- 1 week ago
Out of the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean rises the Olympic peninsula. Its rugged coastline, rain-drenched forests, and high summits are teaming with wildlife. The Olympic peninsula one of most diverse National Parks in North America.
• 多样化的生态系统：从冰川覆盖的高山峰顶（如奥林匹克山）向下延伸，涵盖温带原始雨林以及长达73英里崎岖不平的太平洋海岸线。
• 野生动物：重点展示了罗斯福马鹿、海狮、灰鲸、向日葵海星和秃鹰等本土标志性物种。
片中还介绍了栖息于此的各种动物，从雄伟的虎鲸到顽皮的河獭，应有尽有。除此之外——包括其中一些捕猎场景在内——内容上并无新意或特别惊艳之处。
• 多样化的生态系统：从冰川覆盖的高山峰顶（如奥林匹克山）向下延伸，涵盖温带原始雨林以及长达73英里崎岖不平的太平洋海岸线。
• 野生动物：重点展示了罗斯福马鹿、海狮、灰鲸、向日葵海星和秃鹰等本土标志性物种。
片中还介绍了栖息于此的各种动物，从雄伟的虎鲸到顽皮的河獭，应有尽有。除此之外——包括其中一些捕猎场景在内——内容上并无新意或特别惊艳之处。
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:02Beyond its raw energy, Olympic National Park wows you with something only it can boast.
00:10Three enormous parks in one.
00:14Remote Pacific coastline, dense rainforest, and rugged mountain wilderness.
00:21But few witness the beat of this park's wild heart when drama unfolds in sea or sky.
00:30It's a place where giants roam, primal instincts spur grueling journeys,
00:38and stars shine in unexpected places while killers lurk in the deep.
00:44Discover life behind the scenes in this unique adventure inside Olympic National Park.
01:16Beyond the breaking surf, the coastline of Olympic National Park may look calm,
01:21but just offshore, trouble is brewing.
01:27It's a pod of killer whales.
01:29To survive in these frigid waters, an adult can burn 200,000 calories a day,
01:34which means orcas always need to hunt.
01:41With their keen senses, they know what's going on for miles around them.
01:46And they've set their sights on a nearby colony of stellar sea lions.
01:52Sea lions are safe while lounging on the rocks where they breed and raise their young.
01:59But in the water, they have to watch their backs.
02:03Their energy-rich blubber makes them desired prey.
02:11Too late, they sense the danger.
02:14Out swimming the whales is impossible.
02:17Being faster than a fellow sea lion is the only ticket to survival.
02:21But this gang of orcas rolls fast and furious,
02:24the largest warm-blooded apex predators in the oceans.
02:28They have no intention of going hungry.
02:39The whales are masters of the sneak attack before charging in for the kill.
02:48They thrash their victim senseless or toss him in the air until he weakens.
02:57A half-ton sea lion is no match for a 10-ton killer whale.
03:01But a nasty hit like this still takes teamwork.
03:22Drowning puts an end to the misery.
03:29Water is Olympic National Park's lifeline.
03:33It's a home, a freeway, and a 24-hour diner for the creatures that thrive in its three diverse environments,
03:41from ocean to rainforest to mountaintop.
03:48The park's isolation by the sea keeps it wild and untraveled, unless you're heading inland on a seasonal passport.
03:57Already during the winter, the first coho or silver salmon hurtle their way upstream to spawning grounds, deep in the
04:04park's old-growth rainforests.
04:13It's a punishing journey, and it's taken the salmon a couple of years to grow strong enough to leap many
04:19feet into the air, like true Olympic athletes.
04:23But the drive to reproduce is a powerful motivator.
04:37Some obstacles are deadlier than others.
04:43Like a female black bear doing some evening fishing when her fur is less visible to the sharp-eyed salmon.
04:51She has to be patient and strike quickly.
05:07A successful catch means this mother can share a rich, high-calorie meal with her two hungry cubs instead of
05:15foraging for plants or insects.
05:18Right now, food is everywhere.
05:22But the season's first salmon runs provide the best source of protein for the bear family.
05:33Fattening up now will help everyone get through next winter's hibernation.
05:42And with a family now well-sated, some lucky coho can speed on through, guided the final miles to their
05:49native streams by their sense of smell.
05:54For the salmon that make it home, life isn't getting any easier.
05:59They've got to sneak by some unwelcomed and probably ravenous company.
06:04It's a family of North American river otters caught up in daily rituals.
06:12They groom their thick, waterproof fur to keep them insulated in cold water.
06:22They take time to play, rest, or daydream on the river bank.
06:26The coho may just get by unscathed.
06:31After racing for miles, he crosses the finish line.
06:39Meanwhile, the river otters are aware that something's fishy here.
06:45Chances are, it's mealtime.
06:48It's mealtime.
07:03Otters are expert swimmers, gliding through water with webbed feet and powerful tails.
07:10And fish are a favorite food.
07:16But the coho haven't swum this far to become someone's dinner.
07:29Too slow to outrun a hunter, this 10-pound salmon will make a feast for the otter and his entire
07:36family.
07:41Otters have a high metabolism, so they have to eat almost a fifth of their weight every day to generate
07:47proper body heat.
07:53As long as there's enough food, they're at home in almost any water environment.
08:06When it's time to relax, otters aren't beyond busting a few quirky moves.
08:23The scent marking isn't a way of claiming territory as it is for many carnivores.
08:28It's just their way of telling others they're in the hood.
08:47But look to the sky, and Mount Olympus makes it clear this isn't just any old walk in the woods.
08:54The park is more than four times the size of New York City.
09:02Nearly 600 square miles of old-growth trees soak up more than 12 feet of rainfall each year.
09:13Plants and wildlife found nowhere else on Earth have made Olympic such an exceptional park that UNESCO designated it as
09:21a World Heritage Site.
09:25This is also the home of the world's largest unmanaged herds of Roosevelt elk.
09:35They're named after Teddy Roosevelt, the president who set aside this area as a national monument in 1909 to save
09:43the declining herds.
09:44Now they protect the rainforest by browsing on undergrowth, making room for new plants and animals.
09:58But this half-ton bull isn't someone you want to butt heads with.
10:0560 different species of mammals live in forests they help maintain.
10:12Even the smallest do their part.
10:16When a squirrel eats a fir cone, it scatters seeds.
10:19It's one way new generations of Douglas fir or Sitka spruce get their start.
10:27The cycles of new and old growth keep this forest healthy.
10:33So do Olympic's vast networks of fresh water.
10:40And its protected status keeps it safe from commercial clear cutting.
10:44The timber harvesting that wiped out much of the old growth forest beyond the park.
10:56Back on the coast, it's nesting season for America's national symbol, the bald eagle.
11:02And for this new father, life has suddenly gotten busy.
11:06Adult eagles don't have to eat every day.
11:09But their young do.
11:12Protected by his mother and well-fed, the eaglet can gain more than a pound every four days.
11:19The chick is only a few days old, doing what all babies do best, eat and eliminate.
11:29Being a good provider takes a sharp eye to spot the prey.
11:34And the skills of a fighter pilot to snare it.
11:38Today, that may mean a showdown with a rival hunter.
11:47A true opportunist, the eagle takes advantage of a raft of sea lions stirring up supper.
11:57It's herring season on the Olympic Peninsula, a free-for-all for anyone who swims or flies.
12:07A scavenger like a bald eagle probably won't attack live sea lions.
12:12But he won't hesitate to steal their food if he can.
12:24The sea lions team up for an assault.
12:31While the fish do their best to leap out of harm's way.
12:43It's time for the eagle to seize the moment.
12:52With a quick swipe of the talons, he collects his catch.
12:57A lucky break, because it's been estimated that eagles snare prey only once every 18 tries.
13:07Guarded with tented wings, the snack will have to pacify the greedy chick for now.
13:16Harsh winds and strong pacific currents constantly shape the Olympic National Park's dramatic landscape.
13:24Creating spectacular formations like Point of the Arches.
13:38This 73 mile long stretch of wilderness is one of the longest undeveloped coastlines in the lower 48.
13:55Most visitors experience only a fraction of the park's secret life.
14:01Because so much of the action happens underwater.
14:11Ochre sea stars lie low in the tidal pools.
14:21They're a key species here, because they keep the mussel population in check.
14:26And that keeps rocky real estate available for anemones and other small sea animals.
14:36But beauties can have a beastly sight.
14:40This sunflower sea star has a three foot wide arm span and a taste for sea urchin.
14:52This one is hunting.
14:54It has 15,000 tube feet with suction for grasping victims.
15:00If need be, it can shoot its stomach outside its mouth to digest larger prey whole.
15:12Just offshore, the shallow coastal waters are also a refuge for marine mammals, such as the sea lions that hang
15:20out on the rocks.
15:25Or hunt beneath the sea, here in their own enchanted forest.
15:33The kelp beds are several stories deep.
15:48There are seals, and the animal you might call the keeper of the kelp beds, the sea otter.
15:58They prey on clams, abalone, and sea urchins.
16:03Without them, small undersea life would overgraze, destroying the kelp forests that feed and protect marine mammals.
16:16It's rare to see a mother and pup with a male escort.
16:19Males are often a threat to the pair, and might even keep the pup hostage until the female surrenders her
16:25food.
16:29For many years, being an otter was risky business.
16:35They have the densest fur of any mammal.
16:39By the early 1900s, they'd been hunted to extinction here on the Olympic coast, and only a few thousand existed
16:46worldwide.
16:51Sea otters were reintroduced to the region in 1969.
16:56They're still endangered, but rebounding thanks to recovery efforts.
17:10Today, nearly a thousand otters are getting by here, with a little help from their friends.
17:28Gray whales were also hit hard by overharvesting, but now they're back in force.
17:35As the seasons change, they lead their calves north from Mexico to feeding grounds in the Bering Sea.
17:45The calves are only three months old, and already marathon swimmers in one of the world's longest known mammal migrations.
17:58It's more than 10,000 miles to their destination.
18:02A perilous trip, even for the adults.
18:12Because there are killers on the loose.
18:15Transient orcas.
18:17The only enemies smart and strong enough to turn a gray whale's journey into a nightmare.
18:25And they're closing in on the pod.
18:32Off the coast of the park, a pack of transient orcas hunting together can overpower even the largest animal on
18:39Earth, the blue whale.
18:41But they also go after the grays with a vengeance.
18:46If they can, gray whales will escape to extremely shallow water beyond the breakers.
18:52They're in their comfort zone here, where the orcas can't drown them.
18:57The killer whales might trap him here, but hiding was probably a good move on the part of this male.
19:06But the transients are already homing in on another target.
19:13Orcas stalk their prey to exhaustion in high-speed, long-distance chases.
19:18They can easily wear out an adult gray whale, much less a young calf.
19:40As they close in, the mother thrusts her powerful tail at the orcas, trying in vain to drive them away.
19:50Can a lone female really outmaneuver this group of thugs?
20:02Wrapping a protective fin around her calf, she tries one last time to shield him.
20:14But the orcas ran his flanks.
20:17Using their weight, they force him deeper and hold him till he drowns.
20:32The calf didn't stand a chance.
20:42Tired and demoralized, the mother gray fought hard.
20:46Now saving herself is the only option.
20:51Far from this battleground, and beyond the rainforest, spring has finally reached the park's upper reaches.
20:57The Olympic Mountains.
21:01Alpine meadows are snow-free and ready for new life.
21:09Unlike any of the biospheres below, this third park within a park is all unforgiving edge.
21:16And its overlord is Mount Olympus.
21:21At a mile and a half high, it's the tallest peak in the park's glacier-studded range, which has protected
21:28wilderness.
21:35It's a panorama most visitors see only from the heights of Hurricane Ridge.
21:42But far from prying eyes, drama is brewing.
21:47The warm weather has awoken Olympic marmots, ravenous after months of hibernation.
21:54It's not too early to pack on the pounds that will get them through the next winter.
22:01These rodents may be the most extroverted mammals in the park.
22:09Adults are about the size of house cats.
22:16These little guys are world famous.
22:20Olympic marmots evolved in this park and live nowhere else.
22:26But they're not immune to predators.
22:31And nothing can ruin their day like a young bald eagle on a hunt.
22:43Like good eagle scouts, marmots do prepare for eagles.
22:50Guard duty is serious business.
22:57This piercing whistle sends an urgent message to the colony.
23:06Run for cover.
23:07Now.
23:15One youngster is oblivious to the danger, despite the repeated alarms.
23:20It's a mistake that could cost him his life.
23:29The hunting eagle is hot on the marmot's heels.
23:32But he lucks out and makes a narrow escape.
23:37Timing is everything.
23:44Today, it's marmots one, eagle zero, here in the Alpine Meadow.
23:50Let no one underestimate the survival skills of the little guys.
24:00A bird's eye view of the Olympic mountain range shows the upside to nature's upheaval.
24:08The peninsula was shaped by the collision of tectonic plates, then by massive glaciers, all creating the dramatic features that
24:17makes this one of America's most geographically diverse parks.
24:33Here, too, water contributes to the park's visual magic.
24:37But at these elevations, it's frozen in hundreds of stunning glaciers, many of them active.
24:58In July, the Alpine Meadows come into full bloom.
25:03Even the black-tailed deer from the forest hike up for a meal with a view, vexing the year-round
25:10residents.
25:15For this very brief season, life at altitude is lush.
25:20Not so in a few more weeks.
25:24Marmots are among the few that brave the harsh early winters here.
25:28Some have already doubled their weight and will soon disappear down their burrows.
25:41But winter's icy breath has a lighter touch in the lower reaches of the park.
25:51Down here, on the west side, the misty hills are a sign that summer is still in full swing.
26:02Rainfall drenches these temperate forests, making Olympic one of the wettest spots in the U.S.
26:18Native Americans hunted and fished here thousands of years before European explorers arrived.
26:28And water, and the life that thrives around it, are still honored in tribal culture.
26:38One legend holds that when humankind was placed on Earth, water volunteered itself as a gift to help us survive.
26:58At low tide, someone is looking for a quick snack.
27:08Usually that means plants, but black bears are omnivores, good at sniffing out a meal almost anywhere.
27:17They're not picky. Huckleberries in season, insects, young tree bark and salmon, once they return in the fall.
27:25On today's menu, fresh crabs.
27:33Handling them takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, you're in for some gourmet dining.
27:45The shells are a rich source of calcium for the old bear.
27:51And that's doubly true for these growing cubs.
27:54They're on their first crabbing expedition with mom further up the coast.
28:11Like any good mother, she places a high priority on their education.
28:16They'll need skill and instinct to survive once they're on their own more than a year from now.
28:24So it's time to watch and learn from the best.
28:29But sometimes, dipping your paws into something new, especially something that can pinch back, takes a little nudging.
28:39First try, no luck.
28:48His bolder sibling is a quick study and savors the taste of success.
28:57But maybe they'll be leftovers.
29:04This mother may be a strict taskmaster, but she'll never let her cubs go hungry or stray into harm's way.
29:14Suddenly, she's on high alert.
29:18And for good reason.
29:29An adult male is a serious threat to bear cubs.
29:36These cubs may belong to a rival.
29:38And he might kill and even eat them.
29:44Time to make a safe getaway.
29:50But a mouthwatering feast distracts the hungry male.
29:55Harbor seals, trying not to lose their cool.
30:00So far offshore, there's no way he can get to them.
30:05But these roving gangsters are always out for fast food.
30:09And they can.
30:13Trying to outrun a killer whale isn't a smart strategy for seals.
30:18Going into hiding in the dense kelp forests is.
30:24Transient orcas are great at terrorizing the neighborhood.
30:27The web of tangled kelp may conceal the seal from the sharp sonar vision of the whales.
30:33He's safe for now, but puzzled by a new trespasser.
30:38It's a research ROV dropping into a deep water canyon just north of the park in the Strait of Juan
30:44de Fuca.
30:49The ocean floor is an alien world full of creatures that go bump in the night.
30:55Like this plain fin midshipman.
31:04But the only way to explore the abyss is by submarine.
31:12This ratfish, or chimera, is out hunting for food like he's been doing for millions of years.
31:19While the plain fin midshipman digs in to avoid looking like a meal, he attracts his own prey with his
31:26luminous spots.
31:30The ratfish doesn't give him the time of day.
31:34He may be looking for shellfish, some crabs or shrimp.
31:43But the plain fin midshipman isn't taking any chances.
31:51Some call the ratfish a ghost shark for his otherworldly glow and enormous spooky eyes.
31:57His ancestors were around long before the dinosaurs.
32:02But can still strike like lightning when an unsuspecting victim comes his way.
32:10He must be doing something right.
32:12He hasn't changed his look or his ways in 150 million years.
32:20There are bright spots in this sea of darkness.
32:25But it's a place where terror can strike anyone, anytime.
32:35In the form of 12-foot monsters with massive jaws, such as the spiny dogfish.
32:44Or the six-gill sharks that keep everyone on edge.
32:49The sharks birth and raise their young here in the canyon, then head for deeper waters beyond the coast.
32:56And the search for ocean life is left to science's roving eye.
33:03Up above and beyond the park's borders, the Pacific shows who's really at the helm.
33:10Near Cape Flattery and Tattoosh Island.
33:20Here at Washington's northwestern edge, the seas are always angry.
33:27But it's a surfer's paradise to this colony of common birth.
33:32They're sea birds that come ashore mainly to breed.
33:41It doesn't take them long to turn the sheer cliffs below the lighthouse into daycare for thousands of hatching eggs.
33:50Common myrrhs are faithful, not only to their mates, but also to their breeding grounds, as long as the ocean
33:57remains rich and bountiful.
34:01Nature has engineered their pear-shaped eggs to stay put on these cliffsides, even in high winds.
34:07They can spin, but won't roll, and always return to perfect balance.
34:14Only minutes old, this chick is already famished.
34:24But as long as the hatchlings get enough to eat, it's all good for the adults.
34:32High on the bluff, our baby eagle is now almost seven weeks old and still needs constant care.
34:38In two months, he'll be ready to leave the nest for good.
34:47This historic lighthouse stands at the tip of Tattoosh Island.
34:52It's isolation a magnet for nesting birds like the eagle.
34:59But live and let live is not how eagles see things, so even their feathered neighbors are potential prey.
35:07Neither parent nor chick realizes they're under attack.
35:13And by the time they do, it may be too late.
35:23Hungry eagles will always go for the expedient kill.
35:27It's nothing personal.
35:30But with no place to hide, that makes MERS the perfect marks.
35:38In no time, it's total mayhem.
35:43The eagles are out to prove who's at the top of the food chain.
35:49Without a doubt, there are going to be casualties.
35:56Especially among the most vulnerable.
36:10The invaders show no mercy.
36:12They raid the colony with razor-sharp beaks and talons.
36:16And make off with the doomed.
36:26Almost powerless to defend themselves, the MERS can only mourn their losses.
36:39Against all odds, this little chick escaped harm and learned his first lesson in survival.
36:52Eagle chicks face different challenges.
36:54They grow at a faster rate than any other North American bird.
36:58And need a lot of food.
37:02It takes five years for the fledgling chick to become a sexually mature adult.
37:07That's when he'll develop his distinctive white head and tail feathers.
37:11And his magnificent plumage.
37:16No one said the path to national celebrity would be easy.
37:26In early October, the first major storms signal that autumn is here.
37:32It's the season when the peninsula's normally turbulent seas pound the Olympic coastline with extra fury.
38:04But even in such brutal conditions, nature adapts.
38:09Nature adapts.
38:09Nature adapts.
38:10But even in such brutal conditions, nature adapts.
38:10And there's a method to her madness.
38:14In the storm's wake, the Strait of Juan de Fuca enjoys a little calm.
38:19And a gift sent in on the tide for the area's resident orcas, salmon.
38:24So today, they're going fishing.
38:28Unlike the transient orcas, residents don't hunt or eat marine mammals, just fish.
38:35They're following the autumn migration of Chinook, or King Salmon, to freshwater spotting grounds.
38:43The leader of this pod is a matriarch thought to be more than a hundred years old.
38:53The salmon are heading for the park's coastal rivers.
39:01That is, if they can end run a pod of whales with huge appetites and a system.
39:09The orcas work together using hunting techniques passed down over generations.
39:31They coordinate the attack with high-pitched vocalizations and stun the fish with tail flukes before pouncing on their movable
39:39feast.
39:58It's a good day to be a resident.
40:01And like their transient cousins, they too seem to celebrate their success.
40:11But each group's specialized feeding habits may be the reason that they don't clash over prey.
40:21Thanks to sheer numbers, many King Salmon do make it to their native estuaries to spawn.
40:27After years at sea, some weigh up to 50 pounds.
40:31They're the largest of Olympic's five species, all with different migration patterns.
40:39The salmon make their last stand here, moving further upstream, laying and fertilizing eggs at intervals.
40:48The longer they spend in fresh water, the weaker they get.
40:52Most, most die soon after spawning and become food for animals downstream.
41:04Others, like the American Dipper, make good use of the salmon migrations, diving to steal their eggs and larvae.
41:15Each female Chinook lays about 5,000 eggs, timing her deposits to give her young the best chance at survival.
41:25But many of these tiny salmon fry will never mature and make it out to sea.
41:30Their huge nests are easy to find and would lead any hungry bird into temptation.
41:44But for all the casualties across this vast park, there are far more success stories playing out in isolated currents
41:52and cascades from sea to summit.
41:57Dramas hidden from all but the most adventurous eyes.
42:01Every autumn, the Roosevelt elk climb up to the mountains.
42:06It's mating season, and this rugged terrain is the perfect setting for seduction.
42:17This bull may look macho with his massive antlers, but will his love songs win him any hearts?
42:27Heads are turning, and hooves will follow.
42:31It's clear he knows how to impress.
42:35But a black bear could cramp his style.
42:41Best to rally the harem and head for the hills.
42:47He could care less.
42:49His only plan is to eat his fill of high-energy power food, ripe and juicy berries.
42:57With months of hibernation looming, who wouldn't take the time for a little more binging?
43:06All too soon, winter is here.
43:11Pacific winds surge through the mountains, dropping temperatures below freezing.
43:17Life at the top has closed its doors for the season.
43:21And the stragglers know it's time to leave the mountains to their brooding.
43:29Others will seek the less hostile climate of distant shorelines.
43:36And winter will cast a wide veil, keeping the secrets of these three parks within a park under wraps for
43:45now.
43:47The wildest may yet to be revealed.
43:52That's the strength and the timeless allure of Olympic National Park.