1 00:00:55,357 --> 00:00:57,655 I cannot stay away 2 00:00:57,793 --> 00:01:00,887 Coming home to Baja California for me 3 00:01:01,029 --> 00:01:04,829 is like walking across a thousand miles of sand 4 00:01:04,967 --> 00:01:08,198 and finding a pool of water 5 00:01:09,705 --> 00:01:13,334 It's an oasis for my heart 6 00:01:17,179 --> 00:01:23,345 A few very special places in the world are havens for life 7 00:01:23,485 --> 00:01:28,354 Resources and shelter draw living creatures from far and near 8 00:01:28,490 --> 00:01:30,355 These places are rare 9 00:01:30,492 --> 00:01:34,155 We call them oases 10 00:01:35,564 --> 00:01:40,592 Of them all this is one of the most extraordinary 11 00:02:06,762 --> 00:02:08,662 This is my home 12 00:02:08,797 --> 00:02:13,564 It is a hot dry peninsula 700 miles long 13 00:02:13,702 --> 00:02:16,296 and surrrounded by ocean 14 00:02:16,438 --> 00:02:20,465 It is called Baja California 15 00:02:22,611 --> 00:02:24,670 I am Exequiel Ezcurra 16 00:02:24,813 --> 00:02:28,112 I work here as an ecologist 17 00:02:28,250 --> 00:02:32,550 Today some fellow naturalists and I will take you to the places we love 18 00:02:32,688 --> 00:02:36,681 to discover the answer to a single question 19 00:02:36,825 --> 00:02:41,853 Why does this land and this sea create an oasis? 20 00:02:42,497 --> 00:02:48,026 One simple answer to that question is that there is plenty to eat 21 00:02:50,606 --> 00:02:56,067 Mercedes Guererro studies whales that are drawn here to feed 22 00:02:59,014 --> 00:03:03,610 Here whales eat floating sea life called plankton 23 00:03:03,752 --> 00:03:08,018 They find it here in huge concentrations 24 00:03:26,975 --> 00:03:33,710 Dolphins too are draw here in tens of thousands to feed their high energy life 25 00:03:35,117 --> 00:03:39,645 Dolphins track the schools of fish near the surface 26 00:03:45,761 --> 00:03:50,425 Birds can see the commotion from miles away and join in 27 00:03:53,001 --> 00:03:57,870 Whales follow while listening for the action underwater 28 00:04:01,443 --> 00:04:05,004 I have learned to recognize these/humpback whales as individ 29 00:04:05,147 --> 00:04:08,048 by their special markings 30 00:04:09,818 --> 00:04:14,653 We study them to see how they live and even how they die 31 00:04:29,738 --> 00:04:32,263 The sharks did not kill this humpback 32 00:04:32,407 --> 00:04:35,171 the don't know know what did 33 00:04:45,554 --> 00:04:49,513 I am saddened by the death of this whale 34 00:04:50,192 --> 00:04:55,824 but in this circle of hunger and life even the greatest lives end 35 00:04:57,499 --> 00:05:03,563 and I know that this whale's body will give new life to others 36 00:05:22,824 --> 00:05:27,158 The ocean oasis is a magnet to life 37 00:05:31,199 --> 00:05:37,399 Enriqueta Velarde studies the birds that return each year to Rasa Island 38 00:05:39,341 --> 00:05:41,036 It's amazing! 39 00:05:41,176 --> 00:05:44,942 Almost all the Heerman's Gulls and Elegant Terns in the world 40 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,413 come here to Rasa to breed 41 00:05:54,456 --> 00:05:57,653 The gulls arrive first to establish their nest sites 42 00:05:57,793 --> 00:06:01,559 traveling from as far away as Canada 43 00:06:15,610 --> 00:06:19,808 The terns migrate from coastal Chile and Peru 44 00:06:19,948 --> 00:06:26,183 as many as half a million birds pack into this tiny island at once 45 00:07:11,399 --> 00:07:12,798 It may seem curious 46 00:07:12,934 --> 00:07:15,926 but the terns nest right in the middle of the gulls' colony 47 00:07:16,071 --> 00:07:18,562 but by living among the gulls 48 00:07:18,707 --> 00:07:23,041 the terns gain protection from predators 49 00:07:31,686 --> 00:07:33,381 The gulls tax the terns 50 00:07:33,522 --> 00:07:37,549 by stealing some of the food they bring in from the ocean 51 00:08:11,359 --> 00:08:18,288 Just imagine the birds of Rasa catch of 65 tons of fish each day 52 00:08:18,433 --> 00:08:20,901 one sardine at a time 53 00:08:21,036 --> 00:08:23,197 This points to one conclusion 54 00:08:23,338 --> 00:08:27,672 this ocean must be incredibly productive 55 00:09:16,124 --> 00:09:20,561 Iliana Ortega works here as a naturalist 56 00:09:21,563 --> 00:09:23,656 This is my community 57 00:09:23,798 --> 00:09:28,132 Much of my work here is to show people the diversity of the wildlife 58 00:09:28,270 --> 00:09:31,671 and to explain its biology 59 00:09:31,806 --> 00:09:36,573 For instance it's important to get to know sharks 60 00:09:36,711 --> 00:09:38,702 Like these hammerheads 61 00:09:38,847 --> 00:09:43,307 They don't threaten us They usually eat squid 62 00:09:44,252 --> 00:09:48,586 But with gray sharks there is tension 63 00:09:48,723 --> 00:09:52,557 They'll eat almost anything 64 00:09:54,929 --> 00:09:59,366 You know humans are much more dangerous to sharks 65 00:09:59,501 --> 00:10:01,969 han they are to us 66 00:10:15,417 --> 00:10:20,480 When you spend time with sharks you begin to understand them 67 00:10:22,057 --> 00:10:25,458 and learn to respect them 68 00:10:27,929 --> 00:10:32,593 But you have to command their respect too 69 00:10:34,469 --> 00:10:38,235 See? They're always testing you 70 00:10:39,007 --> 00:10:41,373 I admire sharks 71 00:10:41,509 --> 00:10:45,445 They're a vital link in the chain of life 72 00:10:45,580 --> 00:10:48,947 Like wolves they weed out the sick and the injured 73 00:10:49,084 --> 00:10:53,987 leaving behind only the healthiest of their prey to reproduce 74 00:10:56,124 --> 00:11:00,220 At night the sharks' sophisticated senses of vibration 75 00:11:00,362 --> 00:11:04,492 and electroconductivity serve them best 76 00:11:04,799 --> 00:11:08,462 They move faster become more excited 77 00:11:08,603 --> 00:11:11,970 and leave in search of prey 78 00:11:12,107 --> 00:11:14,974 I will not follow 79 00:11:18,947 --> 00:11:23,680 Throughout the night other predators stalk the oasis 80 00:11:24,219 --> 00:11:27,154 The moray eel is almost blind 81 00:11:27,288 --> 00:11:30,621 but it can smell like a bloodhound 82 00:11:31,893 --> 00:11:35,329 The scorpionfish is camouflaged by day 83 00:11:35,463 --> 00:11:40,332 but not from something that can smell it 84 00:11:58,987 --> 00:12:01,888 Daylight returns 85 00:12:02,257 --> 00:12:05,784 The frogfish begins its day 86 00:12:11,866 --> 00:12:16,098 Cornetfish stir from their slumber 87 00:12:18,306 --> 00:12:22,402 and light rises to the morning 88 00:12:44,966 --> 00:12:48,902 Some animals come to the oasis for reasons other than hunger 89 00:12:49,037 --> 00:12:51,801 They come to breed 90 00:12:52,407 --> 00:12:57,435 These elephant seals migrate here twice each year from the Northern Pacific 91 00:12:57,579 --> 00:13:02,073 a roundtrip of 6,000 miles each time 92 00:13:46,394 --> 00:13:50,023 The mothers transform their thick blubber into milk 93 00:13:50,164 --> 00:13:53,190 and the milk is incredibly rich 94 00:13:53,334 --> 00:13:58,795 Just imagine the babies put on eight pounds a day! 95 00:14:17,158 --> 00:14:22,289 A male as big as a truck sees a smaller trespasser 96 00:14:23,898 --> 00:14:28,494 and this fight over the territory while the females gather 97 00:15:20,254 --> 00:15:24,350 Elephant seals may look ugly and awkward to us 98 00:15:24,892 --> 00:15:27,952 but they are powerful predators 99 00:15:30,198 --> 00:15:32,462 Soon they will return to the sea 100 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,398 where they spend 90 percent of their time 101 00:15:35,536 --> 00:15:39,734 diving to depths of up to 1,500 feet 102 00:15:49,484 --> 00:15:53,944 Ospreys are usually solitary except here 103 00:15:54,656 --> 00:15:59,958 The abundance in the ocean oasis attract so many of these fish hawks 104 00:16:00,094 --> 00:16:02,221 that they crowd the twigs 105 00:16:02,363 --> 00:16:07,767 sometimes building their nests less than 100 meters apart 106 00:16:20,014 --> 00:16:24,178 Whenever I see them using those clawlike beaks so gently 107 00:16:24,318 --> 00:16:26,786 I can't help wondering whether instinct 108 00:16:26,921 --> 00:16:31,119 and emotions are really so different after all 109 00:16:38,566 --> 00:16:42,297 Is this what we call sibling rivalry? 110 00:16:54,916 --> 00:16:57,942 The chicks are always hungry 111 00:16:58,586 --> 00:17:02,215 so the adult osprey are always fishing 112 00:17:16,704 --> 00:17:20,731 Underwater other life is also busy breeding 113 00:17:29,350 --> 00:17:33,343 These creolefish are broadcast spawners 114 00:17:34,756 --> 00:17:39,750 Milt and eggs burst into the water and mix right there 115 00:17:42,497 --> 00:17:47,958 Schools of mackerel dash in to feast but many eggs survive 116 00:17:58,146 --> 00:18:03,379 Other fish produce fewer eggs but tend them carefully 117 00:18:04,519 --> 00:18:08,250 A female sargeant major lays her eggs on the rocks 118 00:18:08,389 --> 00:18:12,155 and the male spends weeks guarding his nest 119 00:18:12,293 --> 00:18:14,022 until the eggs hatch 120 00:18:14,162 --> 00:18:18,531 chasing off everything else that wants a snack 121 00:18:31,512 --> 00:18:37,678 Because life in the oasis is so crowded the reef here reminds me of a city 122 00:19:01,342 --> 00:19:04,778 A moray can smell something tasty 123 00:19:05,146 --> 00:19:08,445 but the baby leather bass has a refuge 124 00:19:08,583 --> 00:19:13,782 She's specially adapted to shelter among the venemous urchins 125 00:19:21,095 --> 00:19:25,259 But other fish may threaten her sanctuary 126 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,496 A hawkfish attacks one of the urchins 127 00:19:38,646 --> 00:19:44,676 It's neighbors mill around waiting for scraps and careless mistakes 128 00:19:59,133 --> 00:20:03,934 In this city you better watch out when crossing the street 129 00:20:23,090 --> 00:20:29,120 Barnacles attach by their heads comb the water with their feet 130 00:20:36,737 --> 00:20:42,505 Life climbs on life here and they're eating things can I barely see 131 00:21:11,339 --> 00:21:15,537 On the rocks of the reef we're closing in on the secret 132 00:21:15,676 --> 00:21:19,669 that makes this fragile oasis possible 133 00:21:21,482 --> 00:21:24,349 This looks like a garden but these are not plants 134 00:21:24,485 --> 00:21:29,582 They're colonies of thousands of tiny creatures that build one upon another 135 00:21:29,724 --> 00:21:33,990 all reaching out into the moving water for food 136 00:21:34,128 --> 00:21:36,995 corals gorgonians sponges 137 00:21:37,131 --> 00:21:39,895 They're gathering bits of the same feast 138 00:21:40,034 --> 00:21:45,165 the richness that makes these waters so nourishing for all of life 139 00:21:45,306 --> 00:21:49,367 a huge abundance of plankton 140 00:21:49,510 --> 00:21:54,379 Comb jellies and jellyfish drift by the plankton soup 141 00:21:57,918 --> 00:22:00,853 They are carnivores 142 00:22:05,493 --> 00:22:10,430 This relative of the lion's mane is armed with deadly tentacles 143 00:22:10,564 --> 00:22:15,968 Yet these tiny jacks swim unharmed among them 144 00:22:20,107 --> 00:22:23,543 This colonial jellyfish is like a floating rope 145 00:22:23,677 --> 00:22:26,976 made up of thousands of polyps strung together 146 00:22:27,114 --> 00:22:30,242 each fishing with its own stinging tentacle 147 00:22:30,384 --> 00:22:33,251 King angelfish savor them 148 00:22:33,387 --> 00:22:36,879 Perhaps they like spicy foods! 149 00:22:45,266 --> 00:22:51,227 Spins a web of mucous to catch the tiniest plankton 150 00:22:55,309 --> 00:22:59,507 Look at this one! I call it the little sea elephant 151 00:22:59,647 --> 00:23:03,708 It's actually a member of the snail family 152 00:23:05,953 --> 00:23:09,548 We know plankton is a foundation for all this life 153 00:23:09,690 --> 00:23:14,923 but why is the plankton more abundant here than anywhere else? 154 00:23:16,430 --> 00:23:21,094 The answer is deep on the reef in a blizzard of life 155 00:24:01,909 --> 00:24:07,245 These are mycids tiny coldwater shrimp like creature 156 00:24:07,381 --> 00:24:12,910 Their abundance tells us that these waters are very rich in nutrients 157 00:24:13,721 --> 00:24:18,988 The mycids also tell us that these waters are unexpectedly cool 158 00:24:19,126 --> 00:24:24,223 That coolness is a vital reason why the greatest forces of land and sea combine 159 00:24:24,365 --> 00:24:28,096 to create the ocean oasis 160 00:24:30,004 --> 00:24:35,032 Deep inside our planet's mantle churns with heat 161 00:24:35,543 --> 00:24:39,639 On the surface the coolest pieces of the Earth's crust 162 00:24:39,780 --> 00:24:43,841 sink into the mantle and drag the plates behind them 163 00:24:43,984 --> 00:24:47,112 as if they were rafts of stone 164 00:24:48,489 --> 00:24:50,286 Five million years ago 165 00:24:50,424 --> 00:24:55,953 these forces began to pull Baja California from the side of Mexico 166 00:24:56,597 --> 00:24:59,566 Now look at the ocean 167 00:25:00,201 --> 00:25:05,229 Winds and the Earth's rotation push surface water away from the land 168 00:25:05,372 --> 00:25:09,900 and cooler green waters rise from the depths 169 00:25:10,544 --> 00:25:13,012 The cool water rich in nutrients 170 00:25:13,147 --> 00:25:16,844 nourishes the plankton that forms the base of the pyramid of life 171 00:25:16,984 --> 00:25:20,215 creating an oasis that is unique on Earth 172 00:25:20,354 --> 00:25:22,049 But that's only half the story 173 00:25:22,189 --> 00:25:24,680 The other half is on land 174 00:25:24,825 --> 00:25:26,622 It is hard to believe 175 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,025 but the same forces that formed the oasis 176 00:25:30,164 --> 00:25:33,531 also cause the dryness of the desert 177 00:25:33,667 --> 00:25:37,660 Moisture here comes from the evaporation of the sea 178 00:25:37,805 --> 00:25:41,036 so even plants depend on the ocean 179 00:25:41,475 --> 00:25:46,640 But when the water is cool not much evaporates to make rain 180 00:25:48,315 --> 00:25:51,716 So the same cold water that brings the oasis its riches 181 00:25:51,852 --> 00:25:55,845 also rob the land of moisture 182 00:25:58,926 --> 00:26:01,724 Life on the land is driven not just by hunger 183 00:26:01,862 --> 00:26:04,660 but by thirst 184 00:26:17,945 --> 00:26:21,437 Bizarre looking boojum trees and other plants 185 00:26:21,582 --> 00:26:27,077 and animals have developed wonderful ways to use every drop of water 186 00:26:34,128 --> 00:26:35,891 In its thick body 187 00:26:36,030 --> 00:26:40,126 a cactus stores the last rain like a memory 188 00:26:40,968 --> 00:26:47,066 It survives by averaging long dry times with occasional wet ones 189 00:26:48,642 --> 00:26:50,906 A cardon lives so slowly 190 00:26:51,045 --> 00:26:55,641 it may only reproduce itself once in 300 years 191 00:26:58,319 --> 00:27:02,779 But there are other ways of dealing with thirst 192 00:27:03,490 --> 00:27:05,924 Hummingbirds live in the fast lane 193 00:27:06,060 --> 00:27:12,659 with turbo charged metabolisms ten thousand times faster than the cactus 194 00:27:14,101 --> 00:27:15,932 With its mobility 195 00:27:16,070 --> 00:27:18,630 a hummingbird hunts pockets of moisture 196 00:27:18,772 --> 00:27:22,401 and follows a flourish north with the seasons 197 00:27:22,543 --> 00:27:26,104 Its life is a dance of spring 198 00:28:02,282 --> 00:28:05,046 As a desert day cools into night 199 00:28:05,185 --> 00:28:09,087 a kangaroo rat emerges from its burrow 200 00:28:09,223 --> 00:28:12,249 The dangerous heat of the day is gone 201 00:28:12,393 --> 00:28:16,489 but there is a different kind of enemy out tonight 202 00:28:24,938 --> 00:28:28,430 The kangaroo rat never drinks 203 00:28:28,575 --> 00:28:32,272 neither does the rattlesnake 204 00:28:33,147 --> 00:28:38,016 The rat's metabolism manufactures water from its food 205 00:28:38,152 --> 00:28:42,350 The snake gets moisture from its prey 206 00:28:51,165 --> 00:28:56,660 The snake searches with a second pair of eyes that sense heat instead of light 207 00:29:05,012 --> 00:29:08,539 Tonight the kangaroo rat escapes 208 00:29:09,450 --> 00:29:13,546 These creatures are finely adapted to the desert 209 00:29:13,687 --> 00:29:16,622 a desert caused by the ocean 210 00:29:21,161 --> 00:29:24,358 Cold water and dry land 211 00:29:31,505 --> 00:29:33,405 As I cross this peninsula 212 00:29:33,540 --> 00:29:39,240 every mile shows me another way that land and sea shape the oasis 213 00:29:42,649 --> 00:29:48,281 As we gain altitude more moisture condenses and the vegetation thickens 214 00:29:52,226 --> 00:29:56,458 There are even pine forests up here near an observatory 215 00:29:57,364 --> 00:30:04,634 Two miles high lichens rise seared by icy winds and winter snows 216 00:30:05,739 --> 00:30:09,140 I love this place 217 00:30:58,559 --> 00:31:04,293 As I travel here by helicopter or burro I often wonder 218 00:31:04,431 --> 00:31:09,027 Can humans live in harmony with the ocean oasis? 219 00:31:12,239 --> 00:31:16,403 High in the mountains canyons shelter native palms 220 00:31:16,543 --> 00:31:23,005 which drink by streams that keep the precious pools of last year's rains shadowed 221 00:31:24,885 --> 00:31:29,288 People have been coming here for thousands of years 222 00:31:30,958 --> 00:31:32,926 With cave paintings 223 00:31:33,060 --> 00:31:37,861 they told of their dependance on other life of the ocean oasis 224 00:31:42,002 --> 00:31:45,802 But we have not always been respectful of that life 225 00:31:47,741 --> 00:31:52,007 For years people came to Mexico to hunt gray whales 226 00:31:52,145 --> 00:31:54,443 They have reason to fear us 227 00:31:54,581 --> 00:32:00,247 That is why Pachico Mayoral's experience is so extraordinary 228 00:32:02,155 --> 00:32:04,646 It was almost thirty years ago 229 00:32:04,791 --> 00:32:08,022 One day I was going fishing 230 00:32:08,161 --> 00:32:12,222 Suddenly a whale came up and rested its head on the side of my boat 231 00:32:12,366 --> 00:32:14,061 I was terrified 232 00:32:14,201 --> 00:32:18,297 But the whale wanted to make contact like a friend 233 00:32:18,939 --> 00:32:24,571 People call the whale the devilfish because it smashed whaling boats to protects itself 234 00:32:24,711 --> 00:32:28,875 I'm always amazed about how completely they have changed 235 00:32:32,085 --> 00:32:35,282 Today Pachico takes tourists into lagoons 236 00:32:35,422 --> 00:32:40,018 where the whales sometime come to the boats to greet people 237 00:32:46,867 --> 00:32:49,859 The whales are giving us a great blessing 238 00:32:50,003 --> 00:32:53,495 I believe that in their world we are all equal 239 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,201 This is my feeling to all whales 240 00:32:58,278 --> 00:33:02,214 I believe they teach us what life is 241 00:33:11,758 --> 00:33:15,626 As we grow to respect the life of the ocean oasis 242 00:33:15,762 --> 00:33:18,731 it seems to welcome us home 243 00:33:57,871 --> 00:34:03,537 Mantas eat plankton but they come here for other reasons too 244 00:34:06,079 --> 00:34:10,948 They are drawn to this part of the oasis because of these little angelfish 245 00:34:11,084 --> 00:34:14,451 that swim out to meet them 246 00:34:14,688 --> 00:34:19,625 The angelfish go right up to the manta and gently clean it 247 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:24,356 eating algae and parasites off its flanks 248 00:34:27,601 --> 00:34:31,594 They also pester the remora which clings to the manta 249 00:34:31,738 --> 00:34:37,074 so they can clean the sore that the suckerfish has made 250 00:34:57,030 --> 00:35:00,488 Mantas are huge powerful animals 251 00:35:00,634 --> 00:35:06,334 They can swim 20 miles an hour and can easily avoid most divers 252 00:35:07,140 --> 00:35:10,906 But they choose to swim with us 253 00:35:15,949 --> 00:35:21,546 Like gray whales the mantas seem to welcome the touch 254 00:35:45,812 --> 00:35:51,079 As I watch these creatures one depending on the other 255 00:35:51,218 --> 00:35:54,244 I realize how everthing is connected 256 00:35:54,387 --> 00:35:57,879 and how the land and the seas of the ocean oasis 257 00:35:58,024 --> 00:36:02,757 are linked in a web of life that binds us all 258 00:36:09,002 --> 00:36:14,531 Among these great creatures I feel embraced and protected 259 00:36:15,842 --> 00:36:20,506 I wish I could protect them too