Original subtitles

[James Cameron] The Ocean...

the last frontier on earth.

So much is unexplored and unexplained.

To change that...

a kickass team of insanely talented specialists is

setting out to push the frontiers of what we know

about our oceans.

[Zoleka Filander] Oh my gosh.

[James Cameron] Zoleka Filander, deep sea scientist.

[Zoleka Filander] Being a deep-sea researcher means

having front row tickets to the best movie that everybody

wants to watch.

[James Cameron] Melissa Márquez...

[Melissa Márquez] Straight ahead, 12:00.

[James Cameron] Shark biologist.

[Melissa Márquez] We just saw what no one has seen before.

[James Cameron] Eric Stackpole...

[Eric Stackpole] Scan now!

[James Cameron] Ocean tech innovator.

[Eric Stackpole] I love building tools that allow us

to see things in ways we've never seen before.

[gasps]

[James Cameron] And Aldo Kane...

[Aldo Kane] This is insane.

[James Cameron] Former Royal Marine; special ops.

[Aldo Kane] It doesn't get any more cutting-edge

exploration than this.

[James Cameron] Their secret weapon...

...the OceanXplorer.

The most technologically advanced research vessel

ever built.

There's never been a more urgent need to understand

our ocean and the animals that call it home...

Because their lives and ours depend on it.

This time the team is among the giants of the ocean.

[Eric Stackpole] I cannot believe that we are watching

this fight club.

[James Cameron] They face an unexpected encounter.

[Kerri Seger] Oh my God.

[Mithriel Mackay] I can't believe we're seeing this.

[theme music plays]

[James Cameron] The OceanXplorer is in the Dominican Republic,

in the Caribbean.

It's heading 50 miles off the island's north coast.

To an area of the Atlantic Ocean

Teeming with giants.

[splashing]

[whale song]

Humpback whales.

[Aldo Kane] Humpbacks are one of the largest whales

on the planet, they’re about 45 feet long,

and that’s the size of a school bus.

[Zoleka Filander] We almost hunted these whales

to extinction, but thanks to the global efforts

to bring them back from the brink,

just over 50 years ago, these whales are now thriving.

[James Cameron] Every winter thousands of Humpbacks migrate

to these waters to mate, and give birth.

[blowing]

But as they spend the majority of their time

beneath the waves,

details of their lives remain a mystery.

[splashing]

That's why the team is here,

to uncover secrets of these whales,

in some of the most intimate moments of their lives.

[Crew] OceanXplorer, OceanXplorer.

Ok, come in.

[James Cameron] For this mission...

[Aldo Kane] All set?

- Yup. - Cool.

[James Cameron] The team will need to draw on the

full capabilities of the ship.

[Crew] Zoom out a bit.

[Eric Stackpole] The ship is incredible,

we have a helicopter, we have a deep sea ROV,

we have two submersibles...

any question that we would want to answer about

the humpback whale seems to be answerable with the technology

and resources we have available.

[James Cameron] We know that humpback whales travel

up to 5000 miles from their feeding grounds

in the North Atlantic to this small patch of ocean

and that they come here to breed.

But how exactly does a female humpback choose her mate?

To find out, Eric's job is to first spot the whales...

[Crew] Yeah you can power up.

[James Cameron] ...then guide in Aldo and the dive team,

to get a rare underwater perspective.

[Aldo Kane] Alright Captain, good to go.

[James Cameron] Not so easy.

[Crew] Green light green deck.

Copy, green light, green deck.

[Eric Stackpole] Let’s go find some whales.

[helicotper whirring]

[Crew] Chopper is up, chopper is up.

[Eric Stackpole] The conditions are perfect

you could not ask for a better day to be searching for whales,

the water is extremely calm so anything that comes

up to the surface of the water we should be able to see.

Oh my god, there are whales everywhere.

[splashing]

Oh wow, that is really cool.

[splashing]

[James Cameron] With eyes in the sky it doesn't take long...

[Eric Stackpole] Oh look at this.

[James Cameron] ...to spot some courtship action.

There's a single adult female surrounded by males.

Peaceful gatherings like these can suddenly erupt.

[blowing]

Turning into a frenzied pursuit.

[splashing]

[Eric Stackpole] Woah what was that move all about?

The female is leading the pack...

She has a suitor and he's following right behind her.

Female's speeding up.

If he loses his position,

the chance to mate with her will be up for grabs.

Woah is it pushing that one out of the water?

[Crew] Yeah.

[Eric Stackpole] It's pushing it out of the water,

oh my gosh.

White water everywhere.

No wonder some scientists call this 'a fight club'.

I mean there's just so much muscle and energy in that.

I mean each of these weigh more than a truck you know

and they're pounding against each other

speeding through the water.

I cannot believe that we are watching this fight club

like right below us.

[Aldo Kane] Mike Delta, Mike Delta.

This is Eagle Ray.

[Eric Stackpole] Eagle Ray this is Mike Delta we're watching,

we counted 11 whales, in this group.

They've generally been holding the same direction.

[Aldo Kane] Yeah, Roger that, once we get on location,

we'll try and get in the water if it's safe to do so.

[Eric Stackpole] This is definitely a sprint and

it's gonna be survival of the fittest.

[Aldo Kane] Roger that out.

[James Cameron] If former Special Ops, Aldo,

and cameraman David can get in the water with the whales,

they may be able to record behavior that’s

invisible from the surface.

[Aldo Kane] Have you been in the water with 11 whales before?

[David] Only once before was I ever in a,

in a group this big.

So it’s pretty violent in fact for the whales, and,

so we’ve just got to be careful where we are.

[Aldo Kane] Every time I get in the water with big animals

I am apprehensive you know this.

[David] Yeah.

[Aldo Kane] We are in their territory,

in their environment and we are tiny in comparison.

If you get on the wrong side of one of those pec fin slaps

or a tail slap, then it’s going to be game over.

[David] Yeah.

[Aldo Kane] Let’s try and get in ahead of them.

[David] Yeah absolutely.

[Eric Stackpole] Oh look at that quick turn,

the whole group just turned 90 degrees.

[Crew] Just the whole group turning like that.

[Aldo Kane] They’re turning away, we missed it.

[helicopter whirring]

[Eric Stackpole] Alright, I'm scanning around

for anything else.

[Pilot] There is a big group 3:00.

[Eric Stackpole] Yeah, there’s something.

[Pilot] Alright. Go check these guys out.

[splashing]

[Eric Stackpole] Devil Ray, Devil Ray,

Mike Delta we are moving over to some breaching whales.

That’s the direction we are going now.

[Aldo Kane] Copy that.

[James Cameron] There are more males around a female,

but this group appears more relaxed.

[splashing]

[David] You may want to try to get in the water here.

[James Cameron] With very little known about the

whales’ courtship rituals,

Aldo is concerned that any bubbles could spook the animals.

[blowing]

So they’re diving without tanks.

[Aldo Kane] Free diving is the closest that you can become to,

to being a mammal in that environment.

In one breath you can dive down and be in their world.

[James Cameron] Holding his breath, Aldo swims to a

depth of 70 feet.

[♪ majestic music]

These whales seem totally at ease with their visitors.

[whale song]

[whale song]

There's a female surrounded by five males.

The mood couldn't be more different from the fight club.

She wants the fittest father for her calf.

But how will she choose him?

One male moves closer.

He gently blows a stream of bubbles onto her belly.

[whale song]

An encounter this intimate has rarely been seen.

We need to try and understand what's going on.

[whale song]

[♪ dramatic sweeping music]

[grunting]

[lauhging]

[Aldo Kane] That was...

has to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Like when they cruise underneath you,

it’s literally like having a small plane underneath you.

We can take those shots back and show some of the

scientists on board, they can look at behavior,

they can maybe tell us

what those whales were doing in that social circumstance.

[David] Yeah.

[blowing]

[Asha de Vos] Hey Eric.

I’ve got some cool stuff for you to look at.

[James Cameron] The footage will be analyzed by

whale scientist Asha de Vos.

[Asha de Vos] The more we observe and the more we

document the more we can start to actually understand it

from the viewpoint of the whale and I think that’s what’s

really interesting and unique for us.

[Eric Stackpole] Devil Ray, Devil Ray, Mike Delta.

[James Cameron] For the next week,

Asha joins the dive team.

Their aim...

[David] Oh three

[James Cameron] ...to collect as much footage as possible...

[Aldo Kane] Hey whale dead ahead.

[James Cameron] ...of as many courtship groups

as they can find.

[Crew] Yeah we just saw its fluke as it went down.

Ohh oh.

[James Cameron] Very little is known about a

female's mate selection,

but by going through every frame...

[Asha de Vos] I hope you are excited about what we’ve found.

[Eric Stackpole] Yeah I am too.

[James Cameron] Asha's made some observations,

about the female that Aldo dived with.

[Asha de Vos] We know this is the female and

you can see her tail is very characteristic,

I call her asymmetrical because it's not

a symmetrical pattern.

She's, you know,

clearly rolling around displaying herself.

We see this very intimate moment where they're hanging,

they're not moving much,

and for about 15 minutes they just stayed in

one place like this.

You feel like a really strong bond,

then you're thinking this can only lead to mating.

We find another group of six, if you look carefully,

see that's her tail remember asymmetrical.

I don't recognize any of the other males in the group,

so she's found a complete new group of guys.

[Eric Stackpole] But I don’t understand,

she already found her mate.

[Asha de Vos] Well that's what we thought,

she does similar things, she rotates,

she does these intimate movements.

And then we find a group of 11 animals.

Amazing moment,

and then we start seeing this pec-slapping

event going on.

And this pec belongs to the same female...

[Eric Stackpole] No.

[Asha de Vos] ...we saw in the previous two encounters.

[splashing]

She has slipped from one group to the other, to the other.

[Eric Stackpole] This is more like dating and the

relationships just aren’t quite working out,

but she’s still trying to find the one.

[Asha de Vos] Yeah, she wants a nice strong calf that

can survive into, you know the future,

and she’s gonna take her time.

[Eric Stackpole] I have to look at this, kind of like

online dating, you know swiping away and trying to find,

you know, "Mr. Right swipe".

[Asha de Vos] Your ideal mate, yeah exactly.

And in the short time we've been here we now

have a little intimate peek,

into the life of this little lady and how she's

chosen to maximize her time here on the mating grounds.

[James Cameron] We don't know if this female

mates with any of the males,

or carries on looking for the perfect match.

But in this rare footage,

the team has observed just how choosy a

female humpback can be,

and there's still so much more to learn.

[splashing]

[James Cameron] Off the Dominican Republic,

the Humpback breeding season is in full swing.

But why do the whales come to this specific patch in the

North Atlantic every year?

To find an answer, the team is going to focus on another

Humpback behavior.

We know that for adult males,

it's important to sing during mating season.

[whale song]

And they do this often...

and for hours at time.

[whale song]

The team wants to test a hypothesis that the unique

underwater landscape here,

could provide an advantage for the singing males.

Leading the mission is Deep Sea Scientist Zoleka.

Armed with detailed bathymetry...

[Zoleka Filander] Hi Dave.

[Pilot] Hi.

[James Cameron] She’ll be diving to a depth of 250 feet.

[Zoleka Filander] The OceanXplorer has mapped

the sea floor and it's revealing a hidden underwater world.

There are great mountains rising to up to 2000 feet and

these are topped with a plateau that stops just

below the surface.

So these plateaus have bowl-shaped edges on

the wall which are around the size of a football stadium...

and these are what we are interested in.

[Pilot] Ok team here we go.

[Zoleka Filander] OK.

[James Cameron] Zoleka is joined by marine mammal

scientist Mithriel Mackay.

From her aerial surveys,

Mithriel has developed an intriguing hypothesis.

[Mithriel Mackay] We could see whales tucked into these

half circles, they remind me of an amphitheater,

is it possible that they're using these to do something

with their song, to make their song easier to hear,

or maybe farther to hear or louder,

for other whales and so we started getting

into this whole hypothesis of,

whales are using the amphitheaters,

these features out here to sing in order to

broadcast their sound better for humpback whales and that

could be a way to improve their chances of finding a mate.

I saw something right above us,

just like a flash, it was really strange.

[Pilot] I can hear whales...

[whale song]

100%

[gasping]

[Pilot] 100%.

[whale song]

[gasping]

Oh my god.

[Zoleka Filander] I'm really excited to see if Mithriel's

hypothesis is correct.

In order to test it,

our plan is to set up a series of microphones,

within the bowl, both deep and shallow,

to record soundwaves.

[Pilot] Ok where do you want it?

[Zoleka Filander] Try right there...

right in that same patch.

Yeah.

[James Cameron] Using the sub’s robotic arm,

they carefully place the deeper microphones around the

sides of the bowl.

[Mithriel Mackay] Very nice.

[Zoleka Filander] Testing the amphitheater hypothesis...

this is exciting hey.

[Mithriel Mackay] It's very exciting.

[James Cameron] Directly above them.

[Eric Stackpole] Alright, I’m going to get four in the

bucket on my side.

[James Cameron] Eric and acoustic scientist Kerri Seger,

are setting the shallower mics.

[Eric Stackpole] So this is the actual part,

all of the work is being done by this little bit here,

that's the hydrophone,

this is gonna be listening to the sound reverberating

off the amphitheater.

[Kerri Seger] Right.

[Eric Stackpole] Alright, here’s the hydrophone.

[Kerri Seger] Alright, hydrophone in.

Ready to mark.

[Eric Stackpole] Ready to mark.

[Kerri Seger] Number 11 in water.

[Eric Stackpole] Number 11 way point marked.

[James Cameron] A waterproof speaker will play humpback song.

[Kerri Seger] So the plan is that this is going to be about

the same depth that male humpback whales sing at.

- Okay. And starting. - Alrighty.

[Eric Stackpole] Waypoint marked.

[Kerri Seger] And we're not going to hear...

[whale song]

Oh, we do hear it.

[Eric Stackpole] We can hear it. Oh my gosh.

[James Cameron] All the microphones, both shallow and

deep will register the volume of the whale song recording.

[whale song]

Then it's back to the ship to find out the results.

The acoustic data has been processed.

[Zoleka Filander] That's very exciting.

[James Cameron] And can now be visualized in the

ship’s state-of-the-art hololab.

[Eric Stackpole] The hololens,

of all the different pieces of equipment on the ship,

is the most futuristic,

it feels like living in a science fiction movie,

where it's like you are interacting with an imaginary

world like something that's inside of your head,

but you can show it to everyone else,

this is a great tool for helping visualize and

communicate with others.

It looks like we have gotten some results,

Kerri what have you seen?

[Kerri Seger] The first thing we are going to see is the very

first sound signal coming from speaker A.

Exactly what we would expect from a soundwave moving away

from the wall.

The orange is a little quieter, yellow quieter than that,

and then green is, you know the quietest.

Now we're gonna add in the echo from the wall and

see if it amplifies these numbers.

So here's our echo, yup,

coming right off the wall, and boom, boom, boom.

Look at the added intensity there,

so everything's red,

everything's in the 90 decibels like 10, 11 decibels,

that's a huge amount of extra sound energy in the system.

[Eric Stackpole] 11 decibels that's like a multiple.

[Mithriel Mackay] So now we know the benefit is,

that they could get that sound to be louder and

behind them and reach more whales.

This is pretty cool to see that, you know, we've,

we've uncovered something that's going on here.

[James Cameron] Mithriel and Kerri now have proof of concept,

that the bowl-like features really do amplify a whale's song

by as much as 11 decibels.

This could be one reason why so many whales come here.

[Mithriel Mackay] Just absolutely ground-breaking and

huge and a culmination of so many years of my work that um,

it doesn't really get more satisfying than that.

[James Cameron] It seems that the underwater terrain

is providing an advantage for humpbacks seeking a mate.

But it's not just whales looking to breed that come here.

Females that became pregnant here last year have returned

to give birth and to rear their calves.

The warm shallows which lie above the

submerged mountain tops, provide the perfect nursery.

[splashing, blowing]

These waters are believed to be the main reason why

a Humpback mother travels up to 5000 miles

to raise her young.

[Asha de Vos] This is a very important place,

it’s not just that the calves are born,

but they are taught life skills.

This is a big schoolyard,

this is where they also come to teach their young

how do you survive if there are predators around,

so they don’t have a lot of time to teach those life skills

before they have to basically pack up their bags

and take this long migration all the way back

to the North Atlantic.

[James Cameron] If whale scientist Asha and

Cameraman David can get an underwater perspective,

they may be able to capture a rare glimpse of the intimate

bond between mother and calf.

[splashing]

[James Cameron] They approach the mother and calf slowly and

the pair seem undisturbed.

Only the females are involved in parenting.

[blowing]

This is mom's time to pour all her energy into her single calf.

[calf trilling]

[mother calling]

Just a few weeks old,

the calf bonds with its mother through touch.

Only able to hold its breath for a few minutes,

the calf stays with the mom near the surface.

[calf trilling]

It's entirely dependent on her,

guzzling 50 gallons of her rich milk every day.

There's no food for mom here.

She hasn't eaten for five months.

[bliwng]

But she must continue to nurse her calf until it's

strong enough to survive the journey to

their feeding grounds.

[Asha de Vos] The calf clearly got curious,

came to see what this other little object in the water was.

All kids are curious,

all kids are like what is that new thing?

But then you know a mother's instinct is to make sure that,

that she's protecting their calf so mamma was

like you know what,

not right now, and she just, you know

she did a u-turn underwater and I guess the calf

knew immediately it was time to leave.

[David] Yeah it's a good protective mother,

for the survival of their calves they need to be,

very protective.

Life for these young whales just to survive,

to make it through that first year,

to get to be an adult humpback is not easy.

[James Cameron] In the nursery grounds mothers and

calves are relatively safe.

[blowing]

But when they enter deeper waters,

what dangers does a young humpback face?

To find out, the team now plans to tag a mother and a calf,

as they start their migration north.

[helicopter whirring]

It's down to Eric to find a mother and calf on the move and

guide in Aldo and the tagging team.

[Eric Stackpole] OK here we go again.

[Pilot] What’s that straight ahead,

definitely a blow and some action.

[Eric Stackpole] Oh yeah I see that.

[James Cameron] This pair have left the nursery grounds.

[blowing]

For the hungry mother,

timing their departure is a life-or-death decision.

[Eric Stackpole] OceanXplorer, OceanXplorer

this is Mike Delta.

[Aldo Kane] Mike Delta send.

[Eric Stackpole] Hey guys we are seeing what appears to be a

mother and calf,

you may want to take a look at them.

[Aldo Kane] Roger that, thank you, out.

So we're going out to put these tags on, they have

cameras, temperature, depth, acceleration sensors,

so with these,

we're definitely going to get some good scientific data.

[Eric Stackpole] There's something else in the water,

just forward of that.

[James Cameron] Orca.

[Eric Stackpole] Oh wow.

[James Cameron] Also known as Killer Whales.

These are the ocean's apex predators.

It's a family of adults and juveniles.

[blowing]

They need to eat...

and they're heading straight for the mother and calf.

[blowing]

[splashing, blowing]

[Eric Stackpole] Oh my gosh.

[Gavin] Steamed in there.

[blowing]

[Eric Stackpole] They’re like wolves.

They’re surrounding the thing.

Look at that she's keeping the calf on her

back to keep it from being attacked from underneath.

Its belly is the most vulnerable spot.

[splashing]

The baby just went off the side it's trying to get back.

Nobody's ever filmed this here.

[splashing]

[blowing]

This is so tough to watch.

[blowing]

I mean these Orcas are relentless.

But we've got a chance to understand how mom defends

her calf and these orcas are some of the most intelligent

creatures on the planet.

This is giving us a chance to see how they

organize their attack.

[blowing]

What a horrible situation to be in.

I mean it's,

I can just picture the emotions this mom has.

[splashing]

Look at that, magnificent and terrifying.

[splashing]

[James Cameron] Mithriel changes the plan on the fly.

[Mithriel Mackay] Can you see flippers on the surface?

[Aldo Kane] Dead ahead, 400 meters.

[James Cameron] She now wants to tag an Orca.

It could give the team the first-ever scientific insight

of a hunt in these waters.

[James Cameron] Kerri is in charge of tag deployment.

[Kerri Seger] I see flippers, it’s resting underwater,

100 meters blow.

[James Cameron] For everyone's safety,

including the animals, timing is critical.

[blowing]

[Aldo Kane] Everyone set.

[Kerri Seger] Alright, you guys I'm ready to tag whenever

you're comfortable.

[James Cameron] The tag's four suction cups will attach

to the orca without hurting it.

They'll released after 12 hours.

[Aldo Kane] Yeah, OK we're ready to tag,

[James Cameron] If they can get the tag on.

[blowing]

[Aldo Kane] Killer whale coming this way.

[Kerri Seger] Just let it go under, just let it go under.

[Aldo Kane] Woah, look at the size of it.

[Kerri Seger] Killer whale underneath us.

[Aldo Kane] Yeah killer whale underneath.

[blowing]

[Kerri Seger] I got one right in front.

Killer whale’s coming up,

it’s killer whale's under my tag.

[Aldo Kane] Tag on!

[whislting, clicking]

[James Cameron] They've tagged the lead female.

And she's with some pregnant females,

who need to eat for two.

And juveniles who need to learn to hunt.

[splashing]

This is a battle between two families.

[splashing]

[Eric Stackpole] Oh wow.

[James Cameron] These strikes aren’t risk-free for the orca.

To protect their vulnerable lower jaw,

they hit with the top of their heads.

[crashing]

[splashing]

[Aldo Kane] To see it this close is brutal.

[Mithriel Mackay] Everybody's got to eat,

and that's something a lot of people forget,

it's important to remember that there's a balance here they're,

they're doing want they do best.

[James Cameron] The orca appear to be co-ordinating

their attack.

[whistling, clicking]

[splashing]

Their strategy, to separate the calf from its mother.

Hold it down and drown it.

[Eric Stackpole] Looks like this is a long fight.

Mom's a formidable opponent,

I mean she's got pectoral fins that are 15-foot-long,

and those are covered in sharp barnacles.

She's not giving up.

[James Cameron] Orca's hunting calls can travel up to

nine miles through water...

they've been heard.

Another group arrives.

[blowing]

[Eric Stackpole] I’ve heard about this happening that

sometimes two orca groups can come together for a kill.

- That is... - Oh that's...

[Eric Stackpole] Oh my gosh.

[Kerri Seger] Oh my god.

[Mithriel Mackay] Those are reinforcements.

[Aldo Kane] They are everywhere.

[Eric Stackpole] Alright we've now got two humpbacks

against 18 Orca.

[blowing]

Oh, poor mom has got to be exhausted and

this is all happening,

I mean how long can she go.

[Aldo Kane] They're just really, they're just

wearing the calf and the mother down, aren't they?

[splashing]

It's just like a battle of attrition, isn't it?

[splashing]

[Eric Stackpole] It seems to be reaching a breaking point.

[whistling, clicking]

[James Cameron] The orca finally succeed in

isolating the calf.

And they drown it.

This calf will feed the orca family.

[whistling, clciking]

Studies suggest that other whale species grieve at the

death of a calf,

maybe humpbacks do too.

[helicopter whirring]

[Eric Stackpole] What we saw today has never been seen,

not with the kind of view that we just had, but I'm,

I'm still taking it in honestly,

like I feel emotionally exhausted.

[James Cameron] All the footage from the hunt has been studied

in fine detail and the team is gathering

in the ship's hololab,

where Mithriel can share their findings.

[Mithriel Mackay] When I started to look at the still

photos I took from the boat,

and the video footage from the helicopter

it looked from the surface,

that the orca had a simple strategy,

and that's to pursue the mother and the calf

until the point of exhaustion,

but once I looked beneath the waves with the tag video,

it became clear just how complex and how coordinated

their strategies actually are.

[Eric Stackpole] Mithriel you've been able to sort of

decipher what was really going on here.

[Mithriel Mackay] What I realize is that we have

something really organized.

The alpha male was part of the group on the outside,

their main job was to keep mom moving and tire her out.

[Eric Stackpole] So the alpha male moves into position.

[Mithriel Mackay] So he did what we're calling a fluke clap,

it's it's actually cupping that tail,

slapping it against the water,

that appears to initiate some kind of

signal communication within the group.

[James Cameron] Mithriel believes the fluke clap is a

signal to two of the Orca to swim in front of

the mother humpback, forcing her to slow down.

[blowing]

The next play comes from the lead female.

[Mithriel Mackay] She does a hit,

she comes up over mom’s back,

hits the calf, knocks the calf off mom’s back.

Mom comes down,

she takes a swift dive down and puts her flippers way out,

and picks up that calf back in the water again,

recovers the calf.

[James Cameron] Mithriel’s analysis is that by working

together the orca can maintain a relentless attack,

constantly forcing the mother to recover her calf.

[Mithriel Mackay] The way she did this

over and over and over again,

really made me think this has to be a mother

humpback whale that's had experience.

We got a picture underneath her tail,

we submitted that to the catalog.

This mom was sighted 1992 and 1993,

she's at least 30 years old.

This was not the first time she's had to deal with this and

she did a great job of recovering that calf

over and over.

[blowing]

[James Cameron] At this age the mother may have had

9 or 10 calves.

Some will have become mothers themselves,

returning here to raise their own calves.

Here in the Dominican Republic,

with the tools of the OceanXplorer,

the team have made breakthroughs...

[Zoleka Filander] That's very exciting.

[James Cameron] ...in understanding the secret lives

of these humpbacks.

[splashing]

[Eric Stackpole] Oh my gosh,

I cannot believe that we are watching this fight club

like right below us.

[James Cameron] They may even have figured out

why the whales come here.

[Kerri Seger] Boom boom.

[Zoleka Filander] There is absolutely nothing more

rewarding, than doing new science and finding answers.

[James Cameron] They've captured new details in the

mating rituals of these giants.

[Aldo Kane] I was free diving with those six big whales,

and you're in their world,

they're doing courtship maneuvers,

from my point of view it's, it's been amazing.

Tag on!

[James Cameron] But their greatest revelation comes from

their surprise encounter,

shining new light on the battle tactics between

humpbacks and orca.

[Eric Stackpole] For me, every single day has been

a revelation, it’s overwhelming to be frank.

[James Cameron] The team’s discoveries will be shared with

scientists around the world.

[Asha de Vos] This is just a gold mine.

[James Cameron] Increasing our understanding

of humpback whales.

The better we know these incredible creatures

the more we can ensure they continue to thrive.