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[Brendan Fraser] Long ago…
a group of sea lions made an extraordinary journey
from the west coast of the Americas out into the Pacific Ocean.
What they found was a paradise
isolated from the rest of the world,
forged in fire and water.
Each island with its own distinct character
and each home to a unique community of castaways
delivered here by chance.
[tortoise grunts]
[bird squawking]
And beneath the water's surface, an underwater world unlike any other.
Today, the descendants of those first sea lions
rule these waves.
[birds chirping]
One evening, on a quiet beach,
a young female, Luna, comes ashore.
This is her home island,
a haven for both her and her newborn pup…
[sea lion pup bleats]
Leo.
[Leo bleats]
Sea lions usually only give birth to a single pup.
So, to Luna, Leo is the most precious thing in the world.
[Luna honks]
She will stay right here beside him for the first week
as they memorize each other's call and smell and cement their bond.
[Luna and Leo bleating]
[bird squawking]
This small colony of sea lions is made up almost entirely of females and pups.
[sea lions bleating]
- Except, of course, for the beachmaster. - [beachmaster groans]
He's the boss here, the bull.
Adult males fight over females,
and this guy is the current heavyweight champion.
[Leo bleats]
Right from the start, each pup has their own distinct personality
that will shape the type of sea lion they will become.
[Leo bleats]
Most pups stay close to their mothers in these early days.
But Leo, he's eager to figure things out for himself,
- like gravity. - [Leo groans]
Once he masters walking, the possibilities are endless.
The most important thing is learning how to find your mom.
[sea lion grunts]
[barks]
Nope. Wrong mom.
[Leo groans]
This is the one.
[Leo whines]
As the days pass, Leo grows fast.
Thanks to his mom's rich milk.
[Luna bleating]
Soon, Luna decides he's ready for his first test.
[beachmaster braying]
The beachmaster will make sure the coast is clear.
While the land is a safe place for pups, the water is not.
[Luna groans]
Sharks patrol these shores.
They time their visits specifically to coincide with pup season.
[bleating]
Once he gives the green light,
it's safe for Leo to enter the water for the first time.
[Leo bleating]
Remind me why we're doing this.
[Leo whining]
This is a young sea lion's first rite of passage.
Swimming lessons.
Luna stays with him every step of the way.
Sea lion pups can swim within a week of being born.
[Leo grunts]
This is a huge accomplishment.
[Luna brays]
Maybe Leo could become a big, brave beachmaster someday.
[braying]
Time to dry off.
The sand technique.
It's not for everyone.
[bleats]
[whines]
Leo aced his first swimming lesson today.
At bedtime an incredible light show begins.
The Galápagos are so completely isolated from the rest of the world
that the stars here shine brighter than almost anywhere on the planet.
Next morning, Leo follows Luna down to the water's edge.
But this is no swimming lesson.
This is something she must do alone.
For adult sea lions, every day spent on land is a day without food.
- [Luna groans] - [Leo whimpers]
Luna has to return to sea to feed herself and replenish her milk supply,
and Leo has no choice but to stay behind.
[Leo grunting]
Leo's never been alone before.
[birds clicking]
[Leo huffs]
Maybe he could hang out with these guys.
Sally Lightfoot crabs.
Sounds friendly.
Where you going?
[Leo grunts]
[groans] Making friends is hard.
[iguana huffs]
An iguana.
Maybe he can be Leo's…
[iguana snorts]
How do you like that? Not even a hello.
[Leo whimpers]
Will he ever find a friend?
Far out at sea, Luna is focused on one goal.
Fish.
And she's joined up with some other hungry sea lions.
Together they make an elite team of hunters.
There's a hidden cove they'll use to execute their plan.
An experienced hunter,
Luna positions herself at the head of the pack.
Gradually, they drive the fish toward the cove,
but they need to watch their own backs.
They're not the only predators hunting here today.
Blacktip sharks.
The sea lions at the back of the group need to stay extra focused on the sharks
and wrap up this hunt quickly.
At the front of the pack, the water's getting shallower
and the fish are beginning to panic.
They're trapped.
Now a third group enters the mix.
Brown pelicans.
Pirates.
[pelicans cawing]
The sea lions are rushing their attack, trying to outrun the sharks.
[pelicans squawking]
But now the pelicans descend and grab the fish
right before the sea lions can push them up onto the beach.
They let the sea lions do all the work and then swoop in and steal the bounty.
And there's nothing Luna can do about it.
[Luna barks]
They're robbing the sea lions blind.
[huffs]
These guys will jam three, even four fish down their gullets at once.
They're so greedy, they'll even try to rob each other.
[Luna roars]
Luna can only watch.
Stunned by the sheer gluttony.
But she's not about to let these thieves win the day.
Back on their home island,
[Leo bleats]
Leo is working on his sea lion call.
[Leo bleating]
A neighboring pup, Maya, comes over to investigate.
[Leo bleats]
[Maya bleats]
She's not sure if Leo passes the smell test,
but, before you know it, they're off to the beach together.
It seems Leo's finally found a friend.
Someone who loves to explore as much as he does.
It's pretty clear these two were meant for the ocean.
And just like his mom, Leo's a natural at corralling fish.
Out at sea, Luna is scoping out another shoal of fish for the team.
The hunting party assembles for a second run.
These guys again?
[pelicans squawking]
Game on.
The sea lions are outmaneuvering the sharks this time.
The team is in textbook formation.
The pelicans converge for another smash-and-grab.
[pelicans squawking]
But this time the sea lions manage to push the fish further up onto the beach
and shove the pelicans out of the way.
[sea lions grunting]
Finally, the hardworking hunters get to enjoy what they've earned.
It's an all-you-can-eat buffet for Luna and her friends.
And no pelicans allowed.
Give me that fish, and get out of here.
Luna fills her belly.
Now she's got all she needs to feed Leo,
plus, a pretty impressive victory over those pelican pirates.
- [pelicans squawking] - [sea lions growling]
It's been two days since Luna left.
In her absence, Leo started to push his boundaries.
He's on his way to the other side of the island.
- [flies buzzing] - [birds chirping, twittering]
Hello up there.
[croaking]
Yeah, it's gonna be a little tricky making friends over here.
Do not approach the other moms.
[sea lion huffs, growls]
[sea lions braying]
Leo ventures even further out onto the lava rock shore.
Whew. It's hot out here.
He's gotta get out of the sun.
Maybe a swim?
Leo loves the ocean.
But this is not his cozy little home beach.
These are jagged rocks, and the tide is rising.
Soon he's surrounded by water.
[Leo bleats]
His swimming lessons did not prepare him for this.
[Leo bleats]
The white water pulls him down.
[Leo grunts]
Leo finally makes his way to calmer waters.
[Leo grunts]
And just then, a call rising up over the sound of the waves.
[Luna bellowing]
He knows that voice, but where is she?
[Leo bleating]
He's so exhausted.
He can't figure it out.
[Luna bellowing]
There she is.
[bellowing and bleating continue]
Mom's come home.
Leo has done an incredible job of surviving on his own.
And now Luna has the food from her hunting trip
to nourish him with lots of fresh milk.
Nearly a year has passed,
and Leo's tiny mangrove island has seen some changes.
[sea lions grunting and groaning]
[Leo growls]
[growling continues]
The humble beach he was born onto has become a bustling city.
With hundreds of new sea lions having moved here from other islands,
the place isn't what it used to be.
Luna is still a comfort, of course, but there's a new problem.
As of late…
[beachmaster growls]
…the beachmaster is no longer a friendly protector to Leo.
Quite the opposite.
[beachmaster braying]
Leo's not a young pup anymore,
so he's becoming much less welcome on a beach full of females.
[beachmaster roars]
[Leo whines]
He can't understand why the beachmaster's trying to separate him
from his mother.
He used to look up to this guy.
[Leo grunts]
[beachmaster braying]
[growls]
Luna has given him the best possible start,
but her role is coming to an end.
Leo can play in the shallows around his island for now,
but there will come a point when he'll have to leave this place.
At least down here, he doesn't have to deal with the beachmaster.
Unlike most marine mammals,
sea lions generate their power with their front flippers,
not their tails.
It allows them to be incredibly agile in the water.
In the coming years,
these young sea lions will hone their skills in preparation for adulthood.
And for Leo, that starts with exploring the ocean.
The Devil's Crown, the remnants of an ancient volcano,
and the ideal destination for a young, exiled adventurer.
Leo is now four years old
and is no longer welcome on the beach he once called home.
But the stunning marine spectacles on this neighboring island
are a helpful distraction.
Galápagos sea lions can dive deeper and for longer periods
than any other sea lion species,
reaching depths of nearly 2,000 feet.
And the deeper Leo dives, the more wonderful the sights.
Blue and gold snapper.
Black-nosed butterfly fish.
Even a guinea fowl puffer.
But best of all, Maya has come by to check in on him.
She already knows this island and where to find some potential friends.
The problem is not everyone wants to be friends with them.
That's not gonna stop them from trying though.
Okay, enough of this. Who's next?
Whitetip sharks.
They're nocturnal predators.
During the day, they just want a place to rest.
But that's not gonna happen
because when sea lions want to play, they're gonna play.
And today's game is "Chase the Shark."
Can-Can I squeeze in here?
Hey. Hi. Found ya.
Leo seems to know to only nip at this end, and not the toothy one.
Sea lions.
I hate this game.
Having made zero friends down here, Maya decides it's time to head home.
Not Leo though.
They both know at his age
the beachmaster won't allow him in the colony.
He says goodbye to his childhood friend.
There is no going back for Leo.
Only forward.
Leo hauls out on a nearby island.
[bird chirping]
Española.
It's a little busy here.
But he can probably grab a nap and warm up after his dive.
Some familiar faces
and some new ones.
Where Leo's from, they don't have Nazca boobies.
Definitely not the sandy beaches Leo was hoping for.
[Leo yawns]
But right now, he just needs a place to sleep.
What he doesn't know is that there are more than just boobies here.
There are waved albatrosses, and it's mating season.
[albatross honks]
This could be a problem.
These birds partner for life, so this annual ritual isn't just for show.
It can be 20 minutes long,
and it involves bill clacking…
[albatross honks]
…bowing,
swaying,
honking…
[honking continues]
…and to top it all off, the silent scream.
Ah.
Almost every waved albatross in the world comes to this island to breed.
[honking continues]
And the noise is relentless.
[bill clacking]
So much for resting.
Unable to return to his home beach,
Leo moves on in search of someplace more welcoming.
[birds squawking]
Like Leo, the Galápagos islands themselves are on their own journey.
The relentless volcanic activity here has them always moving, always changing.
And it's possible any one of them could become Leo's home one day.
Eventually, Leo finds an island where the coastline is rough and exposed,
and the swell is picking up.
[waves rumbling]
[bubbles popping]
If there's one thing Leo can't resist,
it's surfing.
From out of the blue, another sea lion joins Leo.
And he's brought with him some other young exiles.
With spirits riding high,
Leo starts up a game of "Catch the Sea Urchin."
But on this reef, playing games can be costly.
Leo senses something.
Run for it.
A close call, but they all managed to escape.
A massive 12-foot Galápagos shark on the hunt for young sea lions.
With no adults around to protect them, Leo steps up.
If he can't conquer his fear, he'll never become a beachmaster.
The others follow his lead.
Leo is gonna take on this shark.
He's learned from chasing the whitetips at Devil's Crown…
nipping on their sensitive tails is something that sharks hate.
He shows the others how it's done.
Finally the shark retreats.
It's had enough.
When things got heated,
Leo was able to rise to the occasion and face down the shark.
Very few male sea lions go on to become beachmasters,
but Leo is showing he might just have what it takes.
He leaves his surfing friends behind and continues on alone.
But now much more empowered.
The waters throughout the Galápagos are some of the richest on Earth
with over 500 types of fish.
For a lone sea lion, catching fish in open water is nearly impossible.
But there are other ways.
Some fish hide from predators inside rocky crevices.
Thankfully, Leo is patient.
Sea lions have the longest whiskers of any mammal
that can sense the tiniest vibrations in the water.
As Leo pokes around, he realizes something.
If he blows bubbles into the rocks,
he can flush out the fish from their hiding spots.
Gotcha.
It's a start,
but he'll need much larger catches if he wants to become a beachmaster.
Leo presses on.
The Galápagos archipelago is spread over a vast area.
23,000 square miles.
So sea lions have to make huge ocean crossings.
So far in his life, Leo has only explored a few places,
but there are over a hundred islands, islets, and rocks in the Galápagos.
And each has its own special qualities that make it exceptional.
Newly formed islands are just barren rock.
Freshly cooled lava where life struggles to get a hold.
On older islands, plants have had time to establish,
creating rich, varied habitats.
[birds chirping]
On the far western edge of the archipelago lies Fernandina,
the youngest island of them all.
[Leo huffs]
It looks pretty inhospitable on the surface.
But underwater it is a very different story.
Deepwater currents make these shores some of the most productive
in all of the Galápagos.
The water is so cold, even penguins have made a home here.
Leo has seen iguanas like these on his home island,
but what are they doing down here?
Galápagos marine iguanas are the only lizards on Earth
that have evolved to swim underwater.
They feed almost entirely on algae.
But the local damselfish do not appreciate these land creatures
coming down here and just helping themselves to whatever they want.
Tearing apart their front lawns.
And they're not going to just put up with it. [grunts]
[groans] Fine. The iguana's had enough.
But now it's Leo's turn.
Leo knows what it's like when you're not welcome.
You're a pretty good swimmer, you know that?
After a long, slightly annoying dive,
the iguana returns to the lava rock that is home.
Many others are also hauled out here.
Thousands of them.
Their ancestors were amongst the first animals to arrive on these islands.
[lizard sneezes]
Not exactly a warm welcome for Leo.
The lizards sneeze out the excess salt water
that has accumulated in their bodies from their diving trips.
Leo also notices other island inhabitants sneakily slithering through the rocks.
Racer snakes.
Hundreds of them are amassing.
All waiting for one thing.
Newly hatched baby iguanas.
Every route seems blocked.
This is one gruesome place.
The little ones who manage to make it through
are safe with the adult iguanas.
[flies buzzing]
Fernandina is a recently formed island,
and at its heart is an active simmering volcano.
A ticking time bomb.
Its relentless volcanic activity is constantly reshaping its landscape.
[birds squawking]
But these harsh lava rock surroundings also create an opportunity for Leo.
This jagged, uneven coastline is a perfect hunting ground.
And now that he's an adult,
Leo is ready to set his sights on bigger prey.
Much bigger prey.
Yellowfin tuna.
They can weigh up to 130 pounds
and are capable of traveling at 40 miles per hour.
Twice as fast as a sea lion.
And just when Leo thought he was all alone out here,
another young adult sea lion shows up from a neighboring island
and he's eager to join Leo in the hunt.
Neither of them seem to know quite how to approach this.
The tuna don't seem all that hard to round up.
But each time they get close, they manage to slip through.
Leo almost gets one,
but they're nearly impossible to hold on to.
They're so quick.
[warbling]
Well, this isn't working.
Out of options, Leo looks to the island's quiet inner coves.
There's an old exiled beachmaster who lives here.
It's a bit of a gamble,
but Leo's gonna see if he can get him to help.
Waking a full-grown bull sea lion from his nap is not a great idea.
But when Leo wants to make friends, he can be pretty persuasive.
Amazingly, Leo convinces him to join the hunt.
What Leo doesn't know about this old bull…
is that, when it comes to catching tuna, this guy is a legend.
The two younger sea lions head out in front,
while the maestro hangs behind.
Leo and his partner chase the tuna all around the cove,
and the old master blocks the exit.
What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in brains.
He knows the tuna, as fast as they are, tire out quickly.
Eventually, they begin to single one fish out.
- Finally, the tuna's out of energy… - [sea lion braying]
…and out of water.
The young ones step aside
and let the old pro show them how to deal with one of these huge things.
[sea lions grunting]
[birds warbling]
Leo can pack on the muscle he needs.
[birds twittering]
And thanks to the old beachmaster,
he's learned that not all adult males are hostile.
It's up to Leo to decide what sort of bull sea lion he will become.
[volcano eruption explosions]
The volcano has awoken, spewing molten rock across the island.
As the 2,000-degree lava flows into the sea,
the water instantly evaporates.
Fernandina is on fire.
And Leo is forced to move on again.
A growing sea lion without a home.
Three years have passed, and Leo is now seven years old.
His travels throughout the Galápagos have taken him from dead volcanoes
to lava eruptions and more,
but he's never experienced the blissful side of volcanic activity…
until today.
Hot gas bubbles from molten magma percolating up through the sea floor.
The lava rock in this area was filled with these bubbles when it cooled,
giving it a unique coarse texture.
Perfect for scratching up against.
Leo finds a group of females who welcome him to their little spa
and happily show him the art of exfoliation.
Once they're good and pampered,
Leo tags along with them as they head back to their home island.
The shallows here remind Leo of his old home.
This magnificent extinct volcano is Beagle Island.
Its sheltered sandy shore makes it the perfect home for sea lions.
[sea lions braying]
Leo's hit the jackpot.
A beach full of females.
Finally, a community he can be a part of.
But wherever there's a nice beach, somewhere there's a beachmaster.
[beachmaster growls]
And the nicer the beach, the bigger the beachmaster.
[beachmaster growls]
Whoa. Leo did not realize there was gonna be any competition here.
[Leo honks]
[roars]
He's way outmatched.
[barks]
But he's got an idea.
[beachmaster braying]
Maybe not the best idea, but it's better than the alternative.
One thing is for sure,
that big beachmaster is not going to make it up here.
He'll just be waiting down there.
[Leo bellows]
[bleats]
For a minute there, Leo thought he had something.
But he has to face the truth.
He can't compete with the beachmaster yet.
And until he can,
he'll never have his own community.
[Leo grunts]
[Leo groaning]
Time to make a quiet exit.
He just needs to figure out a way to get down from here…
without waking you-know-who.
[beachmaster growls]
Probably best to just take the back way.
[beachmaster yawns]
It's not elegant,
but it gets the job done.
Banished for the second time in his life.
Leo heads north,
towards the most remote islands in the archipelago.
Open ocean crossings can take sea lions days.
But even out here, in the vast empty blue, there are pockets of life.
A bait ball of Pacific sardines.
This is a perfect opportunity for Leo as he looks to bulk up.
The changing shapes and colors are mesmerizing…
and Leo quickly finds himself chasing shadows.
Luckily, a roaming sea lion pod shows up to pitch in.
It's organized chaos
as they pierce the bait ball from every direction…
and corral the fish toward each other.
Leo is finally getting the feast he needs.
Bait balls like this are fleeting spectacles
and rarely last for long.
As he departs with a belly full of sardines,
Leo notices the others floating at the surface.
Far from shore and unable to warm up after their dive,
they poke their flippers out of the water and use them like solar panels.
It's definitely…
creative.
But Leo's not feeling it.
He's gonna continue north as far as he can go.
There's an island he spotted on the horizon.
Darwin. The most remote region of the Galápagos.
For Leo, this is the edge of the world.
Sea lions can only remain out at sea for so long.
Eventually, they have to warm up on land.
Timing the leap is incredibly difficult.
Get it wrong, and you could be smashed against the rocks.
Miraculously he's found a ledge where he can finally rest.
[Leo grunts]
[birds twittering]
Darwin Island's closest neighbor, Wolf Island, hides a dark secret.
While Nazca boobies can fly great distances across the ocean
to mate here…
[Nazca boobies honking]
…these little birds cannot.
They're stranded here,
and the sparse vegetation on this desolate island
isn't enough to sustain them.
So, they're forced to resort to desperate measures.
These are vampire finches.
And they feed on the blood of the native Nazca boobies who nest here.
[Nazca booby trills]
[finches chirping]
Their distant ancestors would've only been eating parasites
from the boobies' feathers.
And as the boobies benefited from this service,
they tolerated these smaller birds.
But somewhere along the line, isolation and evolution
turned these little songbirds into bloodsucking carnivores.
[finch squawks]
These northernmost islands have offered Leo nothing but rocky cliffs
and thrashing waves.
He has no choice but to continue on his journey.
[splashes]
Over the next several years,
Leo explores every corner of the Galápagos.
All its creatures…
all its magic.
His lifelong quest has taught him so many things,
and yet it's still missing the most important thing…
a home.
It's been ten years since Leo left his home beach
and his mother and Maya.
And he's now a fully grown adult,
still searching for his place in this island world.
Another barren island with menacing cliffs and no beaches.
[Leo growls]
Leo's seen it all and is prepared for any scenario.
He's older and wiser now, more confident.
And willing to take greater risks to get what he wants.
There's a current in this tunnel that seems to be pulling him in.
It might lead somewhere.
There's an opening.
A secret beach.
That seems like paradise.
- [sea lions bleating] - [Leo grunts]
But he knows by now not to trust first appearances.
[beachmaster huffing]
Sure enough, this beach is already taken.
[beachmaster growling]
But Leo's not a frightened young sea lion anymore.
[Leo brays]
And now, he's just as big as this beachmaster.
[both roaring, barking]
[roaring, barking continues]
- [Leo brays] - [beachmaster growls]
[Leo growls]
Finally, the old beachmaster has had enough.
[old beachmaster whining]
Leo shows him the exit.
[Leo braying]
After years of searching…
from one end of the Galápagos to the other,
Leo has finally found a home.
[braying continues]
His mother, Luna, who nurtured his adventurous spirit…
who cared for him and taught him so well…
would be proud of the beachmaster he's become.
In time, more sea lions will arrive here,
and they need not fear sharks…
not as long as Leo patrols these waters.
The females and pups who live here will be safe and secure.
[sea lion pup yawns]
[sneezes]
[Leo bleating]
Leo has overcome every challenge on his incredible island odyssey.
Now he's ready to lead.
And to raise up his own family on his own beach.
This is his reward. This is his moment.
This is his home.
[crew] Look at that.
The wildest thing, I reckon, I've ever filmed.
[chattering]
[sea lion pup grunts]
[bleats]