Creatures of the Deep

Blue whales are the largest animals to ever live on earth, yet they are difficult to find or track. Even some of the locations where they birth their young are great secrets. Join some of the world's eminent blue whale scientists as they embark on a revolutionary mission to identify and tag California blue whales as they migrate to a spot known as the Costa Rica Dome. This incredible voyage yields unforgettable new footage and insight into these amazing creatures' lives.

Off the coast of San Francisco, an unexpected killing challenged the great white shark's supremacy as the ultimate predator when one became prey to a killer whale. Whale-watchers witnessed a stunning act of nature as a killer whale rose to the water's surface with a great white in its mouth and held it there for 15 minutes. Even more amazing, biologist Peter Pyle was nearby and able to get underwater footage of two whales feeding on the shark. They ate the liver and then departed the scene, leaving the rest to the birds. The incident raised questions, such as how did the killer whale take the huge shark without a struggle? And why did the whales only eat the shark's liver?

For over 500 million years, the jellyfish has survived in our oceans. Today, global warming and pollution may be contributing to a population explosion, as billions of these sometimes venomous creatures increasingly swarm around our beaches and shorelines. And though they have no bones, blood or brain, some jellyfish are armed with a deadly arsenal unlike any other on the planet. National Geographic dissects the fascinating physiology of this living fossil, from its 24 clustered eyes down to the tips of its stinging tentacles, and examines how man's impact on the environment may be creating a growing invasion.

National Geographic Explorer Dr. Enric Sala journeys to the Pitcairn islands to document life in the sea and on land with hopes of turning this ocean environment into a protected marine reserve. This is exploration at its most extreme and isolated.

Along the southern Line Islands lay a series of coral reefs teeming with sharks and exotic ocean life. Join leading marine ecologists and National Geographic as they explore on of the planet's last, pristine coral reefs.