,

296
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:57,960
so, not much washes onto the shore.

297
00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,800
But today, he smells something
promising on the air.

298
00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:05,840
(SNIFFING)

299
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,920
To follow his nose,

300
00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,160
the father wolf is going
to have to swim.

301
00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,080
Life on this island gives him
lots of practice.

302
00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:41,520
Though it's draining to swim
in water barely above freezing.

303
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,920
He's desperate to find food
for his family.

304
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,200
(WHINING, YAPPING)

305
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,240
He has seven new pups.

306
00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,560
Everyone is hungry.

307
00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,280
And his mate has nothing
for them either.

308
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,520
Already a couple of months old,

309
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,600
these pups are discovering
that the island's shore

310
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,640
can provide for them.

311
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:19,720
But at this age,
they don't have much skill.

312
00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,000
They are growing fast
and need food now more than ever.

313
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,760
(HOWLING)

314
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,520
(DISTANT HOWLING)

315
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,640
The fate of the wolf family

316
00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,400
depends on their dad's ability
to find food

317
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,480
in this unpredictable habitat.

318
00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,520
(DISTANT HOWLING CONTINUES)

319
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,280
Hot summer weather has warmed
the tidal inlet's surface waters.

320
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,200
Fish are deep,
where the water is cool...

321
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:20,520
..so fishing has been hard.

322
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,680
(CHICK SQUEALS)

323
00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:44,480
There's only one chick left now.

324
00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:51,080
The parents couldn't catch enough
to keep them both alive.

325
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:56,680
The surviving chick is fully grown,

326
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,720
but she can't fly.

327
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,520
She needs all the energy
she can get right now

328
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,280
to prepare for her first flight.

329
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,800
Flapping builds her flight muscles.

330
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:25,880
Finally, she's ready to go.

331
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,440
(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

332
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,440
She makes a perfect first flight.

333
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,760
Her parents will bring her food
for a few more weeks,

334
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,000
but soon...
she needs to hunt for herself.

335
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,200
While fishing conditions
are tough right now,

336
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,400
a new wave of opportunities
will arrive with autumn.

337
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:10,120
Vancouver Island's outer coast
is dotted with many tiny islets,

338
00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,520
surrounded by a shallow sea...

339
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,560
..a habitat created
thousands of years ago

340
00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,720
at the end of the last Ice Age.

341
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,480
The island was weighed down
under a kilometre-thick ice sheet.

342
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,480
But when the ice melted,

343
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,840
the island's mass rose up.

344
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,760
It created many new,
little islets off the coast

345
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,080
with shallower water between them...

346
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,040
..a sweet spot for life to flourish

347
00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,880
on the edge of a cold, deep ocean.

348
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,760
Sunlight can penetrate
to the ocean floor,

349
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,320
fuelling the growth
of giant Pacific kelp.

350
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,880
It can grow over
half a metre in a day,

351
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,840
creating great underwater
forests full of life.

352
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,000
It's a rich and productive habitat

353
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,040
for the world's smallest
marine mammals...

354
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000
..sea otters.

355
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,240
This mother and her baby

356
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,240
rely on all the food
that they can find in the rich,

357
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:19,960
shallow sea kelp forests
around the island's edge.

358
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,920
(PUP CHIRPS)

359
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,120
But they are also key players

360
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,000
in the survival
of this underwater habitat.

361
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,480
Sea urchins are voracious grazers...

362
00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:39,840
..and they love kelp.

363
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,000
They have tiny tube feet
between their stiff spines...

364
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,680
..that they use
to move across the sea floor.

365
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,360
But left unchecked,

366
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:56,800
they can wipe out
most of the plant life...

367
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,840
..impacting the whole
marine environment.

368
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:05,400
But where there are sea otters,

369
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,440
they can keep them in check.

370
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,960
The mother sea otter can eat
dozens of them every day.

371
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:23,400
Urchins can't move fast enough
to escape a hunting otter...

372
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,680
..so they employ
a different strategy.

373
00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,640
Using their tube feet,

374
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,680
they try to hide.

375
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,240
But sea otters
still get enough of them

376
00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,600
to protect the island's
kelp forest...

377
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,160
..and maintain the biodiversity
on its outer coast.

378
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,280
It's autumn on Vancouver Island,

379
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,480
and its rivers have begun
to call in an animal

380
00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,000
that will turn the tide
in every corner of the island.

381
00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:36,840
Salmon are returning from years
spent far out in the Pacific.

382
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:42,600
They've been following the smell
of the tiniest drops of fresh water

383
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,880
amongst billions of litres
of ocean water.

384
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,080
It's led them to the mouth
of the river where they were born.

385
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,000
And a welcoming committee is waiting.

386
00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,320
This is the biggest moment
of the year

387
00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,360
for the island's black bears.

388
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:11,640
(GROWLS)

389
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,680
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

390
00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,960
Making it through winter hibernation

391
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,560
depends on how much salmon
they can catch.

392
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,280
(GROWLS)

393
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,800
The bear cubs have grown a lot,

394
00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:44,880
but still need to put on more weight.

395
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,600
And they haven't learned to fish yet.

396
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,160
It means the mother bear
has to catch salmon for three...

397
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,600
..and it's life-and-death out here.

398
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,960
(ROARS)

399
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,120
Tensions are high.

400
00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:08,080
(ROARING)

401
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,200
For one cub...
(CUB CRIES)

402
00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:12,320
..it's just too much.

403
00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:16,920
(GRUNTING)

404
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,800
He's going to watch from
the safety of the treetop.

405
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,200
But the other, doesn't seem fazed
by the action out here.

406
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,800
She wants to try
and catch something of her own.

407
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,720
Mum shows her how it's done.

408
00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:51,920
(ROARS)

409
00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,200
The bold cub wants some of that.

410
00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:22,080
Hunger seems to overcome fear.

411
00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,400
(GROWLING)

412
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,280
(SQUEALS)

413
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,560
But salmon fishing is just too scary.

414
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,520
She missed.

415
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,800
But maybe there's another way.

416
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:10,920
That big male's got one.

417
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:17,920
Doesn't matter he's twice her size...

418
00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:25,680
..she'll do anything
to feed her cubs.

419
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,440
(BOTH ROARING)

420
00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:40,960
Naked aggression pays off.

421
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:51,320
With a mother like this,

422
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,840
both cubs are going to be
in good shape

423
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,160
to make it through the winter.

424
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,360
(CUB YAPS)

425
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,960
For the young eagle,

426
00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,360
the return of the salmon
is a real lifeline.

427
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,680
(SQUAWKS)

428
00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:22,160
Her parents have stopped feeding her,

429
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,440
and she hasn't eaten for days.

430
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,520
But with all the salmon
in these shallow rivers...

431
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,120
..this is her best chance
to catch her first fish.

432
00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,040
It takes a lot of
eye-talon coordination.

433
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,200
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

434
00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,640
And her timing...

435
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:01,760
is off.

436
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,360
But she has to keep trying.

437
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:20,400
(SQUAWKS)

438
00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,520
(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDING)

439
00:38:28,720 --> 00:38:30,960
She's done it.

440
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,280
The island's freshwater habitat
will provide her

441
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,000
with plenty of practice
over the coming weeks,

442
00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,320
to set herself up for winter.

443
00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,760
As autumn progresses,

444
00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,360
the island draws the ocean's bounty
deeper inland.

445
00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:56,240
Like arteries,

446
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,840
the island's river network
distributes these returning fish

447
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,280
deep into its heartland.

448
00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:06,480
The salmon are trying to reach

449
00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:08,840
the spawning grounds
where they hatched.

450
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:17,200
Many of these rivers flow through
the island's limestone cave network.

451
00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,480
It's one of the only places
on the planet

452
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:27,200
that has a salmon migration
underneath the forest.

453
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:42,560
In the heart of the island,

454
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,200
the salmon reach
their final destination.

455
00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,640
They begin to dig the nests
and lay the eggs

456
00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:55,880
that will start their epic
life cycle all over again...

457
00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:01,040
..and bind their offspring's
fate to the island.

458
00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:07,400
The freshwater network has now
distributed thousands of tonnes

459
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,080
of ocean-raised salmon
throughout the island.

460
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,880
It's here, that the bears
play a critical role

461
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:16,920
in replenishing the island.

462
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:19,960
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

463
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,800
They move the salmon
from the freshwater habitat

464
00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:30,560
into the depths of the rainforest.

465
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,240
The discarded remains are
full of ocean nutrients

466
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,080
like nitrogen and phosphorus.

467
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,680
When the salmon decay,
they fertilise the forest.

468
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,520
It's how the trees
in this rainforest grow

469
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,960
to be some of the tallest
in the world.

470
00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,600
It's a unique relationship
between the ocean and the forest...

471
00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,800
..that lies at the heart
of all life on Vancouver Island.

472
00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:20,960
As autumn takes hold,

473
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,160
stormy weather along
the outer coast begins again.

474
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,720
Waves crashing onto the exposed shore

475
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,400
mean new opportunities.

476
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:38,280
It gives the father wolf
a much better chance

477
00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:40,320
of hitting the jackpot.

478
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,840
The summer has been a lean time
for his family.

479
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:51,400
But today, his luck is in.

480
00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:56,600
A massive sperm whale carcass,

481
00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:58,560
a deep-sea species,

482
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,200
that a storm has blown
onto the island's shore.

483
00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:14,720
This is his first big meal in weeks.

484
00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,600
The rest of the pack
is not far behind.

485
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,760
There is plenty of food to go around.

486
00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:32,640
40,000 kilos of protein and fat

487
00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:34,560
will last them for months.

488
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,960
The mother wolf is bringing home
takeaway tonight.

489
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:52,240
The pups are going
to have lots to eat now.

490
00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:55,720
(PUPS YAPPING)

491
00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,480
As autumn turns into winter,

492
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:09,960
the weather out here
will continue to get worse.

493
00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:13,800
Good news for the wolves.

494
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:18,280
Gifts on the island's shoreline
are going to be more frequent now.

495
00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:23,400
And under the watchful eye
of their father...

496
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:28,240
..the pups will have the best chance
to survive their first year of life

497
00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,440
on the island.

498
00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:34,320
From the outer coast and inlets...

499
00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:38,040
..to the mountaintops,

500
00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,560
from the ancient forest...

501
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:43,280
to fresh water...

502
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,600
the relationship between land and sea

503
00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:49,760
lies at the heart
of Vancouver Island's richness

504
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:51,640
and diversity,

505
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:54,440
filling it with life,

506
00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:58,320
making it one of the most
extraordinary islands

507
00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,360
on the planet.

508
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:10,480
AccessibleCustomerService@sky.uk