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Cuba, the greatest
island in the Caribbean.
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Today, Cuba has become
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00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,933
the Caribbean's
most precious natural Jewel.
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00:00:20,966 --> 00:00:24,566
Its vast forests
pulsate with life.
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00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,833
Crystalline waters
hide breathtaking coral reefs.
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00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,566
While much of the wild lands
and seas of the Caribbean
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are dying,
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Cuba's extraordinary history
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00:00:38,333 --> 00:00:42,066
has made it a true
wildlife wonderland.
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00:00:44,266 --> 00:00:47,633
Fully half of Cuba's animals
and plants
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are found nowhere else
on earth...
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00:00:51,533 --> 00:00:54,400
From unique crocodiles
and snakes
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00:00:54,433 --> 00:00:57,733
to the smallest birds
and frogs on the planet.
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There is nowhere
quite like Cuba.
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♪♪
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00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:20,900
♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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On the western edge
of the Atlantic ocean
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is a very special place...
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An island from another time.
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♪♪
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Seeking out its wild
and pristine shores...
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ancient creatures still come
from the deep ocean.
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A mother turtle,
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hoping the island
will be as kind to her now
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as when she first left it
more than 20 years ago.
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In that time, she's roamed
thousands of miles
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across the ocean until today,
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00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,600
when a miracle of navigation
has brought her back
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to the beach of her birth.
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She has come home to Cuba.
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A green turtle's journey home
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is one of the natural world's
great miracles.
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As her mother did before her,
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she has come home
to lay her eggs.
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She is not built for land.
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For her, nesting is a dangerous
and exhausting affair.
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♪♪
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00:03:57,266 --> 00:04:04,500
♪♪
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00:04:04,533 --> 00:04:08,866
No ordinary patch
of sand will do.
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It must be damp and deep enough
to protect her eggs...
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But far enough from high water
to prevent the sea
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from flooding the nest.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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It's two hours of hard labor.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Then she enters a trance.
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Almost nothing
will stop her now.
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Some 80 to 200 eggs
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00:05:17,166 --> 00:05:20,300
are the fruit of her
incredible journey home.
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Her last act for her
unborn babies
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is to gently cover the nest.
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She will never see them again.
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♪♪
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Two months will pass
before her precious eggs hatch,
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if the sands of her Cuban beach
continue to protect them.
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♪♪
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Green turtles are just
one of countless animals
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00:06:08,833 --> 00:06:11,083
that depend on Cuba for
wild space to live and breed.
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That depend on Cuba for
wild space to live and breed.
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In Cuba's southwest
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lies a vast region of wild swamp
and forest...
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zapata...
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The largest
single protected area
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in the entire Caribbean...
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2,300 square miles
of biosphere reserve.
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Zapata is home to creatures
found nowhere else.
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♪♪
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One of the most remarkable
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is the very smallest bird
on earth...
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The bee hummingbird.
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Barely larger than the bee
it's named after,
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almost everything about
this hummingbird is special.
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00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:12,833
♪♪
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They can beat their tiny wingsan
incredible 80 times a second.
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00:07:20,033 --> 00:07:25,533
Their tiny size makes them
tasty prey for snakes, birds,
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00:07:25,566 --> 00:07:27,100
even spiders.
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00:07:32,100 --> 00:07:36,233
Nothing about the bee
hummingbird's life is easy.
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00:07:36,266 --> 00:07:39,400
They may visit over a thousand
flowers a day
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00:07:39,433 --> 00:07:41,933
on their eternal
quest for nectar.
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The males are the show-offs
of the family...
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Their dazzling head feathers
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usually irresistible to
the less-colorful females.
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But this lady's
showing no interest.
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00:08:06,033 --> 00:08:08,466
She has already mated.
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00:08:08,500 --> 00:08:11,833
For her, it's nesting time.
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00:08:11,866 --> 00:08:16,200
♪♪
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00:08:16,233 --> 00:08:19,600
What better material to make
a tiny bird's nest
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than silk from a spider's web.
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♪♪
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00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:37,233
♪♪
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00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:47,633
♪♪
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00:08:47,666 --> 00:08:53,800
♪♪
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In a final flourish,
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00:08:56,333 --> 00:09:00,466
she tiles the outside
with tiny scraps of lichen,
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00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:03,066
both camouflage
and water-proofing
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against any tropical rain.
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00:09:09,933 --> 00:09:13,466
The whole nest is smaller
than a golf ball.
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00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:26,233
The mother will lay one or two
eggs the size of coffee beans.
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00:09:26,266 --> 00:09:30,133
And then all she can do is wait.
105
00:09:30,166 --> 00:09:33,200
Three weeks must pass
before she'll know
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if all is going to plan.
107
00:09:45,933 --> 00:09:49,566
The very first human beings
only settled on Cuba
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00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,933
some 5,000 years ago.
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They came across the sea...
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A voyage from the mainland
of some 60 miles.
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And their journey was rewarded
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with a vast paradise island.
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♪♪
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00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:15,800
♪♪
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00:10:15,833 --> 00:10:18,000
Observing from the shore,
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00:10:18,033 --> 00:10:21,300
strange creatures
witnessed their arrival...
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creatures that had been herefor
3 million years before them.
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♪♪
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These are Cuban rock iguanas.
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00:10:44,566 --> 00:10:46,500
Still found on small sections
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00:10:46,533 --> 00:10:50,133
of Cuba's mainland
and outer islands,
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00:10:50,166 --> 00:10:54,200
these iguanas can grow
almost 5 feet long.
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♪♪
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00:11:00,533 --> 00:11:05,633
With few predators about,
stress seems an alien concept
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00:11:05,666 --> 00:11:08,800
for the masters
of this tropical shore.
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00:11:08,833 --> 00:11:14,866
♪♪
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00:11:25,133 --> 00:11:29,200
But then breeding
season arrives,
128
00:11:29,233 --> 00:11:32,433
and life gets a lot
more interesting.
129
00:11:32,466 --> 00:11:40,466
♪♪
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00:11:41,633 --> 00:11:45,233
The iguanas may have hardly
moved a muscle for a week,
131
00:11:45,266 --> 00:11:46,733
but they can move fast
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00:11:46,766 --> 00:11:49,133
when their masculinity
is on the line.
133
00:11:49,166 --> 00:11:56,733
♪♪
134
00:11:56,766 --> 00:11:59,833
The dominant males
win the ladies
135
00:11:59,866 --> 00:12:03,533
and mating is a less
than elegant affair.
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00:12:06,666 --> 00:12:09,442
- But the disruption is short-lived.
- But the disruption is short-lived.
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00:12:09,466 --> 00:12:13,800
Peace and Harmony soon return
to this patch of paradise.
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00:12:13,833 --> 00:12:18,633
♪♪
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00:12:35,933 --> 00:12:42,133
♪♪
140
00:12:42,166 --> 00:12:45,566
In zapata,
three weeks have passed
141
00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,066
since the mother hummingbird
laid her tiny eggs.
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00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:57,100
♪♪
143
00:12:58,733 --> 00:13:01,200
It's a good year,
144
00:13:01,233 --> 00:13:04,333
and two healthy chicks
have hatched.
145
00:13:07,166 --> 00:13:12,100
Blind and helpless at birth,
the chicks grow explosively,
146
00:13:12,133 --> 00:13:14,766
doubling their weight
in just four days.
147
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:20,033
♪♪
148
00:13:20,066 --> 00:13:22,533
Bee hummingbirds are so scarce
149
00:13:22,566 --> 00:13:26,333
and their tiny nests
so hard to find
150
00:13:26,366 --> 00:13:31,433
that this is a scene rarely,
if ever, filmed before.
151
00:13:31,466 --> 00:13:39,466
♪♪
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00:13:41,266 --> 00:13:46,966
♪♪
153
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,466
18 days after hatching,
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00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:52,733
the chicks have already grown
their flight feathers.
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00:13:52,766 --> 00:13:57,600
In just a couple of days, they
will leave the nest for good
156
00:13:57,633 --> 00:14:01,466
and, with luck,
live up to seven years.
157
00:14:04,433 --> 00:14:09,900
A whole new chapter in the story
of the world's smallest bird.
158
00:14:24,966 --> 00:14:31,100
The first humans who settled
on Cuba were the taino.
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00:14:31,133 --> 00:14:36,800
For 5,000 years, they lived by
the shore and in these forests
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00:14:36,833 --> 00:14:39,466
with little impact
on the natural world
161
00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:41,966
that supplied all their needs.
162
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,033
But barely 50 years after
Europeans arrived,
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00:14:48,066 --> 00:14:51,033
the taino had all
but disappeared.
164
00:14:54,833 --> 00:15:01,100
An entire culture wiped out in
a storm of slavery and disease.
165
00:15:04,966 --> 00:15:08,733
Today, few traces survive,
166
00:15:08,766 --> 00:15:10,942
- but still with us is the name
- but still with us is the name
167
00:15:10,966 --> 00:15:14,066
They gave their
beautiful island...
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Cuba,
a faint echo of a lost people.
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00:15:18,966 --> 00:15:26,966
♪♪
170
00:15:28,966 --> 00:15:34,500
♪♪
171
00:15:34,533 --> 00:15:39,100
Today nearly 12 million
human beings live on Cuba,
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00:15:39,133 --> 00:15:42,300
over 2 million
in the capital of havana.
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00:15:45,966 --> 00:15:49,466
Barely 90 miles from Florida,
havana could be
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00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:53,033
on a different planet
to its north American neighbor.
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00:15:53,066 --> 00:15:58,900
♪♪
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00:15:58,933 --> 00:16:05,866
Founded in 1519, havana's old
city feels like a time tunnel.
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00:16:05,900 --> 00:16:12,133
♪♪
178
00:16:12,166 --> 00:16:16,866
Today's Cubans are a diverse mix
of backgrounds and cultures...
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00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:20,666
European, African, taino.
180
00:16:25,633 --> 00:16:28,600
The slave trade
had a huge impact.
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00:16:28,633 --> 00:16:32,933
1 million people torn
from their west African homes
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00:16:32,966 --> 00:16:36,066
and thrown across the island.
183
00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:39,666
African influences
are everywhere.
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00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:47,700
♪♪
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00:16:49,566 --> 00:16:54,200
♪♪
186
00:16:54,233 --> 00:16:58,466
The slave ships didn't only
bring humans to Cuba.
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00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:01,400
Hiding aboard were stowaways
188
00:17:01,433 --> 00:17:04,700
who jumped ashore
at every opportunity.
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00:17:04,733 --> 00:17:09,433
♪♪
190
00:17:11,166 --> 00:17:14,300
A long way from Ghana
and Liberia,
191
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:18,966
tropical house geckos
stalk havana's city streets.
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00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:26,966
♪♪
193
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,300
♪♪
194
00:17:30,333 --> 00:17:33,200
In recent times,
the geckos have started
195
00:17:33,233 --> 00:17:35,033
to move out of the cities
196
00:17:35,066 --> 00:17:37,733
and across the Cuban
countryside,
197
00:17:37,766 --> 00:17:41,266
yet another stage
in a remarkable journey
198
00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,900
from their African forest homes.
199
00:17:43,933 --> 00:17:48,866
♪♪
200
00:18:01,066 --> 00:18:03,900
Today a whole new fleet
of vessels
201
00:18:03,933 --> 00:18:06,900
sails into havana's
legendary harbor...
202
00:18:10,433 --> 00:18:12,633
cruise ships by the hundreds,
203
00:18:12,666 --> 00:18:17,366
and soon,
passengers by the millions.
204
00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,800
Desperate for foreign currency,
205
00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:23,833
Cuba's opening her doors
to the outside world.
206
00:18:25,866 --> 00:18:29,133
So mass tourism is one of
the greatest challenges
207
00:18:29,166 --> 00:18:32,066
now facing Cuba
and its natural world.
208
00:18:55,033 --> 00:19:00,800
It's now early April, and
Cuba's wet season has begun.
209
00:19:07,433 --> 00:19:11,233
Here near the bay of pigs
on the south coast,
210
00:19:11,266 --> 00:19:13,300
an army is gathering.
211
00:19:13,333 --> 00:19:17,766
♪♪
212
00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,300
In one of nature's
great migrations,
213
00:19:21,333 --> 00:19:24,300
red land crabs are on the move.
214
00:19:28,366 --> 00:19:31,666
And many carry
a precious cargo...
215
00:19:31,700 --> 00:19:37,266
Up to 80,000 eggs apiece
that need water to survive...
216
00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:38,966
Salt water.
217
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,366
The mother's mission
is to get to the sea.
218
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,166
That can be 4 1/2 miles away...
219
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,700
A journey fraught with danger.
220
00:19:47,733 --> 00:19:55,733
♪♪
221
00:19:57,666 --> 00:20:02,800
♪♪
222
00:20:02,833 --> 00:20:06,266
Millions of years of evolution
has equipped the crabs
223
00:20:06,300 --> 00:20:08,833
to survive
in the forests at night.
224
00:20:11,133 --> 00:20:15,266
But roads and traffic are
an entirely different matter.
225
00:20:18,500 --> 00:20:21,733
Their journey becomes a dance
with death.
226
00:20:36,766 --> 00:20:44,766
♪♪
227
00:20:46,766 --> 00:20:54,766
♪♪
228
00:20:56,100 --> 00:20:58,400
Even mortally wounded,
229
00:20:58,433 --> 00:21:01,766
deep instincts drive
the crabs on.
230
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,466
♪♪
231
00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:09,426
- Despite their losses,
most crabs make it through
232
00:21:09,438 --> 00:21:11,376
- despite their losses,
most crabs make it through
233
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,500
And press on
with their journey to the sea.
234
00:21:14,533 --> 00:21:22,533
♪♪
235
00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:31,300
♪♪
236
00:21:32,100 --> 00:21:37,366
Now on the final stretch, they
can smell the salt in the air.
237
00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:42,466
♪♪
238
00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:46,700
Though surrounded by ocean,
these red crabs have evolved
239
00:21:46,733 --> 00:21:50,500
to live almost entirely on land.
240
00:21:50,533 --> 00:21:54,566
But there is one deep link
to their ancient past.
241
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,900
They must deliver
their eggs to the sea.
242
00:21:57,933 --> 00:22:04,466
♪♪
243
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:10,966
♪♪
244
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,166
Once the mother
feels salt water,
245
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:19,133
she releases her eggs inwhat
seems like a frenzy of joy.
246
00:22:19,166 --> 00:22:27,166
♪♪
247
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:35,400
♪♪
248
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:39,866
The mother's arrival here
is timed to meet high tides
249
00:22:39,900 --> 00:22:42,500
and hopefully calm water,
250
00:22:42,533 --> 00:22:45,766
for they must be very careful.
251
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,533
Though born in these waters,
they are land crabs now.
252
00:22:56,333 --> 00:22:59,933
But many take a step too far.
253
00:22:59,966 --> 00:23:03,566
While making sure to release
their precious young,
254
00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,633
these mothers will never make it
back to their forest home.
255
00:23:07,666 --> 00:23:15,666
♪♪
256
00:23:17,066 --> 00:23:22,166
♪♪
257
00:23:36,433 --> 00:23:43,400
♪♪
258
00:23:43,433 --> 00:23:45,866
The deep waters off Cuba
259
00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:50,366
are home to some of the greatest
shark numbers in the Caribbean.
260
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:58,400
♪♪
261
00:24:00,266 --> 00:24:03,200
An ancient perfect design,
262
00:24:03,233 --> 00:24:05,600
sharks have patrolled these seas
263
00:24:05,633 --> 00:24:07,600
little changed
for more than 50 million years.
264
00:24:07,601 --> 00:24:09,566
Little changed
for more than 50 million years.
265
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:17,600
♪♪
266
00:24:19,466 --> 00:24:25,233
And this is their last great
refuge in the entire Caribbean.
267
00:24:28,933 --> 00:24:33,200
Jardines de la reina...
The gardens of the queen.
268
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,400
Lying off Cuba's Southern coast,
269
00:24:37,433 --> 00:24:41,200
the gardens are a marine
wonderland.
270
00:24:41,233 --> 00:24:45,466
More than 90 miles of islands,
coral reefs,
271
00:24:45,500 --> 00:24:49,466
and mangrove swamps form
one of the greatest
272
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:52,100
barrier-reef systems on earth.
273
00:24:52,133 --> 00:25:00,133
♪♪
274
00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:07,700
Travel beneath the surface here
and you travel back in time,
275
00:25:07,733 --> 00:25:11,000
to when the earth's seas
were pristine.
276
00:25:11,033 --> 00:25:17,266
♪♪
277
00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:23,533
♪♪
278
00:25:23,566 --> 00:25:27,300
In the gardens of the queen,
you find corals
279
00:25:27,333 --> 00:25:31,866
that survive almost nowhere else
in the Caribbean...
280
00:25:31,900 --> 00:25:34,200
Rich stands of elkhorn,
281
00:25:34,233 --> 00:25:38,633
one of the very first to die
under the impact of humans.
282
00:25:38,666 --> 00:25:43,533
♪♪
283
00:25:43,566 --> 00:25:47,366
Coral reefs pulsate with life.
284
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,733
A single reef can hide
4,000 different kinds
285
00:25:51,766 --> 00:25:54,233
of plants and animals...
286
00:25:54,266 --> 00:25:58,166
The richest single community
of life on earth.
287
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:05,766
♪♪
288
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,933
Sharks thrive on the rich
marine life of the gardens.
289
00:26:09,966 --> 00:26:16,433
♪♪
290
00:26:16,466 --> 00:26:18,666
The world's seas once teemed
291
00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:23,000
with these most successful
of all ocean predators.
292
00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:30,333
In the last 50 years,
more than 90%
293
00:26:30,366 --> 00:26:33,000
have been killed
by human beings.
294
00:26:33,033 --> 00:26:38,266
♪♪
295
00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:42,600
Today the Caribbean
is in mortal danger,
296
00:26:42,633 --> 00:26:48,800
and it may lose all its living
coral in less than 30 years.
297
00:26:48,833 --> 00:26:53,100
The gardens of the queen
is an orchestra of life
298
00:26:53,133 --> 00:26:56,300
in an ocean
slowly falling silent.
299
00:27:11,066 --> 00:27:15,166
So vital is Cuba to the wildlife
of the region,
300
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:21,633
it's been called the biological
superpower of the Caribbean.
301
00:27:21,666 --> 00:27:24,200
A fifth of the entire island
302
00:27:24,233 --> 00:27:27,400
is under some form
of government protection.
303
00:27:29,966 --> 00:27:32,633
The results
are there to be seen...
304
00:27:32,666 --> 00:27:35,366
Ancient swamps and forests
305
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,700
bursting with wildlife,
unique wildlife.
306
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,033
Whatever way evolution has gone
to work on Cuba,
307
00:27:45,066 --> 00:27:49,133
it has produced some
very strange animals indeed.
308
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,933
Meet the monte iberia eleuth...
309
00:27:54,966 --> 00:27:57,800
One of the smallest frogs
in the world.
310
00:27:57,833 --> 00:28:04,066
♪♪
311
00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:05,833
It shares that distinction
312
00:28:05,866 --> 00:28:09,166
with cousins from Brazil
to new Guinea.
313
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,633
But which one wins the title
for tiniest of all
314
00:28:12,666 --> 00:28:16,833
is hard to decide
as so few have been found.
315
00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:23,666
Less than half an inch long
when fully grown,
316
00:28:23,700 --> 00:28:27,000
it's not easy living
in a world of giants.
317
00:28:27,033 --> 00:28:33,533
♪♪
318
00:28:33,566 --> 00:28:40,066
♪♪
319
00:28:40,100 --> 00:28:44,500
Unknown to science
until just over 20 years ago,
320
00:28:44,533 --> 00:28:47,233
the eleuth is critically
endangered
321
00:28:47,266 --> 00:28:51,000
and found in just two tiny areas
of Cuba.
322
00:28:51,033 --> 00:28:55,900
♪♪
323
00:28:55,933 --> 00:29:00,833
These pint-size amphibians
patrol the rainforest floor,
324
00:29:00,866 --> 00:29:03,600
forever on the lookout
for danger.
325
00:29:03,633 --> 00:29:08,466
♪♪
326
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:11,633
But she does have
some survival tricks.
327
00:29:11,666 --> 00:29:13,333
Her skin is poisonous
328
00:29:13,366 --> 00:29:16,166
and foul-tasting
to most predators.
329
00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:22,833
♪♪
330
00:29:22,866 --> 00:29:27,000
And like so many others,
from wasps to caterpillars,
331
00:29:27,033 --> 00:29:30,800
her black and yellow colors
signal would-be predators
332
00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:33,033
to stay away.
333
00:29:33,066 --> 00:29:35,733
This tiny snack carries
a health warning!
334
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:51,066
♪♪
335
00:29:51,100 --> 00:29:55,000
Cuba's great forests
once provided sanctuary
336
00:29:55,033 --> 00:29:58,933
for fidel Castro
and his revolutionaries.
337
00:29:58,966 --> 00:30:03,333
Today they're a refuge for vast
numbers of the island's
338
00:30:03,366 --> 00:30:05,800
native plants and animals.
339
00:30:05,833 --> 00:30:09,500
♪♪
340
00:30:09,501 --> 00:30:13,166
♪♪
341
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:20,566
♪♪
342
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:27,933
♪♪
343
00:30:27,966 --> 00:30:33,466
Some 26 different types of bats
make their home in Cuba,
344
00:30:33,500 --> 00:30:37,166
seven found nowhere else
on the planet.
345
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:43,233
♪♪
346
00:30:43,266 --> 00:30:49,300
♪♪
347
00:30:49,333 --> 00:30:53,866
These are Cuban flower bats.
348
00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:58,500
During the day, Cuban flower
bats roost in deep caves.
349
00:30:58,533 --> 00:31:01,966
At dusk, they head out
in vast numbers
350
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,433
to feed in
the surrounding forests.
351
00:31:11,500 --> 00:31:15,833
Their cave home
has only one exit,
352
00:31:15,866 --> 00:31:19,933
and this busy bat highway
presents an opportunity.
353
00:31:22,933 --> 00:31:30,933
♪♪
354
00:31:32,466 --> 00:31:40,466
♪♪
355
00:31:42,333 --> 00:31:50,333
♪♪
356
00:31:51,266 --> 00:31:53,666
Cuban boas.
357
00:31:53,700 --> 00:31:58,000
Up to a dozen snakes gather
around this cave entrance.
358
00:31:58,033 --> 00:32:04,400
♪♪
359
00:32:04,433 --> 00:32:06,233
It is pitch black,
360
00:32:06,266 --> 00:32:09,866
though both do have some
special sensory powers
361
00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:12,400
which they bring
to this game of life.
362
00:32:16,900 --> 00:32:19,533
The snakes have heat receptors
363
00:32:19,566 --> 00:32:22,966
which can detect
an oncoming bat,
364
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,966
while the bats' lives depend
on their famous echolocation.
365
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,500
♪♪
366
00:32:32,533 --> 00:32:36,666
Some snakes seem to coordinate
their hunting positions,
367
00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:39,366
spacing themselves out
to maximize
368
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:40,933
their chances of a kill.
369
00:32:40,966 --> 00:32:48,400
♪♪
370
00:32:48,433 --> 00:32:55,833
♪♪
371
00:32:55,866 --> 00:33:03,366
♪♪
372
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:07,633
Nervous and hungry, the bats
make a dash for the exit
373
00:33:07,666 --> 00:33:09,450
and hope for the best.
374
00:33:09,451 --> 00:33:11,233
And hope for the best.
375
00:33:11,266 --> 00:33:15,133
But sooner or later,
someone's luck runs out.
376
00:33:15,166 --> 00:33:23,166
♪♪
377
00:33:25,166 --> 00:33:33,166
♪♪
378
00:33:33,833 --> 00:33:38,733
Once caught, the bats know
that this is the end.
379
00:33:38,766 --> 00:33:41,300
Few put up any fight.
380
00:33:41,333 --> 00:33:48,866
♪♪
381
00:33:48,900 --> 00:33:56,400
♪♪
382
00:33:56,433 --> 00:34:00,666
The snakes finish off the bats
with their powerful embrace,
383
00:34:00,700 --> 00:34:02,766
killing them in seconds.
384
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:09,900
♪♪
385
00:34:09,933 --> 00:34:17,033
♪♪
386
00:34:17,066 --> 00:34:24,200
♪♪
387
00:34:28,833 --> 00:34:31,200
Fortunately for the bat colony,
388
00:34:31,233 --> 00:34:35,500
the snakes don't need much food
to keep them happy.
389
00:34:35,533 --> 00:34:40,566
One or two bats can satisfy
this snake for a week or more.
390
00:34:42,500 --> 00:34:44,866
Although harmless to humans,
391
00:34:44,900 --> 00:34:49,733
the boas are still hunted
and harassed in Cuba.
392
00:34:49,766 --> 00:34:52,200
Now officially endangered,
393
00:34:52,233 --> 00:34:55,500
their future is anything
but assured...
394
00:34:55,533 --> 00:34:57,900
Even on Cuba's green island.
395
00:35:14,133 --> 00:35:17,700
Cuba's particular history
has been a major factor
396
00:35:17,733 --> 00:35:20,966
in helping preserve
the island's natural world.
397
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:26,600
♪♪
398
00:35:26,633 --> 00:35:30,800
After fidel Castro seized power
in 1959,
399
00:35:30,833 --> 00:35:34,933
conservation grew to become
a government priority.
400
00:35:38,533 --> 00:35:43,200
And at the same time,
development has been limited.
401
00:35:43,233 --> 00:35:46,800
Communist, and struggling
under a U.S. embargo,
402
00:35:46,833 --> 00:35:48,966
Cuba's had few friends
403
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,000
to help finance its industry
and agriculture.
404
00:35:56,466 --> 00:36:01,766
Today, most Cubans
still live very simply,
405
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,966
consuming a fraction
of the resources
406
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,066
used by an average
American or European.
407
00:36:07,100 --> 00:36:09,500
♪♪
408
00:36:09,501 --> 00:36:11,900
♪♪
409
00:36:11,933 --> 00:36:14,666
All of this has meant
less pressure
410
00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:18,466
on Cuba's wild animals
and wild places.
411
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:35,566
♪♪
412
00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,333
Cuba is woodpecker heaven.
413
00:36:38,366 --> 00:36:44,433
♪♪
414
00:36:44,466 --> 00:36:46,966
Finding a good tree often means
415
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:49,800
sharing with
troublesome cousins.
416
00:36:52,900 --> 00:36:56,833
Here two species
are close neighbors...
417
00:36:56,866 --> 00:37:01,133
A west Indian and a Cuban
green woodpecker.
418
00:37:03,333 --> 00:37:07,066
The green woodpecker nest
has chicks inside,
419
00:37:07,100 --> 00:37:10,600
and their neighbor
from upstairs is trouble.
420
00:37:10,633 --> 00:37:15,933
♪♪
421
00:37:15,966 --> 00:37:19,900
West Indian woodpeckers
are known to kill other chicks
422
00:37:19,933 --> 00:37:22,000
and take over their nests.
423
00:37:22,033 --> 00:37:30,033
♪♪
424
00:37:30,066 --> 00:37:36,166
Luckily these chicks are nowbig
enough to defend themselves.
425
00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:40,633
The west Indian resigns herself
to building her own nest.
426
00:37:47,233 --> 00:37:49,100
The neighbors will just
have to put up
427
00:37:49,133 --> 00:37:51,100
with the noise
of construction...
428
00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,733
and the debris.
429
00:38:00,766 --> 00:38:07,833
♪♪
430
00:38:07,866 --> 00:38:10,566
On the lower floor of the tree,
431
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,066
the three green
woodpecker chicks
432
00:38:13,100 --> 00:38:15,966
are getting close to the day
they will leave home.
433
00:38:19,933 --> 00:38:23,500
For the parents,
it's still a non-stop battle
434
00:38:23,533 --> 00:38:25,800
to keep them fed and happy.
435
00:38:25,833 --> 00:38:33,833
♪♪
436
00:38:35,766 --> 00:38:41,200
♪♪
437
00:38:41,233 --> 00:38:46,700
♪♪
438
00:38:46,733 --> 00:38:49,000
Finally, the chicks are ready
439
00:38:49,033 --> 00:38:52,000
for the biggest step
of their lives.
440
00:38:55,900 --> 00:38:58,033
One needs a little persuasion.
441
00:38:58,066 --> 00:39:03,233
♪♪
442
00:39:03,266 --> 00:39:08,333
♪♪
443
00:39:08,366 --> 00:39:09,859
- The parents will continue
to feed the chicks webvtt
444
00:39:09,871 --> 00:39:11,376
00:00:00.000 - the parents will
continue to feed the chicks
445
00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,500
Until they're strong enough
to fend for themselves.
446
00:39:14,533 --> 00:39:22,200
♪♪
447
00:39:41,066 --> 00:39:45,600
Cuba was born
in a warm tropical sea.
448
00:39:45,633 --> 00:39:49,266
Three quarters of the island
is limestone,
449
00:39:49,300 --> 00:39:52,266
formed from the skeletons
of sea creatures
450
00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:55,466
settling as fine sands
on the seabed.
451
00:39:58,566 --> 00:40:01,566
Millions of years of pressure
and upheaval
452
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,900
created the rock that forms
most of the island today.
453
00:40:10,866 --> 00:40:16,300
Limestone creates its
very own wonderland.
454
00:40:16,333 --> 00:40:19,833
As rain and water
dissolves it over time,
455
00:40:19,866 --> 00:40:22,666
it riddles the island
with caves,
456
00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:26,133
both above and below water.
457
00:40:26,166 --> 00:40:34,166
♪♪
458
00:40:35,966 --> 00:40:39,266
♪♪
459
00:40:39,300 --> 00:40:42,100
This is a cenote,
460
00:40:42,133 --> 00:40:46,066
a vertical cave
of collapsed limestone.
461
00:40:46,100 --> 00:40:48,566
Many are hundreds of feet deep.
462
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:56,600
♪♪
463
00:40:56,866 --> 00:41:01,833
Over the eons, these peculiar
places have become home
464
00:41:01,866 --> 00:41:05,033
to some very unusual creatures.
465
00:41:05,066 --> 00:41:13,066
♪♪
466
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:18,300
And in Cuba, this is
perhaps the most bizarre.
467
00:41:18,333 --> 00:41:22,566
A primitive gar fish known
as a manjuari.
468
00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:29,033
♪♪
469
00:41:29,066 --> 00:41:35,500
♪♪
470
00:41:35,533 --> 00:41:42,200
A true living fossil, manjuarihave
an extraordinary ability...
471
00:41:42,233 --> 00:41:44,400
They can breathe air.
472
00:41:46,633 --> 00:41:50,700
If their water becomes stagnant
and oxygen runs low,
473
00:41:50,733 --> 00:41:54,000
they can gulp air
from the surface to survive.
474
00:41:54,033 --> 00:41:59,100
♪♪
475
00:41:59,133 --> 00:42:01,833
Manjuari give a unique insight
476
00:42:01,866 --> 00:42:04,800
into how many millions
of years ago,
477
00:42:04,833 --> 00:42:08,633
the very first fish
evolved to leave the sea
478
00:42:08,666 --> 00:42:10,416
and survive on land...
479
00:42:10,417 --> 00:42:12,166
And survive on land...
480
00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:16,966
A critical step in the evolution
of life on earth.
481
00:42:28,766 --> 00:42:36,766
♪♪
482
00:42:38,533 --> 00:42:45,233
♪♪
483
00:42:45,266 --> 00:42:49,500
Cuba has its very own species
of crocodile
484
00:42:49,533 --> 00:42:54,400
found nowhere else,
and they like to eat hutia,
485
00:42:54,433 --> 00:42:56,966
one of only two native
land mammals
486
00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,166
found anywhere on the island.
487
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:07,200
♪♪
488
00:43:09,266 --> 00:43:17,266
♪♪
489
00:43:19,266 --> 00:43:27,266
♪♪
490
00:43:29,266 --> 00:43:32,866
♪♪
491
00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:42,200
In the crocodile world,
the Cubans are regarded
492
00:43:42,233 --> 00:43:46,166
as being especially
intelligent and inquisitive.
493
00:44:11,466 --> 00:44:17,733
Beside their needle-sharp teeth,
mobility is their other weapon.
494
00:44:17,766 --> 00:44:21,066
Cuban crocodiles
are extremely agile
495
00:44:21,100 --> 00:44:24,300
and can sprint
at almost 10 miles an hour.
496
00:44:27,100 --> 00:44:30,833
Come breeding season,
the males go into action.
497
00:44:55,600 --> 00:45:00,200
Today, Cuba's unique crocodiles
are in trouble.
498
00:45:00,233 --> 00:45:04,000
Perhaps 3,000 survive
in the wild.
499
00:45:04,033 --> 00:45:07,933
As sea levels rise,
larger American crocodiles
500
00:45:07,966 --> 00:45:10,509
- are invading the freshwater swamps
- are invading the freshwater swamps
501
00:45:10,533 --> 00:45:13,166
And interbreeding
with the Cuban females
502
00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:16,333
threatening to wipe out
the Cuban species.
503
00:45:16,366 --> 00:45:20,766
♪♪
504
00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:23,566
With so few of their kind left,
505
00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,966
every successful mating
is a cause for celebration.
506
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:35,200
♪♪
507
00:45:35,233 --> 00:45:42,466
♪♪
508
00:45:42,500 --> 00:45:45,933
They won't be independent
for several months,
509
00:45:45,966 --> 00:45:49,666
but straight out of the egg,
Cuban crocodile babies
510
00:45:49,700 --> 00:45:52,266
display the agility
and resilience
511
00:45:52,300 --> 00:45:57,100
that has kept their kind alive
for so many million years.
512
00:45:57,133 --> 00:46:02,366
♪♪
513
00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:06,566
Let's hope these survivors
are a new beginning
514
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:08,933
and not one of
the final chapters
515
00:46:08,966 --> 00:46:11,633
in the story
of the Cuban crocodile.
516
00:46:11,666 --> 00:46:17,133
♪♪
517
00:46:28,466 --> 00:46:36,466
♪♪
518
00:46:37,033 --> 00:46:41,533
Cuba now stands at a crossroads.
519
00:46:41,566 --> 00:46:46,700
For decades, the outside world
has been kept largely at bay.
520
00:46:51,266 --> 00:46:56,100
And for most Cubans, the paceof
life has changed very little.
521
00:46:56,133 --> 00:47:02,433
♪♪
522
00:47:02,466 --> 00:47:06,066
But Cuba's systems
are struggling.
523
00:47:06,100 --> 00:47:09,866
There is now huge pressure
for Cuba to develop...
524
00:47:09,900 --> 00:47:12,733
More industry...
525
00:47:12,766 --> 00:47:14,900
More agriculture...
526
00:47:14,933 --> 00:47:16,533
More tourists.
527
00:47:18,566 --> 00:47:22,033
Will her glorious wild lands
and wild creatures
528
00:47:22,066 --> 00:47:23,866
pay the ultimate price?
529
00:47:23,900 --> 00:47:27,733
♪♪
530
00:47:50,133 --> 00:47:52,766
Under the sands of cayo largo,
531
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,166
hundreds of new lives
are stirring.
532
00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:58,366
Their time has come.
533
00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:06,400
♪♪
534
00:48:07,166 --> 00:48:10,200
♪♪
535
00:48:10,201 --> 00:48:13,233
♪♪
536
00:48:13,266 --> 00:48:15,433
Two months have passed
537
00:48:15,466 --> 00:48:20,066
since the mother green turtle
laid her eggs.
538
00:48:20,100 --> 00:48:22,566
As the first babies
break through,
539
00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:25,100
the eggs deep down
hatch frantically
540
00:48:25,133 --> 00:48:27,200
so they're not left behind.
541
00:48:27,233 --> 00:48:35,233
♪♪
542
00:48:37,100 --> 00:48:40,000
Though this baby turtle
has never opened her eyes
543
00:48:40,033 --> 00:48:43,533
before now,
powerful instincts propel her
544
00:48:43,566 --> 00:48:46,833
towards the sound
and smell of the sea.
545
00:48:46,866 --> 00:48:54,866
♪♪
546
00:48:55,733 --> 00:49:03,733
♪♪
547
00:49:04,666 --> 00:49:08,566
From the moment she left
the warm embrace of the nest,
548
00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:12,066
she must fend entirely
for herself.
549
00:49:12,100 --> 00:49:15,266
For this new world
is not a friendly one.
550
00:49:15,300 --> 00:49:22,866
♪♪
551
00:49:22,900 --> 00:49:30,466
♪♪
552
00:49:30,500 --> 00:49:33,633
On the very first journey
of her life,
553
00:49:33,666 --> 00:49:38,133
there's a good chance she will
not even make it to the water.
554
00:49:38,166 --> 00:49:46,166
♪♪
555
00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:55,800
♪♪
556
00:49:57,433 --> 00:50:01,500
This time, another hatchling
has paid the price.
557
00:50:01,533 --> 00:50:06,400
♪♪
558
00:50:06,433 --> 00:50:10,566
Less than 1 in 1,000 baby
turtles reach adulthood.
559
00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:16,400
♪♪
560
00:50:16,433 --> 00:50:22,200
♪♪
561
00:50:22,233 --> 00:50:25,933
Their best defense
are other turtles.
562
00:50:25,966 --> 00:50:29,400
That's why they hatch and break
for the ocean together.
563
00:50:29,433 --> 00:50:37,433
♪♪
564
00:50:38,233 --> 00:50:46,233
♪♪
565
00:50:47,033 --> 00:50:55,033
♪♪
566
00:50:55,833 --> 00:50:58,733
She's made it to the sea,
567
00:50:58,766 --> 00:51:02,233
but there are
countless challenges ahead.
568
00:51:02,266 --> 00:51:05,133
In shallow water,
she's easy prey
569
00:51:05,166 --> 00:51:07,166
and must get to deep water
570
00:51:07,200 --> 00:51:10,142
- where she has some chance of surviving.
- Where she has some chance of surviving.
571
00:51:10,166 --> 00:51:18,166
♪♪
572
00:51:19,633 --> 00:51:27,633
♪♪
573
00:51:29,066 --> 00:51:33,433
If her luck holds,
she will wander the open ocean,
574
00:51:33,466 --> 00:51:38,466
traveling thousands of miles
over many years...
575
00:51:38,500 --> 00:51:40,800
Until 20 years from now,
576
00:51:40,833 --> 00:51:43,700
a mysterious switch
will make her turn
577
00:51:43,733 --> 00:51:48,033
and head back to Cuba
to lay her own eggs.
578
00:51:48,066 --> 00:51:49,366
The question is,
579
00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:52,433
will her home beach
still be there
580
00:51:52,466 --> 00:51:56,200
and will Cuba welcome her
with the same clean sands
581
00:51:56,233 --> 00:52:02,666
enjoyed by her ancestors for
so many generations before her?
582
00:52:02,700 --> 00:52:04,766
Only time will tell.
583
00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:12,800
♪♪
584
00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:22,800
♪♪
585
00:52:35,433 --> 00:52:43,433
♪♪
586
00:52:45,433 --> 00:52:53,433
♪♪
587
00:52:55,433 --> 00:52:57,800
♪♪
588
00:52:57,833 --> 00:53:01,266
To learn more about what you've
seen on this "nature" program,
589
00:53:01,300 --> 00:53:03,600
visit pbs.Org.
590
00:53:03,633 --> 00:53:11,633
♪♪
41918
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