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00:01The immense force, which is our ocean,
00:06wields more power than anything else on the planet.
00:12Its waters move and merge,
00:18creating marvels at every level.
00:24The ocean persuades giants to dance,
00:29and warns fish to flee for their lives.
00:34It provides the foundations for megacities to rise up,
00:39setting the scene for romance by the light of the moon.
00:46This is the power of our magnificent oceans.
00:54Take a dive into our planet's mesmerizing world of water.
01:13From the monumental open ocean,
01:16to the rugged coasts that serve as the dividing line between two worlds.
01:23From the changing rivers,
01:26that carve through continents,
01:30to mysterious lakes and swamps.
01:35Immerse yourself in the magic that unfolds.
01:41As we reveal the secrets of our enchanted waters.
01:53The ocean fine tunes our climate, generates the air we breathe, and cultivates our planet's food.
01:59It enables the survival of every living being.
02:17But it was also once the origin of life itself.
02:24Four and a half billion years ago, there was no ocean.
02:33Earth was not yet a blue planet.
02:40It was a ball of molten rock.
02:46As the rock cooled and formed a crust, gases and water vapor were released.
03:01Creating a primitive atmosphere.
03:04The vapor condensed.
03:09Rain pooled at the surface.
03:11And over millions of years, our ocean was born.
03:16Deep within these new seas, hydrothermal vents continued to discharge hot water, rock, and mineral deposits.
03:33All heated by the magma below the Earth's crust.
03:38These superheated cauldrons created the first complex organic compounds.
03:51The first chapter in the story of life on Earth.
03:58Starting with microbes.
04:00Then cyanobacteria.
04:03It was these underwater organisms, fueled by the sun's energy, that began to produce oxygen on a grand scale.
04:16This laid the foundations for multicellular life that thrived in the now oxygen-rich waters.
04:26Life that then emerged to conquer the land.
04:32It's been a long journey.
04:37Much of which still boils down to chance.
04:42The right combination of chemicals, uniting in the right place, under perfect conditions.
04:51But life has a knack of grabbing every chance it gets.
04:58With 80% of our ocean still uncharted.
05:03Countless life forms and secrets await discovery.
05:09The ocean's incredible power governs even the largest of creatures.
05:16Every moment of a humpback whale's life is driven by these mighty forces.
05:22In a quest to breed.
05:23Or to eat.
05:25If they get to the right place at the right time, the ocean will provide a bounty of food.
05:35But catching this many fish requires a net.
05:50A net fashioned from the ocean itself.
06:03It's late spring.
06:05The cold waters of Alaska, preparing to welcome some returning guests.
06:19This female is traveling north from the equator.
06:24She's using the magnetic fields given off by landmarks on the seabed to guide her through 3,000 miles of an otherwise featureless ocean.
06:37To reach this nutrient rich pocket of life.
06:43And this year, she's bringing her calf.
06:50The ocean's warm equatorial waters gave her the ideal nursery to give birth.
06:56But didn't provide anything to eat.
07:01For the past six months, she has relied on her fat reserves to sustain herself and feed her baby.
07:14But if she and the other migrating whales have timed it right, this epic feat of navigation will be worth it.
07:23And the ocean will serve up a banquet of fish.
07:28They begin their choreographed routine.
07:43Swimming in a spiral.
07:46And blowing a wall of bubbles around a shoal of thousands of unsuspecting fish.
07:57The fish try to escape.
08:00But they're trapped in a net made from air.
08:14The fish are ushered into an even tighter ball.
08:22Then it's down the hatch.
08:25In one large, satisfying gulp.
08:30The whales cruise the coastline looking for more.
08:46But there's no hurry.
08:49The dinner gong will chime throughout summer.
08:52Plenty of time to feast and fatten up.
08:55In return, the whales leave behind a gift for the ocean.
09:07A generous dose of iron-rich whale poop.
09:14That acts as a fertilizer, providing a much-needed boost of nutrients.
09:24This magical ingredient, combined with a sprinkle of around-the-clock Arctic summer sun, kick-starts a frenzy of plankton growth.
09:33Attracting huge shoals of small fish that flood in to feed on these tiny marine organisms.
09:48Leaving their waste behind.
09:51The whales ensure these feeding grounds will remain plentiful for years to come.
10:06Autumn arrives.
10:08The days shorten.
10:09The light dwindles.
10:12And the ocean's summer bloom begins to wane.
10:18The humpbacks, now in peak physical condition, depart on their two-month journey back to the tropics.
10:28And the gentle warmth of their carving grounds.
10:33The perpetual rhythm of the humpbacks' journey provides vital nutrients in the right places.
10:39Allowing the ocean to cultivate and produce a feast.
10:44Every single year.
10:46Without fail.
10:48And each year, the humpbacks return to reap their rewards.
10:54Over eons, whales have woven their feeding patterns into the epic seasonal shifts of the ocean.
11:02But there are much subtler changes going on in the water.
11:06If you know how to read between the lines.
11:09Life out in the open ocean is tough for a little fish.
11:15These waters offer few places to hide from predators.
11:21When you're low down the food chain, it pays to stick with like-minded individuals.
11:34To grow into something greater than the sum of their parts.
11:41This twinkling, shimmering orb is a little fish's defensive strategy.
12:00Their synchronized twists and turns may look choreographed, but these moves are ingrained in their DNA.
12:13This is the power of the lateral line.
12:17A row of tiny sensors that run along each side of the fish's body, just beneath the skin.
12:29Allowing them to read the ocean and the warning signals it provides.
12:38The fish's lateral lines pick up on a language of subtle shifts in water movement and pressure.
12:48When the outer fish receive these messages, they react instantly.
12:57Their neighbors then ride the ripples made by those closest to them, enabling each individual to expend minimal energy.
13:08Every fluctuation, every disturbance reverberates through the school.
13:22A dazzling silver spectacle is certain to attract attention.
13:38As danger closes in, the fish are alerted, thanks to the ocean's subtle touch.
13:45An early warning system before the predator is even spotted.
13:52Moving as one has the power to distract and confuse.
14:04Often, it pays to be near the center.
14:11Other times, life on the edge is the safest place to be.
14:26In the aftermath, the urge to reform is instinctive.
14:32The ocean and the school bound in eternal conversation.
14:39And the faith in the ocean's message never wavers.
14:45Dare to go it alone, the risk would be even greater.
14:52The school at least provides a way of knowing and a way of life.
14:57But the school's special aquatic warning system is less successful when the attack comes from above.
15:12Few creatures are equipped for movement on land, air, and sea.
15:41This charismatic dad has perfected all three.
15:48He's one of many thousands of northern gannets tied to this prime piece of seafront real estate.
15:56The windswept cliffs battered into shape by the power of the North Atlantic.
16:06Every gallet here is trying to raise a chick.
16:12Tied to land, but completely reliant on the ocean.
16:19He nurtures his protégé.
16:22Together with a lifelong partner, each taking turns out at sea to fish.
16:33Once mum returns, it's dad's turn to fly.
16:38He makes it look effortless.
16:52Effortless.
16:53His long, narrow wings, spanning over six feet, mean he can ride the ocean thermals, covering long distances, on a single beat.
17:11And he isn't just an expert flyer.
17:18He eyes his target.
17:24And moulds his body into a sleek torpedo.
17:33His head, reinforced with air sacs beneath the skin, acts as a natural shock absorber.
17:52Allowing him to plunge from heights of up to 100 feet, striking the water at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
18:17Flying becomes swimming.
18:23Even when his strike isn't clean.
18:26He won't go home empty-mouthed.
18:29He can propel himself through the water for up to 40 seconds at a time.
18:35Enough to swipe or snatch a reward.
18:40With each dive, the ocean provides him and his youngster with a feast of fish to carry back home to the clifftops.
18:59To prepare his chick for something extraordinary.
19:04At just three months old, he will fly nearly 2,000 miles south to the next bountiful pocket of food.
19:14Following the ocean's shallow continental shelf in a well-worn route to West Africa.
19:21The ocean shapes the life of the northern gannet.
19:31Its waves embrace the rocky outcrops they call home.
19:36It lures them from the cliffs into the air and welcomes them into its depths.
19:47Moulding them into a champion of all realms.
20:01The search for food across the seas is bound to the movement of the ocean currents.
20:13The ocean's 320 million cubic miles of water flows, drives and mixes, reaching every corner of the globe.
20:28And this vast global movement is driven by two things.
20:33Temperature and salt.
20:45At the poles, as surface water freezes, it expels salt.
20:50Leaving behind a dense, salty brine, which is heavier so it sinks.
20:59As the brine plunges to the depths, warmer surface water flows in to take its place.
21:07The new surface water is now cooled by the polar temperatures.
21:12And the cycle is repeated, creating a giant pump.
21:21Powering the underwater circulatory system of our entire planet.
21:27This deep water highway, known as the ocean conveyor belt, flows across the globe and wraps itself around the land.
21:40Undulating over the seabed and creating a vast interconnected global system of currents.
21:48It's this constant and complex churning that delivers nutrients to different parts of the ocean.
21:55Shaping the ecosystems that live there.
22:00But this huge flow of water has implications far beyond the ocean itself.
22:13As cold sea currents move from the poles towards the equator, they cool the air above them.
22:21In the same way, warm ocean currents moving away from the equator warm the atmosphere as they travel.
22:33This distribution of heat regulates the world's climate.
22:38Helping to keep our planet at a habitable temperature.
22:44And it also controls the weather.
22:48Ocean water is constantly evaporating under the heat of the sun.
22:53Rising into the atmosphere where it eventually condenses and falls back down to Earth as fresh water.
23:03It takes one water molecule up to a thousand years to complete an around the world trip on this mammoth ocean conveyor belt.
23:15Together, they combine to create one of the most powerful forces on the planet.
23:31Once a year, when the conditions align, these monumental ocean currents work with the weather.
23:38To serve up an event fit for a star-studded guest.
23:43In the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Oman, it's monsoon season.
23:57Strong winds drive away the ocean's surface.
24:04Dragging up cold, rich, fertile water from the depths to replace it.
24:12And where these upwellings occur, the sun's rays are the spark that's needed for an explosion of life.
24:21A bloom of plankton, energized by the light and the nutrients.
24:27Creating a nourishing soup.
24:31It's the seasonal banquet many have been waiting for.
24:38Fish, big and small, are drawn to this special event.
24:47But this soup is about to get a whole lot richer.
24:59Tonight's a full moon.
25:06For many fish, a moment in the lunar cycle triggers a light sensor in their bodies.
25:15It's their cue to reproduce.
25:20Thousands of eggs and sperm cloud the water.
25:32Doing it in synchrony is the best way to maximize the encounters
25:40between eggs and sperm of the same species.
25:50This time, the spawning phenomenon coincides with the monsoon upwelling.
25:58In a rare fusion of festivities.
26:03And as it nears its climax, an A-lister is about to steal the show.
26:10These whale sharks have timed their arrival to perfection.
26:22This is the biggest fish on the planet.
26:30But it feeds on some of the smallest creatures.
26:34It's not the fish they're after, but the soup itself.
26:40Plankton, eggs, fish larvae, the lot.
26:53Whale sharks have incredibly attuned senses.
26:57With highly sensitive nostrils and the largest eardrums in the animal kingdom,
27:02they can follow the scent of food in water with ease.
27:09And may even hear the distant sound of a mass of plankton.
27:16Only when these signs indicate there's a party in full swing,
27:21will they grace the occasion with their presence.
27:31And when they find it,
27:35their meal is sucked in.
27:41Their specialized gills filter the equivalent of 20 bathtubs of ocean per hour.
27:56When the party's over,
27:58the ocean will call them towards the next big gathering.
28:06Their lives are guided by these brief yet bountiful explosions of marine life.
28:12Ignited by the sun.
28:15And enhanced by the moon.
28:27Despite these spectacular feeding events,
28:30much of the ocean can appear empty.
28:35But when the conditions are right,
28:38a life force within the ocean can trigger something miraculous.
28:44And once it gets to work,
28:48it can build an entire underwater city from scratch.
28:54It begins with a seemingly innocuous spark of life.
29:03Newly spawned coral polyps cast off to seek their own fortune.
29:09Shallow warm water and a solid base are the ideal conditions on which these floating nomads can take root.
29:24Together, these reef-building polyps join forces to become coral.
29:39They exude calcium carbonate to form a foundation.
29:46Then, using this hard skeleton base,
29:55they begin to sculpt their city,
29:58expanding by around 4 inches per year.
30:02Other polyps produce softer, flexible forms that anchor onto these solid foundations,
30:11adding a touch of color and flair.
30:17Over decades, these tiny architects erect sprawling reef structures,
30:24stamping out a permanent territory on the seabed.
30:32And the patch of shallow ocean that once appeared lifeless, now prospers.
30:42But a city doesn't run itself.
30:49Algae make their home within the coral's living tissues.
30:56They bask in the sunlight of the shallows,
30:59and through the magic of photosynthesis,
31:02spin the sun's rays into food for the coral,
31:06fueling their growth.
31:10Supporting the diverse characters that flock to the reef
31:14to make it their home.
31:17There are cleaners keeping the algae in check.
31:32Gardeners that prune the coral.
31:37And neighbors who look out for each other.
31:45And most importantly, there's the ocean itself.
31:50Delivering nutrients.
31:52Cooling the reef with its upwellings.
31:55And maintaining the delicate balance needed for its survival.
32:00From nothing, a fully functioning, vibrant ecosystem is born.
32:10Coral reefs occupy just one percent of the ocean floor.
32:15But a home to a quarter of all marine life.
32:19They are the bedrock that the ocean's incredible diversity of life is built upon.
32:27From the bottom of the food chain, all the way to the top.
32:32All the way to the top.
32:44If you can harness the power of the ocean to do your bidding,
32:48then with a little bit of chemistry,
32:51even the most unassuming creature can call the shots.
32:56This is the cone snail.
33:06A humble mollusk.
33:08But with a cunning plan.
33:10Being a snail, it doesn't hunt with speed or strength.
33:16Instead, it enlists the help of the ultimate accomplice to do its dirty work.
33:23First, the ocean delivers the intel on its surroundings.
33:29The snail reads it through scent, allowing it to track down its next potential victim.
33:42A damselfish passed by earlier, but it's no longer close enough.
33:48A bristle worm is nearby, but it's too small to bother with.
33:54What else?
33:59Mmm.
34:01Bingo.
34:05A weaver fish.
34:07Not the easiest of targets.
34:10It's lightning quick and harbors toxins concealed within its dorsal fins.
34:16The snail can't afford to get too close.
34:20But it doesn't need to.
34:23The accomplice once again does the legwork.
34:32From a safe distance, the snail releases its own chemical,
34:36which the ocean currents carry towards the target.
34:43This waft reaches the weaver fish before it even knows it's under attack.
34:48Now the snail has all the time in the world to move in for the kill.
34:57It's hyperflexible proboscis tube engulfs its stunned victim alive.
35:10Then, in the blink of an eye, the killer blow.
35:11The lethal strike of a hollow, venom-filled tooth.
35:19This snail has everything in its arsenal.
35:20Analytical skills, bespoke chemistry, and deadly hardware.
35:34But this amounts to nothing without the means to deploy it.
35:35What sets him apart is that he's aided and abetted by the ocean itself.
35:47Who knew the soft caress of sea water could prove so deadly?
36:02The ocean bristles with light and life.
36:17But we're only just dipping our toes beneath the surface.
36:23This is just one of its many sides.
36:26Dive deeper, and you'll find its other personalities.
36:32Some more secretive, more mysterious, and some often volatile.
36:48The most familiar is the sunlit realm, which extends 650 feet below the ocean's surface.
36:57But there's far more going on here than we can see with the naked eye.
37:03Including one of nature's most important processes.
37:08Taking place unnoticed.
37:15Floating microscopic plants, called phytoplankton, harness the power of the sun as it filters through the water.
37:23Creating oxygen.
37:28These tiny organisms produce around half of the Earth's oxygen.
37:33More than all our forests combined.
37:38And that's not all.
37:40These phytoplankton also remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
37:46A vital aid to help cool our planet's climate.
37:50But as the ocean gets deeper.
37:57It reveals a shadier side.
38:02The pressure increases.
38:06The light dims.
38:09And things start to get weird.
38:13Weird.
38:14This twilight zone stretches to over 3,000 feet below the surface.
38:22With just 1% of surface sunlight filtering down this deep, life here has been forced to find a way to create its own light.
38:37Like this siphonophore.
38:4490% of creatures in this zone use bioluminescence.
38:49The glass octopus chooses to shimmer like an ethereal night sky.
38:55Attempting to confuse potential prey in the darkness.
39:08These cutlass fish are among a minority that don't produce light.
39:14They're ambush predators, aligning vertically, ready to lunge at prey above them.
39:24While their bodies reflect the dwindling rays by glinting like knives.
39:29Disorienting their own predators below.
39:33The twilight zone also serves as the ocean's transport channel.
39:41The setting for one of life's busiest ever commutes.
39:50Trillions of microscopic animals called zooplankton ascend to the ocean's surface every night
39:56to feed on the tiny marine plants that can't exist away from the light.
40:06They're pursued by fish and squid, who are also in search of a meal.
40:14When the sun rises, they all sink back down to the relative safety of their deep water hiding places.
40:24This mass movement takes place in every part of every ocean.
40:30Making it the largest migration on Earth.
40:39A further 1,000 feet deeper.
40:44The Midnight Zone.
40:46Down here, the ocean is silent, secretive, and cloaked in perpetual darkness.
40:59But to thrive in this inky blackness takes some unique adaptations.
41:05Bodies become rounded and gelatinous.
41:12And with no ocean currents operating this far down, drifting lures ensnare unsuspecting fish.
41:30In some rare pockets, the ocean plunges to nearly 20,000 feet deep, bringing with it an overwhelming pressure.
41:50This is known as the abyss.
42:02Few creatures can survive these depths.
42:05But remarkably, life finds a way.
42:10Microbes feed on dissolved minerals spewed up from the fissures.
42:20And in turn, provide sustenance for an array of deep dwellers.
42:25Their only other food includes dead creatures and feces that fall like a macabre marine snow from the waters above them.
42:40From the crushing blackness to the sun-drenched surface, each complex persona fuses seamlessly into one single identity.
42:58The powerful enigmatic force we know as our ocean.
43:03But this phenomenon exists because of one reason alone.
43:18Our Earth miraculously happened to be in the right place in our solar system at the right time.
43:23Making it possible for water to be stored in gas, liquid and solid form.
43:34And transforming it into the blue planet we know today.
43:39The ocean holds the key to our planet's past and present.
43:45A force developed over eons, forever evolving, and its story isn't over yet.
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