Original subtitles

NARRATOR: More than 70% of our planet

is covered in water.

Beneath the waves are millions of liquid roads

followed by giant wanderers

in search of the right place to perfect their hunting strategies...

(waves crashing)

to hone their chops in battle...

(waves crashing)

...or to up their game in romance.

(whale calling)

Journey into this extraordinary world

of innovation.

This is Giants of the Deep Blue.

Hawaii.

Palm trees.

Sandy beaches.

But there's a hidden world few people see.

(Hawaiian music playing)

To get there...

you go past the reefs...

past Hawaii's sandy shoals...

...past her deep-water channels.

This is where the sea makes room for one of the largest of her creatures...

The humpback whale.

(ethereal music playing)

(waves crashing)

These humpbacks spent their summer months

feeding in the waters of Alaska.

(ethereal music playing)

They've traveled 3,000 miles to get here--

almost 100 miles a day--

without food.

10,000 humpbacks converge for their Hawaiian luau.

Their only beacon...

a song.

(whales whistle)

(whale calling)

Why humpback males sing is a mystery.

(whales singing)

Maybe to warn other males to stand down...

(whale groaning)

to attract a mate...

or maybe to draw ladies to a group of eligible bachelors.

(whales singing)

Whatever the message,

it seems to be music to the females' ears.

(whale purring)

(whale singing)

(light music playing)

She's come here to Hawaii

to mate, to give birth, and raise her calves.

(light music playing)

This mother delivers her newborn to its first breath.

(music continues playing )

It is a whale of a baby.

15 feet long and weighs a ton.

But then mom is 40 by 40-- feet to tons, that is.

Her calf learns by playing.

(sweet music playing)

And it plays through imitation.

Its first leap is a sign.

It will be on its own within a year.

(horn blows)

(horn blows)

Around the planet, the seas churn with animals driven to move.

Possessed by the need to feed and breed.

Far out to sea, the largest brains on Earth

fix on these mysterious cues.

The male sperm whale.

A creature of superlatives.

It is the largest toothed predator alive today,

weighing up to 50 tons.

It dives deeper and faster than any other whale.

And it undertakes some of the greatest journeys.

In a lifetime, this whale may log a million nautical miles.

The males often circle the Arctic to feast.

But for the species to survive,

their paths must intersect with the females' own astounding journeys.

Many meet in the Azores,

nine tiny islands where clashing currents create an explosion of life.

(dolphins squeaking)

A mother sperm whale ushers her newborn calf

into these coastal waters,

guided by sun, sea currents,

and perhaps even magnetic sensors in her brain.

She also navigates by sonar,

bouncing her clicks and creaks off the sea floor.

(clicking)

Some of the loudest sounds made by any creature on Earth.

(clicking)

Females travel in family groups,

sometimes leading their young on yearly wanderings

of up to 20,000 miles.

Each day, they gather to reaffirm their bonds.

They seem to crave physical contact.

(light music playing)

(clicking)

(clicking)

(clicking)

(clicking)

(clicking)

(clicking)

Finally, the mothers disperse to feed in shifts.

They leave their calves for up to 40 minutes of every hour.

These hungry hunters will dive up to two miles

for a daily catch of 300 pounds of octopus and squid.

(clicking)

This calf, too young to dive,

tracks his mother closely from above,

listening intently for her signature clicks.

(clicking)

Chunks of octopus rise to the surface from the matriarchs hunting below,

like breadcrumbs leading back to safety.

(clicking)

From the depths, mom finally returns.

(clicking)

All of his young life, the calf has been on the move.

(light music playing)

Except for now; his mother and aunts seem to be waiting for something big.

(dramatic music playing)

(light music playing)

Thousands of miles to the west,

the waters off the coast of California play host to a giant of the sea...

the blue whale.

(light music playing)

The largest animal on Earth.

(light music playing)

(light music playing)

Despite her size, she feeds on one of the smallest animals in the ocean.

Krill.

(light music playing)

She can swallow over seven tons in a single day.

(light music playing)

But this doesn't mean she'll go after any patch of krill she comes across.

When big animals eat little things...

(light music playing)

...the little things have to come in large quantities.

(light music playing)

There's a proper ratio of effort to reward.

She approaches a cloud of krill.

Is it worth it?

Apparently not.

She didn't even open her mouth a crack.

She spots a bigger patch nearby.

On approach, she speeds up to almost seven miles an hour.

And gets a big mouthful.

(dramatic music playing)

(whale calling)

She'll have to do this all day if she's going to fill her belly.

(dramatic music playing)

Not easy for the biggest creatures in the ocean.

Especially in these times of dwindling food sources.

For some whales, this means changing the menu completely.

When the going gets tough, the tough get creative.

(dramatic music playing)

(seagulls calling)

(light music playing)

Peninsula Valdes,

in Argentina's Chubut Province.

(light music playing)

A rugged stretch of coast

where the Earth's broken bones spill into the Atlantic.

250 miles of pebbly beach

mark the boundary between ocean and desert.

It's an ideal sea lion breeding colony,

and the perfect orca hunting grounds.

At Peninsula Valdes, killer whales have adapted

to use the combination of deep water

and steep beaches to their advantage.

At high tide, the orcas can swim right up to shore

without running aground.

The steep pitch of the beach also works to the orcas' advantage.

Young sea lions have a hard time scrambling uphill out of the surf.

And the same round pebbles that make a good sea lion nursery

are also a perfect orca landing pad.

They roll like ball bearings,

easing the orcas back into the ocean.

They launch their great bulk out of the water...

then waves and gravity help pull them back.

(waves crashing

Mastering this hunting technique

takes years of practice, and is dangerous;

more than half don't bother to attempt it.

Maybe they're too young,

and the risk-to-reward ratio is stacked against them.

(ominous music playing)

The hunters wait offshore for the perfect moment.

Some of the young sea lions shuffle along the edge of the ocean,

giving off a distinctive sound.

(ominous music playing)

This is what the orcas have waited to hear.

(ominous music playing)

The pitter-patter of little flippers.

The young pup has to practice swimming.

And he's learning to keep an eye out for orcas.

So the orca has to time his approach just right.

(ominous music playing)

He waits for a pup to cross the attack channel.

(ominous music playing)

Approaching at roughly nine miles per hour,

he builds up a head of steam,

accelerates at the key moment,

and grabs lunch.

Hurtling onto land does not come naturally to an orca;

instinct tells him to stay clear of the beach.

The secrets of the beach assault are shared among the whales.

And individuals continue to perfect their own style.

The result is an ever-evolving approach to hunting.

In time, the elders will pass along

everything they've learned to the next generation.

This hunting method is unusual,

but not unique.

Here in the Carolinas, where land meets ocean,

whales of a different size

practice their version of the amphibious landing.

It's more of a group effort.

(dramatic music playing)

It's a mini tsunami of dolphins seemingly on a suicide run.

But there's genius behind this curious act.

(dramatic music playing)

Dolphins can hunt the old fashioned way--

one fish at a time.

(dramatic music playing)

But this is the Seabrook Island gang--

a pod of extraordinary bottlenose dolphins.

They're lining up for an all-you-can-eat buffet.

And behind each smile lies a cunning hunter.

During low tide, schools of mullet have nowhere to hide.

A perfect setting for a dolphin invasion.

Scouts echolocate the fish,

which they can sense underwater from a football field away.

(dramatic music playing)

They herd the mullet against the shoreline...

(dramatic music playing)

assemble into formation...

(dramatic music playing)

and unleash their amphibious assault.

(aggressive music playing)

They rush the shore, always on their right sides.

Scales and feathers go flying every which way.

They're the only pod of dolphins that do this here.

And it's not for amateurs.

At nearly 400 pounds apiece,

they could get stuck on the beach and die from sunburn,

or just their own crushing weight out of the water.

But the risks are worth it.

This astounding predatory technique is not instinctual,

it is learned.

These dolphins have a hunting culture.

Mothers pass down the secrets to their children.

(light music playing)

Half a world away in Hawaii,

the main thing that's being passed down is genes.

At least that's the hope of the titans preparing for battle.

Humpback mom and calf aren't alone anymore.

An escort now shadows them--

a male with amorous intentions.

(ominous music playing)

For rights to sire offspring, humpback males go to war.

(dramatic music playing)

(ominous music playing)

Most females with calves are now being followed by a male.

He's waiting for his chance to mate.

(light music playing)

But so are other males,

straggling alongside;

up to 20 per female.

Aggression begins to escalate.

A straggler challenges the escort.

It starts with crowding the escort's space.

(dramatic music playing)

He blows a screen of bubbles for cover.

They slap tails and snap fins.

(dramatic music playing)

Warning shots over each other's bows.

(dramatic music playing)

Then the head lunge.

Humpbacks inflate their throats with water.

Making them appear larger and more intimidating.

(dramatic music playing)

The bluster and bravado are not enough.

(dramatic music playing)

Time for a knockout punch:

a 40-ton ramming...

that can kill.

(dramatic music playing)

(dramatic music playing)

(dramatic music playing)

(waves crashing)

Battered and bruised for the sake of his bloodline,

the escort has fended off his challenger-- so far.

While male competition is fierce in most whale species,

sperm whales display an unusual kind of male bonding.

(whale clicking)

A cacophony of clicks announces a return of these giants to the Azores.

(whale clicking)

Mother and calf listen intently.

(whale clicking)

Only she knows what these clicks mean.

The males have arrived.

Stupendous, battle-scarred bulls back from epic wanderings.

The oldest may be 70 years old

and have traveled 60 times the circumference of the Earth.

Most of the time, utterly alone.

Now, gentle greetings take place.

(clicking)

The whales seem to revel in displays of affection.

Even with each other.

Young males bounce sounds off each other's bodies.

And not just sounds-- their eager appendages.

(whales clicking)

The curious calf joins in.

(whales clicking)

Soon there may be violence.

Like humpbacks, sperm whale males joust

to win female affections.

But for now, everyone participates in a touching reunion.

(soft music playing)

The calf, out of his depth among these Goliaths,

returns to the mentoring eye of his mother.

He may not leave her for another ten years,

to join other young males in wandering bachelor groups.

With luck, he'll return to these same waters to meet and mingle.

(soft music playing)

(dramatic music playing)

Back in Hawaii, the escort has successfully defended his turf.

He does a victory lap.

His reward: the chance to maintain his lineage.

Every calf is a bid for the future, hard-won.

A future that takes these migrating behemoths north

towards winter feeding grounds in Alaska.

Along the way the ocean offers an endless buffet of food.

(light music playing)

But the mothers will not stop to snack at any time

during their voyage north.

Weighing as much as 40 tons,

she has enough energy stored in her blubber

to fuel her for her journey.

Her calf however, is still only a few months old,

and even though its mother slows down to compensate,

it's often a struggle for the young whale to keep up,

who has to surface more frequently to catch his breath.

(soft music music)

(squealing)

Her enormous appetite propels her

through thousands of miles of open ocean to northern waters.

Here the frozen seas have started to melt and retreat.

Wind and currents shift the loosening ice and break it up.

Forming pools across the ice's surface...

opening new feeding grounds...

and creating a pathway for new arrivals.

Like the mysterious narwhal,

who's been waiting for this all year.

(light music playing)

Known as the unicorn of the sea

because of its strange spiral tusk...

The narwhal is one of the most elusive animals on Earth.

(light music playing)

They follow along the cracks in the ice to reach rich feeding grounds.

Each summer they migrate to this area.

(light music playing)

Usually moving in groups of two or three.

But when fishing is good, hundreds may come together.

(light music playing)

These hunters take a risk.

With the summer melt in full swing,

the ice is still shifting,

and like all whales, they need air to breathe.

At least every 25 minutes.

If the ice closes, they could suffocate.

They look for holes where they can surface for a single breath.

(light music playing)

The farther they go, the harder it is to find holes in the ice.

This pod snatches a quick breath wherever they can.

But the problem is getting worse.

Ahead the ice forms an impenetrable barrier;

but they've got a plan.

It is believed that they use their heads and long tusk

to break the ice and widen the breathing holes.

Bobbing up and down,

they're careful not to gore each other with their tusk.

And just as suddenly as the crack closed, it opens again,

releasing the trapped whales into the open waters.

(soft music playing)

Here they can use their spiraled tusk for its primary purpose: spearfishing.

But it doesn't skewer their prey as much as knock it out.

Like a taser, it stuns, rendering the fish helpless.

(soft music playing)

Now the narwhals are free to hunt with their perfect, peculiar weapon.

(dramatic music playing)

The ocean offers a million ways to hunt.

But sometimes the smartest way is to let others do it for you.

Summer in Alaska has arrived,

and so have our humpbacks.

These icy waters are a buffet to countless ocean wanderers.

But their fates can also affect the fortunes of those on land.

Here an astounding drama is about to unfold.

This huge brown bear's life may depend on the outcome.

He's lost nearly a third of his body weight during hibernation.

He's not the only starving bear hoping for a meal.

(dramatic music playing)

So he parks himself in a prime spot.

(dramatic music playing)

Right on schedule,

orcas, the sea's top predators, arrive from hundreds of miles away.

The orcas are here to hunt other whales,

including humpbacks who've just arrived to these feeding grounds.

It's the perfect place for an ambush.

(dramatic music playing)

(seagulls calling)

(dramatic music playing)

The hunters circle in for the kill, separating a calf from its mother.

From the grandstands, the famished bears watch.

The orcas hold the calf under...

to drown it.

The predators are hungry,

but in a hurry to hunt for more,

so they go for the easy pickings--

the calf's tender tongue and lips.

(soft music playing)

Then, they do something extraordinary.

The cunning orcas dismantle the carcass,

and head to the bottom

to store it for later.

But not all goes as planned.

After stashing their kill, the orcas return to the hunt.

(dramatic music playing)

But not all their victims stay under.

(dramatic music playing)

Some pop to the surface as they decompose.

(dramatic music playing)

And this is exactly what the spectators have been banking on.

The strategic choices whales make

profoundly affect life below the water and above.

When whales strategize together,

remarkable things can happen.

Our humpback mom and baby managed to swim past the orcas' trap.

(dramatic music playing)

And now the hunted become the hunters.

They are here to feed and fatten up after their long journey.

Renowned collaborators,

they use sophisticated communication skills

to hunt as a group.

(whales singing)

Each member within the hunting party is given specific assignments.

(whales singing)

These are not instinctive abilities;

they are learned.

(whales singing)

As in many whale families,

mom teaches her calf the necessary skills.

(soft music playing)

(horn blows)

Today is the calf's first try

at the spectacular humpback group hunting ritual--

bubble net feeding.

Just as the whales have arrived, so have the herring.

(dramatic music playing)

The lead whale dives under the fish.

She is the fish scout and bubble blower.

When she locates the fish, she blows a net of bubbles,

completely encircling the herring in a curtain of air.

Bubbles and whale calls confuse and disorient the fish.

(whales clicking)

Then the pod leader signals the others to lunge to the surface,

in unison, jaws agape,

scooping up their prey.

By working collaboratively,

each whale can consume thousands of fish in a single gulp.

(soft music playing)

This inventive way of fishing is unique to humpbacks,

allowing them to fuel up

for their next great adventure

through the deep blue.

Captioned by Point.360