- 2 days ago
Orcas ram-raid the beaches, grabbing seal pups to feed their young. People gather the sea's bounty too, but these shores are not for the faint-hearted.
见证环绕着这片世所罕见之地的丰饶而险恶的海域。这是一段关于绵延4000英里、令人叹为观止的海岸线的故事：从合恩角寒冷而凶险的水域——勇敢的跳岩企鹅在那里克服重重困难养育后代——一直延伸到遥远的北方，那里巨大的象海豹在炎热的沙漠中为争夺地盘而激烈搏斗。
见证环绕着这片世所罕见之地的丰饶而险恶的海域。这是一段关于绵延4000英里、令人叹为观止的海岸线的故事：从合恩角寒冷而凶险的水域——勇敢的跳岩企鹅在那里克服重重困难养育后代——一直延伸到遥远的北方，那里巨大的象海豹在炎热的沙漠中为争夺地盘而激烈搏斗。
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00:03In a far corner of the earth is a South American wilderness.
00:15These extreme landscapes are home to strange and wonderful animals.
00:26From the rugged peaks of the Andes, across the scorched desert steppe, to coasts battered by some of the roughest
00:40seas on the planet.
00:44Living here takes guts and determination.
00:50There are incredible opportunities for some.
00:57For others, it's a battle to survive.
01:06A pioneering spirit unites them all under the spell of Patagonia.
01:23This is the story of a coastline over 4,000 miles long.
01:29From the bitter cold of the far south, forging northwards to the parched desert.
01:37For those that dare, these shores offer unmatched bounty.
01:47And the driving force behind these riches is the turbulent ocean.
02:09At Patagonia's southern extreme lies a rocky outcrop steeped in nautical legend.
02:18Cape Horn.
02:19Cape Horn.
02:27There have been 800 shipwrecks off the Horn, with a loss of more than 10,000 souls.
02:41This is where the Atlantic and the Pacific collide with the great southern ocean.
02:55This far south, there's no other land all the way around the planet.
03:05Nothing to stop the winds gaining speed, or the waves gathering height.
03:16In this vast world of water, the island of Los Estados is a vital refuge,
03:22home to one of the southern ocean's most heroic birds.
03:32A male rockhopper penguin stands guard over his chick, just one week old.
03:44The youngster has a huge appetite, but there's no food here.
03:51They're both waiting for Mum to return.
03:54She's fishing far out at sea.
04:02For the first three weeks of his chick's life, he must stay put, whatever the weather.
04:18The frequent storms are a reminder of just how close this island is to the Antarctic.
04:36Dad might look fed up, but he's got the easy job.
04:41His mate is returning from a day's foraging, at feeding grounds 15 miles out to sea.
04:54There's a big challenge ahead.
04:59On this jagged coastline, there's no easy way out.
05:21In such immense waves, crash landings are inevitable.
05:35With a belly full of food, like every mother here, this female is driven by a need to feed her
05:40chick.
05:45But each step is hard one.
06:03Thousands of rockhoppers make this journey each day, and the headland has attracted an unwelcome visitor.
06:20A huge male sea lion, a hundred times their size.
06:42Tossed around. The tiny birds do their best to avoid him.
06:46Tossed around. The tiny birds do their best to avoid him.
06:56They're on his hands.
07:04I don't want a neighbour living.
07:08He used to grow circle of guides so he dances to be a 작업 away.
07:22janit's principe of Grand Diddle lagg体, tags be afraid, there's been the shape of his sage.
07:30Each attack is a loss that will affect a whole family.
08:16She's conquered huge waves and faced down a monster, but before being reunited with
08:23her family, she still has a mountain to climb.
08:31It's a big ask for a bird that can't fly, standing less than two feet tall.
08:38But it's now that rockhoppers live up to their name.
08:48Incredibly strong toenails grip the rock.
08:56The beak makes a good climbing tool.
09:01The more experienced penguins make it look easy, but it's a steep learning curve.
09:16It takes youngsters a while to get the hang of it.
09:29Miss Judge it, and it's back to square one.
09:48At the top of the cliff, the going gets a little easier.
09:58She's following the footsteps of generations, forging deep tunnels through the tussock grass.
10:13These pathways connect around 20 different colonies spreading up the hillside.
10:20She's got to find her way through nearly half a million rockhoppers, but she knows where
10:25she's going, returning to the same colony each year.
10:33Unfortunately, that happens to be at the very top of the island.
10:54Finally, after a climb of over a mile, she's made it.
11:19And at last, it's time for dinner.
11:23It's a messy business.
11:25But the chick's not complaining.
11:43For the next two months, the devoted parents will share these duties.
11:49Until their chick is big enough to take to the ocean.
12:03Then they'll spend nearly half their lives at sea, further south than most humans ever dare
12:10to venture.
12:16Sailors of old who brave these southern latitudes had a saying.
12:20below 40 degrees south, there is no law.
12:25Below 50, there is no god.
12:31But there are those who choose to sail these seas at the end of the world.
12:44Puerto Toro, 55 degrees south, the most southerly permanent settlement on earth, home to just
12:53one family.
12:57But at the port, are migrant fishermen, who've travelled hundreds of miles to seek the riches
13:03of the far south.
13:27So, it's impossible to get out of the sea.
13:29So, it's impossible.
13:30We need to get up to the sea.
13:34We've been used here.
13:35We've spent 15 days here without working.
13:38So, we can't complain about that.
13:54Between them, Heriberto and his crew have almost a century of experience
13:59fishing the waters around Cape Horn.
14:02They're forever at the mercy of the weather.
14:06We always have to have respect to the sea.
14:08Because at any moment, it doesn't tell us.
14:16We have to ask them to go above.
14:22Well, the conditions are good.
14:24They must make the most of it.
14:34The crew will work, sleep, and live together on this small 7-meter boat for the whole season.
14:44Fishing for crabs.
15:29But there's an ultimate catch that really makes it worth the sacrifice.
15:39The centolla, or king crab, almost a meter across.
15:46A highly prized delicacy sold to restaurants around the world.
15:51A single crab can fetch over a hundred pounds.
16:07It's the turbulence of these seas that delivers such riches.
16:16Cold water flowing from the Antarctic is packed with nutrients, whipped to the surface by
16:22the wind and waves.
16:28And there's another huge reason these waters are super fertile.
16:37North of Cape Horn, there are mountains covered in glaciers.
16:59Each is a titanic force, scouring deep trenches in the rock on its drive towards the sea.
17:18This releases millions of tons of sediment into the water, staining it with minerals.
17:42Beneath the surface, a vast forest of giant kelp.
17:50Fed by nutrients from the glaciers, the kelp can reach heights of over 30 meters tall,
17:56and offers shelter from the strong ocean currents.
18:01This underwater world holds enough different species to rival a forest on land.
18:23An adult king crab is built big enough to deal with the strong currents out at sea.
18:32But it takes baby king crabs five years before they're fully grown.
18:42For this youngster, the kelp is a precious nursery full of strange neighbors.
19:01Life here is not without its dangers.
19:13But there are plenty of places to hide.
19:18And in water fed by the glaciers, there's an endless supply of food.
19:40From these giant kelp forests, the mineral-rich waters flow out into the open ocean.
19:58Here they meet a mass of cold water that sweeps up from the Antarctic.
20:07This creates a super-fertile mix that surges northwards as the great Malvinas current.
20:15Flowing over a thousand miles from Cape Horn up the east coast of Patagonia,
20:21this is the driving force of life along these shores.
20:29The days are long here, creating the perfect conditions for one of the planet's most important life forms.
20:38Phytoplankton.
20:41Individually, the algae are microscopic, but together they form blooms so big,
20:47they can be seen from space.
21:08This is the starting point for one of the most extraordinary food chains on Earth.
21:22Anchovies, a huge shoal.
21:27A potential feast for sea lions.
21:43But with thousands of fish moving as one, the size of the shoal is bewildering.
21:53The arrival of a pod of dusky dolphins changes the odds.
22:01They work as a team, breaking up the fish into smaller groups.
22:11And all the hunters benefit.
22:24Fully fed, it's time for the sea lions to head for shore.
22:33It's the same story for hundreds of miles up the coast.
22:41Waiting for this female.
22:44Her pup.
22:46Just two months old.
22:55She's been at sea for three days.
22:58And her pup's ravenous for her milk.
23:05For the next few days, she'll remain on shore.
23:09Joining almost 20,000 others in one of the largest gatherings of sea lions in the Southern Hemisphere.
23:23With plenty of food offshore, and miles of isolated beaches, this seems the perfect nursery.
23:42At low tide, a large reef protects the beach from the open ocean.
23:51This creates natural swimming pools.
23:54Calm, safe waters for the pups to learn to swim.
24:10With most mums out fishing, it's up to those here to keep an eye on the pups.
24:27But the rising tide means their world is about to change.
24:43Bringing the open ocean uncomfortably close.
25:10A killer whale.
25:15The pups have never seen anything like it.
25:24At first, they're curious, and head straight back into the shallows.
25:36Not recognizing the danger until it's too late.
25:43A killer whale.
25:43But a killer whale needs to bowisations.
25:46A killer whale can't catch at home.
25:49Well that goes inliga.
25:49encara hoars together there.
25:54So, that's what we can get.
25:54All set?
26:03No chicken cells.
26:06Back to theحمników.
26:09The fire riot
26:22This mother understands the threat.
26:28She constantly checks above and below the surface.
26:32But there's too many pups to get them all to safety.
26:37She can only use herself as a shield.
26:55This time, her bravery pays off.
27:17The orca is not a lung killer.
27:23She's a mom, too, teaching her own family how to hunt.
27:32This is a highly specialized technique that it's taken her years to master.
27:57By swimming sideways, the orcas can keep their dorsal fins hidden.
28:11The family falls silent as they approach the shore.
28:17They must maintain an element of surprise.
28:33An incoming wave propels her forward for the final strike.
28:48But only around one in ten attempts ends in success.
28:57With every strike, she puts her own life at risk.
29:08Get it wrong, and she'll be stranded on the beach.
29:38Only a handful of orcas in the world have perfected this way.
29:56For the orca family, it's a short window of opportunity.
30:03The pups soon wise up to the danger.
30:05And the orcas will head back out to the open sea.
30:16All along the Patagonian coast, those that succeed are those prepared to do things differently.
30:28Almost a thousand miles north of Cape Horn, the Malvinas current is still the driving force of life along these
30:36shores.
30:40Sheltered from the open ocean by the huge Peninsula Valdez, is the vast bay of San Jose.
31:01Very few people live here.
31:03Those that do turn to the sea for their livelihood.
31:09Lucas del Rio has a job that brings him face to face with the wealth of the ocean.
31:19When you wake up in the morning, you open the curtains of your house and you have the sea there.
31:27What a museum? I have a museum for 17 years ago.
31:36So every day you find something new and every day you find something new.
31:47Unlike most divers, Lucas and his crew don't use oxygen tanks.
31:53Instead, the air they need to breathe is pumped from a compressor through fragile tubes.
32:09They have to make sure the tubes don't snag or tear, diving down 20 meters for a hidden bounty.
32:22Mussels, or Cholga, as they're known around here.
32:31No hay maquinas, no hay nada.
32:33O sea, todo se saca mano.
32:34O sea.
32:39Hijo.
32:40I am here the man, the sea, and the морais.
32:49Harvesting like this means that Lucas and his crew can work side by side with nature.
32:54Since there are others fishing in the bay.
33:05A pod of dusky dolphins come to investigate.
33:17Banging on the hull of the boat lets the divers know the dolphins are here.
33:27They are not unwelcome, but the divers must make sure the dolphins keep away from their
33:32breathing tubes.
33:39And there's another inquisitive visitor.
34:08Over 600 southern right whales returned to the bay.
34:12The whales come to the sea each year, following the Malvinas current north from their feeding
34:16grounds in the south.
34:22Lucas and his crew are careful not to dive in places where the whales are present.
34:26But the whales sometimes approach out of curiosity.
34:50The divers are lucky enough to share the bay with one of the biggest nurseries of southern
34:55right whales in the world.
35:01Over 100 new calves are born here each year.
35:14These calm and warm waters are perfect for the baby whales.
35:22But for other visitors to these shores, the growing heat of Patagonia's northern reaches
35:27puts them way out of their comfort zone.
35:42elephant seals spend most of the year in the cold waters of the southern seas.
35:49It's the rich feeding grounds offshore that brings these elephant seals so far north.
35:58Over 15,000 females come here to give birth, enduring temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius.
36:11Presiding over them, a huge solitary male, the beach master.
36:25This is his hareem, and he has mating rights over all these females.
36:31A position he must fight to keep.
36:38Soon after giving birth, the females are ready to mate again.
36:42And this hasn't gone unnoticed.
36:50A rival male, chancing his luck.
36:57He's almost ten times bigger than the female.
37:00And she has little say in the matter.
37:05But he's taking a huge risk.
37:27Despite weighing almost four tons, the beach master is surprisingly nimble.
37:33She's occasionally been combusted for Obrigidougen.
37:40Plus, he went down in the water!
37:41Me about this!
37:46Averted crews!
37:49Once, keep moving over immediately.
37:50And here it will come back.
37:50Are you driving nearly all the time?
37:51Come on and thejilloosan's arrival!
37:52They've modified.
37:54Booktro campaign a execution in the distance!
37:57Going further it away.
37:57Yeah, you are freaking out.
38:01It's this next game.
38:02You will go away.
38:03sends the intruder packing the beach master needs to choose his battles
38:23wisely for the next two months he cannot leave the beach to feed or he'll lose
38:30his dream he must survive on his fat reserves but the six inches of blubber he carries are
38:40stifling in this heat so he has to see off the competition using as little effort as possible
39:09most rivals try to keep a low profile
39:17but this can be tricky when you're the size of a large car
39:41for most a nod or a roar from the beach master is enough
39:50but he's not getting a second to relax and it's starting to take its toll
40:12dawn brings a real contender
40:21fresh from the water he's not here to sneak around
40:27he's here for the beach master's throne
40:56has the beach master met his man
41:05at full height they stand almost 10 feet tall
41:11neither is prepared to back down
41:28every single blow saps energy
41:45their thick blubber does not protect against canines three inches long
42:01the beach master starts to gain the upper hand
42:13the beach master starts to gain the upper hand
42:23despite weeks without food or rest this time his experience wins out
42:45every single fight leaves its mark and the season isn't over yet
42:55but for now a moment to enjoy his victory
43:06under his care a harim that's part of one of the biggest elephant seal colonies
43:20on earth
43:22surging north from here the influence of the Malvinas current finally begins to fade
43:31but the power of the sea draws one last visitor to Patagonia's northern shores
43:39these soft sandstone cliffs are buffeted by the wind and the waves
43:47creating the ideal conditions for borrowing parrots
44:07the parrots have flown over a thousand miles south from Uruguay
44:11swapping their tropical home for this exposed stretch of coast
44:17over 70,000 birds return here every year
44:21making this the biggest gathering of parrots
44:24anywhere on the planet
44:38safely tucked away inside borrows extending three meters into the cliff face
44:42the parrots have chicks to raise
44:48and it's up to the males
44:50to keep them fed
44:56the sea here still offers plenty of food
45:00but that's not used to a parrot
45:04so the males head in that
45:18there's very little rain this far north
45:20and it's too dry for trees
45:30sometimes the parrots have to travel nearly 50 miles to find shrubs and grasses to feed on
45:47there are few natural sources of water
45:54luckily up here wilderness gives way to farmland and the parrots take advantage
46:03this slow trickle isn't going to sustain a flock of thousands
46:07all with chicks to feed
46:12on this unusually still day the water pump needs a little encouragement
46:35now they can drink their fill
46:44it's thirsty work having to travel so far for food and water
46:50and it's a journey the parrots make four times a day
47:00but it's worth the effort
47:07these cliffs make such a good nesting spot
47:09almost all the world's population of burrowing parrots come here to raise their young
47:18and being part of such a huge flock helps keep them safe
47:24even from aerial attacks
47:29a peregrine falcon
47:31the fastest predator on earth
47:43but they've got a way of dealing with her
47:48as more and more parrots piling they face their challenger head-on
47:54they face their challenger head-on
48:18there are benefits to being part of a crowd
48:27and crowds don't get bigger than this
48:43all the way along the coast
48:44from cape horn to the northern reaches of patagonia
48:48life is defined by the power of the sea
49:14north of here the influence of the great malvinas current fades
49:20and so too does the spirit of patagonia
49:32patagonia may be too harsh and unforgiving for most
49:36but there are opportunities for those brave enough to take on the challenges
49:41and do things a little differently
50:01the survivors
50:03the pioneers
50:06and the mavericks that call patagonia home
50:27the most challenging experience of team was in patagonia's far south
50:31filming the rock hopper penguins on the island of los estados
50:38researcher anthony piper
50:39cameraman paul stewart and producer evie wright
50:42are the first bbc crew to be given access to the island in nearly 40 years
50:50at the helm is skipper henk boesma
50:57it takes over 20 hours to reach los estados
51:00a chance for evie to fill paul in on what lies ahead
51:04the description of a british naval expedition in the 1700s
51:08he says that the tierra del fuego had an aspect extremely barren and desolate
51:13yet this island far surpasses it in the wildness and horror of its appearance
51:18wow
51:22to reach los estados they must cross the infamous straits of la mer
51:27the 20 mile channel that separates the island from the mainland
51:33strong currents make this one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world
51:37and it doesn't make for comfortable sailing
51:48after very little sleep the team arrives at 4am
51:58as hank departs so does the crews lifeline to the outside world
52:02remember us please come back
52:09left alone the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead begins to dawn on the crew
52:16they have nearly a ton of equipment and it all has to be moved on foot
52:22it's not long before they find their first penguin
52:26but it's the wrong species
52:28a lone king penguin rather than the half a million rockhoppers they're here to film
52:41first things first the crew set up a base camp a shelter for storing kit and provisions
52:46so there's like the restrictive things are across the flighty
52:50so there's a lot of people in the world
52:51but maybe the fly is the wrong way round
52:56we're going to put a lot of unbelievably heavy cases in there so
52:59yeah so the worst that's going to happen is the top is just going to rip off
53:03yeah that's it
53:05having established base camp it's time to find the rockhoppers
53:10they know where the penguins ought to be
53:12thanks to advice from a team of Argentinian scientists
53:17after a steep two-hour hike they find exactly what they're looking for
53:29and set up a second camp nearby
53:37over several days Paul captures the dedication required to be a male rockhopper penguin
53:43protecting their chicks at the nest and rooted to the spot
53:51caracaras on the lookout for an unattended chick
53:54don't make their job any easier
54:08but this is only half the story
54:10the crew also need to film the females returning from sea
54:15this is like crossing through a Dr. Seuss landscape isn't it?
54:18it's ridiculous
54:21getting through the tussock grass is proving less easy for people than it is for penguins
54:26you get the feeling you never make exactly the same journey twice
54:29you carry on
54:45reaching the headland is worth the effort
54:50Los estados is a protected provincial reserve under Argentinian law
54:55the crew are amongst the privileged few lucky enough to ever come here
55:02because of this most of the rockhoppers have probably never encountered people before
55:07and they're more curious than afraid
55:12isn't everyone doing what you're looking at Paul
55:17but determined to feed their chicks
55:19the female penguins aren't going to let a pesky film crew get in the way
55:27because of the difficult terrain
55:29the team have had to keep the generator needed for charging batteries
55:32back at base camp
55:36so Anthony is walking more than six hours a day to keep the cameras rolling
55:40just going to head to pick up the batteries and then yeah going back to base camp
55:47and then back here in the morning
55:48bye Ant, take care
55:51good luck
55:54unusually for Patagonia there have been several days of relative calm and sunshine
56:00but that's all about to change
56:03just left Evian
56:05fall at the rock of the landing spot and it was beautiful weather
56:08but here it can turn in bits
56:10and that's what's happened
56:12it's really windy
56:14it's hailing
56:17so it's properly started snowing now
56:20for Anthony, covering so much of the island every day
56:23and alone, the experience is beginning to take a toll
56:26the winds have picked up even more
56:28this is not going to be nice
56:32it's actually not too bad
56:35it's just got sunny
56:36and nice
56:39can't film my feet now
56:41could be
56:42the tent isn't really holding up very well
56:45I'm not sure it isn't really
56:46by the end of the trip
56:48Anthony will have climbed the equivalent of scaling Everest
56:51and lost a stone and a half in weight
56:55hello
56:58the snow was pretty intense late last night
57:07the bad weather means Paul can capture a true picture of what rockhoppers must go through to care for their
57:13chicks
57:18but there's a big problem
57:20we've now got a massive storm rolling in
57:24and it's actually hailing
57:24it's just been thundering and lightning
57:27Henk's due to return with the boat
57:29but he can't make the crossing in seas this rough
57:32leaving the team stranded on the island
57:38with everyone now back at the base camp on the beach
57:41there's a break in the weather
57:42but there's no guarantee Henk has been able to set sail
57:49food supplies are running low
57:54safe sailing
57:55see you tomorrow
57:55bye
57:57yes
57:58it's good news
58:03as for everyone who worked on the Patagonia series
58:05Los Estados has had a lasting impression on Anthony
58:11I can't actually believe we're going home
58:14even though it's one hell of a climb
58:17yeah this place has got a strange hold on me now
58:20I'm gonna miss it
58:22the crew have been given a privileged glimpse into the persistence
58:26and endurance it takes to carve a life for itself
58:30at the edge of the earth
58:42well scouring the ends of the earth to find the best bits
58:45Russell Howard's bringing us all the good news over on BBC 3 now
58:49while here next on BBC 2 it's Newsnight
58:52the end of the year
58:53for it's the end of the year
58:54the sound of the outside
58:54of that
58:55as the map of the lake
58:56the back of the south
58:57and the north