Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074
AmericasCardroom.com brings poker back
Million Dollar Sunday Tournament every Sunday
2
00:00:31,708 --> 00:00:35,725
Both poles of our planet are covered with ice.
3
00:00:36,061 --> 00:00:41,012
They're the largest and most demanding
wildernesses of all.
4
00:00:42,782 --> 00:00:47,494
Nowhere else on Earth
is seasonal change so extreme.
5
00:00:47,757 --> 00:00:53,568
It causes the ice to advance
and retreat every year
6
00:00:54,621 --> 00:00:59,165
and all life here is governed by that.
7
00:01:17,128 --> 00:01:20,835
When the first polar explorers headed south
8
00:01:20,931 --> 00:01:27,245
giant cathedrals of ice marked their entry
into uncharted territory.
9
00:01:31,407 --> 00:01:38,247
Passing the towering spires they must've wondered
what unearthly sights lay in store.
10
00:01:42,481 --> 00:01:46,619
As they battled on
the ice became increasingly dominant
11
00:01:46,738 --> 00:01:53,818
but nothing could have prepared them
for the ice world that finally loomed into view.
12
00:01:58,984 --> 00:02:04,007
Terra incognita - the unknown land.
13
00:02:16,134 --> 00:02:20,989
At the southernmost extreme of our planet
the continent of Antarctica
14
00:02:21,085 --> 00:02:24,648
is as large as the United States of America.
15
00:02:31,011 --> 00:02:35,650
Ninety percent of all the world's ice
is found here.
16
00:02:38,330 --> 00:02:45,601
This frozen world is largely deserted
until the start of spring.
17
00:02:50,073 --> 00:02:52,179
Adelie penguins
18
00:02:52,944 --> 00:02:55,097
in a hurry.
19
00:03:00,597 --> 00:03:02,917
The clock is ticking.
20
00:03:03,156 --> 00:03:09,830
Instead of waiting for the summer melt
the new arrivals hasten south over the frozen sea.
21
00:03:21,789 --> 00:03:26,238
They have come here to breed
but polar summers are so short
22
00:03:26,429 --> 00:03:30,902
they must be in position
before the thaw starts.
23
00:03:35,733 --> 00:03:41,044
As the sea ice retreats
life can journey farther south.
24
00:03:46,974 --> 00:03:54,318
Antarctic waters are so rich
that visitors come from far and wide to harvest them.
25
00:04:01,660 --> 00:04:07,520
Vast numbers of chinstrap penguins
come ashore to breed.
26
00:04:15,415 --> 00:04:19,529
No bird will lay their eggs
directly onto ice
27
00:04:19,625 --> 00:04:26,752
so bare rock is a vital commodity.
The best patches are worth the climb.
28
00:04:31,463 --> 00:04:39,165
The clifftops are soon stained pink with the droppings
of tens of thousands of nesting penguins.
29
00:04:47,585 --> 00:04:55,574
Only in a land almost entirely covered in ice
could bare rock be reckoned an oasis.
30
00:04:57,367 --> 00:05:02,031
Some will travel into the heart
of the continent to find it.
31
00:05:03,706 --> 00:05:13,727
These are noon attacks the exposed peaks
of vast mountain ranges buried in ice over a mile deep.
32
00:05:15,306 --> 00:05:20,807
The eerie silence here
is only broken in spring.
33
00:05:27,552 --> 00:05:31,952
The snow petrels have arrived
and are courting.
34
00:05:39,204 --> 00:05:44,873
Antarctic petrels now join
the most southerly colony on Earth.
35
00:05:46,361 --> 00:05:49,909
The birds have flown inland
for over three hundred miles
36
00:05:49,930 --> 00:05:52,520
to reach this breeding site.
37
00:05:57,250 --> 00:06:02,899
Once their eggs have hatched they'll be forced
repeatedly to make the 600 mile round trip
38
00:06:02,919 --> 00:06:05,039
to gather food in the ocean.
39
00:06:07,323 --> 00:06:13,297
First though valuable nesting places
must be defended from property thieves.
40
00:06:20,230 --> 00:06:25,939
After laying their eggs the petrels
take time out to clean their plumage.
41
00:06:47,196 --> 00:06:52,188
The south polar skua is a formidable opportunist
42
00:06:55,666 --> 00:06:59,121
but the skuas have not chanced upon the petrels
43
00:06:59,594 --> 00:07:02,362
they've been waiting for them.
44
00:07:05,746 --> 00:07:11,070
These birds do not need to go to the ocean
for their food.
45
00:07:28,371 --> 00:07:32,689
The skuas can survive further south
than any other predator
46
00:07:32,690 --> 00:07:37,362
by exploiting the petrels' desperate need
for bare rock.
47
00:07:48,069 --> 00:07:53,599
Even at the height of summer
less than 3% of Antarctica is free of ice
48
00:07:53,659 --> 00:07:58,421
and nearly all of that
exposed rock is found in one place
49
00:07:58,775 --> 00:08:01,467
the Antarctic Peninsula.
50
00:08:07,885 --> 00:08:15,309
It's long arm extends further north than
the rest of the continent, so spring arrives here first.
51
00:08:29,564 --> 00:08:32,847
The thaw unlocks sheltered bays
52
00:08:32,848 --> 00:08:38,585
that provide refuge from the relentless battering
of the southern ocean.
53
00:08:42,429 --> 00:08:46,896
In the depths something stirs...
54
00:09:10,887 --> 00:09:12,969
Humpback whales.
55
00:09:13,017 --> 00:09:18,530
They have travelled over 5000 miles
to reach these waters.
56
00:09:24,943 --> 00:09:27,758
The whales are harvesting krill
57
00:09:27,805 --> 00:09:33,721
shrimp like creatures that begin to swarm here
as soon as the ice retreats.
58
00:09:47,909 --> 00:09:50,464
Diving into the heart of the swarm
59
00:09:50,606 --> 00:09:55,978
teams of whales spiral around each other
in close coordination.
60
00:09:58,864 --> 00:10:05,252
Now they turn and blasting air from their blowholes
and ascend towards their prey.
61
00:10:06,884 --> 00:10:12,871
The krill becomes concentrated
as the spiralling net of bubbles draws inwards.
62
00:10:40,481 --> 00:10:45,569
The team of whales work around the clock
for the bloom is short lived.
63
00:10:45,733 --> 00:10:53,305
Summer is already fading and the whales
will soon be forced north as winter returns.
64
00:10:56,429 --> 00:11:01,776
The sun's influence diminishes
and the ocean starts to freeze.
65
00:11:02,024 --> 00:11:07,732
The greatest seasonal change
on our planet is underway.
66
00:11:12,434 --> 00:11:18,319
The ice grows at an extraordinary rate
advancing two and a half miles a day.
67
00:11:18,585 --> 00:11:24,176
In a matter of weeks
the continent effectively doubles in size.
68
00:11:27,133 --> 00:11:31,007
Life flees from Antarctica...
69
00:11:37,011 --> 00:11:40,265
but one creature is just arriving.
70
00:11:45,116 --> 00:11:53,841
Every winter Emperor penguins leave the comfort
of their ocean home and begin a remarkable journey.
71
00:11:55,320 --> 00:12:01,679
They head towards their breeding grounds
almost a hundred miles inland.
72
00:12:24,258 --> 00:12:28,896
Eventually the emperor penguins reach
the place where they were hatched
73
00:12:29,085 --> 00:12:33,746
an area sheltered by icebergs
trapped in the frozen ocean.
74
00:12:34,881 --> 00:12:38,408
Here they will raise the next generation
75
00:12:44,843 --> 00:12:48,297
but first each must find a mate.
76
00:12:51,207 --> 00:12:54,472
Males begin to serenade
77
00:12:58,423 --> 00:13:04,598
and if a female replies
they pair up, posing like statues.
78
00:13:08,479 --> 00:13:11,886
New couples quickly form a strong bond
79
00:13:11,981 --> 00:13:16,453
they seem oblivious to the noisy crowd
around them.
80
00:13:18,368 --> 00:13:23,598
To cement their relationship
the male steps out with his female.
81
00:13:33,488 --> 00:13:38,197
The brief courtship complete
there isn't a moment to loose.
82
00:13:38,268 --> 00:13:44,065
With so much pressure to perform
any male would struggle to stay on top.
83
00:13:51,850 --> 00:13:56,984
Several weeks later and it seems
that most couplings were successful
84
00:13:57,907 --> 00:14:02,024
but producing the egg
has taken it's toll.
85
00:14:02,338 --> 00:14:06,219
The females no longer have the energy
to incubate.
86
00:14:08,111 --> 00:14:09,981
The male takes over.
87
00:14:10,265 --> 00:14:17,741
It's still minus 20 degrees centigrade, so the transfer
must be done quickly or else the egg will freeze.
88
00:14:17,907 --> 00:14:23,183
With no bare rock to nest on
the male tucks the egg into a special pouch
89
00:14:23,278 --> 00:14:25,431
where he can keep it warm.
90
00:14:26,141 --> 00:14:29,856
It requires an extraordinary piece of teamwork.
91
00:14:34,186 --> 00:14:40,007
Driven by hunger, the exhausted females now
return to the ocean on their own
92
00:14:40,220 --> 00:14:46,064
repeating the epic journey they made
with the males only a month before.
93
00:14:51,671 --> 00:14:55,646
Now the sun barely appears above the horizon.
94
00:14:56,308 --> 00:15:01,751
As the day shortens, it's warmth
is withdrawn from the continent.
95
00:15:12,657 --> 00:15:18,549
With the females gone
the colony undergoes a strange transformation.
96
00:15:19,140 --> 00:15:25,671
The males shuffle into groups,
their eggs still tucked away above their feet.
97
00:15:27,990 --> 00:15:33,811
They lock together in tightly packed huddles
as they struggle to keep warm.
98
00:15:37,550 --> 00:15:42,708
Speeding up the action reveals how
these huddles constantly shift and change
99
00:15:42,709 --> 00:15:48,316
as each penguin works it's way
towards the warmer interior.
100
00:15:49,121 --> 00:15:55,153
Crammed into this scrum, the birds
are remarkably good natured, but they have to be.
101
00:15:55,343 --> 00:16:00,904
If the huddle breaks even for a moment,
precious heat escapes.
102
00:16:19,075 --> 00:16:23,192
It's imperative they reform
as quickly as possible
103
00:16:23,334 --> 00:16:30,361
for only by as acting as one can the males
withstand the elements, and protect their eggs.
104
00:16:35,164 --> 00:16:38,808
But their greatest test lies ahead.
105
00:16:39,234 --> 00:16:44,558
As winter advances, frequent blizzards
drive the temperature down.
106
00:16:45,126 --> 00:16:50,237
It's now 60 degrees below zero.
107
00:16:51,987 --> 00:16:54,400
The birds at the edge of the huddle
108
00:16:54,471 --> 00:16:57,334
bear the brunt of the hundred mile an hour winds
109
00:16:57,524 --> 00:17:02,587
and so provide shelter
to those taking their turn in the middle.
110
00:17:10,917 --> 00:17:15,318
Abandoned by the sun
the males are left alone with their eggs
111
00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:20,547
to face the coldest darkest winter on Earth.
112
00:17:27,290 --> 00:17:30,271
At the northern extreme of our planet
113
00:17:30,294 --> 00:17:38,267
the sun rises for the first time in months,
illuminating a very different ice world.
114
00:17:40,514 --> 00:17:48,298
Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is a vast frozen sea
surrounded by land.
115
00:17:49,695 --> 00:17:52,913
Here winter is coming to an end
116
00:17:53,244 --> 00:17:59,113
but this bleak wilderness
remains locked in ice.
117
00:18:05,643 --> 00:18:08,695
Eider ducks break the silence.
118
00:18:08,860 --> 00:18:16,290
They have stayed here braving the northern winter,
instead of flying south to warmer climes.
119
00:18:19,461 --> 00:18:25,613
Flocks forty thousand strong
sweep across the frozen wastes.
120
00:18:38,745 --> 00:18:41,323
They all have the same goal
121
00:18:41,395 --> 00:18:49,700
a polinear, a permanent hole in the sea ice
kept open throughout the winter by strong ocean currents.
122
00:18:53,226 --> 00:18:58,077
This unusual duck pond
provides an overnight sanctuary
123
00:18:58,124 --> 00:19:02,596
and when day breaks
a rare chance to feed.
124
00:19:14,662 --> 00:19:22,091
Just ten meters beneath the ice, the sea floor
is carpeted with dense mussel beds.
125
00:19:23,345 --> 00:19:27,486
These can only be reached
during a brief lull in the currents.
126
00:19:27,629 --> 00:19:34,325
The ducks must quickly prise the mussels free
before the tide starts to turn.
127
00:19:40,524 --> 00:19:43,198
The window of opportunity is short.
128
00:19:43,386 --> 00:19:48,734
As the current begins to build
it's up up and away.
129
00:19:59,879 --> 00:20:06,291
These permanent holes in the ice
provide seafood throughout winter.
130
00:20:07,663 --> 00:20:10,361
The diners attract others.
131
00:20:16,702 --> 00:20:22,097
In the Arctic, any breach in the icy barrier
can be a lifeline.
132
00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,461
Musk oxen create their own.
133
00:20:29,928 --> 00:20:34,282
These giants have the strength
to smash through the frozen crust
134
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,453
to graze on the vegetation below.
135
00:20:41,522 --> 00:20:46,704
These icebreakers create an opening
for other over winterers.
136
00:20:47,626 --> 00:20:52,926
Flocks of ptarmigan make unusual
grazing companions for the musk oxen
137
00:20:53,234 --> 00:20:56,145
whose entourage grows throughout the day.
138
00:21:05,159 --> 00:21:10,577
This odd assembly of vegetarians
doesn't go unnoticed.
139
00:21:11,358 --> 00:21:13,204
An arctic fox.
140
00:21:18,669 --> 00:21:22,431
The musk oxen have recently given birth.
141
00:21:22,857 --> 00:21:26,737
For the fox,
it's a chance to scavenge
142
00:21:33,409 --> 00:21:39,205
but half a ton of mad hairy cow
is not to be trifled with.
143
00:21:48,457 --> 00:21:51,605
The calves are born well before the spring melt
144
00:21:51,606 --> 00:21:57,046
giving them a head start
when summer finally arrives.
145
00:22:00,193 --> 00:22:03,766
It must get to grips with it's new ice world
146
00:22:04,214 --> 00:22:08,355
benign one minute
life threatening the next.
147
00:22:14,318 --> 00:22:18,434
Even in spring
winds chill to the bone.
148
00:22:21,464 --> 00:22:27,355
The calf must stay close to it's mother
to avoid getting lost in the sudden blizzard.
149
00:22:36,953 --> 00:22:39,566
Arctic wolves.
150
00:22:43,162 --> 00:22:47,231
In the whiteout,
the threat is almost impossible to detect
151
00:22:47,325 --> 00:22:51,603
but the musk oxen instinctively retreat
to higher ground.
152
00:23:07,295 --> 00:23:10,702
Forming a defensive ring around their calves
153
00:23:10,779 --> 00:23:15,113
the adults present a barricade
that few hunters could breach
154
00:23:17,517 --> 00:23:21,454
but the wolves need not risk injury today.
155
00:23:23,290 --> 00:23:27,208
A calf has been left behind in the panic.
156
00:23:40,078 --> 00:23:44,735
With each passing day
the sun climbs higher in the sky
157
00:23:44,887 --> 00:23:48,634
and it's rays strike the Arctic more directly.
158
00:23:49,524 --> 00:23:54,237
It's spring and new life stirs.
159
00:23:58,117 --> 00:24:02,528
The polar bear cubs emerge from the den
in which they were born.
160
00:24:02,925 --> 00:24:08,642
Their mother stretches her legs
after five months under the snow.
161
00:24:13,393 --> 00:24:15,362
They're just two months old
162
00:24:15,716 --> 00:24:19,265
and instinctively follow her lead.
163
00:24:34,550 --> 00:24:38,170
A steep slope makes the best site for a den
164
00:24:38,265 --> 00:24:42,925
but it's a tricky place to take your first steps.
165
00:25:01,687 --> 00:25:07,271
It may look like fun, but this
is serious training for the task ahead.
166
00:25:07,461 --> 00:25:09,401
There's no food on the slopes
167
00:25:09,402 --> 00:25:16,073
and the family will need to head out
across the frozen sea, before the mother's milk runs dry.
168
00:25:22,486 --> 00:25:25,869
Two weeks later
they're ready.
169
00:25:26,578 --> 00:25:30,790
Out on the sea ice
the female can hunt for seals
170
00:25:30,955 --> 00:25:35,261
but it will take all her mothering skills
to keep her cubs safe
171
00:25:35,451 --> 00:25:39,023
in this dangerous world of ice.
172
00:25:53,854 --> 00:25:57,593
The annual melt has begun.
173
00:25:58,822 --> 00:26:02,490
This is a challenging time
for the bear family.
174
00:26:02,774 --> 00:26:09,233
One out of every two cubs do not survive
their first year out on the ice.
175
00:26:19,739 --> 00:26:25,985
As the sun's influence increases, the sea ice
seems to take on a life of it's own.
176
00:26:34,196 --> 00:26:37,177
Glacial melt waters pour from the land
177
00:26:37,367 --> 00:26:41,531
mingling with the sea
and speeding up the thaw.
178
00:26:46,454 --> 00:26:54,024
The seascape is in constant flux,
as broken ice is moved on by winds and currents.
179
00:27:02,847 --> 00:27:09,188
The ice is becoming too weak
to support a male polar bear.
180
00:27:16,334 --> 00:27:19,126
He attempts to spread his weight
181
00:27:19,221 --> 00:27:24,710
but the ice that has supported him all winter
is rapidly disintegrating.
182
00:27:26,484 --> 00:27:31,454
Each year as the climate warms
the Arctic holds less ice.
183
00:27:31,666 --> 00:27:34,813
This is a disaster for polar bears.
184
00:27:34,860 --> 00:27:41,675
Without it's solid platform, they can't hunt
the seals they need in order to survive.
185
00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:47,897
This may be a glimpse of the unstable future
186
00:27:47,898 --> 00:27:51,304
faced by this magnificent creature.
187
00:28:24,807 --> 00:28:30,793
As the ice disappears
seabirds return to the high Arctic.
188
00:28:38,767 --> 00:28:42,790
Little auks arrive in their millions.
189
00:28:44,825 --> 00:28:49,178
In some ways these birds
are the penguins of the north.
190
00:28:49,226 --> 00:28:55,188
The seek bare rock on which to lay their eggs
and they look rather like penguins too.
191
00:29:01,245 --> 00:29:06,640
Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic
can be reached by land based predators
192
00:29:06,665 --> 00:29:11,066
which is why little auks have kept
the ability to fly.
193
00:29:15,939 --> 00:29:23,037
They use scree slopes to protect their eggs,
burrowing up to a meter beneath the rocks.
194
00:29:29,213 --> 00:29:32,596
At the height of summer the sun never sets
195
00:29:32,597 --> 00:29:36,856
but just skims the horizon before rising again.
196
00:29:42,297 --> 00:29:47,053
Migrants return to the Arctic
from far and wide.
197
00:29:47,479 --> 00:29:50,863
They've come to make the most
of the brief flush of food
198
00:29:51,006 --> 00:29:53,229
and to produce their young.
199
00:29:54,743 --> 00:30:00,091
Sandhill cranes have travelled all the way
from New Mexico.
200
00:30:05,154 --> 00:30:11,330
Their chicks join the growing band of youngsters
exploring the tundra.
201
00:30:17,979 --> 00:30:23,894
For a few months each year the Arctic
becomes the land of the midnight sun
202
00:30:24,155 --> 00:30:29,762
and twenty four hours of daylight
allow animals to feed around the clock.
203
00:30:31,134 --> 00:30:37,239
The arctic fox finally has enough food
to raise her large family.
204
00:30:52,150 --> 00:30:57,474
If you choose to nest in the open
you must be prepared for a fight.
205
00:31:06,229 --> 00:31:12,451
Arctic skuas will see off any trespassers
even large vegetarians.
206
00:31:58,567 --> 00:32:05,192
The male polar bear's ice world
has finally vanished beneath him.
207
00:32:16,337 --> 00:32:21,329
While the female is still kept on land
by her dependent cubs
208
00:32:21,376 --> 00:32:25,091
the male can take to the sea
in search of food.
209
00:32:25,257 --> 00:32:32,829
Ducking and diving, he hopes to ambush seals
resting on the remaining fragments of ice.
210
00:32:59,494 --> 00:33:05,741
In these new surroundings
he is a surprisingly adept swimmer.
211
00:33:15,986 --> 00:33:18,802
Once an extremely rare sight
212
00:33:18,803 --> 00:33:24,480
polar bears have recently been seen
over sixty miles from the shore.
213
00:33:37,919 --> 00:33:41,942
There is now no turning back for this bear.
214
00:33:42,202 --> 00:33:46,815
He's forced to head out into deeper water.
215
00:33:53,890 --> 00:33:59,498
His giant front paws
help him to fight the ocean currents.
216
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:26,092
He seems at home in the sea
but he cannot swim indefinitely.
217
00:34:29,096 --> 00:34:35,153
He will drown if he doesn't find land
somewhere in this vast ocean.
218
00:35:02,741 --> 00:35:07,025
Walruses are now gathering
on low lying islands.
219
00:35:07,427 --> 00:35:09,888
They gave birth on sea ice
220
00:35:09,889 --> 00:35:16,701
but with this platform now gone, they need
a new place to haul out and nurse their young.
221
00:35:18,594 --> 00:35:23,800
After several days at sea
the male bear finally makes landfall
222
00:35:23,895 --> 00:35:29,030
drawn by pungent smells
emanating from the island.
223
00:35:36,743 --> 00:35:41,191
By the end of summer
the bear has lost half his weight.
224
00:35:41,499 --> 00:35:47,414
With the ice long gone
he is forced onto land in search of food.
225
00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:59,930
There will be no easy meals on this island.
226
00:36:00,402 --> 00:36:05,182
Walruses are the largest seals in the world.
They weight over a ton
227
00:36:05,230 --> 00:36:08,637
and are armed with tusks a meter long.
228
00:36:11,594 --> 00:36:17,012
Exhausted from his swim
the bear must regain his strength.
229
00:36:23,495 --> 00:36:27,516
The next day a sea fog shrouds the island.
230
00:36:27,753 --> 00:36:31,279
The walruses sense that they're in danger.
231
00:36:33,977 --> 00:36:38,804
Using the fog as cover
the bear approaches the herd.
232
00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:50,421
The adults close ranks around their young,
presenting a wall of blubber and hide.
233
00:37:00,429 --> 00:37:02,796
He tests the barrier but it stands firm.
234
00:37:03,741 --> 00:37:09,136
It appears that the world's largest
land carnivore has met his match.
235
00:37:16,849 --> 00:37:19,523
There must be a chink in the armor somewhere.
236
00:37:23,924 --> 00:37:25,177
Not here.
237
00:37:34,383 --> 00:37:39,801
This female walrus is shielding her pup,
if can just prise her off.
238
00:37:47,066 --> 00:37:51,940
The bears claws and teeth can't penetrate
her thick hide.
239
00:38:00,599 --> 00:38:05,261
With the herd retreating to water
the bear must move quickly.
240
00:38:10,442 --> 00:38:14,394
Having failed with one
he heads straight for another.
241
00:38:31,999 --> 00:38:36,589
The chance of his first meal in months
is slipping away.
242
00:38:43,639 --> 00:38:45,934
He seems increasingly desperate.
243
00:38:52,158 --> 00:38:54,216
It's now or never.
244
00:38:55,163 --> 00:38:59,280
He must avoid the stabbing tusks
if he's to win.
245
00:39:06,165 --> 00:39:11,892
The flailing walrus is immensely powerful
and drags the bear away from the shallows
246
00:39:11,986 --> 00:39:14,470
towards the safety of the herd.
247
00:39:30,275 --> 00:39:32,877
It slips from his grasp.
248
00:39:41,207 --> 00:39:45,916
Only at the height of summer
when bears are on the verge of starvation
249
00:39:46,199 --> 00:39:50,174
will they risk attacking such dangerous prey.
250
00:39:53,818 --> 00:39:58,432
It was a gamble that this bear took, and lost.
251
00:40:01,082 --> 00:40:08,536
The stab wounds he received from the walrus
are so severe that he can barely walk.
252
00:40:12,818 --> 00:40:15,208
The walruses are calm again
253
00:40:15,564 --> 00:40:22,472
seemingly aware that the injured bear
no longer poses a threat to them or their young.
254
00:40:37,970 --> 00:40:43,104
Unable to feed
this bear will not survive.
255
00:40:55,266 --> 00:40:58,389
If the global climate continues to warm
256
00:40:58,649 --> 00:41:01,630
and the Arctic ice melts sooner each year
257
00:41:01,891 --> 00:41:06,458
it's certain that more bears
will share this fate.
258
00:41:28,295 --> 00:41:30,898
At the southern end of our planet
259
00:41:30,992 --> 00:41:34,943
fiery ribbons are illuminating the winter skies.
260
00:41:35,180 --> 00:41:38,492
The aurora australis.
261
00:41:41,284 --> 00:41:46,916
This light brings no warmth
to the male penguins who are still huddling
262
00:41:47,153 --> 00:41:51,128
defying the coldest conditions on the planet.
263
00:42:04,639 --> 00:42:09,087
Their ordeal is drawing to a close.
264
00:42:16,019 --> 00:42:23,472
Thirty days after it last set
the sun rises once more on Antarctica.
265
00:42:45,406 --> 00:42:50,209
Their appalling trials have all been for this.
266
00:43:06,157 --> 00:43:11,125
Each father has just one meal left inside him.
267
00:43:11,315 --> 00:43:14,745
He's been saving it all winter.
268
00:43:15,550 --> 00:43:20,921
This single feeding will sustain the chicks
for a few more days
269
00:43:21,465 --> 00:43:24,635
but the males have not eaten
for nearly four months.
270
00:43:24,637 --> 00:43:29,982
If they do not eat soon
they and their chicks will die.
271
00:43:39,707 --> 00:43:43,114
But there is hope on the horizon.
272
00:43:55,039 --> 00:44:01,476
The females are returning,
and their bellies are full with fish.
273
00:44:07,012 --> 00:44:12,430
As they approach, waves of excitement
ripple through the huddle.
274
00:44:20,071 --> 00:44:27,761
Each female calls to her mate, and he,
recognizing her song, trumpets back.
275
00:44:30,387 --> 00:44:33,297
Reunited, at last.
276
00:44:36,372 --> 00:44:40,561
The mother feeds her chick for the first time.
277
00:44:44,039 --> 00:44:46,429
She's keen to start parenting
278
00:44:47,186 --> 00:44:53,361
but the father needs persuading to surrender
the chick he's been caring for all winter.
279
00:44:57,572 --> 00:45:04,268
He must now put his chick at risk.
In these temperatures it could freeze in seconds.
280
00:45:07,818 --> 00:45:10,752
The male will have to let go.
281
00:45:17,306 --> 00:45:21,565
Eventually, the transfer to the mother
is safely made.
282
00:45:36,636 --> 00:45:42,125
The chicks grow quickly
on a diet of fish and squid.
283
00:45:55,470 --> 00:46:01,409
Soon they're keen to explore,
but always with mother in tow.
284
00:46:03,348 --> 00:46:05,667
This chick is less fortunate.
285
00:46:05,786 --> 00:46:09,997
It's mother has not returned to claim it.
286
00:46:11,205 --> 00:46:18,563
Another orphan is searching for a new family,
but this female already has a chick of her own.
287
00:46:26,797 --> 00:46:32,901
Some orphans receive too much mothering
from penguins whose own chicks have not survived.
288
00:46:33,090 --> 00:46:40,473
The urge to parent is so strong, that they will
compete with one another to adopt any chick they find.
289
00:46:45,393 --> 00:46:48,232
Many of these squabbles will end in tragedy
290
00:46:48,445 --> 00:46:52,420
as the poor chick is trampled to death.
291
00:47:03,919 --> 00:47:09,811
Those chicks that do have parents
quickly learn survival skills.
292
00:47:10,852 --> 00:47:14,187
Even in spring,
they must huddle together for warmth
293
00:47:14,235 --> 00:47:17,831
just as their fathers did
in the depths of winter.
294
00:47:21,997 --> 00:47:25,806
A group of chicks has got lost in the blizzard.
295
00:47:32,170 --> 00:47:36,619
Cold and disorientated
they search for the colony.
296
00:47:42,984 --> 00:47:48,284
It will not be long before the storm
claims it's first victims.
297
00:48:07,141 --> 00:48:12,133
By early summer,
the chicks are surprisingly well developed
298
00:48:12,345 --> 00:48:16,368
and now look ready to take on the world.
299
00:48:17,527 --> 00:48:22,330
Those that survived their first year
have the best possible start in life
300
00:48:22,425 --> 00:48:28,032
thanks to the extraordinary hardships
endured by their parents.
301
00:48:28,198 --> 00:48:34,538
Parents who battled with the Antarctic winter,
and won.
302
00:48:43,507 --> 00:48:48,949
In the Arctic the two polar bear cubs
are now independent of their mother
303
00:48:49,020 --> 00:48:54,533
and they briefly reunite
where their home ranges overlap.
304
00:49:00,685 --> 00:49:03,596
Their time together will be fleeting.
305
00:49:03,927 --> 00:49:06,885
Most of their lives are now spent alone
306
00:49:07,026 --> 00:49:11,072
wandering the vast tracts of frozen ocean.
307
00:49:40,082 --> 00:49:44,790
Following their mother,
has prepared them for life at the pole
308
00:49:44,908 --> 00:49:50,113
an ever changing land ruled by ice.
309
00:49:51,178 --> 00:49:56,572
Whether they are ready for the bigger changes
that have begun to shape the ice worlds of our planet
310
00:49:56,809 --> 00:50:01,281
remains to be seen.
311
00:50:02,305 --> 00:50:08,777
Support us and become VIP member
to remove all ads from OpenSubtitles.org29513
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.