All language subtitles for Arg2_Track04

On Argentina's eastern coast,

a vast, parched desert

collides with a brutal ocean.

Here, nature truly shows its teeth.

Some of the planet's
most iconic species

battle the elements...

and each other.

Adapting to survive...

producing some of
the greatest shows on Earth...

on this wild and extreme coast
of Patagonia.

Stretching over 3,000 kilometers

from Bolivia to Cape Horn...

Argentina is South America's
second largest country,

and it's also a land of extremes.

From lush rainforests...

to parched deserts...

giant wetlands...

to the towering peaks of the Andes.

This variety of habitats
support a vast array of wildlife...

making it one of the most
biodiverse countries on the planet.

But it's most spectacular animals
lie here...

n the remote and wild region
of Patagonia.

On the isolated beach
of Punta Loma...

a large colony of sea lions

are basking
in Patagonia's summer sunshine.

This coast is home to around
100,000 southern sea lions,

one of the largest populations
in South America.

Sea lions sometimes travel hundreds
of kilometers from the coast

n search of food.

But this colony
live here all year round,

playing and feeding
in Patagonia's rich, shallow waters.

Within the colony
are smaller groups...

each made up of multiple females...

dominated by a single male,

up to three times their size.

Unlike seals...

sea lions can walk
on their flippers...

but these colonies are so crowded,

finding a clear path
can be difficult.

The males protect
their territory with force,

and during the mating season
fights can be brutal.

And so usually younger males

live elsewhere in bachelor groups.

But this one has decided
to try his luck.

Venturing towards the females,

while the bigger bulls
have their backs turned.

But he doesn't make it far.

Maybe one day
he'll be big enough to fight back.

But for now he wisely backs off.

But it isn't just the bulls
the sea lions need to be wary of.

There are much bigger carnivores
lurking in these waters.

Orcas.

Killer whales have developed

some of the most sophisticated
hunting techniques

seen among marine mammals.

Often working together
to capture prey.

They are the only cetacean
to routinely hunt marine mammals,

and are even capable
of killing other whales.

Here in Patagonia,

seal pups and young sea lions
are their staple diet.

But the smaller more agile sea lions

can easily outmaneuver
a killer whale in the water.

So catching one requires a savage,
but risky hunting technique.

Ambushing the sea lions on land.

This Patagonian shoreline is
one of only two places in the world

where killer whales regularly strand
themselves to catch their prey.

But get it wrong,

and the whales will be unable
to wriggle back into the water...

slowly dying
as their bodies collapse

under their own immense weight.

So today these adults are here

to teach these young orcas
the dangerous hunting technique.

Here, in Peninsula Valdes,
at low tide

this colony of sea lions

are protected
by shallow reefs and sand bars.

Frolicking at the water's edge,

the sea lions appear
to be taunting the orcas,

enjoying the protection of the bay.

But these waters
aren't as safe as they seem.

These lethal predators are called
killer whales for good reason.

They know this beach
has a huge tidal range,

and as it changes the South Atlantic
quickly floods a hidden channel,

allowing the orcas to swim in.

Here in Patagonia,
during the breeding season

these beaches are littered
with newborn sea lion pups.

It's a rich but risky food source,

so the adult whales
spend time training their young

how to purposely beach themselves
without becoming stranded.

Even when there are no pups around.

First, the adults demonstrate
how to get close enough

to catch a seal pup
to beach two-thirds of their body.

Then using the next wave
to wriggle back into deeper water.

They then force the young orcas
to beach themselves.

Teaching these skills demonstrates
extremely high intelligence.

And illustrates why killer whales
are the ocean's top predator.

With the sea lion pup season
months away...

the elephant seals
basking at the water's edge

appear to believe
they aren't at risk.

But today the orcas
have changed the rules...

launching a surprise attack.

Propelling itself onto the shore,

this adult orca takes a large seal.

Hauling it back into the water.

It would be enough
to feed the whole pod.

But he doesn't kill it.

Instead the orca delicately carries
the seal to the center of the bay.

Then surprisingly...

he lets it go.

The injured seal heads for shore,

but then the orca's
terrifying game begins.

The injured seal
is caught and released...

over and over again.

Each time the seal believes
it has a chance of escape...

the pod corral it back
to deeper water.

And once it's been exhausted
by the adults...

the youngest orca is now trained

on how to strike its prey
in the water.

The seal's torture
continues for hours...

before finally
being put out of its misery.

But as the sun sets...

the lagoon is emptying fast.

And the pod must now
retreat to the ocean,

or risk becoming stranded
on the sand.

Now against the clock,

the adult shepherds her pod
over the sand bar

right past
the on-looking sea lions.

For now this lagoon offers them
a safe harbor once more.

Patagonia's rugged coastline

carves its way over 1,600
kilometers from north to south.

But one 12-kilometer stretch
of its sandstone cliffs...

s home to the largest parrot
population anywhere on Earth.

More than 70,000 Patagonian conures

make their nests
in these sheer cliffs.

Parrots are more usually associated

with South America's dense forests.

But in this coastal habitat,

a unique adaptation
has allowed them to thrive.

After squabbling
over prime position...

these birds burrow their way

up to four meters
into the sandstone,

using their tough beaks
just like an axe.

These burrows protect their eggs,

allowing more young to survive.

But they also
use their beak for preening.

Vital for removing
the inevitable parasites

from living in such a huge colony.

And the enormous numbers of birds
nesting in these cliffs

also has a direct effect
on the landscape.

The thousands of nests here

destabilize
the soft rock of the cliffs...

and leave them exposed
to much faster erosion

by Patagonia's wind and waves.

But Patagonia's coastal terrain

has been shaped
by many natural forces.

And one exerts its power

from over 1,500 kilometers away.

The western coast
of this remote wilderness

s flanked by the world's
longest mountain range.

Rising steeply from the Pacific,

the Andes force air upwards,

draining all moisture from the skies
on their western slopes...

leaving a parched,
desiccated desert to the east.

This arid land stretches all the way
to Argentina's eastern coast...

where it is battered by some
of the most powerful seas on Earth.

Fueled by strong winds
and huge storms...

the southern Atlantic
bombards these cliffs

with waves over 12 meters high...

carving out a landscape
unlike anywhere else on Earth.

But despite such extreme conditions,

this is one of nature's
richest ecosystems.

Both on land,

and in the sea.

The waters of southern Patagonia
and its surrounding islands

are home to almost two-million
southern rockhopper penguins...

that brave
these tumultuous waves every day

to get back to dry land.

But surviving this battering
is the easy part.

Now they need
to climb hundreds of meters

to the safety
of their clifftop nests.

But a potentially deadly obstacle
lies in their path.

A colony of fur seals.

Seals are one of
the penguin's main predators.

And hundreds now stand
between these birds...

and the hungry chicks
waiting at the top of the cliff.

The seals' teeth can quickly
dispatch a rockhopper.

But not today.

For some reason this seal colony...

have accepted these penguins.

Letting them pass through peacefully

on their way to their nests.

Sometimes, however,
the penguins push their luck.

Luckily, he gets away with it.

But another obstacle
now lies ahead.

The 100-meter high cliff.

Fortunately, rockhoppers
are the most agile of all penguins.

They choose their clifftop-nest site
to avoid predators...

and this colony have been treading
this path for generations.

Full of fish
from their hunting exploits...

the rockhoppers must also navigate
two-meter high grass...

all the way back to their colony.

Battling through the crowd,

he first reacquaints himself
with his mate.

Then feeds
his single surviving chick.

Rockhoppers lay two eggs,

but like in almost every nest,

the first smaller egg
failed to hatch.

In such a battle for space,

there often
isn't enough to go around.

Starvation isn't the only threat
to the chicks up here on the cliffs.

Weaker birds will often be taken
by Patagonia's aerial predators

that lurk on the edge
of its penguin colonies.

In an amazing display
of natural instinct,

thousands of pregnant elephant seals

arrive on the Argentinian coast,

just days before
they are due to give birth.

This female has spent
an 11-month gestation at sea...

feeding several thousand
kilometers away.

And she needed
to build up her energy.

She will not feed for the duration
of the breeding season.

As she gives birth,
gulls lurk menacingly.

But it isn't the pup
they are after...

t's the placenta.

This newborn pup weighs 40 kilos.

It will be nursed by its mother
for around 23 days,

gaining almost seven kilos every day
from the fat-rich milk.

And they need to grow fast.

Their mothers will desert them
when they are less than a month old.

But it is little wonder
they want to leave.

Having just given birth,

the breeding season
is a brutal time for the females.

These are some of the most
sexually dimorphic mammals.

The largest males can weigh up
to ten times as much as females...

making them impossible to fight off.

Only the dominant male
is allowed to breed in his domain.

And once he's successfully mated

with all the sexually
mature females,

the beach-master bull
decides it's time to leave.

But the females must remain
until their pups are fully weaned...

opening a short window
of opportunity

for other males hoping to reproduce.

This sub-adult is searching for any
females that haven't already mated.

But in his desperation,

he is targeting
very young, immature seals.

This tiny seal won't be ready

to produce her own pups
for another few years.

And even this less dominant male
is ten times her size.

And all the other females
can do is watch.

But despite his size...

she can't outrun him.

And no matter how many times
she tries to escape,

he doesn't want
to let this opportunity slip away.

The biggest males are so dominant...

that less than 10%
of male elephant seals

will successfully mate
in their lifetime.

Using his sheer weight
and powerful bite,

he repeatedly attempts
to mate with this young female.

But he's inexperienced,
and she isn't receptive.

Now battered and bleeding,

the young seal
is becoming exhausted.

But after yet another
failed attempt...

she spots her chance
and makes a dash for the water.

As the older seals
have already learnt,

amongst the waves she'll have
more chance of evading him.

And just in time...

she makes it safely to the water.

And for this male, his attempt
to reproduce drifts away.

The southern tip
of Patagonia's coast.

This archipelago
is known as Tierra del Fuego,

the Land of Fire.

But this entire region
was actually carved by ice.

At its southernmost point,
Cape Horn, Antarctica

s just 1,000 kilometers away.

And even in the height of summer,

Tierra del Fuego's glaciers
continue to shape the landscape.

Around 9,000 years ago,

the ocean broke through the tip
of this continent,

completely isolating
Tierra del Fuego

from mainland Patagonia.

But despite the harsh climate
this close to the South Pole...

the planet's most notorious seabird

makes these cliffs its home.

With a wingspan of
almost two-and-a-half meters...

this black-browed albatross
will spend years at time at sea.

But has returned here
for the breeding season.

Along with almost 200,000 others.

These birds are found on cliffs
right across the southern ocean.

Although often solitary when at sea,

albatross pairs mate for life.

And like many penguins...

their beak clattering is
all part of their courtship ritual.

Reacquainting themselves

after spending the year
thousands of kilometers apart.

They usually return
to the same nests each year...

raising a single chick
in a solid pillar-like structure.

The chicks remain on their nest
for around four months...

being fed by the parents once a day
on regurgitated fish.

And these young birds
need to build their strength.

In just a few weeks,

they will have one chance
to launch themselves

safely from these sheer cliffs.

And once they take flight...

they won't return to land
for at least two years.

Late-November
on the northern Patagonian coast.

And the thousands of Magellanic
penguins are still in their burrows.

And for good reason.

Like most of the penguins here,

this bird laid a clutch of two eggs
40 days ago.

They've been incubated
by both adults,

taking shifts of around two weeks...

while the other bird
searches for food.

The first egg is now ready to hatch.

It's a slow process...

and the mother must keep it warm
as it emerges.

The first chick hatched
roughly two days before the other.

It is therefore larger
and better able

to obtain food from the parents.

Once hatched the young penguins

are brooded for around a month.

There's only one thing on the menu.

Regurgitated fish.

Often the second chick
will die from starvation.

But this mother
is doing her best to share equally.

At around four weeks old, these
chicks will be left unattended,

as both parents head out to hunt.

But unless there is
an overabundance of fish,

this smaller chick
will probably perish

before it ever gets a chance
to leave the nest.

By February, in Patagonia,

t's time for Magellenic penguin
chicks to fend for themselves.

The adult penguins
have now molted...

and are restless
to get back in the ocean.

Right now, algae blooms,
big enough to be seen from space,

are attracting billions of fish
to Patagonia's northern waters.

In turn, these shoals attract
predators from all directions.

But with so many predators,

even this many fish
won't last forever.

The penguins must move now,

f they are to follow
the shoals northward.

This could be the last time
these penguins will touch dry land

for six months.

And despite being
perfectly adapted to life at sea...

many will not return at all.

Patagonia's
vast array of penguins...

attract a predator just as agile.

Sea lions.

In Patagonia,
wherever you find penguins...

you will also usually find
these deadly hunters.

On this island just off the coast,

this colony of gentoo penguins

must enter the water
to feed their chicks.

And this sea lion knows it.

As they edge towards the water,

he attempts to catch them on land.

He causes confusion,
scattering the group,

but here he is slow and clumsy.

But in the water,
he'll be a deadly assassin.

So he decides to lie in wait,

knowing the penguins must
eventually risk entering the water.

Cautiously...

they make their move.

These gentoos are the fastest
swimming birds on Earth.

But the sea lion
is more than their equal.

They may be safety in numbers...

but the sea lion works
to split the pack.

And this gentoo
is now in his sights.

And his fate...

s sealed.

From the glaciers
of Tierra del Fuego...

to the arid, desert beaches
of the north...

Argentina's Patagonian coast
is a land of extremes.

Stretching over 1,600 kilometers...

this remote and often
inhospitable corner of the Earth...

attracts millions of animals.

They must battle this region's
harsh conditions and each other...

n order to survive...

and even thrive
in this unique habitat.

Subtitles: Asha Chong
www.btistudios.com