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The Islands

Episode 3 of 4

The spy creatures explore the islands of the southern seas. Some of the most unique animals on earth have evolved in these isolated places, far from any mainland.

The spy creatures explore the islands of the southern seas. Some of the most unique animals on earth have evolved in these isolated places, far from any mainland. On the Galapagos Islands, Spy Iguana joins marine iguanas as they bask on ancient lava, before cliff-diving into the sea below. Lavacam films battling females as they fight over the best nesting spots and Spy Iguana joins them as they comically spray snot, a technique that removes sea salt from their bodies.

On Christmas Island, red crabs emerge from their burrows following the monsoon rains. Spy Crab walks with them as they unite as an army and march to the sea. On the way, they tackle barriers that in the past they would never have encountered: high metal fences and busy roads. When they finally arrive, they perform a victory dance that shakes their thousands of eggs into the ocean.

On Kangaroo Island, Spy Koala films some of the most extraordinary koala behaviour ever recorded, capturing the action-packed breeding behaviour of these normally slow-moving animals. It even captures males fighting in the treetops – a surprisingly noisy and aggressive affair!

Off the tip of South Africa lies Seal Island, home to 60,000 cape fur seals who come ashore to raise their pups. Spy Seal Pup is right in their midst as they quarrel for space before leaping into the sea to play.

Rottnest Island, off the south west coast of Australia, is home to one of the most photogenic creatures in the world - the quokka. These small furry marsupials are relatives of kangaroos and wallabies, and Spy Quokka is here to investigate how these cute animals raise their young.

The infamous Komodo Island is the setting for one of the most dramatic Spy scenes yet. It’s the breeding season for the massive Komodo dragons and the three-metre-long males are on the hunt for females. In scenes reminiscent of Jurassic Park, males fight over a female until one of the huge reptiles is pinned to the ground. All the while, Spy Pig has been filming from the sidelines. In dramatic scenes, the fighting dragons then turn their attention to him.

58 minutes

Music Played

  • Fred Falke

    Sanctuary (Original Mix)

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator David Tennant
Series Producer Matthew Gordon
Series Producer Philip Dalton
Production Company John Downer Productions Ltd

Broadcasts