1
00:00:32,780 --> 00:00:37,300
Summer in the polar regions,
and the sun never sets.

2
00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:42,780
Imagine a single day
that lasts for months.

3
00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:49,820
Some polar animals
will face great challenges

4
00:00:49,855 --> 00:00:52,500
as their ice world
vanishes around them.

5
00:00:55,540 --> 00:00:58,980
Others must use
this special time wisely,

6
00:00:59,015 --> 00:01:01,780
for summer's riches will not last.

7
00:01:29,300 --> 00:01:31,380
The summer is just beginning

8
00:01:31,415 --> 00:01:34,540
and the increasing power of the sun

9
00:01:34,575 --> 00:01:37,460
is creating
a spectacular new landscape.

10
00:01:45,940 --> 00:01:51,140
This melting ice sheet
in the Arctic is 150 miles long,

11
00:01:51,175 --> 00:01:53,820
with 1,000 waterfalls.

12
00:01:59,140 --> 00:02:01,060
Vast expanses of ice

13
00:02:01,095 --> 00:02:05,100
that were once stone still,
have come to life.

14
00:02:30,140 --> 00:02:33,220
The polar bear's world
is melting away

15
00:02:33,255 --> 00:02:34,900
under the constant summer sun.

16
00:02:44,260 --> 00:02:49,220
As the season advances, the frozen
surface of the ocean disintegrates.

17
00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:53,860
Soon, the ice here
will have totally vanished.

18
00:03:03,140 --> 00:03:07,740
The polar bear family have to adapt
to their rapidly-changing home.

19
00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:19,180
For the two cubs,
this is a whole new watery world.

20
00:03:19,215 --> 00:03:22,500
It's the first time
they have seen the sea ice break up.

21
00:03:29,220 --> 00:03:31,060
They're only six months old

22
00:03:31,095 --> 00:03:34,860
and will be dependent on their
mother for another two years.

23
00:03:39,140 --> 00:03:41,820
They have much to learn.

24
00:03:50,740 --> 00:03:53,220
Their first swimming lesson,

25
00:03:53,255 --> 00:03:56,340
and they're not sure
that they want it.

26
00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:11,500
For their mother,
swimming is second nature.

27
00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:18,140
But the cubs still prefer
to have ice beneath their feet

28
00:04:18,175 --> 00:04:19,420
whenever they can.

29
00:04:31,340 --> 00:04:34,980
Soon, it will be impossible
to avoid the water.

30
00:04:40,820 --> 00:04:44,060
This lone male has lived through
a dozen summers

31
00:04:44,095 --> 00:04:46,220
and is perfectly at home
in the sea.

32
00:04:52,340 --> 00:04:55,420
He can swim up to 50 miles a day.

33
00:04:57,980 --> 00:05:02,420
He's hungry, and he's searching
this ice maze for seals.

34
00:05:12,180 --> 00:05:16,620
But travelling across
this increasingly fragile ice scape

35
00:05:16,655 --> 00:05:20,220
is hard work for an animal
weighing over half a tonne.

36
00:05:33,540 --> 00:05:37,380
It's also harder to hunt
when you have to swim.

37
00:05:38,780 --> 00:05:42,460
In open water,
the odds are in the seals' favour.

38
00:06:02,140 --> 00:06:05,260
Lean months lie ahead
for the polar bears.

39
00:06:05,295 --> 00:06:08,780
They will have to adopt
new hunting strategies,

40
00:06:08,815 --> 00:06:10,660
or risk starvation.

41
00:06:16,460 --> 00:06:20,340
The northern part of the Earth
is now tilting towards the sun,

42
00:06:20,375 --> 00:06:24,740
and all around the Arctic,
the sea ice continues its retreat.

43
00:06:34,900 --> 00:06:37,780
The last remnants of the ice world

44
00:06:37,815 --> 00:06:40,580
drift with the wind and the tides.

45
00:07:00,300 --> 00:07:04,340
The sun's heat may be gentle
at these latitudes,

46
00:07:04,375 --> 00:07:07,900
but it is continuous
for 24 hours a day,

47
00:07:07,935 --> 00:07:11,340
and it carves the ice
into magical shapes.

48
00:07:26,860 --> 00:07:32,620
Those that need ice have to visit
the glacier fronts to find it.

49
00:07:37,580 --> 00:07:40,100
A comfortable bed
is hard to come by.

50
00:07:49,980 --> 00:07:52,420
A polar bear's fur is so dense

51
00:07:52,455 --> 00:07:55,060
that water is easily shaken off.

52
00:08:01,380 --> 00:08:04,500
And ice absorbs water like a towel.

53
00:08:26,100 --> 00:08:28,220
That's better.

54
00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:34,260
There's now little chance
of catching seals,

55
00:08:34,295 --> 00:08:38,220
and this bear may not eat again
until the end of summer.

56
00:08:42,340 --> 00:08:45,780
It's better to save energy
and doze in the sun.

57
00:08:55,340 --> 00:08:58,140
The warmth of the sun's rays

58
00:08:58,175 --> 00:09:01,300
is now bringing the Arctic lands
back to life.

59
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:22,980
FAINT BIRDSONG

60
00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:37,940
TWITTERING

61
00:09:51,580 --> 00:09:54,620
BIRDSONG

62
00:10:00,620 --> 00:10:02,380
Red phalaropes.

63
00:10:02,415 --> 00:10:05,460
They've flown
all the way from the tropics

64
00:10:05,495 --> 00:10:09,060
to feed in these rich
Arctic waters.

65
00:10:09,095 --> 00:10:11,420
They stir up the tiny creatures

66
00:10:11,455 --> 00:10:14,980
that are now flourishing here
with a special spinning dance.

67
00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:25,700
All excellent fuel as they hurry
to rear the next generation.

68
00:10:28,940 --> 00:10:33,700
The Arctic terns have made an even
longer journey to breed here.

69
00:10:33,735 --> 00:10:38,540
They have flown 11,000 miles
from the Antarctic.

70
00:10:39,940 --> 00:10:43,340
Their newly-hatched chicks
will need to grow fast

71
00:10:43,375 --> 00:10:45,740
if they're to accompany
their parents

72
00:10:45,775 --> 00:10:48,900
when they return south
in only six weeks' time.

73
00:10:53,060 --> 00:10:56,740
An eider duck has chosen to nest
in the centre of the tern colony.

74
00:10:56,775 --> 00:11:00,460
Hardly a tranquil place
to raise your young.

75
00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:07,940
But the noisy neighbours
have a feisty attitude to life,

76
00:11:07,975 --> 00:11:11,060
and that can be very valuable.

77
00:11:11,095 --> 00:11:13,300
SQUAWKING

78
00:11:23,860 --> 00:11:26,340
A hungry bear looking for a meal

79
00:11:26,375 --> 00:11:28,620
can destroy hundreds of nests

80
00:11:28,655 --> 00:11:29,900
in a single raid.

81
00:11:29,935 --> 00:11:31,740
Defensive squadrons of terns

82
00:11:31,775 --> 00:11:33,100
take off immediately.

83
00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:44,900
Sharp beaks stab down from above.

84
00:11:44,935 --> 00:11:48,180
The bear has nothing in his armoury
that can cope with this.

85
00:12:04,260 --> 00:12:06,860
The terns have drawn blood
from his muzzle.

86
00:12:16,740 --> 00:12:18,540
He leaves in search

87
00:12:18,575 --> 00:12:20,180
of an easier meal.

88
00:12:24,620 --> 00:12:28,420
The eiders survive, thanks
to their choice of neighbours.

89
00:12:35,540 --> 00:12:38,980
And the ducklings begin
their sprint to maturity.

90
00:12:42,540 --> 00:12:44,980
Fishing continues around the clock

91
00:12:45,015 --> 00:12:48,660
as the terns race
to rear their young

92
00:12:48,695 --> 00:12:50,620
before the return of the freeze.

93
00:13:00,700 --> 00:13:05,260
So the rich waters of summer fuel
the breeding of all these visitors

94
00:13:05,295 --> 00:13:08,780
and enable them to build up
the reserves they will need

95
00:13:08,815 --> 00:13:11,060
for the long return journey south.

96
00:13:24,020 --> 00:13:26,780
Inland, the winter snows have gone,

97
00:13:26,815 --> 00:13:29,740
revealing a vast
treeless wilderness.

98
00:13:37,060 --> 00:13:41,380
The male snowy owl
is finding plenty of lemmings

99
00:13:41,415 --> 00:13:43,220
to bring to his mate.

100
00:13:47,420 --> 00:13:49,860
But they're not just for her.

101
00:13:57,660 --> 00:14:01,180
She is brooding their rather
scruffy young.

102
00:14:03,180 --> 00:14:05,460
She tears the meal
into beak-sized chunks

103
00:14:05,495 --> 00:14:08,380
that the owlets can swallow whole.

104
00:14:08,415 --> 00:14:11,060
Each of them
can eat two lemmings a day.

105
00:14:21,820 --> 00:14:24,740
The male has no time to rest.

106
00:14:24,775 --> 00:14:28,380
Over the course of the summer,
he will have to provide his family

107
00:14:28,415 --> 00:14:30,380
with over 1,000 lemmings.

108
00:14:32,420 --> 00:14:36,860
The hungry owlets keep the adults
working around the clock.

109
00:14:40,780 --> 00:14:44,420
The Arctic summer may be short,
but the days are long.

110
00:14:45,820 --> 00:14:50,700
Everyone must take advantage
of the 24-hour daylight.

111
00:14:50,735 --> 00:14:55,500
None more so than the owls' tiny
neighbours, the Lapland buntings.

112
00:14:55,535 --> 00:14:56,940
SQUAWKING

113
00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:13,180
Both parents feed their
growing family continuously.

114
00:15:24,260 --> 00:15:27,380
A mere ten days after hatching,

115
00:15:27,415 --> 00:15:30,380
and they will all have left
in record time.

116
00:15:34,180 --> 00:15:36,820
The last needs
a little encouragement.

117
00:15:45,820 --> 00:15:48,540
The owlets have also left
their nest

118
00:15:48,575 --> 00:15:51,540
and turned into football-sized
balls of fluff.

119
00:15:51,575 --> 00:15:56,500
But they still depend on their
parents for food and protection.

120
00:16:02,260 --> 00:16:04,740
A skua.

121
00:16:04,775 --> 00:16:07,020
Their mother's talons
are her best weapons.

122
00:16:30,660 --> 00:16:34,580
The owlets are dangerously exposed
out on the tundra,

123
00:16:34,615 --> 00:16:37,700
so they must hurry to change
from balls of fluff

124
00:16:37,735 --> 00:16:39,620
to fully-feathered adults.

125
00:16:39,655 --> 00:16:43,100
And to do that,
they need...more lemmings.

126
00:16:53,020 --> 00:16:55,740
A lemming doesn't last long
these days.

127
00:17:05,540 --> 00:17:09,500
Times are harder for the wolves
here in the high Arctic.

128
00:17:24,500 --> 00:17:29,780
The cubs are now six weeks old
and increasingly hungry.

129
00:17:41,740 --> 00:17:45,700
The adults have to struggle
to feed their growing family.

130
00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:54,420
Somewhere on this vast expanse
of tundra,

131
00:17:54,455 --> 00:17:56,500
there must be larger prey.

132
00:18:08,260 --> 00:18:11,780
Musk oxen are on the move.

133
00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:20,700
They're heading into the valleys,

134
00:18:20,735 --> 00:18:24,460
where the brief summer rains
will produce fresh grazing.

135
00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:38,540
This is an opportunity
that must be seized,

136
00:18:38,575 --> 00:18:41,780
even if it means
travelling 80 miles in a day.

137
00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:53,740
Their task is a formidable one.

138
00:18:56,180 --> 00:18:58,780
Musk oxen are immensely powerful

139
00:18:58,815 --> 00:19:01,740
and their sharp horns can kill.

140
00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:15,420
A heavily-armoured bull
would be an unwise choice.

141
00:19:15,455 --> 00:19:19,500
Even two wolves would find it
a struggle to bring it down.

142
00:19:26,980 --> 00:19:28,620
A calf.

143
00:19:30,100 --> 00:19:31,180
Much easier.

144
00:19:53,060 --> 00:19:54,740
The two wolves work together

145
00:19:54,775 --> 00:19:57,580
to split the herd
and isolate their victim.

146
00:20:18,620 --> 00:20:21,940
It seems that the wolf cubs
will at last eat well.

147
00:20:26,860 --> 00:20:28,940
But the herd regroups.

148
00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:39,940
The cavalry ride to the rescue.

149
00:20:45,740 --> 00:20:50,180
The whole herd encircles the calf
with a protective wall of horns.

150
00:20:55,180 --> 00:20:59,460
For the musk oxen,
it's all for one and one for all.

151
00:21:13,260 --> 00:21:15,660
For the wolves, another attack

152
00:21:15,695 --> 00:21:18,740
would be not only futile,
but dangerous.

153
00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:23,700
They have spent a lot of energy

154
00:21:23,735 --> 00:21:26,540
and have nothing whatever
to show for it.

155
00:21:31,140 --> 00:21:33,380
FORLORN HOWL

156
00:21:41,100 --> 00:21:45,980
Their failure will be felt
most keenly back at the den.

157
00:21:46,015 --> 00:21:47,660
HOWLING

158
00:21:58,020 --> 00:22:02,380
They have nothing
to take back to the family.

159
00:22:08,020 --> 00:22:09,700
HOWLING

160
00:22:22,420 --> 00:22:26,780
The pack are forced to move on
in search of better hunting.

161
00:22:32,260 --> 00:22:34,740
They must find something soon

162
00:22:34,775 --> 00:22:36,700
in this vast wilderness

163
00:22:36,735 --> 00:22:38,820
to feed their growing family.

164
00:22:40,380 --> 00:22:43,900
The brief Arctic summer
is almost over.

165
00:22:53,900 --> 00:22:56,060
FAINT SQUAWKING

166
00:23:03,500 --> 00:23:05,660
At the southern end of the planet,

167
00:23:05,695 --> 00:23:09,380
the long summer days
transform life,

168
00:23:09,415 --> 00:23:13,740
just as they do in the north,
but the cast here is very different.

169
00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:23,460
King penguins.

170
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:30,340
A parent, returning with food,
must recognise its chick's call

171
00:23:30,375 --> 00:23:33,500
amongst a chorus of 400,000 birds.

172
00:23:55,260 --> 00:23:58,460
Huge colonies like this one

173
00:23:58,495 --> 00:24:03,020
are found all along
the north coast of South Georgia.

174
00:24:06,740 --> 00:24:10,180
King penguins are active
throughout the long summer days,

175
00:24:10,215 --> 00:24:14,180
so they have to deal with
an uncharacteristic polar problem.

176
00:24:24,020 --> 00:24:26,100
By midday,
the temperature can reach

177
00:24:26,135 --> 00:24:29,420
a sizzling 17 degrees centigrade.

178
00:24:33,940 --> 00:24:37,460
Any effort can
lead to overheating.

179
00:24:37,495 --> 00:24:40,460
It's best not to overexert oneself.

180
00:24:43,500 --> 00:24:47,380
The heavily-insulated penguins
stretch out

181
00:24:47,415 --> 00:24:49,740
so their naked feet
can cool in the breeze.

182
00:25:02,180 --> 00:25:05,420
Their gigantic neighbours
use a different approach.

183
00:25:05,455 --> 00:25:10,860
Wet sand cools the backs
of these elephant seals,

184
00:25:10,895 --> 00:25:12,860
and also acts as a sunscreen.

185
00:25:21,740 --> 00:25:26,100
The chicks, in their downy coats
that have kept them warm all winter,

186
00:25:26,135 --> 00:25:29,580
are in even greater danger
of overheating.

187
00:25:46,460 --> 00:25:49,740
It will be two months
before they can swim properly,

188
00:25:49,775 --> 00:25:53,020
but a dip in a shallow river
brings a little relief.

189
00:26:10,740 --> 00:26:15,260
There is, however,
another way to cool the blood.

190
00:26:18,420 --> 00:26:23,460
This murky pool
has become a penguin spa.

191
00:26:30,980 --> 00:26:33,740
It's a great way to cool the feet,

192
00:26:33,775 --> 00:26:35,860
but there is no reason
to stop there.

193
00:26:35,895 --> 00:26:40,020
You can indulge yourself
with the full treatment.

194
00:26:54,460 --> 00:26:57,060
Mud, glorious mud!

195
00:27:10,180 --> 00:27:13,340
For the fully-feathered adults,

196
00:27:13,375 --> 00:27:16,780
there's a cleaner,
more invigorating option.

197
00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:24,700
The bracing waters
of the Southern Ocean.

198
00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:31,460
The 100-mile-long island
of South Georgia

199
00:28:31,495 --> 00:28:34,860
lies on the northern fringe
of Antarctica.

200
00:28:42,940 --> 00:28:46,300
Ice-free all year,
its rich coastal waters

201
00:28:46,335 --> 00:28:50,500
make it a popular breeding
destination for all beach lovers.

202
00:29:00,060 --> 00:29:03,580
In summer,
95% of the world's population

203
00:29:03,615 --> 00:29:06,740
of Antarctic fur seals come here.

204
00:29:08,260 --> 00:29:10,420
Packed tightly together, they form

205
00:29:10,455 --> 00:29:13,780
one of the densest gatherings
of marine mammals on Earth.

206
00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:20,580
The island's beaches
are filling fast

207
00:29:20,615 --> 00:29:24,460
and will soon be crammed with five
million of these summer visitors.

208
00:29:27,660 --> 00:29:32,340
Space is at a premium, as every
female needs a dry patch of sand

209
00:29:32,375 --> 00:29:35,260
the size of a beach towel
for herself.

210
00:29:42,780 --> 00:29:44,980
And for good reason.

211
00:29:50,980 --> 00:29:55,620
Virtually all of them give birth
within just ten days.

212
00:30:09,060 --> 00:30:12,540
It's crucial to establish
a strong bond with your baby

213
00:30:12,575 --> 00:30:15,300
in such a crowded colony.

214
00:30:23,340 --> 00:30:27,660
The pups grow quickly
on rich, high-fat milk.

215
00:30:37,300 --> 00:30:41,140
After giving birth,
the females are ready to mate,

216
00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:43,500
so each male guards
up to 15 of them

217
00:30:43,535 --> 00:30:46,420
in his small patch of beach.

218
00:30:46,455 --> 00:30:51,300
'A bull may only hold a territory
for one season in his entire life.

219
00:30:52,820 --> 00:30:57,660
So when a challenger arrives, he
will risk everything to retain it.

220
00:31:30,140 --> 00:31:33,820
Their sharp teeth
inflict terrible injuries.

221
00:31:50,020 --> 00:31:53,660
Many bulls die from exhaustion
after these fights.

222
00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:02,980
In the heat of the battle,
the pups are also in real danger.

223
00:32:19,740 --> 00:32:23,020
The defeated bull makes his escape,

224
00:32:23,055 --> 00:32:26,540
but the colony still suffers
from the side-effects of the battle.

225
00:32:34,740 --> 00:32:39,460
Many of the pups get lost
in the violence and confusion.

226
00:32:39,495 --> 00:32:41,340
FORLORN BARKING

227
00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:19,340
This time, there is a happy ending.

228
00:33:28,500 --> 00:33:30,100
As summer progresses,

229
00:33:30,135 --> 00:33:33,820
even more of the Southern Ocean
is gradually opening up.

230
00:33:41,820 --> 00:33:44,660
The summer melt, as it moves south,

231
00:33:44,695 --> 00:33:48,060
arrives first
at the Antarctic Peninsula,

232
00:33:48,095 --> 00:33:50,340
the most northern tip
of the continent.

233
00:33:53,780 --> 00:33:58,820
As the ice retreats,
a dramatic 500-mile-long coastline

234
00:33:58,855 --> 00:34:02,300
is revealed for the first time
in seven months.

235
00:34:09,620 --> 00:34:11,900
This new seascape is home

236
00:34:11,935 --> 00:34:15,620
to one of the most numerous mammals
on the planet.

237
00:34:17,780 --> 00:34:19,540
Crabeater seals.

238
00:34:19,575 --> 00:34:23,820
Over 15 million live here,
amongst the drifting ice floes.

239
00:34:34,660 --> 00:34:38,540
They owe their existence here
to living organisms so small,

240
00:34:38,575 --> 00:34:40,220
you might hardly notice them.

241
00:34:43,820 --> 00:34:47,900
The underside of the sea ice
is stained by algae.

242
00:34:48,980 --> 00:34:51,300
These microscopic plants

243
00:34:51,335 --> 00:34:55,500
support the most important
Antarctic creatures of all.

244
00:34:56,860 --> 00:34:59,420
Krill.

245
00:34:59,455 --> 00:35:03,860
They have been grazing on the
algal layer throughout the winter.

246
00:35:05,980 --> 00:35:10,260
As the ice melts, more of the algae
are released into the water.

247
00:35:13,180 --> 00:35:16,900
Both algae and krill
flourish in the summer sun.

248
00:35:22,740 --> 00:35:27,100
The krill collect the algae
in the sieve-like basket

249
00:35:27,135 --> 00:35:30,780
formed by the interlocking hairs
between their front legs.

250
00:35:38,980 --> 00:35:45,060
There are 300-million tonnes
of krill in the Southern Ocean,

251
00:35:45,095 --> 00:35:47,220
with a greater combined weight

252
00:35:47,255 --> 00:35:50,100
than that of any other animal
on the planet.

253
00:35:55,140 --> 00:35:59,380
Almost all the animals
of the Antarctic depend on krill,

254
00:35:59,415 --> 00:36:02,860
including its giants.

255
00:36:04,540 --> 00:36:06,020
Humpback whales.

256
00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:19,420
They drive the krill to the surface

257
00:36:19,455 --> 00:36:21,180
and then strain it from the water

258
00:36:21,215 --> 00:36:24,620
with the baleen sieves
in their mouths.

259
00:36:41,420 --> 00:36:43,860
Humpbacks often feed in teams,

260
00:36:43,895 --> 00:36:46,620
so the overspill
from one huge mouth

261
00:36:46,655 --> 00:36:49,380
can be collected by another
just behind.

262
00:37:25,060 --> 00:37:28,540
The abundance of krill
attracts other visitors

263
00:37:28,575 --> 00:37:30,820
to the peninsula in the summer.

264
00:37:32,660 --> 00:37:36,020
Antarctic minke whales.

265
00:37:36,055 --> 00:37:38,900
Their pointed heads
and short dorsal fins

266
00:37:38,935 --> 00:37:41,540
give them speed and endurance.

267
00:37:48,420 --> 00:37:50,980
And they need both.

268
00:37:58,500 --> 00:38:00,860
There are other whales here, too.

269
00:38:03,340 --> 00:38:04,820
Killers.

270
00:38:11,340 --> 00:38:14,780
This is an extended family
of mothers and their young.

271
00:38:17,540 --> 00:38:20,660
And a male with a huge dorsal fin

272
00:38:20,695 --> 00:38:23,140
almost two metres high.

273
00:38:34,620 --> 00:38:36,620
A lone minke whale.

274
00:38:42,620 --> 00:38:46,060
It's just what this group
of killer whales are looking for.

275
00:38:49,300 --> 00:38:52,860
Working as a team,
as they have done for decades,

276
00:38:52,895 --> 00:38:56,660
they fan out across the strait
in search of their quarry.

277
00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:09,020
And they've found it!

278
00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:13,700
The minke races away,
pursued by outriders on each flank.

279
00:39:42,540 --> 00:39:44,940
Terrified,
the minke heads for the shore.

280
00:39:47,100 --> 00:39:50,900
It's so desperate to escape,
it almost beaches itself.

281
00:40:01,180 --> 00:40:04,740
It makes a desperate
break for freedom.

282
00:40:14,060 --> 00:40:15,700
Two hours and 20 miles later,

283
00:40:15,735 --> 00:40:19,340
the minke is still alive
and swimming strongly.

284
00:40:21,460 --> 00:40:25,060
Its only real defence
is its endurance.

285
00:40:25,095 --> 00:40:26,980
But the killers work as a team,

286
00:40:27,015 --> 00:40:30,380
with fresh ones replacing
the outriders in relays.

287
00:40:43,020 --> 00:40:47,820
And as the minke tires,
the battering and the biting begins.

288
00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:04,940
Seabirds are attracted
by the smell of fresh blood

289
00:41:04,975 --> 00:41:06,740
rising from the water.

290
00:41:24,700 --> 00:41:27,860
The killers try to flip
the minke over.

291
00:41:27,895 --> 00:41:32,340
If they can manage to keep its
blowhole underwater, it will drown.

292
00:41:37,540 --> 00:41:41,980
One forces the minke's whole body
down below the surface.

293
00:41:57,380 --> 00:41:59,780
And then, the final strike.

294
00:42:04,620 --> 00:42:08,340
The team drag the minke under
for the last time.

295
00:42:08,375 --> 00:42:10,980
And the hunters, finally, can feed.

296
00:42:27,780 --> 00:42:29,820
As the summer advances,

297
00:42:29,855 --> 00:42:33,020
the most southerly stretches
of the Antarctic Ocean

298
00:42:33,055 --> 00:42:35,180
are released from the ice.

299
00:42:44,140 --> 00:42:48,220
Adelie penguins have been
feeding in the open ocean.

300
00:43:00,660 --> 00:43:02,980
The most southerly of all penguins,

301
00:43:03,015 --> 00:43:05,300
they're returning
to the Antarctic continent

302
00:43:05,335 --> 00:43:08,100
with stomachs full of krill.

303
00:43:59,860 --> 00:44:05,180
The sea ice has finally retreated
all the way back to the beach,

304
00:44:05,215 --> 00:44:09,980
so the walk back to the colony
is as short as it will ever be.

305
00:44:10,015 --> 00:44:12,660
Crucial for
the half-million penguins here

306
00:44:12,695 --> 00:44:17,020
who are hurrying to raise their
chicks before the freeze returns.

307
00:44:20,340 --> 00:44:24,100
Most of the pairs
have two chicks to care for.

308
00:44:26,540 --> 00:44:30,140
Each chick requires
nearly 30 kilograms of food

309
00:44:30,175 --> 00:44:32,060
before it's fully grown.

310
00:44:35,660 --> 00:44:38,620
Most of their catch is krill,

311
00:44:38,655 --> 00:44:40,780
and Adelie penguins
consume a staggering

312
00:44:40,815 --> 00:44:44,540
1.5 million tonnes of it a year.

313
00:44:52,780 --> 00:44:56,260
'There are no land-based
predators in Antarctica.

314
00:44:58,500 --> 00:45:02,740
The threat here
comes from the skies.

315
00:45:13,420 --> 00:45:14,900
A South polar skua.

316
00:45:34,780 --> 00:45:38,100
An unguarded chick
is an easy catch.

317
00:46:06,420 --> 00:46:08,860
Nothing can save the chick now.

318
00:46:26,340 --> 00:46:31,460
But now the parents can focus
all their attention on the second.

319
00:46:52,060 --> 00:46:56,540
Only half of these chicks
will survive to adulthood.

320
00:46:56,575 --> 00:46:59,260
But there are thousands more
parents with young

321
00:46:59,295 --> 00:47:01,220
in this huge colony.

322
00:47:04,020 --> 00:47:08,500
Parents that cannot rest, for
their young must be fit and strong

323
00:47:08,535 --> 00:47:12,460
if they're to survive the dangers
that autumn will bring.

324
00:47:38,500 --> 00:47:40,660
Next time - Autumn.

325
00:47:40,695 --> 00:47:43,740
And the sun starts to set
on the frozen planet.

326
00:47:45,820 --> 00:47:50,460
The race is on to finish breeding
before the big freeze.

327
00:48:14,580 --> 00:48:17,420
In summer, the frozen oceans melt

328
00:48:17,455 --> 00:48:21,500
and the polar animals disperse
to feed amongst the broken ice.

329
00:48:23,620 --> 00:48:26,940
So, even finding them
in this vast expanse of sea

330
00:48:26,975 --> 00:48:29,780
and drifting ice floes
wouldn't be easy.

331
00:48:34,900 --> 00:48:39,500
In the Arctic, the aim was to get
close to a polar bear family

332
00:48:39,535 --> 00:48:42,100
and film them
in this fast-melting world.

333
00:48:49,300 --> 00:48:51,620
Firstly, the team had to use

334
00:48:51,655 --> 00:48:55,180
a ship capable of breaking through
the pack ice

335
00:48:55,215 --> 00:48:59,140
around the 2,000-mile-long
coastline of Svalbard.

336
00:49:01,380 --> 00:49:06,060
Producer Miles Barton
and cameraman Ted Giffords

337
00:49:06,095 --> 00:49:10,740
are checking out fjords
known to be frequented by bears.

338
00:49:10,775 --> 00:49:15,220
We've just seen a bear walking around
in front of a glacier over there.

339
00:49:15,255 --> 00:49:18,060
We've just arrived, so this is
a test, more than anything,

340
00:49:18,095 --> 00:49:21,420
but we're going to go and see
if we can film it.

341
00:49:21,455 --> 00:49:24,740
We're seeing how smoothly
we can make this operation work.

342
00:49:32,020 --> 00:49:35,900
"Stay on Channel Six. Can you give
me directions to the bear, please?"

343
00:49:37,540 --> 00:49:41,300
The plan is that the team's
stabilised aerial camera,

344
00:49:41,335 --> 00:49:43,340
now fitted to the speedboat,

345
00:49:43,375 --> 00:49:47,260
will give perfectly stable shots
of the bear swimming.

346
00:49:47,295 --> 00:49:51,180
If we spin this around, we'll lose
it. The fellow's over here, yeah?

347
00:49:51,215 --> 00:49:54,660
Oh, yeah, got him! I can't get
any tighter. You shoot it?

348
00:49:58,540 --> 00:50:00,020
Whey!

349
00:50:02,300 --> 00:50:05,660
That's nice. Nice sparkle,
nice liquid look.

350
00:50:05,695 --> 00:50:08,260
Let's let him go. OK. Cut.

351
00:50:11,140 --> 00:50:16,140
After their initial success, the
weather takes a turn for the worse.

352
00:50:20,860 --> 00:50:23,500
For five days,
there are no more polar bears.

353
00:50:26,860 --> 00:50:29,700
The captain decides to take a break

354
00:50:29,735 --> 00:50:32,900
and parks up in the pack ice.

355
00:50:35,260 --> 00:50:39,620
After all that fruitless searching
by the crew, a bear visits them.

356
00:50:44,780 --> 00:50:47,580
A large and inquisitive
adult male.

357
00:50:54,180 --> 00:50:56,740
So the team decides to follow him.

358
00:51:00,020 --> 00:51:02,380
The open water
between boat and bear

359
00:51:02,415 --> 00:51:04,620
means the crew can safely film

360
00:51:04,655 --> 00:51:08,740
from surprisingly close range
without disturbing him.

361
00:51:08,775 --> 00:51:11,140
That's nice. Oop!

362
00:51:14,900 --> 00:51:17,060
The bear is so relaxed,

363
00:51:17,095 --> 00:51:20,020
he even begins to hunt
right alongside them.

364
00:51:20,055 --> 00:51:23,540
He's looking for a seal inside.

365
00:51:23,575 --> 00:51:25,740
But he's just completely ignoring us.

366
00:51:25,775 --> 00:51:28,660
Just hold it there.
Just hold it there for a minute.

367
00:51:28,695 --> 00:51:31,900
He's going to climb up. OK. Ready?

368
00:51:34,620 --> 00:51:36,940
Ha-ha! That's a big bear!

369
00:51:41,340 --> 00:51:43,620
That's pretty good, pretty good.

370
00:51:44,780 --> 00:51:47,460
The closest we've been
to a polar bear so far.

371
00:51:49,460 --> 00:51:52,060
Despite this remarkably
close encounter,

372
00:51:52,095 --> 00:51:56,620
the team still wants to film
a family of bears.

373
00:51:56,655 --> 00:52:00,940
"There's these females and two cubs
to the starboard side.

374
00:52:00,975 --> 00:52:04,060
"She's at two..."
There's good news on the radio.

375
00:52:04,095 --> 00:52:08,620
Oh, there's a cub.
Yeah, I've seen the cubs.

376
00:52:08,655 --> 00:52:11,500
They're looking straight at us.
Look at that.

377
00:52:11,535 --> 00:52:13,220
That's amazing!

378
00:52:13,255 --> 00:52:15,340
As the mother looks
distinctly hungry,

379
00:52:15,375 --> 00:52:20,060
they will need to keep
at least 15 feet of open water

380
00:52:20,095 --> 00:52:22,420
between her and the boat.

381
00:52:22,455 --> 00:52:25,020
Having a good look at us.

382
00:52:25,055 --> 00:52:28,460
Oh, look at them! Look at the cubs!
Yeah. Ha-ha!

383
00:52:34,620 --> 00:52:36,500
Jason, just go when you need to.

384
00:52:38,820 --> 00:52:41,940
Oop, here she comes. Bloody hell!

385
00:52:43,860 --> 00:52:47,020
Mother bears are always desperate
for food for their cubs,

386
00:52:47,055 --> 00:52:50,460
so the crew could be
the perfect supper.

387
00:52:50,495 --> 00:52:53,900
She's getting in. Oh, my God, she's
going to come in the water there.

388
00:52:55,340 --> 00:52:57,860
The 15-foot gap was just enough.

389
00:52:57,895 --> 00:52:59,540
God, that was amazing!

390
00:53:05,300 --> 00:53:08,780
We have to go. OK.

391
00:53:10,220 --> 00:53:13,420
Do you want to get close up
to the cubs? Still rolling.

392
00:53:13,455 --> 00:53:16,340
Yeah, that's cute.
She's going in the water. OK.

393
00:53:16,375 --> 00:53:19,500
And then I'm going to stay
with the cubs.

394
00:53:19,535 --> 00:53:22,140
With the cubs for a nice splash.

395
00:53:25,180 --> 00:53:29,100
Go on, cubs. Yeah! Hey!

396
00:53:29,135 --> 00:53:31,260
Well done! Well done!

397
00:53:31,295 --> 00:53:32,740
Great stuff!

398
00:53:34,620 --> 00:53:37,220
She looked like
she wanted to get in the boat.

399
00:53:39,700 --> 00:53:43,060
Sometimes, it's quite shocking
to actually look up from the monitor

400
00:53:43,095 --> 00:53:45,460
and realise they're about 15 feet
away from you.

401
00:53:45,495 --> 00:53:47,540
But, um, a lovely family group.

402
00:53:51,380 --> 00:53:53,220
The boat-based camera has helped

403
00:53:53,255 --> 00:53:56,060
to get remarkably close shots
of the bear family,

404
00:53:56,095 --> 00:53:58,980
but how would it cope
in the more extreme conditions

405
00:53:59,015 --> 00:54:00,340
of the Southern Ocean?

406
00:54:09,940 --> 00:54:13,420
Another Frozen Planet team
headed south.

407
00:54:13,455 --> 00:54:17,460
The plan is to use the same camera
system to film the hunting strategy

408
00:54:17,495 --> 00:54:22,420
of the most spectacular
marine predators in Antarctica.

409
00:54:23,940 --> 00:54:25,100
Killer whales.

410
00:54:26,660 --> 00:54:30,900
The team enlisted the help
of scientists Bob Pitman

411
00:54:30,935 --> 00:54:32,620
and John Durban.

412
00:54:32,655 --> 00:54:34,820
They had put satellite tags
on the whales,

413
00:54:34,855 --> 00:54:38,940
and so could locate them
for the camera team.

414
00:54:40,260 --> 00:54:44,340
Doug Allan operates the camera rig
from the wheelhouse,

415
00:54:44,375 --> 00:54:48,060
while Doug Anderson
films from the deck.'

416
00:54:48,095 --> 00:54:49,980
Yeah, there. See it?

417
00:54:50,015 --> 00:54:52,460
It just surfaced right with them.

418
00:54:52,495 --> 00:54:54,860
OK, there's a killer whale at 11:00,

419
00:54:54,895 --> 00:54:58,260
about 200 metres heading towards
those two seals on the floe.

420
00:54:58,295 --> 00:55:00,180
Good. This could be really good.

421
00:55:02,020 --> 00:55:05,060
At last, having tracked the group
for several days,

422
00:55:05,095 --> 00:55:08,020
the whales look as if
they are about to hunt.

423
00:55:08,055 --> 00:55:10,140
Yeah, they're going to go in for it.

424
00:55:13,700 --> 00:55:15,380
There it goes.

425
00:55:18,860 --> 00:55:22,100
Four whales there.
Um, two adult females,

426
00:55:22,135 --> 00:55:24,660
a juvenile and a big adult male.

427
00:55:24,695 --> 00:55:27,620
Swimming in formation,
the killers create a wave

428
00:55:27,655 --> 00:55:30,740
to wash the seal off the floe.

429
00:55:30,775 --> 00:55:32,980
It's all pretty intense.

430
00:55:33,015 --> 00:55:34,460
Oh. There's another wave.

431
00:55:34,495 --> 00:55:37,620
Yes. Wave! Wow!

432
00:55:39,140 --> 00:55:41,100
Yeah, he's in the water.

433
00:55:41,135 --> 00:55:43,740
Having successfully filmed
several hunts

434
00:55:43,775 --> 00:55:45,780
with the boat-based cameras
from above,

435
00:55:45,815 --> 00:55:49,140
the team are keen to see
what's happening underwater.

436
00:55:51,180 --> 00:55:53,420
Only one way to find out.

437
00:55:57,140 --> 00:55:59,660
Time to launch the dinghy.

438
00:56:07,540 --> 00:56:10,060
Doug Anderson approaches the seal
and the killers

439
00:56:10,095 --> 00:56:13,380
with an underwater camera
mounted on a pole.

440
00:56:21,980 --> 00:56:24,580
For the first time,
the team can see

441
00:56:24,615 --> 00:56:29,380
how the whales create
the killer wave. There it is.

442
00:56:32,300 --> 00:56:34,380
The underwater camera also reveals

443
00:56:34,415 --> 00:56:38,140
surprisingly cautious behaviour
by the whales.

444
00:56:38,175 --> 00:56:42,460
They seem wary of being bitten
by the much smaller seal.

445
00:56:44,260 --> 00:56:47,300
And they even blow bubbles
to confuse it.

446
00:56:47,335 --> 00:56:50,300
They're so cautious with the seals.

447
00:56:50,335 --> 00:56:53,540
At the end of the day, the seal's
got a big mouth full of teeth,

448
00:56:53,575 --> 00:56:55,620
and these whales
just don't take risks.

449
00:57:04,940 --> 00:57:06,740
Having dealt with the seal,

450
00:57:06,775 --> 00:57:09,700
the whales turn their attention
to the dinghy.

451
00:57:09,735 --> 00:57:12,980
First, they get right up close

452
00:57:13,015 --> 00:57:15,260
for a better look at Doug.

453
00:57:22,100 --> 00:57:24,980
Then they line up to create
the kind of wave

454
00:57:25,015 --> 00:57:26,940
that washed the seal off the floe.

455
00:57:26,975 --> 00:57:29,100
Oooh!

456
00:57:30,740 --> 00:57:33,780
For a moment, the crew
get an uncomfortably close

457
00:57:33,815 --> 00:57:37,580
seal's eye view of this remarkable
hunting strategy.

458
00:57:43,020 --> 00:57:47,500
Look! See that?
The juvies are making waves.

459
00:57:49,620 --> 00:57:53,100
It's a great feeling being there.
Being so close to the behaviour,

460
00:57:53,135 --> 00:57:55,300
having the water
coming into the boat.

461
00:57:55,335 --> 00:57:57,220
From our point of view, you know,

462
00:57:57,255 --> 00:58:01,100
it's all about trying to get the
feeling of being with these whales.

463
00:58:01,135 --> 00:58:04,940
With these whales, there's no bother
with that. They're so confident.

464
00:58:04,975 --> 00:58:07,660
They just want to be all around you
and checking you out.

465
00:58:07,695 --> 00:58:12,060
I can't imagine I'll have another
experience like this in my career.

466
00:58:12,095 --> 00:58:14,420
You know, these come along rarely.

467
00:58:14,455 --> 00:58:18,780
And you just feel happy and lucky
when...when they do come.

468
00:58:18,815 --> 00:58:21,380
You just don't get better
days than that.

469
00:58:28,740 --> 00:58:30,780
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

470
00:58:30,815 --> 00:58:32,900
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk