Our Great National Parks (2022) s01e04 Episode Script

1
[tranquil music plays]
When I was a kid, this was my playground.
The Pacific Ocean,
the world's largest and deepest.
It inspires awe, wonder,
and sometimes even fear.
Our oceans are as critical
to our survival as the air we breathe.
Around the world, we have protected
close to 8% of these waters.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
is an example of that.
Stretching along a quarter
of California's coastline,
from San Francisco in the north,
to Big Sur in the south
this unique reserve protects more than
6,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean.
[birds squawking]
It's a hot spot for visitors
from migrating wildlife,
to the tourists who come to see them.
Monterey's rich waters are a huge draw,
even for the biggest animal of all time.
The magnificent blue whale.
[dramatic music plays]
All this natural wonder
right on California's doorstep.
[dramatic music continues]
But can protected places
and millions of people coexist?
[dramatic music continues]
Could there be a future for wild spaces
where, alongside all of us,
nature still thrives?
[dramatic music swells]
[birds squawking]
Each season in Monterey Bay
creates its own dramatic story.
The toughest time of all is winter.
It's December at Point Año Nuevo
towards the northern end of the sanctuary.
[tranquil music plays]
These remote sand dunes are reserved
for California's most charismatic visitor.
[tranquil music continues]
Northern elephant seals
named for their long snouts,
which males flaunt to attract a mate.
[tranquil music continues]
[elephant seals snort]
But at this time of year,
the females have other things
on their minds.
Each mom usually gives birth
to a single pup.
[elephant seal croaks]
[elephant seals squeal]
This one is just four weeks old
and already weighs 300 pounds.
All thanks to his mother's milk.
[tranquil music plays]
At 55% fat, it's some of the richest
in the animal kingdom.
But producing such nutritious milk
comes at a cost.
After a month on the beach,
his mom has given all she can.
[tranquil music continues]
She must return to the sea
to feed herself
never to return to him.
[elephant seal croaks]
For the first time in his life,
this pup is on his own.
He's big enough to be weaned,
but he's still hungry.
[elephant seals squeal]
Being abandoned is a trial
that every pup must face.
Most of these weaners now fast
until they're old enough
to hunt for themselves.
But once in a while, a pup comes along
that is not prepared to accept his fate
[suspenseful music plays]
and attempts to pull off
a milk heist.
[suspenseful music continues]
It will call for cunning and deception.
[suspenseful music continues]
And the ability to go in under the radar.
[suspenseful music continues]
Easier said than done.
[jaunty music plays]
All he has to do
is bump this pup out of the way.
[elephant seal croaks]
[dramatic music plays]
[elephant seal croaks]
Busted.
[elephant seal squeals]
Maybe he could use a distraction.
Luckily for him
fights regularly break out
between the two-ton males.
[elephant seals growl]
[suspenseful music plays]
Almost there.
[suspenseful music continues]
He can't afford
to get caught in the crossfire.
[suspenseful music continues]
[elephant seal screeches]
[suspenseful music crescendos]
[elephant seal squeals]
[elephant seal squeals]
It's a lucky escape.
Around one in 40 youngsters
die from being crushed every year.
As peace returns
and the colony settle down for a snooze
[elephant seal snores]
he spots
a soft target.
[suspenseful music plays]
If he doesn't wake up Mom.
[suspenseful music continues]
Easy does it.
[suspenseful music continues]
[suspenseful music crescendos]
Success!
Mom hasn't seen the switch
and drives her own youngster away.
This young criminal mastermind
gets away with another round of feeding.
And a head start
when he first goes to sea in spring.
[tranquil music plays]
Only about one in a thousand pups
masters this sneaky strategy.
Those that pull it off become so enormous
that scientists call them super weaners.
[elephant seal squeals]
But for most, winter in Monterey
means there is less food to go around.
And in the vast, open expanse
of the sanctuary,
finding the next meal is never easy.
[dramatic music plays]
Orca.
These supremely intelligent killer whales
are the ocean's top predators.
[dramatic music continues]
They live in close family groups.
This pod relies on the wisdom
of their experienced matriarch
[dramatic music continues]
named Star by the researchers
who study her.
One of Star's daughters is pregnant.
Orca have calves about every five years.
So it's more important than ever
that they find food, and soon.
[sniffing]
A lone California sea lion.
[suspenseful music plays]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
A much-needed meal
for Star and her pregnant daughter.
[joyful music plays]
Their celebration helps strengthen
the family bonds.
[joyful music continues]
But this kill
won't keep them going for long.
Star must lead her family
in the search for more.
It's not just the lack of food
that makes winter such a tough time here.
As the swell rolls in
it meets the sanctuary's
shallow coastal waters.
[dramatic music plays]
It becomes one of the biggest
and best-known waves in the world.
Mavericks.
[dramatic music continues]
Epic for surfers.
[dramatic music continues]
But the waves' relentless power can make
the coast an exhausting place to live.
Although there are places to find shelter
if you know where to look.
Monterey's man-made harbors
were once home to commercial fleets
that stripped the ocean of its wildlife
on an industrial scale.
[tranquil music plays]
Many species,
from sardines to the great whales,
came close to extinction.
In 1992, Monterey Bay was declared
a national marine sanctuary.
Now these same harbors offer some respite.
[tranquil music continues]
A place to relax.
[birds squawking]
And recover.
[tranquil music continues]
The southern sea otter.
Once hunted for their pelts,
their numbers fell as low as 50.
[sea otter squeaks]
Now protected, the sanctuary supports
over 2,000 of these critters.
[boat horn blares]
The old whaling port of Moss Landing
at the center of Monterey Bay
welcomes its newest arrival.
A baby sea otter pup,
just a few hours old.
He's utterly helpless,
so relies totally on his mom.
She needs to keep him warm and dry.
It's a never-ending job.
[sea otter squeals]
Fortunately, we have created
some handy haul-out sites.
If she can find any space
amongst the crowds.
[jaunty music plays]
And even when she does
[jaunty music continues]
it's just too high.
[tense music plays]
[sea otter croaks]
Time for a feed
and a rest in the warmth of the sun.
[sea otter whimpers]
As a new mother,
she can't just stay with her pup.
To produce quality milk,
she must be well-fed herself.
And that means leaving him alone.
But the harbor's walkways are too busy.
[sea otter squeaks]
So the search is on for a quiet,
dry place to stash him away safely.
[tense music plays]
Perfect.
Now that he's safe,
the rarest of opportunities for a new mom.
[tranquil music plays]
Some "me time."
She forages for shellfish
and burrowing worms.
Nursing moms need to double
the calories they eat.
[tranquil music continues]
Until he's weaned in six months' time,
he will depend on her
finding enough food for both of them.
[tranquil music continues]
And the newest resident of Monterey Bay
is back where he most wants to be.
[tranquil music continues]
The sanctuary also nurtures life
beyond its waters.
Warm currents flowing up from the south
release their heat into the air
taking the bite out of winter
and creating the perfect conditions
for a precious visitor.
Arriving in these protected coastal
woodlands within the city of Santa Cruz
a western monarch butterfly.
[tranquil music plays]
It's flown up to 1,000 miles to get here,
all the way from Canada.
And it's not alone.
[tranquil music continues]
An entire colony
will spend the next few months here,
protected from the harsh winters
further north.
[tranquil music continues]
Once, millions sheltered in these woods.
Now, less than 1% remain,
the others lost to climate change
and habitat destruction.
These trees are one
of their few protected havens.
Now, the monarchs must hold out
for spring to arrive.
[tranquil music continues]
Finally, after the long wait,
a warmer sun rises.
[tranquil music continues]
They spread their wings
to absorb the heat.
And flap to stir cold flight muscles.
[tranquil music continues]
Then, when the moment's right
[joyful music plays]
they head inland to lay their eggs.
With successive generations
working their way back towards Canada
carrying a new hope
for the future of their species
thanks to the gift
of the ocean's winter warmth.
Reminding us
that the health of our climate
and our ocean are intimately connected.
The arrival of spring is marked
by a change in the prevailing winds.
Northwesterlies drive an upwelling
of cold water from the deep.
It also brings nutrients to the shallows.
[uplifting music plays]
And within weeks,
mesmerizing patterns
start to appear all along the coast.
[uplifting music continues]
Forests of kelp.
These giant algae
support a vibrant community.
The perfect place for Monterey's
sea otters to search for food.
[uplifting music continues]
And the kelp helps
in the fight against climate change
by capturing up to 20 times more carbon
per acre than forests on land.
[uplifting music continues]
This hungry otter won't find
what he's looking for up here.
[uplifting music continues]
At the base of the kelp
is a spring pantry of fresh food.
[uplifting music continues]
But it's not all to his taste.
Sea otters are fussy eaters.
When young, they get a taste
for their mom's favorite food.
Some eat spiky urchins.
But not this one.
[uplifting music continues]
He loves mussels.
Lots of them.
And when the otters need to kick back
and digest their meal
they roll themselves up in the fronds
[uplifting music plays]
and enjoy a nap
without drifting out to sea.
[uplifting music continues]
The spring kelp acts
as a safe haven for many.
But beyond lie deeper waters
with nowhere to hide.
Monterey Bay conceals an underwater abyss
every bit as magnificent
as the Grand Canyon.
Just over 10,000 feet deep,
it splits the bay in two.
Any animal swimming along the coast
will cross the canyon.
Star and her hungry family know it.
Now a grandma, Star has
a two-month-old calf to look after.
[tranquil music plays]
She's timed their arrival here
to set an ambush
for their most important prey.
Every April, gray whales and their calves
migrate north through the sanctuary.
Sticking close to the safety of the shore,
they are camouflaged by the kelp forests.
[quiet tense music plays]
But when they reach the middle of the bay
they have no option but to break cover.
[tense music continues]
Adult grays are about eight times
the weight of an orca.
Too big to take on.
So the smaller calf will be the target.
Enough to feed the whole family
for many days.
[tense music plays]
When hunting, they fall silent.
The largest adults lead the attack.
[dramatic music plays]
First, they ram the calf
hitting it with so much force,
they lift the 2,000-pound young gray
almost out of the water.
[dramatic music continues]
But its protective mother fights back.
One swipe of her huge tail
could be deadly to an orca.
[dramatic music continues]
They push the calf away from its mother.
[dramatic music continues]
One by one, they launch onto its back
trying to drown it.
[dramatic music continues]
In the thick of the action,
the youngest orca calf,
already learning from its elders.
[suspenseful music plays]
The gray whale's mother
hasn't given up yet.
She tries to keep her calf's head
above the surface.
But she's no match
for the family working together.
[dramatic music plays]
It's a mercifully swift end to events.
[birds squawking]
This one whale will sustain many.
And Star has passed on the skills
her family will need to survive.
Spring turns to summer, and there's
a dramatic change in the weather.
After warming the land all winter,
the sea now cools it.
[melancholy music plays]
The cold water welling up from the deep
meets the warm summer air
and sea fog starts to form.
Known locally as the June Gloom,
it blankets the shore.
[melancholy music continues]
At the sanctuary's northern edge,
it envelops San Francisco's
iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
[melancholy music continues]
For the next few months,
it will bring badly needed moisture
along the coast to one of the most
drought-ridden states in America.
Supporting towering forests.
[hopeful music plays]
And maintaining a lush, green landscape
through the hottest months.
[hopeful music continues]
But gradually through the summer,
the sunshine burns off the fog
and begins to warm the sea surface.
New creatures start to appear.
[tranquil music plays]
Some having traveled thousands of miles.
[tranquil music continues]
Majestic blue whales.
They pair up here
en route to mating grounds further south.
Giant sunfish, ten feet across,
lie on their sides
to soak up the sun's rays.
[tranquil music continues]
Risso's dolphins play in the swell.
And a mysterious new arrival.
[suspenseful music plays]
A great white shark.
[suspenseful music continues]
She's around six years old.
Not yet big enough
to maintain her own body temperature.
So she's heading
for a warm, shallow cove by Santa Cruz
already busy with other summer visitors.
[suspenseful music continues]
But she's just six feet long
[uplifting music plays]
and only interested in eating fish.
[uplifting music continues]
For the last few years,
dozens of young great whites
have been hanging out here in summer.
Nicknamed Shark Park,
this is the northernmost place
in the Pacific
these youngsters are known to gather.
An inspiring opportunity
for the sanctuary's human visitors
to appreciate these icons of the ocean.
[uplifting music continues]
But Monterey's greatest spectacle
is still to come.
[tranquil music plays]
Where sunlight meets the nutrient-rich
water rising up from the deep
the ocean turns green.
Billions of microscopic algae
called phytoplankton multiply.
[tranquil music continues]
They might be tiny,
but these plant-like cells
are critical for all life.
Globally, they generate more oxygen
than all the world's
rain forests combined.
[tranquil music continues]
Within days, a green flame forms
on the surface of the ocean
that's visible from space.
These blooms are the first rung
of a complex food chain.
And as summer turns to fall,
they trigger the start
of one of the most incredible events
in the ocean.
[tranquil music continues]
Beginning with sea nettle jellies.
One and a half feet across
and up to 15 feet in length
these otherworldly creatures
drift until they find the plankton blooms.
Then, pulsating, they fight the current
to gorge themselves.
[tranquil music continues]
Forming huge swarms.
[tranquil music continues]
The great gathering has begun.
Anchovies arrive in their millions,
also here to feast on the plankton.
[tranquil music continues]
These dark, dense shoals of fish
can stretch over a mile wide.
But they, too, are on the menu.
[birds squawking]
[tense music plays]
California sea lions.
Anchovy hunters.
[tense music continues]
Hundreds strong.
[tense music continues]
But finding the shoals
over such a vast area is far from easy.
[dramatic music plays]
Humpback whales join the hunt.
[dramatic music continues]
They can pinpoint the anchovies
from huge distances away.
How they do this is a mystery.
But the sea lions seem to know
what the whales are up to
and follow in their wake.
[tense music plays]
Once they have zoned in on the fish
the sea lions charge in
rounding them up.
As the anchovies panic,
they form an ever-tighter ball.
[dramatic music plays]
A 5,000-gallon mouthful.
[dramatic music continues]
It pays to work as a team.
[dramatic music continues]
A pod of a thousand dolphins
rush to join the bonanza.
[dramatic music continues]
[dramatic music intensifies]
Everyone will feast
until the shoal is no more.
[waves splash]
This extraordinary banquet
is one of the great wonders
of the natural world
playing out within sight
of the densely populated California coast.
[tranquil music plays]
Monterey Bay's marine life
has seen a remarkable recovery.
But it's a very small piece
of a much bigger jigsaw.
[melancholy music plays]
And around the world,
ocean health is in steep decline.
Sea temperatures are rising,
damaging entire ecosystems.
Fish stocks are plummeting,
causing havoc up and down the food chain.
[melancholy music continues]
And pollution is escalating,
poisoning our seas.
To tackle these threats,
we need to expand
and connect our marine sanctuaries.
And by protecting the ocean's hot spots,
we can generate impact
far beyond the sanctuary's borders
enriching the ocean beyond,
and our own lives too.
The fate of the world's oceans
affects every single one of us.
They are our life-support system.
Our health and theirs are bound together.
[tranquil music plays]
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
gives us hope
that although human activity
has harmed the ocean,
as long as we make
the right choices from now on,
we can heal it too.
[tranquil music plays]