Dolphins Up Close with Bertie Gregory (2025) Movie Script
1
-Go, go, go, go.
There's a massive
concentration of
shearwaters ahead of us,
and all the rest are
ripping in that direction.
Whoa they're crazy!
It's still moving pretty fast.
The predators haven't stabilized
the ball of crayfish yet.
So we've got
shearwaters, dolphins,
just seen a whale.
That is crazy!
-Okay, let's go.
Go, go, go, go.
Okay, go, go, go,
dive, dive, dive.
[upbeat music playing]
[Bertie] The Azores.
A remote chain of islands
over 900 miles west of Portugal.
Over the last 10 years,
I've become completely
obsessed with
searching the ocean
for epic gatherings
of predators.
In wildlife film,
we call these a bait ball,
and they attract a group
of predators that you'd never
otherwise see together.
All hunting the same
prey at the same time.
At the end of every summer,
a sudden explosion
of food draws in ocean
predators from near and far.
Resident dolphins are
joined by migrating dolphins,
whales, and sharks.
This could be the
most diverse gathering
of predators I've ever filmed.
Yeah, we've not got
long to capture this
ocean spectacle because
many of the characters
involved are on big,
cross-ocean migrations,
and this is the
narrow window when all
of them converge on the Azores.
We've got just five weeks
before the seasons change,
and many of the dolphins and
other predators
start to move on.
You know, finding this
predator gathering out
here is gonna be really,
really tricky because we
have got a
massive area to search.
With over 100,000
square miles of protected
waters to explore,
we need local knowledge.
So I've teamed up with
a boat crew that know these
waters better than anyone.
Captain Paulo Gaspar was
born and raised in the Azores,
sailing and diving
here his entire life.
Second in command
is Marianna Antunes,
an experienced skipper
and marine biologist.
So we're obviously
searching a massive
area of ocean.
How are we gonna
find the action?
-You must look for shearwaters,
more shearwaters, more activity.
You only need to follow
the direction of them
and then you will
see a bait ball.
[Bertie] Cory's
shearwaters are experts
at hunting schools
of fish from above.
How many shearwaters
are we talking together?
-Two or 3,000 at the same
time and a lot of noise.
-If it's insane, the bait
ball it's waa, waa, waa, waa.
-Waa, waa, waa, yeah.
[Bertie] Right now, nearly
half a million shearwaters
are here for
the breeding season.
We don't have to wait
long before they provide
our first lead.
We've got a lot of
shearwaters all moving that way,
and that is a great
sign there's action.
I think we need to
get out in the fast boat.
Let's do this.
-Okay, got it.
Yep, yep, let's go.
-Got this big raft and I reckon,
but I thought they were
just sat on the surface resting,
but actually, you can
hear that squabbling noise
they're feeding.
Let me get my snorkeling gear
on and just gently drift over,
see what's going on
underneath the water.
Ali, can you chuck me
the camera once I'm in?
Thanks.
[squawking]
Underwater, I can see
what's on the menu.
Hundreds of jack mackerel
huddled together in a small,
dense, swirling sphere.
It's a bait ball.
Formed when fish
are under attack.
Skipjack tuna strike from below.
And shearwaters
attack from above.
It's impressive, but
I know these events happen
on a much bigger scale.
Those shearwaters,
they're so graceful underwater,
they look like angels
diving down into the deep.
And what we saw there,
that's a miniature version
of what we're looking for.
To find a giant bait ball,
we need to maximize
our time on the water.
So for the next five weeks,
this boat will be our
home and filming platform.
With me is friend and specialist
cinematographer, Jeff Hester.
Well, we're out nice and early.
Sun's just popped up
over the horizon behind
that beautiful volcano.
And we're scanning the
horizon 'cause first thing in
the morning and last thing in
the afternoon, early evening,
those are our prime
times for bait balls.
Yeah, Paulo there's,
there's a big pod of dolphins
straight off the bow,
they're coming this way now.
-How many meters in front?
[Bertie] 200.
[Paulo] Okay.
[Bertie] Whoa.
Like the shearwaters,
dolphins are always on the
lookout for fish and could
lead us to a bait ball.
Whoa!
Got a huge group
of spotted dolphins.
This is a really good sign.
Yeah, any day you see,
a dolphin is a good day.
Each year, thousands of
dolphins migrate to the Azores,
drawn here by the seasonal
boom in fish numbers.
So right now, these
dolphins are cruising along,
and they'll be
pinging out echolocation.
That's their, their
sonar to detect prey.
So we're gonna
stick with the dolphins.
Hope they lead
us to some action.
[upbeat music playing]
That is really interesting,
every single
dolphin has disappeared.
They've all gone...
[makes sound]
down into the deep.
Which makes me think
they must have detected
prey down there
and they're trying to
round it up and bring
it up to the surface.
So we could be in
for some action here.
[crew] Okay, Jeff.
[Paulo] You ready?
[Bertie] We're ready.
[Paulo] Let's go.
[Bertie] As we
jump on the fast boat,
the dolphins resurface.
Look at them all.
Racing at speeds of
nearly 40 miles per hour.
Wha, ho, ho, ho.
It's clear they're in pursuit.
We've just got shearwaters
zooming around everywhere.
This is looking really good.
What we're waiting
for is the shearwaters
to all start diving
down into the water,
that means the food
is at the surface.
So it's a really good
concentration over here,
and all the others seem to
be heading over to join them.
These feeding frenzies can
vanish as quickly as they form.
We could be on here.
We need to get
into position, and fast.
Birds look good there, Paulo.
[Paulo] I see.
[suspenseful music playing]
Okay, let's go,
go, go, go, go, go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Bertie] The dolphins
work as a team,
vocalizing to
coordinate their attack.
Their aim is to trap
the school at the surface,
then force it
into a tight formation.
Thousands of jack mackerel
swim for their lives.
[suspenseful music playing]
It seems like the
dolphins are tiring.
They're struggling
to contain the fish.
The jack mackerel
win this round.
[Paulo] This side,
this side, this side.
[Bertie] It's
carnage everywhere.
It didn't quite come together.
We had a big pass
from all the fish,
but it didn't feel like
there was enough predators,
enough dolphins on it, so, uh.
Yeah, we've lost the light now,
and it seems like
the action's died down.
So, try again another day.
It's promising to see
the shearwaters and dolphins
hunting together, but
even in a wildlife haven
like the Azores,
nature is still unpredictable.
To find the predator
gathering we're looking for,
I need more eyes out searching.
So I'm heading inland,
where history provides
a surprising perspective.
[Bertie] The nutrient-rich
waters of the Azores draw
in a third of the world's
whale and dolphin species,
an abundance that in the
past had tragic consequences.
For centuries,
these islands were
an international
hub for whale hunting.
Animals were killed
to make oil for lamps,
candles, and cosmetics.
The meat was also
a local food supply.
It's pretty crazy to
learn that whale hunting
happened in the Azores
until the late 1980s,
and that ban is so recent
that it's actually possible
for me to go and meet
one of the ex-whalers,
and his job is
still to spot whales,
but for a very different reason.
Daniel.
-Good morning!
-Good morning!
Known locally as a "vigia,"
a person that keeps watch,
Daniel Martiniano,
used to spot whales for hunting.
He now spots them for
the islands' booming
whale watching industry.
[speaking in Portuguese]
[in Portuguese] Thank you.
Waa, crazy view.
-This is where I see the whales.
I'm looking for a blow.
And we have a whale there!
-Can I have a go?
[speaking in Portuguese]
[Bertie] If there's anyone
that can find us a whale
heading to a bait ball,
it's Daniel.
How far do you think you
could see a whale from here?
-If the weather is good,
then an average
is 12 miles, 12, 15.
-Since the ban on whaling,
what was that like for you and
the community, if, if it was
an important source of income?
-Whale watching is
better than hunting the whale.
Whale watching is more money.
I now earn more in a
month than a whole year,
now I'm whale watching.
-Wow, so you basically
realized that the whales
were worth more alive than dead?
-Of course.
-Yeah.
-Whales for me are my girls.
My girls.
[Bertie] Daniel's passion
for whales is obvious,
but it's conflicting,
knowing his talent is
rooted in his days as a hunter.
[speaking in Portuguese]
-Is that you?
A lifetime on, on the
ocean looking for whales?
They are incredibly big,
powerful animals.
What is it like to hunt them?
-A sperm whale
weighs more than 40 tons.
And a boat weighs a ton.
It was dangerous,
we had to be very careful.
-Wow.
-I have something to show you.
[Bertie] Okay.
It's clear the
cultural connections to
whale hunting run deep.
[speaking in Portuguese]
[Bertie] It's heartbreaking
to think every year,
hundreds of whales
lost their lives
to weapons just like this one.
-Very sharp.
[speaking in Portuguese]
-Glad it's now just a memory.
-No more.
-Some things have to end.
Daniel's journey
reflects this region's shift.
Thank you very much.
From hunting whales
to celebrating them.
It's inspiring to see
how communities can adapt
to big shifts in how we
treat the natural world.
Daniel and his fellow
'vigias' have agreed to
help by sharing
any sightings that might
lead us to a bait ball.
-Ok, how many are there?
-That's the vigia on the phone,
and I heard him
say "baleia, baleia."
My Portuguese is rubbish, but
I'm pretty sure that's "whale."
-Thank you.
Hey, Bertie.
- What have we got?
- Some sperm whales.
- Sperm whales?
- Yeah.
- Aha!
- Let's go.
[Bertie] They've been
seen in a favorite feeding
spot not far from us.
[in Portuguese] Whale!
About 200, 300 meter,
I would say.
-Oh, yeah, really
close, really close.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, there, there, there.
-I can see it's
a very small one.
[Bertie] Sperm whales
don't feed on the bait balls
we're looking for,
but I want a closer look.
I've never seen a sperm
whale underwater before,
so I'm very excited.
Sperm whales hunt in the
deep on prey like giant squid.
Ready?
They depend on sound to hunt,
navigate, and communicate,
so they're highly
sensitive to noise.
To avoid any disturbance,
we've opted to approach on
a very small kayak,
something we have a
special permit to do.
Okay, we're gonna
hop in nice and slowly.
From its size, I'd say
this whale is just a baby.
Question is, where's mom?
[Bertie] Right on cue,
mom joins the
calf from the deep.
Sperm whales are
incredible free divers.
The adults can hold their
breath for 90 minutes and
dive to depths of
over 6,000 feet,
but a young calf like
this takes time to
learn these skills.
So every time mum
goes down to the deep,
he stays at the surface,
alone and vulnerable.
Thankfully, with
whale hunting banned,
these waters are
the perfect nursery.
[heavy breathing]
You know, that's
actually got me a bit
emotional because, you know,
less than 40 years ago,
easily within the
lifetime of a sperm whale,
this place was a,
a slaughtering ground,
whereas now it's
just this protected
haven for mothers and calves.
It's gonna take
a long time for the
population to recover.
For now, that's a
pretty amazing sight.
Protected areas like
the Azores provide a
much-needed refuge for
traveling sperm whales,
but they can
also attract the odd,
unexpected visitor.
[laughs]
Hey!
We appear to have
picked up a hitchhiker.
This bird is a brown booby.
Brown boobies are
typically found searching
for bait balls in
places like the Caribbean.
Are you gonna help
us find the, the fish,
or are you just
gonna stand there?
Oop, oh, oh.
[laughs]
You're such a bad boat guest,
you come here,
you sit on our chairs,
and then you poo
all over the deck.
Ugh, it's an
absolute mess back there.
[laughs]
Goodbye booby have a great day.
It's late afternoon,
prime time for hunting.
[Mariana] False
killers, at 1 o'clock!
-Whoa!
Mariana's spotted a predator
I've always wanted to meet.
Whoa.
So we've got a pod
of false killer whales,
which are a really,
really exciting species to see.
Just like killer whales,
false killer whales are,
in fact, dolphins.
They're social,
intelligent predators
built for hunting
fast-moving prey,
and this pod is
joined by another species.
It's so cool the
bottlenose dolphins
are interacting
with the false killers.
[Marianna] Woo hoo!
[Bertie] It's a promising
sign that could lead us
to a bait ball and
sooner than I thought.
Oh, well, the behavior
of the false killers
has changed entirely.
They've spread out in
this big, long battle line,
so we think they're on the hunt.
The false killers leave
the dolphins behind,
and with no
shearwaters in sight,
I don't think they're
looking for a bait ball.
They've set their
sights on something bigger.
There's a couple here.
That one's got a tuna, Jeff.
[Paulo] I saw I saw the tuna.
Yeah.
- Yeah.
[Bertie] Tuna are
seriously speedy fish.
Some species are
capable of reaching more
than 40 miles per hour.
[Paulo] Okay, let's go.
Under the boat, under the boat.
[Bertie] The false killers
have landed their prize,
a single bigeye tuna.
That must have been some chase.
Weighing up to 400 pounds,
a bigeye tuna is
a meal for sharing.
It's a rare sight
which reveals the deep
social bonds among the pod.
That was pretty incredible.
They were prey
sharing underwater,
tearing little pieces off,
sharing it amongst the family.
It was hard work
to keep up with them.
An epic scene to witness,
but it's thrown our bait
ball quest off track.
We need to rethink our strategy.
We're finding big groups
of Cory's Shearwaters
is so important for the
success of our mission.
So far, we've only been
finding groups of hundreds.
I know that somewhere out there,
there are groups of thousands,
and that's what we need to find.
With just two weeks remaining,
we need some help.
[Bertie] Cape Linhos is home
to several thousand shearwaters.
The birds, I hope, will lead
me to a predator gathering.
What a view.
What a place to have your nest.
By spending time with
a shearwater scientist.
-Hi!
-I'm hoping we can
fine-tune our strategy.
-How's it going?
Hi, welcome.
-This place is amazing.
-Welcome to Capelinhos colony.
[Bertie] Elizabeth Atchoi
has spent the last eight years
studying the health and
feeding behavior of these birds.
So, you see, Elizabeth
is just working her way
around this hillside,
and every time she finds
a burrow, the only way
to find out if there's a
chick inside,
if it's a deep burrow,
is to put her arm
right into the back of it.
Elizabeth, you've
got a weird job.
-Actually, while
I'm checking this one,
there's one in front of you,
if you're brave enough.
-This one?
There's something very
unnerving about putting
your arm down a dark hole,
that you don't know
what's at the end of it.
Elizabeth?
-Yeah.
-What am I feeling for?
-A beak biting you?
-Oh, good.
[laughs]
Nothing there.
There are over
1,000 burrows to check,
and only some of
them are occupied.
I can see the chick.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Elizabeth] This is
a very shallow nest,
so it's easy, but carefully.
You just get them.
[Bertie] Whoa, wow.
[Elizabeth] And, yes.
-What is it about them
that makes them so good
at diving underwater,
trying to catch fish?
-One thing is the
positioning of the legs.
So you can see it's at
the back of the body, right?
-More hydrodynamic.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Another one is the oil,
which is a gland that they
have at the base of their tail,
which is here.
Once they fledge,
they start producing oil,
and then they take the
oil with beak and pass one
by one on each feather
until they are waterproof.
-And that's the
waterproofing that allows
them to dive and catch
fish from the bait balls.
-Yes, and the other one?
-Wow, yeah, the nic,
nictitating membrane.
-Yeah, you see?
Yeah, yeah.
So when they dive,
they close it.
-They've got inbuilt
swimming goggles.
- Yes.
- That is so cool.
-They are very cool.
[Bertie] Shearwaters
are perfectly adapted
to hunting at sea,
but to find a bait ball,
I need to know
where they're doing it.
So, when the adults
really need to fatten up,
where are they hunting?
-Seamounts are
very productive areas,
and they can
spend like a week or
ten days just feeding
on that very rich area.
They have uh the
currents that come up and
brings a lot of nutrients,
and then that feeds the whole
cascade of microclimate and
little fish, bigger fish,
whales, dolphins, etcetera.
-And shearwaters.
-And the shearwaters, yes.
-So really, if we want
to find these big balls
of fish, we've got
to go to the seamounts.
-Yeah, it's time
to put him back.
-Okay, hey, buddy.
Sorry for all the fuss.
Let's put you back in there.
-That's good.
[peaceful music playing]
[Bertie] With Elizabeth's
fresh new Intel,
we set a course for Azores Bank,
a colossal underwater
mountain over 20 miles offshore.
With only ten days remaining,
going beyond the
range of Daniel and
his fellow spotters is a gamble.
Conditions are looking good,
so we're going to
use the power of
the wind and get out there.
-There's more, more wind now,
so we'll be there in no time.
-I'm just looking
at the bathymetry charts,
that's the map of the seabed.
We've got Princess Alice Bank,
we've got
Azores Bank, Condor Bank.
These are all
underwater mountains
that don't break the surface,
but they come very close to it.
When ocean currents
slam into seamounts,
deep, nutrient-rich water
is driven upwards, fueling
the food chain.
The ideal conditions
for a bait ball.
I can see Elizabeth was right,
this is the place to be.
Well, this is what
we've been looking for.
We've got a lot of
shearwater action all over
the place, thousands of them.
This is a really good sign,
things are hotting up.
Before long, even more birds
flock to the sea mountain,
all charging in
the same direction.
Got a huge concentration
of shearwaters ahead of us.
Well, on cue, the
dolphins have arrived,
huge pod of spotted dolphins.
There's hundreds of them.
This hunt is looking
better than anything
we've seen so far.
This is gonna be hot.
[Paulo] Let's go,
let's go, ready?
[Bertie] Ready?
[Paulo] Okay, let's go,
let's go!
Quick, quick, quick!
Careful with the camera.
[Bertie] A pod of
bottlenose dolphins have
joined the smaller
spotted dolphins.
The two dolphin
species join forces,
rounding up a school
of jack mackerel.
With all three
predators working together,
they're doing a much better
job of containing the fish.
But suddenly
their behavior changes,
and a big shadow approaches.
[Bertie] A minke whale.
The dolphins are still working
to drive the fish together,
but the minke is closing in.
In one giant gulp,
the show is over.
Minkes can gulp down
700 gallons of water filled
with prey in a single mouthful.
The dolphins
didn't stand a chance.
I thought that was it then,
I thought it was gonna happen.
But suddenly the minke
whale just came out of
nowhere and said,
thank you very much for
condensing all that
food and just went boom.
The dolphins and
shearwaters have moved on.
So it's back to
the big boat to reset.
Wow, blue shark.
[Paulo] Yeah.
[Bertie] Big dorsal.
[crew] That is a big dorsal.
-Paulo, blue shark
on the surface.
[Paulo] Yeah?
[Bertie] Yeah.
They gather on the
seamounts around the
Azores at this time of year.
The reason they come
here is because the,
the waters around the
Azores are just so, so rich.
Blue sharks are
another predator I've been
hoping to find on a bait ball.
Whoa, look at that.
They are seriously
beautiful animals.
Definitely one
of the most beautiful
to visit the Azores.
I think it's definitely
time to get in the water.
Let's do it.
These sharks aren't
normally aggressive,
but the team have my
back to avoid any surprises.
[Mariana] Behind you,
behind you.
[Bertie] Wow, hey, buddy.
Oh, they are so beautiful.
Oh, hello.
Ah, that made me jump,
they come out of nowhere.
So sneaky.
Although they are really
chill and docile with me,
they are incredibly
capable predators,
and I'm hoping if we see a,
a big predator gathering,
the blue sharks
will be a key player.
They use a type of
camouflage known as
countershading to
sneak up on their prey.
You know, on top
they're that brilliant blue
so they blend in with
the deep and then bright
white underside, and it
means when looking up at them,
they just disappear
into the surface.
They're just so curious.
I bet if we, if we do
manage to get one on a,
a predator gathering
with other species,
they're gonna be
going for their food like
there's no tomorrow.
Blue sharks, dolphins,
whales, and shearwaters,
they're all here
at the seamount.
Now, all we need is for them
to unite in an epic feast.
But a storm is closing in.
Well, that does not look good.
That is a big storm
on its way towards us.
Paulo and the rest of the
crew are busily running around,
battening down the hatches.
We're about to get very wet.
This storm could signal
a shift in the seasons when
migrating animals move on.
The wind gains strength.
We've no choice but
to abandon the seamount
and head back to port.
But with only a week left,
the pressure is on.
This storm is just
slamming the marina.
To think what it must
be like outside the
protection of the island,
where we need to be to film.
We're definitely
going nowhere for now.
Days pass,
and my hopes of filming
an epic bait ball are fading.
[waves crashing]
But Paulo has some news.
-There will be a small
gap between the two storms,
and I think we should
leave from the marina
around 6:30
in the morning.
We will arrive at
Azores Bank around 8 o'clock
and we'll have around
two maximum three hours.
-Yeah.
This gap between two big
storms is just enough time
to visit the seamount
for one last shot.
[Paulo] Let's go
tomorrow morning.
-Yeah, it looks like
a really tight window.
We're gonna have to get lucky.
-We don't have uh options.
-Yeah.
It's 5:30 a.m.
and we're loading our equipment.
Taking the fast boat
is our only way to get to
the seamount and back before
the next big storm arrives.
Well, we're just
leaving the marina,
and we're traveling out
under moonlight at the moment,
we've got about 20, 25
miles ahead of us, uh,
which we're hoping to cover, uh,
just in time for sunrise.
But out there on a small boat,
we're a long way from
help should anything go wrong.
[Bertie] It's a bumpy
two-hour journey to the
remote seamount.
Our timing is critical.
Paulo, how much
further to the bank?
-Half mile.
-Well, we're coming
up to 20 miles offshore.
The sun's just popping
up above the horizon,
and we're just coming
over the, the seamount,
the bank, and already can
see a lot more signs of life.
A lot more birds flying around,
a lot of shearwaters.
This is more like it.
Thousands of shearwaters
joining the charge.
Everything's taking
advantage of the break
in the weather.
It's crazy, so many
shearwaters all together.
They're all just
coming out of the woodwork.
We haven't seen this
many together before.
We're doing more
than 30 miles an hour,
and they're overtaking us,
not even flapping.
They're in a
high-speed chase with
something beneath the waves.
It's a united army of both
spotted and common dolphins.
So we've got
shearwaters, dolphins.
A lot of predators
joining this party.
Everything's heading
in one direction,
and there's a huge
frenzy brewing ahead.
It's going to need to
be a quick drop this one.
[Paulo] Quick, quick, quick.
Right, keep going.
[Bertie] The dolphins
circle a mega school
of jack mackerel.
But there are so
many fish to contain.
And the school
is trying to escape.
I can't keep up, I need
to get back to the boat.
Okay, okay.
Paulo, it's running fast,
so let's just
try and drop ahead.
-Yeah, more and
more forward, yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
-See how fast that
action's running,
it's not yet stabilized.
It's not enough
predators underwater
to keep it in one spot.
But the dolphins have
called in reinforcements.
Hundreds more join the hunt.
Ah, so many dolphins.
It's a properly epic scene.
-All right, whale right here.
-Whale there, yeah.
[Paulo] Okay, let's go.
Go, go, go, go.
Quick, quick,
quick, quick, quick.
Okay, go, go, go,
dive, dive, dive!
Just in front of you.
Dive!
[Bertie] The spotted
and common dolphins try
to herd the fish.
A third species arrives.
Bottlenose dolphins.
Circling the school,
the predators
tighten their grip.
[suspenseful music playing]
But something has
spooked the dolphins.
Blue sharks.
This time they're
not quite so friendly.
They're here to hunt.
[ominous music playing]
They return to the depths,
leaving the school in tatters.
But the feast isn't over;
the dolphins are back
for one final showdown.
Completely surrounded,
the fish are trapped.
They form a bait ball.
Now the dolphins can feed.
The bait ball is forced upwards.
Down come the shearwaters.
Diving to more than 50 feet.
[upbeat music playing]
And it's not over yet.
The commotion draws the
attention of a minke whale.
She wastes no time
plowing through the middle
of the bait ball.
And just when I thought
it couldn't get any wilder.
A huge humpback.
Unfortunately, he's too late.
I can't believe
what we just witnessed.
Seven different species.
Thousands of predators.
That is total,
total chaos down there.
I mean, there's
just predators everywhere.
So many different types.
I mean, dolphins,
shearwaters, sharks,
even a whale,
grand finale at the end.
I mean, that has
got to be one of the
greatest shows in the ocean.
Yeah, buddy.
-Finally, finally, man.
-Yeah, man.
Good job, man.
Cheers man.
Cheers dude, thank you, and
just in time for the weather.
-Yeah.
[Bertie] After
five long weeks at sea,
storms and near misses,
our perseverance
has finally paid off.
I got to witness a true
spectacle of survival
and teamwork while
learning more about the
delicate balance
of life in the Azores.
And I got to film
the most diverse predator
gathering of my career.
What a day, what an expedition.
The Azores have taken
some incredible first steps
in protection,
but if we want the
ocean to truly thrive,
we need more marine
protected areas across
all the predators'
vast migration routes,
so that the natural
wonder we saw today is
not just the exception,
but the norm.
-Go, go, go, go.
There's a massive
concentration of
shearwaters ahead of us,
and all the rest are
ripping in that direction.
Whoa they're crazy!
It's still moving pretty fast.
The predators haven't stabilized
the ball of crayfish yet.
So we've got
shearwaters, dolphins,
just seen a whale.
That is crazy!
-Okay, let's go.
Go, go, go, go.
Okay, go, go, go,
dive, dive, dive.
[upbeat music playing]
[Bertie] The Azores.
A remote chain of islands
over 900 miles west of Portugal.
Over the last 10 years,
I've become completely
obsessed with
searching the ocean
for epic gatherings
of predators.
In wildlife film,
we call these a bait ball,
and they attract a group
of predators that you'd never
otherwise see together.
All hunting the same
prey at the same time.
At the end of every summer,
a sudden explosion
of food draws in ocean
predators from near and far.
Resident dolphins are
joined by migrating dolphins,
whales, and sharks.
This could be the
most diverse gathering
of predators I've ever filmed.
Yeah, we've not got
long to capture this
ocean spectacle because
many of the characters
involved are on big,
cross-ocean migrations,
and this is the
narrow window when all
of them converge on the Azores.
We've got just five weeks
before the seasons change,
and many of the dolphins and
other predators
start to move on.
You know, finding this
predator gathering out
here is gonna be really,
really tricky because we
have got a
massive area to search.
With over 100,000
square miles of protected
waters to explore,
we need local knowledge.
So I've teamed up with
a boat crew that know these
waters better than anyone.
Captain Paulo Gaspar was
born and raised in the Azores,
sailing and diving
here his entire life.
Second in command
is Marianna Antunes,
an experienced skipper
and marine biologist.
So we're obviously
searching a massive
area of ocean.
How are we gonna
find the action?
-You must look for shearwaters,
more shearwaters, more activity.
You only need to follow
the direction of them
and then you will
see a bait ball.
[Bertie] Cory's
shearwaters are experts
at hunting schools
of fish from above.
How many shearwaters
are we talking together?
-Two or 3,000 at the same
time and a lot of noise.
-If it's insane, the bait
ball it's waa, waa, waa, waa.
-Waa, waa, waa, yeah.
[Bertie] Right now, nearly
half a million shearwaters
are here for
the breeding season.
We don't have to wait
long before they provide
our first lead.
We've got a lot of
shearwaters all moving that way,
and that is a great
sign there's action.
I think we need to
get out in the fast boat.
Let's do this.
-Okay, got it.
Yep, yep, let's go.
-Got this big raft and I reckon,
but I thought they were
just sat on the surface resting,
but actually, you can
hear that squabbling noise
they're feeding.
Let me get my snorkeling gear
on and just gently drift over,
see what's going on
underneath the water.
Ali, can you chuck me
the camera once I'm in?
Thanks.
[squawking]
Underwater, I can see
what's on the menu.
Hundreds of jack mackerel
huddled together in a small,
dense, swirling sphere.
It's a bait ball.
Formed when fish
are under attack.
Skipjack tuna strike from below.
And shearwaters
attack from above.
It's impressive, but
I know these events happen
on a much bigger scale.
Those shearwaters,
they're so graceful underwater,
they look like angels
diving down into the deep.
And what we saw there,
that's a miniature version
of what we're looking for.
To find a giant bait ball,
we need to maximize
our time on the water.
So for the next five weeks,
this boat will be our
home and filming platform.
With me is friend and specialist
cinematographer, Jeff Hester.
Well, we're out nice and early.
Sun's just popped up
over the horizon behind
that beautiful volcano.
And we're scanning the
horizon 'cause first thing in
the morning and last thing in
the afternoon, early evening,
those are our prime
times for bait balls.
Yeah, Paulo there's,
there's a big pod of dolphins
straight off the bow,
they're coming this way now.
-How many meters in front?
[Bertie] 200.
[Paulo] Okay.
[Bertie] Whoa.
Like the shearwaters,
dolphins are always on the
lookout for fish and could
lead us to a bait ball.
Whoa!
Got a huge group
of spotted dolphins.
This is a really good sign.
Yeah, any day you see,
a dolphin is a good day.
Each year, thousands of
dolphins migrate to the Azores,
drawn here by the seasonal
boom in fish numbers.
So right now, these
dolphins are cruising along,
and they'll be
pinging out echolocation.
That's their, their
sonar to detect prey.
So we're gonna
stick with the dolphins.
Hope they lead
us to some action.
[upbeat music playing]
That is really interesting,
every single
dolphin has disappeared.
They've all gone...
[makes sound]
down into the deep.
Which makes me think
they must have detected
prey down there
and they're trying to
round it up and bring
it up to the surface.
So we could be in
for some action here.
[crew] Okay, Jeff.
[Paulo] You ready?
[Bertie] We're ready.
[Paulo] Let's go.
[Bertie] As we
jump on the fast boat,
the dolphins resurface.
Look at them all.
Racing at speeds of
nearly 40 miles per hour.
Wha, ho, ho, ho.
It's clear they're in pursuit.
We've just got shearwaters
zooming around everywhere.
This is looking really good.
What we're waiting
for is the shearwaters
to all start diving
down into the water,
that means the food
is at the surface.
So it's a really good
concentration over here,
and all the others seem to
be heading over to join them.
These feeding frenzies can
vanish as quickly as they form.
We could be on here.
We need to get
into position, and fast.
Birds look good there, Paulo.
[Paulo] I see.
[suspenseful music playing]
Okay, let's go,
go, go, go, go, go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Bertie] The dolphins
work as a team,
vocalizing to
coordinate their attack.
Their aim is to trap
the school at the surface,
then force it
into a tight formation.
Thousands of jack mackerel
swim for their lives.
[suspenseful music playing]
It seems like the
dolphins are tiring.
They're struggling
to contain the fish.
The jack mackerel
win this round.
[Paulo] This side,
this side, this side.
[Bertie] It's
carnage everywhere.
It didn't quite come together.
We had a big pass
from all the fish,
but it didn't feel like
there was enough predators,
enough dolphins on it, so, uh.
Yeah, we've lost the light now,
and it seems like
the action's died down.
So, try again another day.
It's promising to see
the shearwaters and dolphins
hunting together, but
even in a wildlife haven
like the Azores,
nature is still unpredictable.
To find the predator
gathering we're looking for,
I need more eyes out searching.
So I'm heading inland,
where history provides
a surprising perspective.
[Bertie] The nutrient-rich
waters of the Azores draw
in a third of the world's
whale and dolphin species,
an abundance that in the
past had tragic consequences.
For centuries,
these islands were
an international
hub for whale hunting.
Animals were killed
to make oil for lamps,
candles, and cosmetics.
The meat was also
a local food supply.
It's pretty crazy to
learn that whale hunting
happened in the Azores
until the late 1980s,
and that ban is so recent
that it's actually possible
for me to go and meet
one of the ex-whalers,
and his job is
still to spot whales,
but for a very different reason.
Daniel.
-Good morning!
-Good morning!
Known locally as a "vigia,"
a person that keeps watch,
Daniel Martiniano,
used to spot whales for hunting.
He now spots them for
the islands' booming
whale watching industry.
[speaking in Portuguese]
[in Portuguese] Thank you.
Waa, crazy view.
-This is where I see the whales.
I'm looking for a blow.
And we have a whale there!
-Can I have a go?
[speaking in Portuguese]
[Bertie] If there's anyone
that can find us a whale
heading to a bait ball,
it's Daniel.
How far do you think you
could see a whale from here?
-If the weather is good,
then an average
is 12 miles, 12, 15.
-Since the ban on whaling,
what was that like for you and
the community, if, if it was
an important source of income?
-Whale watching is
better than hunting the whale.
Whale watching is more money.
I now earn more in a
month than a whole year,
now I'm whale watching.
-Wow, so you basically
realized that the whales
were worth more alive than dead?
-Of course.
-Yeah.
-Whales for me are my girls.
My girls.
[Bertie] Daniel's passion
for whales is obvious,
but it's conflicting,
knowing his talent is
rooted in his days as a hunter.
[speaking in Portuguese]
-Is that you?
A lifetime on, on the
ocean looking for whales?
They are incredibly big,
powerful animals.
What is it like to hunt them?
-A sperm whale
weighs more than 40 tons.
And a boat weighs a ton.
It was dangerous,
we had to be very careful.
-Wow.
-I have something to show you.
[Bertie] Okay.
It's clear the
cultural connections to
whale hunting run deep.
[speaking in Portuguese]
[Bertie] It's heartbreaking
to think every year,
hundreds of whales
lost their lives
to weapons just like this one.
-Very sharp.
[speaking in Portuguese]
-Glad it's now just a memory.
-No more.
-Some things have to end.
Daniel's journey
reflects this region's shift.
Thank you very much.
From hunting whales
to celebrating them.
It's inspiring to see
how communities can adapt
to big shifts in how we
treat the natural world.
Daniel and his fellow
'vigias' have agreed to
help by sharing
any sightings that might
lead us to a bait ball.
-Ok, how many are there?
-That's the vigia on the phone,
and I heard him
say "baleia, baleia."
My Portuguese is rubbish, but
I'm pretty sure that's "whale."
-Thank you.
Hey, Bertie.
- What have we got?
- Some sperm whales.
- Sperm whales?
- Yeah.
- Aha!
- Let's go.
[Bertie] They've been
seen in a favorite feeding
spot not far from us.
[in Portuguese] Whale!
About 200, 300 meter,
I would say.
-Oh, yeah, really
close, really close.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, there, there, there.
-I can see it's
a very small one.
[Bertie] Sperm whales
don't feed on the bait balls
we're looking for,
but I want a closer look.
I've never seen a sperm
whale underwater before,
so I'm very excited.
Sperm whales hunt in the
deep on prey like giant squid.
Ready?
They depend on sound to hunt,
navigate, and communicate,
so they're highly
sensitive to noise.
To avoid any disturbance,
we've opted to approach on
a very small kayak,
something we have a
special permit to do.
Okay, we're gonna
hop in nice and slowly.
From its size, I'd say
this whale is just a baby.
Question is, where's mom?
[Bertie] Right on cue,
mom joins the
calf from the deep.
Sperm whales are
incredible free divers.
The adults can hold their
breath for 90 minutes and
dive to depths of
over 6,000 feet,
but a young calf like
this takes time to
learn these skills.
So every time mum
goes down to the deep,
he stays at the surface,
alone and vulnerable.
Thankfully, with
whale hunting banned,
these waters are
the perfect nursery.
[heavy breathing]
You know, that's
actually got me a bit
emotional because, you know,
less than 40 years ago,
easily within the
lifetime of a sperm whale,
this place was a,
a slaughtering ground,
whereas now it's
just this protected
haven for mothers and calves.
It's gonna take
a long time for the
population to recover.
For now, that's a
pretty amazing sight.
Protected areas like
the Azores provide a
much-needed refuge for
traveling sperm whales,
but they can
also attract the odd,
unexpected visitor.
[laughs]
Hey!
We appear to have
picked up a hitchhiker.
This bird is a brown booby.
Brown boobies are
typically found searching
for bait balls in
places like the Caribbean.
Are you gonna help
us find the, the fish,
or are you just
gonna stand there?
Oop, oh, oh.
[laughs]
You're such a bad boat guest,
you come here,
you sit on our chairs,
and then you poo
all over the deck.
Ugh, it's an
absolute mess back there.
[laughs]
Goodbye booby have a great day.
It's late afternoon,
prime time for hunting.
[Mariana] False
killers, at 1 o'clock!
-Whoa!
Mariana's spotted a predator
I've always wanted to meet.
Whoa.
So we've got a pod
of false killer whales,
which are a really,
really exciting species to see.
Just like killer whales,
false killer whales are,
in fact, dolphins.
They're social,
intelligent predators
built for hunting
fast-moving prey,
and this pod is
joined by another species.
It's so cool the
bottlenose dolphins
are interacting
with the false killers.
[Marianna] Woo hoo!
[Bertie] It's a promising
sign that could lead us
to a bait ball and
sooner than I thought.
Oh, well, the behavior
of the false killers
has changed entirely.
They've spread out in
this big, long battle line,
so we think they're on the hunt.
The false killers leave
the dolphins behind,
and with no
shearwaters in sight,
I don't think they're
looking for a bait ball.
They've set their
sights on something bigger.
There's a couple here.
That one's got a tuna, Jeff.
[Paulo] I saw I saw the tuna.
Yeah.
- Yeah.
[Bertie] Tuna are
seriously speedy fish.
Some species are
capable of reaching more
than 40 miles per hour.
[Paulo] Okay, let's go.
Under the boat, under the boat.
[Bertie] The false killers
have landed their prize,
a single bigeye tuna.
That must have been some chase.
Weighing up to 400 pounds,
a bigeye tuna is
a meal for sharing.
It's a rare sight
which reveals the deep
social bonds among the pod.
That was pretty incredible.
They were prey
sharing underwater,
tearing little pieces off,
sharing it amongst the family.
It was hard work
to keep up with them.
An epic scene to witness,
but it's thrown our bait
ball quest off track.
We need to rethink our strategy.
We're finding big groups
of Cory's Shearwaters
is so important for the
success of our mission.
So far, we've only been
finding groups of hundreds.
I know that somewhere out there,
there are groups of thousands,
and that's what we need to find.
With just two weeks remaining,
we need some help.
[Bertie] Cape Linhos is home
to several thousand shearwaters.
The birds, I hope, will lead
me to a predator gathering.
What a view.
What a place to have your nest.
By spending time with
a shearwater scientist.
-Hi!
-I'm hoping we can
fine-tune our strategy.
-How's it going?
Hi, welcome.
-This place is amazing.
-Welcome to Capelinhos colony.
[Bertie] Elizabeth Atchoi
has spent the last eight years
studying the health and
feeding behavior of these birds.
So, you see, Elizabeth
is just working her way
around this hillside,
and every time she finds
a burrow, the only way
to find out if there's a
chick inside,
if it's a deep burrow,
is to put her arm
right into the back of it.
Elizabeth, you've
got a weird job.
-Actually, while
I'm checking this one,
there's one in front of you,
if you're brave enough.
-This one?
There's something very
unnerving about putting
your arm down a dark hole,
that you don't know
what's at the end of it.
Elizabeth?
-Yeah.
-What am I feeling for?
-A beak biting you?
-Oh, good.
[laughs]
Nothing there.
There are over
1,000 burrows to check,
and only some of
them are occupied.
I can see the chick.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Elizabeth] This is
a very shallow nest,
so it's easy, but carefully.
You just get them.
[Bertie] Whoa, wow.
[Elizabeth] And, yes.
-What is it about them
that makes them so good
at diving underwater,
trying to catch fish?
-One thing is the
positioning of the legs.
So you can see it's at
the back of the body, right?
-More hydrodynamic.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Another one is the oil,
which is a gland that they
have at the base of their tail,
which is here.
Once they fledge,
they start producing oil,
and then they take the
oil with beak and pass one
by one on each feather
until they are waterproof.
-And that's the
waterproofing that allows
them to dive and catch
fish from the bait balls.
-Yes, and the other one?
-Wow, yeah, the nic,
nictitating membrane.
-Yeah, you see?
Yeah, yeah.
So when they dive,
they close it.
-They've got inbuilt
swimming goggles.
- Yes.
- That is so cool.
-They are very cool.
[Bertie] Shearwaters
are perfectly adapted
to hunting at sea,
but to find a bait ball,
I need to know
where they're doing it.
So, when the adults
really need to fatten up,
where are they hunting?
-Seamounts are
very productive areas,
and they can
spend like a week or
ten days just feeding
on that very rich area.
They have uh the
currents that come up and
brings a lot of nutrients,
and then that feeds the whole
cascade of microclimate and
little fish, bigger fish,
whales, dolphins, etcetera.
-And shearwaters.
-And the shearwaters, yes.
-So really, if we want
to find these big balls
of fish, we've got
to go to the seamounts.
-Yeah, it's time
to put him back.
-Okay, hey, buddy.
Sorry for all the fuss.
Let's put you back in there.
-That's good.
[peaceful music playing]
[Bertie] With Elizabeth's
fresh new Intel,
we set a course for Azores Bank,
a colossal underwater
mountain over 20 miles offshore.
With only ten days remaining,
going beyond the
range of Daniel and
his fellow spotters is a gamble.
Conditions are looking good,
so we're going to
use the power of
the wind and get out there.
-There's more, more wind now,
so we'll be there in no time.
-I'm just looking
at the bathymetry charts,
that's the map of the seabed.
We've got Princess Alice Bank,
we've got
Azores Bank, Condor Bank.
These are all
underwater mountains
that don't break the surface,
but they come very close to it.
When ocean currents
slam into seamounts,
deep, nutrient-rich water
is driven upwards, fueling
the food chain.
The ideal conditions
for a bait ball.
I can see Elizabeth was right,
this is the place to be.
Well, this is what
we've been looking for.
We've got a lot of
shearwater action all over
the place, thousands of them.
This is a really good sign,
things are hotting up.
Before long, even more birds
flock to the sea mountain,
all charging in
the same direction.
Got a huge concentration
of shearwaters ahead of us.
Well, on cue, the
dolphins have arrived,
huge pod of spotted dolphins.
There's hundreds of them.
This hunt is looking
better than anything
we've seen so far.
This is gonna be hot.
[Paulo] Let's go,
let's go, ready?
[Bertie] Ready?
[Paulo] Okay, let's go,
let's go!
Quick, quick, quick!
Careful with the camera.
[Bertie] A pod of
bottlenose dolphins have
joined the smaller
spotted dolphins.
The two dolphin
species join forces,
rounding up a school
of jack mackerel.
With all three
predators working together,
they're doing a much better
job of containing the fish.
But suddenly
their behavior changes,
and a big shadow approaches.
[Bertie] A minke whale.
The dolphins are still working
to drive the fish together,
but the minke is closing in.
In one giant gulp,
the show is over.
Minkes can gulp down
700 gallons of water filled
with prey in a single mouthful.
The dolphins
didn't stand a chance.
I thought that was it then,
I thought it was gonna happen.
But suddenly the minke
whale just came out of
nowhere and said,
thank you very much for
condensing all that
food and just went boom.
The dolphins and
shearwaters have moved on.
So it's back to
the big boat to reset.
Wow, blue shark.
[Paulo] Yeah.
[Bertie] Big dorsal.
[crew] That is a big dorsal.
-Paulo, blue shark
on the surface.
[Paulo] Yeah?
[Bertie] Yeah.
They gather on the
seamounts around the
Azores at this time of year.
The reason they come
here is because the,
the waters around the
Azores are just so, so rich.
Blue sharks are
another predator I've been
hoping to find on a bait ball.
Whoa, look at that.
They are seriously
beautiful animals.
Definitely one
of the most beautiful
to visit the Azores.
I think it's definitely
time to get in the water.
Let's do it.
These sharks aren't
normally aggressive,
but the team have my
back to avoid any surprises.
[Mariana] Behind you,
behind you.
[Bertie] Wow, hey, buddy.
Oh, they are so beautiful.
Oh, hello.
Ah, that made me jump,
they come out of nowhere.
So sneaky.
Although they are really
chill and docile with me,
they are incredibly
capable predators,
and I'm hoping if we see a,
a big predator gathering,
the blue sharks
will be a key player.
They use a type of
camouflage known as
countershading to
sneak up on their prey.
You know, on top
they're that brilliant blue
so they blend in with
the deep and then bright
white underside, and it
means when looking up at them,
they just disappear
into the surface.
They're just so curious.
I bet if we, if we do
manage to get one on a,
a predator gathering
with other species,
they're gonna be
going for their food like
there's no tomorrow.
Blue sharks, dolphins,
whales, and shearwaters,
they're all here
at the seamount.
Now, all we need is for them
to unite in an epic feast.
But a storm is closing in.
Well, that does not look good.
That is a big storm
on its way towards us.
Paulo and the rest of the
crew are busily running around,
battening down the hatches.
We're about to get very wet.
This storm could signal
a shift in the seasons when
migrating animals move on.
The wind gains strength.
We've no choice but
to abandon the seamount
and head back to port.
But with only a week left,
the pressure is on.
This storm is just
slamming the marina.
To think what it must
be like outside the
protection of the island,
where we need to be to film.
We're definitely
going nowhere for now.
Days pass,
and my hopes of filming
an epic bait ball are fading.
[waves crashing]
But Paulo has some news.
-There will be a small
gap between the two storms,
and I think we should
leave from the marina
around 6:30
in the morning.
We will arrive at
Azores Bank around 8 o'clock
and we'll have around
two maximum three hours.
-Yeah.
This gap between two big
storms is just enough time
to visit the seamount
for one last shot.
[Paulo] Let's go
tomorrow morning.
-Yeah, it looks like
a really tight window.
We're gonna have to get lucky.
-We don't have uh options.
-Yeah.
It's 5:30 a.m.
and we're loading our equipment.
Taking the fast boat
is our only way to get to
the seamount and back before
the next big storm arrives.
Well, we're just
leaving the marina,
and we're traveling out
under moonlight at the moment,
we've got about 20, 25
miles ahead of us, uh,
which we're hoping to cover, uh,
just in time for sunrise.
But out there on a small boat,
we're a long way from
help should anything go wrong.
[Bertie] It's a bumpy
two-hour journey to the
remote seamount.
Our timing is critical.
Paulo, how much
further to the bank?
-Half mile.
-Well, we're coming
up to 20 miles offshore.
The sun's just popping
up above the horizon,
and we're just coming
over the, the seamount,
the bank, and already can
see a lot more signs of life.
A lot more birds flying around,
a lot of shearwaters.
This is more like it.
Thousands of shearwaters
joining the charge.
Everything's taking
advantage of the break
in the weather.
It's crazy, so many
shearwaters all together.
They're all just
coming out of the woodwork.
We haven't seen this
many together before.
We're doing more
than 30 miles an hour,
and they're overtaking us,
not even flapping.
They're in a
high-speed chase with
something beneath the waves.
It's a united army of both
spotted and common dolphins.
So we've got
shearwaters, dolphins.
A lot of predators
joining this party.
Everything's heading
in one direction,
and there's a huge
frenzy brewing ahead.
It's going to need to
be a quick drop this one.
[Paulo] Quick, quick, quick.
Right, keep going.
[Bertie] The dolphins
circle a mega school
of jack mackerel.
But there are so
many fish to contain.
And the school
is trying to escape.
I can't keep up, I need
to get back to the boat.
Okay, okay.
Paulo, it's running fast,
so let's just
try and drop ahead.
-Yeah, more and
more forward, yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
-See how fast that
action's running,
it's not yet stabilized.
It's not enough
predators underwater
to keep it in one spot.
But the dolphins have
called in reinforcements.
Hundreds more join the hunt.
Ah, so many dolphins.
It's a properly epic scene.
-All right, whale right here.
-Whale there, yeah.
[Paulo] Okay, let's go.
Go, go, go, go.
Quick, quick,
quick, quick, quick.
Okay, go, go, go,
dive, dive, dive!
Just in front of you.
Dive!
[Bertie] The spotted
and common dolphins try
to herd the fish.
A third species arrives.
Bottlenose dolphins.
Circling the school,
the predators
tighten their grip.
[suspenseful music playing]
But something has
spooked the dolphins.
Blue sharks.
This time they're
not quite so friendly.
They're here to hunt.
[ominous music playing]
They return to the depths,
leaving the school in tatters.
But the feast isn't over;
the dolphins are back
for one final showdown.
Completely surrounded,
the fish are trapped.
They form a bait ball.
Now the dolphins can feed.
The bait ball is forced upwards.
Down come the shearwaters.
Diving to more than 50 feet.
[upbeat music playing]
And it's not over yet.
The commotion draws the
attention of a minke whale.
She wastes no time
plowing through the middle
of the bait ball.
And just when I thought
it couldn't get any wilder.
A huge humpback.
Unfortunately, he's too late.
I can't believe
what we just witnessed.
Seven different species.
Thousands of predators.
That is total,
total chaos down there.
I mean, there's
just predators everywhere.
So many different types.
I mean, dolphins,
shearwaters, sharks,
even a whale,
grand finale at the end.
I mean, that has
got to be one of the
greatest shows in the ocean.
Yeah, buddy.
-Finally, finally, man.
-Yeah, man.
Good job, man.
Cheers man.
Cheers dude, thank you, and
just in time for the weather.
-Yeah.
[Bertie] After
five long weeks at sea,
storms and near misses,
our perseverance
has finally paid off.
I got to witness a true
spectacle of survival
and teamwork while
learning more about the
delicate balance
of life in the Azores.
And I got to film
the most diverse predator
gathering of my career.
What a day, what an expedition.
The Azores have taken
some incredible first steps
in protection,
but if we want the
ocean to truly thrive,
we need more marine
protected areas across
all the predators'
vast migration routes,
so that the natural
wonder we saw today is
not just the exception,
but the norm.