Static crackled as then indistinct muffled radio chatter occurred.

Then the Moon was seen in the vast ocean of Outer Space.

Just 50 years ago, we finally ventured to the moon.

And then, the 3rd planet from the sun and the 5th largest planet appeared and the only known planet that supports life.

Planet Earth.

For the very first time, we look back at our own planet.

Since July 20th, 1969, Mankind was able to look back on their own home planet, 238,900 miles away. And 70% of the Earth's surface was blue from the oceans, making it look like a blue planet.

Since then, the human population has more than doubled.

The Earth spins as the sunlight shines over North America, and continues spinning as it was night over Europe as lights from it's many cities shined. And even some on the northern coast of Africa.

This story will celebrate the natural wonders that remain, and reveal what we must preserve to ensure people and nature thrive.

The Earth continues spinning as daylight shines over Africa, and Asia, to even Australia.

OUR WILD PLANET


A starlit night shines over a desert region as even a space cloud was in view.

When Human Beings built their first settlements some 10,000 years ago, the world around them, on the land and in the sea, was full of life.

The sun soon begins to rise as the the stars vanished as the sky showed it's blue color.

In the shallow waters of a sea, hundreds of different fish swam around a coral reef.

On land, the light from the sun casted over a hummingbird as it nears a flower and begins to feed on it's nectar.

In India, a Bengal Tiger prowls through it's territory as it hunts for prey. Hiding among the vegetation.

In the ocean, the biggest of all creatures, a Blue Whale swam just under the surface as her calf swam along side her. And the calf heads up and took a breath as she sprays a jet of mist from her blowhole and dives back under.

For generations, this stable Eden nurtured our growing civilizations.

The Blue Whale mother then rose up to take a breath herself.

But now, in the space of just 1 human lifetime, all that has changed.

Thousands of miles away, in the high Arctic, a Polar Bear mother and her cub wanders across the frozen sea ice in search of seals that they hunt.

In the last 50 years, wildlife populations have, on average, declined by 60%.

Over 10,000 miles to the south, in the Namibian Desert of Africa, a herd of rare desert elephants traveled across the timeless desert for their endless search for food and water.

For the first time in human history, the stability of nature can no longer be taken for granted.

10,000 miles back to the north in Greenland, a large section of a glacier brakes off and cracks as it fell into the water below.

Over 12,000 miles to the south, in Antarctica, a flock a Gentoo Penguins dive down hunting for food.

But the natural world is resilient. Great riches still remain.

In the waters of South Africa, a Humpback Whale closes it's swelled lower jaw with a mouthful of water and krill. And other Humpbacks continue feeding all around each other.

Many thousands of miles to the northwest, a layer of mist rests over the waters of Vancouver.

And with our help, the planet can recover.

Over 5,000 miles to the south, the sun shines over the Amazon Rainforest.

Never has it been more important to understand how the natural world works, and how to help it.

ONE PLANET


On the Pacific west coast of South America, and resting on stacks of rocks as waves crashed below. A great number of seabirds flew around.

Wildlife still flourishes in astonishing numbers in a few precious places.

On land, a great number of black seabirds called Guanay Cormorants rest on the ground.

Along the Peruvian coast of South America, seabirds congregate on colonies millions strong.

They come here to breed.

Not far away from the colony, the Wild Kratts watched the birds.

"So, why exactly of all places would these birds nest here?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, 1 reason for that is that the birds have no fear to worry about predators." Chris explained. "And their main food source as close by."

"You mean fish?" Aviva wondered.

"Yeah." Martin said.

From above, the colony turns the land black and white.

The birds below call out as some begin to fly off.

"Hey, it's beginning to start." Martin said.

"What is?" Koki asked.

"Something we just can't miss." Chris said getting up and placing his Power Suit on.

Martin got his Power Suit on as well as Chris brought out his Creature Souvenir Kit, and scrolls through the screen. And soon found a pelican and pushed a button and a small tray extends out showing a pelican feather.

Chris then went through his Disc Holder as Martin quickly scrolls through the Souvenir Kit and finds an Osprey and it brought out an Osprey feather and grabs it. And then pulls out his Osprey Power Disc.

"Activate Creature Power!" They both said as they press the Activation Button.

Chris soon activates into Pelican Power as Martin activated into Osprey Power, and then the 2 brothers flew off following the cormorants.

Every morning, the birds leave their colonies to fish in one of the richest seas on Earth.

One by one, the cormorants started to head to the ocean.

It is an astonishing daily migration of 5 million birds.

The huge flocks of cormorants and boobies are all seeking 1 thing: anchovies.

Under the surface, a large school of anchovies swam around. And they swam around in possibly hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

The great number of seabirds of cormorants and boobies start to gather as some begin to plunge down into the water to snatch a fish. While others rested on the surface.

The boobies carpet-bomb the shoals.

The boobies dove straight through the water like missiles, possibly several in each second.

"Whoa!" Martin said amazed. "Look at them go! They're like missiles dropping from above the fish."

More and more birds join the feeding frenzy.

The birds continued divebombing the shoals below as the Wild Kratts watched the great spectacle in pure awe and amazement.

All in this immense assembly are here because a powerful oceanic current, the Humboldt, sweeps up from the Antarctic, bringing with it rich nutrients from the ocean's depths. 90% of the life in the oceans is found in the shallow seas close to the coast.


Many miles away out into the open sea, the surface of the ocean lays under a number of clouds.

Away from the land, the seas, for the most part, are a blue desert. But even these distant waters may be enriched by a most unexpected connection to the land.


Thousands of miles away, the sun rises and shines over a great desert.

Some deserts, often hundreds of miles from the ocean, provides the raw materials for life.

In the desert, a large cloud of sand blows as it was carried by the wind.

In space, the sand cloud and be seen as it was hundreds of miles across. And going thousands of miles over the ocean.

Every year, winds sweep up 2 billion tons of dust into the sky. At least a quarter of it falls on the sea, providing nutrients needed by the microscopic organisms that are the foundations of ocean life.

The clouds of sand continues over the ocean, and then a patch of aqua green appeared and grew.

The Tortuga flies 100 feet over the ocean.

"Hey, I think I see some dolphins below us." Jimmy called out.

Chris, Martin, Aviva and Koki entered the cockpit and saw a large pod of dolphins.

"Whoa, there's gotta be hundreds of them." Koki said.

"Whoa!" Chris and Martin said in unison. "Common Dolphins!"

"Common Dolphins?" Aviva blinked.

"Yeah, Common Dolphins actually sometimes group together into large pods." Martin said. "Sometimes 1,000 strong."

"Wow, that's a lot of dolphins." Koki said.

At the surface of the ocean, a large pod Common Dolphins porpoise over the surface.

Dolphins explore the vast, open ocean in search of the riches that distant desert may have nourished.

The garage door then opens as Chris and Martin were in their wetsuits, and then made a jump for it. They fell into the water, and landed in the middle of the pod. They then brought out their Dolphin Power Discs and inserted them into their Power Suits, and then touched the nearest dolphin that swam by them.

They soon activated into Dolphin Power, but they both had the large yellow coloration that a Common Dolphin has. And soon they begin to follow them.

The dolphins spouted a breath each time they rose to the surface, and among them was even mothers with their calves.

Soon, a large school of mackerel appeared.

"A school of mackerel, straight ahead!" Chris announced.

A shoal of mackerel has discovered a swarm of krill... the small crustaceans that feed on the ocean's floating microscopic plants.

But the mackerel themselves are food for the dolphins.

The pod of Common Dolphins begin to move in as whistling was heard among the pod. And soon begin to corral them, and begin to form a bait ball.

They drive the mackerel towards the surface, and into the range of birds.

Then suddenly, a number of seabirds dive down to the frenzy.

Shearwaters.

In the Tortuga, Aviva, Koki and Jimmy watched as they dove down.

"What kind of birds are those?" Aviva frowned.

"They're Shearwaters." Martin said appearing on a screen. "They're a med-size long-winged seabird, and a member of the petrel family."

The wings that normally propel the birds through the air now drive them 20 feet down through the water.

The mackerel swam around close together as the shearwaters pick off the fish and head up to the surface.

Whilst the birds pick off the top of the shoal... the dolphins attack the underside.

The mackerel continue swimming at many tried to avoid getting snatched by the birds and the dolphins from the top and underside of the shoal.

And Chris and Martin join in for fun as Aviva, Koki and Jimmy watched in full amazement in the HQ room on the big screen.

"Wow, I could watch them like this all day." Koki said amazed.

"Me too." Aviva said.

After 20 minutes of feasting, the predators from both the sea and the air have had their fill.

Soon, there was a few dozen of the mackerel left, and the shearwaters begins to head up to the surface as the dolphins try to snatch a few more fish.

And soon, the pod begins to swam off.

The stability of life on our planet relies on such connections between different habitats.

A great sea of clouds gently floats in the sky.

Water evaporating from the surface of the sea condenses to form great clouds. And these eventually release the fresh water as rain.

1 colossal cloud floats over the ocean.

But these life-giving rains are not evenly spread over the land.


Thousands of miles away, on the mainland lies a vast flat plain.

This vast salt pan in Africa is all that remains of ancient lake.

On it's surface, 2 Ostriches ran across it.

The Tortuga stands on the salt pan as Chris, Martin, Aviva, Koki and Jimmy stood on the pan looking out in the distance.

"Sure is hot out." Aviva said.

"Yeah, it's well over 100 degrees." Koki said.

"I'd find it hard for any animals to live here." Jimmy said.

"They don't." Chris said. "At least for long, animals actually travel across this salt pan in search of water."

"It's not an easy journey, though." Martin pointed. "It's like, living in an oven out here."

It's totally waterless and oven-hot. Few places on the land are more hostile to life.

A lone bull African Elephant travels across the salt pan in search of food and water. And is following a trail that was likely made by other elephants that came by.

A few tracks cross it, made by animals searching unsuccessfully for water.

Elephants can go for 4 days without water, and the salt pan extends for miles. Chances of him finding water are slim, but his trunk can smell water even just over 3 miles away. If there's water, he'll find it, or die trying.

Elsewhere on the salt pan, a lone Grant's Zebra wanders aimless across the pan in search of water as he snorted.

Elsewhere, a lone Oryx stood on the salt pan.

But very occasionally, this whole landscape is transformed.

Thunder rumbled as large heavy clouds start to gather. And soon, a large burst of rain started pouring down onto the salt pan as lightning flashed with a thunderclap.

A huge deluge drenches the salt pan.

The sky grew darker as rain pours heavily down


The next day, a large flock of flamingos flew directly over a lake.

Triggered by some unknown signal, flocks of Lesser Flamingos arrives from thousands of miles away.

Soon, 1 flamingo begins to land as it ran across the water almost looking like it was running on the surface. And soon begins to slow down to a stop.

Soon, 2 flamingos started filter-feeding the algae on the water surface.

The algae that the flamingos feed on have lain dormant as spores in the dust.

Soon, more flamingos were seen feeding.

Eventually, Chris and Martin joins the flock in Flamingo Power. And soon, Aviva, Koki and Jimmy were able to catch up.

"Hmm." Aviva frowned and scoops a handful of water with algae. "Is this algae?"

"Yeah, for the flamingos it's food." Martin said.

"But where did it come from?" Koki asked. "It wasn't here when we arrived."

"Yeah, it's not like it magically appeared." Jimmy said.

"Actually in some cases, it did." Chris said. "The algae actually dormant in the ground until it rains."

"Odd." Koki said.

"And weird and in a cool way." Aviva said.

But most importantly, the birds are here to breed.

Before long, the entire shallow lake was pink with hundreds, if not thousands, of flamingos.

Perfect conditions might occur only once a decade.

Soon, the flamingos have made nest mounds from the mud and clay to keep the eggs from getting wet.

The birds nest on an island from from the shore. They build mounds of mud that raise up their eggs and so keep them just marginally cooler than they would be at ground level.

"So, I've been meaning to ask since the Mystery of the Flamingo Pink adventure." Jimmy said. "Why do flamingos make nest mounds anyway?"

"It actually keeps the eggs from getting wet, and keeps them cooler." Martin said and works on his Creaturepod. "Look." He then shows a holographic screen in thermal image. "The surface of the nest mound is cooler than it is than the ground leveled mud."

"Oh, I see it." Jimmy said. "Guess it keeps the eggs from getting over-easy, huh?"

They then laughed from his joke.

"In some cases, maybe." Chris said. "And the flamingo adults and chicks are safe here from predators."

Among the crowd, 2 flamingos chittered at each other, and one of them pecks another as they chittered.

The water surrounding the island is so salty that predators do not venture into it. So the nests are safe.

The flamingos continue squawking.

In one of the nests, one flamingo tends to it's chick that has recently just hatched.

30 days later, thousands of chicks start to hatch.

One chick had it's beak open and clamp on it's elder's bill, and the adult begins to feed it with a red liquid.

"Boy, it's so weird how flamingos and pigeons feed their young milk like how mammals do." Chris said.

"Yeah, no kidding." Martin said.

Time went on, and the hot sun rises over the salt pan.

But there is no shelter from the scorching sun.

Below, the water was all dried up.

The water that once surrounded their island, protecting them, has now dried up altogether.

At the nest site, a flamingo chick stands in it's nest as it cheeped.

The last to hatch step out into a desperately harsh world.

The chick then moves to the edge of the nest, and heads down and stumbles and it hits the ground. The chick waddled for a bit as it's mother stood near it.

"Looks like all the water has dried up now." Chris said.

"Yeah, and these flamingos must be thirsty by now." Martin said.

Somehow or other, the growing chicks must find fresh water to drink.

Soon, a caravan of flamingo chicks at different sizes begin to head out as adults followed.

They cannot fly yet, so they must walk, guided by some of the adults.

The caravan of chicks guided by their elders trekked across the salt pan as an eagle watched from a distance. And they trekked in the thousands.

They may have to trek for 31 miles or 50 kilometers.

"Wow, that's really a lot of flamingo chicks." Aviva said as they all watched.

The great caravan line of flamingo chicks continues as a stork watches them. And the chicks continued on as the adults were by their side as frenzied cheeping and squawking was heard.

But at the end of the line, 1 chick was has trouble keeping up as it was walking strange. And looks to be limping.

Some... cannot keep up.

Far behind them, one chick was trying to keep up as it's lower legs had a cast of salt covering them. Making it difficult for the chick to walk.

The salt has solidified around their legs.

The lone chick cheeps out as it tries to stay on it's feet from it's legs covered in salt. But the salt was making it hard for the chick to take a step as it tries not to fall over. If it did, it may never get up.

Towards sunset, the salt casts on it's legs have gotten thicker as the chick struggles to even take a step without falling. And soon it lost balance and fell down, but manages to get up and kept going.


Meanwhile, the flock as finally made it to a large patch of mud where they should find some fresh water.

Most of the chicks, in spite of everything, and having walked for days, eventually reached fresh water.

Soon, the flamingos start having their first drink of freshwater they had in days. And a frenzied squawking began as they move around.

It is the end of a long journey... but only the first of the trials that will be imposed on these flamingos by the irregularity of the rains.


Hundreds of miles away, on the Serengeti, a herd of Wildebeest snorted as rain poured down.

If rainfall is more predictable and certain, then life can flourish more richly, both in numbers and variety.

The Wildebeest herd grazed as some were on the move still.

The Serengeti plains in East Africa support over a million Wildebeest.

Soon, the Wild Kratts arrived in the Createrra, and soon Chris and Martin were able to activate into Zebra Power as they were able to join in with the herd.

The Wildebeest grunted as they traveled across the plain.

The herd follow the seasonal rains, grazing on the newly-sprouting grass that comes in their wake.

"So, why do Wildebeest migrate each and every year?" Aviva asked.

"They Wildebeest follow the seasonal rains year-round." Chris explained. "They can eat entire field of grass in no time, which is why they have to keep moving. It's a round-trip of 1,000 miles."

The Wildebeest herd continued on as grunting was heard by many of them. And traveling among them were youngsters traveling alongside with their mothers.

Each year, within a 3-week period, the females give birth to over a quarter of a million calves.

Among the adults, 1 calf bleats as it ran around the adults.

"Aw. That little guy is so playful." Aviva said adored by the calf.

"Wow, he must've just been born as little as a few days." Martin said.

"Yeah, he was just one of 250,000 calves that been born in 3 weeks." Chris said.

"What?" Koki exclaimed. "That's a lot!"

This youngster is just a few days old. Playing strengthens its legs for the long journey that lies ahead.

"And, hey, playing helps its legs get stronger so he's prepare for the migration." Chris said. "And to get away from predators."

"Predators?" Jimmy said a little nervous. "Like what?"

"Lions, leopards, hyenas, and crocodiles." Martin said counting his fingers.

The calf plays around with 2 other calves as they play around the herd.

And soon, the calf heads back to it's mother.

The calf must stay close to its mother. Without her milk, it would starve.

The mother Wildebeest snorted as the calf nuzzled her as she heads off.

And the herds are always traveling, following the rains as they drift across the plains in order to find fresh grazing.

The herd continues on their migration route.

Eventually, they reach woodlands.

Birds were heard chirping as the Wildebeest continued on. And some begins to feed, unaware that their being watched.

"Are wild dogs one of their other predators?" Jimmy suddenly asked all nervous.

"Yeah, they hunt Wildebeest as well." Martin said. "I forgot that."

"'Cause there's a few now." Jimmy said pointing ahead.

They then turn to where he was pointing.

Some distance away, a pack of African Wild Dogs stalked with their sights on the herd.

Hunting Dogs.

Wildebeest calves are a favorite prey.

And the dogs are hungry.

"Oh, boy." Chris said. "We're about to have a hunt here. Wildebeest calves are a favorite for these dogs."

"Yeah, if they get a chance to separate a calf from the herd, they'll run it to exhaustion." Martin said.

One of the dogs walks as one of the calves from the herd watches.

Soon, 1 dog begins to stalk towards the herd, and the calf continues watching.

The calf must stay with its mother, protected within the herd.

Soon, the calf heads off along with the other Wildebeest.

The pack continues stalking the herd, trying to get as close as they can.

"Any second now." Martin said as they all watched.

Soon, they were near the herd as they continue stalking ever closer to them. And a few Wildebeest watched them as they continue stalking and could probably charge at any second.

Soon, the wild dogs begin to quicken their pace as the Wildebeest snorted as they begin to flee.

The herd ran as the dogs chased after them.

The dogs have incredible stamina...

The herd continues running as the calf keeps up with the adults.

...but the calf is defended by the herd.

The dogs continue chasing the herd trying to get one on it's own.

They need the calf on its own.

The Wildebeest snorted as they ran and the dogs panted as well. The chase continues on as some birds flew by the dogs, and they begin to mob around a mother and her calf.

The mother blocks the dogs, shielding her calf.

The Wildebeest mother and calf continue running as the dogs chased after them.

It makes a run for safety.

Soon, the calf sprints away from the dogs and hurries to the herd.

And it just manages to get back to the herd.

The Wildebeest herd continues running as the wild dog pack follows behind them.

And the herd continues on.

"Phew. That was a close call for the calf." Aviva said relieved.

"Yeah, but few calves are as lucky as he was." Martin said.


Later, the Tortuga flies over the plains as the aerial view shows hundreds of Wildebeest grazing across the plain.

The future of this whole migration depends on the regularity of the rains, but also on the continued existence of the great open grasslands across which the herds make their immense journeys.


Thousands of miles away, a great rainforest lays under the sun in South America.

In places where rain fall abundantly throughout the year, forests grow, and in the warmth of the tropics, they support an unparalleled richness of life.

An overlapping animal vocalizations was heard among the trees.

Half of all the species of land-living animals live in these stable worlds.

Deep with the forest floor, a bird was heard whistling.

The sheer diversity is breathtaking.

In a tree, a Black Spider Monkey clings on the side of it.

We still have not catalogued all the species that live in the tropical forests.

Below on the forest floor, a line of Leafcutter Ants marches with leaves as another line heads in the opposite direction.

A time-lapsed numbers of mushrooms grow and then became black.

On a leaf, a tree frog rests on it.

In Borneo, an Orangutan infant hangs in the branches of a tree.

In Papua New Guinea, a Black Sicklebill Bird of Paradise stand on a stump of a tree. And then brought it's wings over it's head, and leans forward and gapes it's yellow mouth open and calls out.

The relationships between them all are multitudinous and complex.

In Central America, a hummingbird hovers near a flower and begins to feed on it's nectar.

Plants often depend on animals to pollinate their flowers.

A different kind of hummingbird feeds on the flower's nectar.

And these intimate connections are just as important as the great global ones.

Elsewhere, a bee buzzed around a flower as it feeds on it's nectar.

1 plant called an orchid then splits open and outer shell as they were a different kind of plant.

These are traps.

A different type of trap plant opens up.

Flowers shaped like buckets, produced by an orchid.

The orchids open up.

Soon, an Orchid Bee arrived and hovered and nears the orchid and flies around almost as if it was examining it.

The Wild Kratts have recently in an area in southeastern Brazil and watched the bee.

"I sure love the green coloration on these Orchid Bees." Chris said. "They actually have a tongue that's twice the length of it's body."

"Funny how these orchids have buckets." Aviva said. "What are they for?"

"It's a way of pollination." Martin said. "Watch what happens."

Each red bucket is filled with an oily liquid that drips from above.

Part of the orchid then drips a liquid drop.

Soon, a 2nd Orchid Bee arrived.

Male Orchid Bees need a rich perfume with which to impress their females, and the orchids provide it.

Soon, 1 Orchid Bee lands near the rim of the bucket-shaped section of the flower.

But the bucket is slippery, and the liquid into which the bee has fallen in is sticky.

The bee struggles to crawl along the rim as it's surface was slippery. And soon it slipped and fell inside the bucket. The bee manages to right itself up, but struggles to get out.

The only way to get out is through a narrow tunnel.

Then, the Orchid Bee begins to squeeze through a tunnel in the flower. And tries to pull itself out.

As it emerges, the bee is gripped tight. And that gives enough time for the plant to glue pollen sacs on the bee's back.

Soon, the bee pulls itself free and has 2 pollen sacs on it's back.

So the orchid has it pollen taken to another plant... and the bee is rewarded with a perfume, with which, when it recovers its strength, it can woo a female.

The bee soon got on a branch, and begins to crawl up.

"Okay, so let's run it down." Aviva said bringing her Creaturepod out as they watched. "The bee lands on the rim of the orchid's bucket, but slips in due to a slippery liquid. It can't fly out, so it goes through a narrow tunnel, and when it pulls free and carries 2 pollen sacs ready to be taken to another flower."

"Exactly." Martin said.

"The bee also gets a perfume that attracts females too." Chris added.

"Whoa, does the wonders of pollination ever end?" Koki said.

Elsewhere in the rainforests, a waterfall flows crashing water down it's side.

There are no pronounced seasons in a rainforest. It produces food in one form or another the year round.

In a tree, a hornbill gnaws down a fruit in it's bill, and soon tossed it into it's throat to swallow.

It's so rich that the females of some birds are able to raise their young entirely by themselves, and that allows males to spend their whole time attracting females... as manakins do.

A Blue Manakin cheeps out as it lands on a branch, it looks around for a moment and then flies off.

Elsewhere, a Red-Capped Manakin grooms it's right wing.

There are over 50 different species, each with its own highly elaborate dance routine.

Elsewhere, a Golden-collared Manakin sits on a branch and brought it's wings out ruffing them. The manakin then lands sideways on the small tree as it cheeped, and then grabs a dry leaf.

And the Wild Kratts arrived just in time as they watched and kept still without disturbing him.

The Golden-collared Manakin starts by clearing his dance floor.

The manakin then flies off, and starts removing other leaves on the forest floor.

"What's he doing?" Jimmy asked.

"You'll see." Martin said. "It will be truly amazing."

The manakin cheeps and lands sideways on a small tree, motionless for a few moments. And then jumps to another one as a female arrived.

A female arrives and he starts his routine, rocketing from one perch to another.

The 2 manakins rocket from one to another very quickly.

She checks out very detail.

As they rocketed between each other, the female watches him.

Then the male rockets to another perch, and quickly lands on it just a quarter of an inch off the ground.

Finally, he performs his signature move.

The male manakin tweets, and then literally does a back-flip and lands on the ground perfectly.

The back-flip...

The male manakin then calls out and rushed back over to the tree.

...with twist.

The manakin does another back-flipper and calls out again.

Perfection.

The manakin then flies off.

"Wow." Aviva said. "That was truly amazing. I can never get enough of bird dances."

Elsewhere, cheeping was heard a whir of wings appeared as it was a Red-capped Manakin and lands on a branch.

Chris and Martin soon appeared in Spider Monkey Power watching from a branch close by.

The Red-capped Manakin has a very different act.

The Red-capped Manakin cheeps out, and then eyes a female.

It's a kind of slither.

Then the Red-capped Manakin started a dance move across the branch with it's feet pattering. The female cheeps and flies off, and the male continues his move as the female lands near him.

With wing snaps.

The male continues his dance and made wing snaps and calls out. He then pattered his feet again and calls out and snapped his wings again. He continues snapping his wings as the female watches with full interest. But then she started moving away.

But it doesn't seem to be working.

The male manakin continues his display and tweets out and continues snapping his wings, and the female then flies off.

She's seen enough.

And the male zips around the branch a few times.

"I guess that guy has had better luck before." Aviva said through Martin's Creaturepod.

"Yeah, probably." Martin said.

"Let's see if we can find more." Chris said and leaps off.

Elsewhere, a Blue Manakin lands on a branch and chirrups.

And the 2 brothers soon spotted him.

"Wow, a Blue Manakin." Martin said. "That has to be my favorite."

"I like that red spot on his head." Aviva said appearing on a holographic screen.

"Yeah, and you might like their dance move." Chris said.

The most complex routine is that developed by the Blue Manakin. The lead male is supported by 3 junior dancers.

The calling continues as then another one appeared as they circle each other.

They practice together almost every day.

Then a young male in younger immature colors arrived.

During rehearsals, a young male in juvenile plumage stands in for the female.

Then the 3 manakins started twittering as they preformed a kind of synchronized dance. One moves forward and flies to the back as the one behind it does the same and the process repeats.

The dance has to be perfectly synchronized.

Then one male made a high-pitch tweeting sound and lands on a branch above them. And soon chirrups.

With the lead female happy... they're ready to present their dance to a female.

Soon, a female was sighted as the 3 males arrived and land on the branch as they begin to preform. They started doing their dance as they called out with fluttering sounds as the female watches.

In a carousel of movements, each male takes his turn at the front.

The male birds continued their display as each one takes the back and another arrives.

It continued on for what felt like hours.

The lead male preforms the final move.

Then the lead male hovers in front of the female, and made a high-pitch twitter and then flew to a branch above his group.

And the 3 others watched.

Have they done enough?

What's her decision?

The female remains on the branch as the male manakin chirruped.

Then the lead male nears her.

It's...

"It's..." Chris and Martin said in unison.

Then the male flew on top of her.

...a yes!

The male then flies off.

"Success!" Chris said.

"Okay." Aviva said appearing on a holographic screen. "That was one cool bird dance."

A great team effort.

The 4 male manakins chirruped in success.

Tropical forests cover only 7% of the planet's lands. Away from the tropics, where the weather is seasonal and cooler, they're very different.


Thousands of miles to the north, lies the boreal forest.

The greatest of all is the boreal forest that extends right across North America and Eurasia. It cannot grow during the frigid grip of winter. The forests are a crucial refuge for the relatively few species that are able to survive here.

In their winter coats, Chris and Martin wander through the trees of the boreal forest.

"So, what do you think we'll find?" Martin asked.

"Not sure." Chris said. "Just have to keep looking."

At a large open clearing, a Caribou travels through the snow covered landscape and is followed by others as the wind howled.

Chris and Martin soon made it through the forest and saw them.

"Whoa, Caribou." Chris said. "These guys live pretty much everywhere in the northern region of Europe, Asia and North America."

"Yeah, and they can travel 4,500 miles in a year with each migration." Martin said. "Making the longest migration of land animals."

As winter approaches, Caribou grazing on the open tundra to the north head south to the forest to seek food and shelter.

Among the herd, a youngster walks through the snow as it kept pace with the herd.

Soon, more Caribou was seen through the blowing snow.

Out here, temperatures may fall below minus 40 degrees centigrade.

A Caribou continues on through the blowing wind as patches of snow covered it's fur coat.

The herd continues on as a forest was close by.

The forest will give some protection from the worst of the weather.

The herd continues on as some followed carved trails left in the snow made by other Caribou earlier.

And soon, the herd begins to enter the forest.

"Guess they're heading in the forest." Martin said.

"Hmm, I think I'll in as something." Chris said grabbing his Disc Holder and brought out his Moose Power Suit and inserted into his Power Suit.

He then brought out a piece of Moose antler from his pocket, and press the activation button. And activates into Moose Power.

"Let's move out!" Chris said and heads off to follow the Caribou.

But now the Caribou are not traveling alone.

A few minutes later, Martin follows the Caribou tracks through the forest.

"Brr! It's colder than I thought." Martin said. "Polar Bear Power would be nice right now."

Some distance away, a lone Gray Wolf trots through the snow following a carved trail in the snow left by the Caribou.

Wolves.

They live in the forest year-round. And in the winter, they specialize in hunting Caribou.

Martin soon saw the wolf, and it gave him an idea.

"Hmm. That furry coat does help with the cold." Martin said and brought out his Wolf Power Disc.

He inserts the Disc into the slot, and quietly sneaks up onto the wolf, and touches the fur on it's tail.

Then a bright blue flash appeared as the wolf was startled and rushed off. And Martin leaps out of hiding in Wolf Power.

"Ha! Now that's better!" Martin said. "Better catch up with Chris." He then runs off.

The wolf continues on through the trees as 2 more soon join alongside it.

The first wolf starts sniffing the snow trying to pick up which direction the Caribou went.

They must find the freshest tracks.

The wolf turns around and follows the carved trail as it continues sniffing.

They move fast by avoiding the deep snow. Sticking to the hard-packed trails made by the Caribou.

Soon, the wolf begins to quicken it's pace.

This wolf has found fresh scent.

Soon, the wolf begins to follow the trail as the rest of the pack begins to follow.

The Caribou must be close.

"Oh, boy." Martin said and calls Chris on his Creaturepod. "Chris, a pack of wolves is heading towards ya."

"Thanks, Martin." Chris said. "I'll keep a lookout."

The wolf continues on through the snow as another wolf was behind it.

Some distance away, a large herd of Caribou were in a large clearing of the forest which is actually a frozen lake.

The herd chooses to stop to rest on a frozen lake. Out in the open, they will be able to spot approaching danger.

Soon, 2 wolves were seen.

And sure enough, the wolves catch up.

"There you are." Chris said spotting them.

Among the herd, a single Caribou with some snow on it's face looks around and lightly bleats as a female appeared.

Not far away, a wolf begins to move closer to the herd. And the herd begins to move.

They start to test the Caribou, probing for any weakness.

The Caribou begins to quicken their pace as rapid bleating was heard. And soon, the Caribou begin to run.

"Time to run." Chris said and runs off.

Out on the open lake, the Caribou can outrun the wolves...

Soon, the wolves begin to chase after the Caribou as they ran.

So the wolves drive them back into the forest.

Soon, the Caribou herd flees back into the forest. Which is what the wolves wanted.

Here, in the deep snow, progress is much harder and slower.

Soon, the Caribou herd were in small clearing of the forest as bleating was heard among them.

Nearby, one of the wolves begins to move in.

And, hidden by the trees, the wolves can get closer.

As soon as the wolf clears the trees, it charges towards the herd as the Caribou nearest to it start to flee.

The hunt is on.

Bleating was heard as soon more Caribou begin to flee as they snorted and rest of the herd started to flee. And the whole pack arrived at they chased the Caribou as they begin to work out which herd member to target.

The pack must decide which particular Caribou to target and which trail to take.

The wolves continue chasing them as them the herd split up in 2 different directions. And 1 wolf followed the Caribou to the right.

As the Caribou scatter, the leading wolf takes a wrong turn.

The Caribou continues running as the wolf chase them, but literally missed noticing 1 Caribou has bolted away from them in a different direction.

It's a crucial mistake, and the wolves abandon the chase.

The Caribou continues running as the wolves soon abandon the hunt.

Soon, Chris and Martin rejoin with each other.

"Guess it was too much for the wolves." Martin said.

"Yeah, not every hunt is a success." Chris said.

The Caribou herd continues on as they trekked through the tundra.

With the coming of spring, the Caribou will head north once more, leaving the wolves and the forest behind.

The front of the Caribou herd treks near a ledge of snow.

They will travel 372 miles or 600 kilometers, crossing mountains to reach the tundra, where the spring grass will be sprouting again, and they can give birth.

But these migrations are a shadow of what they once were. The herd has lost nearly 70% of its numbers in the last 20 years. Their world and all of our planet is now changing fast.

The Caribou herd continues on their migration through the tundra.


The Tortuga flies over a rocky ledge covered in ice and snow by the sea.

At the furthest polar extremes lie the frozen wildernesses of Antarctica and the Arctic.

The Tortuga flew lower to just over the water as countless ice floes floated in the water.

Though they may seem remote to many of us, the stability of these icy wastes is crucial to all life on the planet.

Sometime later, the Tortuga flies over the snowy landscape of the Arctic.

But in just 70 years, things have changed at a frightening pace. The polar regions are warming faster than any other part of the planet.

Soon, the Tortuga flies up so high they near the edge of space as they saw the entire Arctic Ocean below.

"Wow, the Arctic is amazing from up here." Aviva said.

"Yeah, you can see it's a frozen ocean surrounded by land." Martin said.

"Jimmy, time to take us down." Chris said.

"You got it." Jimmy said.

He then flies the Tortuga downward.


The Arctic in the north is a frozen ocean, and the sea ice, on which all life here depends, is disappearing.

The Tortuga soon returns to the Arctic as it flew over the flat sea ice covering the ocean.

Elsewhere, a male Polar Bear pants as he patrols over the sea ice in his search of hunting seals.

Nearby, Chris slows his snowmobile to a stop as Martin and Aviva came along and saw the bear.

"Wow, that's a large male Polar Bear." Martin said.

"Yeah, he must be well over 900 pounds." Chris said. "And the Polar Bear is the largest land predator alive."

"They sure are powerful on land, and even in the water." Aviva said.

"Yeah, Polar Bears are great swimmers." Martin said. "Sometimes known to swim for 60 miles. And they're Scientific Name: Ursus Maritimus, means 'Sea Bear'."

"These guys will tackle anything out here." Chris said. "Seals, Beluga Whales, Walruses, they'll even scavenge Bowhead Whale carcasses."

Polar Bears specialize in hunting seals out on the frozen ocean. But that world is now, literally, melting beneath their feet.

Elsewhere, near the sea, chucks of ice float in the water.

The sea ice breaks up every year, but now this is happening earlier, and the bears' limited hunting season is getting shorter. This is already having a profound impact.

The Polar Bear gently snorted as he continues on prowling the sea ice.

Elsewhere, a Polar Bear mother and her 2 cubs over a year and a half old wander across the ice in search of food.

Cubs are growing up underweight, which reduces their chances of survival.

As they traveled, one of the cubs snuffled as it plows it's snout through the snow.

Later, the 2 cubs lay on the snow as they played a bit.

Chris, Martin and Aviva arrived and watched them from a distance. Knowing how protective mother bears are.

"Wow, those cubs look nearly 2 years old." Chris said. "Polar Bears cubs actually stay with their mother for 30 months before going off on their own."

"By then they'll know the ways of the Arctic, right?" Aviva said.

"Yeah, but it's how their Arctic home is slowly disappearing." Martin said. "It's thought by 2040 the Arctic could be largely free during the summer."

"But that's 20 years from now." Aviva said.

"I know, and if that happens, who knows how long before the Arctic sea ice is truly gone for good." Chris said.

Within the lifetime of these cubs, the Arctic in summer could be largely free of sea ice.

The cubs continue playing as one laying on it's back gently snorts.

Elsewhere on the sea ice, the male Polar Bear continues prowling.

It's not just the sea ice that is vanishing. The ice that lies on land is also changing fast.


Later, the Wild Kratts flew over to an icy field on the world's largest island.

This is Greenland, a vast expanse of ice 1/5th the size of the United States.

This glacial ice, together with the sea ice, protects our planet by reflecting solar radiation away from the surface and so preventing the Earth from overheating.

"Okay, so, how exactly does sea ice act in a role of climate change?" Aviva asked.

"Well, sea ice can actually reflect solar radiation, keeping the Earth from overheating." Chris explained as the big screen showed the sun giving off red arrows and reflected off sea ice.

"Also, ice doesn't absorb heat as white objects cool faster." Koki added.

But the Arctic is warming dramatically.

Soon, they arrived to a large wall of a glacier by a bay.

The leading edge of the Store Glacier may appear to be motionless, but glaciers can move at up to 147 feet or 45 meters a day.

The Tortuga hovers near the glacier as rumbling was heard from the ice.

Where this one meets the sea, it towers 328 feet or 100 meters above the water, and continues downward for another 1,312 feet or 400 meters beneath the surface.

The Tortuga soon hovers above the glacier, and they watched as chucks of ice below break off. Then the ice on the top cracked, and soon broke off as they watched hundreds of tons of ice fall into the water below creating a large splash. The waves rushed as a large chuck of ice floats on the surface.

They continue watching as more sections of the wall of ice broke off and fell into the bay.

Over the last 20 years, Greenland has been losing ice.

Then an explosion of waters spouts over the glacier almost like a geyser as of chucks of ice flew into the air.

And the rate of loss is accelerating.

The chucks of ice land into the water.

More chucks of ice continue breaking off the ice wall and crashed into the water.

These massive icefalls from the top of the glacier are just the beginnings of a far greater event.

Then they watched as 1 single long section of the glacier shifts.

A stretch of front face of the glacier over a kilometer long is starting to break away.

The glacier section rumbled as it shifts and tilted as birds flew around and water was lifted up as the ice underneath was lifted out. From 1,312 feet beneath the surface, the hidden ice is surging upwards.

Soon, the hidden ice from below lifts up as the water rushed down, and the Wild Kratts watched in amazement as the the ice created a large wave of water.

The breakaway of an iceberg the size of a skyscraper generates a colossal tidal wave.

The wave rushes through the bay as seabirds flew around.

The ice crashed and rumbled as the seabirds flee the large wave of water creating by the ice. And the Wild Kratts continue watching as the ice rolled and break apart. And turning the bay white with broken pieces of ice.

Within 20 minutes, 75 million tons of ice break free.

"Okay, that was a lot of ice." Jimmy said.

"You're telling me." Koki said.

Glaciers have always released ice into the ocean, but now this is happening nearly twice as fast as it did 10 years ago. Around the world, ice is now feeding the vast amounts of fresh water into the sea, raising sea levels, changing salinity, and disrupting ocean currents.

"So, not only is sea ice melting, but sea levels, salinity and ocean currents are being changed." Aviva said.

"Exactly." Martin said.


Back in Peru, the vast number of seabirds head out to the sea for their fishing trip.

Without the Humboldt Current, the coast of Peru would fall silent. The seabird spectacle would be no more.

The seabirds then dove into the water to snatch fish.


Thousands of miles to the south, in Antarctica, a group of a dozen Adelie Penguins stand on a flat section of an iceberg.

All across our planet, crucial connections are being disrupted.

On the coast, Southern Elephant Seals rest and lay on the beach as King Penguins were at their nesting ground nearby.

The stability that we and all life relies upon is being lost.


In the Gulf of California, a Blue Whale mother and her calf rose to the surface and spouted a jet of mist from their blowholes taking a breath.

What we do in the next 20 years will determine the future for all life on Earth.

The 2 Blue Whales then begin to dive back under.


The Tortuga flies over the Atacama Desert.

The rest of this story will explore the planet's most important habitats, and celebrate the life they still support.


Thousands of miles to the east, in African's Congo Jungle, a herd of forest elephants bathe in a pool of water.

One elephant sprays a trunkful of water and a moment later, drops of water hit the water.


A layer of mist rests just on top of the tall trees of the Amazon.

They will reveal what must be preserved if we are to ensure a future where humans and nature can thrive.


Please visit to find how our planet .com to find out how our planet can thrive again.


Author's Note:

A Common Dolphin may not have appeared yet, but I think I might know how a Power Suit would look.

Likely same shape and look on the Dolphin Power Suit, but with the yellow coloration on it's side. And maybe a longer snout.

Next chapter, a little fair warning as 1 scene might be sad.