01x08 - Finding a Partner

[bunniefuu]

[Bonneville] Experience a
world beyond imagination

where fish can fly...

lizards walk on water,

apes master tools

and frogs disappear
in plain sight.

Animals do the
smartest things...

through every stage
of their lives.

[meerkat barks]

From leaving home...

to raising a family.

From finding food...

to making friends.

[elephant trumpets]

They find ingenious
ways to survive

against all odds.

[bellows]

Welcome to The Secret
Lives of Animals.

[Bonneville] Nobody
likes to be lonely.

On a lake in California...

this male western grebe
is looking for love.

It's mating season.

To prove he's a worthy partner,

he'll have to perform a
carefully choreographed dance.

Grebes only pair up if
they're perfectly in sync

with one another.

But it takes two to tango.

And this male is struggling
to find a dance partner.

Try as he might...

his approach

is getting him nowhere.

And muscling in on
a happy couple...

isn't going to work.

His chances are fading.

But after searching this
six-mile long lake...

his perseverance...

might finally pay off.

A single female.

Strong eye contact is
an engaging greeting.

Now, he must echo
her every move.

But can he dance?

By taking up to


they glide together
across the water.

Showing off their
stamina and coordination.

A sign they're in tune.

These lovers will dance
together until the season's end.

Attracting a partner can
be a daunting prospect.

But with the right
moves and perseverance,

you can find the perfect match.

To attract a mate, sometimes
you've got to make a splash.

Off the coast of Hawaii,

this female humpback whale
is looking for a partner.

The impact from her
colossal fins...

can be heard underwater
from almost two miles away.

It's an irresistible invitation.

And she's soon
surrounded by males.

[whales vocalizing]

They try to woo her
with a love song.

[vocalizing continues]

But she'll only choose the
fittest to be her mate.

So, she puts them to the
test in a race like no other.

This is one of the biggest
courtship battles on Earth.

She stays at the front

while up to 20 males, each
weighing around 30 tons,

try to keep up.

They jostle for pole position,

and try to knock the
competition out of the contest.

Blowing bubbles, they confuse
the humpbacks in their wake.

And a swipe of a


intimidates rivals.

But make no mistake...

the female is in charge.

When she turns, they turn.

When she dives, they dive.

It's a demanding challenge
that can last for four days.

Weeding out the weaker whales.

Until finally,

only the fittest male remains.

She has found her mate.

Exhausted, the new couple rest.

Holding their breath
for up to 30 minutes...

they disappear into
the deep together.

Selecting a mate from a crowd
of admirers is a luxury.

For some, it's hard to find even
one suitor who's interested.

Here in the mountains
of Patagonia,

it's difficult to
meet someone new...

especially for this puma.

[chirruping]

There are fewer than 100 adults
in a thousand square miles.

Like all her kind, she
prefers to live alone

to avoid any fights.

But if she's to find a mate,
she needs to drop her guard.

A male almost twice her size.

She approaches cautiously.

[chirrups, snarls]

[chirrups]

And he's showing his nerves too.

It's an awkward start to a date.

[chirrups, snarls]

So, to break the ice,

this apex predator
shows her softer side.

In rarely seen behavior...

she starts to flirt.

Making herself vulnerable...

and her intentions clear.

Eventually, he drops his guard.

And when he begins
to follow her,

it's a sure sign
that he's interested.

In a discreet moment,
the shy pair mate.

They won't stay
together for long.

He will soon leave to
defend his territory.

They both prefer a
solitary lifestyle.

In these vast mountains,

they may never see
each other again.

But six months later...

[chirruping]

she has new company.

Finding a partner can be hard
if you're naturally timid.

But sometimes it's just as
challenging for a show-off.

On the coast of Panama,

this male fiddler crab

has just six hours
to attract a mate

before the tide comes in.

So, to try to get this
female's attention,

he waves an oversized claw

that weighs a third
of his entire body.

And to female fiddler
crabs, bigger is better.

But he hasn't been noticed yet.

Maybe he's not got the moves.

Or maybe it's because there
are 5,000 other males,

all doing the same thing.

If he wants to stand out...

he'll have to do
something different.

So, he begins to build

a grand entrance to his burrow.

A signpost that shows he's got
a safe place to look after her.

He has to make it big because,

like all fiddler crabs,
she has poor eyesight.

With every passing minute,
the tide creeps closer.

Despite his hard work,

his construction has
still not caught her eye.

His efforts may be in vain...

or are they?

A grackle.

This opportunistic bird
loves to eat fresh crab.

She needs to get
out of harm's way.

And his elaborate porch is
a beacon of hope and safety.

Just what she needs.

In the nick of time, she
escapes the grackle...

and the incoming tide.

And this knight
in shining armor,

battens down the hatches.

The best partners offer protection
and security for their loved ones.

But one dedicated
romantic goes even further

and puts his life on the line.

Springtime in Arizona...

signals the start of
the dating season...

for this daring little lover.

A paradise jumping spider.

He's going on one of the most
dangerous dates in the world.

This female has high standards.

She'll eat any male
that fails to impress.

To win her over and survive,

he must put on the
performance of his life.

He starts with a flirtatious flick
of his forelegs to get her attention.

Then a little shuffle to
show off his best side.

The brighter and more
colorful his appearance,

the more attractive
he is to her.

But she remains unimpressed.

This could cost him his life.

To seduce her and survive,

he needs a remarkable solution.

And using the latest
technology, we can hear it.

[drumming]

An improvised spider serenade.

[drumming continues]

Drumming his abdomen
against the back of his head

up to 20 times per second,

he creates a series of
alluring vibrations...

coordinated with
complex leg moves.

Jumping spiders are the
only arachnids in the world

to create a symphony like this.

She's judging his every step.

And he reacts by tailoring his
performance to her specific taste.

As he grows in confidence,
he edges closer.

Then a gentle touch.

And finally, he's made it.

But female jumping spiders
quickly tire of their partners.

So he makes a swift exit
and escapes with his life.

Finding a partner

- can be a daunting task.
- [chirrups, snarls]

But if you dare to be different,

show what you're made of...

and reveal a softer side...

when you find the one,

it's like walking on air.

[Bonneville] In
southern California,

the team's mission is to film
the spectacular courtship dance

of western grebes.

Activity which peaks for
just a few weeks each winter.

And these birds can start
their performance at any time,

anywhere on this six-mile
stretch of water,

so filming it will
be challenging.

Getting the action in
frame is really difficult

because you don't know which
way the birds are gonna go

or when they're gonna go.

[Bonneville] Their synchronized
dance across the water

may only last a few seconds.

So, to capture this
breathtaking behavior,

the crew will need to
be equally in tune.

We've got Krisztina looking
at the grebe behavior.

We've got Billy, who's
positioning the boat for us.

Sheryl who's swinging the jib
arm to get that into position.

And I'm trying to help
Johnny find the birds.

And we have to get perfect timing to
get the shots, and it's not always easy.

[Bonneville] With a lot
of people to coordinate,

things get off to a bumpy start.

[Cashell] Keep going left.

- There. No, left.
- [Krisztina] No.

[Cashell] Right. Right.

Right.

There.

- No.
- Oh.

[Krisztina] In the back,
uh, towards the shore.

There they go. [exclaims]

[chuckling]

[exhales heavily]

[Bonneville] And just as they're
getting into a groove with the grebes...

[Krisztina] Look at that.

Short one, but we
got it. [chuckles]

[thunderclap]

[Bonneville] ...the
heavens open.

[Cashell] We've had
to call it a day.

Fingers crossed it gets dry soon and
we can get back out there and film.

[Bonneville] Overnight,
everything has changed.

The lake's water level
has risen dramatically.

It's made this piece of
water even bigger. [chuckles]

Um, and I've lost 50 yards
of bank to play with.

[Bonneville] Even
more concerning,

the stars of the show
seem to have disappeared.

[Cashell] There doesn't seem
to be many grebes about.

We're hoping the levels haven't
meant they've moved to another lake.

[Bonneville] Undeterred,
the team begins the search.

They scour the water for signs.

[Krisztina] There's one
right in front of us.

Yeah, this is a
good, active group.

- You see them?
- [Cashell] Yes! We're all good.

[Bonneville] It's
the moment of truth.

But can the crew maintain their
synchronicity and get the shot?

[Krisztina stammering]

- [Cashell] Oh, my goodness.
- [Krisztina] No way.

- Tell me you got that.
- [Cashell] Yeah.

[Bonneville] It's the
perfect performance.

The team's timing
couldn't be better.

That's brilliant.

[Krisztina] Wow.

[Bonneville] Yet, as well
coordinated as the crew is...

the grebes take it
to a whole new level.

Next time...

To overcome life's
greatest obstacles,

you must hone your
skills to perfection.

It takes trial and error,
but by staying focused...

and learning from others,

it's possible to
master your talent...

and succeed.