1
00:00:03,483 --> 00:00:05,763
Africa's turbulent tip,
2
00:00:05,843 --> 00:00:10,203
where the mighty Atlantic unleashes
its fury against a rocky shore...
3
00:00:13,683 --> 00:00:16,963
and sets the stage for deep drama.
4
00:00:26,483 --> 00:00:29,283
Cape fur seals call it home.
5
00:00:30,603 --> 00:00:37,323
Protected from the elements by their
thick coats, they've come to hunt.
6
00:00:47,083 --> 00:00:51,683
Underwater, they're graceful
and streamlined acrobats.
7
00:00:56,123 --> 00:01:01,963
The nutrient-rich Benguela Current caters
one of the biggest banquets on Earth.
8
00:01:03,083 --> 00:01:08,283
As the tiny fish move like
quicksilver, the seals keep up.
9
00:01:08,363 --> 00:01:12,643
Their sensitive whiskers
detect vibrations from their gills.
10
00:01:13,923 --> 00:01:19,243
In the open ocean, they slice through
the water at 30 kilometers per hour.
11
00:01:25,043 --> 00:01:27,123
This small hunting party has traveled
12
00:01:27,203 --> 00:01:31,403
up to 200 kilometers per day
in search of food...
13
00:01:33,403 --> 00:01:38,003
before returning home to feed their
pups on South Africa's Seal Island.
14
00:01:38,083 --> 00:01:42,643
But first, they must face
one of Africa's deadliest.
15
00:01:51,683 --> 00:01:53,403
The great white shark.
16
00:01:53,483 --> 00:02:00,323
Six meters long and several tons
of white death. And she's not alone.
17
00:02:06,803 --> 00:02:10,243
The deep channel surrounding
Seal Island is patrolled
18
00:02:10,323 --> 00:02:14,043
by one of the largest populations
of white sharks on Earth.
19
00:02:16,523 --> 00:02:20,403
For an ancient creature,
she's surprisingly sophisticated.
20
00:02:23,643 --> 00:02:25,923
Jelly-filled sensors on her snout,
21
00:02:26,003 --> 00:02:29,483
home in on electrical pulses
from muscle movement.
22
00:02:32,403 --> 00:02:35,923
Specialized blood vessels
keep her core body temperature
23
00:02:36,003 --> 00:02:39,763
warmer for cold-water hunting.
24
00:02:45,963 --> 00:02:49,883
Seals have excellent vision
and immense stamina.
25
00:02:49,963 --> 00:02:53,003
But the great white has a killer strategy.
26
00:02:53,083 --> 00:02:58,403
She dives deeper, hidden by her
cryptic coloration.
27
00:02:58,483 --> 00:03:03,923
At 40 kilometers per hour, her
300 dagger-like teeth seal the deal.
28
00:03:14,763 --> 00:03:18,243
One place offers sanctuary from the
sharks' reign of terror--
29
00:03:20,043 --> 00:03:21,563
kelp forests.
30
00:03:26,243 --> 00:03:28,963
White sharks avoid the swaying fronds...
31
00:03:33,443 --> 00:03:36,643
which provide a tranquil oasis
for the seals...
32
00:03:39,723 --> 00:03:43,003
and a buffer against the pounding surf.
33
00:03:46,603 --> 00:03:50,403
Here, the subadults hone
their swimming skills,
34
00:03:50,483 --> 00:03:52,883
and search for prey hidden in the kelp.
35
00:03:55,683 --> 00:03:58,203
But they can't stay forever.
36
00:04:03,083 --> 00:04:07,163
More than just brawn, great whites
have a tremendous brain
37
00:04:07,243 --> 00:04:09,243
that coordinates their keen senses.
38
00:04:13,803 --> 00:04:19,963
Seals are clever, and the sharks
need to outsmart them.
39
00:04:20,043 --> 00:04:21,723
During the pupping season,
40
00:04:21,803 --> 00:04:25,323
South Africa becomes
the great white capital of the world.
41
00:04:25,403 --> 00:04:28,843
And despite their reputation as loners,
42
00:04:28,923 --> 00:04:32,123
these superpredators will hunt cooperatively.
43
00:04:37,083 --> 00:04:41,603
While most seals avoid the sharks
in the sea kelp forest,
44
00:04:41,683 --> 00:04:45,563
a straggler lets its guard down
for just a moment.
45
00:04:48,083 --> 00:04:52,563
As one predator distracts the group,
the other seeks its prize.
46
00:05:18,043 --> 00:05:24,923
On the cold western shores dwells another
gang of assassins-- Cape gannets.
47
00:05:29,283 --> 00:05:35,243
These large seabirds breed on islands
off the coast of Namibia and South Africa.
48
00:05:42,043 --> 00:05:45,043
Each year, tens of thousands
of Cape gannets
49
00:05:45,123 --> 00:05:50,923
leave their rookeries in the south
to fly over 1,000 kilometers northeast.
50
00:06:01,843 --> 00:06:06,123
Each winter, a jet of cold water
from the Southern Ocean travels up
51
00:06:06,203 --> 00:06:09,923
South Africa's Wild Coast
towards Mozambique.
52
00:06:13,683 --> 00:06:17,963
And with it, comes one
of the largest migrations on Earth...
53
00:06:20,283 --> 00:06:22,243
the sardine run.
54
00:06:26,003 --> 00:06:31,043
Driven by instinct, millions
of tiny fish turn the waters dark
55
00:06:31,123 --> 00:06:34,003
as they swarm along the warmer current.
56
00:06:37,563 --> 00:06:42,283
The mighty African current pulls
the cooler water along the coastline,
57
00:06:42,363 --> 00:06:46,083
sweeping the cold-water-loving
sardines with it.
58
00:06:57,163 --> 00:07:02,483
As they soldier on, they use their
sharp vision to find plankton to eat.
59
00:07:09,563 --> 00:07:13,363
The gannets are on their way,
but they have company.
60
00:07:13,443 --> 00:07:17,603
Following the sardines
is a far deadlier army.
61
00:07:19,283 --> 00:07:23,683
A squadron of common dolphins
closes in fast.
62
00:07:28,043 --> 00:07:31,403
They slice through the water
at 30 kilometers per hour
63
00:07:31,483 --> 00:07:33,563
in a tight family formation.
64
00:07:36,523 --> 00:07:40,643
Pinpointing the sardine run
in the vast ocean is tricky business.
65
00:07:40,723 --> 00:07:43,723
But the dolphins
have an extraordinary tool:
66
00:07:47,563 --> 00:07:49,003
Echolocation.
67
00:07:51,283 --> 00:07:55,883
Their high-pitched clicking bounces
off objects and back to the dolphins,
68
00:07:55,963 --> 00:08:00,363
revealing the object's location,
size, and shape.
69
00:08:06,203 --> 00:08:09,283
Today, it sounds like a feast.
70
00:08:15,003 --> 00:08:17,763
Other dolphin families join the fray...
71
00:08:21,043 --> 00:08:24,843
creating a superpod,
thousands strong.
72
00:08:38,163 --> 00:08:43,523
They circle the shoal and corral
their prey into a tight bait ball.
73
00:08:47,723 --> 00:08:51,763
Relentlessly, the dolphins
take turns driving through,
74
00:08:51,843 --> 00:08:54,803
and gobbling up individual fish.
75
00:08:57,843 --> 00:09:02,923
They create a bubble net to drive
the sardines toward the surface...
76
00:09:12,203 --> 00:09:16,123
to launch a surprise aerial attack.
77
00:09:22,683 --> 00:09:27,083
The sea boils with the thrashing
of fins and fish.
78
00:09:29,203 --> 00:09:32,123
The Cape gannets arrive just in time...
79
00:09:34,403 --> 00:09:36,883
and dive into action.
80
00:09:39,523 --> 00:09:41,923
Like meter-long guided missiles,
81
00:09:42,003 --> 00:09:45,403
they hit the water
at up to 100 kilometers per hour,
82
00:09:45,483 --> 00:09:48,043
and plunge nearly 20 meters deep.
83
00:09:51,683 --> 00:09:55,563
Airbags around their skulls
help cushion the shock.
84
00:10:02,083 --> 00:10:07,843
Underwater, wings and webbed feet
allow them to chase the speeding fish.
85
00:10:11,843 --> 00:10:14,123
They can stay under for up to minute.
86
00:10:18,963 --> 00:10:21,643
The dolphins trap the fish at the surface
87
00:10:21,723 --> 00:10:25,203
as the bombardment continues
from all sides.
88
00:10:36,003 --> 00:10:39,483
Hours of relentless attack
decimates the bait ball.
89
00:10:56,243 --> 00:11:01,323
While the dolphins continue
to chase the main shoals,
90
00:11:01,403 --> 00:11:05,963
the gannets return to their rookeries
to feed their chicks.
91
00:11:07,403 --> 00:11:12,403
For many young gannets, this is their
first experience of the sardine run.
92
00:11:27,563 --> 00:11:30,563
For others, it is their last.
93
00:11:30,643 --> 00:11:34,723
Caught in the feeding frenzy, the
gannets risk breaking their necks,
94
00:11:34,803 --> 00:11:36,923
from the wrong angle of impact.
95
00:11:38,443 --> 00:11:40,763
The aftermath of the feeding frenzy
96
00:11:40,843 --> 00:11:45,883
sends a tantalizing smell of blood
and fish oils into the water.
97
00:11:48,843 --> 00:11:51,483
For sharks, it's the dinner bell.
98
00:11:55,243 --> 00:11:59,843
Sharks, the sea's most ancient predators,
99
00:11:59,923 --> 00:12:04,043
have trolled every ocean on Earth
for millions of years.
100
00:12:06,043 --> 00:12:12,803
Along with highly developed vision
and smell, a shark's refined senses
101
00:12:12,883 --> 00:12:17,043
and the ability to detect electrical
currents from their prey
102
00:12:17,123 --> 00:12:19,443
make them a constant threat.
103
00:12:21,163 --> 00:12:25,683
Tiger sharks, weighing up to a metric ton,
104
00:12:25,763 --> 00:12:32,803
are one of the ocean's largest apex
predators. But they're not picky eaters.
105
00:12:33,123 --> 00:12:39,963
Whatever crosses their path, dead
or alive, makes a suitable supper.
106
00:12:43,123 --> 00:12:48,683
Tiger sharks have some of the
world's most powerful, bone-crushing jaws.
107
00:12:51,803 --> 00:12:55,083
They make quick work
of dead or injured gannets,
108
00:12:55,163 --> 00:13:00,603
before re-joining the trail of
the oil slick left by the sardine run.
109
00:13:09,363 --> 00:13:13,563
Dusky sharks, which usually
prowl near the ocean floor,
110
00:13:13,643 --> 00:13:16,763
also rise to the occasion
of the sardine run.
111
00:13:22,803 --> 00:13:25,603
These heavyweight, highly skilled killers
112
00:13:25,683 --> 00:13:29,443
have one of the strongest bites
of all sharks.
113
00:13:32,123 --> 00:13:37,723
An army of duskies starts rounding
up the shoal of sardines again.
114
00:13:47,643 --> 00:13:52,603
These sharks can devour a tenth
of their body weight in one feeding.
115
00:14:08,563 --> 00:14:12,523
One after the other, they torpedo
into the swirling ball,
116
00:14:12,603 --> 00:14:18,123
like a fish piƱata, swooping up
mouthfuls with jaws wide open.
117
00:14:41,043 --> 00:14:44,923
Once the sardines pass, calm returns.
118
00:14:50,843 --> 00:14:54,963
At first glance, the reefs seem
quiet and peaceful.
119
00:14:55,043 --> 00:15:01,363
But in this bright coral arena,
daily battles for survival play out,
120
00:15:01,443 --> 00:15:04,763
and reef sharks perform at their peak.
121
00:15:06,923 --> 00:15:10,003
When these killers
descend in African waters,
122
00:15:10,083 --> 00:15:13,443
the vibrant reef becomes an
aquatic Hunger Games.
123
00:15:15,443 --> 00:15:19,603
As a pack, they stalk prey
hiding in the coral,
124
00:15:19,683 --> 00:15:24,203
aggressively, violently, and fast.
125
00:15:25,283 --> 00:15:30,483
Grouper fish spend most of their time
outside their hole,
126
00:15:30,563 --> 00:15:33,443
ready to duck in at the hint of danger.
127
00:15:45,083 --> 00:15:49,203
But there's no escaping
the sharks' electromagnetic sensors.
128
00:15:55,563 --> 00:15:59,963
And when a meal is served,
the gladiators battle it out.
129
00:16:07,803 --> 00:16:12,243
Reefs occupy less than one percent
of the ocean floor,
130
00:16:12,323 --> 00:16:17,243
but they are home to more than
twenty-five percent of marine life.
131
00:16:17,323 --> 00:16:21,243
The competition for food
and territory is stiff...
132
00:16:24,123 --> 00:16:27,403
and has produced some bizarre adaptations.
133
00:16:31,843 --> 00:16:37,723
This peculiar looking bottom-dweller
has mastered the art of the ambush.
134
00:16:37,803 --> 00:16:40,043
He's a crocodile fish.
135
00:16:44,043 --> 00:16:46,883
He lurks in the sand and debris.
136
00:16:49,723 --> 00:16:53,563
His mottled coloring mimics the seabed,
137
00:16:53,643 --> 00:16:58,003
practically invisible
as his prey comes to him.
138
00:16:58,083 --> 00:17:02,323
But sometimes, the hunter
becomes the game.
139
00:17:06,723 --> 00:17:11,643
Another pigment-changing predator,
with remarkable high-contrast vision,
140
00:17:11,723 --> 00:17:14,483
sees through the crocodile
fish's camouflage.
141
00:17:15,963 --> 00:17:21,683
Cuttlefish. With more than 20 million
specialized pigment cells,
142
00:17:21,763 --> 00:17:24,963
they can blend into almost
any background.
143
00:17:30,643 --> 00:17:33,523
That's not their only trick.
144
00:17:33,603 --> 00:17:38,923
Their body cavity acts like a jet,
propelling them at lightning speed.
145
00:17:43,043 --> 00:17:46,363
Among the ocean's
most intelligent creatures,
146
00:17:46,443 --> 00:17:52,363
the cunning cuttlefish's tactics include
hiding in plain sight to ambush prey...
147
00:17:57,643 --> 00:18:01,643
and rapidly changing color
to mesmerize their victim.
148
00:18:07,483 --> 00:18:12,923
But does changing its color work
on another with the same tactic?
149
00:18:20,883 --> 00:18:25,923
The crocodile fish, like many others,
never see him coming.
150
00:18:33,403 --> 00:18:39,283
The cuttlefish isn't the only
camouflaged assassin in the sea.
151
00:18:39,363 --> 00:18:45,403
In the warm waters off Mozambique,
coral reefs are plentiful and perilous.
152
00:18:47,123 --> 00:18:50,723
The domain of a
stone-cold killer.
153
00:18:53,643 --> 00:18:59,403
Besides his invisibility cloak, the
stonefish secretes powerful neurotoxins
154
00:18:59,483 --> 00:19:01,763
from the base of his dorsal spine.
155
00:19:05,043 --> 00:19:07,923
He's the deadliest fish on the planet,
156
00:19:08,003 --> 00:19:11,563
capable of killing a human
in less than an hour.
157
00:19:13,803 --> 00:19:18,483
The trade-off for looking like a stone
is that he's not a good swimmer.
158
00:19:19,883 --> 00:19:23,603
But then, he doesn't have to be.
159
00:19:23,683 --> 00:19:29,083
He can remain motionless for hours
until opportunity strikes.
160
00:20:04,643 --> 00:20:08,683
When the prey is less than
a body length away,
161
00:20:08,763 --> 00:20:12,443
he snaps open his jaws to suck it in.
162
00:20:18,203 --> 00:20:22,483
The stonefish shares the reef
with his equally deadly relative--
163
00:20:25,443 --> 00:20:27,843
the scorpionfish.
164
00:20:31,403 --> 00:20:35,123
Like the stonefish,
he vanishes among the coral.
165
00:20:56,443 --> 00:20:59,883
But unlike his motionless cousin,
166
00:20:59,963 --> 00:21:03,843
the scorpionfish will creep
closer to his prey.
167
00:21:11,323 --> 00:21:14,923
It uses its gill covers to seal its mouth.
168
00:21:15,003 --> 00:21:20,283
Snapping them open creates powerful
suction to deliver the kiss of death.
169
00:21:35,883 --> 00:21:42,083
While the scorpionfish boasts venom
and camouflage as its superpowers,
170
00:21:42,163 --> 00:21:45,003
the octopus tops it with camouflage,
171
00:21:45,083 --> 00:21:51,043
venom, jet propulsion,
eight super-sticky tentacles,
172
00:21:51,123 --> 00:21:54,243
and a hunger for scorpionfish.
173
00:22:30,723 --> 00:22:35,763
The octopus' shifting colors
help her track prey in stealth mode.
174
00:22:37,443 --> 00:22:41,043
Her superb vision sees straight
through the scorpionfish's
175
00:22:41,123 --> 00:22:46,683
own brilliant camouflage,
even at a distance.
176
00:22:53,883 --> 00:22:55,723
The hunt is on.
177
00:23:01,603 --> 00:23:05,723
The octopus' jet propulsion
gives her an edge.
178
00:23:14,243 --> 00:23:19,763
But the scorpionfish lucks out,
finding a tight hole to slip into,
179
00:23:19,843 --> 00:23:22,723
cheating death, at least today.
180
00:23:24,523 --> 00:23:29,523
Undaunted, the hungry octopus
quickly spots her next victim--
181
00:23:31,123 --> 00:23:32,403
a stonefish.
182
00:23:35,403 --> 00:23:41,563
Its rock impression isn't fooling anyone,
especially the octopus.
183
00:23:43,443 --> 00:23:45,603
But there's the venom to consider.
184
00:23:45,683 --> 00:23:50,603
She deftly grabs the stonefish,
avoiding its poisonous fins,
185
00:23:50,683 --> 00:23:53,763
and delivers her own paralyzing toxin.
186
00:23:57,603 --> 00:24:01,603
She retreats to her lair
to enjoy the feast.
187
00:24:05,123 --> 00:24:09,483
On Africa's reefs, there's always
a bigger fish in the sea...
188
00:24:10,843 --> 00:24:14,603
and dropping your guard
could be the last thing you do.
189
00:24:18,283 --> 00:24:20,643
A nurse shark is on the prowl.
190
00:24:25,283 --> 00:24:27,683
He's a slow-moving bottom-dweller,
191
00:24:27,763 --> 00:24:32,043
but that's part of his unique
hunting strategy.
192
00:24:32,123 --> 00:24:35,563
Normally a night stalker,
he's coaxed from his cave
193
00:24:36,003 --> 00:24:39,883
at the promise of his
favorite food: octopus.
194
00:24:45,643 --> 00:24:48,603
Predator versus predator.
195
00:24:52,683 --> 00:24:55,643
Thanks to highly sensitive,
whisker-like barbels
196
00:24:55,723 --> 00:25:01,163
in front of his nostrils,
no nook or cranny is beyond his grasp.
197
00:25:06,243 --> 00:25:08,843
The octopus flees for a bolt-hole.
198
00:25:11,803 --> 00:25:13,803
Not fast enough.
199
00:25:19,043 --> 00:25:24,363
The shark's narrow mouth sucks
the octopus from his hiding place.
200
00:25:24,443 --> 00:25:28,603
The octopus' venomous beak,
like a knife at a gunfight,
201
00:25:28,683 --> 00:25:31,963
is no match for the
shark's deadly grip.
202
00:25:41,163 --> 00:25:44,603
On Africa's southeastern coastline,
203
00:25:44,683 --> 00:25:48,643
the ocean pounds against a rocky,
jagged shoreline.
204
00:25:52,083 --> 00:25:56,603
Sea and land wage a titanic war
with each pounding wave.
205
00:26:04,243 --> 00:26:09,443
And yet the most intricate
and delicate relationships flourish here.
206
00:26:12,003 --> 00:26:16,563
Brown mussels filter the minute
organisms brought in on the tide.
207
00:26:16,643 --> 00:26:20,803
Their strong glue affixes
them to the rocks,
208
00:26:20,883 --> 00:26:24,323
where the oystercatcher
tries to pick them off.
209
00:26:30,443 --> 00:26:35,203
When they fall into the surf,
the rock lobsters take over...
210
00:26:39,123 --> 00:26:42,963
cracking them like peanuts
with their powerful mandibles.
211
00:26:50,243 --> 00:26:56,163
Fast-growing juveniles consume up to four
percent of their body weight each day.
212
00:26:56,243 --> 00:27:00,803
They may never stop growing
over their 20-year life-span.
213
00:27:00,883 --> 00:27:04,763
When food is scarce,
the lobsters get crabby.
214
00:27:22,243 --> 00:27:25,203
Unlike their cold-water counterparts,
215
00:27:25,283 --> 00:27:29,043
warm-water rock lobsters lack heavy pincers.
216
00:27:32,203 --> 00:27:37,363
Instead, they march into battle
waving their big front horns.
217
00:27:55,043 --> 00:27:58,043
If threats don't work, they tangle.
218
00:27:59,963 --> 00:28:04,283
Ultimately, the strongest lobster
claims the mussel.
219
00:28:09,283 --> 00:28:14,803
Its powerful mouthparts sever the threads
that hold the mussel closed
220
00:28:14,883 --> 00:28:17,803
and crush the thin edge of the shell,
221
00:28:17,883 --> 00:28:22,083
selfishly devouring
its sumptuous meal alone.
222
00:28:24,643 --> 00:28:28,883
On the shoreline,
the competition is just as stiff.
223
00:28:28,963 --> 00:28:33,723
A red tide delivers rock lobsters
to kelp gulls by the hundreds.
224
00:28:35,043 --> 00:28:39,963
As more birds arrive,
a fight is brewing.
225
00:28:43,523 --> 00:28:48,763
A feeding frenzy erupts as kelp gulls
scramble to snatch rock lobster,
226
00:28:48,843 --> 00:28:52,683
crabs, and anything else
washed ashore on the red tide.
227
00:28:56,443 --> 00:29:00,963
The deadly tide occurs when powerful
winds churn the waters,
228
00:29:01,043 --> 00:29:03,683
stirring up algae from the deep ocean.
229
00:29:04,683 --> 00:29:09,883
In warmer water, the algae blooms,
sucking oxygen from the water
230
00:29:09,963 --> 00:29:12,483
and suffocating sea creatures.
231
00:29:12,563 --> 00:29:16,083
The scavenging kelp gulls
couldn't be happier.
232
00:29:26,443 --> 00:29:29,083
With sharp eyes and sharper bills,
233
00:29:29,163 --> 00:29:32,563
they spot their prey
and greedily crack it open.
234
00:29:43,243 --> 00:29:48,923
Without the gulls, the stranded lobsters
would rot under the African sun...
235
00:29:51,763 --> 00:29:56,563
so the gulls are performing a public
service by cleaning up the beach.
236
00:30:01,403 --> 00:30:05,683
While kelp gulls fill the air
with riotous squawking,
237
00:30:05,763 --> 00:30:12,403
along the reefs of Aliwal Shoal,
a hunter lurks as silent as death.
238
00:30:16,923 --> 00:30:21,243
For a shark, he's extremely slow-moving,
239
00:30:21,323 --> 00:30:27,683
but at three meters long and 160
kilograms, he's every inch a shark.
240
00:30:29,163 --> 00:30:33,123
The ragged-tooth shark's name says it all.
241
00:30:33,203 --> 00:30:38,283
Those choppers are adapted
for gripping, not tearing.
242
00:30:38,363 --> 00:30:41,043
It often swallows food whole.
243
00:30:51,683 --> 00:30:55,243
He's just as dangerous as he looks,
244
00:30:55,323 --> 00:30:59,723
secretive, unpredictable, and aggressive.
245
00:31:02,323 --> 00:31:08,323
Its long, muscular tail can propel him
in an instant, with powerful force.
246
00:31:16,803 --> 00:31:20,483
Raggies spend the day biding their time,
247
00:31:21,923 --> 00:31:25,003
hanging out at reefs and shipwrecks.
248
00:31:29,203 --> 00:31:36,203
Most sharks must keep moving to breathe.
Raggies are the only sharks that gulp air.
249
00:31:36,283 --> 00:31:43,243
Pumping water over their gills gives
them a killer advantage-- stealth.
250
00:31:52,843 --> 00:31:55,483
They gather along
their northern migration route
251
00:31:55,563 --> 00:31:58,723
towards Mozambique's warmer waters...
252
00:32:03,283 --> 00:32:08,283
stopping to rest at Aliwal Shoal,
where the caves provide shelter...
253
00:32:11,603 --> 00:32:13,883
and plenty of prey.
254
00:32:16,803 --> 00:32:21,283
Smaller schools of fish
swim close to the shark for protection.
255
00:32:23,603 --> 00:32:29,203
These sharks use the art of surprise
to capture any unsuspecting victim.
256
00:32:51,283 --> 00:32:57,403
With a quick sideways swipe of his head,
it snaps up its meal in one quick gulp.
257
00:33:27,243 --> 00:33:31,803
Like bustling cities,
the reefs of Africa's deadly oceans
258
00:33:31,883 --> 00:33:34,243
display a world of wonder.
259
00:33:36,323 --> 00:33:40,803
Within multicolored formations,
gullies, and caves,
260
00:33:40,883 --> 00:33:43,843
thousands of species of fish thrive.
261
00:33:53,563 --> 00:33:58,363
And when a streamlined predator
slinks around for dining opportunities,
262
00:33:58,443 --> 00:34:00,963
that's "a moray."
263
00:34:03,803 --> 00:34:05,603
Slithering through the reef,
264
00:34:05,683 --> 00:34:10,763
the moray eel worms its way
deep into crevices, looking for fish.
265
00:34:28,403 --> 00:34:31,643
Its sharp, jagged, backwardly
curving teeth
266
00:34:31,723 --> 00:34:34,803
and two sets of jaws offer no escape.
267
00:34:39,363 --> 00:34:45,243
But as predators go, there's more
here than morays.
268
00:34:45,323 --> 00:34:51,323
Whitetip reef sharks and gray reef
sharks hunt the eels.
269
00:35:10,563 --> 00:35:14,043
While the whitetip reef sharks
patrol the bottom,
270
00:35:14,123 --> 00:35:17,403
gray reef sharks cruise above the reefs...
271
00:35:18,563 --> 00:35:21,723
leaving this moray eel no place to hide.
272
00:35:23,803 --> 00:35:27,643
What's worse than being chased
by a hungry shark?
273
00:35:27,723 --> 00:35:30,003
Being pursued by a pack of them.
274
00:35:55,523 --> 00:35:59,123
The gang of whitetip sharks
claims the prize...
275
00:36:17,563 --> 00:36:21,483
while the gray reef sharks
can only watch from afar.
276
00:36:25,083 --> 00:36:29,003
This time, they have to be satisfied
with leftovers.
277
00:36:35,363 --> 00:36:39,123
As the sun sets, the ocean
grows agitated.
278
00:36:42,363 --> 00:36:47,963
Some large Cape fur seals head back
to colder waters after the sardine run.
279
00:36:48,043 --> 00:36:52,563
However, these bulls
are about to join one last hunt...
280
00:36:55,403 --> 00:36:59,403
courtesy of one of the fastest
predators in the ocean.
281
00:37:02,523 --> 00:37:06,803
The striped marlin can be as deadly
as any shark.
282
00:37:06,883 --> 00:37:09,003
Weighing over 200 kilograms,
283
00:37:09,083 --> 00:37:12,643
it can reach an impressive
110 kilometers per hour.
284
00:37:12,723 --> 00:37:16,843
Armed to the teeth,
it uses its sword-like bill
285
00:37:16,923 --> 00:37:19,443
to slash through shoals of fish,
286
00:37:19,523 --> 00:37:23,083
then returns to eat its stunned
and wounded victims.
287
00:37:45,523 --> 00:37:50,803
When another streamlined assassin
joins the hunt, the deadliness doubles.
288
00:37:52,203 --> 00:37:54,483
With a spectacular dorsal fin,
289
00:37:54,563 --> 00:37:57,643
stretching nearly the length
of its three-meter body,
290
00:37:57,723 --> 00:38:03,883
the sailfish is the marlin's faster
cousin, the fastest fish in the sea.
291
00:38:04,923 --> 00:38:08,963
And it doesn't mind teaming up
to secure a meal.
292
00:38:16,003 --> 00:38:20,203
The risk of injury is always high
in a feeding frenzy...
293
00:38:23,843 --> 00:38:27,363
especially with multiple predators involved.
294
00:38:29,923 --> 00:38:33,443
Seal bulls try to stay clear
of the marlin's bill.
295
00:38:44,563 --> 00:38:47,843
The hunt ends as quickly as it started.
296
00:38:52,683 --> 00:38:57,643
Tonight, as a full moon
shines a spotlight on the sea,
297
00:38:57,723 --> 00:39:02,803
night stalkers take the stage--
silvertip sharks.
298
00:39:02,883 --> 00:39:07,963
Large, dominant, and easily angered.
299
00:39:10,563 --> 00:39:14,443
A silvertip shark is so broadly ferocious,
300
00:39:14,523 --> 00:39:19,323
it would attack a fellow silvertip,
even one larger than itself.
301
00:39:19,403 --> 00:39:23,123
A formidable predator,
with keen hearing and smell...
302
00:39:26,123 --> 00:39:31,003
and exceptionally large eyes
that pierce dark, murky waters.
303
00:39:38,843 --> 00:39:42,643
Its long, broad snout hides dozens of rows
304
00:39:42,723 --> 00:39:46,563
of deadly serrated teeth
it uses to saw through prey.
305
00:40:11,723 --> 00:40:15,883
Its skin is like armor,
constructed of hard,
306
00:40:15,963 --> 00:40:19,683
sharp, tooth-like denticles
instead of scales.
307
00:40:22,883 --> 00:40:27,803
Silvertips make sudden, unpredictable
moves to confuse their prey.
308
00:40:29,803 --> 00:40:35,803
And by sensing vibrations in the water,
no prey or threat goes unnoticed.
309
00:40:38,563 --> 00:40:41,923
The shoal of fish creates a
doughnut-shaped ball,
310
00:40:42,003 --> 00:40:46,483
with rings of clear water,
trying to evade the attackers.
311
00:40:49,083 --> 00:40:52,083
But the silvertips can't be stopped.
312
00:41:13,843 --> 00:41:16,803
At the bottom of the ocean,
an ambush predator
313
00:41:16,883 --> 00:41:21,483
closely related to the shark
seemingly flies through the water.
314
00:41:23,363 --> 00:41:28,723
A stingray uses electro-sensors,
not eyes, to find its meals.
315
00:41:30,283 --> 00:41:36,163
Its serrated tail is tipped with a deadly,
venomous point to thwart predators.
316
00:41:44,523 --> 00:41:46,563
And here comes one now.
317
00:41:48,763 --> 00:41:54,003
The rare broadnose, sevengill cow shark
slowly patrols the bottom.
318
00:42:12,843 --> 00:42:17,363
The stingray desperately looks
to hide on the sandy ocean floor.
319
00:42:19,083 --> 00:42:21,323
But the broadnose isn't fooled.
320
00:42:23,963 --> 00:42:28,163
The shark is surprisingly agile
as it slips around crevices.
321
00:42:44,243 --> 00:42:47,763
And when its senses lock
onto potential prey,
322
00:42:47,843 --> 00:42:49,963
it moves in a flash...
323
00:43:00,443 --> 00:43:02,883
foiling the stingray's plan.
324
00:43:02,963 --> 00:43:06,203
Now it swims for its life...
325
00:43:14,483 --> 00:43:16,523
but not fast enough.
326
00:43:41,763 --> 00:43:46,243
Africa's oceans, vast and treacherous.
327
00:43:46,323 --> 00:43:50,043
While it teems with life,
it's a cauldron of death,
328
00:43:50,123 --> 00:43:55,803
where hunter and hunted stir the waters,
just as they have done for millennia.
329
00:43:57,683 --> 00:44:01,163
Bloodshed brings balance
to this ancient ecosystem,
330
00:44:01,243 --> 00:44:08,203
where, despite its size, there is nowhere
to run and nowhere to hide.