and wave power creates
towering fortresses like these cliffs in
the arctic
home to tens of thousands of breeding
seabirds
the faces of the cliffs are accessible
only from the air
and have plenty of nooks and crannies
for those that can get there
but to feed sea birds must still master
the ocean world beyond
a puffin
he’s a fisherman and a father
[Music]
he has a mate for life
both share the burden of raising their
week old chick
their puffling who needs five square
meals a day
the parents alternate fishing trips
[Music]
it’s dad’s turn
[Music]
when fish stocks are low puffins must
fly as much as 50 kilometers out to sea
to reach the good fishing grounds
[Music]
once there they plunge into another
world
good fishing spots are hard to come by
and they have company
gillimotz
like the puffin their wings are short
and good for diving
puffins can hold their breath for over a
minute
and dive as deep as 40 meters
the catch
but it’s a long way home
after an exhausting round trip of almost
100 kilometers
this puffins nearly made it
but there are pirates on this coast
[Music]
arctic skewers
[Music]
all around returning parents are being
robbed
[Music]
the skewers long range back wings make
them faster and more maneuverable
puffins must choose their moment wisely
[Music]
a near-miss
the last desperate burst of speed
and it’s made it
[Music]
safely home after a three-hour round
trip
[Music]
where his patient partner is waiting
[Applause]
today their puffling will eat
but where fish numbers are in decline
many puffins now find it hard to get
enough food
for their chicks
in the changing seas of today it can be
even harder to be
a successful puffin parent
so
