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00:00In Scandinavia, water gives life.
00:07And it's a way of life.
00:13It shapes the land.
00:18And the culture.
00:21Whether flowing, frozen or in between.
00:28We'll follow the flow through Finland.
00:38Where waterways can be highways.
00:41And Lapland becomes Lakeland.
00:46To discover the chills.
00:51And the thrills of Scandinavia's wild water.
00:58The archipelago sea. A cluster of more than 50,000 islands.
01:15Maybe the largest archipelago in the world.
01:33This is the southern end of Finland.
01:41Winter begins its tight grip.
01:43And this water has low salinity.
01:47Making it easy to freeze for three to five months of the year.
01:52When there's no ice, boats and ferries use these channels like roads.
02:02And when it's frozen over, it creates even faster options.
02:06A massive fan can push this hovercraft to more than 70 miles an hour.
02:22And if the ice is patchy, no problem.
02:40The Finnish government uses hovercraft as a free public transport option.
02:52From the capital of Helsinki, hundreds of commuters must get home to some of the islands every week.
03:00This is what passes as a daily commute.
03:06The sights are enthralling this time of year.
03:10And so too the sounds.
03:13Listen carefully.
03:23This is Scandinavia after the first cold snap of the season.
03:29It sounds like a Hollywood soundtrack for a sci-fi laser battle.
03:45But no, it's a skater on thin ice.
03:53Freshly formed black ice, around two inches thick, is the only way skaters can create this haunting symphony.
04:09The sound is the ice cracking behind the skaters as waves ripple through the water below.
04:16Scandinavia is the birthplace of ice skating.
04:29Blades were first made of animal bone more than a thousand years ago.
04:37And this form is called wild ice skating.
04:46More than walking on water.
04:48It's gliding in clouds.
04:55It's dangerous.
04:56But a change in pitch warns athletes.
04:59If they move too close twice, they might fall through.
05:04Ignore it at your peril.
05:05Special ice nails help skaters get to shore safely.
05:23The season for wild ice skating is short.
05:27Only at the start of winter.
05:28Then it's a long wait before the waterways are clear again.
05:39You can still see how the rivers shape the land.
05:42Stretching out and feeding Scandinavia like roots of a giant tree.
05:47Even iced over and caked in snow, the hidden power of the water shines through.
06:06In the mountains of Norway, it doesn't yield easy.
06:09But resists through the depths of winter, forcing wild winds to carve the water into a surreal patchwork of ice.
06:22It's like this for six or seven months.
06:28Then, finally, it happens.
06:31Spring unlocks the water throughout Scandinavia.
06:46Lakes defrost and rivers and streams flow again.
07:01Now, the islands of the archipelago can provide protection for regular boats.
07:11And once again, sailors must depend on lighthouses to warn them of low-lying rocks.
07:34Ferries take over from hovercraft.
07:47Ferries take over from hovercraft.
07:49And the archipelago becomes the perfect race course for speedboats.
08:02And the archipelago becomes the perfect race course for speedboats.
08:05You can also see the mysterious rock cut from a quarry on one of the islands.
08:24It's said to be a fine red granite sculpture, shaped long ago, to serve as Napoleon's tombstone.
08:38But it was abandoned, perhaps because it was too large and heavy to be shipped.
08:43Throughout Scandinavia, the thorn now spreads north to reveal other mysteries and wonders.
09:01In southern Finland, the big melt unlocks thousands of lakes.
09:12Then swamps along the Russian border.
09:16And finally farther north, into the Arctic Circle.
09:20Where once again, the biggest rivers can flow free.
09:24The great waterways of northern Scandinavia converge in the Arctic.
09:39Here, each spring, instinct drives fish by the thousands to return from the ocean and charge upstream.
09:47Arctic chow, sea trout, and salmon.
09:59They have their choice of more than 200 rivers.
10:03But one stands out above the rest.
10:07The Tama River.
10:10The word Tama means great.
10:13And it's well named.
10:14It forms part of the border between Norway and Finland.
10:17And its 224 mile length has more than 40 tributaries.
10:31Together, they form one of the largest Atlantic salmon runs in the world.
10:37Once here, females begin their reproductive ritual by digging in gravel to create a nest called a red.
10:58Meanwhile, the males may fight for the right to get close.
11:08The lucky male moves in.
11:14And in just a moment, he fertilizes her eggs as she drops them.
11:18He fertilizes her eggs as she drops them.
11:19He fertilizes her eggs as she drops them.
11:21About two months later, this.
11:24About two months later, this.
11:37later this
11:48salmon hatchlings grow strong in the river for several years before heading
11:53out to sea
11:58but it's not a safe time there are many threats
12:07this is a dipper one of the pluckiest little birds
12:20you'll ever see
12:26dippers are the world's only aquatic songbirds
12:30and they spend their entire lives around water
12:33often by raging cascades
12:40the relentless thunder is enough to turn many visitors chicken
12:47which makes what the dipper does next in the wild waters of Scandinavia
12:51even more incredible
12:58in finland's far north a miracle of flight
13:03the fearless dipper bird flies through this rushing water
13:10undaunted
13:12the fearless dipper bird flies through this rushing water
13:18undaunted
13:25in and out
13:30up and down
13:33with ease
13:37white-throated dippers have carved out a niche here and they dive in to fetch food
13:44white-throated dippers have carved out a niche here and they dive in to fetch food
13:51white-throated dippers have carved out a niche here and they dive in to fetch food
13:59the powerful currents
14:06the powerful currents they call home keep them safe from most predators
14:14while they use their unique abilities to capture and dine on waterborne insects
14:19worms fish eggs and even fish
14:26the birds
14:29dippers essentially fly underwater
14:33special white eyelids let them see clearly
14:40while their blood stores large amounts of oxygen
14:45allowing them to stay submerged for up to a minute at a time
14:49when they swing through a waterfall
14:56it's usually to get to the young tucked into a nest on the other side
15:04it's the safest place to hide from predators
15:08the waterways of Finland support another bird
15:26also unique
15:29you might say these are all ducks
15:33they don't just swim
15:35they dance
15:36forget shake your tail feather
15:45try shake your head feather
15:47the head shaking
15:57the head shaking
15:58diving
15:59weed carrying
16:00and rapid water treading
16:01are all for a purpose
16:05this is a male and a female
16:07and they both put in the same effort
16:10all bird ways of saying
16:12let's
16:13let's
16:14hook up
16:16courtship
16:17may look like a curious thing
16:19but it works
16:22next step
16:23is to build a nest
16:24for mating
16:28they start with a water plant base
16:31now that they are in this relationship
16:37they both pitch in
16:42but this is no ordinary house
16:44it's a boat house
16:46a nest that'll float
16:51and now it's ready
16:53for some fertilized eggs
16:56once laid
17:18the eggs will hatch in three or four weeks
17:24meanwhile
17:25a bird's still gotta eat
17:27and they dive for fish so fast
17:30they've earned the nickname of water witch
17:33now you see them
17:35now you don't
17:37this is a meal for one
17:41but they also make meals to share
17:44the one on nest duty
17:47deserves something
17:48especially when she has a surprise on her back
17:52meet junior
17:57oh wait
17:58make that
17:59twins
18:00their parents' backs
18:04are their new luxury sweets
18:06and it comes with room service
18:09hand delivered
18:11or rather beak delivered
18:13some meals include feathers
18:22these will lodge in the chick's stomach
18:26so only the good fully digestible food gets to the intestine
18:32it seems like an idyllic life for the birds on the waterways of filmmen
18:42but beware
18:43they must be careful
18:45some dangerous predators lurk close by
18:49grass snakes also prefer life with a water view
19:04grass snakes also prefer life with a water view
19:08they are good swimmers and throughout Scandinavia they use waterways to hunt for birds, frogs, fish and even small mammals
19:23spring is in the air
19:30and that means you often find more than one
19:35even more than two
19:38sometimes a slithering mass
19:42grass snakes are common in Scandinavia
19:53and these are all males clamoring for the attention of just one female in the middle
19:59she's the most popular debutante at the mating ball
20:09thanks to a special accessory
20:12befitting her maternal needs
20:20the large female snake at the middle of this mass uses perfume
20:26a pheromone that's attracted the horde
20:32another male comes late to the party
20:34and he'll have a hard time joining in on the fun
20:40usually only the first male gets to mate
20:43and he leaves behind a plug that stops any others from getting in on the action
20:49in two or three months she may lay as many as 14 eggs
20:56and a new generation of grass snakes will soon hatch
21:06the volume of life in the pristine waters of northern Finland attracts fishermen
21:12from all over Scandinavia and the world
21:31they capture a hundred tons of fish from this region every year
21:34and they are not the only ones hankering for a catch
21:43Eurasian otters are fierce water-loving weasels
21:46and they will hunt birds frogs and other small mammals
22:01and they will hunt birds frogs and other small mammals
22:03They will hunt birds, frogs and other small mammals.
22:19But their favorite is fish.
22:29They are usually loners, like this one, and defend their territory.
22:42In this part of Scandinavia, that means having to navigate some rough rapids.
22:59Rivers in the northern regions of Finland have some of the best white water in all Europe.
23:11The river Kitka hugs the Russian border on its way to the wide sea.
23:17And for at least part of its journey, it carries rafters and kayakers out for a bit of Finnish
23:37andicorns are being found on the river to the most.
23:54But I have a good idea for the river to the most.
24:01The waterways of Finland have long functioned as highways.
24:21A little farther south, kayakers now follow a nature trail that used to be all about business.
24:44This is the tar route, a watery path that was once a beeline for barrels of tar being transported
24:53from the Taiga forest on Scandinavia's eastern border to the Baltic Sea.
25:02Tar was one of Finland's most important exports from the 1500s to the 1800s.
25:11And who needs roads or rail when you have calm, reliable waters?
25:32It's a soft adventure, but get out on the banks and you might find some serious danger.
25:39More than a thousand bears hug the waterways and often hunt for fish in Finland.
25:46More than a thousand bears hug the waterways and often hunt for fish in Finland.
26:07The brown bear is Finland's national animal and a significant part of Finnish culture.
26:22So when this big boy dies, he will happily eat 90 pounds of food in a day, if he can find it.
26:41If he can find it.
26:55And around Finland's waterways, his search is not restricted to land.
27:00The polar bears will fall in the lower-dead.
27:03The sumpets that you have to survive the waterways and that women are able to be saved.
27:06While he is a soldier's nível of a birthplace, his search is from the 69 per hour,
27:08the定ia is from the 70 to 9 hours and the 8-1 hours.
27:09And he finally used a lot of food for fish in Finland.
27:10The gluteos, which means that, we will take a couple of ways to win.
27:12The East is the 70s.
27:13The East is the 70s.
27:14The East is the 70s.
27:16The East is the 70s.
27:17The East is the 70s.
27:19The East is the 80s.
27:20Marish, and the East is the 70s.
27:21The East is the 70s.
27:22All three抑 có food in the middle ages.
27:23The East is the 70s.
27:24Oh, my God.
27:54This brown bear is a powerful top-of-the-food-chain predator.
28:02A small fish may not seem like much, but it all adds up.
28:24He still has meat on his mind, and his ears prick up at the sound of a nearby commotion.
28:40These ravens may direct him to some food in the forest.
28:55It's worth a look.
28:58As he heads farther south, towards the Gulf of Finland, another big flyer signals the
29:25presence of great waterways.
29:29Sea hawks.
29:30Call them osprey, if you prefer.
29:32They are never too far from water.
29:46And here's why.
29:52A fish who ate a day gives the hunger away for these two parents and their hungry chicks.
29:59Ninety-nine percent of an osprey's diet is fish.
30:07In between meals, the little ones practice stretching their wings.
30:28Soon, they too will patrol the skies of Scandinavia as adults.
30:48They may even use the very same nest to start their own families.
31:04Unless, of course, their trees targeted by some industrious developers below.
31:10Fallen logs and giant dams are the first telltale signs that the beavers are back.
31:25They were hunted to extinction in Sweden and Finland, but Norway's beavers have since been used to help them out.
31:35Beavers are still hard to see, because most of their work is done at night.
31:47Under the cover of darkness, they whittle away at trees, collect branches and dig mud and build dams.
31:56The water that spreads because of this work gives them easy and safe access to more food.
32:13And when the work is done, there's some time for play and romance.
32:18The work of these beavers is remarkable, but it's nothing compared to what's about to pass them by.
32:31Perhaps the most impressive woodworking accomplishment on all of Finland's waterways.
32:38Nearly halfway down Finland, you can see the real timber industry at work.
32:55And here, the Finns use waterways like highways.
33:00Finland is one of Europe's largest producers of wood.
33:11And what better way than water to move all that wood to market?
33:24Workers wire thousands of logs together to form giant floating trains.
33:30That can be close to a mile long.
33:36This timber is on a 150 mile journey downstream.
33:42And what you see above the surface is only one-tenth of what lies below.
33:50Perhaps the biggest marvel of this method is how they navigate under bridges and through tight channels.
34:00A single tug does the pulling, while others keep the swaying tail end of this wooden dragon in check.
34:09About 40% of Finland's timber used to be transported this way.
34:20Now it's less than 3%.
34:22But that's still more than a million tons a year.
34:27This is the most affordable way of transporting timber over long distances.
34:33Just a little farther down the length of Finland is the so-called land of a thousand lakes.
34:39Just a little farther down the length of Finland is the so-called land of a thousand lakes.
34:54In fact, a thousand is a vast understatement.
35:03Try 188,000 lakes.
35:06They stretch across hundreds of miles.
35:14This is the largest lake district in Europe.
35:18More than 40,000 bodies of water make a labyrinth of rivers, canals and islands.
35:32On Lake Saima, the largest of the lakes, one island holds Olavinlinna castle.
35:47Also known as Saint Olaf's castle.
35:50It was the first Finnish castle to be built with firearms in mind.
35:59And that served Finland well.
36:02It's near the border of Russia.
36:04Traditionally a conflict hotspot.
36:08But it's withstood several sieges and wars.
36:12And it's now more than 500 years old.
36:20Lake Saima is also famous as the home of an extraordinary creature unique in the world.
36:29The Saima-bringed seal.
36:32One of the most endangered species on the planet.
36:40Unlike their seawater-loving cousins,
36:42they must deal with ice cover all through winter.
36:47And here it comes.
36:54Winter once again grips Scandinavia.
36:59Olaf's castle cake
37:03gets some frosting.
37:04And it sits in the kingdom of Snow White.
37:13And ice slowly grips the lake.
37:17Now you see what makes the Saima-bringed seals so special.
37:29They are one of the few seal populations on the planet to live exclusively around fresh water.
37:37And they mostly eat fish.
37:40Which can make the ice cover that comes with winter a challenge.
37:43When fishing, they must often look for holes in the ice.
37:50So they can catch their breath.
37:58Making it more fun for a playful seal.
38:01Lots of bubbles.
38:03The fishermen of Finland, just above, also want the catch.
38:15They have to get creative.
38:33They have to get creative.
38:35Finnish fishermen.
38:37Clear the snow and penetrate the ice with an auger.
38:48This stone-edged technique is done now throughout Finland
38:53with more modern, lightweight equipment.
39:03The holes are eight inches across.
39:08Small, but so too is the catch.
39:33Small, but so too is the catch.
39:37Sander and perch.
39:40Just enough to fry up in a pan.
39:43And the numbers can make up for the size.
39:49The winter fishing season is long.
39:53Sometimes more than six months.
39:56The ice gets strong enough for four-wheelers and even heavier vehicles.
40:14Maybe more than three feet thick.
40:20It's not all about the fish.
40:26Here, augers and maybe a special eye saw are used for something very different.
40:42More than an hour's work.
40:45Not to collect giant ice blocks.
40:51Nor to get to the fish beneath.
40:53Samir Rautjainen wants an ice hole off the end of his dock.
40:59So it can make a polar bear-like plunge into the frigid depths.
41:05He knows how that sounds.
41:09It sounds crazy and it might look crazy, but actually it feels very good.
41:14It's more like fun for me and my family.
41:18The lakeside building here is a Finnish favorite.
41:28A sauna.
41:30After a quick warm-up inside, it's 20 seconds to dive time.
41:43I put snow or cold water to my heart just to give the picture to my heart what is coming up.
42:04So I don't go direct to the water.
42:07So then already heart starts bumping when I touch it with the cold water or snow.
42:13It's time.
42:23There may be some therapeutic benefits and it's a national pastime for thousands of Scandinavians.
42:30And nowadays in bigger cities there is even this ice hole swimming clubs.
42:38And some people are getting the fresh feeling to start the working day.
42:46No more than a minute or two at most.
42:49Then it's time to warm up again.
42:51While the ice hole immediately starts to freeze over.
43:05Beneath the ice, the waterways keep flowing.
43:09They continue to course through the veins of Scandinavia.
43:21Winter and summer alike.
43:24It's life giving blood.
43:27And much more.
43:30Water fuels the clock by which all of Finland sets itself.
43:35Nature times its rhythms to the freezing and the defrosting.
43:44And the people of Finland fit right in.
43:48They harness the power of the waterways.
43:53Take the wild frills.
43:56And spills.
43:57In their stride.
44:03And somehow always manage to go with the flow.
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