Cascadia - A Place Where Giants Roam | Free Documentary Nature

Beyond its raw energy, Olympic National Park captivates you with something only it can boast. Three huge parks on a remote Pacific coast, dense rainforest and rugged mountain wilderness, but few witness the wild heartbeat of this park when the drama unfolds in the sea or in the sky. It's a

place

where

giants

roam

, primitive instincts spur grueling journeys, and stars shine in unexpected

place

s while killers lurk in the depths. Discover life behind the scenes on this unique adventure within Olympic National Park, beyond the surf, the park's coastline. Olympic national may seem calm, but there is only trouble on the high seas preparing a pod of orcas to survive in these icy waters an adult can burn 200,000 calories a day which means that orcas always need to hunt with their keen senses they know what is happening miles around and have set their sights on a nearby colony of stellar sea lions.

The sea lions are safe while resting on the rocks

where

they breed and raise their young, but in the water they have to watch their backs and their rich fat. in energy turns them into desired prey, too late they sensed the danger that overcame them by swimming. It's impossible for whales to be faster than a fellow sea lion is the only ticket to survival, but this gang of killer whales roll fast and furious, the largest warm-blooded predators in the oceans, they have no intention of going hungry, whales are masters of sneak attack. Before attacking to kill, they beat their victims senseless or throw them into the air until they weaken.

A half-ton sea lion is no match for a 10-ton killer whale, but a nasty blow like this still requires teamwork. Drowning ends The miserable sea lions are always at risk of whale and shark attacks, but they also hunt their share of smaller prey along the park's 73 miles of pristine coastline. The thing about orchids is that they never stop. They forget the carnage that a successful hunt seems to be. cause for a victory celebration, but these are transient orcas, like truckers on long-distance ocean voyages, they have to hit the road and will continue to travel the coast from Alaska to Southern California in search of their next meal.

The water is from the Olympic National Park. Lifeguard is a home, a highway, and a 24-hour restaurant for creatures that thrive in its three diverse environments, from the ocean to the rainforest to the mountaintop. The park's seaside isolation keeps it wild and little traveled, unless you're already heading inland with a seasonal passport. During the winter, the first coho or coho salmon made their way upstream to spawning grounds deep in the park's ancient rainforests. It's an exhausting journey and it took a couple of years for the salmon to grow enough to jump many feet in the air like a true Olympian. athletes, but the drive to reproduce is a powerful motivator.

Some obstacles are more deadly than others, like a female black bear fishing at night when her fur is less visible to sharp-eyed salmon. She has to be patient and quickly make a successful catch. This means that the mother can share a high-calorie meal with her two hungry cubs instead of foraging for plants or insects. Right now, there is food everywhere, but the first salmon catches of the season provide the best source of protein for the bear family. Getting fat now will help everyone get through next time. Winter hibernation and with the family now well satiated, some lucky coho are able to speed along guided the last few kilometers to their native streams thanks to their sense of smell for the salmon that come home.

Life isn't getting easier, they have to sneak around. Some unwanted and probably voracious company They are a family of North American river otters caught up in daily rituals They groom their thick waterproof fur to keep them insulated in cold water They take time to play, rest or daydream on the riverbank The coho may come out unharmed after running for miles, crosses the finish line now ready to mate if he can fend off a rival with hooked noses and striking red flanks which these males bite and display to show they have arrogance as the plain looking dwarf male rises from the Across the stream where he has been spying and positions himself behind the female, these small males mature faster than hooknoses and may be genetically superior mates.

It will be brains against brawn. There is no competition, the dominant male wastes no time ripping it out of his muscles. In the image the female builds a nest or red in the gravel that will protect her eggs she is waiting for a victor to come out and make her move a small caress to encourage her a courtship dance and after the final touches to her nest she makes signs with her anal fin ready to lay her eggs, the male hovers nearby to fertilize her hundreds of pea-sized eggs before her rival can do so. These shallow streams where salmon life begins and ends will serve as a nursery for spawning for months to come.

Take the eggs to hatch while the river otters are aware that something smells bad here, chances are it's time to eat. Otters are expert swimmers who glide through the water with webbed feet and powerful tails, and fish are their favorite food, but coho haven't swum that far to become. Someone's dinner is too slow to outrun a hunter, this ten-pound salmon will be a feast for the otter and her entire family. Otters have a high metabolism, so they have to eat almost a fifth of their weight every day to generate adequate body heat, as long as there is enough food they feel at home in almost any aquatic environment when it's time to eat. relax otters are not beyond making some quirky moves scent marking is not a way of claiming territory as it is for many carnivores, it's just their way of knowing others are in the hood, but they look up at the sky and mount olympus makes it clear that this is no simple walk in the woods, the park is more than four times the size of New York City, nearly 600 square miles of old growth trees.

Absorbing more than 12 feet of rain each year, plants and wildlife found nowhere else in the world have made the Olympic Games such an exceptional park that UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site. This is also home to the largest uncontrolled herds of Roosevelt elk in the world. It is named after Teddy Roosevelt, the president who designated this area as a national monument in 1909 to save declining herds. Now they protect the rainforest by browsing the undergrowth, making room for new plants and animals, but this half-ton bowl is not something you can imagine. They want to take on 60 different species of mammals They live in forests that help maintain even the smallest ones They do their part When a squirrel eats a cone of fur it spreads seeds It's one way that new generations of Douglas fir or Sitka spruce begin the cycles of New growth and old growth keep this forest healthy, as do Olympic's vast freshwater networks, and its protected status keeps it safe from commercial logging - timber logging that wiped out much of the old-growth forest beyond the park in the coast its nesting season for Americans national symbol the bald eagle and for this new father life has suddenly become busy adult eagles do not have to eat every day but they are young if they are protected by their mother and well fed the eaglet can gain more than a pound every four days the chick is only a few days old and does what all babies know how to eat and eliminate best, be a good provider, it takes a good eye to spot prey and the skills of a pilot of combat to catch it today, which could mean a confrontation with a rival hunter, a true opportunist the eagle takes advantage of a raft of sea lions stirring up dinner it's herring season on the Olympic Peninsula a pitched battle for anyone who swims or Flying scavenger like a bald eagle probably won't attack live sea lions, but won't hesitate to steal their food if you can.

The sea lions gang up to attack while the fish do their best to jump out of danger. It's time for the eagle to seize the moment with a quick swipe of its talons to collect its catch. a stroke of luck because it is estimated that eagles catch their prey only once every 18 attempts, protected with dyed wings, the snack will have to appease the greedy chick, for now the strong winds and strong currents of the Pacific constantly shape the Olympic National Park's spectacular landscape creating spectacular arch-like formations, this 73-mile-long stretch of wilderness is one of the longest undeveloped coastlines in the lower 48 states.

Most visitors experience only a fraction of the park's secret life because much of the action occurs underwater. Ocher colored starfish lie in the tide pools. They are a key species here because they keep the muscle population in check and that keeps the rocky terrain available for anemones and other small marine animals, but the beauties can have a beastly side. This sunflower starfish has a three foot wide arm and a taste for the sea urchin it is hunting. It has fifteen thousand tubular feet with suction to grab victims if necessary. It can shoot the stomach out of the mouth to digest. larger prey whole near the coast the shallow coastal waters are also a refuge for marine mammals such as sea lions that stroll on the rocks or hunt under the sea here in their own enchanted forest the kelp beds are several stories deep There are seals and the animal that could be called the guardian of the kelp beds, the sea otter feeds on clams, abalone and sea urchins.

Without them, the small underwater life would graze excessively, destroying the kelp forests that feed and protect the seaweed. sea ​​mammals. It is rare to see a mother and cub with a male escort. The males are often a threat to the pair and may even hold the pup hostage until the female delivers her food for many years. Being an otter was a risky business. They have the densest fur of any mammal. In the early 1900s, they had been hunted until death. Extinction here on the Olympic coast and only a few thousand existed worldwide. Sea otters were reintroduced to the region.

In 1969 they were still endangered, but are recovering thanks to recovery efforts. Today, almost a thousand otters get by here with a little help from their friends. Gray whales were also hit hard by overexploitation, but have now come back strong as the seasons change. They take their young to northern Mexico to feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. The cavs are only three months old and are already marathon swimmers in one of the longest known mammal migrations in the world. It's more than 10,000 miles to your destination, a dangerous journey even for adults. Because there are killers on the loose transient orcas, the only enemies smart and strong enough to turn a gray whale's journey into a nightmare, and they are closing in on the pod off the park's coast, a pod of transient orcas. that hunt together can dominate even the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, but they also go after graves with a vengeance, if they can, gray whales will escape to extremely shallow waters beyond the breakers, they are in their zone of comfort here, where the orcas can't drown them, the killer.

The whales might catch him here, but hiding was probably a good move on this male's part, but the passersby are already heading to another target. whale let alone a young cat when they approach the mother pushes her powerful tail towards the orcas trying in vain to scare them away can a lone female really outrun this group of bullies wrapping a protective fin around her calf she is trying to protect for the last time? him, but the orcas hit his flanks using their weight, forcing him deeper and holding him until he drowns. The rainforest spring has finally arrived at the top of the park, the Olympic mountains, the alpine meadows are

free

of snow and ready for new life, unlike any of the biospheres below, this third park within a park It is all an implacable edge and its overlord is Mount Olympus a mile and a half away. high is the highest peak in the park's glacier-filled mountain range, which is a protected wilderness area.

It is a panorama that most visitors see only from the heights of the hurricane crest, but far from prying eyes it is brewing a drama the warm weather has awakened the hungry Olympic groundhogs after months of hibernation isIt's not too early to pack on the pounds that will get you through next winter. These rodents may be the most outgoing mammals in the park. Adults are the size of domestic cats. These little guys are world-famous Olympic marmots that evolved in this park and don't live anywhere. more, but they are not immune to predators and nothing can ruin your day like a young bald eagle on a hunt like good eagle scouts groundhogs prepare for eagle guard duty it's serious business this piercing whistle sends a urgent message to the colony, run for cover now a young man does not realize the danger despite repeated alarms it is a mistake that could cost him his life the hunting eagle is hot on the groundhog's heels but he is lucky and narrowly escapes the time is everything today is the groundhog eagle zero here in the alpine meadow don't let anyone underestimate the survival skills of the little ones an aerial view of the olympic mountain range shows the positive side of

nature

's upheaval the peninsula was formed by the collision of tectonic plates and then by enormous glaciers, all creating the dramatic features that make This is one of the most geographically diverse parks in the United States.

Here, too, water contributes to the park's visual magic, but at these elevations it is frozen in hundreds of impressive glaciers, many of them active in July. The alpine meadows bloom to the forest's black-tailed deer. Walk to feed with a view that irritates year-round residents During this brief season, life at altitude is not lush, but in just a few more weeks, groundhogs are among the few to brave the harsh early winters here Some have already doubled in weight and will soon disappear into their burrows, but winter's icy breath has a lighter touch in the park's lower reaches, here on the west side, the misty hills are a sign that summer is still here.

It is in full swing. Rains soak these temperate forests, making Olympic one of the wettest places in the U.S. Native Americans hunted and fished here thousands of years before European explorers arrived, and the Water and the life that thrives around it are still honored in tribal culture. on land water was offered as a gift to help us survive during low tide someone is looking for a quick snack usually that means plants but black bears are omnivores good at sniffing out food almost anywhere they aren't picky blueberries in season insects tree young crust and salmon once they return in the fall to today's menu fresh crabs handling them takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it you're in for a gourmet dinner, the shells are a rich source of calcium for the old bear and that's doubly so.

This is true for these growing cubs, they are on their first crabbing expedition with mom further up the coast, like any good mother, she places a high priority on their education, they will need skill and instinct to survive once They may be on their own for more than a year, so it's time to watch and learn from the best, but sometimes dipping your paws into something new, especially something that can pinch, requires a little push first, try with no luck. , her older brother learns quickly and savors the taste of success, but maybe it will be leftovers This mother may be a strict taskmaster but she will never let her cubs go hungry or run away from danger Suddenly she is on high alert and for good reason An adult male is a serious threat to have pups as these pups may belong to a rival and could kill and even eat them, it's time to make a safe escape, but a delicious feast distracts the hungry male seals who are trying not to lose the calm so far from the coast that there is no way I can reach them except these wandering gangsters.

They are always looking for fast food and may try to escape from an orca. Not a smart strategy for seals. They hide in dense kelp forests. They are transient. Orcas are great at terrorizing the neighborhood. The tangled web of kelp can hide the seal clear sonar vision of whales safe for now but unnerved by a new intruder is a research vehicle that falls into a deep-water canyon just north of the park in the Strait of Juan de Fuca the ocean floor is a strange world full of creatures that crash in the night like this plane, Finnish midshipman, but the only way to explore the abyss is by submarine, this rat fish or chimera goes out to hunt for food as it has been doing for millions of years , as the skinny midshipmen dig to avoid looking like a meal.

It attracts its own prey with its bright spots the ratfish does not give you the time of day it may be looking for shellfish some crabs or shrimp but the Finnish midshipman takes no chances some call the ratfish a ghost shark its otherworldly glow its enormous creepy eyes their ancestors existed long before the dinosaurs but they can still strike like lightning when an unsuspecting victim approaches them something they must be doing right they haven't changed their appearance or their habits in 150 million years there are bright spots in this sea ​​of ​​darkness, but it is a place where terror can attack anyone at any time in the form of 12-foot monsters with enormous jaws, like dogfish or the six gill sharks that keep everyone in suspense: sharks are born and raised her babies. here in the canyon, then head to deeper waters beyond the coast and the search for ocean life is left to the wandering eye of science beyond the park's boundaries, the Pacific shows who's really in charge nearby from Cape Flattery and Tattoos Island here on the northwest edge of Washington The seas are always angry, but it's a surfer's paradise for this common myrrh colony.

They are seabirds that come ashore mainly to reproduce. It doesn't take them long to turn the steep cliffs below the lighthouse into nurseries for thousands of hatching eggs. common myrrh. They are faithful not only to their mates but also to their breeding grounds as long as the ocean remains rich and abundant,

nature

has designed their pear-shaped eggs to remain on these cliffs, even in strong winds, they can spin but not roll and It always returns to the perfect balance with just a few minutes of life this chick is already hungry. There are herring and sand tenders available for the taking, but common mirrors take a laid-back approach to fishing without shade or sunscreen.

Sometimes you just have to let the feast come to you with a school of sand eels. Sand eels may be worth the effort if you're a hungry seabird, but it's best not to scare the prey because when sand eels panic, no one You can match their disappearing act and the common mirrors are left fighting for another snack, but as long as the hatchlings get enough to eat, all is well for the adults at the top of the cliff. our baby eagle is now almost seven weeks old and still needs constant care in two months she will be ready to leave the nest for good until then between home improvements and keeping it fed both parents have full time jobs this historic lighthouse is located in the The tip of Tattoo Island is a secluded magnet for nesting birds like the eagle, but live and let live is not how eagles see things, so even their feathered neighbors are not potential prey either.

The chick realizes they are under attack and when they do it may be too late. Hungry eagles will always seek the right death. It's nothing personal, but without a place to hide, that makes the Mers perfect targets in short order. It's total chaos. The eagles want to show who is at the top of the food chain, there will undoubtedly be victims, especially among the most vulnerable, the invaders show no mercy, they attack the colony with sharp beaks and claws and bring their doom almost powerless to defend themselves, the murs can only mourn their losses against all odds, this little chick escaped harm and learned its first survival lesson.

Eagle chicks face different challenges, grow at a faster rate than any other North American bird, and need plenty of food and constant parental supervision, yet only half will survive the first year. It takes five years for the chick to become a sexually mature adult. , that's when it will develop its distinctive white head and tail feathers and magnificent plumage No one said the path to national fame would be easy In early October The first major storms indicate that fall is here It's the season when the The peninsula's normally turbulent seas hit the Olympic coast with extra fury, but even in such brutal conditions nature adapts and there is a method to its madness in the storm's wake the Strait of Juan de Fuca enjoys a bit of calm and a gift sent with the tide for the resident orcas of the salmon zone so today they are going fishing, unlike the transient orchids, the residents do not hunt or eat marine mammals, they only fish We are following the fall migration of chinook or king salmon to observation areas of fresh water.

The leader of this group is a matriarch who is believed to be over a hundred years old. The salmon head to the park's coastal rivers, that is if they can finish running a pot. of whales with a huge appetite and a system in which the orcas worked together using hunting techniques passed down through generations, coordinated the attack with high-pitched vocalizations and stunned the fish with their tail fins before pounced on their feast mobile is a good day to be a resident and Like their transient cousins, they too seem to celebrate their success, but the specialized feeding habits of each group may be the reason they do not crash for their prey.

Thanks to their large numbers, many king salmon come to their native estuaries to spawn after years at sea. They weigh up to 50 pounds. They are the largest of the Olympic Games. Five species, all with different migration patterns. The salmon make their last stand here by moving upstream laying and fertilizing eggs at intervals. The more time they spend in fresh water, the weaker they become. Most die soon after. They spawn and become food for animals downstream, others like the American dipper make good use of the salmon migrations by diving to steal their eggs and larvae. Each female Chinook lays about 5,000 eggs, synchronizing her eggs to give her young the best chance of survival, but many of these tiny salmon fry will never mature and reach the sea.

Their enormous nests are easy to find and would tempt any hungry bird, but for all the casualties in this vast park, there were many more success stories in isolated streams and waterfalls of sea-to-summit dramas hidden from all but the more adventurous eyes every fall the roosevelt elk climbs into the mountains it's mating season and this rugged terrain is the perfect setting for seduction this bull may look macho with his enormous antlers, but his love songs will win him, any heart, the Heads turn and hooves will follow, it's clear he knows how to impress, but a black bear might better hinder his style of gathering the harem and heading for the hills.

He doesn't care, his only plan is to eat all his energy. Ripe energy food than juicy berries with months of hibernation on the horizon Who wouldn't take the time to binge a little too soon? Winter is here. Pacific winds blow across the mountains, dropping temperatures below

free

zing. Life at the top has closed its doors for the season. and the stragglers know that it is time to leave the mountains to their melancholic others will seek the less hostile climate of distant coasts and winter will cast a wide veil keeping secret the secrets of these three parks within a park, for now the wildest can be yet to be. revealed that that is the strength and timeless charm of the Olympic National Park