Wild Galapagos - In the Grip of the Ocean | Unique Wildlife

An island world in the vast Pacific, born from fire, shaped by nature's mightiest forces. A land of astonishing beauty and astounding creatures. Creatures which are sometimes blessed by the island's abundance and at other times must fight for resources. Only those who can adapt can make it here. The marine iguana, a fierce looking resident of the Galapagos Islands. When its ancestors arrived here, they were met with an equally frightening sight. The first glimpse of the islands is anything but inviting. Many of the Galapagos dwellers didn't come here by choice. Most are castaways. Tossed here by storms and strong currents. Saved by this rocky tip of an underwater volcano in the middle of the Pacific. The Galapagos Islands lie around 600 miles off the South American coast, almost on the equator. It's an archipelago made up of 13 main islands and hundreds of small rocks and isles. It lies at the point where two mighty ocean currents converge. The Humboldt Current comes up from the Antarctic. Its ice-cold stream dominates the islands for half the year. During the other six months, the Panama Current moves in from Central America, tropical and warm. This current brought the ancestors of the marine iguana to the Galapagos Islands from the mainland millions of years ago. Despite the odds, the mini-dragons became an unlikely model for success. The prehistoric-looking creatures live only here. On Fernandina Island, they form the biggest colonies. But their road to becoming super lizards has been rocky. Their ancestors first had to learn where to find food. These barren volcanic islands had no plants. The lizards had to think outside the rocks. Only underwater could they find something to eat. The marine iguana learned how to hold its breath for up to 30 minutes and dive for it. No other lizard can do this. But now the Panama Current is stirring up trouble. The iguanas eat only green algae and they've overgrazed. The warm current blocks the denser cold water from bringing crucial minerals and nutrients up from the ocean depths. It turns the garden into an underwater desert. The iguanas aren't the only ones in this Panama predicament. Almost all the inhabitants suffer through this lean season. Those who can migrate. Those who stay have learned to cope. They don't depend on algae but other microorganisms. For the next months, a rainbow of tropical fish adds local color to the reef. The Panama Current's reach doesn't stop at the shoreline. It plants a wet kiss on the face of the islands. The barren rocks begin to bloom to the delight of the Galapagos carpenter bees. Even the black lava-clad slopes turn green and in the highlands the forests soak up the moisture as if to never let it go. The Galapagos giant tortoise knows that once the Humboldt Current comes, this abundance will end. Until that day, there's only one thing to do. Eat like crazy. While the animals on the island enjoy this bounty, the sea dwellers fight for their lives. The marine iguana, scrambling over the rocks to find his meager meal, must battle against the rising current. He uses all his strength just to stay in place as the water surges around him. He must eat, but he's almost spending more energy fighting the tide than he gets from his food. The search for algae is crucial, but so is staying alive. His strength is failing and he needs to come up for air. Not as easy as it sounds. Fighting the surf takes every last ounce of effort. He's one of the lucky ones. In life's relentless contest, many marine iguanas lose to the Panama Cut. This survivor needs to rest, but the hot, humid current has another torment in store. They zero in on the iguana's moist scales. They're relentless, but the marine iguanas have an ally. The Galapagos lava lizard. Another castaway that made good here. Flies are its favorite dish and worth the work. The Panama current turns the island's fly season into a tropical paradise for the lava lizards, but paradise doesn't last. The Panama current has started to weaken, making room for the colder Humboldt current to build, and along with it comes a tropical tourist, the green turtle. An algae eater as well. She has traveled over 600 miles to dine here, but it's a bit too early. The only algae here is on her shell. It's no more than fuzz, but it makes the turtle very popular with the razor surgeonfish. The turtles benefit too. Too much algae causes drag. Once the surgeonfish have mowed the lawn, another specialist steps in. King angelfish come to gobble up parasites and small crustaceans. They cannot hide anymore among the stripped down algae. The turtle's stop at the beauty salon makes a gracious welcome to the Galapagos islands. It would be even better if the water weren't so cold. Despite the Panama current's warm water, competing currents and winds keep the ocean around the Galapagos cooler than anywhere else on the equator. The tropical turtle faces a dilemma. Turtles love warm water, but their food grows where it's cold. Until dinner's served, the turtle wants to warm up. She ends her long annual journey at a curious place near the shore of Fernandina island. The mangrove is one of the few plants to thrive in salt water. Its roots draw nutrients from the water and filter up to 90% of the salt. But that's not what appeals to the chilly turtle. Taking a break from the high seas, the shallow pools between the mangroves are warmer than the open ocean, and sea turtles find that hard to resist. Once they get there, they aren't picky. In their hypothermic state, many just sink to the bottom and rest. Those who still have energy look for a grotto under the roots, or just lean against them. The main thing is to get warm. They camp out, waiting for the Galapagos algae to grow, so they can get first crack at it. Mangrove forest provides sanctuary from the sharp and hostile volcanic rocks. And where it reaches the ocean, a sharp-eyed predator is on the hunt. The Galapagos lava heron. The shorebird usually sticks to the mangroves, though sometimes he likes to step out for a little variety. Water doesn't seem to be his element. He avoids getting wet and looks for other prey. The crabs look good today. The red adults have nothing to fear. But it's a different story for the tender young ones. Against the rocks, they're hard to spot, as long as they don't move. Game on. They're delicious. Shells and all. Over the steep cliffs of Española Island, a seasonal visitor casts a long shadow. The waved albatross. The island's largest bird, with a wingspan of more than eight feet. Once a year, these graceful gliders converge off the coast of the secluded island, about the size of Rochester, New York. The oldest of the Galapagos Islands will become the meeting place for 20,000 albatrosses in the coming weeks. Like his brethren, this male has come to raise his young. He spent six months gliding without touching solid ground. His leg muscles aren't what they used to be, so landing's the tricky part. Walking takes some getting used to. Normally, the males come to Española well before the females. He's late. Most of the couples have already found one another. Albatrosses mate for life, up to 30 years, and he knows his partner is waiting. But where is she? The latecomer's not getting much sympathy. But he persists. He combs the entire colony. Has something happened to her? A big change is coming to the Galapagos Islands, as the Humboldt current gathers more strength. Its chilly fingers reach into the mangrove forest and tap the sea turtle into action. She spent the last few weeks munching mangrove Now the ocean calls. The first of the delicate algae starts to grow among the coral. It thrives here like almost nowhere else in the tropical Pacific. Thanks to the cool Humboldt current, the luscious cold buffet motivates the turtle to make an exhausting journey. It's worth braving the shivering temperatures. The springtime arrival of the Humboldt current also arouses another kind of appetite. This young blue-footed booby has come to Española looking for a mate. It's his first time. He's got just what it takes to impress the ladies. Blue feet. The bluer they are, the fitter he is. But he's come to the wrong place. Only bachelors here, no females. With one exception. She's right in front of him, eyeing him with her large pupils. Her mates also got his eye on him, and for good reason. Unlike albatrosses, boobies aren't loyal. The bachelor starts his seduction. It's working. She can't stop looking at his sexy blue feet. Her partner's only seeing red. They argue, and the bachelor makes his bold move, but gets rebuffed. Well, maybe next time. The male albatross is still looking for his mate. At last, he finds her. So late in the season, will they have enough time to raise a chick? Some of their fellow albatrosses already have hatchlings. From egg to chick takes about two months. They'll take turns caring for the chick and hunting. Unlike other seabirds, albatrosses fish far out on the ocean and are often away for weeks. As time passes, the partner left behind gets restless and concerned. They sit on their egg without anyone to take over the shift. As days turn to weeks, they tire of wondering if their spouse will ever return. Some lose all hope, and that is precisely what this fellow's been waiting for. Lapagos mockingbirds have learned that the humbled current brings the albatrosses, and albatrosses bring fresh eggs. The situation is serious for the straggling pair. Not only are they behind schedule, but the Galapagos mockingbirds are getting more bold. While the albatrosses try to defend their spot on the island, off the coast, the humbled current brings in another wave of visitors. The scalloped hammerhead, the largest congregation of these sharks in the world. They've come to mate. By the hundreds, females gather in the middle of the group, while the males stay on the edges. One knows why they segregate like this. But after they mate, and before they disperse, there's one more thing to do. They head to nearby reefs to clean up. The females have small wounds around their gills. Love bites made by the males getting a grip during their encounter. The wounds need cleansing. Once again, the tropical fish take the job. The sharks tilt their bodies to show they're ready, but there are simply too many sharks to handle. The barber fish don't know where to start. To attract attention, a hammerhead needs a gimmick. Perhaps a shark shimmy will do the trick. Despite the fancy fin work, only a few lucky sharks get selected. The barber fish run a very exclusive spa, and the hammerheads need to wait their turn. The young booby also needs to be patient. Still no females in sight. He's been scanning the sky for days, and practicing his best moves. At last, here's his chance. First the wings, and don't forget the feet. She's underwhelmed. Maybe a gift will warm her heart. She's holding out for something better. She is accepted. The young booby almost can't believe it. Mission accomplished. He'll become a father. The late starting albatross pair has mated too. After weeks of waiting, he urgently needs to fish. No time for romantic goodbyes. She hides the precious egg under her plumage, and will keep a careful watch on it, because the mockingbirds certainly are. That was close. As she waits for her partner, out in the ocean, a drastic sea change. The humble current is back in full force. The water is murkier now. Food is instantly everywhere, courtesy of the cold water, bringing with it schools of fish. All of a sudden, the ocean off the Galapagos shimmers with life. The chilly, nutrient-rich water feeds the multitudes. The marine iguana is back in business. No more death-defying dives into the surf, just to get a bite of lunch. But just because their bellies are full, doesn't mean their troubles are over. For the males, feeding leads to fighting. Like sumo wrestlers, they test their strength in the ring. The winner gains a little turf and the right to mate. At the end of round one, it's a tie. They take a break between rounds. Marine iguanas can't breathe while fighting. The action heats up as another contender enters the ring. This is his big break, but he needs to separate the wranglers in order to join the fight. The bantamweight brawler doesn't have what it takes. The others are just too strong. He throws in the towel. Prosperity has presented new challenges for the blue-footed boobies too. Their population has nearly doubled. The young are thriving. Some have only just hatched, while others test their wings for the first flight. At last, their parents arrive with their lunch. These hungry chicks can hardly wait. But here comes trouble. Magnificent frigatebirds, pirates of the air. Awkward on land and sea, these aggressive, agile flyers rarely fish for themselves. So frigatebirds prefer to steal. And there's nothing the blue-footed boobies can do about it, except catch more fish in the generous Humboldt current. The albatrosses also suffer. With all the food thieves on the island, it's a wonder the chicks get anything to eat at all. In a few weeks, they'll be able to fly, but only if they eat heartily now. On Espanola, the albatross parents have pesky mockingbirds to contend with. These avian annoyers are like ants at a picnic, only hungrier and more aggressive. They rely almost completely on the albatrosses for their food. But in a few weeks, the mockingbirds will have to fend for themselves. The albatrosses will take to the air and spend the next six months out in the ocean. With one exception. The chronically late male albatross is finally back. He was out hunting for days and hasn't seen his partner. Leaving her to protect their egg from the onslaught of mockingbirds. All their efforts have paid off. They're among the lucky ones, the inhabitants that have learned to survive here. On the Galapagos Islands, life ebbs and flows in the crossroads of relentless ocean currents. Everything here is subject to their wind, energized by their power, tuned to their vibrations. This land of castaways and seasonal visitors favors the resourceful. It rewards the ones who can thrive by surrendering to, and sometimes challenging, the moody tide. That's life on the Galapagos, an enchanted world under the spell of the ocean currents.