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00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,798
The sun is absent for up to
half the year in the polar regions.

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00:00:33,838 --> 00:00:37,437
When it returns,
at the beginning of spring,

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00:00:37,477 --> 00:00:41,475
its warmth will transform
this magical ice world.

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00:01:00,988 --> 00:01:05,866
The greatest seasonal change
on our planet is now underway.

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00:01:12,863 --> 00:01:19,661
Antarctica is still locked in ice,
and surrounded by a frozen ocean.

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00:01:19,701 --> 00:01:22,140
Nonetheless,
there are signs of spring.

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Adelie penguins are arriving -
just the males.

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00:01:33,696 --> 00:01:37,814
They've spent five months at sea,
where it's warmer than it is on land

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00:01:37,854 --> 00:01:42,812
and now they're in a hurry,
for spring will be short.

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00:01:49,290 --> 00:01:52,529
They have travelled 6,000 miles
across the ocean

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00:01:52,569 --> 00:01:54,768
since leaving their colony
last year,

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and now
they're returning to breed.

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They cannot lay their eggs on ice,
for they would freeze,

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00:02:01,125 --> 00:02:05,044
so they have to come here,
where there is bare rock.

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00:02:09,122 --> 00:02:10,562
Over the coming months,

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00:02:10,602 --> 00:02:13,361
the few parts of Antarctica
that are ice-free

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00:02:13,401 --> 00:02:17,119
will be the stage
on which five million Adelies

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will build their nests.

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00:02:24,876 --> 00:02:29,435
To construct one, they need pebbles,
and without a good-looking nest,

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a male will be unable
to attract a female,

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when they at last arrive.

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An impressive property
demonstrates your worth as a mate.

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00:02:42,950 --> 00:02:46,988
It takes stones of all shapes
and sizes to build a decent nest,

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00:02:47,028 --> 00:02:50,387
and finding ones
that are just right is not easy.

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00:02:55,585 --> 00:02:58,504
So some penguins
turn to a life of crime.

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The one who has been robbed
seems unaware

27
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that the thief is just over
his shoulder, and looking for more.

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The thief's nest
is coming along nicely,

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probably because he keeps
a particularly sharp lookout

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for robbers -

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after all,
it takes one to know one.

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00:04:14,715 --> 00:04:17,674
It's still cold,
but the early season sun

33
00:04:17,714 --> 00:04:20,713
does lift the temperature
by a few degrees.

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00:04:20,753 --> 00:04:25,711
That, however, can have unexpected,
even dangerous consequences.

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The sea is heating faster
than the land,

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pulling cold air from the middle
of the continent towards the coast.

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These katabatic winds
are stronger than any hurricane.

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00:04:48,982 --> 00:04:52,861
They are the coldest and
the most ferocious on the planet.

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The storms catch
many new arrivals by surprise,

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and are the reason that spring here
is, in fact, the deadliest season.

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Here, early birds take a great risk.

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Some years,
entire colonies are lost,

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buried beneath the snow.

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The survivors of this storm

45
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must hope that the females
prove to be worth the wait

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when they finally decide to turn up.

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00:06:02,875 --> 00:06:05,234
Spring in the north of our planet.

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00:06:06,593 --> 00:06:09,272
The sun, after an absence
of six months,

49
00:06:09,312 --> 00:06:12,951
breaks the horizon
for the first time.

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00:06:21,548 --> 00:06:26,426
A female polar bear emerges
from her den beneath the snow.

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00:06:26,466 --> 00:06:30,104
The sun must be a welcome relief
after so long in the darkness.

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Her den is on a high slope,

53
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well away from hungry male bears
who would kill her cubs,

54
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but close enough to the sea ice
where she can find food

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for her extraordinary new family...

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00:06:55,095 --> 00:06:56,734
..three young cubs.

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00:07:02,852 --> 00:07:06,251
If she can raise them all
to independence,

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it'll be a rare achievement.

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One of the cubs is underweight,

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00:07:31,801 --> 00:07:36,120
and will be fortunate
to survive these early weeks.

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If the family reaches the sea ice,
where the female can catch seals,

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her milk will be enriched,

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and the smaller cub will
quickly gain size and strength.

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00:08:04,229 --> 00:08:08,108
The sea ice, though,
is a dangerous place.

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00:08:20,743 --> 00:08:24,941
The male polar bear has been out
on the frozen ocean all winter.

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00:08:24,981 --> 00:08:26,981
Times have been lean,

67
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and a bear cub would certainly
make a welcome snack.

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However, the mainstay
of his diet is seals,

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and now is the time
when they have their pups.

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The surface of the frozen sea
is marked with pressure ridges,

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and cracks created
by the fluctuating tides.

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Both are good places
to look for seals.

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He has detected a seal den
beneath the ice.

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Now he must pin-point it, using only
his extraordinary sense of smell.

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By treading lightly,
he can avoid scaring his prey.

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He will need to punch through
a metre of snow to reach the den,

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and if his aim
is not exactly on target,

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the seal will certainly escape.

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In fact, the ringed seal
abandoned her den

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just a few hours ago

81
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and her pup has climbed up
onto the surface.

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It's more exposed up here, but it's
easier to see an approaching bear.

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The pup is well camouflaged.

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Difficult to see when its mother
has left it to go fishing.

85
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But he can still smell it.

86
00:11:18,076 --> 00:11:21,675
Nine out of ten polar bear hunts
end in failure.

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00:11:28,313 --> 00:11:31,032
The sun's warming effect
on the Arctic is increasing

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and the sea ice is showing
the first signs of weakening.

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Inland, the northern rivers
are still locked in ice.

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The frozen waterfalls are like dams

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holding back billions of tonnes
of fresh water

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that has not moved
for almost six months.

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The vast water shed lies motionless,

94
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but as spring advances,
it beings to stir.

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The frozen waterfalls
start to weaken.

96
00:12:13,895 --> 00:12:16,694
Above them,
the pressure is mounting.

97
00:12:21,693 --> 00:12:26,291
Now, from high above, whole sections
can be seen to be on the move.

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The waterfalls are straining
to hold back the force

99
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that is building up above them.

100
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The dam bursts...

101
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and the river is unleashed.

102
00:13:21,390 --> 00:13:24,949
Millions of tonnes of ice
grind their way downstream,

103
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driven by the unstoppable force
of the meltwater.

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Boulders and trees are plucked
from the bank side.

105
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Within just a few days, the rivers
of the north are all running.

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The Arctic's fresh water
is flowing again.

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These vast floods contain
10% of the world's fresh water

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and as they enter the ocean,
they accelerate the break-up.

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Soon, an area of sea ice
the size of Australia

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will vanish from the Arctic Ocean.

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As the huge ice-sheet breaks up,
wildlife returns to the North.

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The polar bear mother has made it
to the edge of the sea-ice,

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but the smallest cub
is nowhere to be seen.

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It's a sad outcome,

115
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but the disappearance improves
the chances of the remaining two,

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who now have more milk to share.

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Having led her cubs
to the edge of the ice,

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the mother's next challenge
is to catch a seal.

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Not easy with these two in tow!

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CUB GRUNTS

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Her prey beneath the ice
can detect the slightest vibration,

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especially from bears.

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And this is not
the stealthiest of hunting parties.

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BEAR GROWLS

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Leaving her cubs behind however,
is not an option -

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a male bear would eat one
in a moment.

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This is not going to be easy.

128
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It seems that the cubs already
see themselves as fearsome hunters,

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but they're still young enough
to accept their mother's discipline.

130
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It's the naughty corner for you!

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This is not going to be
their lucky morning.

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They saw no sign of a seal
and the cubs are hungry again.

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00:16:58,349 --> 00:17:02,867
The mother has been nursing for four
months without once eating herself,

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and now her milk is drying up.

135
00:17:06,506 --> 00:17:10,784
She must catch a seal soon,
or the whole family will starve.

136
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The challenge of finding food
is getting harder.

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She needs the sea-ice
as a platform from which to hunt

138
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and it's breaking up faster
with each passing day.

139
00:17:28,497 --> 00:17:32,056
Even the ice around the coast
is starting to break.

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00:17:33,815 --> 00:17:37,814
The first cracks here
are eagerly awaited by some...

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..narwhals.

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00:17:54,848 --> 00:17:57,367
The unicorns of the North
are on a mission -

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to reach the new fishing grounds

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in the bays that have been frozen-up
all winter, but are now opening up.

145
00:18:12,641 --> 00:18:15,520
To get to them, the narwhals
must travel down leads -

146
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temporary cracks in the ice.

147
00:18:18,719 --> 00:18:23,197
But these new roads
could close at any time,

148
00:18:23,237 --> 00:18:25,596
cutting off the air
that they need to breathe.

149
00:18:29,235 --> 00:18:34,593
The road narrows until there's
barely room for one-way traffic.

150
00:18:34,633 --> 00:18:36,672
Then, a surprise...

151
00:18:36,712 --> 00:18:40,151
narwhals coming
from the other direction.

152
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It's a stand-off.

153
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Each team faces an armoury
of sharp tusks.

154
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Finally, one side concedes

155
00:19:11,339 --> 00:19:14,898
and everyone continues
in the same direction.

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00:19:22,255 --> 00:19:26,733
Within a week, the remaining bays
break wide open,

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and the narwhals turn
their attention to social matters.

158
00:19:38,529 --> 00:19:42,407
No-one knows exactly what
the narwhal's tusk is for.

159
00:19:42,447 --> 00:19:44,566
Some say it's used for fencing,

160
00:19:44,606 --> 00:19:48,405
yet these exchanges are too gentle
to be real fights.

161
00:20:03,919 --> 00:20:05,519
Perhaps these encounters

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00:20:05,559 --> 00:20:10,797
are to remind each animal of
where it stands in Narwhal society.

163
00:20:12,636 --> 00:20:14,235
We may never know.

164
00:20:29,510 --> 00:20:32,908
Bizarre creatures appear
as if from nowhere.

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00:20:34,668 --> 00:20:38,906
The tiny plankton they eat have been
fuelled by the increasing warmth

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00:20:38,946 --> 00:20:42,305
of the sun
and fertilised by the nutrients

167
00:20:42,345 --> 00:20:46,343
brought down by the great rivers and
released from the melting sea-ice.

168
00:20:48,502 --> 00:20:51,781
Sea gooseberries strain the water
with their stinging filaments,

169
00:20:51,821 --> 00:20:55,460
their beating cilia
scatter the sun's rays

170
00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:57,459
into dazzling bursts of colour.

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00:21:04,936 --> 00:21:08,975
Beneath the breaking sea ice,
a predatory sea slug

172
00:21:09,015 --> 00:21:12,853
flies through the water
on translucent wings.

173
00:21:12,893 --> 00:21:16,252
It's on the trail
of a peculiar swimming snail.

174
00:21:29,087 --> 00:21:32,166
And now the most voracious
of the plankton-eaters

175
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swim up from the depths...

176
00:21:34,245 --> 00:21:36,365
Arctic cod.

177
00:21:40,283 --> 00:21:43,042
SEAGULLS CRY

178
00:21:43,082 --> 00:21:48,200
The shoals can be enormous,
some containing 500 million fish

179
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,958
and predators travel hundreds
of miles to feast on them.

180
00:21:55,277 --> 00:21:58,236
The cod harvest is THE annual event

181
00:21:58,276 --> 00:22:00,635
for the birds and seals
of the far North.

182
00:22:04,874 --> 00:22:07,073
For just a short period,

183
00:22:07,113 --> 00:22:10,992
the combination of the strengthening
sun, the newly-flowing rivers

184
00:22:11,032 --> 00:22:16,669
and the breaking sea ice make
the Arctic Ocean teem with life.

185
00:22:23,507 --> 00:22:27,465
The land is also transformed
by the sun's heat.

186
00:22:29,505 --> 00:22:33,943
The small patches of bare ground
that appear are darker than the snow

187
00:22:33,983 --> 00:22:36,902
so they absorb more
of the sun's energy.

188
00:22:38,421 --> 00:22:40,860
This accelerates the melt.

189
00:22:48,937 --> 00:22:52,056
The Arctic tundra is unveiled.

190
00:23:00,333 --> 00:23:04,931
By tracking the sun, Arctic poppies
catch its rays around the clock,

191
00:23:04,971 --> 00:23:09,290
so their flowers are always warmer
than their surroundings.

192
00:23:14,528 --> 00:23:19,806
For early season insects,
this warmth is even more valuable

193
00:23:19,846 --> 00:23:23,005
than nectar if they're
to stay active in the cold.

194
00:23:33,201 --> 00:23:36,679
The woolly bear caterpillar does not
need the warmth from flowers

195
00:23:36,719 --> 00:23:38,319
to kick-start its spring.

196
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,517
It's always the first insect
to appear after the snow retreats

197
00:23:42,557 --> 00:23:46,396
and the story of how it does so
is truly astonishing.

198
00:23:50,074 --> 00:23:54,233
At the start of spring, the
caterpillar eats as fast as it can,

199
00:23:54,273 --> 00:23:59,311
as indeed it must, for this far
north, the season will be brief.

200
00:24:00,950 --> 00:24:04,629
The days shorten only too soon,
but the caterpillar has not yet

201
00:24:04,669 --> 00:24:09,387
got enough reserves
to transform itself into a moth.

202
00:24:09,427 --> 00:24:12,426
It can't leave the Arctic,
for it can't fly,

203
00:24:12,466 --> 00:24:15,545
so it settles down beneath a rock.

204
00:24:17,304 --> 00:24:19,743
The sun's warmth rapidly dwindles.

205
00:24:25,861 --> 00:24:28,860
Beneath the rock, the caterpillar
is out of the wind,

206
00:24:28,900 --> 00:24:31,979
but the cold penetrates
deep into the ground.

207
00:24:33,698 --> 00:24:36,137
Soon, its heart stops beating.

208
00:24:36,177 --> 00:24:41,455
It ceases to breathe,
and its body starts to freeze -

209
00:24:41,495 --> 00:24:44,414
first its gut, then its blood.

210
00:25:07,525 --> 00:25:10,004
Spring.

211
00:25:10,044 --> 00:25:16,362
After four months of darkness,
the Arctic begins to thaw.

212
00:25:18,481 --> 00:25:21,840
And the caterpillar
rises from the dead.

213
00:25:31,556 --> 00:25:33,795
By the time the first shoots
of willow appear

214
00:25:33,835 --> 00:25:36,674
in the early spring, the woolly bear
is already eating.

215
00:25:38,954 --> 00:25:42,992
But no matter how fast the woolly
bear eats, it will not have time

216
00:25:43,032 --> 00:25:45,431
to gather enough food
this year, either,

217
00:25:45,471 --> 00:25:49,030
and the cold closes in once again.

218
00:26:10,902 --> 00:26:14,180
Year after year, the caterpillar
slows down in the autumn

219
00:26:14,220 --> 00:26:16,859
and then freezes solid.

220
00:26:24,776 --> 00:26:28,775
But eventually,
a very special spring arrives.

221
00:26:32,413 --> 00:26:34,853
This one will be its last.

222
00:26:40,930 --> 00:26:45,768
It's now 14 years old -
the world's oldest caterpillar.

223
00:26:45,808 --> 00:26:48,887
Its remaining days
now become frantic.

224
00:26:48,927 --> 00:26:52,006
It starts to weave a silk cocoon.

225
00:26:54,685 --> 00:27:00,123
Inside, its body is changing
into one that can fly and search,

226
00:27:00,163 --> 00:27:04,401
abilities that will be crucial
in the days ahead.

227
00:27:06,761 --> 00:27:11,119
It's waited over a decade for this
spring and now, its time is near.

228
00:27:16,317 --> 00:27:19,836
All across the Arctic,
moths are emerging.

229
00:27:19,876 --> 00:27:23,634
After completing
their 14-year preparation,

230
00:27:23,674 --> 00:27:27,633
they now have just a few days
to find a partner and mate.

231
00:27:32,751 --> 00:27:37,749
No life illustrates more vividly
the shortness of the Arctic spring

232
00:27:37,789 --> 00:27:42,987
or the struggle to survive
in this most seasonal of places.

233
00:27:51,544 --> 00:27:53,303
As spring advances,

234
00:27:53,343 --> 00:27:56,422
the transformation
of the tundra continues.

235
00:28:25,731 --> 00:28:28,490
THEY SQUEAK

236
00:28:41,445 --> 00:28:44,284
CHEEPING

237
00:28:47,283 --> 00:28:49,362
Migrants begin arriving
from the south

238
00:28:49,402 --> 00:28:54,920
and suddenly the tundra
is alive with birds and chicks.

239
00:29:09,315 --> 00:29:12,833
The Arctic's transformation
is complete.

240
00:29:19,111 --> 00:29:24,949
This influx of life is good news
for some permanent residents.

241
00:29:31,106 --> 00:29:34,265
Food is rarely plentiful
out on the tundra.

242
00:29:34,305 --> 00:29:39,503
The Arctic wolves must make the most
of this boom while it lasts.

243
00:30:04,174 --> 00:30:06,573
HONKING

244
00:30:35,202 --> 00:30:38,841
The wolves must gather
as much food as they can.

245
00:30:38,881 --> 00:30:43,359
Many miles from here, other members
of the pack are relying on them.

246
00:30:43,399 --> 00:30:45,758
HOWLING

247
00:30:56,834 --> 00:30:59,993
This barren landscape is a hard
place to make a living,

248
00:31:00,033 --> 00:31:04,072
forcing wolf packs to be smaller
here than further south.

249
00:31:11,229 --> 00:31:13,588
Six hungry mouths to feed.

250
00:31:13,628 --> 00:31:16,667
The cubs are just over a month old.

251
00:31:16,707 --> 00:31:18,946
BARKING AND YELPING

252
00:31:27,863 --> 00:31:32,061
The ducks are devoured instantly,
but on the long journey home,

253
00:31:32,101 --> 00:31:36,339
they also caught an Arctic hare,
a mainstay of the tundra diet,

254
00:31:36,379 --> 00:31:39,658
and one the cubs
seem to be particularly keen on.

255
00:31:49,215 --> 00:31:51,734
Uneaten food is usually hidden
for leaner times,

256
00:31:51,774 --> 00:31:55,612
but there will be
no leftovers today.

257
00:31:55,652 --> 00:31:58,891
The cubs are growing fast
and are always hungry.

258
00:32:06,608 --> 00:32:09,567
GROWLING

259
00:32:15,085 --> 00:32:20,003
The good times are certainly back,
but these white wolves remind us

260
00:32:20,043 --> 00:32:22,562
of the Arctic's less welcoming side.

261
00:32:24,361 --> 00:32:28,520
Their coats are pale to conceal them
during the long, snowy winter.

262
00:32:31,359 --> 00:32:33,918
It's easy to forget
that one month ago,

263
00:32:33,958 --> 00:32:36,957
this land was a barren,
white desert.

264
00:32:45,434 --> 00:32:47,873
At the southern end of our planet,

265
00:32:47,913 --> 00:32:52,031
the Antarctic sea ice
is still at its greatest extent.

266
00:32:53,870 --> 00:32:57,189
But there are a few islands
on its outer edge

267
00:32:57,229 --> 00:32:59,828
that the sea ice
never quite reaches.

268
00:33:03,587 --> 00:33:08,145
South Georgia is washed by the rich
waters of the Southern Atlantic

269
00:33:08,185 --> 00:33:10,544
and the comparative warmth
of the sea

270
00:33:10,584 --> 00:33:13,383
takes the edge off
the vicious southern winter.

271
00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:25,019
It's even possible
for a few hardy animals,

272
00:33:25,059 --> 00:33:29,817
like the Wandering Albatross, to
live here throughout the whole year.

273
00:33:38,893 --> 00:33:43,612
The enormous Albatross chicks
take 13 months to fledge,

274
00:33:43,652 --> 00:33:47,570
so they have no choice but
to sit here throughout the winter.

275
00:33:47,610 --> 00:33:50,569
It can't be easy,
but the thick layer of fluffy down

276
00:33:50,609 --> 00:33:52,728
keeps out the worst of the cold.

277
00:33:54,008 --> 00:33:57,966
Their parents travel thousands
of miles to collect the fish

278
00:33:58,006 --> 00:34:00,925
and squid they need
to stay warm and to grow.

279
00:34:10,202 --> 00:34:15,880
The season is turning and storms
blow in with little warning.

280
00:34:24,196 --> 00:34:27,835
King penguins have also been here
all winter.

281
00:34:32,193 --> 00:34:35,992
Their chicks survive by huddling
in creches to conserve their heat.

282
00:34:36,032 --> 00:34:41,670
A solitary bird here standing alone
would quickly die of exposure.

283
00:34:41,710 --> 00:34:46,948
It seems for a hardy few, violent
storms are a price worth paying

284
00:34:46,988 --> 00:34:52,066
for year-round fishing in the
rich waters of the southern ocean.

285
00:34:58,504 --> 00:35:02,102
The penguins have had the beach
to themselves all winter,

286
00:35:02,142 --> 00:35:05,781
but that is a luxury
that will not last.

287
00:35:12,139 --> 00:35:16,937
As the winter storms subside,
life begins to return.

288
00:35:27,853 --> 00:35:31,531
For half of the year, South Georgia
has the greatest concentration

289
00:35:31,571 --> 00:35:34,050
of sea birds in the world

290
00:35:34,090 --> 00:35:37,289
and most of them arrive
in the early spring.

291
00:35:44,526 --> 00:35:48,285
Macaroni penguins make
the most impressive entrance -

292
00:35:48,325 --> 00:35:50,564
over five million pairs of them.

293
00:35:50,604 --> 00:35:53,203
They are the world's
most numerous penguin

294
00:35:53,243 --> 00:35:55,562
and half of them are now here.

295
00:35:57,481 --> 00:35:59,241
The arrival is complete.

296
00:36:04,119 --> 00:36:08,317
Courtship is next on South Georgia's
busy spring schedule.

297
00:36:14,435 --> 00:36:18,274
The Wandering Albatross
has the most elaborate display.

298
00:36:18,314 --> 00:36:20,433
MIXED-PITCH "POPPING"

299
00:36:24,351 --> 00:36:28,470
These two are renewing their bonds
after being months apart.

300
00:36:33,908 --> 00:36:35,867
Wanderers pair up in their teens

301
00:36:35,907 --> 00:36:38,466
and can spend
a further 50 years together -

302
00:36:38,506 --> 00:36:42,065
one of the longest partnerships
in the animal world.

303
00:37:07,375 --> 00:37:10,134
By the middle of spring,
the snows have cleared

304
00:37:10,174 --> 00:37:13,373
from the coves and the low ground.

305
00:37:13,413 --> 00:37:16,252
The beaches are almost free
of ice too,

306
00:37:16,292 --> 00:37:20,410
but that isn't the biggest change
facing the king penguins.

307
00:37:20,450 --> 00:37:27,248
Their peaceful waterfront has turned
into an obstacle course of blubber.

308
00:37:29,727 --> 00:37:32,086
The elephant seals have arrived.

309
00:37:34,765 --> 00:37:37,724
This beach now contains
a greater mass of animals

310
00:37:37,764 --> 00:37:40,323
than any other in the world.

311
00:37:51,079 --> 00:37:54,398
The young seals
were conceived here a year ago,

312
00:37:54,438 --> 00:37:56,757
and now that they've been born,

313
00:37:56,797 --> 00:37:59,236
their mothers are ready
to mate again.

314
00:38:00,795 --> 00:38:06,273
The mating rights on this patch of
the beach belong to a beach master.

315
00:38:06,313 --> 00:38:09,472
His harem contains 50 females -

316
00:38:09,512 --> 00:38:12,191
females that are coveted by others.

317
00:38:15,390 --> 00:38:17,829
His authority is being challenged.

318
00:38:22,987 --> 00:38:25,506
This rival means business.

319
00:38:37,941 --> 00:38:40,980
This could be the beach master's
first serious test

320
00:38:41,020 --> 00:38:43,099
of his spring campaign.

321
00:38:51,256 --> 00:38:55,535
The beach master himself
weighs four tonnes,

322
00:38:55,575 --> 00:38:57,974
but this rival is his equal.

323
00:39:12,808 --> 00:39:16,767
When these titans clash,

324
00:39:16,807 --> 00:39:18,486
bones crunch.

325
00:40:00,790 --> 00:40:02,909
He has won the first battle,

326
00:40:02,949 --> 00:40:07,388
but he may have to defend his harem
every hour for the next month.

327
00:40:09,027 --> 00:40:12,706
If he can stay master
of his beach for this period,

328
00:40:12,746 --> 00:40:15,985
many of the young born here
next year will be his.

329
00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:23,822
It's the end of spring on
the Wandering Albatross's cliffs,

330
00:40:23,862 --> 00:40:26,701
their season for fledging.

331
00:40:26,740 --> 00:40:29,579
Last year's chicks
have lost their fluffy down

332
00:40:29,619 --> 00:40:34,098
and step up to the challenge
of getting into the air.

333
00:40:37,177 --> 00:40:40,016
SQUAWKING

334
00:40:46,173 --> 00:40:50,731
An albatross is not very
competent on the ground,

335
00:40:50,771 --> 00:40:54,490
so until it can fly,
it isn't good for much

336
00:40:54,530 --> 00:40:56,249
and this makes the maiden flight

337
00:40:56,289 --> 00:40:59,128
THE crucial event
in an albatross's life.

338
00:41:04,766 --> 00:41:08,165
Managing the largest wing span
in the world takes practice...

339
00:41:10,804 --> 00:41:12,603
..lots of it.

340
00:41:30,437 --> 00:41:32,436
Weeks can go by like this.

341
00:41:32,476 --> 00:41:36,314
Certainly the winds must be right,
but it does appear that for some,

342
00:41:36,354 --> 00:41:39,553
the problem is something
of a mental one.

343
00:41:53,748 --> 00:41:55,387
At last.

344
00:42:03,224 --> 00:42:05,104
The Southern Ocean beckons.

345
00:42:05,144 --> 00:42:10,182
This bird's feet will not touch land
again for five years.

346
00:42:14,980 --> 00:42:17,019
1,000 miles further south,

347
00:42:17,059 --> 00:42:19,898
on the edge
of the Antarctic continent,

348
00:42:19,938 --> 00:42:23,457
the sea ice is only just
starting to break.

349
00:42:23,497 --> 00:42:28,495
But the Adelie penguin's activities
are certainly warming up.

350
00:42:28,535 --> 00:42:32,813
The males have now finished
their nests by fair means or foul

351
00:42:32,853 --> 00:42:36,932
and the females
are finally returning,

352
00:42:36,972 --> 00:42:40,090
just as the weather is improving.

353
00:42:40,130 --> 00:42:42,410
Now their courtship can begin.

354
00:42:42,450 --> 00:42:45,368
RHYTHMIC CAWING

355
00:43:40,468 --> 00:43:44,266
The eggs are laid and the females
leave the job of incubating them

356
00:43:44,306 --> 00:43:48,265
to the males, while they go fishing
out on the fragmenting sea ice.

357
00:43:59,221 --> 00:44:00,660
Killer whales.

358
00:44:08,537 --> 00:44:12,336
It's teamwork that makes
killer whales so dangerous.

359
00:44:13,615 --> 00:44:16,014
And THIS is a big team.

360
00:46:11,051 --> 00:46:14,530
There is no real need
for the penguins to be alarmed.

361
00:46:15,969 --> 00:46:19,368
These killer whales
are a kind that only eats fish.

362
00:46:24,966 --> 00:46:27,965
Rising out is simply the best way
for the whales to work out

363
00:46:28,005 --> 00:46:31,684
which cracks lead towards the coast
and better fishing.

364
00:46:44,639 --> 00:46:47,558
A new generation of Adelies
steps forth

365
00:46:47,598 --> 00:46:50,916
into the short Antarctic spring

366
00:46:50,956 --> 00:46:54,275
to be nurtured by industrious
parents who've taken great risks

367
00:46:54,315 --> 00:46:57,194
to give their young a head start.

368
00:47:01,352 --> 00:47:04,711
They will need to grow fast
if they are to fledge

369
00:47:04,751 --> 00:47:07,230
and leave before the freeze
sets in again.

370
00:47:09,309 --> 00:47:14,188
It's a battle they will win or lose
over the approaching summer.

371
00:47:28,622 --> 00:47:30,022
Next time,

372
00:47:30,062 --> 00:47:35,260
summer and the sun never sets
in the polar regions.

373
00:47:35,300 --> 00:47:38,898
The heat is on
for the Frozen Planet.

374
00:48:03,529 --> 00:48:06,888
To film the entire breeding cycle
of the Adelie penguin,

375
00:48:06,928 --> 00:48:10,606
Frozen Planet sent a team to one
of the world's largest colonies,

376
00:48:10,646 --> 00:48:12,486
at Cape Crozier, Antarctica.

377
00:48:12,526 --> 00:48:15,725
I've heard so much about it
and read so much about it.

378
00:48:15,765 --> 00:48:18,204
Finally we're going to get there.
It's good.

379
00:48:18,244 --> 00:48:21,282
Cameraman Mark Smith
and director Jeff Wilson

380
00:48:21,322 --> 00:48:24,801
plan to spend the next four months
living amongst the penguins

381
00:48:24,841 --> 00:48:28,120
in a location first visited by
the early explorers a century ago.

382
00:48:30,199 --> 00:48:33,758
So arduous was Scott's
winter expedition to Cape Crozier

383
00:48:33,798 --> 00:48:37,916
that it became known as
"the worst journey in the world".

384
00:48:37,956 --> 00:48:41,875
Wow, it's fantastic!

385
00:48:43,114 --> 00:48:46,633
Modern means make Mark and Jeff's
journey a more comfortable affair,

386
00:48:46,673 --> 00:48:48,832
but once there, they will be tested

387
00:48:48,872 --> 00:48:51,191
to the very limits
of their endurance.

388
00:48:56,229 --> 00:48:58,788
The pair arrive in early spring

389
00:48:58,828 --> 00:49:04,186
with enough supplies to survive
the next four months working alone
in the Antarctic wilderness.

390
00:49:04,226 --> 00:49:06,106
We're here!

391
00:49:07,985 --> 00:49:11,344
Scott's legend of Cape Crozier
tells of some extreme weather,

392
00:49:11,384 --> 00:49:14,143
to say the least,

393
00:49:14,183 --> 00:49:17,621
so Mark and Jeff take advantage
of the clear conditions,

394
00:49:17,661 --> 00:49:20,420
in the knowledge that
the Adelies' arrival is imminent.

395
00:49:23,459 --> 00:49:26,738
But the next morning,
things take a turn for the worse.

396
00:49:26,778 --> 00:49:28,897
We've just come up to this ridge

397
00:49:28,937 --> 00:49:31,776
to go and check what it looks like
down in the colony.

398
00:49:31,816 --> 00:49:34,775
ROARING

399
00:49:34,815 --> 00:49:36,734
But even here you can hear...

400
00:49:36,774 --> 00:49:40,613
a huge kind of roaring noise

401
00:49:40,653 --> 00:49:44,731
up on the hill. Never really heard
anything like that before.

402
00:49:49,609 --> 00:49:52,328
Up there, it must be blowing
the most almighty gale,

403
00:49:52,368 --> 00:49:55,567
and that is, pff, you know,
just a mile away or something.

404
00:49:55,607 --> 00:49:58,766
So that means that that could
get here very, very quickly.

405
00:49:58,806 --> 00:50:03,044
So yeah, it makes you slightly
scared. It's weird, isn't it?

406
00:50:03,084 --> 00:50:06,363
The winds here
are famously ferocious,

407
00:50:06,403 --> 00:50:09,402
and with so little experience
of this location,

408
00:50:09,442 --> 00:50:14,080
Mark and Jeff retreat to
the relative shelter of their hut.

409
00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:17,959
I was just stood here thinking,
"Well, it can't be too bad,

410
00:50:17,999 --> 00:50:20,958
"because we haven't seen rocks
starting to blow around yet,"

411
00:50:20,998 --> 00:50:25,276
and just at that moment a rock
took off and rolled down there.

412
00:50:28,035 --> 00:50:32,593
Oh, dear, it's getting stronger.

413
00:50:33,993 --> 00:50:37,391
By the second day of the storm,
the winds reach 80 miles an hour,

414
00:50:37,431 --> 00:50:40,630
and it's apparent that even getting
lunch from the outside larder

415
00:50:40,670 --> 00:50:42,230
is too risky.

416
00:50:52,746 --> 00:50:56,784
To their increasing alarm,
the storm continues to build.

417
00:50:58,743 --> 00:51:04,381
All afternoon, it's been
blowing about...must have been
100 miles an hour,

418
00:51:04,421 --> 00:51:07,700
and in the last half-hour
it's just got a lot stronger.

419
00:51:07,740 --> 00:51:09,539
Aside from being utterly terrified,

420
00:51:09,579 --> 00:51:12,898
there's the added worry that our
gear is stashed outside somewhere.

421
00:51:12,938 --> 00:51:15,377
We didn't have room for it
in the hut,

422
00:51:15,417 --> 00:51:18,736
and we don't know whether it's
going to be there in the morning,

423
00:51:18,776 --> 00:51:21,055
which could spell
the end of our trip.

424
00:51:21,095 --> 00:51:26,853
On the third day of the storm,
the winds hit 130 miles an hour.

425
00:51:26,893 --> 00:51:29,892
The hut starts to shake
from its very foundations,

426
00:51:29,932 --> 00:51:32,971
and Mark and Jeff's situation
becomes critical.

427
00:51:33,011 --> 00:51:34,330
The wind's so strong,

428
00:51:34,370 --> 00:51:38,608
it's constantly blowing the pilot
light out on the paraffin stove,

429
00:51:38,648 --> 00:51:40,648
so the temperature's dropping.

430
00:51:40,688 --> 00:51:45,326
The wind's rising. Sounds like
the bloody roof's coming off.

431
00:51:48,205 --> 00:51:51,963
The really scary thing is that
had we gone out down to the colony

432
00:51:52,003 --> 00:51:54,043
and tried to film today,

433
00:51:54,083 --> 00:51:57,881
there's a very high likelihood
that we'd be dead by now.

434
00:51:57,921 --> 00:52:00,520
And I don't say that lightly.

435
00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:03,599
There's no way we would have
seen this through down there.

436
00:52:03,639 --> 00:52:06,798
And that is quite sobering.

437
00:52:14,075 --> 00:52:17,074
After four terrifying days
inside the hut,

438
00:52:17,114 --> 00:52:20,233
the winds finally drop,
and Mark and Jeff are keen to see

439
00:52:20,273 --> 00:52:23,632
what, if any, equipment
has survived.

440
00:52:23,672 --> 00:52:28,270
All the real important stuff,
the camera stuff, is all still here,

441
00:52:28,310 --> 00:52:31,749
and it's still strapped
to this rock.

442
00:52:31,789 --> 00:52:34,987
You have no idea
how much joy that gives us.

443
00:52:35,027 --> 00:52:37,506
We can get on with our jobs now!

444
00:52:42,624 --> 00:52:45,543
The first things to welcome us
to the colony are these skuas,

445
00:52:45,583 --> 00:52:50,182
which come in
and batter us from above.

446
00:52:57,939 --> 00:53:02,617
At its height, the colony will swell
to over half a million penguins,

447
00:53:02,657 --> 00:53:05,776
and in the 24-hour daylight
of the Antarctic summer,

448
00:53:05,816 --> 00:53:10,054
Mark and Jeff spend
all of their waking hours filming.

449
00:53:10,094 --> 00:53:13,253
Unpredictable weather
continues to force the team

450
00:53:13,293 --> 00:53:18,371
to climb the two miles back to
the relative shelter of their hut,

451
00:53:18,411 --> 00:53:21,890
and Mark devises a novel way
of testing the wind speed.

452
00:53:23,889 --> 00:53:25,568
Stop!

453
00:53:29,967 --> 00:53:32,726
After six weeks,
the first sign that the pair

454
00:53:32,766 --> 00:53:36,004
might be tiring
of their penguin neighbours.

455
00:53:36,044 --> 00:53:37,964
Over there's a leopard seal.

456
00:53:38,004 --> 00:53:42,522
It's the first non-penguin-looking
animal in two months!

457
00:53:42,562 --> 00:53:44,921
Will you look at that?
It's a leopard seal!

458
00:53:46,161 --> 00:53:48,520
I was down here
filming the penguins coming in,

459
00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:51,359
followed this penguin that came
out of the waves up the beach,

460
00:53:51,399 --> 00:53:54,238
very nice shot, stopped the shot

461
00:53:54,278 --> 00:53:58,636
and there in the middle of the frame
was this completely white penguin...

462
00:53:58,676 --> 00:54:01,475
trying to get into the shot.

463
00:54:01,515 --> 00:54:04,114
We suspect that he might be
following us around now.

464
00:54:07,633 --> 00:54:10,791
Working around the clock
for this length of time

465
00:54:10,831 --> 00:54:13,710
in the presence
of half a million screaming penguins

466
00:54:13,750 --> 00:54:15,989
would test anyone's resolve.

467
00:54:17,949 --> 00:54:22,547
I hate carrying gear.
Hear that? I hate carrying gear.
I don't want to do it any more.

468
00:54:25,066 --> 00:54:28,905
Midway through their trip,
after more than 1,000 hours
amongst the penguins,

469
00:54:28,945 --> 00:54:32,183
their grip on reality
is beginning to loosen.

470
00:54:33,583 --> 00:54:36,182
Here we are
on the penguin superhighway,

471
00:54:36,222 --> 00:54:39,381
where the penguins
go down to the sea.

472
00:54:40,860 --> 00:54:45,099
It seems that they follow
the American system...

473
00:54:45,139 --> 00:54:50,177
driving on the right, going down
to the sea on the right,

474
00:54:50,217 --> 00:54:53,935
coming back from the sea on
the left as you're facing the sea.

475
00:54:55,775 --> 00:54:59,733
I'm fairly sure that yesterday
they were doing the British system.

476
00:55:03,012 --> 00:55:08,050
The legendary Cape Crozier weather
soon snaps them back into reality.

477
00:55:08,090 --> 00:55:10,129
I'm just filming the penguins

478
00:55:10,169 --> 00:55:14,328
with this huge kind of wind storm

479
00:55:14,368 --> 00:55:15,927
coming over the ice cap,

480
00:55:15,967 --> 00:55:19,486
the kind of thing we were warned
about by the guy who was here before,

481
00:55:19,526 --> 00:55:23,724
who has been here several years,
saying "With skies like this,
you should run for home".

482
00:55:23,764 --> 00:55:26,203
But we're just going to stay
and film it.

483
00:55:26,243 --> 00:55:28,002
Because we're the BBC!

484
00:55:28,042 --> 00:55:30,481
But in this part of the world,

485
00:55:30,521 --> 00:55:33,121
working for the BBC
doesn't count for much.

486
00:55:33,160 --> 00:55:35,879
Within minutes,
the winds reach hurricane strength,

487
00:55:35,919 --> 00:55:39,238
and the crew are in serious trouble.

488
00:55:39,278 --> 00:55:42,597
So, we've got to now venture out
and go about a mile up this valley,

489
00:55:42,637 --> 00:55:47,075
which looks like it's got
about 80mph winds blowing down it.

490
00:55:47,115 --> 00:55:49,274
So it's going to be
quite an adventure.

491
00:55:49,314 --> 00:55:52,113
Bit frightening, though, really.

492
00:55:52,153 --> 00:55:56,312
After three months,
the pair are now fully aware

493
00:55:56,352 --> 00:55:59,631
of the strength the winds can reach.
Getting a little stronger now!

494
00:55:59,671 --> 00:56:01,470
There is a very real danger

495
00:56:01,510 --> 00:56:05,148
that they could be separated and
lost in these white-out conditions.

496
00:56:27,940 --> 00:56:30,819
We're going to go BLEEP.

497
00:56:33,658 --> 00:56:36,417
Two terrifying hours later,
and their relief

498
00:56:36,457 --> 00:56:39,416
at finally reaching the
hut is tangible.

499
00:56:39,456 --> 00:56:41,855
THEY LAUGH

500
00:56:42,934 --> 00:56:46,173
With a month still to go
at Cape Crozier,

501
00:56:46,213 --> 00:56:50,212
Mark, Jeff and the penguins will
face many more storms like this.

502
00:56:50,252 --> 00:56:52,331
But it seems
their greatest challenge

503
00:56:52,371 --> 00:56:55,849
will be to maintain their sanity.

504
00:56:55,889 --> 00:56:59,728
Here we are, travelling through
the Antarctic by sled.

505
00:56:59,768 --> 00:57:02,727
We're being pulled by a herd of
huskies. Oh!

506
00:57:05,046 --> 00:57:10,324
12 of them panting out front,
breath steaming from their mouths.

507
00:57:10,364 --> 00:57:12,203
And as we go along,

508
00:57:12,243 --> 00:57:14,722
we see the happy people waving at us.

509
00:57:30,996 --> 00:57:35,675
For a free Open University
illustrated poster of polar regions,

510
00:57:35,715 --> 00:57:38,553
call the number on the screen,

511
00:57:38,593 --> 00:57:45,711
or order online
by going to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet

512
00:57:45,751 --> 00:57:48,830
and follow the links
to Open University.

513
00:58:11,381 --> 00:58:14,380
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

514
00:58:14,420 --> 00:58:17,459
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk