Finding Refuge in the Sea Caves of Poor Knights Islands
In Finding Refuge in the Sea Caves of Poor Knights Islands, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand, focusing on the survival strategies of fish and bats that use sea caves as their refuge. After feeding in the open water, demersal fish return to the caves to avoid predators. Big-eyes are night-feeding fish that leave the caves each evening. Bats face danger from snakes that sense their body heat and strike at them as they exit the caves. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why do demersal fish return to the caves each night?
A: The caves are a refuge from predators for the fish.
Q: What method do bats use to detect predators like snakes?
A: Bats use echolocation to detect predators like snakes.
Q: How do snakes detect the bats even in the dark?
A: Snakes sense the heat given off by the flying bats, which makes them visible to the snakes.