- 2 weeks ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00In this shadowy world of understated power, where waters quietly shift and pulse,
00:21life is conjured into being.
00:24Apparitions own the night, and beasts are concealed within its depths.
00:39Nothing is what it seems.
00:43Here, plants become hunters, and decay fuels vibrant growth.
00:51This is the mystique and majesty of the swamp.
01:10Take a dive into our planet's mesmerizing world of water.
01:14From the monumental open ocean, to the rugged coasts that serve as the dividing line between two worlds.
01:27From the changing rivers that carve through continents, to mysterious lakes and swamps.
01:41Immerse yourself in the magic that unfolds.
01:50As we reveal...
01:54The secrets of our enchanted waters.
01:57A swamp is like a giant sponge.
02:11Quietly drinking up excess water, and keeping carbon and pollutants safely tucked away.
02:31It might look dank and stale, but don't be fooled.
02:38Swamps are a magnet for life.
02:48In the forests of Ranthambore, India, this female sambar deer has been lured from the shelter of the trees
02:56into wetter surroundings.
03:04The aquatic plants that thrive in these swamps make up more than half of her diet.
03:14She just can't get enough of these hidden riches.
03:17They're high in magnesium, sodium, and iron.
03:28And in the height of summer, they also contain twice as much protein as any of the land plants that grow here.
03:35The extra protein and minerals that the swamp brings could be needed at any time,
03:50because sambar deer mate all year round.
03:54And a lustful male is never far away.
04:10Even their courtship rituals happen elbow deep in swamp water.
04:14She ignores his unsubtle advances.
04:25Too enamored with her lunch.
04:32But in this swamp, overindulgence often comes at a price.
04:37The amorous buck isn't the only one with eyes on her.
04:51In Ranthambore, where there are swamps, there are marsh crocodiles.
04:56The early morning sun has left this male primed and ready to seek out his own nourishment.
05:14Marsh crocodiles are part of this swamp's makeup.
05:17You would think he was nothing more than a piece of floating debris.
05:29His strength is in his ambush.
05:33Waiting for the moment she lowers her guard.
05:47But not today.
05:52For the swamp, this tightrope walk between life and death is essential.
05:59It takes advantage of the deer's passion for aquatic plants,
06:04to halt any overgrowth that could choke its waters.
06:10While encouraging crocodiles to patrol so no creature multiplies beyond its welcome.
06:17Even in death, nothing is wasted.
06:22The swamp reclaims any remains, locking away the goodness that keeps this female Sambardir coming back for more.
06:31Swamps are magical realms where the aquatic and terrestrial merge.
06:49In North America's steamy subtropics,
06:52a forest has been slowly manipulating its surrounding waters for centuries.
07:01Or is it the other way around?
07:04When rain pools or hidden springs bubble up, they invite water-loving trees and plants to quench their thirst.
07:22Encouraging them to spread their roots and creep ever closer.
07:26But nothing lasts forever.
07:33When the trees and plants eventually die, they don't just disappear.
07:39They break down bit by bit.
07:44Their remains adding to the soft, spongy earth.
07:50This allows swamps to hold almost as much water as the whole of the Earth's atmosphere.
07:57With all this death and rot, the final ingredient is a spark of life.
08:07The shallow, slow-moving pool encourages more aquatic plants,
08:21along with algae, bacteria, and fungi, to colonize its water and feed off this nutritious broth.
08:31As the sun beats down from above and decay gives off heat from within,
08:42the water warms, causing oxygen to escape and rise into the air.
08:49So, the swamp relies on this community of oxygen-producing plants to top up its supply.
09:06With the help of frequent rainfall.
09:20The warm, steamy conditions encourage breeding insects.
09:28While the dense undergrowth provides sheltered living quarters for birds,
09:36frogs,
09:41and reptiles to move into.
09:43A swamp is born.
09:53It's this connection between vegetation and water...
10:01...that forges this sultry kingdom.
10:04...triggering a perpetual cycle of life and death.
10:17Growth and decay...
10:22...that keep these unique habitats flourishing.
10:25A swamp may not be top of the list when choosing somewhere to live.
10:40But one creature's wasteland is another's paradise.
10:45A short distance away from Zambia's Luangwa River, a peaceful community thrives.
11:01These swampy backwaters are the perfect spot for two hippos living out their twilight years.
11:08In the river, life moved at a faster pace.
11:21The younger, rowdier hippos constantly jostled for power.
11:28It all proved too much for these older gentlemen.
11:31And the swamp offered them sanctuary.
11:46Its waters are calm and tranquil, deep enough to cool a hippo's sensitive skin.
11:52And great for lounging.
11:58Without the risk of being disturbed by testosterone-fuelled young bulls.
12:06They even have their own privacy fencing.
12:11The dense carpet of Nile cabbages shields them from onlookers.
12:16But that's not to say they don't like visitors.
12:22It's the height of the rainy season.
12:28And these waters are at their fullest.
12:37The hippo retirement home is blessed with a constant stream of guests.
12:43Who all benefit from the hippo's presence.
12:46Because despite being past their prime, these new residents have a lot to offer.
12:58Hippos graze for hours at a time.
13:03Which creates enormous amounts of dung.
13:06By adding their dung to the swamp's already soupy waters, they're providing an extra dose of fertilizer.
13:19Much to the delight of the fish, insects, and even those Nile cabbages.
13:26And by keeping up their daily pursuits of wading and wallowing, they stir up the water.
13:43Bringing these small, swamp-dwelling critters closer to the surface.
13:48So they're accessible for all who stop by.
14:11Including the hippo's neighbors.
14:13The jacanas.
14:18Whose lightweight bodies and long, slender toes allow them to walk effortlessly across the floating vegetation.
14:29But unlike the other birds here, jacanas have short beaks.
14:35And are unable to access everything the swamp has to offer.
14:42Instead, they pick through the leaves for anything that has been dislodged by their larger swamp companions.
14:53Or, if they don't want to get their feet wet, they can simply use their friends as a mobile dining table.
15:04It all seems so idyllic.
15:14But this is not a year-round paradise.
15:17With the rainy season now over,
15:34the swamp begins to shrink.
15:36Having adapted to living submerged in water over thousands of years.
15:51Hippos can't live without a pool to wallow in.
15:54They risk sunburn and dehydration.
16:11Under the intense heat of the dry season,
16:15their once welcoming retreat has become a death trap.
16:19The hippos face a stark choice.
16:43Make their way back to the main river and face the territorial young males.
16:49The swamp will bounce back with the changing season.
17:04But these are unpredictable times.
17:08And nobody knows when relief will come.
17:19When the rains arrive once again, one old bull still remains.
17:33He held his nerve and remained faithful to his swamp.
17:40And his gamble paid off.
17:43His fellow old-timer has not returned.
17:47Maybe he wasn't so lucky.
17:49This could be this old bull's last wet season.
17:59But one thing is certain.
18:01However unpredictable,
18:05this swamp has given him some respite.
18:07And purpose in his golden years.
18:24It's a place where life and death intertwine so closely.
18:34It's no wonder swamps are steeped in mystical tales of spirits and ghosts.
18:40For centuries, travelers shared eerie stories of spectral visions.
18:54Souls drifting silently above the murky waters as flickering unearthly lights.
19:01These fleeting glimmers were once thought to be the spirits of those lost to the swamp.
19:14Their bodies never to be found.
19:19But these apparitions weren't merely tall tales.
19:23The ghostly glow was caused by a flame-like phosphorescence.
19:37Created by gases released from decaying swamp plants submerged in the water.
19:47Whether you know them as will-o'-the-wisps,
19:50jack-o'-lanterns, or perhaps even restless souls.
19:56These phantom glimmers are an enduring part of swamp folklore.
20:06They symbolize the delicate balance between life and death.
20:12A haunting reminder of a swamp's lasting duality.
20:20A haunting reminder of a tree frog.
20:23Drawn to its charm,
20:25this female tree frog instinctively recognizes the swamp as a cradle for new life.
20:34She's searching for the best place in which to bring her babies into the world.
20:38And is an expert in sniffing out a suitable location.
20:48She needs humidity.
20:52Frequent rainfall.
20:58Warm, stagnant water.
21:00And plenty of vegetation.
21:07And her nose has led her here.
21:13Swamps give off a unique odor.
21:17A concoction of various decomposing processes.
21:20And that distinctive aroma means she has found her spot.
21:30In order to reproduce, this mother-to-be has to do everything herself.
21:36Well, almost.
21:39It's fair to say that, in terms of this relationship,
21:42she is firmly in the driver's seat.
21:47And her partner appears intent on being a passenger.
21:55She gets the two of them into position, overhanging the water.
22:03And if she hasn't done enough already, now she has to build her nest.
22:10She feverishly rubs her back legs together.
22:23By lathering up her own skin secretions, she produces a thick nest of foam.
22:34The ideal cradle in which to suspend her brood.
22:40It's hard work.
22:45And to make things worse, she now has an audience.
22:52More males.
22:54Watching and not helping.
22:59She deposits her eggs into the froth.
23:02And her partner completes his one job.
23:05To fertilize them.
23:06And then he's off.
23:12She won't be giving him a lift back home.
23:21She patiently waits until her foam nest hardens in the sun.
23:25Then carefully prizes herself away.
23:32She's done her bit.
23:36She's one of many tree frog mums.
23:40Who will now entrust the care of their young...
23:42...to the swamp.
23:52Days after these tadpoles were left hanging.
23:57They have grown too heavy for their nest to support them.
24:00They readily drop into the warm, tranquil waters.
24:07Just as nature intended.
24:10Eager to start the next chapter of their lives.
24:13But beneath the water, it's an altogether different story.
24:26The tadpoles fall into a world where nothing...
24:29...is what it seems.
24:43The tadpoles fall into a world where nothing...
24:50Under its calm surface, this swamp is a killing zone.
24:58Down here, even the sticks are deadly.
25:02This is Ranatra linearis.
25:13Better known as a water scorpion.
25:17With a powerful stinging proboscis, rather than a sting in the tail.
25:24But he does have one thing in common with a true scorpion.
25:27A lethal grip.
25:39He drains his victims until they are merely a husk of their former selves.
25:50And while this dragonfly larva...
25:52...looks friendly.
25:55He's actually the most bloodthirsty of them all.
26:03Tadpoles.
26:05Bugs.
26:08Even fish.
26:10In fact, whatever he can get his articulated jaws around.
26:15But then again, in this den of horrors...
26:23...even the predators aren't safe.
26:36A tadpole's only hope in this place...
26:38...is to grow some limbs...
26:41...so it can fight back.
26:44If you survive down here, and make it to adulthood...
26:48...you deserve the chance to get out of the water.
27:01Alligator mums have a more hands-on approach to parenting...
27:05...than their fellow swamp dwellers, the frogs.
27:07They know how unforgiving the swamp can be.
27:14But these apex predators haven't acquired the status of undisputed ruler by chance.
27:21It has taken millions of years.
27:33In the freshwater swamps of North America...
27:36...more miniature hunters are beginning to emerge from the undergrowth.
27:40This alligator female has been protectively standing guard.
27:52Her clutch of eggs, laid in the height of summer, are swaddled within a mound of mud and leaves.
27:59With careful positioning of her nest, she uses the swamp as a natural incubator.
28:14It gently warms her eggs, as it has done for thousands of generations of alligator mums.
28:20...muffled, high-pitched squeaks resonate from within the eggs.
28:30These alligator babies are ready to break free.
28:33They appear fully formed.
28:43Scaled-down replicas of their parents.
28:46These kids are natural-born swamp dwellers.
28:58Their colouring blends into their surroundings.
29:01And they instinctively know how to swim.
29:09The new arrivals are ushered into a ready-made baby pool.
29:14A small depression, shaped by their mother.
29:18Heated to an optimum 70 degrees by the swamp.
29:23Much below that, their metabolism stops working.
29:27And the little monsters won't grow.
29:33The hatchlings get stuck in.
29:38They're born with up to 80 tiny, razor-sharp teeth.
29:43And a killer instinct.
29:46It's just their technique that needs practice.
29:56A little gator in a big pool needs protection.
30:18There are eyes everywhere.
30:19But alligators make good mums.
30:26For a reptile, at least.
30:29She'll watch out for them.
30:32And offer them the occasional ride.
30:36Giving them a head start in life.
30:37But even with her encouragement, less than 5% of alligator babies make it to adulthood.
30:48Snatched up before they're big enough to defend themselves.
30:55Despite these early losses, alligators and swamps share an unwritten understanding.
31:00Together, they form a partnership that has influenced each other's evolution and survival over millions of years.
31:14Once they're fully grown, only then will they rule these waters with little to fear.
31:22For this female golden orb weaver, the swamp is a fitting venue for a grand design.
31:39Her tactically well-positioned web spans three feet.
31:46More than enough to accommodate her saucer-sized frame.
31:52The web is so fine, it blends in seamlessly with her swamp surroundings.
32:04Now she gets down to the finer detail.
32:07Weaving a spiral of silk.
32:15A slight recalibration of her silk protein ensures that these trap lines are stickier and more flexible
32:23than those used to make the web's rigid outer edge.
32:29All in all, this gives her victims a little more...bounce on landing.
32:35...with added glue to keep them secure.
32:44But her dinner guests aren't the only thing she must consider.
32:47While the swamp presents her with plenty of passing trade, it's also known to deliver the odd curveball from time to time.
33:00When you live in a swamp, excess humidity is a hindrance.
33:08But sudden downpours could be catastrophic.
33:12Not so for this spider.
33:18She simply adjusts her building materials so they absorb less water.
33:25And modifies the thread tension so that her web doesn't sag under the weight of the rain.
33:31Flooding sometimes forces her to pack up and climb higher.
33:42After which, she rebuilds, anchoring her threads to more reliable points above the rising water.
33:49Narrowing or widening her spirals depending on the size of the prey the swamp has on offer.
33:58She has every situation covered.
34:05And with such a prosperous setup, there are others keen to pay her a visit.
34:17This spider is 50 times smaller than her.
34:20She'll emit pheromones if she's willing to mate.
34:37Chemical clues that suggest to the male that he may approach.
34:42Or be it with caution.
34:46He could still end up as her next meal.
34:51While he waits for her signal, he takes advantage of her hospitality.
34:57By stealing.
35:00He boldly casts his own dragline.
35:04To get him as close as possible to her quarry.
35:08Without alerting her with his vibrations.
35:10Then he swiftly transfers the food parcel from her web to his own line.
35:29He can now enjoy his meal at a safe distance.
35:32Perhaps despite these losses, she instinctively knows that the swamp will provide.
35:42And she will continue to weave to its unpredictable rhythms.
35:47To live in a swamp can require efficiency, order, and good time management.
36:02Mangrove swamps are sticklers for timekeeping.
36:06Lining the coast, its daily timetable is set by the ocean.
36:18And its rising and falling tide.
36:22Most of the residents that live here abide by this strict schedule.
36:27As soon as the tide goes out, the countdown begins.
36:44Crabs work against the clock to busily cache the food left behind by the retreating water.
36:50Before it's lost to the ocean.
37:00The mangrove trees use this time out of the water to load up on oxygen.
37:06Their snorkel-like roots poke up through the waterlogged soil,
37:10so they can breathe once exposed to the air.
37:13For the hordes of mangrove snails, it's a race against time to descend down the tree trunks
37:25to feed on the ocean's leftovers.
37:35Moving at a snail's pace can be risky in a time-pressured situation.
37:39If they get it wrong, they'll drown.
37:48Their poor eyesight means they have to set their clocks using changes in air pressure and humidity.
37:56By reading these subtle cues and calculating their own speed limitations,
38:01they manage to outpace the incoming tide.
38:11As regular as clockwork, the tide turns and the working shift is over.
38:21The never-ending cycle of flood and retreat offers opportunity for all.
38:26It's strict regime is what keeps this swamp ticking.
38:47In Zambia's Kasanka National Park, time is marked by the first rainfall of the season,
38:54carrying with it a spellbinding significance.
39:01Over the next few days, a tiny, seemingly insignificant evergreen swamp in the corner of the park
39:09is about to become the most popular place on the planet.
39:15If you're a straw-colored fruit bat.
39:18This isn't just a colony-wide gathering.
39:24This is continent-wide.
39:30Once a year, 10 million of these bats travel thousands of miles
39:36from rainforests all over equatorial Africa
39:42to congregate in an area little more than 60 acres.
39:49Making it the biggest migration of mammals on Earth.
39:59But what's even more remarkable is that this epic migration is made mostly by pregnant females and nursing mums.
40:07Why would so many of them risk traveling vast distances at such a delicate time?
40:20Because this patch of swamp offers a reward that can't be found anywhere else.
40:27It's trees are rich in wild fruits.
40:37The water berries found here are just what these new mums need to raise their young.
40:43Nourished by the swamp water in which their trees grow,
40:54and ripened by the seasonal rains,
40:57and ripened by the seasonal rains.
40:58These fruits are worth the journey.
41:04The bats collectively gorge on over a billion of them.
41:10In return, the swamp is treated to an amazing aerial spectacle.
41:16This huge influx makes roosting a cozy affair,
41:38when only the largest, sturdiest trees can bear the extra weight.
41:53After two months, it's time to embark on their journey back to their home range.
41:58The consequences of so many bats in such a small space is trees stripped bare and left in tatters.
42:15But despite the superficial damage, the benefits the bats bring to this area are immense.
42:22They are the secret gardeners of the swamp.
42:32As the bats consume the fruits from the swamp trees, they eat the seeds and all.
42:42When they fly, the seeds are dropped,
42:46potted in a dollop of guano, ready to germinate wherever they fall.
42:52They are the seeds of the swamp.
42:55Regenerating not just the swamp, but also the park and the ecosystem it supports.
43:03Year after year.
43:11The bats use the first seasonal rainfall as a signal to begin their pilgrimage.
43:17While the trees use it to begin seed production, ensuring both are in sublime synchrony.
43:36Swamps weave together life and death in perfect harmony.
43:41Those who reside here have no choice but to embrace its dual personality.
43:49They must adapt.
43:52Improvise.
43:53Allow themselves to be shaped by its perpetual cycle.
43:57Or get out of the swamp.
43:58Or get out of the swamp.
Be the first to comment