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Big Sur has been called the greatest meeting of land and sea. Here air, water, land and life combine spectacularly and provide refuge for many creatures such as condors, falcons, blue whales, great white sharks and elephant seals.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:03Granite cliffs conceal pristine shores.
00:11Coastal redwoods echo rich undersea forests.
00:19This majestic slice of California remains a frontier.
00:28It may be the greatest meeting of land and sea on Earth.
00:38But its beauty is savage.
00:47Ruthless waves hide endless battles.
00:56Gentle meadows spawn tawny predators.
01:06The most sublime sunsets are born from fire.
01:14Survival requires sacrifice.
01:19Life and death.
01:21Share the heartbeat.
01:30Of Big Sur.
01:45Carved between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Big South beckons.
01:57Its magic stretches just 145 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide.
02:07The San Andreas Fault creates natural obstacles to civilization.
02:22Big Sur is flanked by the Santa Lucia Mountains.
02:30And the Pacific Ocean.
02:43Just offshore is the largest submarine canyon in North America.
02:52Sea otters are the protectors of this undersea mecca.
03:01Otters avoid land.
03:03But the rocky coast is mobbed with up to five species of seals and sea lions.
03:13Three kilometers inland, coastal redwoods hide cougars.
03:21And newly hatched condor chicks.
03:24And newly hatched condor chicks.
03:29East of the sequoias, Big Sur stretches into meadows and oak woodlands.
03:47Each unique address could be a postcard.
03:54But Big Sur's lifeblood is turbulent.
04:05Dramas unfold in every niche.
04:17The coastline is at center stage.
04:34The stars are Big Sur's iconic sea otters.
04:38The stars are Big Sur's iconic sea otters.
04:40The stars are Big Sur's iconic sea otters.
05:20These champion surfers belong to the weasel family.
05:31This pup is still too buoyant to dive for food.
05:48This pup is still too buoyant to dive for food.
05:51The stars are Big Sur that renders him unsinkable.
06:04He's helpless until she returns.
06:32Fortunately, his cry is a unique beacon for his location.
07:06and ourねぎers will never be seen on us
07:06In between the Dawes & Big Sur stories from P
07:10For now, this pup is secure.
07:20When his mother mates again, he'll be on his own.
07:35All male colonies of sea lions give personal space new meaning.
07:40In the morning, he'll be on his own.
07:43I don't know.
08:12The shy harbor seals choose sheltered coves to give birth.
08:23Food for nursing mothers is always close by.
08:36Newborns have only weeks before they must compete for the ocean's banquet.
09:02Such bounty is a magnet for many species.
09:22The beaches of Big Sur attract transients too.
09:35Cougars have the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere besides man.
09:46This opportunistic cat looks for an unlucky bird or a gift from the sea.
09:57Beyond the surf is an underwater jungle.
10:15The shore Patrol is also north of heart.
10:15The shore goes into the sea.
10:16The shore goes into account where the sea is an underwater lost road.
10:17Uh, in the sea, the pit will kill you.
10:24The airflow goes into the world.
10:31lets us live in reverse biographies.
10:31They believe the ocean is ours now.
10:32Giant kelp supports a dynamic chili theater.
10:42Each marine tree might grow up to 30 centimeters per day.
10:51Sea urchins prey upon the kelp itself.
11:00Tooth-like plates surround an urchin's mouth on the bottom of its shell.
11:09Urchins attack the stalk, eating through the stem.
11:16These starfish relatives can destroy entire kelp forests.
11:26But even the sharpest urchin spines are poor defense against rock-wielding otters.
11:48In Big Sur, sea otters keep urchin numbers at bay, which allows underwater forests to flourish.
12:13Their influence on the ecosystem earns them the title of keystone species.
12:33Big Sur attracts many unique creatures.
12:42California condors rely on an aerial view.
13:00Until recently, only a handful of these Pleistocene relics were still alive on Earth.
13:07Big Sur now boasts about 80 of the huge scavengers.
13:21Every adult bird wears a number and a GPS device so that scientists can monitor their lives.
13:35Condors mate for life, but they don't build nests.
13:45The same ledge or hole is used every two years for a single egg.
14:02This is some of the first footage captured inside Wild Nest.
14:10The camera was placed by biologists who hope to discover which condors make good parrots and why.
14:26But while condors are devoted to their families, they largely depend upon humans for their food.
14:47The species will never fully recover unless they learn to find their own.
14:59The new chick has many challenges ahead.
15:15As days pass, the sun burns through mist and fog.
15:26It seems tranquil.
15:34But serenity in Big Sur is an illusion.
15:52Big Sur's beauty cloaks the harsh demands of survival.
16:01Some creatures use weapons.
16:07Others issue warnings.
16:18All must ensure their future by mastering the region's natural cycles.
16:33The collision of the sea's cool temperature and warmer land creates condensation.
16:44A blanket of fog often shrouds the coast.
16:50The mist.
17:06When the mist reaches the interior, it's the key to life for the tallest living things on Earth.
17:18Coastal redwoods are a separate species and less massive than inland trees.
17:37Big Sur's redwoods harvest thousands of gallons of water every foggy morning.
17:59These enchanted forests protect creatures that need wet conditions.
18:11Banana slugs graze the forest floor.
18:19They help the redwoods by eating small plants that might compete for water.
18:29The slugs have a defense strategy in lieu of a shell.
18:35Their slime contains chemicals that taste terrible.
18:47The top predator here has no interest in banana slugs.
19:04Cougars are the largest cats that purr.
19:10And they can leap over a bus.
19:14The long way.
19:19They are solitary and like the privacy found in redwood glens.
19:24Cougars are the ones.
19:26Let's go.
19:54The trees can only offer sanctuary if they're intact.
20:04Forest fires are a threat.
20:39This tree was almost destroyed.
20:47The condor nest inside survived only through efforts by scientists.
21:03In six months, the chick may fly, but he'll stay with the family for another 18 months.
21:18His parents must leave their tree to search for food.
21:26Ventana Wildlife Society puts out meat at feeding sites.
21:49Unfortunately, California condors need a wider variety of food.
22:02In the prehistoric past, coastal condors thrived by eating dead marine mammals.
22:13For over a century, whaling and hunting meant fewer carcasses washed ashore here.
22:22Now seals and whales are abundant again.
22:27Scientists hope the condors can catch up.
22:45The entire eastern Pacific gray whale population migrates through Big Sur twice per year.
22:56Baby whales are kept on the mother's shore side to protect them from sharks.
23:10Today, grays and humpbacks plunder Big Sur's rich, food-laden seas.
23:36California's central coast is the pathway between Arctic summer feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas for many species.
23:53Northern Pacific marshes.
24:00California's central coast is the state of the lake, even though the island has increased color descent.
24:02Aging in space as a city of the knitter's current.
24:03But in the center's current, the island has been rotated by the sun, its very few light bulbens.
24:03It's called a small island for many miles from the river.
24:03The island of the nineteen thoroughly by the sea of the sea is now devinated.
24:04And the island has been rotated by the island of the river.
24:05The island of the island of the island and the island of the island has been mounted on a island.
24:06But the island has been stretched to allow the river in the water.
24:14So the island of the island, the island has been הצ stars in the river.
24:28The seal pup has nearly made it through the first critical weeks.
24:50He may stay here, or move elsewhere.
25:25Big Sur's tribe of others enjoys permanent residency.
25:36Our obsession with their pelts in the 1700s nearly wiped out the species.
25:49A small raft in Big Sur escaped the fur trade, and every otter alive here today is descended
25:56from those few survivors.
26:09Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal.
26:17In two and a half square centimeters, otters have more hairs than found on an entire human
26:23head.
26:24So, let's go.
26:25Let's go.
26:28Let's go.
26:33Let's go.
26:44Let's go.
26:45Let's go.
26:50Pet the dispute.
26:53They look cuddly.
26:59But both males and females are fierce.
27:05Some call them kelp grizzlies.
27:14Mating takes place year-round and can be violent.
27:29This nail holds his partner by her nose to combat the surf and potential rejection.
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28:29Renewal takes many forms along the coast.
28:39One death enables the cycle of life to continue.
29:08Despite Big Sur's merciless nature, most species are stable.
29:24The jury is still out on California condors.
29:42Part of Big Sur's evolutionary tale is surviving extreme change.
30:09Plants and animals of tide pools straddle two different homes.
30:17Residents are tough and delicate at the same time.
30:32Anemones fold their tentacles into their bodies.
30:36Anemones fold their tentacles into their bodies, which prevents them from drying out when exposed to the air.
30:49Twice per day, life is submerged.
30:59And then, exposed.
31:14Perhaps this extreme intertidal environment is where sea life first came to land.
31:36Big Sur's marine animals live in rare proximity to terrestrial creatures.
31:44This diverse range of habitats, so close together, exists nowhere else in the world.
31:55East of the sea lies the Redwood Belt and Big Sur's Savannah.
32:06Geological barriers have made it difficult for reptiles to move here.
32:13But a few snakes thrive.
32:22Rattlesnakes have pits near their nostrils that sense temperature change within a fraction of a degree.
32:34Their forked tongues act as a directional guide.
32:47Birds of prey aren't limited by mountains.
32:58Juvenile red-tailed hawks rarely survive their first two years.
33:04Many die in crash landings while learning to fly.
33:14This young female is healthy and able to hunt.
33:22She spots activity from the height of about two kilometers,
33:26with vision eight times more powerful than humans.
33:39Coyote families prowl Big Sur's meadows.
33:48Supremely adaptable, coyote mothers use den sites vacated by other animals.
34:02These pups are only a few weeks old, but are already wired for independence.
34:21Coyotes must be wily.
34:30Cougars, hawks, and turkey vultures can snatch small pups.
34:39The vultures are even more aggressive with carrion.
34:53The vultures are even more aggressive with carrion.
35:05Today, Big Sur's condors have failed to spot a natural meal.
35:11But the turkey vultures feast.
35:35During summer, coastal fog increases.
35:43And the sea ripens with potential.
35:55The otter pup bravely tries for his own food.
36:23A fresh scent on their own food.
36:34He still needs to learn how to keep his catch.
37:24Most of this season seal pups already face the world alone.
37:31Along with sea lions, they now venture farther out to sea and into danger.
37:56Throughout Big Sur, summer brings peril.
38:23Lightning strikes and arson easily ignite dry grass and chaparral.
38:32The smallest are the first to die from heat and smoke.
39:01Without long legs or strong wings,
39:05there's no escape.
39:18Cougars won't return until it's safe.
39:30Once a fire runs its course, life resumes.
39:45Some plants depend upon fire to reproduce.
39:58Seeds lie dormant until extreme heat melts their outer coating.
40:11It took millions of years for California's native plants to adapt to natural fire cycles.
40:19In less than a century, humans have altered the pace so much that plants struggle to keep up.
40:34Most of Big Sur's natives adapt to changing demands.
40:40But California condors might die out.
40:58The new condor chick is out of the nest but still depends on his parents for food.
41:16You will need all that Big Sur can provide to live for 50 years.
41:41The otter pup is about to be on his own.
41:46In less than six months, his mother will have a new baby.
41:59By now, young seals are completely independent.
42:05Survivors grow stronger every day.
42:19There are many casualties within the sea lion community.
42:30Sometimes sharks only wound their targets.
42:40Despite grave injuries, this male won't give up.
42:58Some of his comrades already decompose among the rocks.
43:20Without fog, the condors are finally able to see potential food.
43:32They spy the perfect meal.
43:50Dominant birds eat first and take the choicest parts of a carcass.
44:01A condor's beak can pierce the toughest hide.
44:14A condor's beak can pierce the toughest hide.
44:30They don't allow a turkey vulture intruder to share.
44:45This triumph for the prehistoric birds could be their turning point.
44:51It's a healthy start for the young condor.
44:54It's a healthy start for the young condor chick.
44:54It's a healthy start for the young condor.
44:54Yeah.
45:01Harry.
45:14Harry.
45:24Big Sur is never predictable.
45:33Sea otters nearly vanished from the ocean.
45:37Today, under protected status, thousands play here again.
45:47The central coast was bereft of great whales for decades.
45:53Now, large numbers pass through Big Sur and Monterey Bay.
46:09This is a merciless place.
46:13But residents are stubborn.
46:24Tragedy constantly occurs.
46:27But close by, victory celebrates.
46:38It's impossible to predict what tomorrow might bring.
46:44In secret and savage Big Sur, the bold and the bravest will survive.
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