Wild Baltic

1. The coast
The first episode of this two-part nature documentary presents the natural beauty of the shifting sand dunes of the Curonian Spit, the romantic beaches of the Latvian Baltic Sea and the island worlds of Estonia. Time and again, this deserted and almost untouched nature fascinates. In the winter, ringed seals give birth to their young on the pack ice. In the spring, Konik wild horse stallions fight fierce battles amongst themselves, while colourful European rollers fly through the dune forests. Lynxes wander through the coastal forests and in the orchid meadows turncoats and hoopoes find more than enough food. On the islands around Saaremaa in Estonia, grey seals hunt for fish. They share the archipelago with Europe's largest tern, the Caspian tern.

2. Forest and moorland
The wide, often untouched wilderness of the Baltic hinterland is home to many animals. More than 350 brown bears live in the primeval forests of Alutaguse. In the spring, the Soomaa National Park transforms into a huge lake. Europe's widest waterfall is located in Latvia. In the beginning of May, vimba bream follow the course of the River Venta. The hardly 50-centimetre-long fish have to overcome a 400-metre-long rock barrier in order to reach their spawning grounds.
The Baltics are rich in superlatives: a fifth of the world's spotted eagle stocks breed here. One of the largest courtship arenas for snipes is located here in the floodplains of Latvia. More than 1000 wolves go on the hunt in Latvia's forests. Lithuania is the land of storks - with over 13.000 pairs, no other region in the Baltic States has more white storks. (texte officiel du distributeur)