Original subtitles

Antarctica.

The coldest, windiest place on our planet.

Half of the year, there's total darkness.

The sun doesn't rise at all.

For the most part,

it's completely devoid of life.

But each spring, that changes.

Meet Steve.

Two feet tall and 15 pounds

of freewheeling Adelie penguin.

As a five-year-old male coming of age,

he's going to be facing

some serious obstacles in the months ahead.

But not to worry.

"Obstacle" is Steve's middle name.

Although Steve's made this trek before,

in previous years, he was mostly just along for the ride.

But he's not that same carefree kid anymore.

This year, he'll be joining adult society.

He has no clue what he's getting into.

All he knows is, he's running late.

All the other experienced males

in Steve's colony are way ahead of him

on a 100-mile annual journey

across sea and ice to Antarctica's rugged shores.

They're returning home in advance of the females

to set up camp for the mating season.

And they number in the millions.

Adelies spend the entire winter out in the Southern Ocean.

But now that spring has arrived,

they're seeking dry land.

Because dry land is the only place

they can start a family.

And it's not just any old patch of land they're heading to.

They're returning to the place they were born.

Their only job is to find a good place to set up a home,

raise their chicks,

and then head back to the sea again before winter.

It's a monumental polar expedition

that favors the early bird.

And Steve is the last one to the party.

Wait, what?

Oh, no!

No, no, no.

Emperor penguins?

Entirely wrong species.

Hey! Any of you seen

a half a million penguins, about my height?

Similar build.

No?

Okay.

A-ha! An obstacle.

Hyah!

Yes.

Hey, there, I'm looking for...

I don't know what that means.

I'm gonna go over here, talk to someone else.

Just trying to ask a question.

Excuse me? Do we know each...

Actually, it's Steve with a...

Okay.

Hey, kid, wake up.

Have you seen a colony...

Ow!

Dude, I'm just asking...

Ow. Stop that.

Ow. Ow.

Stop. Ow.

I just got beat up by a baby.

This is not going well.

Please? Anyone.

Yeah! Yeah, uncomfortable.

Yeah, okay. Not panicking, not panicking.

This is crazy, this is crazy.

This is crazy, this is crazy... Whoa!

I'm good. All good.

This is just a bad dream.

Oh, hey! There they are. Guys, wait up.

Guys!

Finally, Steve has reached his destination.

The big city.

It's a tough place for a first-timer.

Everyone's just arrived,

and they're all fighting for their own little patch

of ice-free rock.

And young newcomers like Steve

need to watch their step.

First order of business,

find a nice, quiet nesting spot to call his own.

Even though he was born here,

Steve's never had to stake out his own place before.

But it shouldn't be that hard to find a good spot. Right?

Hey, fellas, what's up?

New in town, just, uh, you know,

looking for a good nesting spot.

So, if you hear of anything... Mmm-hmm.

Ouch. Please don't bite me. Thank you. Ouch.

The older, more experienced males

have held these prime nesting spots

for years.

And they will protect their turf with their lives.

Staying calm. Not panicking.

Not panicking.

All right, I'm sorry.

Well, that was, uh, competitive.

All right. Next challenge.

There's only one thing more precious

to an Adelie penguin than exposed ground.

Stones.

There's not really anything else to collect here.

They use the stones to build their nests.

Each one raises the nest

a little bit higher off the ground,

making sure their eggs will be protected

from the cold snow.

By the time Steve gets around to starting his collection,

most of the good ones have been taken.

He has to work double time just to catch up.

It's paying off, though.

He's building himself quite an attractive little nest.

Maybe too attractive.

Ah, welcome to the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Hmm. Could've sworn I had more.

Oh, well.

Wait a minute.

One, two, three, four, five...

Hey!

One, two, three...

Five.

What?

Maybe if I...

Oh. He'll just...

What if... No.

Maybe I could... No.

How am I supposed to...

What's with all these neighbors?

They just come along and steal stuff.

Hey!

You know what? Just stay calm. Don't play their game.

Steve's got to finish his nest fast

because out on the sea ice,

another several hundred thousand Adelies

are headed his way.

A few weeks behind the males,

the females are now returning, too.

Just like the males,

they've been out at sea all winter.

They are the second wave of the great homecoming.

And when they get to the colony,

they're gonna wanna see some progress on those nests.

Adelie penguins return to the same nest site every year

in the hope of finding their same partner.

Which means a lot of these guys are singing,

"Welcome home, darling!"

There's nothing more attractive to the ladies

than a good crooner.

So, Steve lets it rip.

All right, ladies.

Open for business.

Oh, look at these two lovebirds, hitting it off.

Good for you.

Oh, here comes one.

Is she looking at me?

I think she's looking at me.

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!

She's coming this way!

Hi, there. My name's Steve.

And she's walking away.

Sometimes the most beautiful songs

are the sad ones.

Looks like this just isn't Steve's year.

Hold on a minute.

Hi. I'm Steve.

Steve, meet Adeline.

It's more than just a beautiful courtship ritual.

Steve and Adeline will use these initial moments of intimacy

to memorize each other's voices.

After this,

they'll be able to find one another

amongst the crowds...

forever.

Well, well, well,

adulthood seems to be off to a good start.

Romance. Courting.

He needs to keep the good vibes rolling

and do whatever it takes to impress Adeline.

It's all about the rock.

Yeah, I should probably give her

a few more options to choose from.

Wonder if she thinks I'm attractive.

Collect a few rocks...

Stack up a few brownie points.

Gonna start a family!

I could build a tree fort!

Man, she smells great, though.

I gotta start working out.

Here, take a look at this one.

Uh... You like it or...

Okay, all right. All good.

Back to it.

Adeline requires the right rocks to provide the perfect protection

for any chicks they might have.

He gets an "A" for effort.

But a "D" in physics.

It's okay. Adeline's patient.

Steve will get there in the end.

Steve hasn't left the colony for over a month,

so he feels he's long overdue

for a little rest and relaxation.

In late spring, the sea ice begins to break apart.

It's a perfect opportunity for a refreshing swim.

A few hours out in the water does wonders for a penguin.

It's all they need

before returning to their household duties.

It's like spring break.

Just colder.

Finally, some peace and...

Whoa! Jeez.

When you spend every waking moment

surrounded by thousands of fellow penguins,

solitude is a luxury.

So, Steve's looking for a quieter spot,

away from the crowd.

He just needs to wash off the dirt and grime

from all that hard work.

Then, it's off to enjoy some alone time.

Gotta admit, those were some sweet stones I picked out.

Killer whales.

♪ Riding on icebergs!

♪ Yeah!

Two hundred times bigger than an Adelie,

they are Antarctica's top predator.

You don't wanna take your chances with these guys.

The killer whales have been waiting for the ice to break up, too.

These channels provide

the perfect route to their fishing grounds.

And no one wants to become a snack along the way.

Ah! That was awesome!

Hey, guys, I had an idea.

Guys?

Where are they all going?

Awkward.

So peaceful out here.

That's why I keep coming back.

I wish I could fly.

Back at the colony,

Adeline has been busy.

Two precious little packages,

which Adeline and Steve will have to keep as warm as possible over the next month.

Because as spring turns into summer in Antarctica,

the winds begin to build.

They're called katabatics.

Winds drawn by the warmer ocean

out of the colder interior.

And they can reach 150 miles an hour in an instant.

It's a hurricane-strength blizzard.

Even those used to tough Antarctic conditions

know it's bad news to be caught exposed.

And the Adelies struggle to return to the colony.

Separated from the others,

Steve quickly becomes disoriented.

Out here, there is no shelter from the storm.

Even in the colony, everyone has to hunker down.

Parents must not let their eggs get exposed

to the minus-40-degree wind chill.

The pummeling snow buries all in its path.

Including Adeline and her eggs.

And there's a real possibility

that Steve will never see her again.

Three days after they began, the winds subside.

Adeline has survived

and remarkably kept her eggs alive.

But she has no idea where Steve is.

Adeline!

Adeline!

Steve? Steve!

The bond between these two lovebirds

grows stronger every day.

The katabatic winds signal the beginning

of the very short Antarctic summer.

As the sea ice breaks up around the continent,

the most productive ocean on the planet

emerges from below.

The Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica

briefly attracts millions of animals back

to feast in its rich waters full of plankton and fish.

It's a rare time of plenty for all.

And Steve and the other males are taking full advantage,

feeding and fattening up for the coming weeks of summer.

With the sea ice now gone,

it's like a giant pantry full of food right at their doorstep.

Just in time for any new hungry mouths

that might appear.

And Adeline has got her timing just right.

Steve's fishing trip with the boys has made him late

for the most important event in his life.

Okay, just stay calm.

You're gonna be fine.

You got the nest built, then the mating thing...

Whoops! Excuse me.

Laid the eggs, eggs are in the nest.

Yeah. Pardon me.

Picked up the fish for lunch.

It's all gonna work out!

Maybe Steve's not the most punctual partner,

but the belly full of fish he's brought home

more than makes up for that.

And it couldn't have come at a better time.

Adeline is fast running out of food.

It's her turn to go fill up on fish.

So, they trade places.

And Steve nervously steps into the role of father

for the first time in his life.

He has no idea what he's doing.

But his instinct is telling him

to regurgitate his lunch into his kid's mouth.

So, he does.

Steve and Adeline will now share the chick-feeding duties.

Compared to everyone else though,

they're still behind.

Most of the other families are well on their way.

Child-rearing is really the only game in town right now,

as the parents of many species

join the race to raise their families.

South Polar skuas are attracted

by the same exposed rock as the Adelies.

They also migrate here to have their chicks,

taking advantage of the short, bountiful summer.

But when it comes to providing for their chicks,

they are two very different species.

Steve's job, as he understands it anyway,

is basically barf on the chick,

then flatten it into the rocks to keep it warm.

The skuas, however, take things to the extreme.

Skuas are penguin predators.

They take advantage of distracted parents.

But Steve's attention is fully on his family.

Especially now that his second chick has hatched out.

The threat can come at any time

from anywhere.

As the chicks grow,

so does the pressure on Steve as a first-time father.

He has to feed and fatten them up

before winter arrives,

forcing the Adelies back out into the open ocean.

This is the role he's been preparing for

his entire life.

Steve and Adeline only have a small window of time

before the sea freezes over

and cuts off their route to the ocean.

If the chicks are to survive the winter,

they must quadruple in size over the next month.

So, Steve needs to show Adeline

he can put food on the table.

It's time to beef up those kids.

Steve has to work hard

for each belly full of fish and krill.

Each meal time can involve a 100-mile round-trip.

Steve can't do it alone, though.

Both parents have to work round the clock

to keep their chicks fed.

A month into his new life as a father

and Steve has made this trip up the hill to feed his chicks

countless times.

By now, they spend most of their time unattended.

Steve will only pay them a visit every couple of days.

So their brief meetups can get

pretty lively.

Come and get it!

Come and get it!

Come and get it! Whoa! Whoa!

Okay, let's take turns, huh?

Meal times are hard enough as it is

without the neighbors' kids coming around

looking for handouts.

So, Steve cleverly starts up a game of "Follow the Food."

Which is also a great way to separate

his chicks from the others.

When did they get so fast?

All right, what do you say we take a little break? Yeah?

I'm serious. Stop this.

Quick, turn left!

Oh, come on.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, help! Help!

All right, this has gotta end.

Engage power thrusters.

Adeline, little help?

Adeline!

It's high summer,

and the colony is bathed in 24-hour daylight.

Though the temperature is hovering around freezing,

by Antarctic standards,

it's actually pretty warm.

Especially for chicks covered in down.

With most of the adults away out at sea,

the chicks crowd close together

in creches for protection

as the skuas are a constant threat.

They hunt in pairs,

looking for the weakest and smallest.

The older chicks are more likely

to be part of a creche at this point,

which offers some strength in numbers.

But the younger chicks are more vulnerable.

And Steve and Adeline's are some of the youngest around.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Get away from my kids.

Get outta here.

Go eat your own kids.

Oh, jeez, they just want food again.

Oh!

All right! Okay. All right.

You want some barf? Here's some barf. There you go.

Got some nice barf for you.

All-you-can-eat barf.

Work for it, boys.

It's good, right? It's good barf.

Oh, goodness. Um...

Adeline, uh, one of the chicks needs you.

I'm just gonna go pick up some fish

for the kids.

Trying to do your best. I don't know.

Maybe I'm not picking the right fish.

They never barf up Adeline's barf.

What is that smell?

Oh, no.

Steve's accidentally wandered

into the elephant seal district.

And it's mating season

for the largest and stinkiest seal in the world.

It's definitely not the kind of courtship

Steve's familiar with.

Everyone here is looking for a mate.

Uh... No.

No, no, no. No.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

All right, what was I supposed to be doing?

Fish. Chicks. Parenting.

Right, back to it.

As summer draws to an end,

Steve and Adeline spend more and more time away

on fishing runs to bulk up their chicks

for the coming winter departure.

The young ones are left on their own.

Which is just as well

because they're beginning to molt

their downy brown baby feathers,

leaving them itchy and cranky.

For some,

it's also an opportunity to try out some fresh looks.

Losing your cold-weather feathers in Antarctica

is always a gamble, though.

By fall,

the weather once again becomes the dominant force.

Snowflakes are a totally new experience for these chicks.

They are blissfully unaware of the danger

this shift in the weather brings with it.

It's a change that leaves Steve and Adeline anxious.

This late in the season,

the chicks have grown so big,

their parents can no longer protect them

from the elements.

Adeline knows that soon,

they will have to fend for themselves.

Abandoning his family

is the last thing Steve wants to do right now.

But he has no choice.

The chicks have to eat.

As bad as things are here on land,

the greatest danger is still approaching.

Winter is knocking on their door.

And far out at sea,

the ocean is starting to freeze over again.

This is the change that Steve and Adeline

have been preparing their chicks for the entire time.

Soon, the continent of Antarctica

will be completely surrounded by solid ice,

cutting off the Adelies' access to open water

and, therefore, to their food.

So, the whole colony is moving down to the shore

to make final preparations before their departure.

First item on the list,

they must introduce their chicks to the sea.

For their entire short lives,

they've been confined to the patch of bare rock

where their parents built their nests.

So they've never experienced water before.

And yet, in no time at all,

they have to ready themselves

for the biggest journey of their lives.

Swimming out on the open sea.

What they need is a strong, reliable adult

to show them how it's done.

Whoop! Pardon me. Excuse me, excuse me.

Relax, Adeline, I got this.

Watch and learn, kids.

Come on! It's perfectly safe.

I'm thinking there should probably be

a lifeguard on duty.

Always remember,

whenever you're on the water,

the key is to stay calm and don't panic.

Got it?

Look, kids, it's fun! I promise!

Whoo-hoo! Whoa!

I don't need help.

Help!

It's not that cold once you're in.

Oh, yeah!

Whoo!

Whoa! Hey! All right!

Hmm. You see? You just keep your cool,

don't panic and everything's fine.

Great job, kids. Great lesson.

Great lesson.

Phew!

Kids?

The time for swimming lessons is over.

Now, there are more immediate concerns.

The wind has pushed the drift ice into the shore

and sealed in the entire coastline.

It can happen in a matter of hours.

It's even caught the adults by surprise.

Many of them have gotten trapped

in the ice floes while fishing.

Including Adeline.

This leaves Steve solely responsible

for the chicks' safe departure from the colony.

And, as if the task weren't difficult enough,

the mass of shifting ice

has cut off access to the ocean.

This is yet another new environment

the chicks have to contend with.

And while they're busy learning to swim through it,

they have no idea of the danger lurking beneath.

Leopard seals.

The broken ice has created the perfect habitat

for this ambush hunter.

If the chicks can make it out to sea, they'll be safe.

In open water, leopard seals have nowhere to hide.

The bigger pieces of ice

provide the chicks with some protection.

Finding a chunk with any space left on it is the hard part.

The seals are attracted

to any nervous thrashing around in the water.

So, any baby penguin who starts panicking

makes itself a prime target.

A couple of seals can kill nearly 100 penguins in a day.

Steve knows this is do-or-die for the chicks.

Adeline's made it across the pack ice to the open water.

Steve needs to get the chicks out there to safety.

It's okay, kids.

I've dealt with leopard seals before.

Just pay close attention and follow my lead.

Remember,

stay calm and don't panic.

Steve makes it out to Adeline.

Now their chicks must attempt the crossing on their own.

If they can make it out to their parents,

they'll have access to the open sea.

It's the greatest test they've ever faced.

The best they can do is follow their father's example.

One of the chicks makes it safely to firmer ice.

The other one, however, is not so lucky.

His only hope is to play dead.

If he remains perfectly still,

the leopard seal may lose interest.

It worked.

With the open water in sight,

the chicks are now out of danger.

They've grown up fast,

and there's nothing more their parents can do for them.

They'll now head north,

along with all the other Adelies,

into the open ocean

where they're happiest and safest,

leaving the trials of land and ice behind

until spring returns again.

Over the coming weeks,

Steve and Adeline will continue to push north, as well.

But, ultimately, they too will go their separate ways.

They'll face the next six months on their own

in the Southern Ocean.

If all goes well,

they'll see each other again next spring.

Steve did a pretty good job for a first-time father.

He found a great partner.

He made her a beautiful nest.

They raised two healthy chicks together.

Who knows?

With a little luck,

he could pull it off again next year.

Many penguins won't survive to see another spring.

The Antarctic winter is the harshest on our planet.

To make it through, you need stamina,

grit,

determination,

and a little bit of whatever Steve's got.

Like this? You want me to walk like this?

Does this look good?

You didn't get the slip, did you?

What? Why do you guys get jackets? It's freezing!

Wardrobe!

I guess this solves the mystery

of why our kit is covered in penguin poo.

Somebody say "action."

Oh, forget it. Here we go. Whoa!

Ha-ha! Perfect ten.

Which way was the penguin colony again?

Oh, man,

I messed it up. That was my bad.

Let's do it again. Do it again!

That's the best you're gonna get, guys.

All right and here we go.

You're not even pointing the camera at me!

This is... We're done. I think we're done.

Eh, putting this down right here.

All right. Heading home. Heading home.

Good night, Sophie. Great day. Great day. Whew!

Oh, I can't wait to get back to the hotel and my hot tub.

We have absolutely no visibility.

Oh, the stench!

I'm going to be hiding

in the colony like this.