El majestuoso Danubio recorre el corazón de Europa a lo largo de sus 3000 km de longitud. Sus afluentes aportan agua desde diecinueve países, convirtiéndolo en el río más internacional del planeta, y cruzando un continente separado por fronteras y transformado por la humanidad.
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00:00of
00:08Los Grandes Rios de la tierra
00:14Hacen viajes extraordinarios
00:20Surcan continentes
00:24Alimentando y conectando la vida
00:27Desarrollando culturas
00:34Proporcionando un lugar para la aventura
00:43Desde el desierto helado del Yukon
00:48Hasta el calor tropical del Zambece
00:50Y los mágicos mundos escondidos del Danubio
01:04Los Grandes Ríos
01:07Son la savia del planeta Tierra
01:21Los Grandes Ríos
01:29El majestuoso Danubio
01:33Tiene casi 3.000 kilómetros de longitud
01:36Desde su nacimiento hasta el mar
01:40Y recorre el corazón de Europa
01:44Es mucho más que un simple río
01:51Es una gigantesca red de agua que se extiende por todo el continente
02:00Fluye hacia el este
02:03Desde Alemania y Austria
02:06Hasta Rumanía y el Mar Negro
02:13Sus afluentes aportan agua desde 19 países
02:16Lo que lo convierte en el río más internacional del planeta
02:24En su viaje atraviesa paisajes extraordinarios
02:28Y reinos ancestrales
02:34Revelando riquezas espléndidas
02:38Y mágicas sorpresas
02:46Pero para entender los constantes cambios de este río único
02:52Empezaremos
02:55Por el punto más alto
03:03Con sus 4.000 metros sobre el nivel del mar
03:07La montaña Pis Bernina en Suiza
03:10Es el punto más alto de toda la cuenca del Danubio
03:16Aquí se acumulan 800 millones de toneladas de agua en forma de hielo
03:26El glaciar Morterasch tiene 6 kilómetros de largo
03:30Y una profundidad de 250 metros
03:33Y está cubierto de nieve la mayor parte del año
03:42Pero en primavera, cuando sube la temperatura
03:46Y se dan las condiciones adecuadas
03:53Surge una oportunidad única
04:03Correr me mantiene viva
04:06Me conecta con la naturaleza
04:09Y con mi espíritu
04:12Anne-Marie Flamersveld lleva toda su vida corriendo
04:15Por los parajes más difíciles del mundo
04:23Y hoy se dan las circunstancias ideales
04:26Para correr en la cabecera helada del Danubio
04:32Correr sobre un río congelado es algo excepcional
04:36Solo puedes hacerlo durante un periodo de tiempo muy concreto
04:42Es un paisaje precioso
04:46Pero las apariencias engañan
04:49Correr sobre un glaciar, incluso en verano, es muy peligroso
04:53No sabes dónde están las grietas
04:58Y si caes por una, la caída puede ser de tres o cinco metros
05:03Así que es importante seguir una ruta definida
05:07Cuando voy cuesta abajo, busco siempre el mejor recorrido
05:11Porque voy muy deprisa y lo disfruto mucho
05:15Tengo que concentrarme en cada paso
05:19Y es lo más divertido
05:25Y cuando llega hasta la base del glaciar
05:30Es cuando se vislumbra el verdadero poder atrapado en el hielo
05:33Cuando te fijas bien y ves que está brotando agua de un sitio concreto
05:41Es cuando dices, es un río
05:47Las aguas del Danubio ya están en marcha por debajo del glaciar
06:03Más de una cuarta parte del agua del río viene de los Alpes
06:12Y en primavera se convierte en una fuerza de la naturaleza imparable
06:20Y alimenta la corriente del Danubio para recorrer todo el continente
06:25Hasta llegar al Mar Negro
06:32Su viaje acaba de empezar
06:50Unos kilómetros más abajo, en las laderas del valle
06:59La nieve que se funde
07:03Despeja el camino para un nuevo comienzo
07:09Y deja al descubierto
07:13El hogar de alguien
07:20En su interior habita una criatura que lleva ocho meses esperando
07:32Es un macho de marmota alpina
07:36Parecen pequeñas, pero llegan a pesar hasta ocho kilos
07:41Lo que las convierte en los pesos pesados de la familia de las ardillas
07:47El invierno ha sido muy duro para él y para los suyos
07:52Durante el invierno, aisladas en sus madrigueras
07:55Las marmotas alpinas pierden un tercio de su peso
07:58Ahora necesita engordar
08:03Al derretirse la nieve, la comida queda al descubierto
08:11Las marmotas comen hierba, flores e incluso algún que otro gusano
08:17Cuando lo encuentran
08:21Pero hay un problema
08:24Hay más familias viviendo en la zona
08:28Y hay poca comida para repartir
08:32Así que tendrá que defender su territorio
08:36Cuando se trata de luchar por su hogar
08:40Las marmotas van muy en serio
08:44Se aproxima un intruso
08:48Es el momento de pasar a la ofensiva
08:53Para conseguir ventaja
08:56Las marmotas se levantan sobre las patas traseras
09:03Es un combate cuerpo a cuerpo
09:07Se empujan y se agarran
09:14Lo más importante es mantenerse erguido
09:17Pero cuando la costa parece despejada
09:20Llegan más peligros
09:25El calor del sol hace que se suelten los enormes carámbanos
09:28De las cascadas congeladas
09:34Un golpe de uno de esos trozos de hielo sería fatal
09:41Las marmotas se levantan
09:43Pero hay un problema
10:01El peligro ha pasado
10:05En el Valle de las Marmotas
10:08La vida es un placer
10:13Pero la vida es un peligro
10:27La corriente del deshielo avanza
10:31Y se van sumando innumerables arroyos y afluentes
10:33El agua fluye desde todos los rincones de la cuenca del Danubio
10:51Y atraviesan un sinfín de hábitats
10:55Algunos de los cuales esconden maravillas secretas
11:04En los bosques de Bosnia
11:07Hay un afluente que tiene un origen diferente
11:14Estas aguas cristalinas provienen de manantiales subterráneos
11:23Y crean un mundo acuático
11:27Lleno de magia
11:33Según la leyenda
11:36A los romanos les pareció un río de tal belleza única
11:39Que lo bautizaron como Una
11:51Aunque el agua parezca pura
11:54Lleva infinidad de minerales disueltos
11:57Procedentes de la caliza que hay en el subsuelo
12:00Es un río muy especial
12:03Con cascadas y pozas en miniatura
12:14El musgo y otras plantas
12:17Van absorbiendo los minerales disueltos
12:21Son como esponjas naturales
12:24Que crecen y se endurecen poco a poco
12:30Y en el proceso se crean nuevas cascadas
12:39Parece el río de un cuento de hadas
12:59Pero no todo lo interesante está en la superficie
13:07Por debajo hay una auténtica fiesta
13:13Las aguas de la cabecera del Danubio
13:16Ricas en nutrientes y oxígeno
13:19Son un lugar perfecto para reunirse y buscar alimento
13:24Los bancos dorados de barbos
13:26Se mezclan con los elegantes tímalos
13:29Y las hiperactivas truchas
13:35Muchas especies desoban en esta zona
13:39Incluyendo una muy especial
13:43Que no se encuentra en ningún otro lugar de la tierra
13:48Cada primavera si observamos con atención
13:52Podemos ver uno de los principales depredadores del río
13:57El ucho, también conocido como salmón del Danubio
14:01Puede llegar a medir más de un metro de largo
14:06Es el salmón de agua dulce más grande del mundo
14:12Aquí vemos una pareja mostrando su lado más tierno
14:22La hembra barre la grava agitada
14:25Agitando su poderosa cola
14:28Y crea una pequeña depresión en el lecho del río
14:36Es un nido para poner sus huevos
14:43Al final parece el resultado de una limpieza de primavera
14:50El macho se acerca para aparearse
14:55Y para proteger a la hembra de otras atenciones no deseadas
15:00Bueno, será mejor dejar que estos depredadores gigantes sigan a lo suyo
15:11Las secretas aguas de la cabecera del Danubio
15:14Están llenas de oportunidades para la vida
15:18Y donde hay peces
15:21Hay especies interesadas en ellos
15:30Hoy, Esdena Gabranovic espera pescar un pez que siempre busca aguas cristalinas
15:38La trucha
15:42Empieza preparando moscas de pesca
15:45Me encanta tener mi propio rinconcito
15:51Puedo pasarme seis u ocho horas preparando moscas
15:56Su objetivo es crear el insecto perfecto
16:01Algo que engañe a las truchas para que se lo coman
16:07Debe tener el tamaño adecuado
16:11Para que parezca que está viva
16:17Utiliza pequeñas plumas para las alas
16:20Y seda para el cuerpo
16:24Es lo suficientemente sólida para parecer realista
16:28Y lo suficientemente ligera para poder lanzarla bien
16:32Ha llegado el momento de usarla
16:46Primero lanza el sedal
16:51Haciendo un bucle en el aire
17:01Tiene que posarse sobre el agua con la máxima suavidad
17:10Para que la mosca atraiga a su presa
17:13La pesca con mosca es un tipo de pesca muy especial
17:25Es como una obra de arte
17:33Y yo sería la artista
17:39La clave está en escoger el momento y el ritmo
17:42Adecuado
17:45Cada lanzamiento libera un poco más de sedal
17:50Más posibilidades de éxito
18:02Me cuesta imaginar mi vida sin el río
18:04El río y la pesca con mosca me dan la vida
18:22No ha habido suerte, pero no importa
18:26Estar en un río tan maravilloso es más que gratificante
18:34Aunque la tranquilidad del río sea un atractivo
18:38Las aguas del Danubio cambian constantemente
18:46En Eslovenia, uno de los principales afluentes del Danubio, el río Sava
18:52Ofrece unas posibilidades totalmente diferentes
19:04El río Sava es el más grande del Danubio
19:08Los preciosos ríos son los que se pueden ver en las calles
19:12El río Sava es el lugar más importante
19:16El río Sava es el lugar más importante
19:20El río Sava es el lugar más importante
19:26El río Sava es el lugar más importante
19:30El cayaquista Rock Rossman encuentra aquí la misma libertad
19:34of the waters that surround it.
19:38But it's a risky activity.
19:41In the rapids, you can find trees,
19:43which can be very dangerous.
19:45There's also rocks that generate siphons.
19:51So, as they say,
19:54the river is full of traps,
19:58but it's also full of fun.
20:01Once you've felt the river from a kayak,
20:06you'll always see it in a different way.
20:10For Rock, who is also a biologist,
20:13rivers provide much more than fun.
20:19The river is the habitat
20:22with the most abundance of life and diversity.
20:31It transports nutrients,
20:34water,
20:36energy.
20:38It's the most important element of nature.
20:47And according to Rock,
20:49it also helps us when it comes to
20:51facing the pressures of life.
20:54When you have problems,
20:57you can go talk to the psychiatrist
20:59or come and sit next to the river.
21:02It's up to you what's nice and what's cheap.
21:15As they descend from the headwaters
21:17and the alpine valleys,
21:20the Danubian affluents gather
21:23to become this great river.
21:30Towns,
21:35crops,
21:39and cities
21:41begin to join their route.
21:46Humans have been settling on their banks
21:49for thousands of years
21:51and have dominated it.
21:53They have encased it and conditioned it
21:56to prevent annual floods.
22:00But there are still natural stretches.
22:04As soon as you leave Vienna,
22:06the capital of Austria,
22:08there is the Danubio-Auen National Park.
22:11It's a strip of forests and wetlands
22:14protected on the banks of the Danube.
22:20Home to some extraordinary creatures.
22:29A young European Galapagos.
22:54It was born from an egg
22:56buried four months ago.
23:00Its mother nested in a safe place
23:03from the floods.
23:09But now it's far from the water.
23:14And it's a tiny creature
23:16that must embark on an epic journey
23:19in solitude.
23:30When you only measure a few centimeters,
23:33everything around you seems very large.
23:41Even the tiny ants are impressed.
23:48But this turtle comes equipped
23:51with its own armor.
23:55And although the arms and legs
23:56are small,
23:58they have a lot of strength.
24:06It walks towards the water by instinct,
24:09using all its energy.
24:16Of all the turtle young
24:18that are born each year,
24:20only 2% reach adulthood.
24:27And when you think you've reached your goal,
24:32you discover that it's still very far away.
24:41And there's a lot of movement around here.
24:44Not just turtles.
24:56It's now or never.
25:27There's not much time left.
25:32The one who doesn't take a chance
25:34doesn't win.
25:37In Austria, they're in danger of extinction,
25:40so every turtle is important.
25:57Finally,
25:59fresh and revitalizing water.
26:05Our young turtle is not used to it,
26:09but it's home at last.
26:13Safety,
26:15food,
26:18and also friends.
26:27After crossing Germany,
26:29Austria,
26:31and Slovakia,
26:33the young turtle arrives in Hungary,
26:36the central part of its journey.
26:42To its majestic capital,
26:46Budapest.
26:53A city that owes its existence
26:54to the Danube,
26:58and that has witnessed the rise
27:00and fall of several empires,
27:03from the Romans to the Crusaders.
27:06In Budapest,
27:08art and mystery intertwine.
27:13Its magnificent architecture
27:15and its seven spectacular bridges
27:17are samples of a place
27:19that has served as a cultural inspiration
27:21for centuries.
27:25Today,
27:27with a population of 1,700,000,
27:29it's more important than ever.
27:40Water is one of the oldest means of transportation,
27:43and it's still the cheapest.
27:48And the strategic location of Budapest
27:50is one of the most important.
27:54It's vital for the Danube
27:56to remain the backbone
27:58of the European transport network.
28:04Up to 50 million tons of goods
28:06travel the Danube every year.
28:11Gigantic freighters and boats
28:13sail from port to port.
28:17They carry large and heavy loads,
28:19such as cereals,
28:21sand and fuel,
28:22which otherwise
28:24would have to take more expensive routes.
28:29Freighters act as transport centers,
28:32where containers and goods
28:34move with the precision of a clock.
28:39A gigantic moving puzzle
28:41that works 24 hours a day,
28:43seven days a week.
28:52It's easy to understand
28:54the importance of the Danube
28:56in the daily life of Budapest.
29:00But there's something else.
29:11A hidden secret.
29:17A dark well,
29:19difficult to find.
29:23But for two scientists,
29:26it's a wonder of the past
29:28that connects the Danube
29:30with the last age of ice.
29:40To explore it,
29:44Drs. Gergly Ballas
29:46and Dinesh Sivert
29:48have discovered
29:50a special equipment
29:52to enter a cave
29:54completely full
29:56of fresh water.
30:12The caves of Molnar Llanos
30:14were not explored
30:16until the 1950s.
30:20That's when the right diving equipment
30:22was invented.
30:26Up here,
30:28there's a bustling city.
30:30But the cave
30:32belongs to antiquity.
30:34Crystal clear water
30:36filtered by the rock
30:38millennia after millennia
30:40along almost six kilometers
30:42of caves under Budapest.
30:49And in every dive,
30:51they discover something new.
30:54Some of the passages are huge
30:56and the water is so clean
30:58that it doesn't even look like
31:00there's water.
31:04It's like flying through the caves.
31:11The caves offer
31:13a unique opportunity
31:15to scientists.
31:17You see things
31:19you make measurements
31:21that nobody has done before.
31:27It's true exploration.
31:33Despite the difficulties,
31:35scientists have already
31:37unraveled some mysteries
31:39of these waters.
31:43And they have discovered
31:45that through the caves
31:46more than a million liters of water
31:48flow imperceptibly
31:50every day.
31:55And in Budapest,
31:57there's only one destination.
32:00There is an obvious connection.
32:04The cave feeds a lake
32:07which, through a channel
32:09under Lukacs' swimming pool,
32:12the water flows directly
32:14into the Danube.
32:17It's a hidden river
32:19that joins the Danube
32:21in its great journey.
32:35In Hungary,
32:37the Danube's flow
32:39may seem slow and lazy,
32:42but it still has the capacity
32:43to evoke magical moments
32:45of nature.
32:54In one of its affluent means,
32:56there is an animal
32:58that is the star
33:00of one of the most spectacular
33:02natural events on Earth.
33:08Soli, let's go that way.
33:13Dr. Bela Kys,
33:15a scientist specializing
33:17in rivers,
33:19is looking for some.
33:23Bela controls the population
33:25of an insect that hides
33:27for up to three years
33:29underwater.
33:32And to do so,
33:34it has to submerge
33:36more than four meters
33:38to the riverbed.
33:40We use a special tool
33:42called a bagger.
33:49Then we remove the clay
33:51in which the larvae live.
34:01It doesn't look like much.
34:04Here it is.
34:09A young larva.
34:13But in a few months,
34:15these larvae will transform
34:17and become
34:19one of the largest
34:21ephemera in the world.
34:26For just a few days in June,
34:29when the water temperature rises,
34:32they begin to hatch.
34:40First, the males take flight.
34:45They are beautiful specimens.
34:52For some ephemera,
34:56life is very short.
35:10But they keep coming out
35:12more and more.
35:18There is no time to lose.
35:22They have three hours of life
35:25and one purpose.
35:29To find a female
35:31and mate.
35:39When the females hatch,
35:41a frenetic mating dance
35:43begins.
35:51The sky is covered
35:53with millions of ephemeras
35:55mating in groups.
35:59Before, they inhabited many areas
36:01of the Danube basin.
36:03But the pollution
36:05and loss of their habitats
36:07make it increasingly difficult
36:09to appreciate this event.
36:13It is an amazing super swarm of life
36:15and it is worth looking for it.
36:25I don't know how to describe it.
36:27I have no words.
36:33And with the same speed
36:35with which it began,
36:37this extraordinary event
36:40ends.
36:46After a wait of three years,
36:48ephemeras have a short
36:50but intense life.
36:56They are born,
36:59reproduce
37:01and die
37:03in a single day.
37:10At this point,
37:12the Danube basin
37:14has already received
37:16its main affluents,
37:18the Drava,
37:20the Tisa
37:23and the Sava.
37:26And its contribution
37:28has tripled.
37:31This is how it reaches
37:33the last capital of its route,
37:35Belgrade, in Serbia.
37:40In this section,
37:42it is about one kilometer wide
37:44and its flow rate
37:46is 5.5 million liters per second.
37:52And it flows to the border
37:54with Romania,
37:57one of the last great milestones
37:59of its journey.
38:07The throat
38:09of the Danube
38:11has iron gates.
38:13It is 144 kilometers long
38:15and narrows
38:17to just 150 meters wide.
38:19The traffic that flows
38:21through the river
38:23has been going through this
38:25intimidating passage for thousands of years.
38:27The narrow throat
38:29with its very high cliffs
38:31was famous for its
38:33dangerous rapids and whirlpools.
38:36It was an extremely dangerous
38:37place for ships.
38:47But in the 1970s,
38:50this section of the Danube
38:52changed forever.
39:00Engineers built the dam
39:02with iron gates
39:04to take advantage
39:05of the strength of the river.
39:07It is one of the largest
39:09hydroelectric plants in Europe.
39:12This gigantic engineering work
39:14generates 5.5 million megawatts,
39:17of which 25 million people
39:19depend in Romania
39:21and Serbia.
39:28And it has had a great impact
39:30both on the population
39:32and on the river.
39:36The Danube
39:40Once the dam has been overcome,
39:42the Danube enters the lowlands
39:44of Romania and Bulgaria.
39:47In these waters
39:49lives a group of animals
39:51that has been deeply affected
39:53by the artificial barrier
39:55created upstream.
39:57A real monster of the depths.
40:01The sturgeon.
40:05Some species of sturgeon,
40:07like the beluga,
40:09live more than 100 years
40:11and reach 6 meters in length.
40:14The size of a shark.
40:20But it owes its fame
40:22to its eggs.
40:25It is the luxury caviar
40:27that is sold all over the world.
40:32Being one of the main rivers
40:33that flow into the Black Sea,
40:35the Danube is a vital area
40:37for the sturgeon.
40:41But the overfishing,
40:43the pollution
40:45and the construction of dams
40:47that block the access
40:49to its areas upstream
40:51make this river giant
40:53disappear.
40:55It is estimated that the sturgeon
40:57is more threatened
40:59than any other group
41:01of species on the planet.
41:04There is a person
41:06who considers it worth
41:08fighting for the future
41:10of the sturgeon.
41:12It's my passion.
41:14It's what I like to do most.
41:20Borislava Margaritova
41:22is a biologist
41:24specializing in fish
41:26who works in Bulgaria
41:28to preserve the health
41:30of the Danube and its fish.
41:32There are four very rare
41:34species of sturgeon
41:36that can only be found here.
41:40The Danube
41:42is the only river
41:44in Europe
41:46that still flows
41:48in a natural way.
41:50And we try to protect them
41:52because they are disappearing.
41:55Today she is going to inspect
41:57the river with her team.
42:01We arrive at the river
42:03at five in the morning
42:05and we work almost all day,
42:07sometimes until ten at night.
42:09It all depends on the captures.
42:11They use nets
42:13to capture the fish
42:15they need for their research.
42:18And it's not an easy task.
42:20The river is too big
42:22for such a small group of fish.
42:24We have to be very careful
42:26because the river
42:28is too big
42:29for so few people.
42:33In nine years,
42:35Borislava and her team
42:37have only managed to capture
42:39six sturgeons.
42:42It's very difficult.
42:44You spend eight or nine hours
42:46on the boat
42:48and it's very frustrating
42:50to pick up the nets
42:52and see that they are empty.
42:59But there is always hope.
43:04And today has been a very special day.
43:23Surprisingly,
43:25the team has not only captured one sturgeon,
43:27they have captured two.
43:31They are slightly smaller
43:33than the famous beluga,
43:35but they are just as valuable.
43:37One is a young sterlet sturgeon
43:39that could be between
43:41three and five years old
43:43and a star sturgeon
43:45between five and seven years old.
43:49The team is very satisfied
43:51with the result.
43:53There are so few of us
43:54that we have been trying
43:56to capture one for months.
43:58We have been very lucky.
44:01It's like
44:03when you celebrate
44:05your birthday
44:07and you have something
44:09that you have been wanting
44:11for many years
44:13and they give you something
44:15that you also wanted.
44:18They take advantage
44:20of the little time they have
44:22to record important data
44:24like the size
44:26and the weight.
44:28And carefully,
44:30they place small control beacons
44:32to monitor their movements.
44:38Borislava is aware
44:40of the importance
44:42of this unique encounter.
44:45The sturgeons
44:47are the Danube's flagship.
44:49So while the sturgeons
44:51are still here,
44:52we know that the river
44:54is in good condition.
44:56There is still a long way
44:58to go.
45:01But for now,
45:03Borislava can celebrate
45:05this little victory.
45:17We hope that the efforts
45:19of conservation,
45:20like the repopulation
45:22and the protection
45:24of migratory routes
45:26ensure the future
45:28of these emblematic fish.
45:38The Danube has finally reached
45:40the last stage
45:42of its epic journey.
45:45Leaving for the end
45:47the most spectacular
45:48destination.
45:52The Danube Delta.
45:57After crossing Romania
45:59and Ukraine,
46:01the imposing Danube
46:03is freed from its chasm.
46:08This wetland
46:10of almost 5,000 square kilometers
46:12is the largest in Europe
46:14that remains virgin.
46:19You can only access it
46:21by boat.
46:30The narrow canals
46:32cross river forests
46:34of reeds and poplars.
46:42And the river opens
46:44in a sea of sweet water.
46:49Bordered by canyons
46:58and immense lakes
47:00covered with water lilies.
47:05It is one of the most
47:07depopulated places in Europe.
47:10And nature flourishes freely.
47:19More than 5,000 species
47:21of animals and plants
47:23live here.
47:27The Delta is a destination
47:29of global importance
47:31for birds.
47:33Some come to breed here
47:35from places as far away
47:37as Africa and Asia,
47:39such as the Caribbean fumarole
47:41and the Cangrejera gazelle.
47:45And also a bird
47:46known as the Danube Delta.
47:54The common pelican
47:59with 17,000 pairs
48:01ready for breeding.
48:04It is the largest colony
48:06in the world outside of Africa.
48:08And its number
48:10is increasing.
48:12They nest here
48:14for several months.
48:16And feed on the abundance
48:18of the Delta.
48:20They fish in groups
48:22forming huge flotillas
48:24to give themselves
48:26a real feast of fish.
48:33A magnificent spectacle
48:35at the end of the great
48:37voyage of the Danube.
48:41Before flying once again
48:43beyond the Black Sea.
48:47The waters of the Danube
48:49cross more countries
48:51than any other river
48:53on Earth.
48:55Crossing a continent
48:57separated by borders
48:59and transformed by humanity.
49:02Despite facing
49:04great challenges
49:06on their way,
49:08they always find
49:10a way to move forward
49:12to inspire,
49:14feed
49:16and amaze.
49:21A continent connected
49:23and united
49:25by water.