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[water splashing]

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[dramatic music plays]

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[Pedro Pascal] They're the closest we have
to extraterrestrials on planet Earth.

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No wonder the cephalopod family
has captured our imagination.

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Their alien appearance

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comes with astonishing intelligence,

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independence,

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and invention.

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And there's still so much to learn

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about these rarely seen
legends of the deep.

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Animals that truly are
stranger than fiction.

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Nutrient-rich waters make this

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one of the most productive seas
on the planet.

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A perfect place for new life to begin.

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[tranquil music plays]

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Hidden beneath the waves…

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in a secret world…

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100,000 precious eggs.

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Each no bigger than a grain of rice.

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For six months,
they have been carefully tended

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by Mom.

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A giant Pacific octopus.

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Her body,

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their fortress.

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She keeps the water moving

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to prevent algae
from smothering her babies.

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Within each egg,

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a tiny replica
of an almost impossible creature.

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Eight arms…

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three hearts,

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and blue blood.

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Eventually, they will grow
to be 250,000 times heavier…

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and among the most cunning predators
in the ocean.

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But very few make it that far.

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[tranquil music plays]

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It's time to leave
the safety of their nursery.

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[tranquil music continues]

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With one final exhalation from Mom…

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this baby is cast away
into the ocean currents.

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She will never see her mother again.

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[tranquil music continues]

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Completely alone,

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at the mercy of the sea.

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[tranquil music continues]

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If she survives,

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she'll take her place

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within one of the most incredible
animal families on Earth.

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[water splashing]

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Found in every ocean…

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there are over 800 species of octopus,

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squid,

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and cuttlefish.

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They are cephalopods…

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which literally means "head-foot,"

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thanks to their peculiar anatomy,

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with limbs sprouting out of their faces.

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But the earliest cephalopods
looked more like this.

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A nautilus.

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It resembles its mollusk relative,

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the snail.

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It has remained unchanged
for half a billion years…

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while others were evolving
in the most extraordinary ways.

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They lost their shells,

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making them more flexible, more nimble,

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able to explore places
that had been off-limits.

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Their fluid form

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is even capable of surviving
the crushing pressures of the deep.

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But with no shell for protection,

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cephalopods became soft targets.

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So they came up with
an almost supernatural range of abilities

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to stay safe.

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Vital in a sea full of predators.

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The ocean can be a daunting place…

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if you're only the size of a matchbox.

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It pays to keep a low profile.

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But a little cuttlefish
can't hide forever.

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A high metabolism
means he's always hungry.

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His favorite food lives in the shallows…

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just 20 meters away.

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But when you're this small,
it's an epic journey…

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[suspenseful music plays]

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…full of danger.

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He swims pretty well,

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but fish are faster…

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with sharp eyesight.

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But blending in is a cephalopod specialty.

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The cunning cuttlefish

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takes his disguise one step further.

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Special muscles in his skin

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produce thousands
of spiny outgrowths known as tubercles…

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making him look like seaweed.

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It seems to do the trick.

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This isn't the only outfit
in his collection.

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In a fraction of a second,
he can channel any look.

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[water rushes]

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Snail…

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coral…

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or rock.

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Cephalopods' amazing ability
to change color

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is all thanks to their chromatophores.

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Millions of pixel-like cells
filled with pigments,

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they expand and contract like balloons…

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to create rapid changes in color.

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Perfect for merging into the background
within a fraction of a second.

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Cephalopods put chameleons to shame,

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with the most sophisticated camouflage
of any animal.

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This disguise is usually enough
to keep a tuberculate cuttlefish safe.

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But when all else fails…

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[tense music plays]

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…a smoke screen.

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Mucus-rich balls of ink,

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mimicking his shape and size.

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Decoys deployed,

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he makes his escape.

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Unlike octopuses,

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cuttlefish have an internal shell.

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A built-in buoyancy aid,

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making them superior swimmers.

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Even so,
after such a long, eventful journey,

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he's worked up quite an appetite.

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[tense music plays]

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Shape-shifting…

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inking,

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even regrowing their limbs…

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cephalopods' superpowers
help them survive in dangerous waters.

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[tranquil music plays]

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[birds squawking]

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Back in Canada, a story of success

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in the face of overwhelming odds.

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[jaunty music plays]

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The giant Pacific octopus
is now a year old…

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and already 2,000 times bigger.

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But there's still a long way to grow.

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Only one in 30,000 make it to adulthood.

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To help her get there,

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she'll need to rely
on her extraordinary sight.

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Each octopus eye

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has a greater field of view
than we have with two.

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And when she uses both eyes…

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nothing escapes her.

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Unrestricted by a solid skull,

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her eyes move independently,

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so she can look forwards
and backwards at the same time

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for an almost 360-degree field of view.

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Allowing her to scan for food…

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and keep an eye out for danger.

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[tense music plays]

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Like all octopuses,
she's almost pure protein.

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So everyone wants a bite.

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She's now big enough
to survive rockfish attacks…

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but there's always a bigger predator
looking for a meal.

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[dramatic music crescendos]

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[water rushing]

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She needs to keep vigilant.

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With no parents for protection,

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young octopuses must balance
their innate curiosity with caution.

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And in a constantly changing ocean,
they need to learn fast.

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When the tide turns,

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predators move in,

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searching for prey
caught out by the falling sea.

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Stranded in a rock pool…

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a nine-month-old Brazilian reef octopus.

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Cut off from the retreating ocean,

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she can't survive long here.

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[tense music plays]

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But this resourceful young octopus
isn't done yet.

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Up above,

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this is the moment

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an army of Sally Lightfoot crabs
have been waiting for.

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Low tide is their chance
to feed on exposed rocks.

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At first, they seem determined
to keep dry…

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leaping ten times their body length
from rock to rock.

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But if the gap's too big,
they're forced to take the plunge.

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[tense music plays]

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This was no lucky strike.
It was a carefully planned ambush.

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The young octopus
has learned the crabs' regular highway.

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Her incredible ability to strategize…

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is carried out by a very unusual brain,

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distributed throughout her body,

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two thirds of its neurons
located within her limbs.

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Self-taught, she knows when to hang back

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and when to pursue.

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[tense music plays]

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She paralyzes it by injecting toxic saliva
with her hidden beak,

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then waits for her digestive enzymes
to liquefy its insides.

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A nutritious crab shake.

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But she needs five a day
to keep her growing,

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and she's working against the clock.

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[tense music plays]

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The midday sun
is shrinking her tidal pool…

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threatening to leave her high and dry.

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00:20:22,389 --> 00:20:25,976
And, as she breathes
through moistened gills,

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she'll suffocate without water.

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It's hours till the tide rises again…

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[bubbling]

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…but she's developed a clever solution.

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[bubbling continues]

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00:20:43,952 --> 00:20:48,873
In a cavity behind her head,
she stores water to let her breathe.

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Enough to buy a few more minutes.

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00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:11,104
The breathing space she needs
to do the unthinkable.

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[somber music plays]

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She becomes a land crawler.

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She must move fast before she dries out.

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Her fluid body is no longer weightless.

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00:21:51,436 --> 00:21:53,980
Her organs are in danger of failing.

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00:21:59,235 --> 00:22:02,238
Shifting pools is a risky strategy,

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00:22:04,032 --> 00:22:06,534
but with cunning and forethought,

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00:22:07,619 --> 00:22:09,079
she won't be caught out.

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00:22:10,622 --> 00:22:12,332
[water splashing]

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00:22:24,636 --> 00:22:29,140
The tougher the challenge,
the more inventive cephalopods become.

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Barren sands with nowhere to hide.

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Predatory puffer fish.

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00:22:55,834 --> 00:22:56,960
To survive here,

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00:22:58,044 --> 00:23:02,507
octopuses have adopted some
of the strangest strategies on the planet.

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00:23:07,137 --> 00:23:11,307
The wunderpus baffles predators
by acting downright weird.

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00:23:13,101 --> 00:23:16,604
The blue-ringed octopus
signals his lethal venom.

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00:23:19,858 --> 00:23:22,527
Others are more innovative.

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[jaunty music plays]

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00:23:26,448 --> 00:23:30,410
Veined octopuses
seem to regret ditching their shells

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00:23:30,493 --> 00:23:32,912
all those millions of years ago.

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00:23:39,502 --> 00:23:42,088
When it comes
to a replacement suit of armor,

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00:23:43,047 --> 00:23:46,134
getting the right fit is all-important.

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00:23:57,020 --> 00:23:59,606
Perfect protection from puffer fish.

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00:24:08,156 --> 00:24:09,157
Once assembled,

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00:24:09,908 --> 00:24:12,744
they carry their mobile homes
wherever they go.

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00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:20,877
Not bad for a mollusk.

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00:24:28,218 --> 00:24:29,511
Octopuses,

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00:24:29,594 --> 00:24:32,305
among the sharpest minds in the ocean

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00:24:33,765 --> 00:24:36,809
and the greatest tool users
of any invertebrate.

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They are even thought to dream.

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00:24:47,779 --> 00:24:51,366
When such intelligence
combines with sheer size,

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00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:55,036
something remarkable emerges.

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00:25:02,335 --> 00:25:04,337
[tranquil music plays]

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00:25:15,139 --> 00:25:16,641
A trail of destruction,

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00:25:17,809 --> 00:25:19,227
leading to a kraken

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00:25:20,228 --> 00:25:22,522
at the height of her power.

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00:25:22,605 --> 00:25:24,607
[tense music plays]

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00:25:30,154 --> 00:25:33,032
One of the fastest-growing animals
on the planet,

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00:25:33,908 --> 00:25:37,787
she needs 20,000 calories a day.

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00:25:39,497 --> 00:25:41,457
That's a lot of time out hunting.

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00:25:57,599 --> 00:25:59,726
Now, as heavy as a human,

242
00:26:01,394 --> 00:26:04,689
this three-year-old giant Pacific octopus

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00:26:05,857 --> 00:26:08,276
is a physiological phenomenon.

244
00:26:17,327 --> 00:26:18,953
She has thick blue blood,

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00:26:19,704 --> 00:26:22,957
pumped around her body
by her three hearts.

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00:26:26,628 --> 00:26:28,463
Swimming is strenuous.

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00:26:30,798 --> 00:26:33,426
Better save energy and walk.

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00:26:44,604 --> 00:26:48,941
Eight muscular arms, five meters across.

249
00:26:54,238 --> 00:26:57,283
Powerful enough to tear human flesh.

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00:27:03,706 --> 00:27:07,168
Her arms see through touch.

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00:27:23,351 --> 00:27:25,978
Two thousand suckers feel the way,

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00:27:27,522 --> 00:27:29,357
tasting as they go.

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00:27:32,527 --> 00:27:34,737
[tense music plays]

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00:27:58,678 --> 00:28:02,849
Every meal brings her one step closer
to her ultimate goal.

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00:28:03,766 --> 00:28:07,019
To pass on her genes
to the next generation.

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00:28:10,648 --> 00:28:13,526
Piling on the pounds before she mates

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00:28:13,609 --> 00:28:17,321
is her best way
of ensuring breeding success.

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00:28:18,322 --> 00:28:21,701
So she cleans her weapons
to improve their sense of taste,

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00:28:22,827 --> 00:28:23,661
touch,

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00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:25,580
and grip.

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00:28:28,875 --> 00:28:29,917
A quick scrub…

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00:28:34,338 --> 00:28:35,965
and she's back on the hunt.

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00:28:42,054 --> 00:28:43,222
To most animals,

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00:28:43,848 --> 00:28:44,849
this is a trap.

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00:28:54,358 --> 00:28:56,027
But she's smarter than that.

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00:28:57,403 --> 00:28:59,405
[tense music plays]

267
00:29:01,491 --> 00:29:02,700
And in the open,

268
00:29:04,076 --> 00:29:05,244
easy pickings.

269
00:29:12,585 --> 00:29:15,087
This is her final killing spree.

270
00:29:17,548 --> 00:29:20,718
Her last play as a lone assassin.

271
00:29:27,058 --> 00:29:30,978
Most cephalopods
only get one chance to mate.

272
00:29:32,313 --> 00:29:36,776
So they must be prepared
to do whatever it takes.

273
00:29:45,660 --> 00:29:51,082
Every winter, this quiet bay
becomes a bustling cephalopod city.

274
00:30:03,636 --> 00:30:06,806
250,000 giant cuttlefish,

275
00:30:07,974 --> 00:30:10,101
all desperate to find a mate.

276
00:30:14,272 --> 00:30:16,858
This male is late to the party.

277
00:30:23,823 --> 00:30:26,742
Males can reach a meter in length,

278
00:30:28,661 --> 00:30:31,581
but, at only 30 centimeters,

279
00:30:33,249 --> 00:30:35,793
he's easily outgunned by the big boys.

280
00:30:40,131 --> 00:30:42,717
They're already guarding the females,

281
00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:46,637
who are outnumbered eleven to one.

282
00:30:49,181 --> 00:30:52,018
Not easy for a newcomer to make his move.

283
00:30:56,147 --> 00:30:58,900
The giants' kaleidoscopic skin

284
00:31:00,526 --> 00:31:01,903
and huge arms

285
00:31:03,070 --> 00:31:05,114
signal their masculinity.

286
00:31:08,576 --> 00:31:11,162
The little guy simply can't compete.

287
00:31:22,715 --> 00:31:24,842
When two giants are equally matched,

288
00:31:28,220 --> 00:31:31,807
the inky decoy distracts
and confuses the attacker.

289
00:31:32,850 --> 00:31:34,852
[tense music plays]

290
00:31:57,625 --> 00:31:58,626
Battle scars.

291
00:31:59,794 --> 00:32:02,421
A reminder they'll risk everything.

292
00:32:06,467 --> 00:32:09,345
The drive to mate is overwhelming.

293
00:32:17,186 --> 00:32:19,605
The newcomer spots an opportunity.

294
00:32:25,403 --> 00:32:28,322
Two large males so focused on fighting,

295
00:32:29,115 --> 00:32:31,659
they've left a female unguarded.

296
00:32:46,257 --> 00:32:47,258
He sneaks in.

297
00:32:54,056 --> 00:32:57,143
Cuttlefish mate in a face-to-face embrace.

298
00:32:59,395 --> 00:33:01,230
He attempts to get in position.

299
00:33:03,733 --> 00:33:05,526
But now the giant's back on duty.

300
00:33:07,945 --> 00:33:08,946
It's too risky.

301
00:33:17,621 --> 00:33:19,749
It's time to go undercover.

302
00:33:22,918 --> 00:33:27,214
He tucks up his large arms
that give away his gender.

303
00:33:37,892 --> 00:33:41,353
Spotting another female,
held captive under a giant,

304
00:33:42,313 --> 00:33:44,607
he finesses his disguise,

305
00:33:45,357 --> 00:33:50,780
dulling his vibrant colors
to mimic a mottled female cloak.

306
00:33:56,410 --> 00:33:57,745
In full drag…

307
00:34:01,165 --> 00:34:02,625
the newcomer slips in…

308
00:34:13,969 --> 00:34:15,221
and gets to mate…

309
00:34:17,348 --> 00:34:20,601
right under the giant's nose.

310
00:34:23,854 --> 00:34:28,359
Proving brains
can be just as attractive as brawn.

311
00:34:44,667 --> 00:34:49,588
Perhaps lost in the moment,
the newcomer drops his cover.

312
00:34:51,257 --> 00:34:52,174
The game is up.

313
00:34:53,968 --> 00:34:55,970
[tense music plays]

314
00:35:05,646 --> 00:35:08,440
This mind-blowing deception

315
00:35:08,524 --> 00:35:12,361
accounts for one third
of all breeding successes.

316
00:35:15,656 --> 00:35:17,700
This little cuttlefish's work is done.

317
00:35:19,910 --> 00:35:22,204
But for many cephalopods,

318
00:35:22,288 --> 00:35:26,667
mating is just the beginning
of the battle to breed.

319
00:35:49,648 --> 00:35:51,066
Predators are gathering.

320
00:35:57,364 --> 00:35:58,866
Short-tailed stingrays…

321
00:36:01,035 --> 00:36:02,494
Cape fur seals…

322
00:36:07,082 --> 00:36:08,709
and ragged-tooth sharks…

323
00:36:11,170 --> 00:36:13,005
all here for one thing.

324
00:36:15,257 --> 00:36:16,592
The annual feast.

325
00:36:22,973 --> 00:36:24,975
A squadron of chokka squid.

326
00:36:28,354 --> 00:36:30,189
Unlike solitary octopuses,

327
00:36:31,398 --> 00:36:33,525
they move in huge shoals…

328
00:36:35,903 --> 00:36:39,448
seeking safety in numbers
as they cruise the open ocean.

329
00:36:45,746 --> 00:36:46,789
Already mated,

330
00:36:47,957 --> 00:36:50,876
this female is being guarded
by the larger male

331
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,128
to ensure she doesn't try to mate again.

332
00:36:56,632 --> 00:36:59,718
She has to lay her eggs
on the sandy bottom.

333
00:37:00,636 --> 00:37:01,470
But first,

334
00:37:02,179 --> 00:37:05,349
she must get through
the predatory barricade below.

335
00:37:08,102 --> 00:37:10,104
[tense music plays]

336
00:37:20,823 --> 00:37:22,533
Her best chance

337
00:37:23,450 --> 00:37:24,827
is to hide in the crowd.

338
00:37:33,502 --> 00:37:35,504
[tense music intensifies]

339
00:38:17,671 --> 00:38:18,839
She's made it…

340
00:38:21,925 --> 00:38:24,928
laying her capsules
amongst the mass already here.

341
00:38:33,395 --> 00:38:36,815
Millions of eggs on this single site.

342
00:38:47,201 --> 00:38:49,036
Prodigious reproduction

343
00:38:49,661 --> 00:38:51,663
and amazing adaptability

344
00:38:52,331 --> 00:38:55,376
have brought cephalopods huge success.

345
00:38:57,086 --> 00:38:59,088
[jaunty music plays]

346
00:39:01,715 --> 00:39:02,716
Even today,

347
00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,010
as many other animals are in decline,

348
00:39:05,844 --> 00:39:06,929
many squid,

349
00:39:07,805 --> 00:39:08,806
cuttlefish,

350
00:39:09,973 --> 00:39:11,183
and octopus

351
00:39:12,059 --> 00:39:13,435
are not just surviving,

352
00:39:14,103 --> 00:39:15,270
they're thriving.

353
00:39:17,481 --> 00:39:18,607
Hidden from sight,

354
00:39:19,608 --> 00:39:22,069
steadily increasing in numbers,

355
00:39:24,029 --> 00:39:25,739
expanding their range.

356
00:39:32,454 --> 00:39:36,375
But as sea temperatures
and fishing practices change…

357
00:39:38,419 --> 00:39:42,673
it's unclear what lies ahead
for the generations to come.

358
00:39:43,632 --> 00:39:46,009
[birds squawking]

359
00:39:46,093 --> 00:39:47,719
One thing is certain.

360
00:39:48,804 --> 00:39:53,142
Each has a supermom,
ready to sacrifice herself for her young.

361
00:40:10,409 --> 00:40:12,035
Now four years old,

362
00:40:12,119 --> 00:40:16,582
this giant Pacific octopus
is a true survivor.

363
00:40:23,005 --> 00:40:24,631
She's spent her life alone,

364
00:40:25,466 --> 00:40:27,342
an orphan since birth.

365
00:40:36,393 --> 00:40:41,273
But now, her three hearts beat
for a single purpose.

366
00:40:43,942 --> 00:40:45,319
Her final act.

367
00:40:47,112 --> 00:40:48,405
Tending her brood.

368
00:40:52,576 --> 00:40:54,703
For almost a quarter of her life,

369
00:40:54,786 --> 00:40:56,538
she does nothing else.

370
00:41:02,628 --> 00:41:04,338
She no longer leaves her den,

371
00:41:05,464 --> 00:41:06,590
no longer eats,

372
00:41:08,091 --> 00:41:12,679
starving herself
to give her babies the best start.

373
00:41:13,639 --> 00:41:15,641
[tranquil music plays]

374
00:41:29,655 --> 00:41:32,157
They are her legacy.

375
00:41:39,164 --> 00:41:42,626
[emotional music continues]

376
00:41:58,016 --> 00:42:00,602
Unaware Mom laid down her life for them,

377
00:42:02,187 --> 00:42:05,899
these tiny octopuses
are ready to take on the world

378
00:42:07,192 --> 00:42:12,322
and teach us
more about these fantastic beasts.

379
00:42:20,706 --> 00:42:23,750
[closing theme music playing]