1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Life under the ice flows, the Shiritoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.

2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:14,000
In Hokkaido, the sea of Okhotsk starts freezing from the north and ice flows drift into Shiritoko.

3
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:23,000
The Shiritoko Peninsula juts into the sea and collects drifting sea ice brought in by sea currents and the north wind.

4
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,000
How could sea water freeze?

5
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:33,000
The water here is diluted by the fresh water from the Amura River in Russia.

6
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000
The Amura is the largest river in northeast Eurasia.

7
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000
The river basin stretches across a large forested area.

8
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000
The river water is rich in nutrients from the forest.

9
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:52,000
In the spring, the sea ice, known as the cradle of life, starts melting.

10
00:00:52,000 --> 00:01:02,000
Once it does that, the nutrients inside disperse into the sea, then small shrimp-like missids feed on them and greatly increase in number.

11
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000
Missids are a popular food for fish.

12
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,000
But the water temperature is still low.

13
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,000
Wolffish are still inactive.

14
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000
Fringed bennies look sleepy.

15
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,000
As the water temperature rises, the fight for existence begins.

16
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,000
A crab is trying to eat a baby giant Pacific octopus.

17
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,000
This octopus could grow up to three meters in length.

18
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:34,000
Every winter, shoals of walleye pollock stay under the ice.

19
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:40,000
Ataka mackerel look for plankton 300 meters below the surface.

20
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:51,000
When the ice melts, smooth lumpsuckers rise up from the depths to spawn in the nutrient-rich shallows.

21
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:59,000
It is the male fishes' role to hatch the eggs.

22
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:09,000
They have to keep sending fresh sea water to their eggs and cannot eat anything for a month during the procedure.

23
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,000
A squid from the Gonitidae family.

24
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,000
They also come up from deep sea in the spring.

25
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,000
Large ones can measure a meter in length.

26
00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,000
Between their tentacles is what looks like lace.

27
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,000
It is where they store their eggs.

28
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:33,000
The baby squid hatch while their parents swim around.

29
00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,000
There is a cycle of life and death.

30
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:43,000
The ice flows are the key source of rich sea life around Shiritoko.