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