1 00:00:06,965 --> 00:00:09,843 Planet Earth is so spectacular, 2 00:00:10,511 --> 00:00:13,680 it's easy to miss the smaller things in life. 3 00:00:15,766 --> 00:00:17,643 But take a closer look... 4 00:00:18,143 --> 00:00:20,562 and there's a whole undiscovered world. 5 00:00:22,648 --> 00:00:24,983 A world where tiny heroes... 6 00:00:26,485 --> 00:00:27,819 and little monsters... 7 00:00:29,029 --> 00:00:31,406 need incredible superpowers... 8 00:00:34,618 --> 00:00:40,040 to help them triumph against giant odds. 9 00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:57,641 Canadian winters are brutal... 10 00:01:04,940 --> 00:01:08,193 especially for something as tiny as a water shrew. 11 00:01:11,822 --> 00:01:13,657 Only the size of your thumb, 12 00:01:14,658 --> 00:01:16,493 he must feed throughout the year. 13 00:01:17,744 --> 00:01:21,748 But even under the snow, he's still at risk. 14 00:01:46,064 --> 00:01:49,610 Being so small can also be a lifesaver... 15 00:01:51,695 --> 00:01:55,115 an escape route to another world. 16 00:02:04,041 --> 00:02:05,542 Beneath the ice, 17 00:02:05,626 --> 00:02:10,589 the humble pond provides sanctuary for all kinds of surprising little animals. 18 00:02:18,138 --> 00:02:21,725 And soon it will transform into a water world, 19 00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:23,685 teeming with tiny wonders. 20 00:02:29,149 --> 00:02:31,568 All of them trying to stay out of trouble... 21 00:02:38,492 --> 00:02:44,456 and make the most of the good times before winter returns. 22 00:03:05,018 --> 00:03:08,564 The spring thaw reveals the victims of winter. 23 00:03:12,359 --> 00:03:15,904 A wood frog, no bigger than a matchbox... 24 00:03:19,324 --> 00:03:21,785 frozen solid by the bitter cold. 25 00:03:23,453 --> 00:03:25,205 Its heart stopped beating. 26 00:03:28,125 --> 00:03:29,751 Technically, it's dead... 27 00:03:31,461 --> 00:03:32,754 but not quite. 28 00:03:36,550 --> 00:03:40,929 A mix of urea and glucose acts as a natural antifreeze, 29 00:03:41,013 --> 00:03:42,764 protecting its vital organs. 30 00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:49,188 As temperatures rise, its heart starts again. 31 00:03:56,028 --> 00:03:58,697 Miraculously, life returns. 32 00:04:04,703 --> 00:04:06,705 And as the ice melts, 33 00:04:06,788 --> 00:04:10,918 a snapping turtle takes its first breath for six months. 34 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:18,675 A world of opportunity is opening up. 35 00:04:31,021 --> 00:04:34,858 But the first thing on most tiny minds is... 36 00:04:36,318 --> 00:04:37,319 mating. 37 00:04:40,864 --> 00:04:44,826 Hooded mergansers engage in extravagant courtship dances. 38 00:04:50,207 --> 00:04:52,251 While frogs just... 39 00:04:53,252 --> 00:04:54,419 go for it. 40 00:04:58,757 --> 00:05:01,301 Soon the pond is thick with spawn. 41 00:05:02,719 --> 00:05:06,932 Masses of eggs ensure at least some will survive to become frogs. 42 00:05:10,769 --> 00:05:13,522 Not all pond life begins in the water. 43 00:05:16,567 --> 00:05:18,110 In the surrounding forest, 44 00:05:18,193 --> 00:05:21,530 a female merganser has found an old woodpecker hole. 45 00:05:24,324 --> 00:05:26,618 She's small enough to use it as a nest. 46 00:05:29,663 --> 00:05:32,916 And her eggs are safe from larger predators up here. 47 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,263 But as soon as they hatch, 48 00:05:46,346 --> 00:05:49,975 her eight little ducklings must make it to the pond to feed. 49 00:06:02,237 --> 00:06:04,114 It's a difficult journey. 50 00:06:09,328 --> 00:06:11,705 They won't be able to fly for months. 51 00:06:15,042 --> 00:06:16,752 So their first move... 52 00:06:18,253 --> 00:06:20,005 will be a leap of faith. 53 00:06:24,885 --> 00:06:28,055 The instinctive bond with their mother is so strong... 54 00:06:29,389 --> 00:06:31,141 they'll follow her anywhere. 55 00:06:49,284 --> 00:06:52,204 Ducklings are born with soft, flexible bones. 56 00:06:55,958 --> 00:06:57,459 They're so light, 57 00:06:57,543 --> 00:07:01,797 even from up here they can survive the fall... 58 00:07:03,632 --> 00:07:07,761 and bounce like fluffy ping-pong balls. 59 00:07:34,413 --> 00:07:36,456 Mom calls her brood together. 60 00:07:39,168 --> 00:07:41,420 But there's always one straggler. 61 00:07:58,562 --> 00:08:01,523 Finally, the family can move on... 62 00:08:03,692 --> 00:08:06,236 although their journey has only just begun. 63 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,242 Between them and the pond... 64 00:08:13,952 --> 00:08:15,162 lies a busy road. 65 00:08:23,587 --> 00:08:25,964 Spring transforms the pond... 66 00:08:28,675 --> 00:08:31,011 a welcome change for the water shrew. 67 00:08:35,724 --> 00:08:39,686 He must eat the equivalent of his own body weight every day. 68 00:08:42,397 --> 00:08:45,108 But with a stomach no bigger than a peanut... 69 00:08:46,527 --> 00:08:48,070 it's a real challenge. 70 00:08:58,205 --> 00:09:00,499 Especially with such poor eyesight. 71 00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:12,886 Other hunters down here seem better equipped. 72 00:09:19,476 --> 00:09:24,189 Compound eyes give dragonfly nymphs 360-degree vision. 73 00:09:30,863 --> 00:09:35,158 And an extendable jaw means they can ambush prey. 74 00:09:46,128 --> 00:09:48,839 But the shrew has a superpower of his own... 75 00:09:51,758 --> 00:09:52,968 his nose. 76 00:09:55,053 --> 00:09:56,638 Blowing out little bubbles, 77 00:09:56,722 --> 00:09:59,474 he picks up tiny scent particles in the water. 78 00:10:06,106 --> 00:10:10,944 And receptors in his nostrils help him detect prey. 79 00:10:13,071 --> 00:10:16,909 It's an elaborate game of hide-and-seek. 80 00:10:49,316 --> 00:10:51,610 On his endless search for food, 81 00:10:51,693 --> 00:10:55,697 the shrew hunts both underwater and on land. 82 00:10:57,950 --> 00:10:59,618 But there's a third realm... 83 00:11:01,954 --> 00:11:03,413 the surface layer. 84 00:11:08,293 --> 00:11:10,087 Just molecules thick... 85 00:11:11,129 --> 00:11:14,341 only a really tiny creature can succeed here. 86 00:11:16,969 --> 00:11:19,012 And the undisputed champion... 87 00:11:19,638 --> 00:11:21,139 is the water strider. 88 00:11:26,103 --> 00:11:29,648 Long, water-repellent feet support their weight 89 00:11:29,731 --> 00:11:34,611 as they skate and even leap on the surface film. 90 00:11:39,241 --> 00:11:42,995 But this is a fluid, unpredictable world... 91 00:11:51,003 --> 00:11:55,174 where just a few raindrops can create havoc. 92 00:12:22,659 --> 00:12:24,953 Tiny inhabitants must seek cover... 93 00:12:26,997 --> 00:12:28,665 until calm returns. 94 00:12:32,211 --> 00:12:34,004 For the young mergansers, 95 00:12:34,087 --> 00:12:37,132 spring showers are water off a duck's back. 96 00:12:39,176 --> 00:12:42,471 Especially compared... to this. 97 00:12:49,728 --> 00:12:53,524 Newborn ducklings are adapted to overcome many obstacles, 98 00:12:54,149 --> 00:12:56,318 but not busy roads. 99 00:13:40,237 --> 00:13:42,406 Four ducklings take their chance. 100 00:13:44,741 --> 00:13:46,618 A lucky break in traffic... 101 00:13:48,453 --> 00:13:50,289 and all of them make it across. 102 00:13:59,798 --> 00:14:01,466 Three more follow... 103 00:14:06,013 --> 00:14:09,516 unharmed and soon to join the family on the water. 104 00:14:13,353 --> 00:14:16,273 But there's still one on the other side. 105 00:14:19,860 --> 00:14:23,739 As few as one in ten ducklings may survive to adulthood. 106 00:14:26,909 --> 00:14:32,581 Predators, starvation and human pressures all take their toll. 107 00:15:01,318 --> 00:15:02,528 But not today. 108 00:15:16,333 --> 00:15:19,211 These little ducklings face many challenges ahead. 109 00:15:20,963 --> 00:15:26,468 But so far, instinct, resilience and luck have seen them through. 110 00:15:35,352 --> 00:15:37,145 Summer is now in full swing. 111 00:15:39,356 --> 00:15:41,608 The days are long and warm. 112 00:15:45,946 --> 00:15:50,659 But one of the shrew's favorite foods is becoming increasingly scarce. 113 00:15:55,789 --> 00:16:00,919 Dragonfly nymphs are now leaving the water to become adults. 114 00:16:10,053 --> 00:16:16,560 An incredible transformation from aquatic monster to aerial master. 115 00:16:18,061 --> 00:16:22,941 Emerging dragonflies pump fluid to expand and stiffen their wings. 116 00:16:24,151 --> 00:16:26,778 And they swallow air to inflate their bodies. 117 00:16:32,743 --> 00:16:38,540 Soon, the pond is home to thousands of dragonflies and damselflies. 118 00:16:44,296 --> 00:16:46,173 Life out of the water is brief. 119 00:16:47,216 --> 00:16:53,347 Only a few weeks to feed, fight and breed before temperatures drop again. 120 00:16:58,227 --> 00:17:01,647 Competition is intense. 121 00:17:08,153 --> 00:17:12,574 The Canada darner is one of the most aggressive dragonflies on the pond. 122 00:17:15,577 --> 00:17:20,665 To impress a female, males must command a substantial territory. 123 00:17:28,507 --> 00:17:33,345 They constantly patrol it and take out any rivals in their airspace. 124 00:17:49,820 --> 00:17:55,158 Four independently acting wings, and articulated bodies... 125 00:17:56,159 --> 00:17:58,787 allow for extraordinary aerobatics... 126 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,210 and high-speed maneuvers in nature's ultimate dogfight. 127 00:18:39,745 --> 00:18:43,040 He's seen off his enemy and secured his territory. 128 00:18:45,501 --> 00:18:47,294 It's well stocked with food... 129 00:18:50,839 --> 00:18:53,634 and should be large enough to attract a mate. 130 00:19:05,771 --> 00:19:07,648 Less than a month old, 131 00:19:08,065 --> 00:19:10,984 the ducklings are completely at home on the water. 132 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,789 They're growing more independent by the day... 133 00:19:25,165 --> 00:19:27,584 and venturing further from their mother. 134 00:19:35,676 --> 00:19:38,345 But they're still naive to what lies beneath. 135 00:19:45,519 --> 00:19:46,979 A northern pike... 136 00:19:48,105 --> 00:19:49,857 the shark of the pond. 137 00:19:56,071 --> 00:20:00,284 It eats fish, frogs, snakes, 138 00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:03,495 even little ducklings. 139 00:20:53,462 --> 00:20:55,547 Best to keep closer to mom for now. 140 00:20:59,885 --> 00:21:03,305 Above the pond, love is in the air. 141 00:21:07,976 --> 00:21:09,895 Dragonflies are coupling up, 142 00:21:11,021 --> 00:21:14,066 and damselflies are locked together in mating wheels. 143 00:21:17,194 --> 00:21:20,822 But those without a partner must keep cruising. 144 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,288 Flying so close to water is risky. 145 00:21:33,377 --> 00:21:39,967 A damselfly's distress attracts unwanted attention. 146 00:21:57,943 --> 00:22:02,823 A water strider uses its proboscis to puncture the tough exoskeleton... 147 00:22:04,783 --> 00:22:07,202 and feed on the soft insides. 148 00:22:13,166 --> 00:22:16,962 Many tiny creatures fall victim to the grip of surface tension. 149 00:22:24,887 --> 00:22:28,390 A struggling water-lily beetle has the strider circling. 150 00:22:34,855 --> 00:22:36,648 But this crafty little bug... 151 00:22:37,941 --> 00:22:39,484 has other plans. 152 00:22:58,545 --> 00:23:04,218 The warm, bright days of summer give rise to a forest of aquatic plants. 153 00:23:08,347 --> 00:23:12,768 And all sorts of small animals grow up feeding on them. 154 00:23:17,689 --> 00:23:18,899 In six weeks, 155 00:23:18,982 --> 00:23:24,821 the tadpoles have developed back legs, teeth and a raging appetite. 156 00:23:32,579 --> 00:23:34,206 As the day wears on, 157 00:23:34,289 --> 00:23:39,169 ever greater numbers venture into the shallows to feed on algae and plants. 158 00:23:45,634 --> 00:23:47,636 Food is not all they've come for. 159 00:23:49,096 --> 00:23:53,642 The warmer water around the pond's edge helps speed up their metamorphosis. 160 00:24:04,486 --> 00:24:06,905 Some have already sprouted front legs... 161 00:24:08,699 --> 00:24:12,995 and once their lungs develop, they'll be ready to leave the pond. 162 00:24:14,663 --> 00:24:18,125 But so many tadpoles crammed into such shallow water 163 00:24:18,208 --> 00:24:19,751 is inviting trouble. 164 00:24:31,763 --> 00:24:34,183 Garter snakes usually hunt on land. 165 00:24:36,185 --> 00:24:39,897 But they will take to the water to prey on such easy targets. 166 00:25:14,223 --> 00:25:18,685 A single tadpole has little chance against an agile snake. 167 00:25:25,275 --> 00:25:30,447 But with safety in numbers, the vast majority survive unscathed. 168 00:25:35,869 --> 00:25:41,375 As each day cools, the tadpoles return to the relative safety of deeper water. 169 00:25:54,555 --> 00:25:57,975 This great migration marks the end of their daily routine. 170 00:26:00,894 --> 00:26:05,107 Thousands of little lives on one incredible journey. 171 00:26:13,115 --> 00:26:16,660 A whopping 60 meters, there and back. 172 00:26:23,876 --> 00:26:27,880 The late days of summer are a last chance to feed up... 173 00:26:29,173 --> 00:26:31,258 before harder times return. 174 00:26:46,732 --> 00:26:50,903 Months of relentless hunting have honed the water shrew's skills. 175 00:27:05,918 --> 00:27:08,795 Even a crayfish is no match for him now. 176 00:27:25,479 --> 00:27:28,565 The ducklings have also become agile predators... 177 00:27:31,693 --> 00:27:34,613 diving down to feast on insects and fish. 178 00:27:43,121 --> 00:27:46,375 At three months old, they are accomplished swimmers. 179 00:27:49,586 --> 00:27:52,172 And soon they must master flight as well... 180 00:27:53,382 --> 00:27:55,342 ready for their winter migration. 181 00:27:59,721 --> 00:28:03,934 Many of the pond's other tiny residents are already moving on. 182 00:28:06,353 --> 00:28:09,857 Young toads and frogs make for the surrounding forest. 183 00:28:17,698 --> 00:28:21,743 The exodus continues as autumn races towards winter. 184 00:28:30,836 --> 00:28:33,547 Last to leave are the hooded mergansers... 185 00:28:37,467 --> 00:28:41,138 taking to the air to join the long journey south. 186 00:28:58,322 --> 00:29:01,450 But the pond is not left totally empty. 187 00:29:13,545 --> 00:29:15,422 Insulated beneath the ice... 188 00:29:16,673 --> 00:29:20,761 little creatures are protected from the wintry world outside. 189 00:29:27,309 --> 00:29:31,230 Locked in until spring returns... 190 00:29:32,105 --> 00:29:36,401 and the pond fills with tiny lives once more.