The Hunt
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- Episode
- Hunger at Sea - Ep4
- Broadcast Info
- 2015 (57 mins)
- Description
- The open ocean is an immense wilderness that covers more than half the surface of our planet, yet for the most part it’s a watery desert, largely devoid of life. Food is incredibly scarce and very widely spread so hunters have to travel great distances in their search for prey. And even when they find food, catching it presents a whole new set of challenges.
Open ocean hunters are highly specialised to survive in the big blue, none more so than the blue whale, our planets greatest hunter. But how is it possible for the biggest animal that has ever lived to survive in an ocean desert? The blue whales’ giant size holds the key. Another remarkable ocean hunter is the frigate bird: their feathers aren’t waterproof so they can’t get wet, yet they manage to hunt out at sea. Frigates rely on dorado, predatory oceanic fish, to force flying fish from of the water as they hunt and once in the air the frigate birds take flying fish on the wing. Sharks, sea lions, spinner dolphins, albatross and the characterful sargassum fish have all developed extraordinary ways to hunt in the open ocean. - Genre
- Science; Research; Biology; Natural History; Climate
How to cite this record
The Open University, "The Hunt". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/221206 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)