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Planet Earth DVD Episode Guide - Episode 3 - Fresh Water


The 3rd installment in the Planet Earth series describes the diverse courses taken by rivers and the species that live within them. Though only 3% of the world’s water is fresh, all life ultimately depends on it. The journey of episode 3 begins with a tropical downpour onto Venezuela’s Tepui mountains, with the water culminating into streams. Hundreds of miles later, the streams form a rapidly flowing river. To illustrate the beauty of rapids, Planet Earth episode 3 showcases Angel Falls, the world’s highest free-flowing waterfall. The water of Angel Falls drops nearly 1000 meters and is mostly blown away before ever reaching the bottom.

Flowing water causes natural erosion, illustrated in Planet Earth with images of the majestic beauty of the Grand Canyon, created by the Colorado River over the course of 5 million years. Across the globe, in Japan, water is home to the biggest amphibian, the giant salamander, which can grow to two meters in length. Also at home in the water, salmon embark on the largest freshwater migration, enduring the treachery of the river and hunted by grizzle bears.

Also featured are smooth-coated otters, repelling mugger crocodiles as they swim. Closely related to the mugger crocodile, nile crocodiles are shown ambushing wildebeest as they attempt to cross the Mara River. Roseate spoonbills are numerous in the Pantanal and are prey to spectacled cairman. Also shown are cichlids, piranhas in a feeding frenzy, river dolphins and swimming crab-eating macaques.

Post adapted from Wikipedia. Content is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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