(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: Welcome to North America.
The most diverse continent on Earth.
The only place where you can find every landscape from polar ice cap...
to baking desert, and everything in between.
Whatever the neighborhood, there is a hero who can make it a home.
Smart, tough, brave, you name it.
They all have what it takes to thrive
in the wildest, most beautiful continent on Earth.
(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: The southeast corner of the USA.
For over a thousand miles,
between Washington, D.C., the tip of Florida,
and onwards to Louisiana,
a coastal plain sits just above sea level.
A magical place where the boundary between land and water
is ever changing.
And life must slip between two worlds.
The steamy swamplands of Louisiana...
as rich in life as a tropical rainforest.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
NARRATOR: And some of that life...
can be found in surprising places.
(BEAR GRUMBLING)
NARRATOR: This black bear has been holed up in her tree all winter.
When she went to bed, there was dry land all around her.
But it's rained way more than usual this year.
Now her tree is an island.
(BEAR WHINES)
NARRATOR: Weird thing to wake up to.
(BARK CREAKING)
NARRATOR: Being cut off from dry land has given her a problem.
Because now, this bear's got a family to feed.
(BEAR CUB WHINES)
NARRATOR: These little guys were born just three months ago.
They're each drinking a quart of milk every day.
To keep them fed, she's gotta eat.
(BEAR CUB WHINES)
NARRATOR: And that means...
-crossing gator-infested water. -(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: She's scouting the most direct path to dry land.
She can swim, but her cubs can't.
So now she's got to try something which nobody has ever seen before,
let alone filmed.
(TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES)
NARRATOR: She has no other choice but to carry her cubs through the swamp.
She can't grip him too tightly.
But if she loses her grip...
(MUSIC BUILDS)
NARRATOR: ...the stakes couldn't be higher.
She must take the risk, or her cubs will starve.
The swamp floor is a mass of gnarly roots.
One slip, one stumble,
and he's got an easy meal.
She's reached the point of no return.
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
NARRATOR: That's one cub on dry land.
Now she needs to finish the job.
(MUSIC BUILDS)
NARRATOR: Cub number two
doesn't want to leave the safety of the tree.
(BEAR CUB YELPS)
NARRATOR: It's the only home he's ever known.
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: Mission accomplished.
This mother proves herself a true Waterland hero.
Around here, you gotta be able to move from land to water...
and from water to land.
The barrier islands of South Carolina.
Part of a chain of sand dune islands
running for 200 miles up the Atlantic coast.
Behind is a maze of mud and water shaped by the tides.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
NARRATOR: The setting for a southern spectacle
not seen anywhere else in America.
(WAVES CRASHING)
-(WAVES CRASHING) -(FISH SPLASHING)
NARRATOR: The tide is dropping,
and predators are swimming into the maze from the open sea.
(BIRD CAWING)
NARRATOR: They know these inlets are full of fish.
And here, these bottlenose dolphins have figured out how to catch them...
on land.
They have just three hours before the tide rises
and covers the exposed mud once again.
A youngster joins the group to learn how it's done.
They find their prey by echolocation,
sound waves that help them see in muddy water.
They work together to corral the fish close to the bank.
Now for the smart part.
They swim side by side, creating a bow wave.
(WAVES CRASHING)
NARRATOR: Which pushes the mullet up onto the mudbank.
Now it's an easy meal for the dolphins.
And freeloading pelicans.
It's a great play...
but you've got to herd the fish to just the right spot.
Avoid the banks with sharp oyster shells.
Steep banks are no good. Most fish just bounce back into the water.
Nice catch.
And with flat banks, you risk getting stranded.
Not many fish so far, and the tide is rising again.
There's only one mudbank left uncovered.
This is the perfect spot.
It's showtime.
(DETERMINED MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: And the rookie? Well, he's nearly got the hang of it.
(MUSIC SWELLS)
(MUSIC FALLS)
NARRATOR: A good fishing trip after all,
for these super-smart heroes that move from water to land
and back again.
Inland, the wetlands stretch as far as the eye can see.
And their undisputed ruler...
is the American alligator.
It's mating season.
Time to get ready to rumble.
This male gator is moving into the arena.
Where the males will compete with each other
for the hearts of the females.
Not a physical contest.
A sonic one.
(RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: As he exhales,
the gator creates a rumble so deep, it's infrasonic.
Lower than we can hear.
So instead, we see it.
The sound waves make the water dance.
(LIGHT, ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: Sound travels more efficiently in water than air.
So the rumble sends out the gator's dating profile
far along the waterways.
(MUSIC SWELLS)
NARRATOR: The bigger the gator, the bigger the rumble,
and the further his love song will travel.
(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: But in this battle of the bands, you need to beware of jealous rivals.
(LOW RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: The underside of a gator has no armor.
So rumbling males are vulnerable.
(RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: Male gators can lose limbs,
be blinded, or even killed in breeding season battles.
(ALLIGATOR HISSES)
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: The biggest male is unharmed, and his deep voice has worked its charm.
A female has traced his call back to him.
And now these ten-foot predators reveal their tender side.
Foreplay, reptile style.
A few weeks after this romance,
the female will have eggs to lay.
Above the waterline, the ruler is more secretive.
This deer is right to be nervous.
A stealth hunter lives in this Florida forest.
An expert at using dense cover to hide.
One of the rarest mammals in the world...
found nowhere but here.
Only brief glimpses of this animal have ever been seen in the wild...
before now.
A Florida panther.
Once this big cat, supremely well-adapted to these forests,
thrived here.
But by 1970, there were just 20 left in the wild
because of a change they weren't adapted for.
The clearance of their home, for ours.
Since then, though,
amazing conservation efforts have brought the panthers back.
(UPLIFTING MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: A green ribbon of protected wilderness,
the Florida Wildlife Corridor weaves between cities
and connects patches of forest the length of the state.
Where highways cut through the corridor,
underpasses allow cats to cross in safety.
Now, there are over 200 panthers in Florida once again.
(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: Joining up forest is good for the region's biggest land animal too.
There's 40,000 across the South.
And they're not shy about leaving their mark.
This black bear's rubbing off his thick winter coat,
so he can stay cool through the summer.
(GRUNTING, HUFFING)
NARRATOR: He's 400 pounds.
-And eight feet tall. -(BEAR GRUNTS)
NARRATOR: But there's a tree for everyone.
(BEAR ROARING)
NARRATOR: The youngsters watch and learn from the experts.
By midsummer, it will be over 100 degrees.
You could say "unbearable."
For females without cubs, this is more than a way to stay cool.
While rubbing off their coats, they're rubbing on their scent.
Inviting males from miles around...
-to a private rendezvous. -(BEAR SNORTS)
In the Waterland,
the summer can be the most challenging time of the year.
Even for the most resourceful inhabitants.
-This raccoon is a single mom. -(RACCOON CHATTERS)
NARRATOR: She and her kits are up early to avoid the midday heat.
Though sleepyhead here didn't get the memo.
The mud is full of juicy invertebrates.
Tasty.
Raccoon paws are four times more sensitive than most mammals'.
They can virtually see with their hands.
So Mom's eyes are free to scout for their next meal.
An alligator nest mound packed with eggs.
Just one problem.
-The owner's still home. -(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: She mated with her rumbling male three weeks back
and has fifty eggs in the mound.
She could finish a raccoon in one bite.
But she hasn't spotted the thieves, and she heads off to hunt.
(MUSIC BUILDING)
NARRATOR: The raccoons grab their chance.
(MISCHIEVOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: No surprise that it's sleepyhead bringing up the rear.
Gator eggs are full of protein.
Perfect for a growing family.
This has to be a smash-and-grab raid, though.
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
NARRATOR: They need to finish their breakfast
before the gator returns from hers.
(MUSIC BUILDING)
NARRATOR: Bellies full, the bandits leave the scene of the crime.
(MUSIC FALLS)
NARRATOR: All except sleepyhead.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: This is no time for sleeping on the job.
The security's heading home.
(MUSIC BUILDS)
NARRATOR: Last-minute getaway.
(MUSIC FALLS)
NARRATOR: It'll be another year before the gator mom can breed again.
It's hard slipping between two worlds.
Sometimes, it's better to live in just one.
The ancestors of one southern giant
switched from land to water a few million years back.
A manatee, cousin of the elephant.
These thousand-pound vegetarians are relaxing in a Florida spa.
(BURBLING)
NARRATOR: Warm water springs bubble up
and keep these hot tubs at a balmy 72 degrees.
The warmth can be a lifesaver.
Especially for a nursing calf.
This little guy wouldn't have survived the winter in the cool ocean.
So Mom brought him to the pool party.
Nearly half the world's manatees come to Florida springs each year.
Some swimming over 500 miles to get here.
This pool hosts the largest gathering of all. Over 800 manatees.
Now, the party's over.
They've eaten all the food around here,
and the ocean's warming up again.
Time for the annual migration back to the coast.
Just a quick kiss goodbye.
Mom needs to keep her calf close to her side.
The ancient migration routes are much more dangerous
than they used to be.
Because of a man-made killer.
-(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) -(PROPELLER RUMBLING, WHIRRING)
NARRATOR: Slow-moving manatees
are vulnerable to boats that break the speed limit.
-(SORROWFUL MUSIC PLAYING) -(PROPELLER RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: The propellers of speeding vessels
kill many manatees every year.
When a mom is killed,
it's big trouble for the calf.
Orphaned, he'll only survive a few days alone.
But manatees do something that only a handful of other animals
in the whole world do.
Mothers adopt orphaned calves.
This mom produces enough milk for two,
and can lead both calves on the rest of their migration.
The favorite destination for many is the coast of Everglades National Park.
In between the mangrove-fringed islands,
the warm shallow seas nourish huge beds of seagrass.
The manatees' favorite food.
Each manatee can eat up to 15 percent of its body weight every day.
Here in the Waterland, the biggest meadows are down on the seabed.
And after sunset,
the most beautiful light displays are not in the sky...
but under the water.
(ELECTRICAL WHIZZING)
(ELECTRICAL CRACKLING)
These lights are created by microscopic life-forms
-that thrive in their millions... -(THUNDER RUMBLES)
NARRATOR: ...in the warm summer seas.
(WATER SPLASHING)
NARRATOR: These tiny creatures flash with light,
known as bioluminescence,
when fish try to feed on them.
It doesn't seem to put off the mullet that are out feeding tonight.
(SWEEPING MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: Though the fish aren't the only predator in town.
The dolphin, lighting up the lagoon in search of a mullet midnight feast.
In the summer, night brings relief from the heat.
On the coastal dunes, the hardest working hero in the South
is starting her shift.
This beach mouse has lots of food to collect before sunup.
Luckily, she's got a great partner.
Beach mice are one of very few mammals that mate for life.
They work together to gather energy-rich seeds of sea oats.
But the mice have a deadly foe.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: A red rat snake.
Roaming the dunes, trying to pick up the mouse's scent trail.
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
NARRATOR: He's just inches away.
How the mouse avoids detection was a mystery until recently.
Even in near darkness, the snake has super senses.
His forked tongue tastes the air to sniff out prey.
But he can't get a fix on his target.
(MUSIC RISING)
(MUSIC FALLS)
NARRATOR: The mouse escapes again.
-(THUNDER RUMBLES) -(LIGHTNING CRACKS)
NARRATOR: With a storm looming, she heads home.
And reveals the answer to the mystery.
She's a collector of old snake skins.
As she walks through, the snake scent rubs off on her...
disguising her own scent.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: But the beach mice aren't safe just yet.
The snake has found the mouse hole.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: In the burrow, there's no evading the hunter.
(MUSIC BUILDING)
(MUSIC STOPS)
NARRATOR: Unless you've planned ahead.
Every beach mouse burrow has a secret back door.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: The snake is foiled again.
While the mouse rejoins her faithful partner in a backup burrow,
dug for exactly these occasions.
They'll sleep through the day ahead,
their burrow sheltering them from something far deadlier than a snake.
Morning reveals an apocalyptic force of nature
building far out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Under the searing summer sun,
water is evaporating faster and faster from the sea's surface.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: Winds blow the rapidly growing storm clouds
towards land.
(BEAR SNORTS, GRUNTS)
NARRATOR: The warmer the water, the more powerful the weather system.
The biggest grow from tropical storm...
to hurricane.
-(THUNDER RUMBLING) -(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
NARRATOR: The leading edge of the hurricane
pushes rain clouds in front of it towards the coast.
A year's worth of rain can fall in a single day.
(MUSIC BUILDING)
NARRATOR: Good time to move inland, if you can.
The system begins to rotate counterclockwise around its eye...
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
NARRATOR: ...forming a storm cell hundreds of miles across.
The winds drive the sea water in the storm's path forwards,
creating a surge up to 20 feet high.
(WATER BURBLING)
NARRATOR: When the eye wall,
the most dangerous part of the hurricane, makes landfall,
winds hit over 160 miles per hour.
(TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES)
(METAL CLATTERS)
(ALARM BLARING)
-(THUNDER RUMBLES) -(MUSIC FADES)
NARRATOR: Hurricanes cause billions of dollars of destruction
and untold heartbreak
across the southeast of our continent.
As ocean temperatures rise, these storms are becoming more frequent
and more ferocious.
Our best hope for the future may lie
with the coastal defenses that nature provides.
Beneath the sand dunes,
some of our heroes are unknowingly doing great work
to keep storm damage at bay.
Every time our beach mice move to a new burrow,
they leave their store of seeds behind.
So these guys are super efficient at spreading sea oats all along the beach.
Over time, the abandoned oats germinate.
As they grow, they bind the sand grains together...
making the dunes bigger and stronger.
These dunes absorb the impact of wind and waves
and protect coastal towns and cities
from the devastating force of storms and hurricanes.
Where there are no dunes,
mangrove forests line hundreds of miles of southern coastline.
Their network of twisted roots is incredibly strong.
A barrier sheltering manatees and other residents from extreme weather.
Where the mangrove forests are left to flourish,
just like the sand dunes, they protect our homes,
including the city of Miami.
The Waterland is more than just a barrier against danger.
It's the perfect home, if you can go with the flow.
Every year, the great swamps soak up the floodwaters.
This year, those waters are deep,
but the gator mom built her nest above the high waterline.
And this time, she kept it safe from raiding raccoons.
Now, two months after the eggs were laid,
the youngsters are calling from inside...
(HATCHLINGS SQUEAK)
NARRATOR: ...telling Mom they're ready to hatch.
(HATCHLINGS SQUEAK)
NARRATOR: They break through the leathery shell
using a tiny egg tooth
on the tip of their snout.
The emergence of the first encourages the rest to get going.
(HATCHLINGS SQUEAK)
NARRATOR: All 50 eggs can hatch within a day or two.
At just seven inches long, they're gonna need protection.
Luckily for them, alligator babies have bodyguards.
Their mothers are the most caring in the reptile world.
(ALLIGATOR GROWLS)
NARRATOR: She'll guard them for months, possibly up to a year.
Great parenting is one of the reasons gators can thrive in this Waterland.
A place they've called home since the time of the dinosaurs.
Some things remain much the same as they were back then.
On late summer mornings,
hatchlings still use dragonflies for target practice.
With mixed success.
(WINGS FLUTTERING)
NARRATOR: And they still kick back when the day gets too hot
to do too much of anything at all.
(HATCHLINGS SQUEAK)
NARRATOR: These days, there are millions of gators
across the southern U.S.
But last century, they were hunted to near extinction.
So it's down to us humans to make sure that this
will be a scene that continues to play out into the future.
These giant reptiles with a sensitive side
are true emblems of the South.
A place for heroes of both water and land,
where nothing is quite what you expect.
(ALLIGATOR HISSES)
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC FADES)