Documentary Description
In this episode experts dissect a 65-foot, 60-ton fin whale - second
only in size to its 'cousin' the blue whale - that has died after being
stranded off the coast of Ireland. It's a race against time as whale
anatomist Joy Reidenberg flies in from New York before the animal's
decomposition causes it to explode on the beach. Veterinary
scientist Mark Evans helps investigate why the animal died and explores
its extraordinary anatomy. Using whale-size machinery, Joy and the team
set to work amidst gale force winds, driving rain, blood, intestines,
evil smells and freezing conditions. Meanwhile, advancing tides
threaten to engulf the whale, as the team struggles to complete the
operation. Beneath the blubber, the whale's unique anatomy
holds vital clues to its evolution. Using a combination of dissection
and computer graphics, the programme discovers an animal whose closest
living relative is the hippo. Meanwhile, evolutionary biologist
Richard Dawkins explains why the whale's ancestors may have taken to
the water and the evolutionary problems that had to be overcome to
transform a land-based mammal into an animal that swims among fish.
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