Original subtitles

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ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: I'M DYLAN DREYER.

JOIN ME ON AN EPIC JOURNEY ACROSS THE GLOBE TO

EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

WE'LL EXPLORE THE ASTONISHING PACIFIC OCEAN

AND THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND AND COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH

A COLLECTION OF ANIMALS FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON

EARTH.

WE'LL EXPLORE THE GERMAN CITY OF COLOGNE.

WE'LL LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE DESERTS OF CENTRAL

AMERICA AND VISIT THE BIGGEST,

AND I MEAN THE BIGGEST, FISH IN THE SEA.

THE JOURNEY STARTS NOW.

OUR JOURNEY BEGINS ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS FIVE

HUNDRED MILES OFF THE COAST OF ECUADOR IN THE

PACIFIC OCEAN.

ISOLATED FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS,

THE ANIMALS LIVING ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS EVOLVED

IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAYS, AND THEY HELPED INSPIRE

CHARLES DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION WHEN HE VISITED

THE ISLAND IN THE 1830'S.

LOCATED DIRECTLY ON THE EQUATOR,

THESE REMOTE AND MYSTERIOUS REMNANTS OF

ANCIENT VOLCANOES HOLD THE KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING ALL

LIFE ON OUR PLANET, AND IT'S HOME TO SOME OF THE

MOST REMARKABLE SPECIES STILL ALIVE TODAY.

WELCOME TO THE GALAPAGOS.

LAND IGUANAS WASHED UP HERE ABOUT THE TIME THE

ISLANDS FORMED.

SOME WENT INLAND.

OTHERS ADAPTED TO LIFE ON SHORE.

MEASURING IN AT 28 POUNDS AND FOUR FEET LONG,

MALES ARE THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF FEMALES,

BUT THIS IS WHAT MAKES THEM TRULY UNIQUE.

THE GALAPAGOS MARINE IGUANA IS THE WORLD'S ONLY

SEAGOING LIZARD.

THESE AGILE SWIMMERS CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR UP

TO AN HOUR.

THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS-LOOKING

VEGETARIANS YOU'LL EVER MEET.

ALTHOUGH THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ARE CONSTANTLY

BAKED BY THE SUN, THIS IS NO TROPICAL BEACH.

A POWERFUL CURRENT FROM ANTARCTICA SWEEPS UP THE

COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA AND COURSES THROUGH THE

ISLANDS.

THESE WATERS ARE FULL OF NUTRIENTS AND THOROUGHLY

CHILLED.

A TEN-MINUTE SWIM HERE CAN STEAL ONE-THIRD OF A

REPTILE'S BODY HEAT, SO THE IGUANAS ONLY FEED ONCE

A DAY.

THE REST OF THEIR TIME IS SPENT WARMING BACK UP,

CONSERVING ENERGY.

THE BIGGEST MALES GATHER HAREMS OF FEMALES,

AND THAT MEANS KEEPING CHALLENGERS AT BAY.

A BOBBING HEAD IS THE AGE-OLD WARNING,

BACK OFF.

WHEN YOUR BLUFF IS CALLED, YOU GO TO BATTLE.

THE ONLY THING HURT IS THE LOSER'S PRIDE.

IGUANAS ARE THE OLD-TIMERS ON GALAPAGOS.

MEET THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK,

THE GIANT GALAPAGOS TORTOISE.

THIS AMAZING SPECIES EVOLVED JUST TWO MILLION

YEARS AGO, A RELATIVELY SHORT SPACE OF TIME IN

EVOLUTIONARY TERMS.

LIKE THE IGUANA, THEIR ANCESTORS WASHED UP ON THE

ISLANDS TO REPRODUCE, AND EVOLUTION WORKED ITS

MAGIC.

THESE TORTOISES ARE BIG.

THEY'RE THE PRODUCT OF A PHENOMENON CALLED ISLAND

GIGANTISM.

WITH NO PREDATORS AND AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF FOOD,

THESE CREATURES EVOLVED INTO MONSTERS,

MONSTERS THAT EAT SALAD AND NAP 16 HOURS A DAY.

FULLY GROWN, THEY CAN REACH FIVE FEET ACROSS AND

MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS.

THIS HERBIVORE CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER FOR

UP TO A YEAR.

THANKFULLY, THE SPECIES IS PROTECTED TODAY,

BUT ONLY TEN PERCENT OF THEIR ORIGINAL POPULATION

REMAINS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST PLACES ON EARTH WHERE THE

SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD GATHERS IN GREAT NUMBERS.

DURING THE DAY, THEY CRUISE CLOSE TO SHORE.

YOU WON'T SEE THEM WASTING ENERGY CHASING FISH.

THESE PREDATORS HUNT WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART

TECHNOLOGY.

THE CURVES ON THEIR CEPHALOFOIL,

OR HAMMER-SHAPED HEAD, GIVE IT MORE SURFACE AREA

AND MORE RECEPTORS TO DETECT ELECTRICAL FIELDS

IN THE WATER.

THE REAL ADVANTAGE COMES AT NIGHT WHEN THEY VENTURE

FAR INTO THE OPEN OCEAN.

WITH THOSE IMPRESSIVE HEADS,

HAMMERHEADS NAVIGATE BY THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC

FIELD, AND DINNER COMES TO THEM.

UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS,

SQUID RISE FROM THE DEPTHS TO FEED.

THEY FIND AN ARMY OF HAMMERHEADS IN WAIT.

THE SHARKS HONE IN ON THE MINUTE ELECTRICAL CURRENTS

IN THE SQUID'S NERVOUS SYSTEM AND CAPTURE THEM IN

PITCH BLACK WATER.

THESE SHARKS ONCE SAT ATOP THE FOOD CHAIN.

TODAY, THEY'RE ON TOP OF THE POACHER'S WISH LIST.

EVEN THESE MIGHTY SHOALS IN THE GALAPAGOS ARE BUT A

SHADOW OF WHAT ONCE WAS.

SHARKS HAVE RULED THE OCEANS FOR HUNDREDS OF

MILLIONS OF YEARS, BUT TODAY,

THESE SILENT HUNTERS ARE FACING THEIR GREATEST

THREAT OF ALL, HUMANS.

AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED MILLION SHARKS ARE KILLED

EVERY YEAR, AND MANY SHARK SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD

ARE ENDANGERED.

COMING UP NEXT, WE'LL GO HUNTING WITH A MAMMAL THAT

SOARS OVER ALL THE REST AND WITNESS A DESERT

FACEOFF LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

AND LATER, WE'LL DISCOVER HUMANS AREN'T THE ONLY

SPECIES THAT LIKE ICE SKATING.

THERE'S MORE "JOURNEY" AHEAD WHEN WE RETURN RIGHT

AFTER THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO JOURNEY.

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

THE SEA OF CORTEZ, ALSO KNOWN AS THE GULF OF

CALIFORNIA, IS THOUGHT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE

SEAS ON EARTH, HOME TO SEA TURTLES,

GIANT MANTA RAYS, AND SEVERAL SPECIES OF

MIGRATING WHALES.

THE SEA OF CORTEZ IS ALSO HOME TO ABOUT THREE DOZEN

ISLANDS, SOME LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE THEIR OWN

ECOSYSTEMS AND SUPPORT AMAZING WILDLIFE.

MOST OF THE ISLANDS IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ WERE CREATED

BY EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

WITH ALMOST NO HUMAN DISTURBANCES AND RELATIVE

ISOLATION FROM THE MAINLAND,

THEY HOLD MANY SURPRISES, INCLUDING THE GREATEST

CACTI ON EARTH.

THIS IS THE MIGHTY CARDON.

IT'S A SLOW-GROWING SUCCULENT THAT CAN LIVE

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

THEY GO MONTHS ON END IN THIS DESERT OVEN WITHOUT A

DROP OF RAIN.

SOME OF THESE GIANTS CAN REACH 60 FEET HIGH,

NINE FEET IN DIAMETER, AND WEIGH 25 TONS.

THOSE NODULES NEAR THE TOP OF THE PLANT ARE BLOSSOMS,

BUT THEY'RE SEALED TIGHT.

OPENING THEM IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY IS A BAD IDEA,

BECAUSE THE PRECIOUS FLOWERS INSIDE WILL GET

COOKED, AND THE CACTUS WILL LOSE PRECIOUS WATER.

MOTHER NATURE HAS A SOLUTION,

A SECRET ARMY OF POLLINATORS.

WITHOUT THEM, THE REIGN OF THE MIGHTY CARDON WOULD

COME TO AN END.

WHEN NIGHT FALLS, THE BLOSSOMS OPEN,

EMITTING A PUNGENT ODOR.

HUNGRY BATS EMERGE FROM THEIR CAVES AND CREVICES

AND FOLLOW THEIR NOSE.

THESE BATS HAVE TO WORK HARD FOR EVERY DROP OF

SUGARY LIQUID.

IN THE PROCESS, THEY'RE COATED WITH A LAYER OF

POLLEN.

FLYING FROM BLOSSOM TO BLOSSOM LIKE A FLURRY OF

BUMBLEBEES, THE BATS POLLINATE THE CACTI.

EVERYBODY WINS.

THE BAT GETS AN ENERGY DRINK,

AND THE CARDON GETS TO REPRODUCE.

PALLID BATS ARE THE SIZE OF A MOUSE WITH THE

WINGSPAN OF A CROW.

THEY'RE ALSO WELL-EQUIPPED TO CLIMB,

CRAWL, AND HUNT.

LIKE OTHER BATS, THEY USE ECHOLOCATION TO FLY FROM

ROOSTING SITE TO HUNTING GROUNDS.

THEN THEY FALL SILENT.

EXTRA LARGE EARS ARE EXQUISITELY DESIGNED TO

PINPOINT THE LOCATION AND DISTANCE OF THE SLIGHTEST

NOISE.

SOONER OR LATER, THE PREY REVEALS ITSELF.

IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, THE SCORPION ALWAYS LOSES.

SOME SCORPION STINGS COULD EASILY KILL A MAMMAL THIS

SMALL, BUT THESE AMBUSH PREDATORS SEEM IMMUNE TO

THE VENOM.

A PALLID BAT CAN EAT HALF ITS BODY WEIGHT IN A

NIGHT.

AS THE NIGHT SHIFT WINDS DOWN,

A WHOLE NEW SET OF HUNTERS REPORTS FOR DUTY,

COMMON DOLPHIN.

THEY PREFER SHALLOW COASTAL WATER,

WHERE FISH ARE MORE EASILY TRAPPED.

SMALL PODS JOIN TOGETHER, SOMETIMES BY THE HUNDREDS.

DOLPHIN ARE AMONG EVOLUTIONS GREATEST

MASTERPIECES, PERHAPS SECOND ONLY TO US HUMANS

IN INTELLIGENCE.

ABOUT 55 MILLION YEARS AGO,

ITS ANCESTOR WAS A WOLF-LIKE CREATURE ON LAND

THAT BEGAN FORAGING IN SWAMPS AND RIVERS.

EVENTUALLY, NOSTRILS MOVED TO THE TOP OF ITS HEAD.

FINGERLIKE PAW BONES FUSED INTO FINS.

AQUATIC LIFE STREAMLINED AND SHRANK ITS BODY,

BUT ITS BRAIN GREW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

NEW STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THEIR ECHOLOCATION IS FAR

MORE COMPLEX THAN WE EVER IMAGINED.

THE DOLPHIN SENDS A FOCUSED TRAIN OF CLICKS

OUT INTO THE WATER LIKE A FLASHLIGHT BEAM.

THE SOUNDS BOUNCE BACK IN THE SHAPE OF THE OBJECTS

THAT THEY STRUCK, CREATING A RAPID SERIES OF 3D

IMAGES IN THE DOLPHIN'S BRAIN.

EVEN IN PITCH BLACK WATER, THEY SEE THE WORLD AROUND

THEM.

IT'S AS THOUGH THEY'RE WATCHING A 3D MOVIE WITH

THEIR EARS.

THERE'S MORE "JOURNEY" AHEAD WHEN WE RETURN RIGHT

AFTER THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "JOURNEY." I'M DYLAN

DREYER.

OUR EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD CONTINUES WITH A

STOP IN WESTERN EUROPE ALONG THE BANKS OF THE

WUPPER RIVER.

THIS CORNER OF THE GLOBE IS ONE OF THE MOST

NATURALLY DIVERSE WATERWAYS IN GERMANY.

TOURISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO ENJOY ITS

BEAUTY, AND NOT ALL THE TOURISTS ARE HUMAN.

WELCOME TO THE GERMAN CITY OF COLOGNE,

A MILLION-STRONG METROPOLIS RESTING ON THE

GREAT RIVER RHINE.

HERE, WINTER IS TAKING HOLD.

THESE BLACK-HEADED GULLS ARE NAVIGATING A POND

THAT'S FROZEN OVER.

THEY COMPETE WITH THE DUCKS IN A SORT OF SKATING

BALLET.

THE ICE HAS MADE IT INCREASINGLY HARD TO GET

HOLD OF FOOD.

THE SOLES OF THEIR FEET ARE NOT SLIP-FREE.

[DUCKS QUACKING]

DYLAN: THE JOYS OF WINTER IN COLOGNE ARE ALWAYS OF

SHORT DURATION.

USUALLY, THE CITY'S TEMPERATURE IS A FEW

DEGREES WARMER THAN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE,

AND QUITE A FEW PONDS ARE KEPT OPEN.

THIS IS WHERE THE SWANS NOW SHOW OFF THEIR BALLET.

DUE TO THEIR LONG NECKS, THEY CAN REACH ALGAE AND

LEAVES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POND.

WHEN IT SNOWS, THE SWANS TAKE SHELTER UNDER THEIR

FEATHERS.

THEY CONSTANTLY HAVE TO GROOM AND GREASE THEIR

FEATHERS TO KEEP IN THE WARMTH.

AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR, THE HUMANS ARE CELEBRATING

CHRISTMAS.

THE PEOPLE SHOW THEIR GENEROSITY WITH PRESENTS,

INCLUDING SOME FOR THEIR FURRY AND FEATHERY

FRIENDS.

THE RICHLY-SET TABLE IS ALSO ATTRACTING THE

ROSE-RINGED PARAKEETS.

PARROTS IN THE SNOW?

ONLY IN COLOGNE.

THANKS TO A MILD WINTER AND SUFFICIENT FOOD,

THE TROPICAL BIRDS HAVE NO TROUBLE GETTING THROUGH

THE COLD SEASON.

ONE YEAR BLENDS INTO THE NEXT.

THE WINTER RELEASES ITS HOLD.

SOON, THE DAYS WILL GET LONGER AND WARMER.

THE GREAT NATURAL CYCLE OF THE SEASONS WILL BEGIN

AGAIN.

COLOGNE IS READY TO WAKE UP FROM A LONG WINTER

SLUMBER.

DON'T GO AWAY.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR WHEN THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

RIGHT AFTER THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HOW BIG WOULD YOU GUESS IS THE LARGEST FISH

ON EARTH?

IF YOU SAID OVER 40 FEET LONG AND WEIGHING MORE

THAN 20 TONS, YOU'D BE RIGHT,

AND I'D BE IMPRESSED.

SURPRISINGLY, THIS MASSIVE FISH BELONGS TO THE SHARK

FAMILY, AND IT'S THE SIZE OF A WHALE,

HENCE THE NAME WHALE SHARK.

WE'RE HEADING BACK TO THE AMAZING GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA.

THESE ISLANDS SIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF THREE

MAJOR PACIFIC OCEAN CURRENTS.

THREE STREAMS OF NUTRIENTS FROM THE DEEP SERVE UP A

BUFFET OF PLANKTON, KRILL, FISH EGGS,

AND CRAB LARVAE, AND MIGRATING WHALE SHARKS

GATHER HERE TO FEAST.

THIS IS THE LARGEST FISH THAT HAS EVER LIVED,

AVERAGING 30 FEET LONG AND

20,000 POUNDS.

SOME GET FAR BIGGER.

IT TAKES A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO POWER

THESE DOCILE CREATURES.

AS THE SHARK RAMS THROUGH THE WATER,

SUPER-EFFICIENT FILTER PADS DIRECT THE WATER OUT

OF THE GILLS AS FAST AS IT COMES IN,

TRAPPING FOOD IN ITS THROAT.

IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, A WHALE SHARK CAN CONSUME

THREE MILLION CALORIES A DAY.

AND WHEN THEY FIND AN ESPECIALLY RICH PATCH OF

PLANKTON, THEY HOVER IN PLACE AND VACUUM IT UP.

FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TO THE RIVERS OF EUROPE,

TO THE DESERTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA,

OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH AMAZING SPECIES THAT FILL

US WITH AWE AND DESERVE OUR PROTECTION.

OUR WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.

I'LL BET THERE'S SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE

AND HABITATS NEARBY RIGHT WHERE YOU LIVE.

TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE THE NATURAL BEAUTY AROUND

YOU AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT IT.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, SAFE TRAVELS.

♪ CREDITS ♪