(slow intense music) - [Narrator] Northwest Africa, thousands of square kilometers
of dry barren desert. A small remote archipelago
lies off the coast, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Seven volcanic islands,
each its own world. (serene music) (birds caw) (dolphins squeak) Here, warm equatorial currents
merge with the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Plankton rises from the deep, collecting near the ocean surface, fish and Marine mammals
from different climate zones meet in the waters of the Canary Islands. (majestic music) Above the water, the trade
winds bring life to the islands. They pick up moisture
as they cross the ocean creating conditions for
a breathtaking range of flora and fauna. Millions of years ago, the Canary Islands rose
from the ocean depths. Marine currents and winds
created unique habitats for new species to develop. The Atlantic archipelago
became its own little universe. The Canaries contain
almost every climate zone, subtropical cloud forests and
barren volcanic landscapes to snow covered peaks. (slow intense music) (waves crash) Cut off from the rest of the planet, the animals and plants of the islands live life at the limit. (waves crash) Lanzarote is also known as
(speaking in foreign language), island of fire and water. (slow intense music) 280 years ago, this was the
epicenter of a natural disaster that left one of the world's most dramatic volcanic landscapes, the fire mountains of Timanfaya. For now, the volcano lies
dormant, allowing life to return. Houbara bustards are nomads. Long ago, they came from Africa where they'd learned to withstand blistering heat and drought. (wind howls) Much like the Sahara
desert in North Africa, the volcanic landscapes of
Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are barren and eroded. This Rocky desert provides little cover. The only protection for the
large birds is camouflage. The houbara bustards came with the winds. Fuerteventura means strong
wind and sure enough, the wind never lets up. Sand whips through the
air dulling the view. (wind howls) (intense music) The wind is called Calima, the hot wind from the Sahara. In the Earth's largest desert, vast amounts of sand form mighty dunes. But not all the sand stays here. (wind howls) Powerful storms blow it
high into the atmosphere, spreading it over thousands of kilometers. Calima carries the sand
out over the Atlantic. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
are the first islands on the journey west. Large amounts of sand land here
creating expenses of desert. Calima blows many birds here too. Egyptian vultures follow the islands first human inhabitants, the Guanches. These birds are scavengers
and profited from humans as long as the humans survive
by breeding goats and sheep. But times have changed, the herds of animals
have long since vanished, tourists have taken over. The vultures are now rarely seen. Despite its dry desert climate,
Fuerteventura is the island with the largest number of birds. Not all of them are here voluntarily. Birds migrating along the coast of Africa frequently drift out
to sea and settle here to recover from their journey. (lively music) The warm wind from the East
meets a cold sea current from the North, the Canary Current. It brings a beautiful yet deadly creature, the Portuguese man o' war. It's venomous tentacles make it one of the ocean's deadliest hunters. The poison works quickly and is fatal. A bubble of gas acts as a sail carrying it over the ocean's surface. The young pompano fish is
immune to the man o' war's venom and enjoys the of this
dangerous hydrozoan. (calm music) The loggerhead sea turtle
has completed a journey of several thousand kilometers. Pilot fish accompany the
turtle on its long journey across the Atlantic. In the open sea, any
form of cover is welcome. Sometimes swarms of small fish
following the turtles wake. This fully grown triggerfish looks lost in the endless blue. He's looking for company. Apparently however, the sea
turtle is not in the market for a new friend. Then the two put aside their differences and continue the journey together. Large schools of Atlantic spotted dolphins cut through the ocean. The waters of the Canary
Islands are rich in fish and these dolphins are
frequent visitors here. (dolphins squeak) They share the seas with
many other marine mammals. Bottlenose are the most
familiar of all dolphins. Schools are then by
older experienced males. Bottlenose dolphins communicate
via a complex language. (water splashes) (lively music) For decades, scientists have
been trying to decode it in the hope that one day, we shall be able to communicate with them. Marine mammals from both
cold and tropical waters meet off the Canaries. (majestic music) Some are just passing through, others live here all year round. Like dolphins, long finned pilot whales are mostly ocean nomads. But these make an
exception in the straights between Tenerife and La Gomera but they will spend their entire lives. These whales live in
close family communities. Each group is led by an experienced adult, blindly trusted by the others. That's why they're known as pilot whales. Communication is crucial
to the whales existence. They use single sounds to
coordinate their movement while the complex whale songs are crucial to their wellbeing. (water splashes) (calm music) There's been no rain on
Fuerteventura for four years. This summer is particularly hot and dry and life is increasingly difficult, even for the houbara bustards
with their desert ancestry. But there is hope. As winter begins, the
hot dry Calima weakens, the wind turns bringing
rain clouds from the North. This is what the bustards
have been waiting for. The first showers approach the coast and reach the parched island. (rain trickles) The rains are brief but heavy. The bustard makes the
most of the precipitation. The rain means salvation
for the parched landscape and its birds. Soon, the desert will be
transformed by an abundance of fresh green vegetation. The bustards can afford to be picky choosing only the most
tender fresh shoots. But perhaps food is not
the top priority right now. The rain brings the return
of a bizarre spectacle that the males prepare
for enthusiastically. (slow intense music) Showtime, it's the mating season. Houbara bustards, the
Casanovas of the animal world. No gesture is to grand, they'll do absolutely anything to impress the females. (lively flamenco music) They hog the spotlight day in, day out, but being a star is
demanding and exhausting. The madness can continue
for up to six months. The birds with the greatest staying power are most likely to find a mate. The female's reaction
is carefully observed. If they're impressed,
they will slowly approach. Exit stage left, a quick break, and then the show will go on. Thanks to the rains, the
desert is now in bloom. The Canary Islands stonechats have mated. In years without rainfall,
there's too little food and the birds don't breed. (stonechat chicks cheep) But this is a good year. These small birds are
found only in damp gullies called Barrancoa, on Fuerteventura. The parents catch insects in flight and feed them ceaselessly to their young. They never rest. (stonechat chicks cheep) With so much going in at one end, space has to be made at the other. The parents share cleaning duties too. Unlike the males, female houbara
bustards are shy creatures and avoid drawing attention to themselves. In the wide open volcanic landscape, this caution is the only
way to protect their young. They lay their perfectly camouflaged eggs exposed between the rocks. They'll stay on the nest for three weeks, leaving only briefly to find food. (fly buzzes) (lively flamenco music) The males meanwhile, continue
with their song and dance. Quite a few will eventually
die of exhaustion. The females on the other
hand will produce new life. (crow caws) (intense music) Danger from the air. Brown-necked ravens. These intelligent predators
are on the lookout for an unprotected nest. The female bustard is on high alert. If the ravens discover her
nest, they'll destroy her eggs. (raven caws) Winter draws to an end. On the open sea, something is changing. Water from below is rising and bringing a bizarre creature with it. (calm music) What looks like some form of jellyfish is in fact 60,000 eggs of
a deep sea diamond squid. They must develop on the surface. The water is full of plankton, attracting great numbers of fish. They in turn attract birds
that have crossed the Atlantic. The Scopoli's shearwaters
have spent the winter in South America. They return to the
Canary Islands in spring to rear their young. They nest in niches, in the steep cliffs. The shearwaters spend the day out at sea, leaving their helpless
young behind in the nest. (calm music) The parents often fly hundreds
of kilometers for food. Shoals of fish are not
always easy to find. Fortunately, the birds have
intelligent allies, dolphins. (majestic music) Rapidly and efficiently, they use echolocation to find their prey. Corralling the fish is almost a game. Now the shearwaters can join in the hunt. Dolphins and shearwaters go in together. (intense music) The hunt looks like a
graceful, complex ballet, but for the shearwaters and their young, it's a matter of survival. Fish populations in the
Atlantic are sinking rapidly. It's becoming increasingly
difficult to find food. The hunt was a success, but the birds will only return
to their young after dark. Under cover of night, strange looking predators
emerged from their hiding places. An octopus scans the seabed
for pray with its tentacles, a butterfly ray spent the
day lying in the sand. (calm intense music) Angel sharks too are nocturnal hunters. (wave crashes) From the steep cliffs, ghostly
cries ring out over the sea. The shearwaters have finally returned to their breeding holes navigating in the dark
by their sense of smell. Almost every approach
ends in a crash landing. (shearwater bangs) (shearwaters coo) Once the birds are back on land,
they greet their neighbors. Then it's time to feed their single chick. The young bird has been waiting
a long time for this moment. (shearwaters coo) Now there are just a few
hours to enjoy family life and get some rest. (shearwaters coo) (slow intense music) Once again, this shearwaters
prepared to take off. Long before day breaks, the
birds are off out to sea. (shearwaters coo) (calm music) The Northeast trade wind
has so many different names but on the Canary islands,
it's known as Aliseo. During its long journey over the Atlantic, Aliseo collects a great deal of moisture. (waves crash) Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are too flat. The clouds drift over the
volcanic Helix without difficulty. However, when they encounter Tenerife, La Gomera or La Palma, great cloud banks mass along
the island's steep flanks. (calm music) They're forced upwards. They cool and their water condenses giving life to a unique natural treasure, subtropical Laurel Forest. These ancient forests are found
only on the Canary Islands. The mighty Laurel trees milk
the clouds of their moisture. The water drips from the
leaves to the ground. With little actual rainfall, there are waterfalls and streams. (water drops drips) Every surface in the forest is damp. Fungi, Moss and ferns grow on the trees. (serene music) The most impressive Laurel forest is in the Garajonay
National Park on La Gomera. Time seems to stand still here. These forests are living fossils. They have existed since the Tertiary Era. Over 2.5 million years ago, forests like this covered the
whole Mediterranean region. When the climate cooled
during the ice age, those forests disappeared. (serene music) They survived on the Canary Islands. The forests remain hostage
to the trade winds. The ancient flora will vanish if Aliseo no longer brings moisture
from the Atlantic. These mystical cloud forests
should be the perfect place to discover mythical creatures. And they are home to a
particularly rare animal, the Bolle's Pigeon. Very few of these shy birds remain. They prefer to hide in the
depths of the cloud forest. Bolle's Pigeons are the descendants
of European wood pigeons that passed through here long ago. (Bolle's Pigeons coo) They settled in the
forests and never left. On this remote archipelago, the birds developed
into a distinct species. (calm music) Cloud forests are among the
most diverse habitats on earth. Almost all the plants are found only here. This is the only place
many of them could survive. These are amongst the rarest, most endangered plants on earth. They're extremely sensitive. The smallest change in climate and they could vanish
from the earth forever. Canarina canariensis,
the Canary bellflower is a Relic of the Tertiary Era too. Large amounts of nectar are produced within its bright calyx. The insects that once
pollinated these plants are now extinct. This plant was forced to adapt and now it's pollinated by birds. (bouncy music) (birds tweet) The delicate chiffchaff is attracted by the Bellflower's nectar. It uses its narrow beak to
reach deep into the flower. The chiffchaff has
replaced extinct species as this plant pollinator. The Canary Island Foxglove
attracts leaf warbler birds. (leaf warbler chirps) The flowers shape is
perfectly adapted to the bird. As the leaf warbler
reaches for the nectar, pollen is brushed onto its head. The bird then carries the
pollen to the next flower. (wind howls) As soon as the damp chill
Aliseo wind loses its force, the feel of Africa returns. (calm music) The air becomes hazy,
the temperatures rise. North of Lanzarote away
from the inhabited islands, there's a small archipelago, Chinijo. It's a handful of bear volcanic
rocks in the Atlantic Ocean. Yet this archipelago attracts
some very unusual nomads. Eleonora's falcons usually
live in Madagascar. But several come to breed
on these volcanic rocks devoid of vegetation. To reach the tiny island of Alegranza, Falcons cross the Sahara
desert in just three weeks. About 150 breeding pairs
settle in the harsh landscape. Eleonora's falcons are social birds and breed in loose colonies. It's the height of the summer, but the falcons have
only just begun to brood. (calm music) Back in the straight between
La Gomera and Tenerife, there's no wind and the
sea is smooth and calm. Pilot whales relax on the surface. Now in August, the family
groups gently drift and their young are born. All the whales in a pod are related. So the males mate with
females from other families, then they returned to their
own pod to protect their clan. (pilot whales squeak) (water splashes) Young wales spend the first four years close to their mothers. When their mother hunts in
the depths of the ocean, other relatives keep an eye on the young. Even the males take their turn. This newborn whale is barely a day old. However, not all survive
those first few hours. (sad music) This calf has been dead for several days. The male desperately keeps it afloat unwilling to give up. Physical contact is
important for the whales. It reinforces their family ties and gives the group the strength to endure the many challenges they
face in the open seas. (calm music) (pilot whales squeak) (Eleonora's falcon squawks) Hidden among the ragged cliffs, freshly hatched Eleonora's falcon chicks wait for their parents to return. The adults tirelessly roam
the skies looking for food. During breeding season, Eleonora's falcons hunt
songbirds out at sea. (Eleonora's falcon squawks) Smaller birds flying south
along the African coast are frequently blown out over
the Atlantic by the Calima. When the exhausted birds finally make it to the Canary Islands,
the falcons are waiting. That's why Eleonora's falcons
breed so late in the year, they have adjusted their
behavior to take advantage of the autumn migration. It's a dangerous strategy. If the migrant birds fail to arrive, the young falcons will starve. (wind howls) The chicks remain in
the nest for six weeks while the parents feed
and take care of them. The dark volcanic rock can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius at midday. The fragile brood needs not only food, but protection from the burning sun. (waves crash) When the parents are away hunting, shade can make the difference
between life and death. (calm music) This year, many migrant birds were stranded near Alegranza. It's a good season for the falcons, most of their young will survive. (Eleonora's falcon chicks chirp) At the end of October, the parents embark on the long flight to their winter quarters in Madagascar. The young birds will
follow later on their own. At just 10 weeks, they have to cover a distance
of 10,000 kilometers alone. (calm music) They leave the rocky outcrops before the winter storms arrive. Next year, they'll return to
their islands in the Atlantic. (dramatic music) (waves crash) (thunder claps) Born out of the seas millions of years ago in an inferno of fire and ash, the Canary Islands are now
a subtropical paradise. New species, unique
behaviors developed here far from the African mainland. They are the subject of the next episode, "World of the Fire Mountain". (calm music) (wood clanks)
Tasmania Documentary 4K | Wildlife | Australia Landscapes and Nature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3dYjV1wqV0
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_GdRzTmqcw