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[ti:] |
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[ar:] |
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[al:] |
| [00:00.78] |
The survivors of the Essex were at the mercy of sharks. Essex |
| [00:05.27] |
As one sailor wrote, "Our utmost efforts, |
| [00:07.71] |
which were at first directed to kill him for prey, |
| [00:10.84] |
became, in the end, self-defence." |
| [00:14.17] |
Now, more than ever, they needed the salvation of land. |
| [00:18.88] |
Seabirds would have been a ray of hope. |
| [00:21.56] |
While tropic birds can survive at sea for months on end, |
| [00:25.81] |
others, like frigate birds, return to roost every night, |
| [00:30.31] |
so are a sure sign of nearby land. |
| [00:34.55] |
Guided by the sun, stars and the Earth's magnetic field, |
| [00:39.00] |
seabirds navigate over thousands of miles of featureless ocean. |
| [00:43.76] |
They must all return to land to breed, |
| [00:46.54] |
often on little more than dots of sand, |
| [00:49.27] |
which makes their navigational skills even more impressive. |