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Once we saw them as gods
these soaring spirits of the sea.

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How else to explain their
boundless grace and energy,

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the way they inspire our joy.

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Today, dolphins seem
like part of the family.

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They enchant us with their
willingness to please and perform.

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But the dolphin ' s true home - the sea

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is an alien world and here
a different side emerges.

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Cunning, powerful and relentless,
dolphins are consummate predators.

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They are social creatures that
communicate and cooperate

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for danger can strike from anywhere.

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The quest for prey, the quest for mates,
nothing comes easy out here.

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For the ocean is as unforgiving
as it is boundless.

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Join us as we explore the world
of dolphins in the wild.

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In the salt marshes of South
Carolina is a rich ocean estuary

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a nursery for fish and shellfish

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and a lure for all kinds
of predators.

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Every day as
the tide ebbs,

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the broad mud banks
become exposed.

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It is then an extraordinary
event occurs.

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Seabirds vie for
a front row position.

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They have an intense
interest in what is to come.

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The predators regroup
for another coordinated attack.

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These are bottlenose dolphins
among the most inventive

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and intelligent
hunters in the sea.

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Here they locate schools of
small fish in the turbid channels.

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Then in a stunning maneuver,

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they rush up the mudflats

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creating a bow wave
that drives the fish ashore.

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Using their excellent
above-water vision,

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they snatch up the fish
stranded on the banks.

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How dolphins locate
the schools of fish

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and coordinate their
attack is not entirely known

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They may use either audible
or visual signals

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For some reason

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the dolphins always rush up
the banks on their right side

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Over time
the teeth on that side will

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actually be worn down from
chewing as much mud as fish

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Occasionally
they will work themselves

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completely out of the water

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Being stranded up
here could be fatal

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As they shimmy up the mud
banks it's almost as

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if they're evolving into
the land creatures they once were

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Some fifty million years ago

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the ancestors
of these air-breathing

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mammals ventured
into the seas

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To follow dolphins
in the wild is to discover

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one of the most remarkable
adaptations in the natural world

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They use their intelligence
to survive

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changing or inventing strategies
to suit their environment

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Spinner dolphins leap in what
appears to a display of exuberance

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In fact,

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they may be signaling
others to join them,

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or coordinating
movements of the pod...

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A kind of long
distance communication.

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At close range,

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dolphins "speak" through
clicks and whistles.

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These signals can
mean anything from

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"Food's over here" to "Watch out!
There's danger!"

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They also communicate
through touching.

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Dolphins are notoriously affectionate
and extremely sensuous.

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When dolphins mate,

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they swim in rhythm
with the female on top.

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Sex is as frequent
as it is casual.

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It's not always
for reproduction

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Often it's a social tool

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used to strengthen
and maintain bonds

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Whether old or young

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male or female - all dolphins
engage in caressing and petting

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But beneath this veneer
of harmony

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lies a darker side...
marked by conflict and violence

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Surprisingly the
beloved bottlenose we know

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as "Flipper" may be the
most aggressive dolphin species

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In the Bahamas

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two male bottlenose harass
a male spotted dolphin

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At first the interaction
seems harmless enough

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but it quickly escalates

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The bottlenose take
turns assaulting

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the spotted perhaps
to assert their dominance

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Next they turn on a spotted
dolphin half their size

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It's only a calf

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Bottlenose are among the
very few wild creatures

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that will kill for reasons
other than hunger

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Swimming in formation

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a group of adult spotteds
rush in to intercede

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In the flurry of threats

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the calf escapes
to the surface

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Bottlenose are even
more prone to clashing

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with members
of their own species

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These males in the
Bahamas bear many scars

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including those
from fierce battles

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A first sign of impending
trouble is "jaw clapping"

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a clear audible threat

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When fights break out

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they're marked
by head ramming

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biting

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and blows from
powerful flukes

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Many dolphins have
evolved their own

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sometimes brutal

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aspects of society

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Shark Bay
in Western Australia

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where vast sea
grass beds support

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a large community
of bottlenose dolphins

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Here an international
team of scientists

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investigates
dolphin aggression

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The waters of Shark
Bay are in the throes

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of what appears
to be a gang fight

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Groups of males are observed
chasing down other males

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It can go on for hours
and cover miles of territory

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The battles are over females

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part of an extremely complex social
system only now being unraveled

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by Dr. Richard Connor from the
University of Massachusetts

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He's spent his professional life
studying dolphins in the wild

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And his work has changed
our image of the dolphin

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I think in the 1960's
the myth was generated

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that dolphins were
all sweetness and light

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And almost incapable
of aggression

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At least that was
the public perception

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carried on a large
part until today

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Dolphins are capable of
a lot of aggression

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They can be quite nasty
depending on the circumstance

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They are complex

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intelligent social mammals
and that carries

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with it a range of behaviors from
the nice to the not so nice

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Just like in our own species

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And like our own species

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dolphins are
highly individualistic

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To study their relationships

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Connor needs to clearly
recognize individuals

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He does this by their
unique fin markings

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He's studied them in
Shark Bay since 1982

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and he knows over
three hundred dolphins by name

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and Minnie right there
between them.

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And here comes Bad Ghost
and Poltergeist.

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There ' s Wow resting at the surface.
There ' s Myrtle, there ' s Hobo.

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Xxx and Horton?
Beautiful, look at that! All together.

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Connor is
especially intrigued

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by relationships
between the males

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To him, it's like cracking
the code of a secret society

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They follow a
mature male with

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a jagged dorsal fin
named "Bottom Hook"

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He's usually observed swimming
with another male called "Pointer"

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They're almost inseparable forming
what Connor calls an alliance

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Some of these alliances last
for a dozen years or more

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Today a female is seen
swimming between them

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as if she's being herded

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In fact, she is
their captive

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They guard her night and day

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Very rarely do you see the female
off to the side from the males

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They like to keep her
between them

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That basically eliminates
avenues of escape for her

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We've seen them keep females
for over a month at a time

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Bottomhook and Pointer
are vigilant

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Their strategy is to keep her
from mating with other males

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To limit the female's
choice to themselves

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We've often seen
the males use alot of

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aggression to keep
the female with them.

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Even so, it's likely that the
female wants to mate

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with these males as well as
other males in the bay

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The males are trying
to sequester

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the female simply
to increase the chance

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that they will be
the father of the offspring

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Eventually, the hungry males
must break formation to feed

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Pointer races
off to chase a fish

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It's a risky move
because in the

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confusion the female
may try to escape

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One male will be close to
the female for a while

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The other will be off
foraging catching fish

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And then they'll switch.

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And the one that was
off chasing fish

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will come back and
stay close to the female

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Now here Pointer is rushing
back towards her now

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As Pointer resumes
guard duty

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he warns the female
with a popping sound

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It means: "stay close"

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For other male
alliances are prowling

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the bay in search of
females to capture

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and they'll kidnap
them from rivals

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But not without help

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Connor found that
different alliances

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will join forces
to kidnap females

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or to defend against attacks

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Some of these groups
have joined together

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to form a nearly
invincible super-alliance

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It consists of
fourteen males

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and their captive females

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Unique in the animal kingdom

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Connor calls them the
"wow crowd"

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We suspect from
what we can see

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the "wow crowd" seems
to dominate

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interactions in this area

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Probably by being
in such a large group

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they are able to
defeat other alliances

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But we suspect that the way
they're always changing partners

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is required to maintain
friendly bonds within the group

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They have to
take turns cooperating

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with each other
to sort of keep things

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on a friendly basis
between all the alliances

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00:18:00,579 --> 00:18:02,570
Maintaining relations
in such a large

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00:18:02,815 --> 00:18:04,612
group is a
delicate proposition

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00:18:05,150 --> 00:18:06,310
But the pay-off is clear

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Like a fierce tribe

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the "wow crowd" dominates
other alliances

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and can aggressively pursue
its goal of capturing females

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It's easy to lose sight of the
females' role in all this

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In fact, she is
the motivating force behind

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00:18:26,138 --> 00:18:28,504
much of this
Machiavellian male behavior

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00:18:34,847 --> 00:18:36,872
The females of
most dolphin species

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have a mating strategy
of their own

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00:18:39,485 --> 00:18:41,817
And it calls for multiple
sexual partners

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00:18:43,789 --> 00:18:46,383
So in spite of the
males' best efforts to

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00:18:46,625 --> 00:18:47,751
restrict the females' choice

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00:18:48,026 --> 00:18:49,425
it's not entirely successful

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00:18:51,263 --> 00:18:53,493
This spotted dolphin
female in the Bahamas

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00:18:53,732 --> 00:18:55,791
mates with a number of
eager males

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00:18:57,769 --> 00:19:01,136
Any one of these partners may end
up being the father of her calf

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00:19:09,515 --> 00:19:11,039
In a surprising way

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00:19:11,283 --> 00:19:14,184
this strategy may protect
her future offspring

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00:19:16,188 --> 00:19:19,988
A female dolphin will usually
give birth to a single calf

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after a year
long pregnancy

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00:19:22,561 --> 00:19:25,962
It'll be a few years before this one
becomes spotted like its mother

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After giving birth
the female is unreceptive

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00:19:31,837 --> 00:19:33,634
during the calf's first
few years

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She will spurn the advances
of courting males

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00:19:39,344 --> 00:19:42,472
But young males can be
dangerously persistent

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00:19:54,193 --> 00:19:57,890
Adult male dolphins may do
more than simply harass females

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00:19:58,497 --> 00:20:01,591
They are strongly suspected of
killing dolphin calves

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00:20:02,201 --> 00:20:05,432
a possible strategy for making
the female receptive again

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00:20:14,279 --> 00:20:16,975
This time
the mother fights them off

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00:20:34,199 --> 00:20:38,568
In Shark Bay, a female, Nicky
cruises the shallows with her calf

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00:20:39,671 --> 00:20:41,866
She's being herded by
Bottomhook and Pointer

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00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:46,511
Like most female dolphins
she's mated with a number of partners

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00:20:47,312 --> 00:20:50,907
So the scientists are not sure
who the father of the calf is

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00:20:51,617 --> 00:20:53,812
But then neither
are Bottomhook and Pointer

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And in their uncertainty,
the calf is spared

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00:21:08,567 --> 00:21:11,001
Finding food is the
mother's top priority

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and here in Shark
Bay she's discovered

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00:21:14,506 --> 00:21:15,734
some surprising resources

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00:21:42,968 --> 00:21:44,458
There's something
enchanting about

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00:21:44,703 --> 00:21:46,568
coming in contact
with dolphins in the wild

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00:21:51,510 --> 00:21:53,637
The activity is
carefully monitored to

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00:21:53,879 --> 00:21:58,179
avoid potential harm
to dolphins or to humans

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00:21:58,617 --> 00:22:01,643
Please, please don't reach
out to her head, please

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00:22:01,887 --> 00:22:03,548
That's Nicky;
she will bite you

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00:22:04,890 --> 00:22:05,515
Trust me

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00:22:06,792 --> 00:22:09,090
She hasn't bitten
anybody since yesterday...

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00:22:13,065 --> 00:22:15,499
If you're lucky
enough to be called out

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00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:17,326
Just step out

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00:22:17,569 --> 00:22:19,002
Hold the fish by the tail

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Not the dolphin...

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00:22:21,106 --> 00:22:23,666
Place right down into
the dolphins mouths

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00:22:24,176 --> 00:22:27,805
Please do not be tempted
to touch during the feeding

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00:22:28,046 --> 00:22:29,775
that's when we can
have accidents

253
00:22:30,115 --> 00:22:32,310
This kind of
interaction between humans

254
00:22:32,551 --> 00:22:35,179
and wild dolphins
occurs in very few places

255
00:22:35,887 --> 00:22:38,481
For some, it's a
healing experience

256
00:22:38,724 --> 00:22:42,091
For others a kind of mystical,
New Age encounter

257
00:22:42,661 --> 00:22:46,097
But to the hungry dolphins it's
mostly about getting a fish

258
00:23:00,679 --> 00:23:03,739
If there's a lesson here
for the calf it's that

259
00:23:04,015 --> 00:23:06,483
a dolphin must always
be inventive in finding food

260
00:23:07,686 --> 00:23:11,144
For out in the wild
it's no easy task

261
00:23:12,624 --> 00:23:16,754
Calves are dependent on their mothers
for some three to six years

262
00:23:18,130 --> 00:23:19,097
During this period

263
00:23:19,531 --> 00:23:22,329
the young dolphin must learn
how to fend for itself

264
00:23:23,902 --> 00:23:28,271
Like humans, dolphins are not
born with the skills to survive

265
00:23:34,312 --> 00:23:37,611
The learning process may start
through simple mimicry

266
00:23:37,849 --> 00:23:40,317
The calf will imitate
its mother's every pose

267
00:23:40,552 --> 00:23:41,746
posture and action

268
00:23:42,354 --> 00:23:44,754
If she stands with her
tail in the sand

269
00:23:45,056 --> 00:23:46,387
the calf will follow suit

270
00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,817
Even though it may not have
an inkling of why she's doing so

271
00:24:01,173 --> 00:24:03,573
Dolphins are opportunistic feeders

272
00:24:03,809 --> 00:24:07,074
and the young must learn
many extremely difficult

273
00:24:07,312 --> 00:24:08,677
and creative
hunting techniques

274
00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:23,987
The mother is using
sound in a way

275
00:24:24,162 --> 00:24:26,323
the calf may not be
capable of just yet

276
00:24:40,645 --> 00:24:44,103
The buzzing sound is a series
of rapid fire clicks

277
00:24:44,483 --> 00:24:48,749
part of a sophisticated sensory
system called echolocation

278
00:24:49,588 --> 00:24:51,579
The sound signals
penetrate the sands

279
00:24:51,923 --> 00:24:56,223
then echo back, giving a clear
indication of what lies below

280
00:25:05,003 --> 00:25:06,664
It's like X-ray vision

281
00:25:06,905 --> 00:25:10,272
capable of seeing through
almost any porous medium

282
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,315
Dolphin calves can create
sounds shortly after birth

283
00:25:25,557 --> 00:25:28,025
mostly whistles
used for communication

284
00:25:29,327 --> 00:25:33,388
The clicks required for echolocation
may take months to develop

285
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,300
Like most intelligent
predators

286
00:25:37,536 --> 00:25:40,869
dolphins learn to hunt
by making a game out of it

287
00:25:52,851 --> 00:25:55,615
This trunkfish is
not part of their diet

288
00:25:55,854 --> 00:25:57,446
but for the young dolphins

289
00:25:57,689 --> 00:26:00,157
it's a target to practice on

290
00:26:02,594 --> 00:26:05,757
It takes an adult to
demonstrate proper form

291
00:26:41,433 --> 00:26:43,901
Calves often wander away
from their mothers

292
00:26:44,135 --> 00:26:45,762
sometimes up to half a mile

293
00:26:47,038 --> 00:26:48,699
Though it can be dangerous

294
00:26:48,940 --> 00:26:51,340
taking risks is an
important part of learning

295
00:26:55,180 --> 00:26:57,671
These young dolphins
may not very adept

296
00:26:57,916 --> 00:27:00,783
but at least they're
catching fish on their own

297
00:27:07,392 --> 00:27:10,828
The mortality rate for
young dolphins is very high

298
00:27:11,529 --> 00:27:12,621
In Shark Bay

299
00:27:12,864 --> 00:27:15,765
fifty percent don't
survive their first year

300
00:27:18,269 --> 00:27:20,760
Much depends on how
quickly the calf

301
00:27:21,006 --> 00:27:22,974
can master new skills
for survival

302
00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:30,982
A mother leads her calf on
strenuous runs in the shallows

303
00:27:34,886 --> 00:27:36,547
The calf can
barely keep up

304
00:28:04,549 --> 00:28:06,574
This is basic training
for a difficult

305
00:28:06,818 --> 00:28:08,718
and dangerous
fishing strategy

306
00:28:09,054 --> 00:28:12,182
It's a skill passed on from
generation to generation

307
00:28:41,653 --> 00:28:43,848
The techniques that
dolphin calves learn

308
00:28:44,089 --> 00:28:45,852
are often unique
to where they live

309
00:28:46,925 --> 00:28:50,486
The steep cliffs of Cape Peron
block the prevailing winds

310
00:28:51,029 --> 00:28:53,998
creating calm
clear waters along the beach.

311
00:28:56,468 --> 00:28:59,733
Shallows can be dangerous
places for dolphins

312
00:29:00,138 --> 00:29:02,800
Strandings are not
uncommon and here

313
00:29:03,041 --> 00:29:05,339
they can easily be
cornered by predators

314
00:29:07,045 --> 00:29:09,104
But the shallow water
is a hunting

315
00:29:09,347 --> 00:29:11,372
ground for a small
group of specialists

316
00:29:12,383 --> 00:29:14,647
Here they practice
a fishing technique

317
00:29:14,886 --> 00:29:17,514
other dolphins find
too risky

318
00:29:28,633 --> 00:29:31,500
The shallows would seem to
favor the smaller creature

319
00:29:33,004 --> 00:29:35,996
But the dolphin has mastered
the art of hydroplaning

320
00:29:36,241 --> 00:29:38,232
skimming through
mere inches of water

321
00:29:39,177 --> 00:29:42,578
Sometimes breathing air
has its advantages

322
00:30:25,557 --> 00:30:26,581
The sea eagle

323
00:30:26,691 --> 00:30:29,091
who's watched the chase
with intense interest

324
00:30:29,327 --> 00:30:30,692
times his
swoop perfectly

325
00:30:44,642 --> 00:30:47,236
Of the four to five hundred
dolphins in Shark Bay

326
00:30:47,478 --> 00:30:50,845
only a handful of females
have mastered this technique

327
00:30:56,321 --> 00:30:59,779
Often dolphins play with
their catch before eating it

328
00:31:02,093 --> 00:31:06,257
Just offshore a dolphin tosses
a snake eel about like a ragdoll

329
00:31:07,632 --> 00:31:10,567
The others approach the tossed
prey with great interest

330
00:31:10,802 --> 00:31:14,294
But they will not touch it
observing some kind of protocol

331
00:31:20,478 --> 00:31:23,413
Scientists have speculated
it's a way of confirming

332
00:31:23,648 --> 00:31:26,879
trust or simply avoiding
a costly conflict

333
00:31:33,791 --> 00:31:38,251
When calves catch their tiny fish
they too make a great show of it

334
00:31:43,268 --> 00:31:44,428
By five or six years old

335
00:31:44,669 --> 00:31:47,797
young dolphins no longer
need their mother's guidance

336
00:31:48,072 --> 00:31:50,404
They will be part
of a hunting culture that will

337
00:31:50,642 --> 00:31:53,907
forever be as
challenging as it is perilous

338
00:31:57,548 --> 00:32:00,039
Dolphins have
adapted to an alien world

339
00:32:00,285 --> 00:32:02,651
that is hostile
to air-breathing mammals

340
00:32:04,622 --> 00:32:06,021
In the dark of night

341
00:32:06,124 --> 00:32:08,024
dolphins need to
know what's out there

342
00:32:21,039 --> 00:32:22,563
Using their echolocation

343
00:32:22,807 --> 00:32:24,331
dolphins can detect the size

344
00:32:24,575 --> 00:32:27,066
shape- even the
density of an object

345
00:32:27,812 --> 00:32:30,212
But it's only
good for a hundred yards

346
00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:32,382
or so and is
highly directional

347
00:32:32,617 --> 00:32:34,244
detecting nothing
from behind

348
00:32:44,429 --> 00:32:46,363
It's so accurate
they can clearly

349
00:32:46,597 --> 00:32:49,122
distinguish between
different species of fish

350
00:33:17,161 --> 00:33:20,392
Even in daylight
visibility is limited underwater

351
00:33:21,499 --> 00:33:24,229
But using sonar can
be risky because the

352
00:33:24,469 --> 00:33:28,769
tell-tale clicks may reveal
your presence to predators

353
00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,568
So dolphins rely more on
their excellent hearing

354
00:33:33,044 --> 00:33:38,072
The best defense is to stay together
keep silent - and listen

355
00:33:49,894 --> 00:33:53,261
Success in hunting is knowing
when to use your sonar

356
00:33:53,498 --> 00:33:54,760
and when to turn it off

357
00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,655
With its own
sonar turned off

358
00:34:18,890 --> 00:34:23,725
a killer whale moves silently
through Alaskan waters - listening

359
00:34:25,063 --> 00:34:27,031
It can hear the
slightest splashing

360
00:34:27,532 --> 00:34:30,000
the very breathing
of distant prey

361
00:34:38,743 --> 00:34:41,507
A group of Dall's porpoises
just up ahead

362
00:34:44,048 --> 00:34:46,812
These are among the fastest
small cetaceans

363
00:34:47,051 --> 00:34:50,145
so quick and agile they can
elude most predators

364
00:34:55,893 --> 00:34:59,260
They travel these icy waters
in groups of two to ten

365
00:35:00,064 --> 00:35:03,522
But for this small herd there's
little safety in numbers

366
00:35:07,772 --> 00:35:09,171
As quietly as possible

367
00:35:09,407 --> 00:35:11,466
the killer whales
are closing in

368
00:35:11,843 --> 00:35:14,971
The slightest sound would
betray their presence

369
00:35:22,687 --> 00:35:24,314
The porpoises
detect something

370
00:35:26,691 --> 00:35:27,988
But it may be too late

371
00:35:28,226 --> 00:35:31,855
The killers are capable of
speeds up to thirty miles per hour

372
00:35:41,405 --> 00:35:43,464
The porpoise zig-zags
for its life

373
00:35:50,748 --> 00:35:54,844
Killer whales are masters at
cutting off the path of retreat

374
00:35:57,054 --> 00:35:59,454
This one dives below
a harbor porpoise

375
00:36:10,835 --> 00:36:12,962
Like sharks
killer whales don't always

376
00:36:13,171 --> 00:36:15,002
finish off their prey
right away

377
00:36:15,373 --> 00:36:17,238
They'll often let
the victim struggle until

378
00:36:17,475 --> 00:36:20,672
it's energy is spent
or it simply bleeds to death

379
00:36:26,717 --> 00:36:28,412
Other members of the pod
move in on a

380
00:36:28,653 --> 00:36:30,450
Dall's porpoise that's
been hit

381
00:36:31,222 --> 00:36:33,156
It still has some life
left and

382
00:36:33,391 --> 00:36:36,019
tries to make it
to calmer inshore waters

383
00:36:49,874 --> 00:36:54,072
The males- like lions tend to
leave the hunting to the females

384
00:36:54,378 --> 00:36:56,539
Now they join
in for the kill

385
00:37:15,099 --> 00:37:16,964
Soon the restless
seas are resonating

386
00:37:17,168 --> 00:37:19,636
with the eerie calls
of the killers

387
00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:31,571
and the chilling sounds of
teeth crushing bone

388
00:37:45,162 --> 00:37:47,653
The porpoise had the
unhappy fate to be pursued

389
00:37:47,898 --> 00:37:50,992
by hunters with sensory
capabilities as good as its own

390
00:37:52,270 --> 00:37:53,430
For killer whales
are dolphins

391
00:37:56,707 --> 00:37:58,641
They are the largest
member of the family and

392
00:37:59,110 --> 00:38:01,635
the only dolphins that
habitually hunt their cousins

393
00:38:03,981 --> 00:38:06,506
Still, they're the most
sociable of all dolphins

394
00:38:07,318 --> 00:38:09,616
living in highly stable
family groups

395
00:38:18,029 --> 00:38:20,520
Most of the males never leave
the group they are born in

396
00:38:21,265 --> 00:38:23,529
Some will even teach
the calves how to hunt

397
00:38:25,169 --> 00:38:27,069
This unfortunate
harbor seal is about

398
00:38:27,371 --> 00:38:28,963
to become a living
training tool

399
00:39:09,847 --> 00:39:13,112
The killer whales circle the prey
as if toying with it

400
00:39:13,551 --> 00:39:14,040
In fact

401
00:39:14,485 --> 00:39:16,953
they may be demonstrating
to their young how to

402
00:39:17,154 --> 00:39:19,622
cut off a prey's retreat
or how to confuse it

403
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,794
More important the
calves will learn how to

404
00:39:25,029 --> 00:39:27,520
coordinate their efforts
with others in the pod

405
00:39:41,712 --> 00:39:44,977
Older males have been observed
allowing calves to feed

406
00:39:45,516 --> 00:39:48,246
before they themselves
begin to eat

407
00:39:48,519 --> 00:39:52,580
The young will grow into
the ocean's top predators

408
00:40:01,832 --> 00:40:07,429
Like killer whales, pilot whales
are misnamed and are true dolphins

409
00:40:08,272 --> 00:40:11,036
The second largest
of the family

410
00:40:11,275 --> 00:40:14,472
they can weigh up
to four tons

411
00:40:14,578 --> 00:40:17,547
Pilot whales dive to
depths of a half mile

412
00:40:17,782 --> 00:40:19,477
in search of octopus
and squid

413
00:40:34,999 --> 00:40:37,467
These pygmy killer
whales may be every

414
00:40:37,701 --> 00:40:39,225
bit as fierce as
their namesakes

415
00:40:39,603 --> 00:40:41,366
And like their bigger
cousins, they're

416
00:40:41,605 --> 00:40:44,199
believed to kill
marine mammals

417
00:40:44,975 --> 00:40:49,139
But pygmy killers are very rare
and seldom observed in the wild

418
00:40:55,352 --> 00:40:58,048
There are over thirty
species of dolphins

419
00:40:58,422 --> 00:41:01,186
and we know very little
about most of them

420
00:41:01,692 --> 00:41:04,217
The northern right whale dolphin
is a gregarious

421
00:41:04,462 --> 00:41:07,260
creature often found
swimming with other species

422
00:41:07,498 --> 00:41:09,363
like white-sided dolphins.

423
00:41:11,735 --> 00:41:15,034
Dolphins come in a
variety of sizes and shapes

424
00:41:15,606 --> 00:41:18,575
What distinguishes
them as a family are anatomical

425
00:41:18,809 --> 00:41:21,972
features like the shape
of the jaws and teeth

426
00:41:24,215 --> 00:41:26,775
Dolphins are designed
for the hunt

427
00:41:39,864 --> 00:41:43,425
This fifty ton monster
is a grazer not a hunter

428
00:41:44,301 --> 00:41:46,132
And it's a true whale

429
00:41:51,408 --> 00:41:54,104
Southern right whales
are filter feeders

430
00:41:54,378 --> 00:41:58,280
straining enormous quantities
of water for tiny crustaceans

431
00:42:08,225 --> 00:42:11,820
The windswept shores of
Patagonia in Argentina

432
00:42:12,396 --> 00:42:12,987
Once a year

433
00:42:13,264 --> 00:42:15,232
right whales migrate
to breed in the warm

434
00:42:15,466 --> 00:42:16,228
shallow waters

435
00:42:25,109 --> 00:42:28,306
Here they are greeted
by dusky dolphins

436
00:42:28,646 --> 00:42:30,807
Unlike their big
lumbering cousins

437
00:42:31,048 --> 00:42:33,676
duskys are small
fast, and agile

438
00:42:38,055 --> 00:42:40,023
In the summer months

439
00:42:40,257 --> 00:42:43,385
they leave the safety of coastal
waters to hunt miles offshore

440
00:43:00,311 --> 00:43:01,972
In deep waters, locating

441
00:43:02,179 --> 00:43:05,774
pursuing and catching prey
is exceptionally difficult

442
00:43:06,016 --> 00:43:09,076
But duskys have developed
some extraordinary tactics

443
00:43:10,688 --> 00:43:13,179
In the morning, small
search parties set out

444
00:43:13,424 --> 00:43:14,482
probing with their sonar

445
00:43:20,164 --> 00:43:23,190
There may be twenty to thirty
groups patrolling these waters

446
00:43:23,434 --> 00:43:25,527
each pod separated
by a mile or two

447
00:43:28,939 --> 00:43:31,999
The leaps give them a vantage
point for sighting prey

448
00:43:38,115 --> 00:43:42,449
Seabirds have gathered up ahead
a sign they've found something

449
00:43:48,258 --> 00:43:52,058
This time of year Southern
anchovies are here in vast numbers

450
00:43:53,097 --> 00:43:54,724
For the penguins
it's a feast

451
00:44:01,005 --> 00:44:03,064
It's up to the dolphins
to bring some

452
00:44:03,307 --> 00:44:05,673
order to all this and
they quickly do

453
00:44:06,677 --> 00:44:09,043
The dolphin's strategy is to
circle the school

454
00:44:09,279 --> 00:44:10,644
and drive it into an
ever tightening ball

455
00:44:12,750 --> 00:44:15,548
They guard the outside
perimeter by blowing bubbles

456
00:44:15,786 --> 00:44:16,844
which frightens the fish

457
00:44:18,455 --> 00:44:21,424
This takes advantage of
the fishes' natural defense

458
00:44:21,659 --> 00:44:23,718
to huddle together
when attacked

459
00:44:24,228 --> 00:44:26,059
As the fish ball
gets tighter

460
00:44:26,296 --> 00:44:28,992
the duskys take turns
grabbing mouthfuls

461
00:44:29,233 --> 00:44:30,996
of fish then retreat
to guard the perimeter

462
00:44:50,921 --> 00:44:53,048
Soon the ball is
clustered so tightly

463
00:44:53,290 --> 00:44:56,123
the fishes' escape
response breaks down

464
00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:58,450
Now it's simply a
matter of the

465
00:44:58,696 --> 00:45:00,391
dolphins' nipping food
off the edges

466
00:45:22,019 --> 00:45:23,452
As the feeding progresses

467
00:45:23,687 --> 00:45:26,019
the dolphin calves
are nowhere to be seen

468
00:45:26,757 --> 00:45:29,157
For others drawn
to the feast might prefer

469
00:45:29,393 --> 00:45:32,294
young dolphin to
a mouthful of anchovies

470
00:45:41,538 --> 00:45:44,632
Mothers bring their calves
to a sort of nursery

471
00:45:44,742 --> 00:45:47,472
away from the chaos
of the feeding area

472
00:45:59,423 --> 00:46:00,617
For the rest of the group

473
00:46:00,858 --> 00:46:03,292
the feeding's over
and it's time to celebrate

474
00:46:04,228 --> 00:46:07,391
The event is marked by
exhilarating acrobatic displays

475
00:46:09,099 --> 00:46:10,657
Dolphin groups that
usually travel

476
00:46:10,901 --> 00:46:13,631
apart now come together
to socialize

477
00:46:19,209 --> 00:46:22,076
In the world of dolphins
that means

478
00:46:22,312 --> 00:46:24,041
frequent sex with a variety
of partners

479
00:46:25,249 --> 00:46:28,685
The males- swimming upside down
follow the females

480
00:46:29,286 --> 00:46:31,516
They synchronize their
movement with hers

481
00:46:32,022 --> 00:46:33,649
all for a brief moment
of coupling

482
00:46:59,149 --> 00:47:01,379
Physical contact among
these groups of

483
00:47:01,585 --> 00:47:04,145
dolphins strengthens
communal bonds

484
00:47:05,622 --> 00:47:06,748
For cooperative hunters

485
00:47:06,990 --> 00:47:08,958
these bonds are essential

486
00:47:09,193 --> 00:47:11,184
The duskys are about
to face a challenge

487
00:47:11,428 --> 00:47:14,056
that calls for teamwork
on monumental scale

488
00:47:28,846 --> 00:47:31,815
Sixty feet below the
surface, a monstrous swirl

489
00:47:32,049 --> 00:47:35,507
of life undulates like a
strange super organism

490
00:47:42,259 --> 00:47:45,524
It's a mass of anchovies over
a hundred feet in diameter

491
00:47:48,599 --> 00:47:49,827
For these duskys

492
00:47:50,067 --> 00:47:51,694
it's the mother Iode

493
00:48:00,744 --> 00:48:03,212
Circling the fish
with violent splashes

494
00:48:03,447 --> 00:48:05,745
the duskys corral
them closer together

495
00:48:23,467 --> 00:48:25,958
A team of dolphins
works below the school

496
00:48:26,436 --> 00:48:27,994
herding it towards
the surface

497
00:48:29,439 --> 00:48:31,669
They must keep the
enormous mass together

498
00:48:32,175 --> 00:48:33,767
If it splits into
smaller schools

499
00:48:34,011 --> 00:48:35,342
they'll be hard to control

500
00:48:52,529 --> 00:48:54,087
Finally, they succeed
in herding the

501
00:48:54,231 --> 00:48:56,392
great ball of fish to
the surface

502
00:48:57,234 --> 00:49:01,000
It serves as a wall,
closing off one avenue of escape

503
00:49:06,243 --> 00:49:09,076
Now sea lions are drawn
to the scene

504
00:49:37,774 --> 00:49:40,140
The dolphins struggle to
keep the school together

505
00:49:40,410 --> 00:49:42,571
but the sea lions are
not team players

506
00:49:42,913 --> 00:49:45,438
They plunge into the
mass of fish to feed

507
00:49:53,223 --> 00:49:56,283
The school is simply too large
for the dolphins to control

508
00:49:59,863 --> 00:50:01,854
Now the leaps serve
a different purpose

509
00:50:02,432 --> 00:50:05,162
High and acrobatic
they're calls for help

510
00:50:09,906 --> 00:50:13,273
From miles away,
other duskys rush to the feeding site

511
00:50:21,151 --> 00:50:24,678
They porpoise high in the air to
keep sight of the action ahead

512
00:50:38,468 --> 00:50:39,992
By the time they
reach the school

513
00:50:40,237 --> 00:50:41,966
there's a feeding
frenzy going on

514
00:50:42,639 --> 00:50:46,632
Chaos reigns and the ball
is in danger of splitting apart

515
00:50:52,749 --> 00:50:54,546
The new arrivals
get right to work

516
00:50:54,785 --> 00:50:57,618
and quickly coordinate their
efforts with the other duskys

517
00:50:59,256 --> 00:51:01,816
Now there are enough dolphins
to guard

518
00:51:02,059 --> 00:51:04,220
the perimeter while
they take turns feeding

519
00:51:21,445 --> 00:51:24,005
Finally all the dolphins'
hard work pays off

520
00:51:26,450 --> 00:51:27,747
The fish have been
packed together

521
00:51:27,918 --> 00:51:30,910
so long they've consumed
too much oxygen

522
00:51:32,355 --> 00:51:34,846
There's little chance the
ball will split apart

523
00:51:54,578 --> 00:51:59,311
For the dolphins who can now
feed at will this hunt is over

524
00:52:16,833 --> 00:52:18,095
To ancient mariners

525
00:52:18,335 --> 00:52:21,998
the dolphins' mastery of
the ocean world seemed magical

526
00:52:33,884 --> 00:52:37,285
They were cast as heroes
in myth and legend

527
00:52:44,561 --> 00:52:47,530
Today we look for glimpses
of ourselves in dolphins

528
00:52:48,331 --> 00:52:50,595
And we find them
in their conflicts

529
00:52:50,667 --> 00:52:55,104
yes - but also in the ways
they communicate and cooperate

530
00:52:55,839 --> 00:52:57,602
their sheer inventiveness.

531
00:53:02,078 --> 00:53:05,809
But there's no need
to romanticize or humanize

532
00:53:06,049 --> 00:53:08,017
dolphins to respect
them for what they are

533
00:53:09,152 --> 00:53:13,987
Strong and intelligent hunters
in a wilderness called the sea