1
00:00:14,472 --> 00:00:16,474
[water splashing]

2
00:00:21,438 --> 00:00:23,106
[dramatic music plays]

3
00:00:34,576 --> 00:00:38,830
[Pedro Pascal] They're the closest we have
to extraterrestrials on planet Earth.

4
00:00:41,499 --> 00:00:45,837
No wonder the cephalopod family
has captured our imagination.

5
00:00:51,843 --> 00:00:54,054
Their alien appearance

6
00:00:56,014 --> 00:00:58,016
comes with astonishing intelligence,

7
00:00:58,683 --> 00:00:59,934
independence,

8
00:01:00,018 --> 00:01:01,394
and invention.

9
00:01:04,105 --> 00:01:06,775
And there's still so much to learn

10
00:01:06,858 --> 00:01:10,070
about these rarely seen
legends of the deep.

11
00:01:14,532 --> 00:01:18,286
Animals that truly are
stranger than fiction.

12
00:01:41,976 --> 00:01:44,771
Nutrient-rich waters make this

13
00:01:44,854 --> 00:01:47,649
one of the most productive seas
on the planet.

14
00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:54,697
A perfect place for new life to begin.

15
00:01:57,283 --> 00:01:59,619
[tranquil music plays]

16
00:02:01,830 --> 00:02:03,540
Hidden beneath the waves…

17
00:02:05,917 --> 00:02:07,252
in a secret world…

18
00:02:11,798 --> 00:02:14,759
100,000 precious eggs.

19
00:02:18,763 --> 00:02:22,016
Each no bigger than a grain of rice.

20
00:02:29,607 --> 00:02:32,986
For six months,
they have been carefully tended

21
00:02:34,070 --> 00:02:34,904
by Mom.

22
00:02:38,700 --> 00:02:41,077
A giant Pacific octopus.

23
00:02:42,287 --> 00:02:43,246
Her body,

24
00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:45,331
their fortress.

25
00:02:48,209 --> 00:02:50,378
She keeps the water moving

26
00:02:50,461 --> 00:02:53,214
to prevent algae
from smothering her babies.

27
00:02:55,842 --> 00:02:57,135
Within each egg,

28
00:02:57,844 --> 00:03:02,182
a tiny replica
of an almost impossible creature.

29
00:03:04,767 --> 00:03:05,894
Eight arms…

30
00:03:08,313 --> 00:03:09,856
three hearts,

31
00:03:11,316 --> 00:03:12,442
and blue blood.

32
00:03:15,904 --> 00:03:21,034
Eventually, they will grow
to be 250,000 times heavier…

33
00:03:23,077 --> 00:03:26,331
and among the most cunning predators
in the ocean.

34
00:03:29,959 --> 00:03:31,794
But very few make it that far.

35
00:03:34,380 --> 00:03:36,174
[tranquil music plays]

36
00:03:42,222 --> 00:03:45,058
It's time to leave
the safety of their nursery.

37
00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:48,686
[tranquil music continues]

38
00:04:01,032 --> 00:04:03,785
With one final exhalation from Mom…

39
00:04:06,204 --> 00:04:09,624
this baby is cast away
into the ocean currents.

40
00:04:16,589 --> 00:04:18,716
She will never see her mother again.

41
00:04:20,343 --> 00:04:22,345
[tranquil music continues]

42
00:04:27,308 --> 00:04:28,518
Completely alone,

43
00:04:29,852 --> 00:04:31,729
at the mercy of the sea.

44
00:04:31,813 --> 00:04:33,815
[tranquil music continues]

45
00:04:43,866 --> 00:04:45,410
If she survives,

46
00:04:45,493 --> 00:04:46,786
she'll take her place

47
00:04:46,869 --> 00:04:51,833
within one of the most incredible
animal families on Earth.

48
00:04:54,502 --> 00:04:56,504
[water splashing]

49
00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:05,138
Found in every ocean…

50
00:05:07,181 --> 00:05:10,435
there are over 800 species of octopus,

51
00:05:12,270 --> 00:05:13,104
squid,

52
00:05:14,272 --> 00:05:15,732
and cuttlefish.

53
00:05:18,318 --> 00:05:19,736
They are cephalopods…

54
00:05:22,947 --> 00:05:26,284
which literally means "head-foot,"

55
00:05:27,368 --> 00:05:29,579
thanks to their peculiar anatomy,

56
00:05:30,246 --> 00:05:33,166
with limbs sprouting out of their faces.

57
00:05:36,627 --> 00:05:39,422
But the earliest cephalopods
looked more like this.

58
00:05:41,924 --> 00:05:42,884
A nautilus.

59
00:05:45,261 --> 00:05:47,513
It resembles its mollusk relative,

60
00:05:48,139 --> 00:05:49,140
the snail.

61
00:05:51,726 --> 00:05:55,813
It has remained unchanged
for half a billion years…

62
00:05:59,359 --> 00:06:04,447
while others were evolving
in the most extraordinary ways.

63
00:06:05,448 --> 00:06:07,450
They lost their shells,

64
00:06:08,826 --> 00:06:12,121
making them more flexible, more nimble,

65
00:06:13,915 --> 00:06:17,835
able to explore places
that had been off-limits.

66
00:06:21,506 --> 00:06:22,757
Their fluid form

67
00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:27,011
is even capable of surviving
the crushing pressures of the deep.

68
00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,058
But with no shell for protection,

69
00:06:32,141 --> 00:06:34,268
cephalopods became soft targets.

70
00:06:36,354 --> 00:06:41,025
So they came up with
an almost supernatural range of abilities

71
00:06:41,109 --> 00:06:42,402
to stay safe.

72
00:06:48,866 --> 00:06:52,036
Vital in a sea full of predators.

73
00:07:06,509 --> 00:07:09,470
The ocean can be a daunting place…

74
00:07:11,848 --> 00:07:14,517
if you're only the size of a matchbox.

75
00:07:17,937 --> 00:07:20,273
It pays to keep a low profile.

76
00:07:23,067 --> 00:07:26,028
But a little cuttlefish
can't hide forever.

77
00:07:31,534 --> 00:07:35,538
A high metabolism
means he's always hungry.

78
00:07:41,294 --> 00:07:43,754
His favorite food lives in the shallows…

79
00:07:45,798 --> 00:07:47,925
just 20 meters away.

80
00:07:54,265 --> 00:07:58,394
But when you're this small,
it's an epic journey…

81
00:07:58,478 --> 00:08:00,480
[suspenseful music plays]

82
00:08:02,815 --> 00:08:04,358
…full of danger.

83
00:08:10,740 --> 00:08:12,783
He swims pretty well,

84
00:08:14,410 --> 00:08:16,787
but fish are faster…

85
00:08:21,375 --> 00:08:23,044
with sharp eyesight.

86
00:08:25,838 --> 00:08:30,510
But blending in is a cephalopod specialty.

87
00:08:38,518 --> 00:08:40,186
The cunning cuttlefish

88
00:08:41,229 --> 00:08:44,065
takes his disguise one step further.

89
00:08:45,775 --> 00:08:47,777
Special muscles in his skin

90
00:08:48,361 --> 00:08:54,158
produce thousands
of spiny outgrowths known as tubercles…

91
00:08:56,410 --> 00:08:58,246
making him look like seaweed.

92
00:09:04,043 --> 00:09:05,711
It seems to do the trick.

93
00:09:10,258 --> 00:09:13,386
This isn't the only outfit
in his collection.

94
00:09:16,722 --> 00:09:20,142
In a fraction of a second,
he can channel any look.

95
00:09:20,226 --> 00:09:21,894
[water rushes]

96
00:09:27,233 --> 00:09:28,359
Snail…

97
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:35,074
coral…

98
00:09:38,869 --> 00:09:39,870
or rock.

99
00:09:47,044 --> 00:09:50,506
Cephalopods' amazing ability
to change color

100
00:09:51,966 --> 00:09:54,343
is all thanks to their chromatophores.

101
00:09:56,137 --> 00:10:00,975
Millions of pixel-like cells
filled with pigments,

102
00:10:01,767 --> 00:10:06,105
they expand and contract like balloons…

103
00:10:10,943 --> 00:10:14,113
to create rapid changes in color.

104
00:10:21,996 --> 00:10:26,500
Perfect for merging into the background
within a fraction of a second.

105
00:10:33,966 --> 00:10:37,094
Cephalopods put chameleons to shame,

106
00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:43,100
with the most sophisticated camouflage
of any animal.

107
00:10:51,192 --> 00:10:56,030
This disguise is usually enough
to keep a tuberculate cuttlefish safe.

108
00:10:59,950 --> 00:11:01,410
But when all else fails…

109
00:11:02,495 --> 00:11:04,497
[tense music plays]

110
00:11:12,129 --> 00:11:13,130
…a smoke screen.

111
00:11:21,055 --> 00:11:22,765
Mucus-rich balls of ink,

112
00:11:23,349 --> 00:11:26,435
mimicking his shape and size.

113
00:11:29,188 --> 00:11:30,439
Decoys deployed,

114
00:11:31,524 --> 00:11:32,733
he makes his escape.

115
00:11:37,905 --> 00:11:39,323
Unlike octopuses,

116
00:11:39,407 --> 00:11:41,450
cuttlefish have an internal shell.

117
00:11:42,451 --> 00:11:44,286
A built-in buoyancy aid,

118
00:11:44,370 --> 00:11:46,539
making them superior swimmers.

119
00:11:47,748 --> 00:11:51,585
Even so,
after such a long, eventful journey,

120
00:11:51,669 --> 00:11:53,504
he's worked up quite an appetite.

121
00:11:56,465 --> 00:11:58,634
[tense music plays]

122
00:12:23,951 --> 00:12:24,952
Shape-shifting…

123
00:12:27,121 --> 00:12:27,955
inking,

124
00:12:29,707 --> 00:12:31,584
even regrowing their limbs…

125
00:12:33,878 --> 00:12:39,383
cephalopods' superpowers
help them survive in dangerous waters.

126
00:12:39,467 --> 00:12:41,469
[tranquil music plays]

127
00:12:44,388 --> 00:12:46,390
[birds squawking]

128
00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:53,647
Back in Canada, a story of success

129
00:12:54,231 --> 00:12:56,734
in the face of overwhelming odds.

130
00:13:01,864 --> 00:13:03,866
[jaunty music plays]

131
00:13:05,576 --> 00:13:09,580
The giant Pacific octopus
is now a year old…

132
00:13:11,916 --> 00:13:14,585
and already 2,000 times bigger.

133
00:13:16,462 --> 00:13:18,422
But there's still a long way to grow.

134
00:13:22,843 --> 00:13:26,806
Only one in 30,000 make it to adulthood.

135
00:13:33,771 --> 00:13:35,147
To help her get there,

136
00:13:35,773 --> 00:13:39,235
she'll need to rely
on her extraordinary sight.

137
00:13:41,612 --> 00:13:42,988
Each octopus eye

138
00:13:43,072 --> 00:13:46,367
has a greater field of view
than we have with two.

139
00:13:49,954 --> 00:13:51,747
And when she uses both eyes…

140
00:13:56,794 --> 00:13:58,170
nothing escapes her.

141
00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:02,800
Unrestricted by a solid skull,

142
00:14:02,883 --> 00:14:05,511
her eyes move independently,

143
00:14:06,512 --> 00:14:11,809
so she can look forwards
and backwards at the same time

144
00:14:12,643 --> 00:14:16,355
for an almost 360-degree field of view.

145
00:14:21,735 --> 00:14:23,529
Allowing her to scan for food…

146
00:14:25,948 --> 00:14:29,285
and keep an eye out for danger.

147
00:14:29,368 --> 00:14:31,370
[tense music plays]

148
00:14:33,539 --> 00:14:37,251
Like all octopuses,
she's almost pure protein.

149
00:14:45,259 --> 00:14:46,927
So everyone wants a bite.

150
00:14:55,811 --> 00:14:58,647
She's now big enough
to survive rockfish attacks…

151
00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:04,862
but there's always a bigger predator
looking for a meal.

152
00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:11,201
[dramatic music crescendos]

153
00:15:11,285 --> 00:15:13,287
[water rushing]

154
00:15:22,129 --> 00:15:24,381
She needs to keep vigilant.

155
00:15:30,220 --> 00:15:32,097
With no parents for protection,

156
00:15:32,181 --> 00:15:37,019
young octopuses must balance
their innate curiosity with caution.

157
00:15:41,357 --> 00:15:45,694
And in a constantly changing ocean,
they need to learn fast.

158
00:16:00,918 --> 00:16:02,336
When the tide turns,

159
00:16:03,087 --> 00:16:05,047
predators move in,

160
00:16:06,173 --> 00:16:09,093
searching for prey
caught out by the falling sea.

161
00:16:18,602 --> 00:16:20,354
Stranded in a rock pool…

162
00:16:26,026 --> 00:16:29,655
a nine-month-old Brazilian reef octopus.

163
00:16:33,575 --> 00:16:35,577
Cut off from the retreating ocean,

164
00:16:36,537 --> 00:16:38,455
she can't survive long here.

165
00:16:40,124 --> 00:16:41,417
[tense music plays]

166
00:16:47,464 --> 00:16:52,052
But this resourceful young octopus
isn't done yet.

167
00:17:08,610 --> 00:17:09,820
Up above,

168
00:17:09,903 --> 00:17:11,405
this is the moment

169
00:17:11,488 --> 00:17:15,826
an army of Sally Lightfoot crabs
have been waiting for.

170
00:17:17,453 --> 00:17:21,457
Low tide is their chance
to feed on exposed rocks.

171
00:17:24,668 --> 00:17:27,921
At first, they seem determined
to keep dry…

172
00:17:30,424 --> 00:17:35,262
leaping ten times their body length
from rock to rock.

173
00:17:42,936 --> 00:17:47,858
But if the gap's too big,
they're forced to take the plunge.

174
00:18:01,830 --> 00:18:03,832
[tense music plays]

175
00:18:08,253 --> 00:18:12,633
This was no lucky strike.
It was a carefully planned ambush.

176
00:18:14,384 --> 00:18:18,597
The young octopus
has learned the crabs' regular highway.

177
00:18:22,392 --> 00:18:25,270
Her incredible ability to strategize…

178
00:18:30,859 --> 00:18:34,238
is carried out by a very unusual brain,

179
00:18:35,405 --> 00:18:37,366
distributed throughout her body,

180
00:18:38,158 --> 00:18:42,412
two thirds of its neurons
located within her limbs.

181
00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:48,252
Self-taught, she knows when to hang back

182
00:18:49,378 --> 00:18:50,629
and when to pursue.

183
00:18:58,137 --> 00:19:00,139
[tense music plays]

184
00:19:29,209 --> 00:19:34,798
She paralyzes it by injecting toxic saliva
with her hidden beak,

185
00:19:36,425 --> 00:19:40,971
then waits for her digestive enzymes
to liquefy its insides.

186
00:19:42,514 --> 00:19:44,224
A nutritious crab shake.

187
00:19:47,269 --> 00:19:49,479
But she needs five a day
to keep her growing,

188
00:19:50,564 --> 00:19:53,066
and she's working against the clock.

189
00:19:53,942 --> 00:19:55,986
[tense music plays]

190
00:20:06,622 --> 00:20:09,666
The midday sun
is shrinking her tidal pool…

191
00:20:13,003 --> 00:20:16,423
threatening to leave her high and dry.

192
00:20:22,346 --> 00:20:25,933
And, as she breathes
through moistened gills,

193
00:20:26,683 --> 00:20:28,518
she'll suffocate without water.

194
00:20:31,939 --> 00:20:34,149
It's hours till the tide rises again…

195
00:20:34,816 --> 00:20:36,026
[bubbling]

196
00:20:37,361 --> 00:20:39,571
…but she's developed a clever solution.

197
00:20:41,323 --> 00:20:42,491
[bubbling continues]

198
00:20:43,909 --> 00:20:48,830
In a cavity behind her head,
she stores water to let her breathe.

199
00:20:55,754 --> 00:20:58,382
Enough to buy a few more minutes.

200
00:21:06,556 --> 00:21:11,061
The breathing space she needs
to do the unthinkable.

201
00:21:19,945 --> 00:21:21,947
[somber music plays]

202
00:21:26,994 --> 00:21:28,870
She becomes a land crawler.

203
00:21:36,503 --> 00:21:40,215
She must move fast before she dries out.

204
00:21:46,471 --> 00:21:49,766
Her fluid body is no longer weightless.

205
00:21:51,393 --> 00:21:53,937
Her organs are in danger of failing.

206
00:21:59,192 --> 00:22:02,195
Shifting pools is a risky strategy,

207
00:22:03,989 --> 00:22:06,491
but with cunning and forethought,

208
00:22:07,576 --> 00:22:09,036
she won't be caught out.

209
00:22:10,579 --> 00:22:12,289
[water splashing]

210
00:22:24,593 --> 00:22:29,097
The tougher the challenge,
the more inventive cephalopods become.

211
00:22:38,398 --> 00:22:42,361
Barren sands with nowhere to hide.

212
00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:53,997
Predatory puffer fish.

213
00:22:55,791 --> 00:22:56,917
To survive here,

214
00:22:58,001 --> 00:23:02,464
octopuses have adopted some
of the strangest strategies on the planet.

215
00:23:07,094 --> 00:23:11,264
The wunderpus baffles predators
by acting downright weird.

216
00:23:13,058 --> 00:23:16,561
The blue-ringed octopus
signals his lethal venom.

217
00:23:19,815 --> 00:23:22,484
Others are more innovative.

218
00:23:22,567 --> 00:23:25,570
[jaunty music plays]

219
00:23:26,405 --> 00:23:30,367
Veined octopuses
seem to regret ditching their shells

220
00:23:30,450 --> 00:23:32,869
all those millions of years ago.

221
00:23:39,459 --> 00:23:42,045
When it comes
to a replacement suit of armor,

222
00:23:43,004 --> 00:23:46,091
getting the right fit is all-important.

223
00:23:56,977 --> 00:23:59,563
Perfect protection from puffer fish.

224
00:24:08,113 --> 00:24:09,114
Once assembled,

225
00:24:09,865 --> 00:24:12,701
they carry their mobile homes
wherever they go.

226
00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:20,834
Not bad for a mollusk.

227
00:24:28,175 --> 00:24:29,468
Octopuses,

228
00:24:29,551 --> 00:24:32,262
among the sharpest minds in the ocean

229
00:24:33,722 --> 00:24:36,766
and the greatest tool users
of any invertebrate.

230
00:24:41,146 --> 00:24:43,440
They are even thought to dream.

231
00:24:47,736 --> 00:24:51,323
When such intelligence
combines with sheer size,

232
00:24:52,657 --> 00:24:54,993
something remarkable emerges.

233
00:25:02,292 --> 00:25:04,294
[tranquil music plays]

234
00:25:15,096 --> 00:25:16,598
A trail of destruction,

235
00:25:17,766 --> 00:25:19,184
leading to a kraken

236
00:25:20,185 --> 00:25:22,479
at the height of her power.

237
00:25:22,562 --> 00:25:24,564
[tense music plays]

238
00:25:30,111 --> 00:25:32,989
One of the fastest-growing animals
on the planet,

239
00:25:33,865 --> 00:25:37,744
she needs 20,000 calories a day.

240
00:25:39,454 --> 00:25:41,414
That's a lot of time out hunting.

241
00:25:57,556 --> 00:25:59,683
Now, as heavy as a human,

242
00:26:01,351 --> 00:26:04,646
this three-year-old giant Pacific octopus

243
00:26:05,814 --> 00:26:08,233
is a physiological phenomenon.

244
00:26:17,284 --> 00:26:18,910
She has thick blue blood,

245
00:26:19,661 --> 00:26:22,914
pumped around her body
by her three hearts.

246
00:26:26,585 --> 00:26:28,420
Swimming is strenuous.

247
00:26:30,755 --> 00:26:33,383
Better save energy and walk.

248
00:26:44,561 --> 00:26:48,898
Eight muscular arms, five meters across.

249
00:26:54,195 --> 00:26:57,240
Powerful enough to tear human flesh.

250
00:27:03,663 --> 00:27:07,125
Her arms see through touch.

251
00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:25,935
Two thousand suckers feel the way,

252
00:27:27,479 --> 00:27:29,314
tasting as they go.

253
00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:34,694
[tense music plays]

254
00:27:58,635 --> 00:28:02,806
Every meal brings her one step closer
to her ultimate goal.

255
00:28:03,723 --> 00:28:06,976
To pass on her genes
to the next generation.

256
00:28:10,605 --> 00:28:13,483
Piling on the pounds before she mates

257
00:28:13,566 --> 00:28:17,278
is her best way
of ensuring breeding success.

258
00:28:18,279 --> 00:28:21,658
So she cleans her weapons
to improve their sense of taste,

259
00:28:22,784 --> 00:28:23,618
touch,

260
00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:25,537
and grip.

261
00:28:28,832 --> 00:28:29,874
A quick scrub…

262
00:28:34,295 --> 00:28:35,922
and she's back on the hunt.

263
00:28:42,011 --> 00:28:43,179
To most animals,

264
00:28:43,805 --> 00:28:44,806
this is a trap.

265
00:28:54,315 --> 00:28:55,984
But she's smarter than that.

266
00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,362
[tense music plays]

267
00:29:01,448 --> 00:29:02,657
And in the open,

268
00:29:04,033 --> 00:29:05,201
easy pickings.

269
00:29:12,542 --> 00:29:15,044
This is her final killing spree.

270
00:29:17,505 --> 00:29:20,675
Her last play as a lone assassin.

271
00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:30,935
Most cephalopods
only get one chance to mate.

272
00:29:32,270 --> 00:29:36,733
So they must be prepared
to do whatever it takes.

273
00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:51,039
Every winter, this quiet bay
becomes a bustling cephalopod city.

274
00:30:03,593 --> 00:30:06,763
250,000 giant cuttlefish,

275
00:30:07,931 --> 00:30:10,058
all desperate to find a mate.

276
00:30:14,229 --> 00:30:16,815
This male is late to the party.

277
00:30:23,780 --> 00:30:26,699
Males can reach a meter in length,

278
00:30:28,618 --> 00:30:31,538
but, at only 30 centimeters,

279
00:30:33,206 --> 00:30:35,750
he's easily outgunned by the big boys.

280
00:30:40,088 --> 00:30:42,674
They're already guarding the females,

281
00:30:42,757 --> 00:30:46,594
who are outnumbered eleven to one.

282
00:30:49,138 --> 00:30:51,975
Not easy for a newcomer to make his move.

283
00:30:56,104 --> 00:30:58,857
The giants' kaleidoscopic skin

284
00:31:00,483 --> 00:31:01,860
and huge arms

285
00:31:03,027 --> 00:31:05,071
signal their masculinity.

286
00:31:08,533 --> 00:31:11,119
The little guy simply can't compete.

287
00:31:22,672 --> 00:31:24,799
When two giants are equally matched,

288
00:31:28,177 --> 00:31:31,764
the inky decoy distracts
and confuses the attacker.

289
00:31:32,807 --> 00:31:34,809
[tense music plays]

290
00:31:57,582 --> 00:31:58,583
Battle scars.

291
00:31:59,751 --> 00:32:02,378
A reminder they'll risk everything.

292
00:32:06,424 --> 00:32:09,302
The drive to mate is overwhelming.

293
00:32:17,143 --> 00:32:19,562
The newcomer spots an opportunity.

294
00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,279
Two large males so focused on fighting,

295
00:32:29,072 --> 00:32:31,616
they've left a female unguarded.

296
00:32:46,214 --> 00:32:47,215
He sneaks in.

297
00:32:54,013 --> 00:32:57,100
Cuttlefish mate in a face-to-face embrace.

298
00:32:59,352 --> 00:33:01,187
He attempts to get in position.

299
00:33:03,690 --> 00:33:05,483
But now the giant's back on duty.

300
00:33:07,902 --> 00:33:08,903
It's too risky.

301
00:33:17,578 --> 00:33:19,706
It's time to go undercover.

302
00:33:22,875 --> 00:33:27,171
He tucks up his large arms
that give away his gender.

303
00:33:37,849 --> 00:33:41,310
Spotting another female,
held captive under a giant,

304
00:33:42,270 --> 00:33:44,564
he finesses his disguise,

305
00:33:45,314 --> 00:33:50,737
dulling his vibrant colors
to mimic a mottled female cloak.

306
00:33:56,367 --> 00:33:57,702
In full drag…

307
00:34:01,122 --> 00:34:02,582
the newcomer slips in…

308
00:34:13,926 --> 00:34:15,178
and gets to mate…

309
00:34:17,305 --> 00:34:20,558
right under the giant's nose.

310
00:34:23,811 --> 00:34:28,316
Proving brains
can be just as attractive as brawn.

311
00:34:44,624 --> 00:34:49,545
Perhaps lost in the moment,
the newcomer drops his cover.

312
00:34:51,214 --> 00:34:52,131
The game is up.

313
00:34:53,925 --> 00:34:55,927
[tense music plays]

314
00:35:05,603 --> 00:35:08,397
This mind-blowing deception

315
00:35:08,481 --> 00:35:12,318
accounts for one third
of all breeding successes.

316
00:35:15,613 --> 00:35:17,657
This little cuttlefish's work is done.

317
00:35:19,867 --> 00:35:22,161
But for many cephalopods,

318
00:35:22,245 --> 00:35:26,624
mating is just the beginning
of the battle to breed.

319
00:35:49,605 --> 00:35:51,023
Predators are gathering.

320
00:35:57,321 --> 00:35:58,823
Short-tailed stingrays…

321
00:36:00,992 --> 00:36:02,451
Cape fur seals…

322
00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:08,666
and ragged-tooth sharks…

323
00:36:11,127 --> 00:36:12,962
all here for one thing.

324
00:36:15,214 --> 00:36:16,549
The annual feast.

325
00:36:22,930 --> 00:36:24,932
A squadron of chokka squid.

326
00:36:28,311 --> 00:36:30,146
Unlike solitary octopuses,

327
00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:33,482
they move in huge shoals…

328
00:36:35,860 --> 00:36:39,405
seeking safety in numbers
as they cruise the open ocean.

329
00:36:45,703 --> 00:36:46,746
Already mated,

330
00:36:47,914 --> 00:36:50,833
this female is being guarded
by the larger male

331
00:36:50,917 --> 00:36:53,085
to ensure she doesn't try to mate again.

332
00:36:56,589 --> 00:36:59,675
She has to lay her eggs
on the sandy bottom.

333
00:37:00,593 --> 00:37:01,427
But first,

334
00:37:02,136 --> 00:37:05,306
she must get through
the predatory barricade below.

335
00:37:08,059 --> 00:37:10,061
[tense music plays]

336
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:22,490
Her best chance

337
00:37:23,407 --> 00:37:24,784
is to hide in the crowd.

338
00:37:33,459 --> 00:37:35,461
[tense music intensifies]

339
00:38:17,628 --> 00:38:18,796
She's made it…

340
00:38:21,882 --> 00:38:24,885
laying her capsules
amongst the mass already here.

341
00:38:33,352 --> 00:38:36,772
Millions of eggs on this single site.

342
00:38:47,158 --> 00:38:48,993
Prodigious reproduction

343
00:38:49,618 --> 00:38:51,620
and amazing adaptability

344
00:38:52,288 --> 00:38:55,333
have brought cephalopods huge success.

345
00:38:57,043 --> 00:38:59,045
[jaunty music plays]

346
00:39:01,672 --> 00:39:02,673
Even today,

347
00:39:02,757 --> 00:39:04,967
as many other animals are in decline,

348
00:39:05,801 --> 00:39:06,886
many squid,

349
00:39:07,762 --> 00:39:08,763
cuttlefish,

350
00:39:09,930 --> 00:39:11,140
and octopus

351
00:39:12,016 --> 00:39:13,392
are not just surviving,

352
00:39:14,060 --> 00:39:15,227
they're thriving.

353
00:39:17,438 --> 00:39:18,564
Hidden from sight,

354
00:39:19,565 --> 00:39:22,026
steadily increasing in numbers,

355
00:39:23,986 --> 00:39:25,696
expanding their range.

356
00:39:32,411 --> 00:39:36,332
But as sea temperatures
and fishing practices change…

357
00:39:38,376 --> 00:39:42,630
it's unclear what lies ahead
for the generations to come.

358
00:39:43,589 --> 00:39:45,966
[birds squawking]

359
00:39:46,050 --> 00:39:47,676
One thing is certain.

360
00:39:48,761 --> 00:39:53,099
Each has a supermom,
ready to sacrifice herself for her young.

361
00:40:10,366 --> 00:40:11,992
Now four years old,

362
00:40:12,076 --> 00:40:16,539
this giant Pacific octopus
is a true survivor.

363
00:40:22,962 --> 00:40:24,588
She's spent her life alone,

364
00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:27,299
an orphan since birth.

365
00:40:36,350 --> 00:40:41,230
But now, her three hearts beat
for a single purpose.

366
00:40:43,899 --> 00:40:45,276
Her final act.

367
00:40:47,069 --> 00:40:48,362
Tending her brood.

368
00:40:52,533 --> 00:40:54,660
For almost a quarter of her life,

369
00:40:54,743 --> 00:40:56,495
she does nothing else.

370
00:41:02,585 --> 00:41:04,295
She no longer leaves her den,

371
00:41:05,421 --> 00:41:06,547
no longer eats,

372
00:41:08,048 --> 00:41:12,636
starving herself
to give her babies the best start.

373
00:41:13,596 --> 00:41:15,598
[tranquil music plays]

374
00:41:29,612 --> 00:41:32,114
They are her legacy.

375
00:41:39,121 --> 00:41:42,583
[emotional music continues]

376
00:41:57,973 --> 00:42:00,559
Unaware Mom laid down her life for them,

377
00:42:02,144 --> 00:42:05,856
these tiny octopuses
are ready to take on the world

378
00:42:07,149 --> 00:42:12,279
and teach us
more about these fantastic beasts.

379
00:42:20,663 --> 00:42:23,707
[closing theme music playing]