Original subtitles

.

WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL

YOU KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING

TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL

AND INFORMATIONAL.

"THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

HI EVERYONE, I'M DYLAN DREYER.

WE'RE CRUISING TO A SAND AND SEA

ADVENTURE IN AUSTRALIA.

THIS IS "EARTH ODYSSEY"

COMING UP, IT'S A FRENZIED

RUN TO FREEDOM FOR THESE

TINY TURTLES.

THEN - THESE FLIERS

CREATE A MID-AIR MIRAGE

PLUS, A DOLPHIN DREAM TEAM

FINDS A FEAST

AND, RISKING IT ALL FOR A

COOL DRINK.

WILY WONDERS FROM DOWN UNDER

STARTING RIGHT NOW

ON EARTH ODYSSEY!

[HORSE NEIGHS]

[EAGLE SCREECHES]

[BEARS GROAN]

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETS]

GREEN SEA TURTLES

BEGIN LIFE ON THE BEACH

AS TINY HATCHLINGS

THEN THEY DISAPPEAR INTO

THE OCEAN FOR SO LONG

BIOLOGISTS CALL IT THE

LOST YEARS AND THAT'S

NOT THE ONLY TURTLE MYSTERY.

FROM ABOVE, THIS CORNER OF THE

PACIFIC OCEAN LOOKS PEACEFUL.

BUT UNDER THE WAVES, IT'S

BURSTING WITH ANIMAL LIFE.

A GREEN SEA TURTLE IS SWIMMING

ABOVE THE FRAY.

SHE'S MADE IT TO ADULTHOOD

AGAINST INCREDIBLE ODDS.

AND NOW SHE'S RETURNING TO HER

BIRTHPLACE.

A LOW-LYING CORAL KEY ON THE

NORTHERN TIP OF THE GREAT

BARRIER REEF, RAINE

ISLAND IS THE SIZE OF 50

FOOTBALL FIELDS COMBINED.

IT'S THE LARGEST REMAINING GREEN

SEA TURTLE ROOKERY

OR NESTING AREA

IN THE WORLD.

AND EACH YEAR, IT PLAYS HOST TO

ONE OF EARTH'S MOST SPECTACULAR

OCEAN MIGRATIONS.

CROWDS OF GREEN SEA TURTLES

TRAVEL SOME 2,000 MILES TO REACH

THE BEACH WHERE THEY HATCHED.

THE SANDS ARE ALREADY PACKED

WITH NESTING FEMALES.

THEY CARVE OUT A SHALLOW PIT.

AND DIG A VERTICAL EGG CHAMBER

WITH THEIR BACK FLIPPERS.

AROUND 100 EGGS ARE LAID IN EACH

NEST.

ONCE THE EGGS ARE BURIED, THE

FEMALES RETURN TO THE SEA, READY

TO REGAIN THEIR STRENGTH.

THE ADULT GREEN TURTLES HAVE

SURVIVED MANY CHALLENGES TO MAKE

IT THIS FAR.

BUT FOR THEIR OFFSPRING, THE

BATTLE IS JUST BEGINNING.

EIGHT WEEKS AFTER THE EGGS ARE

LAID, THEY BEGIN TO HATCH.

THE LUCKIEST TURTLES ARE BORN AT

NIGHT.

THEY RACE TOWARDS THE WAVE

SLIPPING INTO THE WARM WATERS

UNNOTICED.

AT DAWN, PREDATORS RISE WITH THE

SUN.

AND THE HATCHLINGS ARE

DEFENSELESS.

THESE NEWBORNS WILL

“FRENZY SWIM” FOR TWENTY-FOUR TO

THIRTY-SIX HOURS

HEADED PAST THE REEF, TO THE

OPEN OCEAN.

THERE IS NO SAFE HARBOR.

SHARKS WAIT FURTHER OUT.

ONE IN A THOUSAND WILL SURVIVE.

WITH LUCK, SOME TEN YEARS LATER,

THAT SAME GREEN SEA TURTLE WILL

SWIM THOUSANDS OF MILES BACK TO

LAY HER OWN EGGS AND LAUNCH A

NEW GENERATION OF MYSTERIOUS

OCEAN DRIFTERS.

BUT FOR NOW THEY'LL HEAD

STRAIGHT TO THE DEEP BLUE SEA,

AS THEY HAVE FOR MILLIONS OF

YEARS.

COMING UP

IT'S A GAME OF “CATCH ME IF YOU

CAN”

AND - HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN A

SHARK COMES CALLING

PLUS: WHAT TO DO WHEN IT'S TOO

HOT TO HANG AROUND THE ROOST

MORE AUSSIE ADVENTURES - WHEN

EARTH ODYSSEY!

RETURNS!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO

"THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

.

WE NOW RETURN TO "THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

SAFETY IN NUMBERS IS A WAY OF

LIFE FOR MANY ANIMALS.

THESE TINY PARAKEETS ARE

GREGARIOUS AND VERY CHATTY

ESPECIALLY IN A GROUP.

BUDGERIGARS COLLECT IN NOISY,

NOMADIC FLOCKS, NUMBERING IN THE

HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS.

THESE INTELLIGENT LITTLE BIRDS -

TECHNICALLY SMALL PARROTS - HAVE

FLOURISHED IN SOME OF THE

HARSHEST CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

FOR THE LAST FIVE MILLION YEARS.

THEIR STRATEGY IS SIMPLE.

KEEP MOVING.

BUDGIES FOLLOW THE RAINS, AND

ONLY BREED OR LAY EGGS WHEN

THERE'S PLENTY OF WATER.

THE BUDGIES KNOW THAT FRESH

RAINS MEAN A FRESH CROP OF

NATIVE GRASSES, AND THE

NUTRITIOUS SEEDS THEIR CHICKS

NEED.

BUT EVEN IN TIMES OF ABUNDANCE,

THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY STILL.

BECAUSE WHEREVER THERE ARE

BUDGERIGARS

THERE ARE RAPTORS.

EACH MORNING, THE FLOCK HEADS

OUT TO FIND FOOD AND WATER.

THEY TWIST AND TURN IN FLIGHT

LIKE SHIMMERING CLOUDS OF SMOKE.

IT'S A CRUCIAL DEFENSE TACTIC

DESIGNED TO CONFUSE AND EVADE

BIRDS OF PREY.

BUT WHEN THE BUDGERIGARS ARE ON

THE GROUND, THEY'RE AT THEIR

MOST VULNERABLE.

IN HOT, DRY TIMES, WATERHOLES

ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS.

A BROWN FALCON HAS NESTED

NEARBY.

SHE NEEDS A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF

FOOD FOR HER CHICK.

WHEN THE BUDGIES GET THIRSTY,

SHE'LL BE READY.

FOR THE FLOCK, THERE IS NO

SUBTLE APPROACH.

TO LOWER THE CHANCE OF A

SUCCESSFUL ATTACK, MOST BIRDS

REMAIN IN THE AIR WHILE SMALL

NUMBERS DROP DOWN TO DRINK.

IT CREATES A CONFUSING VIEW FOR

BIRDS OF PREY.

BUT IT'S NOT AS POWERFUL AS WHEN

THEY'RE HIGH IN THE AIR.

THE FALCON DIVES

AND MISSES

MORE THAN A THOUSAND FLAPPING

WINGS HEAD IN DIFFERENT

DIRECTIONS.

BUT THERE ARE NO COLLISIONS.

THE BUDGERIGARS FOLLOW A BASIC

SET OF RULES, EVEN WHEN UNDER

ATTACK.

FLY AT DIFFERENT ALTITUDES AND

ALWAYS VEER TO THE RIGHT.

THEY PAUSE LITTLE MORE THAN A

MOMENT AT THE WATER'S SURFACE

AND JUST LIKE THAT, THEY'RE

AIRBORNE AGAIN.

WINGING AWAY AND WINNING THE

DAY.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

COMING UP: THIS POD OF DOLPHINS

HAS A “FISHY” STRATEGY

AND - THESE FAMOUS FLIERS GET

THEIR NAMES FROM THEIR FACES

EARTH ODYSSEY WILL BE RIGHT

BACK!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO

"THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

.

WE NOW RETURN TO "THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

BOTH PREDATORS AND PREY START

THEIR DAY WITH A GOAL

THE PREDATORS TRY THEIR BEST

TO CATCH A DECENT MEAL

WHILE PREY TRY TO AVOID

BEING ON THE MENU.

SOMETIMES THE BATTLE IS WON

BY THE SMALLEST OF MARGIN.

AUSTRALIA'S SOUTHWESTERN SHORE

IS LINED WITH BREATHTAKING

BEACHES AND BAYS.

BUT OUT IN THE OCEAN, THE DAILY

STRUGGLES TO EAT AND TO SUSTAIN

A SPECIES ARE ABOUT TO PLAY OUT

IN A CHASE.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

AUSTRALIAN SALMON HAVE TRAVELED

MORE THAN 2,000 MILES TO GET

HERE.

DESPITE THEIR NAME, THEY'RE NOT

TRUE SALMON AT ALL.

AT OVER 27-INCHES LONG, THEY'RE

FULL GROWN.

THE WARM LEEUWIN CURRENT HAS LED

THESE ADULT FISH HERE.

IT'S TIME TO SPAWN.

MASSES OF EGGS WILL FLOAT EAST

ON THAT SAME CURRENT TO

PROTECTED COASTAL NURSERIES.

OF COURSE, A SCHOOL OF FISH THIS

LARGE DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED.

GRAY NURSE AND COPPER SHARKS

SOME OVER 10 FEET LONG — ARE

MOVING IN.

ALT: FOR THESE PREDATORS,

THIS COULD BE A FEAST

BUT THE MOMENT ONE FISH SENSES

DANGER, THE SCHOOL SHIFTS, AND

MOVES AWAY AS ONE.

THE SHARKS AREN'T THE ONLY

HUNTERS HERE.

DOLPHINS HUNT AS A TEAM.

SOME SPLIT OFF FROM THE POD TO

DRIVE THE FISH TOWARD THE

SHALLOWS.

THERE, THE FORMATION BREAKS

APART.

AT THAT MOMENT, THE DOLPHINS

STRIKE

PICKING OFF THE

UNFORTUNATE STRAGGLERS.

NOT EVERY FISH SURVIVES THE

JOURNEY.

BUT FOR THEIR SPECIES, IT'S

STILL A WIN

THEIR EGGS ARE

ALREADY ADRIFT, HEADED FOR

CALMER WATERS AND THE NEXT

GENERATION'S FIRST HOME.

WHEN WE RETURN

IT'S TROUBLE AHEAD FOR THESE

BATS; COMING IN LOW AND FAST,

RIGHT HERE ON EARTH ODYSSEY!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO

"THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

.

WE NOW RETURN TO "THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC."

IT'S THE WET SEASON IN THE

NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA.

MONSOONAL RAINS HAVE TRANSFORMED

THE DRY EARTH.

ALMOST A THIRD OF THIS NATIONAL

PARK IS FLOODED, BRINGING AN

EXPLOSION OF LIFE AND AN

ABUNDANCE OF FOOD.

BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR CAN ALSO

BE SWELTERING

MONSOON SEASON IS STEAMY HOT

IN THE TREETOPS, A COLONY OF

FLYING FOXES ARE FINDING THE

DAYTIME TEMPERATURES UNBEARABLE.

THEY LICK THEIR WINGS AND FAN

THEMSELVES IN AN EFFORT TO COOL

DOWN.

BUT BY EVENING, THE COLONY IS

OVERHEATING

CLUMPING TOGETHER

FOR SHADE AND MOVING LOWER INTO

THE TREES.

AS THEIR BODIES REACH A TIPPING

POINT, THEY HAVE TO FLY TO THE

CLOSEST WATER SOURCE.

BUT THE COOL RIVER COMES WITH

ITS OWN THREATS.

THE FLYING FOXES ONLY DIP THEIR

BODIES IN THE WATER FOR A SPLIT

SECOND, WETTING THEIR FUR BEFORE

THEY FLY BACK TO THE TREES.

BUT THE BATS MUST PICK THEIR

DIPPING POINTS CAREFULLY.

FOR THE CROCODILE, IT'S A GAME

OF COLD-BLOODED PATIENCE.

IT WAITS FOR A FLYING MEAL TO

LAND JUST WITHIN REACH, AND

LUNGES.

TODAY, THE CROCS CAN'T COMPETE

WITH THESE DETERMINED AIRBORNE

ANIMALS.

CLEVER FLYING FOXES.

AUSSIE ANIMALS INSPIRE US

WITH THEIR RISK TAKING

AND EVERYDAY BRAVERY.

IT JUST GOES TO SHOW

THAT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT

IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR

I'M DYLAN DREYER, THANK YOU

OUR WILDLIFE ADVENTURES

SEE YOU NEXT TIME

ON " EARTH ODYSSEY."