Inside the Benguela Current
In Inside the Benguela Current narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the habitat of seals, squid, stingrays, and sharks. The cameras take you right inside the egg sacs of chokka squid! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Compare the Benguela and Agulhas Currents.
A: The Benguela Current sweeps along the west coast of South Africa; the Agulhas Current comes from the east; together they make nutrient-rich waters; the Agulhas Current is warmer.
Q: What makes the chokka squid so vulnerable?
A: The females are busy laying eggs, and the males are preoccupied repelling rivals; they have several predators (stingrays, ragged tooth sharks).
Q: What makes the region shown in the video a good place for marine life? What makes it a bad place?
A: The nutrient-rich waters and abundance of prey make it good for some animals; the many predators make it dangerous for prey.