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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
The power of the sun drives the seasons,
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transforming our planet.
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Vast movements of ocean and air currents
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bring dramatic change
throughout the year.
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And in a few special places,
these seasonal changes
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create some of the greatest
wildlife spectacles on Earth.
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The most dramatic event
in the world's oceans
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happens off the eastern shores
of South Africa.
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These cool waters create
the perfect conditions
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for a spectacle of epic proportions.
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And everything revolves
around the humble sardine.
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Each year millions of them
are swept up Africa's coast
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on a desperate winter journey.
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Following them comes what will become
the biggest army of predators
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anywhere on the planet.
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The climax to this chase depends
on many crucial elements coming together
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for one brief moment in time.
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This can well claim to be
the greatest ''shoal'' on Earth.
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In the deep water
off the southern tip of Africa
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lie the rich fishing grounds
of the Agulhas Bank.
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It's home to billions of sardines.
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They live in immense shoals as
defence against their many predators.
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Moving together as one in a shoal
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gives an individual sardine
its best chance of survival.
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Sardines are so numerous,
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they're on the menu
of most fish-eating predators here.
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It's summer, and the sardines are lost
in the vastness of the ocean.
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The shoals are so dispersed
they're hard to find.
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Common dolphins
are specialist sardine hunters.
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Dolphins aren't
the only ones on their trail.
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Gannets also rely on a diet of sardines.
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The best way for them to find the shoals
is to follow the dolphins.
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When the fish are far out to sea,
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the dolphins need great perseverance
to track them down.
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The dolphins use
their own form of sonar,
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sending out a stream
of clicks and whistles,
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listening for returning echoes.
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(CLICKING)
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At last they've found
what they're looking for.
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Working as a team,
the dolphins isolate a group of fish
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and corral them into a tight ball
close to the surface.
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The gannets can now make their move.
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Gannets can't dive deep,
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so they must rely on dolphins
to keep the sardines near the surface.
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The feeding frenzy is short-lived.
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Most of the shoal escapes to the deep
and the hunters are left still hungry.
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It's December,
the height of the southern summer,
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and the sardines have the advantage.
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With the shoals dispersed,
life is hard for all the predators.
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But in six months' time,
if conditions are right,
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the scene will be set for
astonishing and sustained drama.
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For a few short weeks each winter,
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cold ocean currents can sweep
great shoals of sardines up the coast.
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Trapped close to shore
within this corridor of cool water,
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the fish are vulnerable and
their predators will follow in droves.
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If it happens,
this will be the Sardine Run,
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one of nature's great events,
unique to these shores of South Africa.
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But for this epic event to take place,
many elements have to come together,
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and with our changing climate
they're less predictable every year.
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For the predators,
the winter Sardine Run, if it happens,
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can make the difference
between life and death.
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Dolphins rely on the easy hunting
during the run to wean their calves.
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But the omens aren't good.
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Last year the sardines
didn't run at all.
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Gannets follow the same pattern.
They have their chicks in summer,
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so they, too, leave the nest
in time for the Sardine Run.
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This is Bird Island,
just off the Eastern Cape,
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the biggest gannet colony in the world.
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No less than 1 00,000 breeding pairs
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come here every summer
to have their young.
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These incredible numbers
show the wealth of life
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the annual Sardine Run can support.
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They also show how many lives
may be in jeopardy
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if the sardines don't run.
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Right now the African summer
is taking its toll.
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With temperatures soaring
and no cover on these exposed islands,
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the birds are in danger of overheating.
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The young are especially vulnerable.
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They have to be fed every day.
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Even with both parents taking turns,
it's an exhausting task.
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In summer the sardines are
a long way out to sea.
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The birds fly hundreds of miles
in search of a meal.
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Once they've sighted their target,
they plunge from heights of 30 metres...
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striking the water at 60 mph.
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Every dive subjects them
to enormous forces.
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The slightest miscalculation
could be fatal.
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Gannets dive no deeper than 1 0 metres,
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so once again they rely on the dolphins
to keep their prey near the surface.
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But with so much traffic, there's
always the danger of a collision.
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This one has broken her neck.
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Her death will mean
that back on the colony
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her chick will probably starve.
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The rest make the long flight home
with their catch.
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One partner stays on the island
to guard their chick.
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The pair welcome each other
with a ritualised greeting.
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They have a strong bond
and many couples mate for life.
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During the hours of daylight
the sardines stay deep
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in an attempt to avoid their predators.
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As the sun sets, the little fish
themselves can begin to feed.
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They swim upwards
to sieve the water for plankton,
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microscopic plants and animals.
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At daybreak they sink once more
into the safety of the deep.
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It's not just dolphins and gannets
that rely on sardines.
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There are other,
more mysterious predators.
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The Bryde's whale
hardly breaks the surface to breathe
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and never so much as shows a tail fluke.
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For a 1 5-metre whale,
they can vanish with remarkable ease.
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We know little
about these stealthy leviathans,
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other than that they are
sardine-hunters, too.
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Summer is a lean time
for the Bryde's whale,
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as it is for all the predators.
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Sharks follow the same patterns,
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tracking the shoals offshore
through the summer,
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waiting for the winter Sardine Run
when the hunting will be easier.
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But being cold-blooded,
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they don't have the high energy demands
of the whales, dolphins and gannets.
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All the predators
have to endure the lean months,
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relying on the southern winter in June
to bring a change in their fortunes.
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Now the changing seasons
create a switch in the ocean currents.
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As summer gives way to autumn,
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the southerly-flowing
warm current weakens
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and cold Antarctic water
pushes further north, nearer to land.
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The sardines are carried along
by these cool waters
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and pushed closer to shore.
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If these ocean currents
continue to change,
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the Sardine Run should be
only three months away.
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It's time for the gannet chicks
to leave the safety of their colony.
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Parents stop feeding their young
when they're three months old.
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This forces the chicks
to take to the sea.
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The young have enough fat reserves
to survive for just 1 0 days.
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And in this brief window,
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they must learn how to fly
and hunt for themselves.
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This is the most critical time
in a gannet's life.
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Failure will mean starvation.
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To prepare for their maiden flight,
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they test their wings
and strengthen their flying muscles.
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Eventually, hunger drives them
onwards and upwards.
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Some get up and away first time.
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But many don't make it
past the crashing surf.
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Some bedraggled chicks
struggle back to shore.
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But for others,
the pounding has been too much.
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Fewer than half
of all the chicks on this colony
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survive their first three months
of life.
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The coast of South Africa
is an unforgiving place.
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The baby dolphins
are still dependent on their mothers.
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They suckle for six months before they,
like the young gannets,
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have to start fishing for themselves.
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There is such an abundance of fish
during the Sardine Run,
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that even the calves can catch some and
so begin to learn their hunting skills.
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But the Sardine Run
might not even happen this year.
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For now the dolphins will have to
continue to scour the vast ocean.
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Back at the coast, other youngsters
are getting ready to go it alone.
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Cape fur seals are also waiting
for the sardines to come close to shore.
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But seals have a broad diet,
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so they can make the most
of other feeding opportunities
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until the sardines come within range.
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Young seals are forced from the colony
by the dominant males.
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Once they're cast out, the adolescents
roam the coastline looking for food.
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They won't turn their noses up
at a plump young gannet.
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Hungry seals patrol the surf,
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ready to pick off any birds that
don't get airborne straight away.
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When the wind is light, the gannet
chicks are stuck on the island.
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Surely they're safe here?
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But even on land the seal is
surprisingly fast on his flippers.
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In this one season,
on this one colony alone,
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seals kill up to1 0,000 fledglings.
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And, as ever,
it all comes down to sardines,
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for the seals are only after the fish
within the stomach of their victims.
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For the young birds
who do make it past the seals,
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there are fresh challenges.
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Learning the skills of their parents.
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First they have to find their quarry,
the sardine shoals.
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And the best way to do that
is to follow the expert trackers.
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They're hungry. It's been days
since their parents last fed them.
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As the search goes on,
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the chicks are learning
the most sophisticated
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survival technique of all -
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how to harness the expertise
of another species.
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After a long search,
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the dolphins have found
a small school of fish.
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They drive the sardines to the surface
and within range of the young gannets.
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Now, quickly, they have to learn
the art of the plunge-dive.
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But there's a problem.
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The opportunistic seals
have found the fish, too.
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The young gannets
have a daunting choice.
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To risk diving with the enemy
or to starve.
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If they don't take their chances soon,
there will be nothing left.
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They're in luck.
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With sardines back on the menu,
the seals ignore the gannets.
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As ever, the dolphins have
done the hard work
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of rounding up the fish,
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and now a host of other predators
take advantage.
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With the shoal diminishing
by the second, competition is fierce.
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But there is still time
for a mighty intruder.
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The Bryde's whale
devours the entire ball of fish.
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Until the Sardine Run starts in earnest,
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these minor skirmishes are
mere preludes to the main event.
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But winter is finally on the way.
The cold current pushes further north.
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This cool water
forces its way up the coast.
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If it continues to flow northwards,
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it will carry
great shoals of sardines with it.
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The predators begin to gather,
in anticipation of a feast.
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Sardines can't tolerate water
above 20 degrees centigrade.
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So unless the cool water
penetrates further up the coast,
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the fish won't move and
the annual run just won't happen.
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Perhaps climate change
has made its mark here.
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The waters have stayed too warm,
stalling the movement of fish.
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There hasn't been a sardine run
for the past two years.
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The entire fleet is becalmed.
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A winter storm rolls in
from the Antarctic,
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battering the Cape, bringing cold water.
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Driven by their hunger,
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gannets still try to hunt
in these dangerous conditions.
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In fact, this wild weather
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is just what all the predators
have been waiting for.
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For them, it's a perfect storm.
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It has pushed a narrow tongue
of colder water up the coast.
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This chilly current carries wave
after wave of sardines with it.
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Hemmed in by the land on one side
and warm water on the other,
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the sardines are
being drawn into a trap.
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Nature is playing a cruel trick
on these unfortunate fish,
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as they'll get no benefit
from their mass voyage.
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They're slaves
to the cold ocean currents.
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More than 500 million fish
are swimming towards disaster,
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and yet this is just a tenth
of the sardine population.
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The run is on.
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Ahead, an ambush is being prepared.
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As the seas begin to calm,
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the dolphins relocate
the sardine shoals.
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As they track up the coast,
the pods unite, combining forces.
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They form super-pods
of incredible numbers,
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up to 5,000 dolphins in one group.
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This is fast becoming one of
the biggest groups of predators
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anywhere on the planet.
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The attackers spread out
into wide hunting lines,
236
00:31:26,487 --> 00:31:28,921
stretching up to a mile across.
237
00:31:38,967 --> 00:31:42,801
Other divisions follow on,
as ever tracking the dolphins.
238
00:31:51,527 --> 00:31:54,883
Shadowing them all, the Bryde's whale.
239
00:32:04,767 --> 00:32:07,042
They're all heading in one direction,
240
00:32:07,127 --> 00:32:10,278
towards a place
known as Waterfall Bluff.
241
00:32:17,287 --> 00:32:21,678
It's an arc in the coastline
which interrupts the flow of currents,
242
00:32:21,767 --> 00:32:24,440
trapping the water in a swirling eddy.
243
00:32:26,367 --> 00:32:29,200
And the dolphins know
that the massive shoals
244
00:32:29,287 --> 00:32:31,960
often get caught in this bottleneck.
245
00:32:42,087 --> 00:32:45,966
But these sardines
have managed to avoid the trap.
246
00:32:49,287 --> 00:32:53,280
The first shoals have been carried
well to the north of Waterfall Bluff,
247
00:32:53,367 --> 00:32:55,835
ahead of the dolphin super-pods.
248
00:33:03,647 --> 00:33:07,356
As the cool water is squeezed
into an ever thinner band
249
00:33:07,447 --> 00:33:08,800
closer to the shore,
250
00:33:08,887 --> 00:33:11,765
the shoals are forced up
into the shallows.
251
00:33:23,407 --> 00:33:28,117
Only now do we get a real sense
of the sheer volume of fish.
252
00:33:29,727 --> 00:33:34,357
This one shoal stretches
along the coast for 1 5 miles.
253
00:33:39,767 --> 00:33:42,042
The water is 1 5 metres deep
254
00:33:42,127 --> 00:33:45,039
and packed with sardines
from top to bottom.
255
00:33:48,047 --> 00:33:53,121
There could be more than 1 00 million
fish in this single shoal alone.
256
00:33:54,127 --> 00:33:56,846
As long as the sardines
are in such shallow water,
257
00:33:56,927 --> 00:33:58,838
they're beyond
the reach of the dolphins,
258
00:33:58,927 --> 00:34:01,885
who won't follow for fear of stranding.
259
00:34:03,367 --> 00:34:07,406
And the gannets can't risk diving
into such shallow water either.
260
00:34:11,767 --> 00:34:14,361
But there are hunters who can follow.
261
00:34:15,087 --> 00:34:17,840
And they've arrived in their thousands.
262
00:34:20,007 --> 00:34:21,360
Sharks.
263
00:34:39,327 --> 00:34:44,481
Dusky, copper and ragged-tooth sharks
encircle the sardines.
264
00:34:48,647 --> 00:34:52,959
But for the little fish,
there's safety in such vast numbers.
265
00:34:53,247 --> 00:34:57,445
The sheer volume of sardines,
the way they twist and turn in harmony,
266
00:34:57,527 --> 00:34:59,279
confuses the sharks.
267
00:35:06,127 --> 00:35:08,277
Without dolphins to round up the fish,
268
00:35:08,367 --> 00:35:11,439
these sharks have to
find their own solution.
269
00:35:23,407 --> 00:35:27,320
They try to trap the fish
against the water's surface.
270
00:35:32,767 --> 00:35:36,282
But this boiling water
is mostly sardines escaping.
271
00:35:36,367 --> 00:35:38,323
Few are actually eaten.
272
00:35:50,967 --> 00:35:54,676
Tiny fish triumph
over the marauding sharks.
273
00:36:06,407 --> 00:36:11,322
The sharks continue to harry the shoal,
pushing it ever northwards.
274
00:36:22,167 --> 00:36:25,079
Back at Waterfall Bluff,
the dolphins and gannets
275
00:36:25,167 --> 00:36:27,920
are waiting for the next
pulse of sardines
276
00:36:28,007 --> 00:36:30,362
to come up from the south.
277
00:36:30,967 --> 00:36:32,400
If there is another shoal,
278
00:36:32,487 --> 00:36:36,480
this kink in the coastline
is the perfect place to ambush them.
279
00:36:36,767 --> 00:36:38,598
But if the fish don't come,
280
00:36:38,687 --> 00:36:43,397
these hungry predators face a long
journey all the way back to the Cape.
281
00:36:49,007 --> 00:36:51,396
To the north,
the survivors of the shark attack
282
00:36:51,487 --> 00:36:55,366
are nearing the end of their run
at the beaches around Durban.
283
00:36:59,567 --> 00:37:02,127
These seem like the lucky ones.
284
00:37:02,207 --> 00:37:06,359
On their epic journey
they've evaded an army of hunters.
285
00:37:08,447 --> 00:37:12,520
But one final, unexpected
predator lies in wait.
286
00:37:25,287 --> 00:37:29,485
Fishermen can only net the sardines
once they've swum this far north,
287
00:37:29,567 --> 00:37:31,876
within easy reach of the shore.
288
00:37:35,127 --> 00:37:38,517
Last year no sardines
were seen on this coast.
289
00:37:38,727 --> 00:37:42,606
So far this winter, the fishermen
have landed only 50 tonnes,
290
00:37:42,687 --> 00:37:46,680
barely a tenth of what they'd expect
in a good year.
291
00:37:52,727 --> 00:37:56,276
That's how unpredictable
the Sardine Run has become.
292
00:38:09,727 --> 00:38:12,366
After such a long and hazardous voyage,
293
00:38:12,447 --> 00:38:15,803
it's a sad end for these sardines.
294
00:38:24,807 --> 00:38:30,006
At Waterfall Bluff, the dolphins
and gannets have had to bide their time.
295
00:38:34,927 --> 00:38:36,963
After missing the first shoal,
296
00:38:37,047 --> 00:38:39,163
these predators
are relying on the currents
297
00:38:39,247 --> 00:38:43,126
to sweep another big pulse of sardines
up the coast.
298
00:38:45,447 --> 00:38:48,678
Now another great shoal is on the way.
299
00:38:48,767 --> 00:38:51,918
And it's heading straight
for Waterfall Bluff.
300
00:38:59,007 --> 00:39:03,205
Trapped between the shore on one side
and the warm water on the other,
301
00:39:03,287 --> 00:39:06,563
these fish are swimming straight
towards the enemy.
302
00:39:19,327 --> 00:39:22,763
The sardines fall back
on their instinctive defence,
303
00:39:22,847 --> 00:39:26,920
swarming into a huge mass
that confuses a predator.
304
00:39:38,247 --> 00:39:42,399
But the dolphins have a strategy
that turns this to their advantage.
305
00:39:47,087 --> 00:39:50,966
Working together,
they separate off a pocket of sardines.
306
00:39:54,967 --> 00:40:00,087
In smaller numbers the fishes
shoaling defence now works against them.
307
00:40:01,407 --> 00:40:05,639
The dolphins corral the bait ball
and herd it to the surface.
308
00:40:19,567 --> 00:40:22,923
This is what the other hunters
have been waiting for.
309
00:40:25,367 --> 00:40:28,518
Now the sardines are within range
of the gannets.
310
00:40:50,367 --> 00:40:52,961
The bait balls form and reform,
311
00:40:53,047 --> 00:40:56,198
seldom lasting longer than
a few minutes each.
312
00:41:20,127 --> 00:41:24,484
The sharks pile in, taking advantage
of the dolphins' hard work.
313
00:41:32,207 --> 00:41:35,995
The predators ignore each other.
There's only one victim here -
314
00:41:36,087 --> 00:41:40,319
the millions of tasty little fish
they've been stalking for so long.
315
00:42:02,527 --> 00:42:04,643
Young gannets join the frenzy.
316
00:42:04,727 --> 00:42:08,845
In just six months they have become
superb aerial hunters.
317
00:42:18,047 --> 00:42:22,962
Time after time, the dolphins round up
another shoal for destruction.
318
00:42:47,767 --> 00:42:50,361
Frantically, the little fish
try to get away
319
00:42:50,447 --> 00:42:55,282
from the seething surface of the water
to dive beyond the range of the gannets.
320
00:42:59,447 --> 00:43:03,326
Now,
something truly astonishing happens.
321
00:43:05,647 --> 00:43:09,356
Diving takes the gannets
down to 1 0 metres.
322
00:43:10,967 --> 00:43:14,642
Then the aerial squadrons
become shoals of swimmers
323
00:43:14,727 --> 00:43:19,164
as they pursue the fish
down to 20 metres.
324
00:43:22,767 --> 00:43:25,406
Sardines join with their predators
325
00:43:25,487 --> 00:43:29,116
in a beautiful
yet macabre underwater ballet.
326
00:43:29,807 --> 00:43:33,004
There's little chance of escape
for these fish.
327
00:44:13,407 --> 00:44:17,241
The stage is set
for the biggest predator of all.
328
00:44:24,287 --> 00:44:29,600
The Bryde's whale takes in
1 0,000 fish in one giant mouthful.
329
00:44:34,007 --> 00:44:37,682
But this time around,
there are plenty of sardines for all.
330
00:44:47,047 --> 00:44:51,723
Each hunter amongst these millions
plays its part in the drama
331
00:44:51,807 --> 00:44:54,401
and each is dependent upon the other.
332
00:45:08,287 --> 00:45:10,960
The annual spectacle of the Sardine Run
333
00:45:11,047 --> 00:45:16,201
is undoubtedly the greatest gathering
of predators anywhere on the planet.
334
00:45:22,447 --> 00:45:26,406
It's surely
one of nature's great events.
335
00:46:16,887 --> 00:46:20,118
Then, almost as quickly as it began,
336
00:46:21,367 --> 00:46:22,880
it's over.
337
00:46:25,247 --> 00:46:27,636
As the brief winter comes to an end,
338
00:46:27,727 --> 00:46:32,801
warm currents flowing south
displace the corridor of cool water.
339
00:46:37,727 --> 00:46:39,399
Despite the massacre,
340
00:46:39,487 --> 00:46:44,003
more than half of all the sardines
swept up on the great run, survive.
341
00:46:48,287 --> 00:46:50,323
As the currents switch,
342
00:46:50,407 --> 00:46:53,285
the fortunate ones
make good their escape.
343
00:46:56,247 --> 00:46:59,239
From here,
they'll follow deep water currents,
344
00:46:59,327 --> 00:47:02,637
hitching a ride
back to the cool waters of the Cape.
345
00:47:08,447 --> 00:47:13,601
The Bryde's whale melts away
to resume its secretive life
346
00:47:13,687 --> 00:47:16,281
somewhere out in the big blue.
347
00:47:22,007 --> 00:47:27,240
The dolphin super-pods break up and
begin their long trek back to the Cape.
348
00:47:32,727 --> 00:47:35,321
Gannets, too, head south.
349
00:47:43,727 --> 00:47:47,037
As Waterfall Bluff
falls quiet once more,
350
00:47:47,127 --> 00:47:49,846
no one can say whether
this spectacular event
351
00:47:49,927 --> 00:47:52,646
will be repeated here in years to come.
352
00:48:01,687 --> 00:48:06,078
The Sardine Run may be unique
to the coast of South Africa,
353
00:48:06,167 --> 00:48:11,639
but it's a vivid reminder of the riches
that our oceans can still support.
354
00:48:38,967 --> 00:48:43,358
The amazing bait balls that characterise
the Sardine Run are short-lived
355
00:48:43,447 --> 00:48:45,119
and very hard to find.
356
00:48:45,207 --> 00:48:48,165
Filming them was to turn
into a two-year mission
357
00:48:48,247 --> 00:48:50,363
for the underwater team.
358
00:49:01,367 --> 00:49:03,323
To film the feeding frenzies,
359
00:49:03,407 --> 00:49:06,922
the team would need three key elements
to come together -
360
00:49:07,007 --> 00:49:11,205
a huge shoal of sardines,
the right mix of predators
361
00:49:11,287 --> 00:49:14,597
and water clear enough to
be able to see the action.
362
00:49:17,727 --> 00:49:22,084
The most important element to start with
was being able to see underwater.
363
00:49:22,167 --> 00:49:24,237
And at the beginning
of the first the season
364
00:49:24,327 --> 00:49:28,684
it wasn't looking good for
underwater cameraman Didier Noirot.
365
00:49:29,047 --> 00:49:32,676
It looks like dirty water, but
I'm going to check anyway to be sure.
366
00:49:37,087 --> 00:49:40,284
ATTENBOROUGH: Didier was
Jacques Cousteau's underwater cameraman
367
00:49:40,367 --> 00:49:41,880
for more than a decade.
368
00:49:41,967 --> 00:49:44,686
He knows that the Sardine Run
is very unpredictable
369
00:49:44,767 --> 00:49:47,645
and that some years
it never happens at all.
370
00:49:50,807 --> 00:49:52,320
The predators were gathering,
371
00:49:52,407 --> 00:49:55,922
but the ocean currents
weren't bringing any sardines.
372
00:49:58,727 --> 00:50:02,083
It wasn't a good start
to the first season's filming.
373
00:50:05,207 --> 00:50:07,084
MAN: What's it like?
374
00:50:07,167 --> 00:50:09,397
No vis. No visibility.
375
00:50:12,447 --> 00:50:15,086
ATTENBOROUGH: And the murky water
held further risks.
376
00:50:16,167 --> 00:50:18,123
Poor vis you don't see what's coming,
377
00:50:18,207 --> 00:50:22,280
so it's not that we're scared
of all the sharks,
378
00:50:23,527 --> 00:50:27,998
but we notice that accidents,
people get bitten always in dirty water.
379
00:50:28,167 --> 00:50:30,397
So why should we take the risk?
380
00:50:30,487 --> 00:50:32,921
We go in dirty water
to make bad pictures
381
00:50:33,007 --> 00:50:35,157
and get bitten by sharks.
382
00:50:35,367 --> 00:50:36,959
It's not worth.
383
00:50:37,727 --> 00:50:40,116
I'd rather stay dry!
384
00:50:42,527 --> 00:50:46,076
ATTENBOROUGH: After 20 days at sea
with no sign of sardines,
385
00:50:46,167 --> 00:50:50,479
the crew kept themselves busy
with some sound recording for the film.
386
00:50:52,167 --> 00:50:55,796
I didn't take my mask, you see,
so I don't intend to dive.
387
00:50:58,127 --> 00:51:01,085
ATTENBOROUGH: The team developed
some ingenious techniques
388
00:51:01,167 --> 00:51:04,000
to get microphones close
to the dolphins and gannets
389
00:51:04,087 --> 00:51:06,965
that were also waiting for the sardines.
390
00:51:07,327 --> 00:51:12,685
So what we're doing today
is trying a radio mic and a Frenchman.
391
00:51:14,967 --> 00:51:18,846
The problem is he doesn't
know when to stop talking.
392
00:51:18,927 --> 00:51:23,318
It's the quietest we've had him
for days, but he still rabbits on.
393
00:51:26,807 --> 00:51:30,482
ATTENBOROUGH: No one was prepared
for what happened next.
394
00:51:32,407 --> 00:51:34,682
The thing is these aren't
waterproof at all.
395
00:51:34,767 --> 00:51:37,156
-Shark, shark! Quick, quick!
-Go, go!
396
00:51:37,247 --> 00:51:38,839
Quick, quick!
397
00:51:50,367 --> 00:51:53,086
He bit me. Big copper.
398
00:51:53,527 --> 00:51:57,679
It's late, it's murky water.
We cannot stay there too long, you see.
399
00:52:00,727 --> 00:52:04,766
-Did he come right underneath you?
-No, he bit my fins. I kick.
400
00:52:04,847 --> 00:52:07,077
-Seriously?
-Yeah, I told you
401
00:52:07,167 --> 00:52:09,886
there are sharks, so come and fetch me.
402
00:52:11,647 --> 00:52:14,764
ATTENBOROUGH:
The sharks were definitely about,
403
00:52:15,247 --> 00:52:19,559
but the first season ended
without Didier seeing any sardines.
404
00:52:24,367 --> 00:52:27,325
At the beginning of the second year
the pressure was on.
405
00:52:27,407 --> 00:52:29,602
But things were looking up.
406
00:52:32,447 --> 00:52:34,915
With the help of aerial spotter
Eric Webber,
407
00:52:35,007 --> 00:52:39,000
Didier and the team
could search a greater stretch of ocean.
408
00:52:42,167 --> 00:52:43,998
For the first time in three years,
409
00:52:44,087 --> 00:52:47,238
a huge slick of fish
had been swept up the coast.
410
00:52:50,447 --> 00:52:53,564
The Sardine Run was well and truly on.
411
00:52:55,207 --> 00:52:57,721
And it was down to the eye in the sky
412
00:52:57,807 --> 00:53:00,367
to get Didier
into the heart of the action.
413
00:53:00,447 --> 00:53:04,759
We've got thousands of sharks
approximately 200 metres offshore.
414
00:53:04,887 --> 00:53:06,479
You guys make your way out there,
415
00:53:06,567 --> 00:53:08,398
you'll be mad enough
to go into the water.
416
00:53:08,487 --> 00:53:10,796
I'll talk you onto it, guys.
It's really looking good.
417
00:53:10,887 --> 00:53:12,957
It's just sharks and sards
all over the place.
418
00:53:13,047 --> 00:53:14,560
We are in the area.
419
00:53:14,647 --> 00:53:18,117
Didier wants us to deploy on
the highest concentration of sharks.
420
00:53:18,207 --> 00:53:20,118
Would you please guide us
onto that area.
421
00:53:20,207 --> 00:53:23,483
Come 20 degrees left, you've got
40 metres to run. 40 metres to run.
422
00:53:23,567 --> 00:53:27,765
I'm going to put you
in the front of the sards.
423
00:53:28,047 --> 00:53:30,481
Seconds to run, divers ready.
424
00:53:30,607 --> 00:53:35,044
Nine, eight, seven, six,
425
00:53:35,127 --> 00:53:37,083
five... Divers ready.
426
00:53:37,167 --> 00:53:42,400
Four, three, two, one.
Go! Divers away.
427
00:53:47,767 --> 00:53:51,601
ATTENBOROUGH: The great tide was indeed
living up to its name.
428
00:53:52,887 --> 00:53:55,685
At last Didier had some action to film.
429
00:53:55,767 --> 00:53:59,396
He had good visibility
and sardines in abundance.
430
00:54:04,087 --> 00:54:05,884
But without dolphins around,
431
00:54:05,967 --> 00:54:08,879
the feeding frenzies
just weren't happening.
432
00:54:09,967 --> 00:54:13,277
The sharks were unable to feed
on the vast walls of fish
433
00:54:13,367 --> 00:54:18,361
and despite their impressive numbers,
they were surprisingly wary of Didier.
434
00:54:20,087 --> 00:54:25,115
No, very quiet, moving slowly.
They are the lords of the sea.
435
00:54:26,007 --> 00:54:28,282
No, there was no frenzy, no attack.
436
00:54:28,367 --> 00:54:31,643
I think they get prepared
for the big action.
437
00:54:32,927 --> 00:54:35,964
ATTENBOROUGH: Didier had yet to even
see a big bait ball
438
00:54:36,047 --> 00:54:39,960
and there was only one week left
for all the elements to come together -
439
00:54:40,047 --> 00:54:44,279
clean water, lots of sardines,
and just the right mix of predators.
440
00:54:46,047 --> 00:54:49,926
And if there was one place
to find it, it was Waterfall Bluff.
441
00:54:51,607 --> 00:54:54,963
Huge numbers of predators
were starting to gather.
442
00:54:57,567 --> 00:55:01,162
This was the most action the underwater
crew had seen in two years,
443
00:55:01,247 --> 00:55:04,364
and again it was down to Eric
to put them on it.
444
00:55:05,727 --> 00:55:09,845
ERIC: This is Raven. Yeah,
we've got some major activity here
445
00:55:09,927 --> 00:55:12,282
just off Mkambati.
446
00:55:12,367 --> 00:55:14,642
ATTENBOROUGH: They were into
the last week of filming
447
00:55:14,727 --> 00:55:16,922
and the pressure was showing.
448
00:55:17,487 --> 00:55:19,762
Yeah, this looks very, very good.
449
00:55:19,847 --> 00:55:22,884
At two o'clock, just here,
but it's moving quite fast.
450
00:55:22,967 --> 00:55:24,764
MAN: 'Cause the dolphins are chasing it.
451
00:55:24,847 --> 00:55:27,805
ERIC: Make a slow 90.
Go right 90 degrees.
452
00:55:28,367 --> 00:55:31,165
The tricky part is
actually getting us onto the bait ball
453
00:55:31,247 --> 00:55:33,238
without breaking it up.
454
00:55:38,607 --> 00:55:42,395
Ridden over the bait ball. Just stop.
455
00:55:42,487 --> 00:55:44,125
ERIC: Joker, I think
you've screwed that up.
456
00:55:44,207 --> 00:55:47,677
Too far! Don't get there.
Move the boat, to the right!
457
00:55:50,287 --> 00:55:54,439
-Below Eric. Below Eric. Where's Eric?
-We should go outside there.
458
00:55:58,327 --> 00:56:01,080
Now we have to go fast
and to think fast!
459
00:56:01,847 --> 00:56:04,122
ATTENBOROUGH:
On the second-to-last day of filming,
460
00:56:04,207 --> 00:56:06,596
Didier finally got his chance.
461
00:56:07,127 --> 00:56:08,606
Okay, Didier.
462
00:56:12,447 --> 00:56:16,406
ATTENBOROUGH: Years of work had gone
into putting Didier on the front line.
463
00:56:16,487 --> 00:56:18,443
Now it was down to him.
464
00:56:25,967 --> 00:56:28,037
After 90 days of filming,
465
00:56:28,127 --> 00:56:32,359
he had less than an hour
in which to fulfil his dream -
466
00:56:32,647 --> 00:56:36,037
to film a bait ball
in perfect conditions.
467
00:56:56,687 --> 00:56:58,405
Didier was at last
468
00:56:58,487 --> 00:57:02,116
amongst the greatest gathering
of predators on the planet.
469
00:57:05,967 --> 00:57:09,846
He'd managed to get closer
than anyone to the feeding frenzy,
470
00:57:11,247 --> 00:57:13,556
without becoming part of it.
471
00:57:18,567 --> 00:57:21,525
Ah! Today was the day.
We just found a bait ball.
472
00:57:21,607 --> 00:57:25,520
We were looking for months, years,
473
00:57:25,607 --> 00:57:28,326
and we finally found it.
474
00:57:28,407 --> 00:57:32,161
Only one problem.
The sharks were too much aggressive.
475
00:57:32,607 --> 00:57:35,804
We were very...
We got bumped a few times by sharks,
476
00:57:35,887 --> 00:57:40,438
and that was just a bit serious.
477
00:57:41,487 --> 00:57:45,241
All that action came and that was
just an amazing spectacle.
478
00:57:45,367 --> 00:57:47,403
All those birds diving together.
479
00:57:47,527 --> 00:57:49,518
Bom, bom, bom. Boom, boom.
480
00:57:49,607 --> 00:57:51,996
Like real cannon explosion.
481
00:57:53,487 --> 00:57:56,126
And all those sharks under, following.
482
00:57:56,207 --> 00:58:00,439
And the dolphins.
That was just magical. Magical.
483
00:58:03,527 --> 00:58:06,087
ATTENBOROUGH: The feeding frenzy
they filmed that day
484
00:58:06,167 --> 00:58:09,045
ended as quickly as it had begun.
485
00:58:09,127 --> 00:58:11,766
After two long years,
Didier and the crew
486
00:58:11,847 --> 00:58:14,441
had managed to be
in just the right place
487
00:58:14,527 --> 00:58:16,279
at just the right time
488
00:58:16,367 --> 00:58:19,359
for one of our ocean's greatest events.