The Mediterranean South
From the dreamlike Mediterranean and spectacular canyon landscapes of Andalusia, to the expanses of the Extremadura with its holm oak forests that stretch toward the horizon. Even in the south of Spain, highly popular with holidaymakers, there is still much waiting to be discovered. Genets hunt for prey under cover of night. These viverrid representatives can be found in their greatest numbers on the Iberian Peninsula. And nowhere else in Europe are there as many vultures as here in Spain. It’s an unparalleled spectacle, when griffon vultures quarrel over carrion. The European Chameleon has a by far more ingenious method of feeding: within a fraction of a second, he shoots out his half-a-metre-long tongue; once in his sights, the insects don’t have a chance. The unmistakeable hoopoe with his typical feather bonnet is also pleased with the rich variety of insects on offer in Spain. Especially in the spring, when the birds have to feed their insatiable juniors. With around 30,000 brooding couples, white storks have one of their most important areas of distribution in Spain. But it’s underwater, where the wealth of animals in Southern Spain reaches its zenith. The protected reserves in the Mediterranean reveal an incomparable variety of species: weird sea slugs of almost alien appearance, graceful sea horses, huge swarms of barracudas and elegant blue sharks all have their habitat here. Spain’s south has shaped the identity of the regions inhabitants. The film accompanies a farmer in the Extremadura, Spain’s Wild West, as well as a fisherman who operates sustainable fishing off the coast of the Cabo de Gata reserve. Common to both is the fact that neither of them would consider exchanging their homeland for a life in the city. Wild Spain – The Mediterranean South reveals the unknown side of a region that many think they know, but in which there is so much more to discover.
S1E2 48 min
