episode description
The top of New Zealand’s South Island is a landscape of two halves. To the West, one of the longest natural sandbars on the planet curves protectively around Golden Bay. To the East, mountains sink into the sea, their drowned river valleys forming the Marlborough Sounds. Turbulent currents connect them, both treacherous and full of riches. They invite Dusky dolphins to dine alongside New Zealand fur seals in the sounds underwater maze, while below brittle stars and carpet sharks clean up their scraps. Each spring thousands of bar-tailed godwits fly non-stop from Alaska to feast at Farewell Spit. While in the sand dunes a rare katipō spider stands guard over her precious egg sacs. Long-finned pilot whales cruise into Golden Bay to hunt squid which could cost them their lives. Amidst these turbulent waters Stephen’s Island is a haven for an ancient reptile from the time of the dinosaurs. They might live their life in the slow lane, but their Fairy Prion neighbours had better watch out.
