Cliff Jumping | National Geographic

we’re here in the small bar islands of
Norway to observe one of the most
astonishing breathtaking daredevil
initiation rites on the planet thousands
of kilowatts are nesting on the sheer
rock cliffs far beyond the reach of
predators now here’s the daredevil part
the Gila mots are more at home in the
ocean and on the cliffs the chicks have
hatched and they have to fly to that
ocean only they’ve never flown before
ever
imagine you’re this kilowatt chick
you’ve never flown you don’t even know
what it’s like to fly or if you can fly
below you jagged cliffs ready to impale
you if you fail several hundred feet
down in the water adults
squawk encouragement to you
remember your very first time up on that
high dive alone with everyone watching
multiply that by a thousand you’re never
really ready you just have to well you
know take the plunge
you plummet down at first toward your
death on the rocks but other adults are
following you guiding you showing you
the way you don’t fly exactly but you do
glide you use those wings just enough to
stay with the adults and clear the rocks
you made it you skip like a pebble on
the water and then exhilaration
other chicks follow your lead and take
the plunge too until your whole
water-loving species is where it belongs