1
00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,720
This is The Americas,
2
00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,480
an extraordinary journey
across Earth's great supercontinent.
3
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,840
The widest variety of life on the planet.
4
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:19,680
The untold story...
5
00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:22,919
...of our home.
6
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,600
{\an8}Tonight on The Americas...
7
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,040
The Caribbean.
8
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:43,960
The tropical paradise
9
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:46,599
at the heart
10
00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,239
of the supercontinent.
11
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:52,639
This is a voyage
12
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,520
across sparkling, deep seas,
13
00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:58,560
colorful shallows,
14
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,040
and far-flung exotic islands,
15
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,759
all revealing hidden natural treasures.
16
00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:13,599
But in paradise,
17
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,240
the stakes are high...
18
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,240
in deadly battles.
19
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,720
Temperatures are searingly hot,
20
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,199
and nature's fury
21
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,239
is never far away.
22
00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,919
How can island castaways
23
00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:37,760
unlock the riches
24
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,079
of this sun-drenched world?
25
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:45,839
{\an8}.
26
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,280
{\an8}The Caribbean spans more
than a million square miles.
27
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,479
{\an8}It's fringed to the east
by a chain of volcanic islands.
28
00:01:58,520 --> 00:01:59,640
To the north...
29
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,800
by Cuba and the Bahamas.
30
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:06,840
And to the west...
31
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,680
by Central America.
32
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,519
But our journey begins...
33
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,720
...on the high seas.
34
00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:30,440
It's a world of dazzling sapphire blue.
35
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,120
In these crystal-clear waters,
36
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,200
life must be on its guard.
37
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,520
A shoal of Spanish sardines
38
00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,160
feeding on microscopic plankton.
39
00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,520
An irresistible opportunity
40
00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:01,799
for a sailfish.
41
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,199
A pirate of the Caribbean.
42
00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,559
With a streamlined body
43
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,560
and a bill like a rapier,
44
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,679
sailfish are perfectly honed
45
00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,560
for hunting in these open waters.
46
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,360
Time for the sardines
to swim for their lives.
47
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,120
Sailfish have speed and endurance,
48
00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,680
but the sardines are more nimble.
49
00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,199
With the tightly-packed shoal
moving as one,
50
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,200
it's near impossible to pick out a victim.
51
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,239
When some make a break
for the safety of the depths...
52
00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,400
...the sailfish drive them back
to the surface
53
00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,480
into a trap.
54
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,600
Blockers pin them from beneath.
55
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,280
While flankers raise their sails,
56
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:42,440
cutting off any escape route.
57
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,280
None of the hunters want to risk
being skewered,
58
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,080
so they use a surprising tactic.
59
00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,600
A sailfish can change colors.
60
00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,360
This flash of stripes along the flank
61
00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,760
is a sign to others to hold back
62
00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,040
when he charges in.
63
00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:32,000
Eventually, the relentless attack
splinters the shoal.
64
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,480
The moment the sailfish
have been waiting for.
65
00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:49,799
In the final charge,
66
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,160
his bill becomes a weapon,
67
00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,040
slashing through the shoal,
68
00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:55,999
inflicting injury.
69
00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,840
Or picking out a single victim
70
00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:07,280
with lethal precision.
71
00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,320
The sailfish may have claimed their prize,
72
00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,679
but the Caribbean Sea holds fortunes
73
00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,080
these fish never reach.
74
00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,080
Its deepest waters
75
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,440
are the hunting ground
for the planet's largest predators...
76
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:43,559
sperm whales.
77
00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,080
Exactly how they hunt
78
00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,680
has long been
one of the great wildlife mysteries.
79
00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:56,680
Until now.
80
00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:11,120
The volcanic island of Dominica lies
to the far east of the Caribbean.
81
00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,519
It's shrouded in rainforest.
82
00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,240
And surrounded by mile-deep seas.
83
00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:27,920
They're the perfect home...
84
00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,640
...for one of the world's biggest babies,
85
00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,440
a sperm whale calf.
86
00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,480
This young male is barely six months old,
87
00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,640
but he already weighs two tons.
88
00:07:58,320 --> 00:07:59,520
Below...
89
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,239
sleeping giants.
90
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,239
Mom and the rest of the family
91
00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,520
are taking a nap.
92
00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,080
Their huge heads act like corks,
93
00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:20,840
keeping them upright.
94
00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,079
But Mom always keeps
95
00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,799
half an eye on her calf.
96
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,280
Baby sperm whales need to drink
a bathful of milk a day.
97
00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,720
But before he can suckle,
98
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,279
Mom must have a meal herself.
99
00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:02,959
Sperm whales hunt their prey
100
00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,920
in the great depths of the Caribbean Sea,
101
00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:07,639
but exactly how
102
00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,039
has long been a mystery.
103
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:14,399
To investigate,
104
00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,319
our team spent two years developing
105
00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,680
a groundbreaking camera system.
106
00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,439
The camera is harmlessly attached
using suction
107
00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:26,920
by scientists.
108
00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,640
Now, we can get a whale's eye view
109
00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,359
as they dive
110
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,639
into the abyss.
111
00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,040
A calf can't hold its breath
for long enough to reach the depths,
112
00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,479
so it must wait at the surface.
113
00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,119
In a world first,
114
00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,559
the camera follows these adults
115
00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:07,199
as they begin their dive together.
116
00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:10,960
And as they descend,
117
00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:16,719
it also eavesdrops
on their secret conversations.
118
00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,920
A thousand feet down
119
00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:25,960
in the twilight zone,
120
00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,040
the whales separate to hunt alone.
121
00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,520
Her destination is the seabed,
122
00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,960
2,500 feet down.
123
00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,560
A place no natural light can reach.
124
00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,160
She's here to hunt squid.
125
00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:03,799
And uses sound to find them
in the darkness.
126
00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,120
Each click she makes
is louder than a gunshot.
127
00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,879
It echoes off any prey within half a mile.
128
00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,079
She's locked on.
129
00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:31,400
Got it.
130
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:36,839
A cloud of squid ink
is all that's left of her prey.
131
00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,559
A sperm whale can devour
a hundred pounds of squid
132
00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:47,480
on a single dive.
133
00:11:55,400 --> 00:12:00,280
On the surface, her hungry calf
has been waiting for nearly an hour.
134
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,079
When you're this young,
time can really drag.
135
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,680
Finally, the adults
are on their way back to the surface.
136
00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,840
A calf can hear
his mom's clicks below him.
137
00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:40,039
His calls and tail slaps help her home in.
138
00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,440
And now, it's time to suckle.
139
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,680
Sperm whale milk is over 30 percent fat,
140
00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,840
so it doesn't dissolve in water.
141
00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,440
Calves feed like this
a handful of times a day.
142
00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:37,079
Blissfully unaware
of the lengths and depths
143
00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:38,840
their moms have gone to.
144
00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:51,000
The sperm whales' open ocean world
makes up 95 percent of the Caribbean.
145
00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,399
But it's in the sunlit shallows
where most life is found.
146
00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,640
A world of colorful coral cities
147
00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,200
and secret underwater nurseries.
148
00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,679
And this is a destination
149
00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:11,400
for a lemon shark,
150
00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:14,879
one that's about to face
151
00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,280
the most important moment of her life.
152
00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,999
The shallow waters of the Caribbean
are perhaps the most beautiful.
153
00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:35,719
Coral reefs
154
00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,320
are like a bustling underwater city.
155
00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,520
They are home to thousands of species.
156
00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,799
Though today, it's only
a handful of protected reefs
157
00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,199
that still truly thrive.
158
00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,199
Surprisingly,
the Caribbean's richest reefs
159
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,919
are found alongside a mysterious world.
160
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,439
And it's here that many
of the reef's inhabitants
161
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,000
begin life.
162
00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,880
These are the mangrove forests.
163
00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:31,440
{\an8}A quarter of the Caribbean's mangroves
are found on its northern fringes...
164
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,560
In the Bahamas.
165
00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,840
This female lemon shark
is making a special journey,
166
00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:49,400
back to the very same bay
in which she was born.
167
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,000
She's heavily pregnant.
168
00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,520
And now, as close as possible
to the edge of the mangroves,
169
00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,240
it's time to give birth.
170
00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:14,720
Two perfectly formed
171
00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,120
tiny sharks.
172
00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,280
This pup will never see Mom again,
173
00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,200
because where he's going,
174
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,120
no adult can follow.
175
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,160
His new home will be deep
amongst the mangroves.
176
00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,039
The mesh of underwater roots
177
00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,599
keeps larger predators out.
178
00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,199
So it's the safest place
in the whole Caribbean
179
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,200
for a young lemon shark to grow up.
180
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,199
As he picks his way
through this twisted maze...
181
00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,000
...he's heading to a secret lagoon
at its heart.
182
00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:42,479
Although it's full of fish,
183
00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:43,959
newborn sharks
184
00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,960
aren't very good at catching them.
185
00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:56,799
You might not think it,
186
00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,160
but young sharks
187
00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,120
have to practice.
188
00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,240
And practice.
189
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:18,680
And practice.
190
00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,480
He's definitely going to need help.
191
00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:33,519
And for that, lemon shark pups
do something remarkable.
192
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:37,960
They make friends.
193
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,920
Scientists have discovered
that a young pup learns quicker
194
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,600
by hanging out
with more experienced sharks.
195
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:01,840
It's a kind of shark school,
196
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,160
where he can hone his technique
as he grows up.
197
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,799
The older sharks have learned
it's best to hunt
198
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,119
amongst the mangrove roots.
199
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,199
And over time,
200
00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,880
the young pup eventually catches on.
201
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:33,360
Got one.
202
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:38,160
He's graduated.
203
00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:52,319
There are over 7,000 islands
in the Caribbean.
204
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,880
Each a slice of paradise.
205
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:02,760
And every one...
206
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:04,959
different.
207
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,959
Where life plays out
208
00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:14,360
in its own way.
209
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,519
Away from the crowds,
210
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,120
every island also has its own unique
211
00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,640
and extraordinary wildlife.
212
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,400
From tiny...
213
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,560
to giant.
214
00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,760
{\an8}And the Caribbean island
with the most spectacular wildlife...
215
00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:46,879
is Cuba.
216
00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,639
Eight hundred miles long
and a hundred wide.
217
00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:58,520
Deep in the forest,
218
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,560
life is on the move.
219
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,720
The start of the strangest
animal migration
220
00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,839
anywhere in the Americas.
221
00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:24,559
The lowland forest of Cuba...
222
00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:28,680
...is the land
223
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:30,840
of the red...
224
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:33,760
crab.
225
00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:41,639
For most of the year,
226
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,239
these land crabs
227
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:44,680
live underground.
228
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,880
But it's now the mating season.
229
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,319
The females
230
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,360
need to find a male,
231
00:21:58,080 --> 00:21:59,439
head to the sea,
232
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,320
and lay their eggs.
233
00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,400
And to do that,
234
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,319
they must start an epic,
235
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,320
six-mile journey.
236
00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:18,760
Around ten million crabs
237
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:21,919
are on the march.
238
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,679
Only one thing stops them.
239
00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,240
The intense heat of the midday sun
240
00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:48,840
can bake a crab...
241
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:51,240
...to death.
242
00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,639
So every traveler needs to find shade...
243
00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:58,839
fast.
244
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:06,600
In Cuba,
245
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:08,719
siestas...
246
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,320
save lives.
247
00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,200
But as the day cools off,
248
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,919
a female crab's mind
249
00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,680
turns to more romantic matters.
250
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:31,639
And here,
251
00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:33,599
at the edge of the forest,
252
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,879
males have been waiting
for this very moment.
253
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,720
In a tight embrace, they mate.
254
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,279
Now, she retreats into his burrow
255
00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,440
to let her brood develop.
256
00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,440
Fourteen days later,
she resumes her journey.
257
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,960
Now with 80,000 eggs
cradled under her shell.
258
00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,639
She's only a few hundred feet
from the sea,
259
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,479
but the biggest danger is still to come.
260
00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:54,440
The coastal highway.
261
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,759
Out here, a crab must be on her toes.
262
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:07,040
Giants.
263
00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:13,959
And nowadays,
264
00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,400
they're frighteningly quick.
265
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,080
Look out!
266
00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:27,040
A crab can see danger coming,
267
00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:28,799
but for many...
268
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:33,959
That's just not enough.
269
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:41,839
It takes split-second timing...
270
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:45,960
...and a bit of luck.
271
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:48,840
That was close.
272
00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:58,400
After all that,
the warm Caribbean Sea awaits.
273
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,519
It is a little crowded on this beach.
274
00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,400
But she's found a good spot.
275
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,999
And with a little shimmy, finally,
276
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,760
she releases her precious cargo of eggs
277
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:32,400
into the sea.
278
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:38,800
And with her job done,
279
00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:43,920
now she can return
to the safety of her forest home.
280
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:53,080
But in the Caribbean,
safety can never be guaranteed.
281
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,240
At the end of summer,
282
00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,240
when sea temperatures
are at their highest,
283
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,640
storm clouds are born.
284
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,560
They feed on warm, moist air
from the ocean.
285
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,919
Growing and growing...
286
00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,400
...until they tower six miles
into the sky.
287
00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,160
The larger a storm cloud,
288
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,960
the more powerful the winds.
289
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,239
And as they approach 80 miles an hour,
290
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:43,480
a storm...
291
00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,359
becomes a hurricane.
292
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,040
Up to 500 miles across,
293
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,479
these colossal weather systems track west
294
00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:57,960
with the trade winds.
295
00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,999
The Caribbean's islands
are right in the firing line.
296
00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,480
Of all the natural forces in the Americas,
297
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,080
a hurricane is the most devastating.
298
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:43,239
Two-hundred-mile-an-hour winds
destroy almost everything in their path.
299
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:01,879
In some years,
300
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:07,119
the Caribbean's islands are hit
by as many as four deadly hurricanes.
301
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:16,320
The most powerful strip the land bare.
302
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,879
But all is not lost.
303
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,679
Caribbean plants have evolved
304
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,560
to bounce back after the destruction.
305
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,439
In a warm, moist climate,
306
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:45,279
new shoots can grow
up to seven inches a day.
307
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:54,640
In just a few months,
entire forests start to green up.
308
00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,079
But what about the wildlife
309
00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:06,719
on these islands?
310
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:16,399
When Hurricane Maria hit Dominica,
311
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:21,840
three-quarters of all purple-throated
carib hummingbirds died.
312
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:25,799
In the aftermath,
313
00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,480
their food, nectar-rich flowers,
were scarce.
314
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,199
So the survivors had their work cut out.
315
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:41,679
This male must patrol an area the size
316
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,599
of five football fields
317
00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,640
trying to find enough.
318
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,399
A tiring commute
319
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,120
until, at last,
320
00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:56,280
one miracle plant comes into flower.
321
00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,519
The heliconia gives a hungry hummingbird
322
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,840
all the nectar he needs.
323
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,200
But there's one thing still missing.
324
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:24,280
A mate.
325
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,279
Luckily,
326
00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,119
these blooms are a magnet
to female caribs.
327
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,839
The trouble is,
328
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,840
it's the same for less-welcome visitors.
329
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,440
Nectar thieves...
330
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,000
like bananaquits.
331
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,239
And even worse, a real heavyweight,
332
00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,239
an Antillean bullfinch.
333
00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:12,519
To get to the nectar,
334
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:16,040
this vandal rips out
the heart of the flower.
335
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:21,640
And a flower without nectar
336
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,680
will never attract him a mate.
337
00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:34,119
So he must fight off
these feathered felons...
338
00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,879
...with everything he's got.
339
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,359
For a lonely male,
340
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,039
finding love on this island
341
00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,600
might take time.
342
00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:05,600
After the hurricane,
343
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,439
there were very few of his kind left.
344
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:16,480
Could it be?
345
00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:21,759
Yes, a female...
346
00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,560
...inspecting his heliconias.
347
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:33,999
She likes the flowers.
348
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:37,720
She likes the nectar.
349
00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,400
But what about him?
350
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,760
Now, he's got to shine.
351
00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,840
Don't blow it, big fella.
352
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,680
She likes his moves.
353
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:18,240
Success.
354
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:25,080
But he's not done yet.
355
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,919
To mate with as many females as possible,
356
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:31,559
he's gonna have to defend
357
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:32,679
his flowers...
358
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:36,200
...day after day.
359
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,080
From dawn...
360
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:41,639
till dusk.
361
00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:50,440
Life on Caribbean islands
isn't ever straightforward.
362
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,360
But on one of the most isolated
tropical islands of the Americas,
363
00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:03,879
survival relies not so much on hard work,
364
00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:08,200
but on extraordinary levels of ingenuity.
365
00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:22,120
Isla Jicarón,
366
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,280
40 miles off the western shore of Panama.
367
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,119
On such a small and remote island,
368
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:35,960
food is limited.
369
00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,920
And worse, there's nowhere to go
when it runs out.
370
00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:47,040
And yet, somehow, life still clings on.
371
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:56,360
Castaways.
372
00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,199
White-faced capuchins.
373
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:22,639
These two young males
spend their days scouring the coast
374
00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:24,679
for anything they can find.
375
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,399
On a desert island,
376
00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:48,160
opportunity can come from unlikely places.
377
00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:57,280
A sea almond.
378
00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:08,360
The nut inside is full of delicious fat.
379
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,880
But it's protected by a sturdy shell.
380
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,400
And getting into it
381
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:27,920
is frustratingly hard.
382
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:32,920
To solve this puzzle,
383
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:37,480
a young monkey
might need some inspiration.
384
00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:45,400
For that,
he must head across the forest...
385
00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,039
to a crystal-clear stream.
386
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,679
An occasional hangout for older
387
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,560
and wiser capuchins.
388
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,079
The adults have worked out
that the trees here
389
00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,560
are particularly fruitful
390
00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,199
and the nuts collect
391
00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,079
in convenient pools.
392
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,159
A unique scenario
393
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:22,559
that allows a monkey
394
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,120
to do something ingenious.
395
00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,240
Take one softened nut...
396
00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,120
The correct-sized rock...
397
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,480
...and a series of well-aimed blows.
398
00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:06,239
It was once thought that only humans
399
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:08,800
were smart enough to use stone tools.
400
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:12,680
But these capuchins
401
00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:15,200
have both a hammer...
402
00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:17,959
and...
403
00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:20,360
an anvil.
404
00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,040
They're one of only three types
of monkey on the planet
405
00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,400
to have mastered this complex skill.
406
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,280
And it's not as easy as it looks.
407
00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:50,840
For an inquisitive youngster,
408
00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:54,720
the nuances of nut-cracking...
409
00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:59,760
...are almost hypnotic.
410
00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,719
He learns by watching
his elder's technique.
411
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,400
And when the anvil is free...
412
00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:21,400
...trying to copy it.
413
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:30,360
Watch your toes.
414
00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:40,720
It's a bit pummeled...
415
00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:46,000
...but he has cracked it.
416
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:48,440
Well, sort of.
417
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:53,999
By learning to use tools...
418
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,320
...these remarkable monkeys
419
00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,240
have given themselves a break
420
00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,560
from the challenges of island life.
421
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,320
For now, at least.
422
00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:18,360
Living in the tropical islands
of the Americas
423
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,359
can be tougher than it looks.
424
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:30,360
But both above
425
00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:33,200
and below the waves...
426
00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:40,639
...life uses every trick in the book...
427
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,040
...to make this wondrous place...
428
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:50,240
paradise.