世界上只有一种真正的白鲸
There’s only one truly white whale.
仿佛幽灵一般
Like a ghost.
神秘异常
And just as mysterious.
白鲸会微笑
Beluga whales smile. . .
会用面部表情来表达情绪
show emotion with facial expressions.
它们是海洋中词汇量最大的物种之一
They have one of the largest vocabularies in the ocean.
甚至会给自己起名字
And may even give themselves names.
现在我们要以前所未有的方式 加入它们的行列
Now we join them. . . like never before.
这个家族开始了一趟冒险旅程
As this family begins an adventure. . .
它们循着古老的路线前进
that follows an ancient road map.
这是一个危险的旅程
A dangerous journey. . .
一路上 陌生人变成了朋友
. . . where strangers become friends. . .
人多势众 安全才有保障
safety lies in numbers. . .
只有年轻一代听长辈的话
and traditions only survive
并学习家族绝技
if the young listen to their elders. . .
传统才能得以传承
and learn their secrets.
旁白 西格妮·韦弗
白鲸是地球上 社交能力最强的动物之一
Belugas are some of the most social animals on the planet.
它们是齿鲸
They are toothed whales,
跟海豚类似
like dolphins. . .
还有它们的北极表亲 一角鲸
and their arctic cousins, narwhals.
白鲸是唯一能像人类一样转头的鲸鱼
Belugas are the only whales that can turn their heads like we can.
它们有自己的语言
-They have their own language. . .
深厚的家庭亲情
. . . deep family bonds. . .
和古老的传统
. . . and age-old traditions.
这些白鲸有需要遵守的承诺
These belugas have promises to keep.
但有些承诺却会令它们陷入危险
But some of those promises put them in danger.
加拿大北极群岛
这个白鲸家族开启了一场
This beluga family begins a journey to a reunion it can’t miss.
不可错过的团聚之旅
这是一年一度从格陵兰岛 到加拿大北极群岛的朝圣之旅
It’s an annual pilgrimage from Greenland to the Canadian Arctic.
前方是绵延近1600公里的大海
Ahead lies nearly a thousand miles of unforgiving ocean.
家族中最年长的姐姐有了自己的幼崽
The oldest sister has a baby of her own.
它们最好结伴同行
It’s best they all stay together.
春天的融雪打开了古老的道路
The spring thaw opens ancient pathways.
但白鲸跟我们一样需要呼吸空气
But belugas breathe air like we do. If the ice closes above them,
如果它们上方被冰封住
它们就会溺亡
they will drown.
因此白鲸们在迷宫般的旅途中穿行时 会紧密相依
So the beluga stay in close touch as they work through the maze.
成年白鲸身长约4到6米
Adults may be 13 to 20 feet long. . .
但如此庞大的身躯依然可能会失踪
but they can still disappear.
它们用特别的呼喊声 来密切关注黑暗中的每位同伴
They use special calls to keep tabs on everyone in the murk. . .
甚至可能有各自的名字
maybe even individual names.
幼崽模仿妈妈的叫声
The baby shares its mother’s call.
游弋几百公里后 它们到达了开阔的水域
After a few hundred miles, they reach open water.
但在这里它们面临着更大的危险
But here, they face an even greater danger.
虎鲸会捕猎白鲸
Orcas hunt beluga whales. . .
并且虎鲸能听到它们交谈
and orcas can hear them talk.
这就需要新战术来应对
It calls for new tactics.
白鲸教育幼鲸们
The belugas teach their young
在此地它们必须悄声呼吸
that here, they need to take small, quiet breaths.
不得交谈
No chatter. . .
只能触碰彼此
just touch.
最终 在经过六周的残酷考验后
Finally, after six weeks of swimming the gauntlet,
它们到达一个特别的隐秘之地
they arrive at a special, secret location.
加拿大北部的坎宁安湾
Cunningham Inlet in Northern Canada.
它们自己的秘密绿洲
Their own private oasis.
这里有温暖的淡水河流
Where a warmer freshwater river
注入海中
pours into the sea.
这就好像全家的水疗之旅
This is like a family trip to the spa.
砾石底部好比丝瓜络
The gravel bottom acts as a big loofah. . .
它们等待了一整年 就为了来这里挠痒痒
for an itch they’ve been waiting all year to scratch.
白鲸的皮肤比我们的厚一百倍
The beluga’s skin is a hundred times thicker than ours,
但在它们冬天的家 水太冷 皮肤无法生长
but in their winter home, the water is too cold for it to grow.
在这里温暖的水中 家族成员们可以蜕掉一层皮
In these warmer waters, family members can shed a layer,
摆脱烦人的寄生虫
and get rid of annoying parasites.
这是一年中最舒爽的时刻
This is one of the highlights of their year.
但这还不是它们跋涉到此的目的
But it’s not why they’re here.
真正吸引它们的事就要开始了
The main attraction is about to begin.
另一群到达了 雄鲸和雌鲸都有
Another group arrives. Males and females.
然后又来一群
Then another.
很快…聚了上百头
Soon. . . there are hundreds.
然后
Then. . .
两千多头白鲸到达此地
more than two thousand belugas.
所有家族都履行承诺 来到这里参加盛大聚会
Families, all fulfilling their promise to be here for a grand reunion.
这是所有成员重新认识的机会
Time for everyone to get reacquainted.
它们同老朋友交谈
They mingle with old friends.
认识家族里的新成员
And meet new additions to the family.
但今年的活动来了个不速之客
But this year’s event has a party crasher.
《国家地理》的探险家 兼世界著名鲸鱼摄影师
National Geographic explorer and world-famous whale photographer,
布赖恩·斯克里来到这荒无人烟之地
Brian Skerry has come to the middle of nowhere to join the festivities.
来参加这场盛大的庆祝活动
他知道这个地方很多年了 但从来没想过这场聚会
He’s known of this place for years, but never dreamed the gathering
会是如此盛大的庆典
would be such a celebration.
我从来没见过这样的场面
I’ve never seen anything quite like this.
我们说的不是一两头鲸鱼
And we’re not talking about one or two whales. . .
是几十头
we’re talking about dozens. . .
几百头 甚至几千头
hundreds, even thousands.
绝对是远超预期的规模
It is absolutely off the scale.
它们在这里的举动非常特别
What they do here is unique.
它们时而转圈 时而跃出水面
They’re spinning around, they’re doing spy hops.
它们这样的行为 通常被称作“香蕉姿势”
They’re doing this behavior that’s often called “The banana, ”
你可以看到它们的头尾露出水面
where you’ll see their head and their tail out there,
肚子在水底摩擦砾石
rubbing their bellies on the bottom on the gravel.
感觉肯定超爽!
It must feel great!
这里的活动可能比暑假要多得多
And there may be more going on here than a summer vacation.
白鲸的行为非常多样
There’s so much beluga behavior.
堪称大型白鲸派对
A giant beluga party.
看似是这样 但我知道
And that’s what it seems like but I know that
肯定会有更多情况发生
there must be more happening.
这就是我想弄清楚的东西
That’s really what I’m trying to find out.
这些白鲸长途跋涉1600公里
These whales traveled nearly a thousand miles from Greenland
从格陵兰岛来到此地
to get here.
此时 年纪最小的妹妹 揭示了它们此行的真正原因
Now, the youngest sister reveals the real reason for their journey.
就是这样
And there it is.
一头白鲸幼崽
A baby beluga.
它来到坎宁安湾是为了产崽
She’s come to Cunningham Inlet to give birth.
它不仅产下了幼崽 我环顾四周时还发现
Not only does she have her baby but as I look around,
有好多鲸鱼妈妈和幼崽
there are so many moms and babies.
白鲸出生时体重超过54公斤
Belugas weigh more than 120 pounds at birth,
有迹象表明这里的许多幼崽 才刚出生几小时
and there are clues that many young here are just hours old.
我们现在有在此地出生的幼崽的 照片证据
We now have photographic evidence of calves being born in this place. . .
它们可能是几小时前带着胎儿褶皱
that were probably born hours before with fetal folds,
和脐带出生的
with umbilical cords.
这是一处大型的白鲸育幼地 不可思议
It’s a giant beluga whale nursery. Unbelievable.
这里是无数白鲸后代的出生地
This is the birthplace of countless generations of belugas.
这个家族中的每个成员 都是在这里长大的
Everyone in this family was raised right here.
在怀孕15个月后
After 15 months of carrying a baby, this is a mother’s perfect nursery.
这里是白鲸妈妈完美的育幼地
白鲸妈妈能够来到 一个受到严密保护的地方
For a mom to be able to come to a place that is very protected,
这里水很浅 而且水温比辽阔的海洋
that’s very shallow, where the water might be several degrees
要高出好几度
warmer than the open ocean. . .
它可以在非常宝贵的前几天 好好哺育幼崽
and she can nurse that calf in those first few precious days,
穿上那层保温层
to put on that layer of insulation,
在北冰洋寒冷的海水中存活
to survive in that freezing cold Arctic Ocean.
这头幼崽每天增重1斤
This baby puts on a pound a day.
同时 妈妈会刺♥激♥幼崽的大脑
At the same time, mom stimulates her infant’s brain.
语言课从第一天就开始了
Lessons in language start on day one with beluga baby talk.
从白鲸幼崽牙牙学语开始
妈妈用一种特别的呼喊声 来同它保持联♥系♥
Mom uses a special call to stay in touch.
女儿必须用心学习
Daughter needs to learn it by heart.
随着它年龄增长
As she gets older,
它们之间的对话也会更加深入
their conversations will grow much deeper.
妈妈会教它数百种声音

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