01x06 - A Year in the Wild

[bunniefuu]

Araneda: Nico, Nico, team,
do you copy?

Okay,
we're gonna head there.

I have eyes on the cat
right now...

This is when you need
to stand your ground.

You stay still.

You don't run.

Pascal: At the ends of the earth
is a land of extremes...

home to spectacular wildlife.

For centuries,
people and animals

have battled for supremacy.

But now, enemies
are becoming allies.

Together they face
new challenges...

...in a rapidly changing world.

You are at the mercy
of the elements.

Pascal: This is the story
of what it takes to survive...

on the edge of the world.

For 12 months, our film crews

journeyed from the southern tip
of the continent...

Wow!

...to the peaks of the Andes.

We made it!

Equipped with
cutting-edge technology

and accompanied
by local experts.

She's definitely a female,
probably hunted this morning.

They battled through
extreme elements...

...With one goal --

to capture the most
compelling stories

of the animals

and the people that live

in one of the wildest
places on earth.

As summer arrives
in the southern hemisphere,

the crews are making the most
of the longer days

and warmer weather.

It is also the best time
for filming marine life.

Orca, along Argentina's
coastal cliffs...

...Leopard seals
on Chile's ice floes...

...And humpbacks in the pristine
Fjordlands of the far south.

A crew led by oceanographer
Susannah Buchan

is searching for the largest
animal that has ever lived.

We are in the Corcovado Gulf

in the northern part
of Chilean Patagonia,

and we're looking
for blue whales.

Pascal: During the summer,

this area is
their primary feeding ground.

Around 700 Chilean blue whales
come here to feast.

For the next 10 days,
this crew will live at sea,

hoping to capture one of these
ocean giants on camera.

But even for the experts,

tracking them down
can be tricky.

You would think the biggest
animal in the world

is easy to find.

It turns out it's not.

They roam over great distances.

We have to scan this huge area
looking for them.

We're cautiously optimistic,
but this is a big challenge.

Pascal: It's all eyes on deck.

But Captain Thomas Montt
has a disappointing update.

Today we have spoken to many,
many different skippers

on other boats,
and no-one has seen a blue whale

or any blows
in the last five weeks.

Pascal: This is a major setback.

The days go by...

And still no sign.

But as dawn breaks on day six,

they get some hopeful news.

So last night, we had a reported
sighting of a blue whale

about 40 miles south of here.

So we're surveying this area,
moving southwards

to try to locate that animal.

Pascal: It's a long shot.

If the whale is on the move,
it could be traveling

at over 20 miles per hour --
twice as fast as this boat.

Six hours later,

still nothing.

Drone operator Ceci Vargas
is feeling the pressure.

Vargas:
There's so much at stake.

We've spent so many days
looking for them,

and if we don't find it,

we won't be able
to tell the story.

In Spanish, "buscando una aguja
en un pajar" means

"looking for a needle
in a haystack."

And this needle is massive,

but the haystack is even bigger.

The next few days,
it's gonna be very stormy.

We really think this is gonna
be our last chance to see them.

Pascal: And right on cue,
the weather turns.

By the time the storm passes,
the crew have just one day left

before they have to
return to port.

It's usually tricky,
not this tricky.

This has been, like,
spectacularly difficult.

Pascal: Then Thomas gets
some exciting news.

Whales have been spotted
only two hours away.

Ohh!

We've got some whales.

- Nice.
- Yeah!

A big blow
and a small blow.

After 10 days at sea,

the crew have finally found
what they were looking for.

Wildlife filming doesn't
just need a lot of planning

and a highly skilled team.

It also requires a lot of luck.

Beautiful.

While the whale team
makes the most of filming

the world's largest
marine mammal,

another crew is on the lookout
for the world's smallest.

Pascal: Summer in Patagonia,
and filming is in full swing.

One crew is heading
to Bahía Mansa,

a quiet fishing village
on the west coast of Chile.

They've been told it's home
to the marine otter,

known in Patagonia
as the chungungo.

This enclosed bay may look like
an easy place for filming,

but it's a tough assignment.

Anybody see it?

Woman: No, not yet.

The crew only has five days
to learn the otters' movements

and capture them on camera.

He heard them.
They just cried out.

Having filmed chungungo before,

cinematographer Mauricio Handler
knows it won't be easy.

They're sneaky, they're very
sneaky, and they're very fast.

For such a small animal,

one minute they're there,
the next minute they're gone.

Where?

Pascal: This location also
brings its own challenges.

Yeah, yeah, I got them,
I got them.

Ahhh.

See that's what happens
all the time --

you got a great shot,
and then you get a boat

that comes in the way.

Let's get some
high ground again.

Handler: Oh, yeah I --
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's a tough angle.

I lost them.

So this goes on all day long.

You have to be here
from sunrise to sunset,

and you can't miss a beat.

Pascal:
Despite the difficulties,

this is a dream sh**t
for Mauricio.

He has a special connection,
not only with this creature,

but also the country itself.

Handler: I was born in Chile,

but I left very young,
at six years old,

and I returned only about seven
years ago as a cinematographer.

There they are!

All three are there,
all three are there!

I was introduced
to the chungungo

by some colleagues of mine here.

Way too close for me.
Ahh!

And since then, I've really been
obsessed by them.

They're in here now.
See them on top?

I got them, I got them.

The chungungo is exquisite, inquisitive,

intelligent, and cute.

You know, that's probably
why we like them the most.

It has character,
it has personality,

and they're beautiful.

Pascal: The crew now realizes
it's a family of chungungo

that live on this coastline.

Mom and her two pups.

But filming from the docks
only allows the team

to get glimpses
of their daily lives.

I hope it's not
too cold today.

To really get to know them,
Mauricio needs to go

where they go.

Handler: So I think today
is just gonna be

try and check everything out,

where they live,
become a sea otter,

and see if we can get them
used to my presence.

You have to kind of gain
the trust of the animal,

let them know that it's alright
for you to get close.

And if they let you in,
they let you in.

Pascal: Mauricio soon finds
the chungungo underwater.

But unsure if
he's friend or foe,

they don't hang around.

Handler: It's very exciting
to see them in the water.

They're here --
mom and her two babies.

But there's all sorts
of places to hide.

Pascal:
Over the next couple of days,

Mauricio perseveres,

hoping the family will learn
that he isn't a threat.

But as he follows them
to the shoreline,

he gets a nasty surprise.

Handler:
I got slammed into a rock.

It just came out of nowhere.

I wasn't expecting it.

Pascal: Freezing and now
bruised, he has to get out.

The wind is not helping 'cause
I'm starting to shiver.

So when you start shivering,
you start getting cramps

in the water too, so you've got
to be real careful.

Pascal: The conditions force
Mauricio to give up for the day.

Handler: As everybody that does
natural history knows,

this is a waiting game,

so you have to have
a tremendous patience,

you have to stay focused
and stay on the subject

and on the story line.

Pascal: With time running out,

Mauricio sticks to the plan.

And it pays off.

The chungungo are no longer
afraid of him.

Handler: Oh, it's fantastic!

They couldn't really care less
about me.

They were all over the housing.

It was a very magical moment

because you realize that
they don't have fear of you.

It is really beautiful
to have them on top of you.

You see their webbed feet.

You see their face
and their little whiskers.

Beautiful.

Pascal: The chungungo are
a regular sight for the locals.

But there are some creatures
that are rarely seen.

And one in particular
that very few people

even know exists.

Pascal: In the north of
Chilean Patagonia,

a crew is sailing
to the Guaitecas,

an archipelago only accessible
by boat.

They're here to track down
an elusive species --

the Chilean dolphin.

Found only along this coastline,

they're rarely spotted,

and even harder to catch
on camera.

But the team has invited
an expert

to help them on their mission.

Man: iHola!

Marine biologist
Carla Christie.

Pascal: The crew is also armed
with an array of technology --

drones,

underwater cameras,

and powerful stabilized
zoom lenses,

which Carla and cinematographer
Elijah Harris

use to scour the horizon
for any sign of the dolphins.

The team settles in
for a long search.

But luck...

is on their side.

- Good morning!
- Good morning.

Time to get a closer look.

Oh!

Whoo!

iHola!

Mauricio immerses his camera
in their underwater world.

It's the moment of truth --

time for Carla
to review the footage.

No?
No.

Following
their success on water,

it's time to take to the sky.

The drone footage captures
something totally unexpected.

Carla hopes this amazing footage
will inspire others

to help save
this endangered animal.

Local experts were essential

in helping the teams
find Patagonia's wildlife.

Another crew enlisted
a special investigator

to track down
a newly discovered creature.

Pascal: To find and film
Patagonia's wildlife,

the team relied on local
experts, guides, and trackers.

One scientist in particular
took the crews

to the most remote locations
in search of creatures

they'd never have found
on their own.

They call him
"the bug detective."

Entomologist extraordinaire
Isaí Madríz.

I specialize in going to areas
of the world

where no one has ever been,

and I look for rare
and new species of insects.

Pascal: The challenge for
director Kate Laurie

is keeping up with him.

Isaí is not your average scientist.

He's out in the field as much
as he possibly can be.

He'll climb to the top
of tree canopies,

pack raft down rivers...

...hike glaciers

because he wants
to immerse himself

in the bug's environment.

He's dedicated.

Pascal: This time,

Isaí is leading the crew
into the heart

of Chile's Valdivian forest.

The mission is to find
a primitive crane fly.

It's gonna be one of
the prettiest insects

you've ever seen.

That means rigging a light trap
high up in the canopy.

And where Isaí goes,

Elijah must follow.

So the ropes team is rigging up
my camera

with some security lines.

Taking expensive equipment
up into the canopy

is never something
you can not worry about.

Operating from anything moving
is obviously difficult.

There's a lot of variables.

Pascal: With the trap set,

Isaí begins making his bed.

He insists on sleeping
in the trees

so he can check
the trap at dawn.

So how often
do you camp out?

All the time.

I started when I went
to university

and I couldn't
afford housing.

Hmm.

So I just pitched a hammock
up in the trees...

Nice.
...and I slept there.

I like it.
It's really calm

and it gives you
a different perspective...

Hmm....on the world, you know?

Definitely does.

As the sun rises
over the canopy,

Isaí is already at work
in his improvised field lab.

So exciting!

Pascal: And he's got what
he came here for.

This is really, really cool.
It's like a tiny dragon.

Laurie: We'd never have been
able to do this without Isaí.

It just goes to show
how important local experts are.

Pascal:
As summer draws to a close...



cinematographer
Ignacio Walker...

Let's go!

...and director Tessa Chan

are heading to one of the most
remote places on earth.

The Southern Patagonian
Ice Field.

Chan: We're on our way to meet
a team of elite scientists.

They're studying the effects
of climate change

on this extremely important
expanse of ice.

Patagonia has some of the
largest freshwater ice fields

on the planet.

It would be a disaster
if we lost them.

Pascal: After a day of driving,
they reach the end of the road.

Chan: We got to Caleta Tortel,
which is this beautiful village

in between the Southern and
Northern Patagonian Ice Fields.

Pascal: From here, they board
the scientists' boat

where they'll be traveling
with some unusual cargo.

So they just arrived with these
two essential provisions

which is portaloos,
or toilets.

I'm sure some scientists
are gonna be

really grateful
to have those.

Expedition leader Camilo Rada
is the final one aboard.

It's a 13-hour sail
to their next stop,

a refuge at the foot
of the glacier.

Chan: We're supposed to be
traveling from here

to the Ice Field by helicopter.

But the visibility
is really poor.

Unless the weather clears,
it's just not gonna happen.

Pascal:
All they can do now is wait.

Not one day...

not two...

not three.

It's now been over a week since
the start of their journey.

Even if the weather improves,

the film crew is at the bottom
of the helicopter's wait list,

after the scientists,

their provisions,

and of course

their toilets.

So we've just woken up to, like,
our first beautiful morning.

The pilot is gonna
make his way to Tortel

and then decide in an hour

whether we can fly up
to the Ice Field or not.

So we've got all
our fingers crossed.

Pascal:
Fortunately, the weather holds.

One step closer
to the Ice Field.

Pascal:
With each successful flight,

the camera crew
moves up that wait list.

It's our turn,
and I'm really excited.

I can't believe we're finally
gonna get to go up there.

Pascal:
It's taken them eight days

by land...

sea...

and air.

Whoo!

We made it!

It's absolutely
stunning up here.

It's like another planet.

Pascal: The crew can finally
capture Camilo and his team

tracking the relationship

between the Ice Field
and climate change.

As they brave the elements
high up on the ice,

an Argentinean crew
is filming a mission

to protect a highly prized
Patagonian resource.

And this time it involves traveling

by warship.

Pascal: It's fall,
and all across Patagonia,

the film crews are facing
more challenging conditions.

The days are getting shorter,

the temperatures are dropping,

and for the teams out at sea,

it's a real test
of their balance.

This crew is braving the waves,

attempting to capture
aerial footage of the far south.

But when everything is moving,
including you...

Oooohhh!

...you need sturdy sea legs

and someone watching your back.

But the bruising,
nauseating ride

is all worth it

when you capture shots
like this.

Fortunately for Argentinean
director Kevin Zaouali

and his crew,
they're sailing the high seas

in a vessel built for battle.

This is one of five warships

belonging to the Argentine
Coast Guard.

They're headed out to mile 200,

where the Argentine Sea ends

and international waters begin.

After 25 hours at sea,

they make it to the border,

where they are greeted

by a floating city.

Hundreds of long-liners here
for one thing --

squid.

There are no laws
preventing fishing

in international waters.

But if any boat strays
into Patagonia's territory,

the Coast Guard are here
to step in,

protecting Argentina's
sovereignty

and Patagonia's
marine ecosystem.

The goal is to shine a light on
how the fishing operation works.

With Kevin operating the camera,

Iván Insausti flies the drone.

The huge lights are designed
to mimic the moon,

attracting squid to the surface.

They are then lured
onto 300-foot fishing lines

which are pulled up
by winch arms.

Now the team need to move on
and find a vessel in action.

Fortunately, catching a drone
on this boat...

...is a little bit easier.

But as they get close...

Luckily the next one
they approach

doesn't seem bothered
by their presence.

Kevin wants to get closer.

So the Coast Guard agrees
to let him go out

in one of their inflatables.

They even provide him
with extra protection.

The mutual trust
between the Coast Guard

and the film crew pays off

big time...

...Allowing them to reveal

the sheer scale
of squid fishing here --

as many as 50 tons
per vessel every day.

Huge support ships
collect the catch

to sell on to Asia and Europe.

This fleet never stops fishing.

While the Argentine Coast Guard

works to protect
their marine life

from being over-hunted...

...Across the border in Chile,

others are trying
to protect a predator.

One of the Andes'
most infamous K*llers.

Pascal: It's fall

in the heart of
Torres del Paine National Park

in south Chile.

Covering over 700 square miles,

it's home to more than


Including Patagonia's
number-one predator...

...The puma.

Once endangered,
they're now making a comeback

in these protected hills.

For director René Araneda,

this is familiar territory.

I've been working here
in Torres del Paine

almost for the past 10 years,
with the big cats,

with the pumas.

Pascal: His team has spent
the last few days

searching for a particular puma
they call "Super Mom."

Araneda:
We've been working with her

for the last four or five years almost,

and we've been lucky enough

to see three different
litters from her.

This is the third litter.

She's a super mom.
She's a very good provider.

Pascal:
But even these expert trackers

and their high-tech cameras

are having a hard time
spotting her.

Araneda: It is a big challenge
to work in a vast area

with animals that are ninjas.

If they want you to see them,
that's when you get to see them.

If they don't want to be seen,
you're never gonna find them.

Pascal:
As they continue their search,

there's an unexpected sighting.

Can you ID the male?

Any sign of the cubs?

Any sign of the mother?

Oh, it's right there.

René's team has a special permit
to film these pumas off trail.

This male shouldn't see them
as a threat or as prey.

But one wrong move
could change everything.

As the cat heads their way,

knowing exactly how to behave
is vital for everyone's safety.

This is when you need to
stand your ground.

You stay still.

You don't run.

Pascal: This isn't a puma
they recognize.

Araneda: It's an intruder
to the territory,

and that can bring
massive threat for the cubs.

A male can easily k*ll the cubs
of a female,

just to be able to mate
with this female

as soon as possible
and get his own litter.

Pascal:
As for Super Mom and her cubs,

there's no sign of them.

After a long,
frustrating search,

the team heads back to camp.

Everyone's worried.

Over the next few days,
the crew battles heavy rains

and strong winds,

desperately searching
for the puma family.

Araneda: Torres del Paine
has this unpredictable weather.

The four seasons in a day
is true.

Sometimes it's four seasons
in an hour.

Cats -- they don't like
the strong winds.

They don't like the rain either.

So the cats are gonna be
much harder to find.

Pascal: But they don't give up.

And after three days,

there is finally a break
in the weather.

To cover more ground,
the team splits up.

Araneda: Nico, Nico, team,
do you copy?

Lagos: Yeah, I have a puma here
going straight

towards the Valley
of the Paintings.

From the distance it looks
like it's the mother,

so hopefully the cubs
are around.

Okay, we're gonna head there.

Pascal: And when they arrive...

...Biologist Nico Lagos
already has eyes on the cubs.

Lagos: They are all safe,
all together now.

Look at them.

It's good to know that
this litter is healthy.

Listen.
Can you hear those calls?

So the mother is kind of
telling them to follow her.

And there they are.

Pascal:
Super Mom's done it again.

She's successfully kept
her young out of harm's way.

We are so privileged
to be here watching this.

These four cubs, they are
the future of Torres del Paine

and the future of this area,
the future of this territory.

They are so special
for all of us.

Witnessing these things
remind us

that when we have
a healthy national park

like Torres del Paine,

these are the things
that eventually they happen --

animals behaving meters from us
as if we are not here.

This is why the world needs
to take care of the wilderness.