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The most complex spy creature ever built films the owner of the largest brains on the planet - sperm whales. Spy Whale is the same size as a newborn whale calf and is equipped with an array of cameras...
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00The world's oceans are full of wonder.
00:05An alien world waiting to be explored.
00:10A place of extraordinary life forms.
00:15With intriguing social lives.
00:18And incredible intelligence.
00:22To reveal their secrets, a hidden team goes undercover.
00:28Spy creatures.
00:33The most innovative undersea robots in the world.
00:41They not only look like the animals they film.
00:44They interact with them as no human can.
00:53Equipped with hidden cameras.
00:59They reveal their astonishing lives.
01:05As our spies join their undersea world.
01:09They shed light on some of the mysteries of the deep.
01:22As our spies search the ocean for intelligent life, they find ways of thinking that must be seen to be
01:29believed.
01:33A family of sperm whales.
01:36The most intelligent creatures in the ocean.
01:43And owners of the largest brains on the planet.
01:54These intellectual giants show a social intelligence that appears similar to our own.
02:07To gain insights into their minds, a spy is sent among them.
02:14An autonomous submersible, programmed to follow the whales.
02:18An autonomous mobiles.
02:20At over three metres long, it's the same size as a newborn whale.
02:27Large enough to hide an array of cameras.
02:35But small enough to arouse the maternal interest of a female.
02:44Her curiosity hints at what she may be thinking.
02:51A desire to reach out and make friends.
03:01Seen through the camera eye of our spy.
03:08A meeting with a sentient mind.
03:24The first contact with an inquisitive and questioning being.
03:35Her spy's hydrophones now capture something extraordinary.
03:47She attempts to communicate.
03:55Another sign of her social intelligence.
04:00She uses the same clicks when greeting other whales.
04:09Her open jaw means she's introducing herself to her spy.
04:32The third person who speaks her by a second.
04:33The whale's a monkey is flying the same.
04:34The whale's a untouched whale.
04:35It's flying the same to her.
04:41If she falls away.
04:42The whale's
04:43sign of approval, she invites the youngster to meet our spy creature. An encounter far
04:52closer than ever imagined. The camera even reveals his hitchhiking companions. Harmless
05:09remora fish, enjoying a free ride. Our spy is gaining an insight into how relationships
05:32form among whales. Being allowed so close is a sign of acceptance. The mother is so trusting,
05:47she leaves her calf and heads to the ocean depths. She'll dive nearly two miles below, leaving
06:04a friend to look after her calf. The spy whale seems to be welcome too. Together they'll
06:13stay with the calf until the mother returns. Our spy is now perfectly placed to discover
06:22more about the social intelligence of the whales. In the coral reefs of Indonesia there are more
06:38intelligent life forms to be found. Among them are the weird and the wonderful.
06:55The smartest of all is the coconut octopus. As well as the main brain in its body, each
07:04of its eight arms has a brain of its own. All nine brains can think for themselves, or even
07:16think as one when required. To help fathom it out, another spy is needed. One programmed to
07:32walk to walk in a similar way. Its aim is to communicate with the octopus, to find out how clever
07:46it really
07:54he is. What must he be thinking? Then a clue.
08:17He's working out whether it's friend or foe. It seems our spy is a friend. Just as well, he
08:37certainly has plenty of enemies. His soft body means everyone's out to get him. And not just him.
09:03Such dangers are small fry, compared with the ocean's top predators. Black tip sharks hunt octopus.
09:17Fortunately, our spy doesn't smell like one. Not so, the real thing. He may hide, but they could still find
09:28him.
09:39Time for some quick thinking. A hollow bamboo shows promise.
09:56But its open entrance is far from ideal.
10:12Our spy may have the answer.
10:24It's just what the octopus needs.
10:35But will he dare take it from him?
10:56Like a seasoned thief, he tries to avoid raising suspicion.
11:05Being aware of what others could be thinking is a sign of deep intelligence.
11:34A perfect fit.
11:40And just in time.
11:57With nothing worth eating, the sharks move on.
12:05The coconut octopus need hide no more.
12:11As a sign of acceptance, he shows his true feelings.
12:19As their relationship grows, there will be plenty more to discover.
12:32Of all seagoers, few are cleverer than these Thailand macaques.
12:40Spymacaques is discovering how they survive on this remote island.
12:50It, too, has a camera in its eye.
12:58It can not only film above the surface, but underwater, too.
13:14As well as being able to swim, it has a fully waterproof camera eye.
13:32Perfect for filming these freedivers searching for shellfish.
13:45They can hold their breath for a minute or more.
14:00When they come up for air, there's more seafood to find.
14:10Our spy has acquired spy oyster.
14:15Together, they capture a filming first.
14:19These monkeys have gone fishing.
14:23Grabbing whatever is trapped in the pools.
14:33It takes quick-witted reaction.
14:38And a firm grip.
14:55Youngsters learn to fish by copying their elders.
15:01Learning to know their place comes second.
15:08Fish course over.
15:09There's more seafood on the menu.
15:13Oysters embedded in the rocks.
15:18It can't be removed by brute force alone.
15:22It's a task only the best minds can crack.
15:27Those that can wield a tool.
15:36A treat worth the effort.
15:44Finding the right rock is a knack.
16:00It must be the correct weight and size.
16:06Like this one.
16:07Designed for the job in hand.
16:13Even so, he must be careful.
16:18One slip could be nasty.
16:24It's the perfect tool.
16:27Or was.
16:33Oh well.
16:38Macaques usually eat fruits and seeds.
16:41So they've had to adapt to survive here.
16:44They learn from an early age what can or can't be eaten.
17:09They learn from an early age what can or can't be eaten.
17:19But others are curious too.
17:27Climbing with a spy can isn't easy.
17:39No bother.
17:41If you're smart, you know how to have fun.
17:57A chance to make friends and let off steam.
18:18As our spies found, macaques cast away on a remote island have found clever ways to adapt.
18:28Creative thinking can also be used to find a mate.
18:37In the sea of Japan, there's even a sea creature who creates works of art.
18:46Spy Pufferfish is on a mission to find it.
18:54The artist in residence won't be found among the coral.
18:59It needs a blank canvas to work with.
19:04Something only the sand provides.
19:10And here it is.
19:13An exquisite sand sculpture found nowhere else on Earth.
19:36The artist at work is a male Japanese pufferfish.
19:48He's designed his masterpiece to lure in a mate.
19:58An artistic creation to delight a female's eye.
20:11He uses a fin to plough a furrow.
20:16While other fins sweep the sand into ridges.
20:23The gullies channel the finest particles towards the centre.
20:31The result is a fully functional work of art.
20:36It's now Spy Puffer's turn.
20:53Artworks are best viewed at a distance.
21:05Oh dear.
21:12Nothing compares to the true artist.
21:23The female will decide.
21:28Spy Puffer's creation is hardly worth a second look.
21:36She's after a masterpiece.
21:45But for this discerning art critic, there's still room for improvement.
21:52Especially when some debris spoils the design.
21:58A blemish easily dealt with by the male.
22:08But it still needs some finishing touches.
22:13Such as shells to decorate the ridges.
22:21They are more than an artistic flourish.
22:24They stabilise the ridges.
22:26Slowing the water that might stir the centre.
22:31For this is where the female will lay her eggs.
22:36But the male has run out of shells.
22:39And the female is losing interest.
22:45Spy Puffer becomes the artist's assistant.
22:56The finishing touch he needs.
22:59To be continued.
23:03The first female is lost.
23:06To be continued.
23:15To be continued.
23:19To be continued.
23:32All this striving for artistic perfection is a test of his fitness.
23:43Satisfied with the aesthetic details, the female enters the nest.
23:52They join together, cheek-to-cheek.
24:01Then, quick as a flash, the eggs are laid and fertilised.
24:10And with a little help from Spy Puffer, the next generation of artists is secure.
24:22While Puffer fish think creatively, fish shoals all think together.
24:28They show swarm intelligence, moving as one as they mirror the moves of their nearest neighbours.
24:39Their group thinking is about to be tested by smarter minds.
24:47Marlin.
24:51One of the ocean's fastest predators.
24:55They use teamwork to drive mackerel up from the depths, forcing them to the surface in ever tighter balls.
25:05They are not alone.
25:08Sea lions soon join the gathering.
25:13Among them is a new spy creature.
25:18Spy sea lion.
25:22Like the real thing, its flexible body lets it manoeuvre among the shoals.
25:36Its eye cams gain a sea lion's view as the marlins spear their prey.
25:51Like master swordsmen, they use their metre-long bills as a deadly weapon.
26:03As the hunt continues, our spy films an insider's view.
26:12It won't be working alone.
26:15As frigate birds gather, another spy joins.
26:22One that captures the marlins' skills from the air.
26:25One that captures the marlins' skills from the air.
26:31They corral the shoal, concentrating the ball.
26:40Letting them pick off the fish on the outside.
26:46But they don't have it all their own way.
26:52The marlin will soon be competing with those with far greater intelligence.
27:02Spy sea lion now has plenty of company.
27:07They are here in their hundreds.
27:15Working together, they steal the bait ball from the marlin.
27:23Seen through the camera eye of our spy.
27:30The marlin retreat.
27:35They can't risk damaging their fragile bills,
27:38or receiving a nasty bite.
27:44Our spy reveals what happens once the sea lions take over.
27:52It joins them as they unite to split the ball.
28:00Capturing a sea lion's view from inside the shoal.
28:06It shows how the fish move as one.
28:22It's swarm intelligence pitched against that of the sea lions.
28:31This is where true intelligence shows its worth.
28:37They work together to force the shoal apart.
28:42They can now pick off the weak and injured.
28:49Sea lions can eat 15 kilos of fish a day.
28:56But such a colossal bait ball is too much, even for them.
29:03They start to play with their food, rather than eat it.
29:18Then, something unexpected.
29:26They gift the leftovers to the hungry marlin.
29:37There's even a fish for spy sea lion.
29:50There's even a fish for spy sea lion.
29:51Not much use to our spy.
29:55It is to the marlin.
30:00The sea lions may have outsmarted swarm intelligence.
30:05But even they can be beaten by a bigger power.
30:15A bride's whale will make short work of what they've left.
30:29Back on the reef, there are more insights to be gained from the coconut octopus.
30:44Spy octopus is still nurturing its newfound relationship.
30:57Their bond has only grown stronger.
31:05To feed, he must leave his hideaway.
31:16As a precaution, he takes the coconut shell with him.
31:29What was once the door to his refuge is now a mobile home.
31:50But there are more surprises in store.
31:54The octopus is still looking to improve his security.
32:00Some armour plating wouldn't go amiss.
32:06A shell would be perfect.
32:22His only problem is carrying it all.
32:38His body is taking the defense seriously.
32:39This is taking defense seriously.
32:48All bases covered, he's perfectly placed to stage an ambush.
32:54With the flying flare, he's taking the influence and the enemy...
32:55It's a real motive to protect the härly man.
33:02And what better than a crab?
33:07The chase is on.
33:13But the crab has a trick of its own.
33:17It heads to the surface.
33:19So does the octopus.
33:29He makes a grab.
33:38It's firmly in his grasp, but he must eat quickly.
33:45He's being watched.
33:49A rival coconut octopus.
33:54His color change shows he means business.
34:04To up the ante, he makes himself bigger.
34:11But the octopus stands his ground before firing a salvo of shells.
34:22He retreats to his fortified home and grabs a discarded paint
34:31lid to act as a shield.
34:39He's now ready for anything, including taking the paint lid with him.
34:45He's now ready for a second.
34:53He's now ready for a second.
35:07He's now ready for a second.
35:15his enemies.
35:25This is how he treats his friends.
35:48Few are as clever, but for organisational skills, he has serious competition.
35:59In the tropical paradise of Belize, the hermit crabs have a problem.
36:09They've outgrown their home.
36:13Or their shells have become worse for wear.
36:27They need to upsize their accommodation.
36:32And a new home has just come on the market.
36:41Those interested start measuring up.
36:48This one certainly has potential.
36:59But others, too, are showing interest.
37:07Even squabbling over who should move in.
37:13For some, it's too big.
37:15For others, it's too small.
37:19To resolve the issue, they must stop squabbling and cooperate.
37:29To find out how, another spy goes undercover.
37:37One with a camera in its shell.
37:43It's arrived at the perfect moment.
37:52The crabs line up in order of size.
37:57They don't all need grand accommodation.
38:02They just need the next size up.
38:06First, they must find their correct place in the queue.
38:17They wait until everyone is assembled.
38:24Then the house swap begins.
38:28The largest leaves his old home and moves into the vacant shell next door.
38:35Then the next size down takes over the shell he left behind.
38:40And so it goes on, in order of size.
38:50But exchanging houses is not without problems.
38:55Some have buyer's remorse.
38:59And try to keep both properties.
39:11Most are content with their new home.
39:15Although one seems to have house envy.
39:23He's eyeing up our spy.
39:29He just needs to check the shell for size.
39:48It meets his requirements, so he doesn't waste time.
39:56But this home comes with responsibilities.
40:03Ones that involve filming, too.
40:18But our new spy seems to be having second thoughts.
40:25His old shell was a better fit after all.
40:30He'll keep it for a little longer.
40:40Our spy is now the only crab left homeless.
40:50The Caribbean is home to yet more clever minds.
40:55This tiny island in the Bahamas has been colonised by wild pigs.
41:02They spend much of their day just above the tide line.
41:12To discover how they survive on this remote island, spy Piglet joins the team.
41:24Pigs are highly intelligent and sociable animals.
41:33So a new pig soon peaks their interest.
41:43Nudging snouts is a friendly gesture.
41:48A promising start.
41:54Introduction's over, they head to the sea.
42:01The pig's daily ritual begins.
42:15To find out why they enjoy swimming so much, spy Pig is soon hot on their curly tails.
42:24What better way to find out what's going on?
42:32It's clear that they are expert swimmers.
42:39And even here they are sociable too.
42:49Our spy gets another greeting.
43:12Pigs were brought to the island in the 50s, surviving on crabs and berries or whatever else they could find.
43:20As numbers grew, they looked to the ocean for a meal.
43:28Tourism brought new opportunities.
43:33Each day, boats bringing food would visit them.
43:40Until the sound of outboards became their dinner bell.
43:49As word got around, more boats arrived, until the pigs' daily excursions became a way of life.
43:59A banquet for all.
44:16They may be social creatures, but manners are forgotten when meal time arrives.
44:27Now it's every pig for itself.
44:34And not just pigs.
44:37Gulls know when it's feeding time too.
44:51Even stingrays join the party.
44:59The gathering lasts until the feeding is over.
45:05The pigs' intelligence created this tourist attraction.
45:11But it doesn't take a genius to know when all the food is gone.
45:31The search for intelligent life is taking our spy creatures to many ocean realms.
45:39But it's the reefs that provide shelter for a quarter of all marine life.
45:46Amongst all this abundance is spy crab.
45:57He's here to discover the social intelligence of a very special fish.
46:06But not all fish here are friendly.
46:12Just as well our crab has an armoured shell.
46:31Beyond the reef is our spy's subject of interest.
46:40Fish that have found a way to keep safe away from the protection of the reef.
46:54Our undercover crustacean will find out how they do it.
47:00The fish in question are saddleback clownfish.
47:03They use carpet anemones as their fortress and home.
47:10Its tentacles are laced with a deadly toxin.
47:14But the clownfish have acquired immunity.
47:18No predators dare come near.
47:25In return, the clownfish all muck in to keep the anemones spick and span.
47:40But no matter how well kept, no home is perfect.
47:47To raise a family, they need somewhere safe to lay their eggs.
47:52A bed of poison is hardly a nursery.
48:01So a search party sets off to find something more suitable.
48:08With spy crab following on behind.
48:16Plastics are the scourge of the ocean.
48:18But clownfish are keen on recycling.
48:22A flip-flop would make an ideal egg nursery.
48:26If only they could bring it back home.
48:45Even the enterprising clownfish have no use for a plastic bottle.
48:55They dispatch it as quickly as they can.
49:15They need something more sustainable.
49:20Another job for spy octopus.
49:34It has an environmentally friendly solution.
49:44Just what they were looking for.
49:54In an astonishing display of teamwork, they take the coconut shell to the anemone.
50:11Among fish, such close cooperation has rarely been filmed.
50:18They even tuck it into the safest spot in the anemone.
50:32But they have more work to do.
50:38A little wash and brush up is needed.
50:44Let egg-laying begin.
50:47Let egg-laying begin.
51:00A nursery at last.
51:15The male will tend the eggs, keeping them clean and well aerated.
51:27A week later, their young are ready to emerge.
51:32The reward for the clownfish's close cooperation.
51:37One where spy octopus played a part.
51:47As our spies discovered, sea creatures have many unique ways of thinking.
51:56But none match the intelligence of the biggest brains of all.
52:04Spy sperm whale was left on babysitting duties.
52:15It's now keeping watch on an increasingly restless calf.
52:27Another of its cameras reveals why he's excited.
52:33Below, his mother is returning.
52:38She's been away for many hours and her calf is hungry.
52:45He's heard his mother's unique call.
52:52Spy whale follows close behind.
52:58Even into the depths.
53:03Here, our spy captures the moment the mother positions herself vertically to feed her calf.
53:17Finally, he finds the spot.
53:20Only now does his mother release her milk.
53:28Instead of suckling, the calf drinks the milk as it flows into the water.
53:35It's so rich, even diluted, he only needs a little to be satisfied.
53:44Then his mother does something surprising.
53:48She positions herself the other way up.
53:52And claps the water with her tail.
54:11Each slab is a signal that carries for miles.
54:20One heard by families from far and wide.
54:51And it is a small nest.
55:05A family reunion that has rarely been filmed, one that includes our very own spy.
55:18From deep in the heart of the family, it now bears witness to something extraordinary.
55:29Siblings, cousins, aunts and grandmothers join together in a rare social event.
55:37A meeting of intelligent minds.
55:45But are their thoughts ones we might recognise?
55:51For they share the brain cells that help make us human.
55:56Specialised neurons that give us language, empathy and culture.
56:02They have more of these human-like cells than any animal on Earth.
56:07It seems they are deep in conversation.
56:13Even the calf joins in.
56:15But like human toddlers, for now, it's just baby talk.
56:23Within this incredible gathering, information is exchanged and bonds of friendship are strengthened.
56:32This rare event lasts only a few minutes before each group goes its separate ways.
56:40It was the calf's first meeting with his extended family.
56:48He rejoins his own family, who have now caught up on the local gossip.
56:58For now, our spy is still deep in their midst.
57:15Next time, our spies reveal the deep feelings found among the creatures of the ocean.
57:23To discover the origins of our own emotions.
57:32So it's clever animatronics, more spy in the ocean next Sunday evening at 7.
57:37Pressing red now, we'll take you to the fragile world of beauty and hostility that is Frozen Planet 2,
57:42with Sir David Attenborough on iPlayer.
57:45And stay with me for Scandinavian jewellery, along with props from the movie Blade Runner,
57:50in a new episode of Antiques Roadshow, next.
57:56The End
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