1
00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,400
Over one third of our planet
is frozen,

2
00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,920
and yet, the icy worlds
of the Arctic and Antarctic

3
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,480
are as alien to most of us
as the surface

4
00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,280
of another planet.

5
00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,400
They are places of superlatives.

6
00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,920
From ice caps that hold nearly 80%
of our planet's fresh water

7
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,760
to frozen forests
that encircle the entire globe.

8
00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,360
These are places
that feed our imaginations,

9
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,720
places that seem to be borrowed
from fairy tales.

10
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,640
They're dominated and shaped
by the ice...

11
00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,400
..both by its coming
and by its going.

12
00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,400
This is our planet's
last true wilderness

13
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,560
and one that is changing just as
we're beginning to understand it.

14
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,120
In this series, we'll be travelling
to all parts of these lonely lands,

15
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,000
both north and south,

16
00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,600
to witness its wonders
perhaps for the last time

17
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,680
and to discover
some extraordinary examples

18
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,120
of survival against all the odds,

19
00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,240
as can be found anywhere
on the planet.

20
00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:17,240
The poles are permanently
capped with ice.

21
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,840
Nowhere is colder,
windier or more hostile to life.

22
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:32,400
I'm standing at the North Pole -
the very top of the Earth.

23
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:38,440
Up here, it's easy to see
why the polar regions are so cold.

24
00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:44,080
The sun never rises high enough
in the sky to warm my back

25
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,480
and those rays
that do strike the surface

26
00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:52,600
are mostly reflected back
from this great whiteness.

27
00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:58,200
But the fundamental problem is that
there's no sun here at all

28
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,280
for half the year.

29
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,920
The polar winter is unrivalled
in its harshness.

30
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,320
A night that lasts for months.

31
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,800
Only the toughest stay,

32
00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,040
as temperatures plunge
to minus 70 degrees centigrade.

33
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,800
And yet, the greatest challenge
to life here is not the cold,

34
00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,120
but the extreme swings
between the seasons.

35
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,400
When the sun finally returns,

36
00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,880
an extraordinary
transformation begins.

37
00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:35,520
This frozen world
begins to melt away.

38
00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,080
The polar spring brings
a brief opportunity for life.

39
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,400
By summer, the sun no longer sets

40
00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,160
and works its magic
for 24 hours a day.

41
00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,720
Now it's a race to breed
before the sun departs.

42
00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,640
By autumn, all but the hardiest
abandon the poles

43
00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,160
and the ice extends its grip.

44
00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:23,200
Land and sea close down
for the long, polar winter,

45
00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,320
until, once again, the sun returns.

46
00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,600
It's spring in the High Arctic

47
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,880
and the sun illuminates
a giant frozen ocean,

48
00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,960
the first stop on our journey.

49
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,960
The most powerful land predator
is on the prowl.

50
00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,840
A male polar bear
is searching for a mate.

51
00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,040
Willing females
are few and far between

52
00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,080
and the sea ice on which he travels
will soon melt and vanish.

53
00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:19,320
He's running out of time to find
a mate in this vast, frozen desert.

54
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:40,080
Ten miles ahead,
a single female without cubs -

55
00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,400
exactly what the male is seeking.

56
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,360
He seems to relish her scent,
even though she's miles away.

57
00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,920
This is an exciting prospect.

58
00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,800
She's clearly giving off
the right signals.

59
00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:06,400
He locks onto her tracks,
eager not to lose her trail.

60
00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,920
It's easier to tread in
the compacted snow of her footprints.

61
00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,000
This pursuit could last for days.

62
00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,920
The female eventually
comes into view.

63
00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,800
The search is finally over.

64
00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,360
For the female, only half his weight,

65
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,040
this must be
a nerve-racking encounter.

66
00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,520
The male could kill her
if he chooses.

67
00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,600
But he has other intentions...

68
00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,520
..and she is ready and willing.

69
00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,480
She leads him to higher ground.

70
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,360
It seems that courting polar bears
prefer privacy,

71
00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,800
often leaving the sea ice
and heading for the hills

72
00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,720
to avoid the prying eyes

73
00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,320
of rival males
who might disturb them.

74
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,760
Few have witnessed this moment.

75
00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:30,400
For the male,

76
00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:35,120
his only tender encounter
in an otherwise solitary life.

77
00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,400
But it doesn't last long -

78
00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,640
a rival suitor has also
caught the female's scent.

79
00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:51,560
Courtship has to be put on hold.
He must fight for his rights.

80
00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:56,760
THEY ROAR

81
00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:07,400
He sees off this first challenger
without injury to either party,

82
00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,120
but bloodier battles are to come.

83
00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:24,120
THEY ROAR

84
00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:42,560
Another battle won,
though he has been slightly injured.

85
00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,640
He hurries back to his mate,

86
00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:47,720
but now she seems to have
lost her enthusiasm.

87
00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:53,000
Female polar bears
are high-maintenance.

88
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,160
Wherever she goes, he will follow,
mating with her when she allows

89
00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,600
and guarding her at all times.

90
00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,160
Over the next two weeks,
the male sees off many rivals

91
00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,880
but the battles
take their toll on him.

92
00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,240
He is almost spent,

93
00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,640
but he has ensured that no other
bears have mated with his female.

94
00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:52,720
It's time for the couple

95
00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,160
to go their separate ways.

96
00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:00,520
She will give birth to his cubs,
alone, in nine months' time

97
00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:03,040
and he may never see her again.

98
00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,720
He returns to the frozen ocean,

99
00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,080
no doubt relieved
to resume his solitary ways,

100
00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,600
and just in time.

101
00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,880
The ice beneath his feet
will soon be gone.

102
00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,160
Each spring,
the Arctic Ocean undergoes

103
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,640
an extraordinary transformation.

104
00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:30,040
An area of sea ice
the size of Europe melts,

105
00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,480
exposing the rich waters beneath.

106
00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:38,920
Short-tailed shearwaters
have travelled 10,000 miles

107
00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:40,800
from Australia to be here.

108
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,200
18 million visitors darken the skies,

109
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,360
the largest gathering of sea birds
on the planet.

110
00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,440
Humpback whales have come
all the way from the Equator

111
00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,720
to feed in these rich, polar waters.

112
00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,360
Their giant tails
are five metres across.

113
00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,760
Simply raising them above the surface

114
00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,520
gives the whales
enough downward momentum

115
00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:37,840
to reach the great swarms
of krill and herring below.

116
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,480
The shearwaters follow
the giants' lead.

117
00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,960
For those who can get here,
in summer,

118
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,200
these waters provide a feast
of epic proportions.

119
00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,960
But the good times
will be very short -

120
00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,240
a problem that faces all life
in the polar regions.

121
00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,600
Journeying south
across the Arctic Ocean,

122
00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,320
the first land you reach
is Greenland,

123
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,440
the largest island in the world.

124
00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,360
Despite its name,
Greenland is mostly white,

125
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,240
covered by a giant ice sheet

126
00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,280
six times the size
of the United Kingdom.

127
00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,280
In the middle of the island,
the ice is nearly two miles thick.

128
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,640
It's a bleak, quiet world.

129
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,360
Sapphire-blue melt lakes

130
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:14,320
are the first sign that
a dynamic process is underway.

131
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:22,040
Each lake forms in a matter of days,
expanding until it's miles across

132
00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:24,080
and starts to overflow.

133
00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,040
The spill water then carves its way
through the ice.

134
00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,760
The water courses through
an icy delta

135
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:49,240
like blood along the arteries
of a cold-blooded monster,

136
00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,800
a monster that is stirring.

137
00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:08,880
And without warning, the water
suddenly plunges down an open shaft,

138
00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:13,040
falling a vertical mile
into the heart of the ice sheet.

139
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,000
This meltwater has
a surprising effect -

140
00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,000
it lubricates the junction

141
00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,880
between the ice
and the rock floor beneath,

142
00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,680
so the entire ice sheet
is now on the move,

143
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,760
sliding downhill into the ocean.

144
00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,080
This, Jakobshavn Isbrae,

145
00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,920
is the fastest-flowing glacier
on our planet,

146
00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,840
moving as much as 40 metres a day.

147
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:11,040
As it advances,
it destroys everything in its path,

148
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,080
even cutting its way through
Greenland's great mountain ranges

149
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,160
on its drive downwards
towards the sea.

150
00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:22,560
When speeded up,

151
00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:27,000
these solid rivers of ice seem
to flow just like liquid rivers.

152
00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,680
This is the titanic force

153
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,480
that cuts down mountains and levels
the surface of continents.

154
00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:02,080
The ice is now entering
the last stage of its descent.

155
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:05,840
As it gains speed,

156
00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,400
huge crevasses open that
extend down to its very core.

157
00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:17,280
It's reached the ocean,

158
00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,480
and millions of tonnes of ice have
lost the support of their rocky bed.

159
00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,040
Something must give.

160
00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,320
CREAKING

161
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,240
These icefalls are an ominous sign
of what is about to happen...

162
00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,520
..a rupture deep within the glacier.

163
00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,800
A colossal iceberg is born.

164
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,520
This single block of ice,

165
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,440
many hundreds of metres across,

166
00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,560
would dwarf the biggest
of mankind's buildings.

167
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,000
Every year,

168
00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:11,640
tens of thousands of icebergs
are spawned by Greenland's glaciers,

169
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:13,840
and their number
is steadily increasing

170
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,240
as the climate continues to warm.

171
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,080
The break-up of the bergs
fills the bays of the Arctic

172
00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:33,400
with exquisite ice sculptures.

173
00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:39,680
It also releases great volumes
of cold, fresh water into the sea.

174
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:46,120
Greenland's meltwater influences
the course of the ocean currents,

175
00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,400
which, in turn, has an effect
on the weather around the world.

176
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,240
The Arctic is closer to home
than many of us realise.

177
00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,880
It includes the northernmost parts
of the three continents

178
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:11,720
on which most of us live -
Europe, Asia and North America.

179
00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,920
The first bare land we reach
on our journey south

180
00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,800
is a bleak treeless wilderness
known as tundra.

181
00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,840
Each spring,
animals travel up from the south,

182
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,160
to be ready for the rich grazing

183
00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,400
that will be unveiled
by the spring melt.

184
00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,400
For the caribou,
the timing is critical.

185
00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,240
Arrive early and a winter storm
could kill you.

186
00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,160
Delay too long and you may fail
to lay down the fat

187
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,560
needed to survive a polar winter.

188
00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:55,800
Further south still,

189
00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:01,040
and stooped, shrouded figures
end the flat monotony of the tundra.

190
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,080
This is the tree line,
the first place on our journey

191
00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,720
with sufficient warmth
and liquid water

192
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,440
to enable a tree to grow.

193
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,600
Surviving here
is so crushingly difficult,

194
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,600
that it can take hundreds of years
for a seedling

195
00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,560
to grow into a stunted shrub.

196
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,440
But even small trees

197
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,960
can provide cover for a predator.

198
00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,480
Wolves. These, in northern Canada,

199
00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,200
are the largest and most powerful
in the world

200
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,320
and they are setting out to hunt.

201
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,000
The pack is 25 strong,

202
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,120
a sign that the prey
they are seeking is formidable.

203
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,280
These bison are even bigger
than their southern cousins

204
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,920
and the largest land animals
in North America.

205
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:14,080
For generations,
wolves and bison here

206
00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:16,760
have been shaped by their battles
with each other,

207
00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,080
making each the most impressive
of its kind.

208
00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:25,400
The bison will not stay long
among the trees.

209
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,240
They're not safe here.

210
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,440
The wolves are closing in,

211
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,120
but their chance of ambushing
the bison in the woods has passed.

212
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:43,240
Their prey are now in the open
and grouped together for safety.

213
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,960
The wolves will need
to work as a team

214
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,840
if they are to make a kill.

215
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:57,440
They circle the herd,
trying to unsettle it

216
00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,680
and split it up.

217
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,080
But the bison are armed
and dangerous.

218
00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,840
They will be safe as long as
they stick together.

219
00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,320
The wolves up their game,
harrying the herd,

220
00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:14,280
a ploy to trigger a stampede

221
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,640
and split away
one of the smaller ones.

222
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,000
The bison form a defensive circle
around their young,

223
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,640
horns pointing outwards.

224
00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,480
The wolves need a bison
to break rank.

225
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,520
But the tables are turning
and now the wolves have to retreat.

226
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,040
The pack focus their attention
on the rear of the herd

227
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:51,960
and the bison begin to panic.

228
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,400
A young bison falls behind.

229
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,040
Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves.

230
00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,640
Running head-down,
the herd's only thought is escape.

231
00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,200
A stroke of luck for the wolves.

232
00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,840
The kill will feed the pack
for several days.

233
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,160
But then they will have
to resume the chase.

234
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,560
At the frozen ends of our planet,

235
00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,720
the struggle for survival
never eases.

236
00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,680
South of the tree line,
the winters are shorter,

237
00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:42,640
so trees grow faster and taller
and forests begin to appear.

238
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:48,880
As the warm, humid air from the south
meets the cold, arctic air,

239
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:54,040
the moisture it carries crystallises
and snowflakes fall from the sky.

240
00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,920
Each crystal forms around
a particle of dust.

241
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,760
All have a six-fold symmetry

242
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,600
but no two have ever been found
with exactly the same shape.

243
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,400
Their variety and complexity
is breathtaking.

244
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:35,000
Each snowflake is water waiting
to be released in spring.

245
00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:36,240
For this reason,

246
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,720
snow is the lifeblood
of these silent forests

247
00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,720
and all that live here depend on it
in one way or another.

248
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:56,640
Some, like the great grey owl,
appear in spring for the boom times,

249
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,080
then vanish like phantoms.

250
00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,720
Others, like their lemming prey,

251
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:09,400
are here year-round beneath the snow,
insulated from the cold air above.

252
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,360
The northern forests
are a crossroads

253
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,680
for seasonal visitors
and arctic specialists.

254
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,200
But they are so much more than this.

255
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,520
Together, they make up the taiga,
an unbroken belt of forest

256
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,040
that stretches 7,000 miles
around our planet

257
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,000
and contains one third
of all the trees on Earth.

258
00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:06,280
The taiga forest marks the end
of our journey through the Arctic,

259
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,440
from the frozen ocean down across
the lands that surround it.

260
00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:24,720
The other end of our planet,
the Antarctic, is starkly different.

261
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,200
A frozen continent
completely surrounded by ocean.

262
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:32,960
Icebergs here are so large

263
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,560
that they're measured in miles
not metres.

264
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,960
They're the only obstacles
in the path of giant waves,

265
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,800
which circle around the continent
unchecked by other lands.

266
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,240
These seas may be cold
and storm-racked

267
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,560
but they're bursting with life.

268
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,880
No bird is more at home in water

269
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,080
and they are masterful surfers.

270
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:48,840
Penguins are found only
in the Southern Hemisphere.

271
00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:53,120
They can't fly,
but they don't need to.

272
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,480
There are no polar bears here.

273
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,240
These are Gentoo Penguins.

274
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:11,080
Each spring, they come ashore to lay
their eggs and rear their young.

275
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,120
Their hungry chicks
demand so much seafood

276
00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,320
that both parents have to go fishing.

277
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,920
And fishing can be dangerous.

278
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,800
A southern sea lion.

279
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,480
It uses the speed of a breaking wave
to catch up with the Gentoos.

280
00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,840
Sea lions normally eat fish,

281
00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,840
so he's used to catching
streamlined swimmers,

282
00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:16,120
but the Gentoos seem more
than his match out at sea.

283
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:17,640
He must change tactics.

284
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,400
Perhaps it will be easier
in the shallows.

285
00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,440
But no! It seems penguins
are uncatchable in water.

286
00:30:58,080 --> 00:30:59,320
How about on land?

287
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,280
The penguin's wings,
so powerful for swimming,

288
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,000
are of no help
when it comes to running.

289
00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,640
Now, surely,
the sea lion has a chance.

290
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,440
But on the beach,
both are like fish out of water.

291
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:45,640
Rarely do hunter and hunted play
their roles with so little skill.

292
00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,800
The outcome is anyone's guess.

293
00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:25,040
Every summer,

294
00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:29,120
over 40 million penguins
take to the Southern Ocean to feed.

295
00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,680
They're joined by
thousands of whales.

296
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:40,560
Minkes are the most numerous.

297
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,920
They all come here to harvest
the richest ocean on Earth.

298
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:54,400
Carrying on south, we get our first
glimpse of the frozen continent.

299
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:14,320
Southern humpbacks, after travelling
4,000 miles from the equator,

300
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,000
are finally arriving in Antarctica.

301
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,920
Humans have long felt the lure
of this mysterious world,

302
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,640
yet it was only
a hundred years ago

303
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,680
that the first explorers
walked inland and were confronted by

304
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,760
the highest, driest
and coldest territory on Earth.

305
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,000
Every year,
the continent is transformed

306
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,600
as the sea ice that surrounds it
begins to disappear.

307
00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,440
This melt halves
the size of Antarctica.

308
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,800
It's the most spectacular
seasonal change occurring

309
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,360
anywhere on our planet.

310
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,720
The remnants of the sea ice
are occupied by sunbathing seals

311
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:18,880
that have been here all winter.

312
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,240
But new arrivals are following
the retreating ice edge

313
00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,040
and they have come here to hunt.

314
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,560
Killer whales,
the ocean's top predator.

315
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,360
Killers are like wolves,

316
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,680
for they will hunt animals
far larger than themselves.

317
00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:49,400
But even smaller prey are a problem
if you can't reach them.

318
00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,280
The solution is teamwork.

319
00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,920
Swimming in perfect formation,
they flick their tails in unison

320
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,000
and create a wave
that cracks the ice.

321
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,920
They regroup and assess the damage.
A more powerful wave is needed.

322
00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:28,480
The ice floe is breaking up.

323
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,720
Now they are close enough to get
a good look at their target.

324
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,880
The seal is a crabeater,
sharp-toothed and feisty.

325
00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:39,240
Not their favourite.

326
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:47,120
The wolves of the sea
move on in search of easier quarry.

327
00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,360
A Weddell seal. That's better.

328
00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,320
These are more docile
and easier to tackle.

329
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,200
The pod stays close together
and travels silently.

330
00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,880
This time, they unleash
a far more powerful wave,

331
00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,120
and with astonishing accuracy.

332
00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:23,640
These big waves are not intended
to break the ice,

333
00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,560
but to knock the prey into
the water, and they rarely fail.

334
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,880
The seal is now
where the killers want it,

335
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:20,080
but the hunt is far from over.

336
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,040
They need to grab their prey
by the tail

337
00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:26,920
while avoiding its snapping jaws.

338
00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:31,080
Only then will they be able
to pull it down and drown it.

339
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:39,480
Sideswipes create violent
underwater turbulence, a new tactic.

340
00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:51,280
Blowing bubbles gives cover for
others to lunge at the seal's tail.

341
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,160
Somehow, the seal manages
to reach a tiny ice floe.

342
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:10,840
The killers could easily grab it,

343
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,440
but now this seems to
have become a game.

344
00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:19,280
The seal's life
hangs on a roll of the ice.

345
00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:35,400
Yet again, the pod joins forces
to dislodge the seal.

346
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,840
The seal sees a chance to escape.

347
00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:04,280
Exhausted, it no longer has
the energy to pull itself to safety

348
00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,200
and the killers are moving in.

349
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,520
Game over.

350
00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:34,600
Although such team hunts are
rarely seen, scientists believe

351
00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:38,680
they may be the most complex ever
documented in the natural world.

352
00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:42,000
They were first witnessed
by Captain Scott and his men

353
00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:45,240
when they came to explore Antarctica
100 years ago.

354
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:53,320
Journeying further south,
the fragmenting ice is replaced

355
00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:57,840
by a permanent sheet that doesn't
melt even at the height of summer.

356
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:03,560
It's a barrier that
many creatures find impassable.

357
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,280
It repels even
powerful minke whales.

358
00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:09,600
They have to turn back

359
00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:13,320
if they can no longer reach the air
they need to breathe.

360
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:26,000
Under the ice, life has to be
extremely specialised to survive.

361
00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:32,960
Few of us will ever experience
this strangely-still world,

362
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,680
and, as yet,
no-one knows much about it.

363
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,320
The crystalline surface
of the ice stalactites

364
00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:49,800
provides a home for ice fish whose
bodies are full of anti-freeze.

365
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,440
The ceiling of ice
shields those living below it

366
00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:01,440
from the violent polar weather
that rages above.

367
00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,160
Little here has changed
for millions of years.

368
00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:12,760
The cold allows animals to grow
very slowly and become giants.

369
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:33,280
A relative of the woodlouse
is the size of a dinner plate.

370
00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:40,040
And this so-called "sea spider"
has legs that span half a metre.

371
00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:46,560
Now explorers
are revealing other worlds

372
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,920
that lie hidden beneath the ice
on land.

373
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:57,960
These smoking towers are the gateway
to a network of caves.

374
00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:04,560
Each contains an extraordinary
assembly of ice crystals,

375
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:06,960
unlike any other on Earth.

376
00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:19,480
Like snowflakes,
every crystal is unique.

377
00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:23,140
Some are taller than a man.

378
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,080
Others are thought to harbour life,

379
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:32,800
seeded by strange bacteria that
thrive in these extreme conditions.

380
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,880
The breeze that gently sways
these crystals

381
00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:40,640
is responsible for making them.

382
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:43,120
It's steam from
the molten heart of Mount Erebus,

383
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:46,120
the most southerly volcano
on our planet.

384
00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,320
It's now thought that the ice caves
fringing this crater

385
00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,240
may even be a home for
hitherto-unknown life forms.

386
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,840
From this oasis of warmth
at the edge of the continent,

387
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:18,520
our journey continues inland
towards the South Pole.

388
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:21,080
The first great hurdle

389
00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:25,040
is the formidable
Transantarctic mountain range.

390
00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:30,600
We are following the route
taken by Scott and Amundsen

391
00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:35,380
as they struggled to become the first
humans to reach the South Pole.

393
00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,760
They were travelling on foot

394
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,560
and their first sight
of these mountains

395
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:46,600
must have been daunting indeed.

396
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,920
In front of them stretched
one of the world's longest ranges,

397
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:54,600
spanning 2,000 miles from one
side of the continent to the other.

398
00:43:58,240 --> 00:44:01,000
The winds up here
are the fastest on Earth.

399
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,400
They reach speeds
of 200 miles an hour.

400
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:11,040
An ice-capped mountain
bears the scars of the gales,

401
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:14,560
bizarre sculptures
carved from solid ice.

402
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,440
It's not only the ice that yields.

403
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,400
This sculptured spire
is the remnant of a mountain,

404
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:37,440
eroded from all sides
by the ferocious elements.

405
00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:46,040
Beyond, a wholly unexpected
landscape - the dry valleys.

406
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:56,040
Only 1% of Antarctica
is free of ice,

407
00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:59,280
and most of that bare rock is here.

408
00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:09,480
The Dry Valleys are more
like the surface of Mars

409
00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:11,880
than is any other place on Earth.

410
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:24,720
The floor is covered with
extraordinary natural sculptures,

411
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:29,320
created by the same winds that help
to keep these valleys free of snow.

412
00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:37,040
Over time, entire boulders
are weathered from the inside out,

413
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,680
until just a shell remains.

414
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:48,800
At the head of these valleys,
the ice is making a breakthrough.

415
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:56,960
Millions of tons are tumbling
in slow motion into the valley.

416
00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:12,200
These ice blocks
are the size of skyscrapers.

417
00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,480
And this is the Beardmore Glacier,

418
00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:26,320
which Scott and his men
somehow traversed on foot.

419
00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,760
It's over 100 miles long

420
00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:34,560
and one of
the largest glaciers on Earth.

421
00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:43,520
But nothing could have prepared
those early explorers

422
00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:46,000
for what they were about
to encounter.

423
00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:57,560
The Antarctic ice cap, the largest
expanse of ice on the planet.

424
00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:01,360
It's three miles thick in places

425
00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:06,240
and imprisons 70%
of the world's fresh water.

426
00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:13,000
From here to the South Pole
700 miles away,

427
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,400
there is nothing but ice.

428
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:31,720
I'm at the South Pole
at the end of my journey.

429
00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:35,960
Although it's midsummer,
the temperature here

430
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:40,040
is a bone-chilling
35 degrees below freezing.

431
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,560
It's exactly a hundred years
almost to the day

432
00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:47,120
that the first human beings
stood right here,

433
00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,840
Amundsen followed by Scott.

434
00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:53,640
In those days, reaching the poles

435
00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:58,960
was regarded as the ultimate in
human endeavour and endurance,

436
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,720
and a source
of great national pride.

437
00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:07,440
Today, the polar regions have
a rather different significance,

438
00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:12,040
because now we've come to understand
that what happens here

439
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:16,040
and in the north
affects every one of us,

440
00:48:16,080 --> 00:48:20,160
no matter where we live
on this planet.

441
00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:51,560
The greatest challenge
for the team making Frozen Planet

442
00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:55,480
was the extreme remoteness
of their locations.

443
00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:57,640
Many of the shoots
lasted months at a time

444
00:48:57,680 --> 00:49:00,600
and needed a number of crews
to join forces.

445
00:49:03,560 --> 00:49:06,960
One location that would require
such siege tactics

446
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:11,440
was Mount Erebus,
Antarctica's most active volcano.

447
00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:15,440
This magical mountain does not
give up her secrets easily.

448
00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:24,760
To capture the full story
of Mount Erebus from top to bottom

449
00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:28,000
required four different film crews.

450
00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:33,320
The cave team is dropped
off at 12,000 feet,

451
00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:35,360
close to the crater.

452
00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:41,240
In howling winds and thin oxygen,

453
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:45,040
their challenge is to find
a way into the volcano itself.

454
00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:49,800
They are venturing into the unknown.

455
00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:55,560
Somewhere below are spectacular ice
caves, melted out by volcanic steam.

456
00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:57,960
Getting the team safely underground

457
00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:00,680
is a relief for director
Chadden Hunter.

458
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:04,120
Excellent, it's much warmer
down here, it's freezing up there.

459
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:06,120
Minus 29.

460
00:50:06,160 --> 00:50:08,440
With him is cameraman
Gavin Thurston.

461
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:13,000
You sort of forget being in here,
you are actually inside a volcano.

462
00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:16,360
You know, above us
and below us, there's bubbling lava

463
00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:19,120
and you've got all these gases
seeping up through here,

464
00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:20,800
which is how these caves are made,

465
00:50:20,840 --> 00:50:23,360
so there's also increased
carbon dioxide in here.

466
00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:26,280
As the cave team head deeper,

467
00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:29,400
dangerous volcanic gases
make breathing difficult.

468
00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:31,000
The clock is ticking.

469
00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:34,600
They will not have long to find
the caves of crystals.

470
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:42,040
Above ground, the aerial team
is pushing for the summit of Erebus.

471
00:50:43,300 --> 00:50:47,080
Series producer Vanessa Berlowitz
directs from the front seat,

472
00:50:47,120 --> 00:50:49,800
while aerial cameraman Michael Kelem

473
00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:52,440
controls the camera
attached to the nose.

474
00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:54,480
We're going to be around
14,000 feet,

475
00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:56,960
on the performance limits
of this aircraft.

476
00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,800
Any bad weather comes in up there

477
00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:01,080
and you're pretty much screwed,
really,

478
00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:03,240
you've got to get off
the mountain fast.

479
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:05,960
Above 10,000 feet,
the pilot must breathe oxygen

480
00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,600
through a plastic tube
in his nostrils.

481
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:13,520
Approaching the crater,
conditions do not look good.

482
00:51:13,560 --> 00:51:16,320
Today, Erebus is belching out
steam and gases,

483
00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,640
making flying extremely risky.

484
00:51:19,680 --> 00:51:22,760
Up here, the air is so thin,
the helicopter can't hover

485
00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:24,280
and must keep moving.

486
00:51:25,840 --> 00:51:30,400
This is aerial filming
at its most extreme.

487
00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:32,200
They struggle to get a clear view.

488
00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:38,000
We're just coming up to 14,000 feet,

489
00:51:38,040 --> 00:51:41,200
you can actually look
right into the lava lake.

490
00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:45,640
Oh, that's looking really good,
Mike, just hold that there.

491
00:51:45,680 --> 00:51:49,120
The cameraman captures
a rare shot of the molten lava,

492
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,080
but it's soon obscured again.

493
00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:57,400
The volcano is temperamental.

494
00:51:57,440 --> 00:51:59,800
The team have seized
a rare opportunity

495
00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:04,200
to see into its molten heart,
but now they must descend to safety.

496
00:52:06,220 --> 00:52:11,440
As the weather closes in above, the
cave team are making progress below.

497
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:21,600
It's Christmas Day and the crew
are dressed for the occasion.

498
00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:28,240
Just watch my back on these icicles,

499
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,440
I don't want to snap that
top one off.

500
00:52:32,720 --> 00:52:36,560
How strong are these pillars of ice?

501
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:39,840
It's about... Round about five...

502
00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:42,960
So if I squeeze past,
it's not going to snap it?

503
00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:47,800
Gavin is reassured by advice
from the scientist.

504
00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:52,560
Oh!

505
00:52:52,600 --> 00:52:55,440
Ohhh! Gavin!

506
00:52:55,480 --> 00:52:57,120
I'm sorry.

507
00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:02,200
That's terrible. Oh, look, it fits
perfectly, look. Look at that.

508
00:53:06,960 --> 00:53:09,920
Fortunately, these crystals
are made of frozen water

509
00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:11,920
and can grow back in weeks.

510
00:53:11,960 --> 00:53:15,360
You've got these beautiful,
clear, glass-like pillars

511
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:18,360
and right next to it,
this really delicate...

512
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:21,160
Look how thin that filament
is there.

513
00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:25,440
As the cave team explore deeper,

514
00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:28,520
each chamber reveals ice crystals

515
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,680
more strange and spectacular
than the last.

516
00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:38,480
No-one on the team imagined
a single Antarctic mountain

517
00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:40,480
could house so many wonders.

518
00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:47,720
Down at the foot of Mount Erebus,
a third crew, the dive team,

519
00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:50,520
plan to explore
the volcano's lower slopes,

520
00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:53,840
which extend beneath the frozen sea.

521
00:53:53,880 --> 00:53:57,680
On board is underwater cameraman
Hugh Miller.

522
00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:01,480
The problem is, we don't actually
know what's under the ice here.

523
00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:04,520
So who knows,
it's a bit of an adventure.

524
00:54:04,560 --> 00:54:08,080
Old-fashioned tools
still work best.

525
00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:10,440
First, a hand chisel
to create an opening,

526
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:13,200
then a saw to widen the hole.

527
00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:17,160
Ice-diving in the coldest waters
on the planet

528
00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:19,360
should be taken extremely seriously.

529
00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:25,440
This dive's going to be a lot of
things and warm is not on that list.

530
00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:29,800
Insulated suits will keep them alive
under the ice for only 60 minutes.

531
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:35,000
Once the helicopter departs,
there's no margin for error.

532
00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:42,840
The dive team begin to explore
the lower slopes of Erebus,

533
00:54:42,880 --> 00:54:46,280
discovering a hidden world
rarely seen by humans.

534
00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:52,480
Patrolling the icy shores
of the volcano are killer whales,

535
00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:54,640
the most southerly in the world.

536
00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:59,560
Tracking them from above
is the orca team.

537
00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:04,640
They need a helicopter to get
ahead of the whales

538
00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:07,280
and to land them
on the fragile sea ice.

539
00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:12,920
Cameraman Jamie McPherson
must pick his spot carefully.

540
00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:15,120
His aim is to get the cameras

541
00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:19,720
as close to the killer whales
as possible without disturbing them.

542
00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:25,760
He uses a film camera to capture
the action in slow motion.

543
00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:36,040
And the orcas come right by him.

544
00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:39,840
Even in the extreme cold,

545
00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:43,160
a film camera proves to be
rugged and reliable...

546
00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:46,720
provided there's enough film
in the camera.

547
00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:50,600
End of the run. No!

548
00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:56,520
I've got him coming out,
I just didn't get him going back in.

549
00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:00,040
All right!

550
00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:09,440
Below the sea ice, the dive team
is setting up an underwater studio.

551
00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:12,680
Using a range of waterproof lights
and time-lapse cameras,

552
00:56:12,720 --> 00:56:17,560
they hope to capture the growth of
bizarre underwater ice formations.

553
00:56:25,560 --> 00:56:27,160
Over the coming weeks,

554
00:56:27,200 --> 00:56:29,920
the dive team would go below the ice
over 100 times

555
00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:32,120
to film
the extraordinary secret world

556
00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:34,600
on the lower flanks
of Mount Erebus.

557
00:56:36,800 --> 00:56:40,360
On top of the ice,
the orca team has repositioned.

558
00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:43,640
Their new goal is to get
underwater shots of the whales.

559
00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:46,840
They don't dare to
get IN the water with orcas.

560
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:49,320
Attaching a camera to a pole
is a safer option,

561
00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:52,920
provided the whales
aren't put off by it.

562
00:56:58,140 --> 00:57:02,320
No-one is prepared
for what happens next.

563
00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:04,600
Tell her what you just saw.

564
00:57:05,880 --> 00:57:07,720
HE LAUGHS

565
00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,160
The entire pod arrives.

566
00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:31,000
Eyeball to eyeball,

567
00:57:31,040 --> 00:57:36,360
this is about as close to killer
whales as it's possible to get.

568
00:57:36,400 --> 00:57:39,680
By using multiple crews and cameras,
the Frozen Planet team

569
00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:43,040
have been able to capture the full
Erebus story, from the fire

570
00:57:43,080 --> 00:57:47,240
at its crater down to the whales
that patrol its frozen shores.

571
00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:53,200
It's quite a privilege to feel
whale breath on your face.

572
00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:11,720
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

573
00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:14,600
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk