1 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,375 ** 2 00:00:08,442 --> 00:00:12,746 DYKSTRA: There's these two worlds of air and water. 3 00:00:12,846 --> 00:00:15,649 Where those worlds merge... 4 00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:17,685 the whales are out there. 5 00:00:18,686 --> 00:00:23,124 There really is this extraterrestrial quality 6 00:00:23,124 --> 00:00:24,458 to sperm whales. 7 00:00:24,458 --> 00:00:27,095 It's just a world that we know nothing about. 8 00:00:28,362 --> 00:00:30,698 [ Whale clicking ] 9 00:00:30,798 --> 00:00:33,667 What are they thinking? 10 00:00:33,767 --> 00:00:37,605 There was one whale that sort of came a bit closer. 11 00:00:37,705 --> 00:00:40,941 Nobody knew this whale, so I called her Dolores. 12 00:00:41,041 --> 00:00:45,012 Just on a whim, I knocked the side of my camera housing-- 13 00:00:45,113 --> 00:00:47,115 tick, tick, tick-tick-tick. 14 00:00:47,215 --> 00:00:50,518 And immediately, she stopped completely 15 00:00:50,618 --> 00:00:51,852 and turned to face me. 16 00:00:51,952 --> 00:00:55,156 ** 17 00:00:55,156 --> 00:00:58,659 [ Whale clicking ] 18 00:00:58,659 --> 00:01:02,196 She was so interested and so curious. 19 00:01:02,296 --> 00:01:05,499 ** 20 00:01:05,499 --> 00:01:09,069 I think Dolores is gonna take me into her world. 21 00:01:09,203 --> 00:01:11,339 ** 22 00:01:11,339 --> 00:01:14,375 [ "Nature" theme music plays ] 23 00:01:14,475 --> 00:01:22,583 ** 24 00:01:32,993 --> 00:01:35,896 [ Soft, dramatic music plays ] 25 00:01:36,164 --> 00:01:41,835 ** 26 00:01:41,935 --> 00:01:47,608 ** 27 00:01:47,708 --> 00:01:50,678 [ Whales singing ] 28 00:01:50,778 --> 00:01:59,787 ** 29 00:01:59,887 --> 00:02:04,124 DYKSTRA: There really is this extraterrestrial quality 30 00:02:04,258 --> 00:02:05,859 to sperm whales. 31 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:09,029 ** 32 00:02:09,129 --> 00:02:12,766 They're as close as we have to aliens on our own planet. 33 00:02:12,866 --> 00:02:18,406 ** 34 00:02:18,406 --> 00:02:21,375 You have these 30,000-pound animals 35 00:02:21,475 --> 00:02:25,746 with a brain significantly larger than the human brain, 36 00:02:25,746 --> 00:02:28,449 larger than any other animal's brain on earth. 37 00:02:28,549 --> 00:02:31,252 ** 38 00:02:31,252 --> 00:02:32,820 What are they thinking? 39 00:02:32,953 --> 00:02:42,496 ** 40 00:02:42,596 --> 00:02:48,402 ** 41 00:02:48,502 --> 00:02:54,308 ** 42 00:02:54,408 --> 00:02:57,678 [ Breathing heavily ] 43 00:02:57,811 --> 00:03:02,683 ** 44 00:03:02,816 --> 00:03:05,853 You know, this journey, for me, you know, 45 00:03:05,953 --> 00:03:08,989 started with simply wanting to see 46 00:03:09,089 --> 00:03:13,160 the world's biggest animal in its own environment. 47 00:03:13,261 --> 00:03:15,996 When I was 15, 48 00:03:16,096 --> 00:03:17,465 I went to the Museum of Natural History, 49 00:03:17,465 --> 00:03:22,002 and I just remember seeing this replica of a blue whale. 50 00:03:22,102 --> 00:03:23,937 I just made a point that day-- I said, 51 00:03:24,037 --> 00:03:27,441 "I'm gonna see a blue whale in its natural environment." 52 00:03:27,541 --> 00:03:31,011 [ Water bubbling ] 53 00:03:31,111 --> 00:03:34,982 ** 54 00:03:34,982 --> 00:03:38,218 One of the first trips I took was to the Azores. 55 00:03:38,352 --> 00:03:40,854 ** 56 00:03:40,954 --> 00:03:43,190 We didn't find any blue whales, 57 00:03:43,291 --> 00:03:47,695 but along the way, we found other whale species. 58 00:03:47,795 --> 00:03:50,163 Over time, I really fell in love 59 00:03:50,163 --> 00:03:53,401 with all of these ocean creatures. 60 00:03:53,501 --> 00:03:56,704 I made other trips looking for blue whales. 61 00:03:58,472 --> 00:04:01,875 I didn't find any blue whales. 62 00:04:01,975 --> 00:04:05,145 I spent a lot of time in Norway 63 00:04:05,245 --> 00:04:06,814 with killer whales-- with orca. 64 00:04:07,415 --> 00:04:08,849 [ Whales spouting ] 65 00:04:08,849 --> 00:04:11,919 You know, I don't come from a wealthy background. 66 00:04:12,052 --> 00:04:13,554 I had to earn the money 67 00:04:13,654 --> 00:04:16,223 that it takes to fund these expeditions. 68 00:04:16,324 --> 00:04:19,192 So I had a career as a corporate lawyer. 69 00:04:19,192 --> 00:04:20,761 But it was a grind. 70 00:04:20,861 --> 00:04:22,530 And there were times there, towards the end, 71 00:04:22,530 --> 00:04:25,399 where it felt like I was in prison. 72 00:04:25,499 --> 00:04:28,536 Whales were freedom to me. 73 00:04:28,536 --> 00:04:30,404 They would get me out of that jail, 74 00:04:30,504 --> 00:04:33,407 and watching them was like rehabilitation, 75 00:04:33,507 --> 00:04:36,043 and I could see into their lives. 76 00:04:36,043 --> 00:04:40,448 The orca off Norway were so charismatic and interesting, 77 00:04:40,581 --> 00:04:43,784 especially their noisy hunting techniques. 78 00:04:43,884 --> 00:04:47,254 Sometimes humpback whales would take advantage 79 00:04:47,355 --> 00:04:49,790 of all of their hard work, and you could see 80 00:04:49,890 --> 00:04:51,959 the killer whale was pretty annoyed with this. 81 00:04:52,092 --> 00:04:54,728 You start to get a sense of what all those squeaks and squeals 82 00:04:54,728 --> 00:04:56,630 are about, when they're talking to each other. 83 00:04:56,730 --> 00:04:57,931 They're clearly strategizing 84 00:04:58,031 --> 00:05:00,200 on, "How are we gonna do this better?" 85 00:05:08,476 --> 00:05:11,211 I went to Tonga, looking for blue whales. 86 00:05:11,311 --> 00:05:12,780 Didn't find any blue whales, 87 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,483 but found humpback whales that might swim over to you 88 00:05:15,583 --> 00:05:17,084 and check you out 89 00:05:17,084 --> 00:05:19,653 and bring their calf to look at you. 90 00:05:19,753 --> 00:05:22,790 And they have a whole different kind of communication. 91 00:05:22,890 --> 00:05:24,392 Humpback whales sing. 92 00:05:24,492 --> 00:05:27,094 [ Whales singing ] 93 00:05:27,094 --> 00:05:30,664 This is not simple conveyance of information. 94 00:05:30,764 --> 00:05:32,132 This is emotion. 95 00:05:32,232 --> 00:05:35,803 This is connecting with each other. 96 00:05:35,903 --> 00:05:37,337 You know, it's music. 97 00:05:37,438 --> 00:05:41,642 ** 98 00:05:41,742 --> 00:05:43,577 It was about 10 years 99 00:05:43,677 --> 00:05:46,113 before, finally, in southern Sri Lanka, 100 00:05:46,113 --> 00:05:48,682 during the Sri Lankan Civil War, 101 00:05:48,816 --> 00:05:50,918 I swam with-- with blue whales. 102 00:05:51,018 --> 00:05:53,987 [ Soft music plays ] 103 00:05:54,087 --> 00:06:00,994 ** 104 00:06:01,094 --> 00:06:04,031 'Cause they're so big, they're focused on feeding. 105 00:06:04,164 --> 00:06:06,867 They don't have time in their life to socialize-- 106 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,368 at least, not with humans. 107 00:06:08,502 --> 00:06:11,304 They barely do it with each other. 108 00:06:11,304 --> 00:06:13,974 One sort of tilts its head as it's going past. 109 00:06:13,974 --> 00:06:15,443 That's it. 110 00:06:15,543 --> 00:06:18,111 That's a huge achievement to get it to notice you at all. 111 00:06:20,781 --> 00:06:24,518 Blue whales had led me here. I owe them so much. 112 00:06:24,618 --> 00:06:27,821 But they seem really hard to learn from-- 113 00:06:27,821 --> 00:06:30,190 almost impersonal. 114 00:06:30,290 --> 00:06:36,897 ** 115 00:06:36,997 --> 00:06:43,136 ** 116 00:06:43,236 --> 00:06:45,706 Sperm whales-- they are 117 00:06:45,806 --> 00:06:47,875 all the way at the other end of the spectrum, 118 00:06:47,975 --> 00:06:51,479 of tolerance and social behavior. 119 00:06:51,579 --> 00:06:53,714 I mean, look at them. 120 00:06:53,814 --> 00:06:58,986 They are [Chuckles] this big square head, flat tail. 121 00:06:59,086 --> 00:07:01,388 The tiny little flippers on the side, 122 00:07:01,489 --> 00:07:03,757 the blowhole on top. 123 00:07:05,258 --> 00:07:08,596 This is what I think of, the word "whale." 124 00:07:08,696 --> 00:07:09,830 You think of a sperm whale. 125 00:07:13,166 --> 00:07:15,703 Orca communication is quite functional. 126 00:07:15,703 --> 00:07:18,506 Then you have humpback whales who are singing 127 00:07:18,606 --> 00:07:21,875 and getting emotional connections with other whales. 128 00:07:21,875 --> 00:07:25,178 And then you have sperm whales. 129 00:07:25,278 --> 00:07:29,517 Here's a species that's probably doing both of those things 130 00:07:29,617 --> 00:07:30,784 at a very, very high level. 131 00:07:30,884 --> 00:07:37,124 ** 132 00:07:37,257 --> 00:07:41,562 I spent time with them in Sri Lanka, in the Azores. 133 00:07:41,562 --> 00:07:44,732 And then you have a place like Dominica. 134 00:07:44,732 --> 00:07:47,234 You've got a population of sperm whales 135 00:07:47,234 --> 00:07:51,138 that is more social than almost any other in the world. 136 00:07:51,271 --> 00:08:00,080 ** 137 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,117 There's these two worlds of-- of air and water. 138 00:08:04,217 --> 00:08:07,721 ** 139 00:08:07,821 --> 00:08:09,823 And it really feels like a place where those worlds merge. 140 00:08:09,957 --> 00:08:13,093 And you've got the blue sky and the bright blue water 141 00:08:13,093 --> 00:08:14,662 and the light passing between them. 142 00:08:14,795 --> 00:08:23,971 ** 143 00:08:24,071 --> 00:08:32,412 ** 144 00:08:32,512 --> 00:08:35,148 Some whale families were friendlier than others. 145 00:08:35,248 --> 00:08:38,819 One of the first families I met was called Unit U, 146 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:40,187 and they've remained my favorite family. 147 00:08:40,287 --> 00:08:42,956 I still see them every year. 148 00:08:42,956 --> 00:08:45,525 My favorite among them is a young female 149 00:08:45,626 --> 00:08:47,961 named Can Opener. She was named that 150 00:08:47,961 --> 00:08:49,597 because she has a bite out of her tail 151 00:08:49,697 --> 00:08:52,032 that resembles a car opener. 152 00:08:52,165 --> 00:08:54,968 She's incredibly important to me, 153 00:08:54,968 --> 00:08:57,638 and I've learned a lot from her and her family. 154 00:08:57,638 --> 00:09:00,107 I'll always come back to her. 155 00:09:00,207 --> 00:09:03,276 ** 156 00:09:03,376 --> 00:09:08,816 But then something strange happened, out of the blue. 157 00:09:08,816 --> 00:09:11,484 And it started like any other time. 158 00:09:11,484 --> 00:09:13,621 We were tracking along with a family 159 00:09:13,721 --> 00:09:14,855 that we didn't know before. 160 00:09:14,955 --> 00:09:17,991 ** 161 00:09:17,991 --> 00:09:21,962 And there was one whale that sort of came a bit closer. 162 00:09:22,062 --> 00:09:25,899 And then it tilted upwards. 163 00:09:26,033 --> 00:09:29,837 She's sending out a sonar pulse, scanning my body-- 164 00:09:29,837 --> 00:09:32,806 your kidney, your lungs, your ribcage, 165 00:09:32,906 --> 00:09:36,043 She's really getting a full 3-D picture 166 00:09:36,143 --> 00:09:39,546 of what I am, of my interior. 167 00:09:41,514 --> 00:09:43,350 Nobody knew this whale. 168 00:09:43,350 --> 00:09:45,352 I could see she had-- it was like a fresh wound 169 00:09:45,352 --> 00:09:46,553 on the side of her face 170 00:09:46,654 --> 00:09:49,056 from what was obviously a squid scratch 171 00:09:49,156 --> 00:09:51,692 when feeding on some giant squid. 172 00:09:56,263 --> 00:09:58,531 When sperm whales first see each other 173 00:09:58,531 --> 00:09:59,933 in the Eastern Caribbean, 174 00:10:00,033 --> 00:10:02,269 they make a clicking sound in a very distinct pattern. 175 00:10:02,402 --> 00:10:06,173 Tick, tick, tick-tick-tick, like Morse code. 176 00:10:06,273 --> 00:10:09,542 [ Whale clicking ] 177 00:10:09,542 --> 00:10:13,180 Just on a whim, I knocked the side of my camera housing-- 178 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,248 tick, tick, tick-tick-tick. 179 00:10:15,348 --> 00:10:18,418 And immediately-- it only took one time-- 180 00:10:18,518 --> 00:10:20,688 she stopped completely 181 00:10:20,788 --> 00:10:23,891 and then slowly inverted her body 182 00:10:23,891 --> 00:10:26,526 and turned completely around 183 00:10:26,626 --> 00:10:29,429 and eventually came face-to-face with me again 184 00:10:29,529 --> 00:10:32,232 from maybe 2 feet away. 185 00:10:32,232 --> 00:10:36,737 [ Whale clicking ] 186 00:10:36,737 --> 00:10:38,906 And then I tried some physical actions. 187 00:10:38,906 --> 00:10:41,208 Then, I rolled in the water. 188 00:10:41,308 --> 00:10:44,577 ** 189 00:10:44,577 --> 00:10:47,047 And then I watched, and she rolled in the water. 190 00:10:47,147 --> 00:10:53,120 ** 191 00:10:53,220 --> 00:10:59,092 ** 192 00:10:59,092 --> 00:11:02,930 [ Whale clicking ] 193 00:11:02,930 --> 00:11:08,635 Nobody knew this whale. She hadn't been named yet. 194 00:11:08,736 --> 00:11:11,638 So I called her Dolores. 195 00:11:11,739 --> 00:11:21,448 ** 196 00:11:21,448 --> 00:11:24,684 After about 45 minutes, she slowly rolled over 197 00:11:24,785 --> 00:11:27,988 and just disappeared down into the depths. 198 00:11:28,088 --> 00:11:31,524 [ Breathing heavily ] 199 00:11:31,624 --> 00:11:34,828 There are lots of reasons that draw me back to Dominica, 200 00:11:34,928 --> 00:11:41,001 but she quickly became the whale that I wanted to see the most. 201 00:11:41,101 --> 00:11:44,337 I was worried that I wouldn't find her. 202 00:11:44,437 --> 00:11:46,039 But then she found me. 203 00:11:46,173 --> 00:11:52,946 ** 204 00:11:53,046 --> 00:12:00,287 ** 205 00:12:00,387 --> 00:12:02,355 [ Whale clicking ] 206 00:12:02,455 --> 00:12:04,157 I recognized her pretty quickly, 207 00:12:04,157 --> 00:12:06,693 but she recognized me even more quickly, 208 00:12:06,794 --> 00:12:09,496 because she came shooting over. 209 00:12:09,496 --> 00:12:12,199 [ Whale clicking ] 210 00:12:12,299 --> 00:12:14,501 ** 211 00:12:14,501 --> 00:12:16,669 I was trying different things. 212 00:12:16,669 --> 00:12:18,671 I was making sounds in my snorkel 213 00:12:18,671 --> 00:12:21,008 to mimic the sounds that she was making. 214 00:12:21,008 --> 00:12:22,675 [ Tapping ] 215 00:12:22,675 --> 00:12:24,711 I would roll, and she'd do her roll, 216 00:12:24,812 --> 00:12:27,180 and then look at me [Chuckles] almost like, "Was that okay? 217 00:12:27,180 --> 00:12:28,381 Did I-- Did I do it right?" 218 00:12:28,481 --> 00:12:31,384 ** 219 00:12:31,484 --> 00:12:36,023 My instinct is to not physically touch any marine life. 220 00:12:36,023 --> 00:12:37,357 She wasn't having any of that. 221 00:12:37,357 --> 00:12:40,393 She started pushing me to just feel, I think. 222 00:12:40,493 --> 00:12:42,195 It was very gentle to just touch 223 00:12:42,195 --> 00:12:43,663 and to get a better understanding, 224 00:12:43,763 --> 00:12:46,900 I think, of what I am. 225 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,368 She rose up. 226 00:12:48,368 --> 00:12:50,570 There was nowhere I could go. I was on her. 227 00:12:50,670 --> 00:12:53,907 She just lifted me completely out of the water, on her face. 228 00:12:54,007 --> 00:12:58,445 ** 229 00:12:58,545 --> 00:13:01,248 It's exhilarating, and frightening at the same time, 230 00:13:01,348 --> 00:13:03,951 to be riding this whale. 231 00:13:04,084 --> 00:13:09,422 ** 232 00:13:09,522 --> 00:13:14,761 ** 233 00:13:14,862 --> 00:13:17,931 She was so interested and so curious. 234 00:13:18,031 --> 00:13:21,801 It felt like genuine excitement from her. 235 00:13:21,935 --> 00:13:23,770 And I felt the same way, obviously. 236 00:13:23,871 --> 00:13:29,042 This was something I thought would never have been possible. 237 00:13:29,142 --> 00:13:30,710 And now it's just a level of intimacy 238 00:13:30,810 --> 00:13:32,245 that I've never had 239 00:13:32,245 --> 00:13:34,647 with a sperm whale or any kind of whale before. 240 00:13:34,747 --> 00:13:43,256 ** 241 00:13:43,256 --> 00:13:47,460 It was just clear to me that we'd really crossed a line. 242 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:52,900 ** 243 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,269 I didn't realize how strong my feelings were 244 00:13:56,269 --> 00:13:57,971 until the next season. 245 00:13:58,071 --> 00:14:03,810 ** 246 00:14:03,911 --> 00:14:08,015 On Christmas day, I got the news that four hours 247 00:14:08,148 --> 00:14:10,150 from where I was based, in England, 248 00:14:10,250 --> 00:14:13,320 this incredibly tragic event was unfolding. 249 00:14:13,420 --> 00:14:15,488 [ Waves lapping shore ] 250 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,329 It wasn't even a headline story. 251 00:14:22,429 --> 00:14:25,999 It was sort of a note that a group of sperm whales 252 00:14:26,099 --> 00:14:29,102 had stranded on the Yorkshire coast. 253 00:14:29,202 --> 00:14:32,705 ** 254 00:14:32,805 --> 00:14:35,608 You see stories about sperm whale 255 00:14:35,708 --> 00:14:37,444 stranding on beaches occasionally. 256 00:14:37,544 --> 00:14:42,349 And-- And then to see it... 257 00:14:42,449 --> 00:14:45,518 Yeah, I-I've never seen a dead sperm whale before. 258 00:14:45,618 --> 00:14:55,462 ** 259 00:14:55,562 --> 00:14:57,965 There's another one. 260 00:14:58,065 --> 00:14:59,166 All up and down this beach-- 261 00:14:59,166 --> 00:15:00,700 body, body, body, body. 262 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:02,335 There's another body. 263 00:15:08,808 --> 00:15:11,644 [ Coughing ] 264 00:15:11,744 --> 00:15:16,216 Uh, it's just insane. I... 265 00:15:16,316 --> 00:15:18,185 See, it's a young male. 266 00:15:29,362 --> 00:15:31,498 There's more people in Omaha, Nebraska, 267 00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:34,001 than there are sperm whales on the whole planet. 268 00:15:34,101 --> 00:15:37,004 You got 10 teenagers dead right here, 269 00:15:37,104 --> 00:15:40,173 just in one spot, in one day, all at the same time. 270 00:15:42,509 --> 00:15:45,345 That's not a-a-a sad event. That's a catastrophe. 271 00:15:45,445 --> 00:15:47,047 That's like-- You know, 272 00:15:47,047 --> 00:15:50,383 that changes the whole world of sperm whales in one day. 273 00:15:50,383 --> 00:15:53,920 [ Soft, dramatic music plays ] 274 00:15:54,021 --> 00:15:57,924 There's so many mysteries about strandings like this. 275 00:15:58,025 --> 00:15:59,859 It's always together, 276 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:03,230 within yards, normally, of each other. 277 00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:05,065 It's juvenile males. 278 00:16:05,065 --> 00:16:07,934 It's not because they have some disease. 279 00:16:08,035 --> 00:16:10,570 It's not a question of-- of intelligence. 280 00:16:10,570 --> 00:16:12,405 It's not because they don't have 281 00:16:12,405 --> 00:16:15,542 a basic understanding of their environment. 282 00:16:15,642 --> 00:16:17,544 Otherwise, you would see one strand 283 00:16:17,644 --> 00:16:18,645 and the others are smart enough 284 00:16:18,778 --> 00:16:21,481 to not do the exact same thing themselves. 285 00:16:21,614 --> 00:16:24,884 ** 286 00:16:24,984 --> 00:16:26,153 How does that happen? 287 00:16:26,253 --> 00:16:29,789 They have to be so close-knit, compared to humans, 288 00:16:29,889 --> 00:16:32,425 to all die at the same time, 289 00:16:32,425 --> 00:16:35,928 on the same beach. 290 00:16:35,928 --> 00:16:37,064 Why? 291 00:16:37,164 --> 00:16:45,972 ** 292 00:16:46,073 --> 00:16:49,176 What can I do to help that not happen again? 293 00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:54,414 ** 294 00:16:54,514 --> 00:16:59,819 There is so much to be learned about them as a species 295 00:16:59,919 --> 00:17:02,689 that I hope would do this species as a whole 296 00:17:02,789 --> 00:17:04,424 a great service. 297 00:17:04,524 --> 00:17:11,364 ** 298 00:17:11,498 --> 00:17:13,666 Sperm whales spend such a short period of their life 299 00:17:13,766 --> 00:17:15,435 on the surface. 300 00:17:15,535 --> 00:17:17,137 They spend three-quarters of their time 301 00:17:17,137 --> 00:17:21,974 down in these abyssal depths, completely dark, 302 00:17:21,974 --> 00:17:25,445 hunting and echolocating and trying to find squid. 303 00:17:25,545 --> 00:17:28,515 It's just a world that we know nothing about. 304 00:17:28,615 --> 00:17:31,484 ** 305 00:17:31,484 --> 00:17:34,987 The more we learn about them and understand them, 306 00:17:34,987 --> 00:17:37,524 the more that we can help protect them. 307 00:17:37,624 --> 00:17:43,163 ** 308 00:17:43,163 --> 00:17:46,633 [ Seagulls calling ] 309 00:17:50,903 --> 00:17:53,306 Understanding what they do, 310 00:17:53,406 --> 00:17:55,742 in the vast amounts of their life 311 00:17:55,842 --> 00:17:57,677 that we can't see them, 312 00:17:57,677 --> 00:18:00,347 is incredibly important to understanding them. 313 00:18:02,749 --> 00:18:05,885 So far, no one's been able to attach a camera 314 00:18:05,985 --> 00:18:07,587 to a sperm whale, 315 00:18:07,687 --> 00:18:10,190 other than on the top of the head. 316 00:18:10,190 --> 00:18:14,661 If I could place it below the jaw here, facing forward, 317 00:18:14,761 --> 00:18:17,264 that would reveal a view on their life 318 00:18:17,364 --> 00:18:20,867 that we've never been able to see before. 319 00:18:20,867 --> 00:18:24,737 The only way is for me to free-dive down 320 00:18:24,837 --> 00:18:27,874 and physically place it with my hand here. 321 00:18:27,874 --> 00:18:32,912 There's obvious risks, going as close to its jaw and teeth 322 00:18:33,012 --> 00:18:37,917 and placing my hand there and putting a camera on. 323 00:18:40,086 --> 00:18:43,356 If that whale runs, the next thing behind 324 00:18:43,456 --> 00:18:44,891 is the tail. That's coming. 325 00:18:44,891 --> 00:18:47,727 That's coming next as that whale moves out of the way, 326 00:18:47,727 --> 00:18:49,095 and that tail could kill you. 327 00:18:49,196 --> 00:18:51,198 [ Water splashes loudly ] 328 00:18:51,298 --> 00:18:53,065 [ Soft, dramatic music plays ] 329 00:18:53,065 --> 00:18:56,936 I don't think I could get a camera down in that position 330 00:18:57,036 --> 00:19:01,741 on a whale that doesn't know me really, really well. 331 00:19:01,741 --> 00:19:05,712 I think Dolores is gonna take me into her world. 332 00:19:07,647 --> 00:19:09,816 I knew that I had to find her again. 333 00:19:09,949 --> 00:19:19,492 ** 334 00:19:19,592 --> 00:19:21,628 The area is bigger than California, 335 00:19:21,728 --> 00:19:24,797 and there's about 300 sperm whales living in that area, 336 00:19:24,897 --> 00:19:28,435 broken down into different family units and pods. 337 00:19:28,435 --> 00:19:31,838 It's grandmothers, mothers, daughters, nieces, 338 00:19:31,971 --> 00:19:34,106 and then young males who leave the family 339 00:19:34,106 --> 00:19:36,276 when they're in their early teen years. 340 00:19:38,845 --> 00:19:41,448 Dolores' family is called Unit Z, 341 00:19:41,448 --> 00:19:43,583 but they roam over a vast distance 342 00:19:43,683 --> 00:19:47,119 and can be extremely hard to find. 343 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:50,623 They use these clicks that we can hear on the hydrophone. 344 00:19:50,623 --> 00:19:52,692 The sound is amplified, and you can hear sound 345 00:19:52,825 --> 00:19:54,694 from great distances away. 346 00:19:54,794 --> 00:19:56,663 [ Boat engine revving ] 347 00:20:08,541 --> 00:20:11,778 Every time I see a tail fluke, I take a photo of it 348 00:20:11,878 --> 00:20:14,847 and then I'm able to identify that individual. 349 00:20:14,947 --> 00:20:16,716 And if it's not one I immediately recognize, 350 00:20:16,816 --> 00:20:20,320 I look in the Flukebook to see who it is. 351 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,355 The issue is it's not the-- 352 00:20:22,455 --> 00:20:26,158 it's not the unit of whales that we're looking for. 353 00:20:26,158 --> 00:20:31,464 Two of the families that I see the most are Units F and U. 354 00:20:31,564 --> 00:20:34,967 Unit U is named after various kitchen utensils. 355 00:20:35,067 --> 00:20:38,671 It's a family that I know very well. 356 00:20:38,671 --> 00:20:41,708 You're born into a family unit, and you spend your life 357 00:20:41,808 --> 00:20:44,076 together with your family, feeding together, 358 00:20:44,210 --> 00:20:46,012 sleeping together, socializing together, 359 00:20:46,012 --> 00:20:47,980 traveling together-- really together, 360 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,584 like physically close together, even, a lot of the time. 361 00:20:53,986 --> 00:20:55,722 That's something that, you know, 362 00:20:55,822 --> 00:20:57,990 if you don't understand them in relation 363 00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:00,727 to each other and their family and other whales, 364 00:21:00,827 --> 00:21:03,262 you can't possibly start to understand them at all. 365 00:21:03,363 --> 00:21:11,871 ** 366 00:21:11,871 --> 00:21:13,540 We've left them now. We're gonna head north. 367 00:21:13,540 --> 00:21:15,442 I've never actually done that in my entire life. 368 00:21:15,542 --> 00:21:18,110 I've never been with whales and decided, 369 00:21:18,244 --> 00:21:19,912 "Well, these aren't the specific whales 370 00:21:20,012 --> 00:21:21,614 I've tried to work with," and actually left them. 371 00:21:21,714 --> 00:21:24,584 [ Boat engine revving ] 372 00:21:24,684 --> 00:21:32,258 ** 373 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,293 [ Radio chatter ] 374 00:21:34,394 --> 00:21:42,369 ** 375 00:21:42,469 --> 00:21:51,611 ** 376 00:21:51,711 --> 00:21:55,882 I think Dolores is just a special whale. 377 00:21:55,982 --> 00:21:59,251 Like any relationship, there's risks. 378 00:21:59,251 --> 00:22:03,155 And if I don't see her again, that's tough. 379 00:22:03,255 --> 00:22:08,495 ** 380 00:22:08,595 --> 00:22:10,963 It's certainly one of the most fascinating 381 00:22:11,063 --> 00:22:12,965 and fulfilling connections I've ever had 382 00:22:13,065 --> 00:22:16,836 with any animal, maybe with any-- with anyone in my life. 383 00:22:16,969 --> 00:22:18,838 ** 384 00:22:18,938 --> 00:22:22,341 [ Water churning ] 385 00:22:22,475 --> 00:22:24,844 The numbers of sperm whales in the Eastern Caribbean 386 00:22:24,944 --> 00:22:28,280 have been steadily dropping over the years. 387 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,249 And any year that I go back, 388 00:22:30,349 --> 00:22:32,952 I don't know if I'm gonna see the family units 389 00:22:32,952 --> 00:22:34,954 and the sperm whales that I recognize, 390 00:22:34,954 --> 00:22:38,758 because the mortality rate among the population is so high. 391 00:22:38,858 --> 00:22:41,828 [ Water splashing ] 392 00:22:47,967 --> 00:22:55,374 ** 393 00:22:55,508 --> 00:22:59,011 SERAPHIN: Songs are coming from the north-northwest. 394 00:22:59,111 --> 00:23:02,615 It's probably about a mile and a half, 2 miles away. 395 00:23:02,715 --> 00:23:08,054 ** 396 00:23:08,187 --> 00:23:13,493 ** 397 00:23:13,493 --> 00:23:15,327 DYKSTRA: It's incredibly rare 398 00:23:15,327 --> 00:23:17,730 to come across a group of young males. 399 00:23:19,832 --> 00:23:22,368 These are not whales that would allow me 400 00:23:22,469 --> 00:23:25,638 to try to place a tag on one of them. 401 00:23:25,738 --> 00:23:27,006 It would be quite dangerous, 402 00:23:27,006 --> 00:23:29,542 and I just get a sense that they wouldn't like it. 403 00:23:29,642 --> 00:23:33,680 ** 404 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,082 The males are forced out of the family unit-- 405 00:23:36,215 --> 00:23:37,517 kicked out, essentially-- 406 00:23:37,517 --> 00:23:38,851 when they're in their early teens, 407 00:23:38,851 --> 00:23:40,352 and then they leave the family unit 408 00:23:40,352 --> 00:23:41,721 and they leave the Eastern Caribbean 409 00:23:41,821 --> 00:23:45,858 to go wander the sea and find other young males. 410 00:23:45,858 --> 00:23:49,261 Even their communication can't travel that far, 411 00:23:49,361 --> 00:23:52,398 but they find each other... 412 00:23:52,499 --> 00:23:53,766 and then they form a bond 413 00:23:53,866 --> 00:23:56,368 that lasts a quarter of their life. 414 00:23:56,368 --> 00:23:59,438 And that bond is so strong, 415 00:23:59,539 --> 00:24:03,743 you get situations like happened on the beach in England. 416 00:24:03,843 --> 00:24:06,846 ** 417 00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,716 These young males will all die for each other, 418 00:24:09,716 --> 00:24:12,418 and they'll all strand together. 419 00:24:12,519 --> 00:24:17,590 ** 420 00:24:17,690 --> 00:24:21,193 And then probably, we think, in their early 30s, 421 00:24:21,293 --> 00:24:23,462 they just break up. 422 00:24:23,563 --> 00:24:26,566 They just leave. 423 00:24:26,566 --> 00:24:29,636 And now they're completely solitary. 424 00:24:29,736 --> 00:24:33,906 And the only time they seem to really interact 425 00:24:33,906 --> 00:24:37,476 with other sperm whales in this solitary life 426 00:24:37,577 --> 00:24:42,414 is when they show up in these resident female units to mate. 427 00:24:47,554 --> 00:24:50,757 Sperm whales make the loudest sound in the animal kingdom. 428 00:24:50,757 --> 00:24:53,259 It's a huge clang that comes from the full-grown 429 00:24:53,259 --> 00:24:56,495 male sperm whales. [ Clang ] 430 00:24:56,629 --> 00:24:59,498 It's a much more metallic "tang." 431 00:24:59,599 --> 00:25:02,401 [ Clang ] 432 00:25:02,501 --> 00:25:04,136 Sperm whales, the male just shows up, 433 00:25:04,236 --> 00:25:06,305 and all the females in the area, including calves-- 434 00:25:06,405 --> 00:25:10,743 everybody just goes to him like a magnet. 435 00:25:10,843 --> 00:25:13,646 The clanging sound travels for huge distances 436 00:25:13,746 --> 00:25:17,917 and signals that message back to Dolores and to her pod 437 00:25:18,017 --> 00:25:21,320 and to all of the sperm whales in the area. 438 00:25:21,420 --> 00:25:22,989 That's my hope, anyway. 439 00:25:23,089 --> 00:25:26,125 [ Clanging ] 440 00:25:26,125 --> 00:25:30,096 They have these really ripped-up and scarred faces 441 00:25:30,196 --> 00:25:34,000 that come from fights with other males. 442 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:38,370 You can imagine that they have seen so much in their life. 443 00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:42,308 ** 444 00:25:42,308 --> 00:25:44,143 They are like the Pied Piper. 445 00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:45,945 Every whale in the area, 446 00:25:46,045 --> 00:25:48,547 like a magnet to these male sperm whales. 447 00:25:48,648 --> 00:25:56,789 ** 448 00:25:56,889 --> 00:25:58,190 [ Clang ] 449 00:25:58,290 --> 00:26:00,727 This is my best chance to find Dolores. 450 00:26:00,860 --> 00:26:09,401 ** 451 00:26:09,535 --> 00:26:13,806 Some of them, as they age, get very white. 452 00:26:13,906 --> 00:26:15,908 These huge, huge sperm whales 453 00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:18,811 that are this sort of bright-white color. 454 00:26:18,911 --> 00:26:20,713 And then it really gives you an understanding 455 00:26:20,813 --> 00:26:23,683 of what Melville was talking about in "Moby Dick" 456 00:26:23,683 --> 00:26:27,854 with these-- this white whale. 457 00:26:27,854 --> 00:26:29,555 It's not really a myth. 458 00:26:29,656 --> 00:26:33,592 Big old male sperm whales are often very white. 459 00:26:33,726 --> 00:26:40,867 ** 460 00:26:40,867 --> 00:26:43,569 I look to the left, and there she is. 461 00:26:43,670 --> 00:26:47,840 And I can't mistake that tail for any other tail. 462 00:26:47,940 --> 00:26:49,208 [ Chuckles ] 463 00:26:49,208 --> 00:26:52,344 So I know, you know, this is-- this is Dolores. 464 00:26:52,444 --> 00:26:56,182 ** 465 00:26:56,282 --> 00:26:59,085 She did sort of, as she was turning, 466 00:26:59,185 --> 00:27:00,687 took a look at me, and I'm sure 467 00:27:00,787 --> 00:27:03,723 she knew I was there, and I'm sure she recognized me. 468 00:27:03,723 --> 00:27:07,426 But after looking for her for so long, 469 00:27:07,526 --> 00:27:09,929 I guess I was hoping that she would acknowledge me 470 00:27:10,029 --> 00:27:11,630 and would come over. 471 00:27:11,731 --> 00:27:14,934 Um, but-- but she didn't. 472 00:27:15,034 --> 00:27:19,405 She's following this big male, and she's probably at an age now 473 00:27:19,405 --> 00:27:24,376 where she might be thinking about having a calf of her own. 474 00:27:24,476 --> 00:27:29,949 And so, you know, she didn't come over to me. 475 00:27:30,049 --> 00:27:33,285 ** 476 00:27:33,385 --> 00:27:37,556 At that moment, as I saw her tail disappear in the distance, 477 00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:40,292 I knew then that my year-long plan 478 00:27:40,392 --> 00:27:43,329 of placing this tag on her was not gonna happen. 479 00:27:43,462 --> 00:27:46,498 ** 480 00:27:46,632 --> 00:27:49,468 Following a big male like that and ending up hundreds of miles 481 00:27:49,568 --> 00:27:53,472 from your known area is dangerous for them. 482 00:27:53,572 --> 00:28:02,081 ** 483 00:28:02,181 --> 00:28:04,683 Ship strike, fishing-gear entanglement, 484 00:28:04,784 --> 00:28:07,854 ocean pollution-- we know that it's us. 485 00:28:07,987 --> 00:28:13,292 ** 486 00:28:13,292 --> 00:28:15,327 That day when she disappeared offshore 487 00:28:15,427 --> 00:28:19,832 with that big male is the last time I've seen her. 488 00:28:19,932 --> 00:28:22,501 I just want to learn about the rest of your life 489 00:28:22,601 --> 00:28:23,836 that I can't see at the surface. 490 00:28:23,936 --> 00:28:26,873 And I know they would show us that part of their life. 491 00:28:26,973 --> 00:28:29,541 ** 492 00:28:29,675 --> 00:28:33,545 I think if they could take you down to see how their lives go, 493 00:28:33,679 --> 00:28:35,815 they would do it, but they can't, obviously, 494 00:28:35,815 --> 00:28:38,384 and we can't survive those pressures. 495 00:28:40,619 --> 00:28:44,123 Is there another whale who could be that messenger? 496 00:28:46,392 --> 00:28:50,997 We've seen Unit U for 10 consecutive days, 497 00:28:50,997 --> 00:28:52,464 and the most social 498 00:28:52,564 --> 00:28:54,400 of that group is Can Opener. 499 00:28:54,533 --> 00:29:01,740 ** 500 00:29:01,841 --> 00:29:04,710 Maybe 2018-- 2017, 2018-- 501 00:29:04,811 --> 00:29:09,548 I was delighted to see that she had a calf. 502 00:29:09,648 --> 00:29:11,750 It was almost like she'd grown up a bit, 503 00:29:11,851 --> 00:29:14,020 like, "Hey dude, I got responsibilities now. 504 00:29:14,020 --> 00:29:16,522 I can't be hanging out, playing with you in the boat. 505 00:29:16,522 --> 00:29:18,825 I gotta take care of my baby." 506 00:29:21,060 --> 00:29:24,263 She was still lovely, and she was still quite calm around me, 507 00:29:24,363 --> 00:29:29,068 but she would definitely pay a lot more attention to the calf. 508 00:29:29,168 --> 00:29:31,737 She was not going to follow the big male, 509 00:29:31,838 --> 00:29:34,173 because she's already nursing a calf. 510 00:29:37,276 --> 00:29:39,611 The scientists named the calf Hope. 511 00:29:39,745 --> 00:29:44,583 ** 512 00:29:44,683 --> 00:29:47,586 I probably know, on an individual level, 513 00:29:47,686 --> 00:29:49,956 15 sperm whales. 514 00:29:50,056 --> 00:29:53,692 But there's two that I think I could place a camera on 515 00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:58,197 and not upset them: Dolores and Can Opener. 516 00:30:00,466 --> 00:30:03,936 Is she willing to be the vehicle 517 00:30:04,036 --> 00:30:06,538 to take this camera down to the depths 518 00:30:06,638 --> 00:30:10,609 and to start to answer questions about how they work together 519 00:30:10,709 --> 00:30:14,746 and what their bonds are like when they're not on the surface? 520 00:30:14,746 --> 00:30:17,116 I hope so. 521 00:30:17,216 --> 00:30:23,655 ** 522 00:30:23,789 --> 00:30:30,296 ** 523 00:30:30,396 --> 00:30:33,265 Gail's a professional underwater camera operator, 524 00:30:33,265 --> 00:30:37,303 there to, hopefully, document this interaction. 525 00:30:37,403 --> 00:30:40,439 You may see her from the boat and know, "Oh, that's her. 526 00:30:40,439 --> 00:30:42,141 I can start it and take it in with me." 527 00:30:42,241 --> 00:30:43,509 JENKINSON: You were talking about deploying this 528 00:30:43,609 --> 00:30:45,111 close to the head. 529 00:30:45,111 --> 00:30:47,613 There's gonna be some action going on there, isn't there? 530 00:30:47,613 --> 00:30:48,847 DYKSTRA: Yeah, yeah. 531 00:30:48,981 --> 00:30:50,482 JENKINSON: How difficult do you think it's going to be? 532 00:30:50,582 --> 00:30:52,818 DYKSTRA: It does make me a bit nervous, so if you're with me, 533 00:30:52,919 --> 00:30:56,588 I think we both have to be aware, as soon as I place this, 534 00:30:56,688 --> 00:30:58,757 the next thing coming is the tail. 535 00:30:58,857 --> 00:31:01,928 So, we've got to back up immediately, 536 00:31:02,028 --> 00:31:05,197 so that if she does react, we don't get smashed. 537 00:31:05,297 --> 00:31:06,498 JENKINSON: Okay. 538 00:31:06,598 --> 00:31:08,534 DYKSTRA: Whale. 539 00:31:08,667 --> 00:31:13,105 ** 540 00:31:13,205 --> 00:31:15,174 I'll go in, Nigel. I'll take the tag. 541 00:31:15,274 --> 00:31:24,716 ** 542 00:31:24,816 --> 00:31:33,359 ** 543 00:31:33,459 --> 00:31:40,399 ** 544 00:31:40,499 --> 00:31:48,907 ** 545 00:31:49,041 --> 00:31:52,578 She felt it for sure, but she didn't change direction, 546 00:31:52,678 --> 00:31:55,247 she didn't speed up, she didn't roll, nothing. 547 00:31:55,381 --> 00:31:58,884 Just continued on past. 548 00:31:58,985 --> 00:32:01,653 ** 549 00:32:01,753 --> 00:32:05,557 Yeah, she was okay about it. 550 00:32:05,657 --> 00:32:06,858 She handled it very well. 551 00:32:06,858 --> 00:32:10,162 She didn't react at all, really. It's on the side. 552 00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:12,064 So it's definitely a view that's never been seen before. 553 00:32:12,164 --> 00:32:13,499 But it's back. 554 00:32:13,599 --> 00:32:15,367 It's back a bit. I can't... 555 00:32:15,367 --> 00:32:17,669 She's still up. Oh, that's the calf. 556 00:32:17,769 --> 00:32:19,038 It's like the front third, 557 00:32:19,038 --> 00:32:20,572 but it's definitely not right behind the mouth. 558 00:32:20,672 --> 00:32:24,776 But at least to see her reaction was good. 559 00:32:24,910 --> 00:32:27,746 The tag is designed to release after a set period of time-- 560 00:32:27,846 --> 00:32:30,749 in this case, eight hours-- and then it floats to the surface, 561 00:32:30,849 --> 00:32:33,552 then I use a satellite tracking device 562 00:32:33,552 --> 00:32:37,589 and a VHF radio to locate it on the surface of the ocean. 563 00:32:37,689 --> 00:32:39,458 So, I think it's there, isn't it? 564 00:32:39,591 --> 00:32:43,295 So that's St. Joe? SERAPHIN: St. Joe? Never. 565 00:32:43,395 --> 00:32:46,865 [ Wind blowing ] 566 00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:50,102 DYKSTRA: We have the frequency. 567 00:32:50,202 --> 00:32:53,305 We programmed it in. It's got to be around here. 568 00:32:53,405 --> 00:32:55,407 Now it's saying this way. 569 00:32:55,407 --> 00:32:57,709 SERAPHIN: Patrick, it's louder. It's louder this way now. 570 00:32:57,809 --> 00:32:59,611 Getting it? DYKSTRA: No. 571 00:32:59,711 --> 00:33:01,113 Keep trying? 572 00:33:01,213 --> 00:33:06,452 ** 573 00:33:06,552 --> 00:33:08,754 We'd all but given up hope of finding it. 574 00:33:08,754 --> 00:33:10,822 But just as we turned to head home, 575 00:33:10,922 --> 00:33:12,458 a beep came on the radio. 576 00:33:12,558 --> 00:33:20,832 ** 577 00:33:20,932 --> 00:33:28,640 ** 578 00:33:28,740 --> 00:33:31,077 Good deployment there. 579 00:33:32,678 --> 00:33:36,148 You can see her eye there. 580 00:33:36,248 --> 00:33:38,484 So, the next big question is whether the light sensor 581 00:33:38,584 --> 00:33:40,619 actually turned the lights on at depth. 582 00:33:42,621 --> 00:33:44,690 Good. [ Whale clicking ] 583 00:33:44,790 --> 00:33:48,094 You can hear her starting to echolocate now. 584 00:33:48,194 --> 00:33:50,662 You get these other clicks coming in 585 00:33:50,762 --> 00:33:52,864 as if there's either another whale there 586 00:33:52,998 --> 00:33:55,434 or somehow she's making a different sound. 587 00:33:55,534 --> 00:33:58,170 [ Whale continues clicking ] 588 00:33:58,270 --> 00:34:00,972 Must be other whales down there. I've not heard that before. 589 00:34:02,941 --> 00:34:04,376 What I'm really listening for 590 00:34:04,476 --> 00:34:06,345 when they really try to nail a squid, 591 00:34:06,445 --> 00:34:07,846 the pace picks up dramatically. 592 00:34:07,946 --> 00:34:10,516 It goes, tick, tick, tick, rrrrr. 593 00:34:10,616 --> 00:34:12,017 She's speeding way up. 594 00:34:12,118 --> 00:34:14,953 You can see how fast she's swimming now. 595 00:34:15,053 --> 00:34:16,288 There's one. 596 00:34:18,056 --> 00:34:20,192 Yeah. So you see, her head moved a lot right there. 597 00:34:20,292 --> 00:34:23,028 So that probably was an attack. 598 00:34:23,129 --> 00:34:25,531 We just can't see that because of where the camera is placed, 599 00:34:25,631 --> 00:34:28,200 but that probably was a successful hunt. 600 00:34:29,801 --> 00:34:30,836 What's that? 601 00:34:30,836 --> 00:34:32,638 So, something is in the water there. 602 00:34:32,738 --> 00:34:35,006 Potential squid flying past frame there. 603 00:34:35,006 --> 00:34:37,543 [ Whale clicking ] 604 00:34:37,643 --> 00:34:40,546 Here went something. I've never seen that before. 605 00:34:40,646 --> 00:34:42,148 That, in and of itself, is fascinating. 606 00:34:42,248 --> 00:34:44,082 There's objects down there, probably squid, 607 00:34:44,183 --> 00:34:46,185 that are going past, that are bioluminescent 608 00:34:46,185 --> 00:34:49,921 and appearing green in the frame. 609 00:34:50,021 --> 00:34:52,524 So, now she's surfacing, you see some light now appearing. 610 00:34:52,524 --> 00:34:56,061 And I'm-- Ah, so, these are social clicks now. 611 00:34:56,162 --> 00:34:58,764 She's probably looking for the calf now. 612 00:34:58,864 --> 00:35:00,332 Ah. 613 00:35:00,432 --> 00:35:02,734 Here's, uh-- Here's Hope coming back. 614 00:35:02,834 --> 00:35:04,670 That's fascinating. So, she joins her. 615 00:35:04,770 --> 00:35:06,872 There's still probably-- I'll check the data. 616 00:35:06,872 --> 00:35:10,409 Oh, moved the tag. [ Whale clicking ] 617 00:35:10,509 --> 00:35:11,910 She bumped the tag with her tail there. 618 00:35:12,010 --> 00:35:13,779 You see, it reoriented it a bit. 619 00:35:13,879 --> 00:35:17,849 Ah, now it's pointing much more downward. 620 00:35:17,949 --> 00:35:21,187 [ Chuckles ] Thanks, Hope. 621 00:35:21,287 --> 00:35:24,456 [ Whale continues clicking ] 622 00:35:24,556 --> 00:35:26,091 [ Whale spouting ] 623 00:35:26,192 --> 00:35:28,627 My instinct, and I think a lot of people's instinct, 624 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,430 is, "Well, we should continue. We've learned a lot from that. 625 00:35:31,530 --> 00:35:32,698 We should go further. 626 00:35:32,798 --> 00:35:37,603 We should push the envelope and try to learn more." 627 00:35:37,703 --> 00:35:40,439 A few days later, the next time I saw 628 00:35:40,539 --> 00:35:42,073 Can Opener, I thought, "Well, 629 00:35:42,073 --> 00:35:46,978 let's see how she reacts another time." 630 00:35:47,112 --> 00:35:49,415 This time, I really wanted to make an effort 631 00:35:49,415 --> 00:35:55,153 to get that tag really low and really down by the jaw. 632 00:35:55,287 --> 00:35:58,624 ** 633 00:35:58,724 --> 00:36:00,292 I showed her the tag, 634 00:36:00,392 --> 00:36:02,728 so she would know what was happening, 635 00:36:02,828 --> 00:36:05,797 and held it up and she looked and I showed her again 636 00:36:05,897 --> 00:36:09,000 and she looked, and I thought, "Okay, 637 00:36:09,100 --> 00:36:11,970 well, she's okay with it." 638 00:36:12,070 --> 00:36:15,006 [ Dramatic music plays ] 639 00:36:15,106 --> 00:36:20,846 ** 640 00:36:20,979 --> 00:36:26,785 ** 641 00:36:26,785 --> 00:36:29,421 [ Dramatic music intensifies ] 642 00:36:29,521 --> 00:36:35,494 ** 643 00:36:35,594 --> 00:36:41,467 ** 644 00:36:41,467 --> 00:36:43,369 It was scary. [ Chuckles ] 645 00:36:43,469 --> 00:36:52,511 ** 646 00:36:52,611 --> 00:36:54,946 ** 647 00:36:55,046 --> 00:36:58,284 All she has to do is clip you with something hard-- 648 00:36:58,384 --> 00:37:00,218 the side of her head, top of her head, 649 00:37:00,352 --> 00:37:04,523 her jaw, her tail, her pec fin, something solid-- 650 00:37:04,623 --> 00:37:08,394 knock you out, you could drown, break your arm, break your ribs. 651 00:37:08,494 --> 00:37:10,529 Could be fatal. 652 00:37:10,629 --> 00:37:13,799 Yeah, look, [Chuckles] 653 00:37:13,899 --> 00:37:15,534 I want to learn about these animals 654 00:37:15,634 --> 00:37:17,469 and I want to bring their story to the world 655 00:37:17,569 --> 00:37:22,007 and I want to do what we can for them. 656 00:37:22,007 --> 00:37:24,743 There's no guarantee here. This may be a terrible idea. 657 00:37:24,843 --> 00:37:29,548 ** 658 00:37:29,648 --> 00:37:32,984 Maybe there's some vanity and ego for my own sake, 659 00:37:33,084 --> 00:37:35,521 but I think, at least, it's more so 660 00:37:35,521 --> 00:37:37,055 for understanding these animals 661 00:37:37,155 --> 00:37:40,726 and what more insight about their lives 662 00:37:40,826 --> 00:37:42,828 that it would give us. 663 00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:47,265 Probably I should have stopped there. 664 00:37:47,366 --> 00:37:55,941 ** 665 00:37:56,041 --> 00:38:05,351 ** 666 00:38:05,451 --> 00:38:15,093 ** 667 00:38:15,193 --> 00:38:24,936 ** 668 00:38:25,036 --> 00:38:34,813 ** 669 00:38:34,913 --> 00:38:36,915 Um... 670 00:38:36,915 --> 00:38:39,050 [Chuckles] 671 00:38:39,150 --> 00:38:43,655 ** 672 00:38:45,591 --> 00:38:47,793 I was a little bit nervous 673 00:38:47,893 --> 00:38:50,962 'cause the tag was ready, everything was ready, 674 00:38:51,062 --> 00:38:53,565 and she came right over to me. 675 00:38:53,665 --> 00:38:57,102 Then, when I saw she had Hope, her young calf with her, 676 00:38:57,102 --> 00:39:00,772 which made me hesitate a bit, 677 00:39:00,772 --> 00:39:03,942 and then she opened her mouth as I was right next to her, 678 00:39:03,942 --> 00:39:05,644 which I don't think was aggressive, 679 00:39:05,744 --> 00:39:09,748 but it was-- it was enough to-- to make me back up 680 00:39:09,848 --> 00:39:14,119 and not, uh-- to not try to put the tag on. 681 00:39:14,119 --> 00:39:18,657 [ Sighs ] 682 00:39:18,757 --> 00:39:20,025 Yeah, I don't know-- 683 00:39:20,125 --> 00:39:22,628 I don't know why it's affecting me in this way, 684 00:39:22,628 --> 00:39:25,997 but it was, uh, a strange emotion. 685 00:39:26,097 --> 00:39:29,334 But [Sighs] 686 00:39:29,435 --> 00:39:32,771 yeah, in that moment, uh, yeah, 687 00:39:32,871 --> 00:39:35,974 she seemed to send the message 688 00:39:35,974 --> 00:39:39,144 that that's not the time to-- to do it. 689 00:39:39,144 --> 00:39:41,212 So I didn't do it. 690 00:39:41,713 --> 00:39:44,683 [ Sighs ] 691 00:39:44,783 --> 00:39:54,359 ** 692 00:39:54,460 --> 00:39:58,897 I am wondering, is this my worst fear realized? 693 00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:02,000 Have I upset her in a way 694 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,171 that is gonna impact our relationship? 695 00:40:06,171 --> 00:40:08,139 She's going to not trust me 696 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:10,408 after a decade of building trust. 697 00:40:10,542 --> 00:40:15,914 ** 698 00:40:16,047 --> 00:40:17,916 Sticking scientific instruments on them 699 00:40:18,049 --> 00:40:20,185 and treating them like a science experiment 700 00:40:20,185 --> 00:40:22,721 has been a mistake. 701 00:40:22,821 --> 00:40:28,527 ** 702 00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:32,263 Perhaps it's the energy or something deeper 703 00:40:32,397 --> 00:40:35,166 that-- that I-- that I give off. 704 00:40:35,266 --> 00:40:36,868 But I certainly was not giving off 705 00:40:36,868 --> 00:40:39,437 the right feelings at that time. 706 00:40:39,538 --> 00:40:40,939 And-- And she knew it. 707 00:40:41,039 --> 00:40:46,578 ** 708 00:40:46,678 --> 00:40:50,849 She has no reason to trust humans at all. 709 00:40:50,949 --> 00:40:54,419 More than half of her family has died in the last 10 years, 710 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,122 caused by human beings. 711 00:40:57,222 --> 00:41:00,391 ** 712 00:41:00,391 --> 00:41:01,760 A lot of these were alive 713 00:41:01,860 --> 00:41:05,597 when whaling was actively being conducted. 714 00:41:05,697 --> 00:41:07,298 What do they remember from then? 715 00:41:09,801 --> 00:41:12,604 A lot of intense whaling was done from rowboats with spears 716 00:41:12,704 --> 00:41:17,308 where the whales should have easily outmaneuvered the humans. 717 00:41:17,408 --> 00:41:18,977 That's not how it went. 718 00:41:19,077 --> 00:41:21,880 Even in small boats with spears and sails, 719 00:41:21,980 --> 00:41:25,584 we killed thousands of them-- tens of thousands of them. 720 00:41:25,584 --> 00:41:27,619 The only way that was possible 721 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:30,622 is because they have such strong bonds. 722 00:41:30,722 --> 00:41:32,591 You kill one, the others don't run away. 723 00:41:32,591 --> 00:41:35,126 They come over to try to help, and then you kill them, too, 724 00:41:35,226 --> 00:41:36,795 and then more come over. 725 00:41:36,895 --> 00:41:39,230 And it makes scenes like you see in these whaling books 726 00:41:39,330 --> 00:41:41,132 completely believable. 727 00:41:41,232 --> 00:41:47,806 ** 728 00:41:47,906 --> 00:41:51,476 When you see how much they care about each other, 729 00:41:51,577 --> 00:41:54,780 even if that means stranding on a beach and dying, 730 00:41:54,780 --> 00:41:58,016 even if it means going over when a whale gets harpooned, 731 00:41:58,116 --> 00:42:00,952 they will do it. Their bond is that strong. 732 00:42:00,952 --> 00:42:02,453 They will stay with each other 733 00:42:02,453 --> 00:42:06,625 through this incredibly traumatic experience. 734 00:42:06,625 --> 00:42:08,193 They don't run away and take a breath 735 00:42:08,293 --> 00:42:10,829 and try to get out of there like humans would do. 736 00:42:10,929 --> 00:42:17,636 ** 737 00:42:17,636 --> 00:42:21,339 I remember standing next to a dead sperm whale 738 00:42:21,439 --> 00:42:23,642 and looking down the beach and seeing another one 739 00:42:23,642 --> 00:42:26,778 and another one and another one. 740 00:42:26,878 --> 00:42:28,614 It really changed me. 741 00:42:28,714 --> 00:42:33,785 ** 742 00:42:33,885 --> 00:42:35,854 We don't understand them at all. 743 00:42:35,954 --> 00:42:42,360 ** 744 00:42:42,460 --> 00:42:47,365 They can see without seeing, and it sounds crazy, 745 00:42:47,465 --> 00:42:49,000 but sonar and echolocation 746 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,536 sounded crazy a hundred years ago. 747 00:42:54,806 --> 00:42:56,642 Perhaps they've exceeded humanity 748 00:42:56,742 --> 00:43:01,512 in their ability to connect with each other. 749 00:43:01,512 --> 00:43:03,514 What is this connection? 750 00:43:03,514 --> 00:43:06,217 If I could ask them, what is it? 751 00:43:06,317 --> 00:43:09,688 The best is if they could just tell me. 752 00:43:09,688 --> 00:43:13,058 And it sounds crazy, but it's really not as far off 753 00:43:13,158 --> 00:43:15,894 as people think. 754 00:43:15,994 --> 00:43:18,029 Perhaps in five years, we'll have machines 755 00:43:18,029 --> 00:43:21,900 that decode the whale language and communicate it back to them. 756 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,837 Places like MIT and NASA are spending huge amounts of money 757 00:43:25,937 --> 00:43:28,707 using supercomputers and algorithms 758 00:43:28,707 --> 00:43:32,210 to fully decode that language. 759 00:43:32,210 --> 00:43:36,715 And I'm on the other end of the spectrum, 760 00:43:36,715 --> 00:43:39,718 communicating an emotional connection to them, 761 00:43:39,718 --> 00:43:43,789 communicating an emotional bond. 762 00:43:43,889 --> 00:43:47,292 ** 763 00:43:47,392 --> 00:43:51,797 You know, I ask myself, "Can I really communicate, 764 00:43:51,897 --> 00:43:55,066 other than just saying hello, which I've tried to do?" 765 00:43:55,066 --> 00:43:57,402 [ Whale clicking ] 766 00:43:57,402 --> 00:44:01,973 If somebody comes up to you and says hi, you say hi back, 767 00:44:02,073 --> 00:44:04,242 and then you wait for them to say something. 768 00:44:06,311 --> 00:44:10,749 But in this case, I never did. I couldn't. 769 00:44:10,749 --> 00:44:12,784 And they were very patient. 770 00:44:12,884 --> 00:44:21,326 ** 771 00:44:21,426 --> 00:44:25,263 There's so many things that they still have to show us. 772 00:44:25,263 --> 00:44:28,066 I just have to be willing to listen and learn 773 00:44:28,166 --> 00:44:30,301 what lessons these whales are trying to teach us. 774 00:44:30,401 --> 00:44:36,274 ** 775 00:44:36,274 --> 00:44:40,746 After several days, we found this huge number of sounds, 776 00:44:40,846 --> 00:44:46,818 and then eventually we arrived and could see-- could see why. 777 00:44:46,918 --> 00:44:52,357 There was at least 15 whales in a full super socialization, 778 00:44:52,490 --> 00:44:55,693 rolling and clicking, and some vertical. 779 00:44:55,827 --> 00:44:59,497 It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen. 780 00:44:59,597 --> 00:45:07,839 ** 781 00:45:07,939 --> 00:45:09,775 At some point, I realized-- I don't know 782 00:45:09,875 --> 00:45:12,210 if I drifted towards them or they drifted towards me, 783 00:45:12,343 --> 00:45:15,513 but all of their heads were together in the center, 784 00:45:15,613 --> 00:45:19,350 and then I was in their socialization. 785 00:45:19,450 --> 00:45:27,325 ** 786 00:45:27,325 --> 00:45:30,128 The bodies of the sperm whales are on both sides, 787 00:45:30,228 --> 00:45:32,798 and the tails are way back there. 788 00:45:32,898 --> 00:45:36,534 And you know, this is something completely different. 789 00:45:36,634 --> 00:45:37,869 This is like being invited 790 00:45:37,969 --> 00:45:40,538 into the most intimate family reunion. 791 00:45:40,638 --> 00:45:43,174 ** 792 00:45:43,174 --> 00:45:46,377 To be accepted into this family, 793 00:45:46,477 --> 00:45:49,214 it's an incredibly emotional experience. 794 00:45:49,314 --> 00:45:54,652 ** 795 00:45:54,752 --> 00:45:59,724 I wonder if it's them trying to show me what that bond is 796 00:45:59,825 --> 00:46:03,328 and what that feeling is. 797 00:46:06,097 --> 00:46:09,267 In that moment, I became the tag. 798 00:46:09,367 --> 00:46:17,909 ** 799 00:46:18,009 --> 00:46:19,244 Dolores and Can Opener 800 00:46:19,344 --> 00:46:21,746 have spent a lot of time out of their life 801 00:46:21,847 --> 00:46:26,084 to help me learn about them, to show me things about them. 802 00:46:28,286 --> 00:46:30,421 We continue to go out every day, 803 00:46:30,521 --> 00:46:34,092 but on none of the past several days 804 00:46:34,192 --> 00:46:36,094 have we seen Can Opener. 805 00:46:36,194 --> 00:46:40,899 ** 806 00:46:40,899 --> 00:46:43,401 Did she leave? Did she go offshore? 807 00:46:43,401 --> 00:46:45,470 Did she go to another island? 808 00:46:45,603 --> 00:46:47,805 They venture far and wide. 809 00:46:47,939 --> 00:46:52,443 ** 810 00:46:52,543 --> 00:46:55,380 I hope that she's forgiven me. 811 00:46:55,480 --> 00:47:02,888 ** 812 00:47:05,290 --> 00:47:07,092 And after days of not seeing her, 813 00:47:07,092 --> 00:47:09,227 she showed up again. 814 00:47:09,660 --> 00:47:12,763 [ Whale spouting ] 815 00:47:12,763 --> 00:47:15,600 I love sperm whales, 816 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:19,170 but I love her as an individual. 817 00:47:19,304 --> 00:47:26,177 ** 818 00:47:26,311 --> 00:47:33,251 ** 819 00:47:33,351 --> 00:47:35,120 And at first, I was like, "Oh, this is great. 820 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:36,821 You know, she's-- she's coming over 821 00:47:36,922 --> 00:47:39,690 to-- to say hello. She's forgiven me." 822 00:47:39,824 --> 00:47:41,759 It wasn't-- It wasn't a problem. 823 00:47:41,859 --> 00:47:44,295 And then-- 824 00:47:44,295 --> 00:47:46,631 And then she stopped 825 00:47:46,631 --> 00:47:49,935 maybe 10 feet away, 15 feet away, 826 00:47:50,035 --> 00:47:52,037 and didn't come any closer and was-- 827 00:47:52,137 --> 00:47:54,505 She normally would come up beside, 828 00:47:54,605 --> 00:47:56,374 and this time, she came head-to-head, 829 00:47:56,474 --> 00:47:58,343 straight on at me. 830 00:47:58,443 --> 00:48:03,714 ** 831 00:48:03,814 --> 00:48:09,054 ** 832 00:48:09,154 --> 00:48:11,556 And then she just took a big vertical breath 833 00:48:11,689 --> 00:48:14,492 and dove straight down... 834 00:48:14,492 --> 00:48:17,963 and didn't come any closer. 835 00:48:18,063 --> 00:48:19,464 And then I really thought, "Oh, man, 836 00:48:19,564 --> 00:48:23,201 maybe she's upset with me." 837 00:48:23,301 --> 00:48:31,476 ** 838 00:48:31,576 --> 00:48:39,750 ** 839 00:48:39,884 --> 00:48:48,026 ** 840 00:48:48,026 --> 00:48:50,328 And then I just looked over 841 00:48:50,428 --> 00:48:55,200 and I see-- I see the calf, Hope, there next to me. 842 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:56,901 And I hadn't-- I hadn't registered, 843 00:48:57,002 --> 00:48:58,569 I was so focused on Can Opener 844 00:48:58,669 --> 00:49:01,239 that I hadn't registered her-- her presence. 845 00:49:01,339 --> 00:49:06,211 ** 846 00:49:06,211 --> 00:49:09,947 Normally, she'd leave the calf with a babysitter-- 847 00:49:10,048 --> 00:49:12,783 another female whale in the pod-- 848 00:49:12,883 --> 00:49:14,719 who she leaves the calf on the surface with, 849 00:49:14,719 --> 00:49:17,355 while she does a foraging dive. 850 00:49:19,624 --> 00:49:23,228 This is her greatest treasure in-- in life. 851 00:49:23,228 --> 00:49:26,931 And she was entrusting her to me 852 00:49:27,032 --> 00:49:29,934 while she went down, miles deep, to feed. 853 00:49:30,035 --> 00:49:36,207 ** 854 00:49:36,307 --> 00:49:42,413 ** 855 00:49:42,413 --> 00:49:45,250 I spent the next 45 minutes floating around with Hope, 856 00:49:45,250 --> 00:49:48,253 and we were hanging out and she came over-- 857 00:49:48,253 --> 00:49:49,820 not too close, but a little bit over. 858 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:52,490 And then I just floated on the surface. 859 00:49:52,590 --> 00:49:55,593 ** 860 00:49:55,593 --> 00:49:57,662 Eventually, Can Opener popped back up. 861 00:49:57,762 --> 00:50:00,665 And I didn't even realize, "Oh, it's been about 40 minutes, 862 00:50:00,765 --> 00:50:05,436 so it's time for Can Opener to be back up." 863 00:50:05,436 --> 00:50:08,339 And then off they-- off they went. 864 00:50:08,439 --> 00:50:16,081 ** 865 00:50:16,181 --> 00:50:19,016 And that was it. I've become a babysitter. 866 00:50:19,117 --> 00:50:27,658 ** 867 00:50:27,758 --> 00:50:29,694 Oh, wow. [ Chuckles ] 868 00:50:29,827 --> 00:50:31,862 Whew. 869 00:50:31,962 --> 00:50:34,765 Ah. 870 00:50:34,865 --> 00:50:38,203 [ Waves lapping boat ] 871 00:50:38,303 --> 00:50:45,843 ** 872 00:50:45,943 --> 00:50:50,781 She literally just stopped, with me in front of her. 873 00:50:50,881 --> 00:50:53,951 I assumed she was-- she was contemplating 874 00:50:54,051 --> 00:50:55,453 whether she could trust me or not. 875 00:50:55,553 --> 00:50:58,055 [ Whale clicking ] 876 00:51:00,057 --> 00:51:03,861 That was, uh-- That was a powerful moment. 877 00:51:03,961 --> 00:51:13,371 ** 878 00:51:13,471 --> 00:51:17,308 I've spent a lot of time with my eyes watching sperm whales 879 00:51:17,408 --> 00:51:19,244 and with my ears listening 880 00:51:19,377 --> 00:51:23,881 and trying to use those senses to understand them. 881 00:51:23,981 --> 00:51:26,517 But, clearly, that's not enough. 882 00:51:26,517 --> 00:51:29,820 You can't hear, and you really can't even see, 883 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:35,025 this-- this bond that connects them together. 884 00:51:35,025 --> 00:51:40,598 I think it has to be felt to be understood at all. 885 00:51:40,731 --> 00:51:45,336 ** 886 00:51:45,436 --> 00:51:48,072 The whales are out there, and these are the things 887 00:51:48,173 --> 00:51:49,774 that they're trying to tell us. 888 00:51:49,907 --> 00:51:55,713 ** 889 00:51:55,713 --> 00:51:58,283 If humanity treated each other 890 00:51:58,383 --> 00:52:02,520 the way that sperm whales treat each other... 891 00:52:02,620 --> 00:52:04,455 it'd be a much better world. 892 00:52:13,498 --> 00:52:16,467 [ "Nature" theme music plays ] 893 00:52:16,734 --> 00:52:26,211 ** 894 00:52:26,311 --> 00:52:35,220 ** 895 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:44,295 ** 896 00:52:44,395 --> 00:52:51,469 ** 897 00:52:51,569 --> 00:52:53,304 ** 898 00:52:53,404 --> 00:52:54,839 ** 899 00:52:54,972 --> 00:52:56,907 ** 900 00:52:57,007 --> 00:53:00,511 ** 901 00:53:00,611 --> 00:53:05,316 **