1 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:34,599 The sun is absent 2 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,679 for up to half the year in the polar regions. 3 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,199 When it returns at the beginning of spring, 4 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,039 its warmth will transform this magical ice world. 5 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,199 The greatest seasonal change on our planet is now underway. 6 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:23,079 Antarctica is still locked in ice and surrounded by a frozen ocean. 7 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,319 Nonetheless, there are signs of spring. 8 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,959 Adélie penguins are arriving. Just the males. 9 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,519 They've spent five months at sea, where it's warmer than it is on land, 10 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,199 and now they're in a hurry, for spring will be short. 11 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,599 They have travelled 6,000 miles across the ocean 12 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:01,479 since leaving their colony last year and now they're returning to breed. 13 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,159 They cannot lay their eggs on ice, for they would freeze, 14 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,119 so they have to come here, where there is bare rock. 15 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,479 Over the coming months, the few parts of Antarctica that are ice free 16 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,599 will be the stage on which five million Adélies will build their nests. 17 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,559 To construct one, they need pebbles, 18 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:33,759 and without a good-looking nest, 19 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,839 a male will be unable to attract a female 20 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:39,119 when they at last arrive. 21 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,839 An impressive property demonstrates your worth as a mate. 22 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,279 It takes stones of all shapes and sizes to build a decent nest. 23 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,559 And finding ones that are just right is not easy. 24 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,879 So some penguins turn to a life of crime. 25 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,319 The one who has been robbed seems unaware that the thief 26 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,119 is just over his shoulder and looking for more. 27 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,879 The thief's nest is coming along nicely, 28 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:06,119 probably because he keeps a particularly sharp lookout for robbers. 29 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,239 After all, it takes one to know one. 30 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:21,799 It's still cold, but the early season sun 31 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,799 does lift the temperature by a few degrees. 32 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:29,919 That, however, can have unexpected, even dangerous, consequences. 33 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,559 The sea is heating faster than the land, 34 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,039 pulling cold air from the middle of the continent towards the coast. 35 00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:51,679 These katabatic winds are stronger than any hurricane. 36 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,439 They are the coldest and the most ferocious on the planet. 37 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,239 The storms catch many new arrivals by surprise 38 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:14,199 and are the reason that spring here is, in fact, the deadliest season. 39 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,599 Here, early birds take a great risk. 40 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,999 Some years entire colonies are lost, buried beneath the snow. 41 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,479 The survivors of this storm must hope that the females 42 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,679 prove to be worth the wait when they finally decide to turn up. 43 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,719 Spring in the north of our planet. 44 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:16,479 The sun, after an absence of six months breaks the horizon for the first time. 45 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,399 A female polar bear emerges from her den beneath the snow. 46 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,359 The sun must be a welcome relief after so long in the darkness. 47 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,719 Her den is on a high slope, 48 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,559 well away from hungry male bears who would kill her cubs, 49 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,079 but close enough to the sea-ice where she can find food 50 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,719 for her extraordinary new family. 51 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:00,399 Three young cubs. 52 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,359 If she can raise them all to independence, 53 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,599 it'll be a rare achievement. 54 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,079 One of the cubs is underweight 55 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,799 and will be fortunate to survive these early weeks. 56 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:00,119 If the family reaches the sea-ice, where the female can catch seals, 57 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,119 her milk will be enriched 58 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,719 and the smaller cub will quickly gain size and strength. 59 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,319 The sea-ice, though, is a dangerous place. 60 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:28,599 The male polar bear has been out on the frozen ocean all winter. 61 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,679 Times have been lean and a bear cub would certainly make a welcome snack. 62 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,359 However, the mainstay of his diet is seals 63 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,999 and now is the time when they have their pups. 64 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,199 The surface of the frozen sea is marked 65 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,559 with pressure ridges and cracks created by the fluctuating tides. 66 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,919 Both are good places to look for seals. 67 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,359 He has detected a seal den beneath the ice. 68 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:13,159 Now he must pinpoint it using only his extraordinary sense of smell. 69 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,199 By treading lightly, he can avoid scaring his prey. 70 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:30,399 He will need to punch through a meter of snow to reach the den 71 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:35,039 and if his aim is not exactly on target, the seal will certainly escape. 72 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,479 In fact, the ringed seal abandoned her den just a few hours ago 73 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,799 and her pup has climbed up onto the surface. 74 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:21,679 It's more exposed up here, 75 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,679 but it's easier to see an approaching bear. 76 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,559 The pup is well camouflaged, 77 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,959 difficult to see when its mother has left it to go fishing. 78 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,159 But he can still smell it. 79 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,119 Nine out of ten polar bear hunts end in failure. 80 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:35,679 The sun's warming effect on the Arctic is increasing 81 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,279 and the sea ice is showing the first signs of weakening. 82 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,439 Inland, the northern rivers are still locked in ice. 83 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,679 The frozen waterfalls are like dams, 84 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,439 holding back billions of tons of fresh water 85 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,439 that has not moved for almost six months. 86 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,839 The vast water shed lies motionless, 87 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,039 but as spring advances, it begins to stir. 88 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,479 The frozen waterfalls start to weaken. 89 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,559 Above them, the pressure is mounting. 90 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:27,439 Now, from high above, 91 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,519 whole sections can be seen to be on the move. 92 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,559 The waterfalls are straining to hold back the force 93 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,079 that is building up above them. 94 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:57,399 The dam bursts and the river is unleashed. 95 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,639 Millions of tons of ice grind their way downstream, 96 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,079 driven by the unstoppable force of the meltwater. 97 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,199 Boulders and trees are plucked from the bankside. 98 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,799 Within just a few days, the rivers of the north are all running. 99 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,639 The Arctic's fresh water is flowing again. 100 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,879 These vast floods contain 10% of the world's fresh water 101 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,959 and as they enter the ocean, they accelerate the break-up. 102 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,399 Soon, an area of sea-ice the size of Australia 103 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,879 will vanish from the Arctic Ocean. 104 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:34,239 As the huge ice-sheet breaks up, wildlife returns to the north. 105 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,519 The polar bear mother has made it to the edge of the sea-ice, 106 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,879 but the smallest cub is nowhere to be seen. 107 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,159 It's a sad outcome, 108 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,999 but the disappearance improves the chances of the remaining two, 109 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,439 who now have more milk to share. 110 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,559 Having led her cubs to the edge of the ice, 111 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,999 the mother's next challenge is to catch a seal. 112 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,079 Not easy with these two in tow. 113 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:40,079 Her prey, beneath the ice, can detect the slightest vibration, 114 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,039 especially from bears. 115 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,399 And this is not the stealthiest of hunting parties. 116 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,639 Leaving her cubs behind, however, is not an option. 117 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,439 A male bear would eat one in a moment. 118 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,559 This is not going to be easy. 119 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:25,599 It seems that the cubs already see themselves as fearsome hunters, 120 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,519 but they are still young enough to accept their mother's discipline. 121 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:34,799 It's the naughty corner for you. 122 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,239 This is not going to be their lucky morning. 123 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,959 They saw no sign of a seal and the cubs are hungry again. 124 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:07,159 The mother has been nursing for four months without once eating herself, 125 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,719 and now her milk is drying up. 126 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,759 She must catch a seal soon or the whole family will starve. 127 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,319 The challenge of finding food is getting harder. 128 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,439 She needs the sea-ice as a platform from which to hunt 129 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,759 and it's breaking up faster with each passing day. 130 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,519 Even the ice around the coast is starting to break. 131 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,719 The first cracks here are eagerly awaited by some. 132 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:54,759 Narwhals. 133 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,839 The unicorns of the north are on a mission, 134 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,279 to reach the new fishing grounds in the bays 135 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:08,119 that have been frozen up all winter, but are now opening up. 136 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:20,039 To get to them, the narwhals must travel down leads, 137 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:22,279 temporary cracks in the ice. 138 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,199 But these new roads could close at any time, 139 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,399 cutting off the air that they need to breathe. 140 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,799 The road narrows until there's barely room for one-way traffic. 141 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,319 Then a surprise. 142 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,279 Narwhals coming from the other direction. 143 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,679 It's a stand-off! 144 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,559 Each team faces an armory of sharp tusks. 145 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,959 Finally, one side concedes 146 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,359 and everyone continues in the same direction. 147 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,439 Within a week, the remaining bays break wide open 148 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,559 and the narwhals turn their attention to social matters. 149 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,199 No one knows exactly what the narwhal's tusk is for. 150 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,319 Some say it's used for fencing, 151 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,919 yet these exchanges are too gentle to be real fights. 152 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,639 Perhaps these encounters are to remind each animal 153 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,359 of where it stands in narwhal society. 154 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,439 We may never know. 155 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,239 Bizarre creatures appear as if from nowhere. 156 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,639 The tiny plankton they eat have been fuelled 157 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:46,319 by the increasing warmth of the sun and fertilized by the nutrients 158 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,359 brought down by the great rivers and released from the melting sea-ice. 159 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:56,559 Sea gooseberries strain the water with their stinging filaments, 160 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,599 their beating cilia scatter the sun's rays 161 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,999 into dazzling bursts of color. 162 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,319 Beneath the breaking sea-ice, 163 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:16,479 a predatory sea slug flies through the water on translucent wings. 164 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:20,559 It's on the trail of a peculiar swimming snail. 165 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,519 And now the most voracious of the plankton eaters 166 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,039 swim up from the depths. Arctic cod. 167 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:49,879 The shoals can be enormous, 168 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,759 some containing 500 million fish 169 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,399 and predators travel hundreds of miles to feast on them. 170 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,239 The cod harvest is the annual event 171 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,679 for the birds and seals of the far north. 172 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,399 For just a short period, 173 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,159 the combination of the strengthening sun, 174 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,399 the newly flowing rivers and the breaking sea ice 175 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,959 make the Arctic Ocean teem with life. 176 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,039 The land is also transformed by the sun's heat. 177 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:38,119 The small patches of bare ground that appear are darker than the snow, 178 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,719 so they absorb more of the sun's energy. 179 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,039 This accelerates the melt. 180 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,719 The Arctic tundra is unveiled. 181 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:09,519 By tracking the sun, Arctic poppies catch its rays around the clock, 182 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,279 so their flowers are always warmer than their surroundings. 183 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:23,199 For early season insects, this warmth is even more valuable 184 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,479 than nectar if they're to stay active in the cold. 185 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:38,879 The woolly bear caterpillar 186 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,799 does not need the warmth from flowers to kick-start its spring. 187 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:47,199 It's always the first insect to appear after the snow retreats 188 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,079 and the story of how it does so is truly astonishing. 189 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,839 At the start of spring, the caterpillar eats as fast as it can, 190 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,519 as indeed it must, 191 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,559 for this far north, the season will be brief. 192 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:07,439 The days shorten only too soon, 193 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,359 but the caterpillar has not yet got enough reserves 194 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,799 to transform itself into a moth. 195 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,359 It can't leave the Arctic, for it can't fly. 196 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,439 So it settles down beneath a rock. 197 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:24,159 The sun's warmth rapidly dwindles. 198 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:32,959 Beneath the rock, the caterpillar is out of the wind, 199 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,079 but the cold penetrates deep into the ground. 200 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,519 Soon its heart stops beating. 201 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,879 It ceases to breathe and its body starts to freeze. 202 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,839 First its gut, then its blood. 203 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:12,999 Spring. 204 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:19,199 After four months of darkness, the Arctic begins to thaw. 205 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,159 And the caterpillar rises from the dead. 206 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,239 By the time the first shoots of willow appear in the early spring, 207 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,879 the woolly bear is already eating. 208 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,079 But no matter how fast the woolly bear eats, 209 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,679 it will not have time to gather enough food this year, either. 210 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,959 And the cold closes in once again. 211 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,919 Year after year, the caterpillar slows down in the autumn 212 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:21,199 and then freezes solid. 213 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,399 But eventually, a very special spring arrives. 214 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,879 This one will be its last. 215 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,279 It's now 14 years old, 216 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,439 the world's oldest caterpillar. 217 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,439 Its remaining days now become frantic. 218 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,319 It starts to weave a silk cocoon. 219 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:05,239 Inside, its body is changing into one that can fly and search, 220 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,519 abilities that will be crucial in the days ahead. 221 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:16,399 It's waited over a decade for this spring and now its time is near. 222 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,079 All across the Arctic, moths are emerging. 223 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,199 After completing their 14-year preparation, 224 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,159 they now have just a few days to find a partner and mate. 225 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:42,479 No life illustrates more vividly the shortness of the Arctic spring 226 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,999 or the struggle to survive in this most seasonal of places. 227 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:00,759 As spring advances, the transformation of the tundra continues. 228 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,359 Migrants begin arriving from the south 229 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:59,439 and suddenly the tundra is alive with birds and chicks. 230 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,319 The Arctic's transformation is complete. 231 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:29,479 This influx of life is good news for some permanent residents. 232 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,439 Food is rarely plentiful out on the tundra. 233 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,639 The Arctic wolves must make the most of this boom while it lasts. 234 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,039 The wolves must gather as much food as they can. 235 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,199 Many miles from here, other members of the pack are relying on them. 236 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,719 This barren landscape is a hard place to make a living, 237 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,319 forcing wolf packs to be smaller here than further south. 238 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,199 Six hungry mouths to feed. 239 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,479 The cubs are just over a month old. 240 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,799 The ducks are devoured instantly, but on the long journey home 241 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:38,599 they also caught an Arctic hare, 242 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:40,919 a mainstay of the tundra diet, 243 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,199 and one the cubs seem to be particularly keen on. 244 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,199 Uneaten food is usually hidden for leaner times, 245 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,639 but there will be no leftovers today. 246 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,839 The cubs are growing fast and are always hungry. 247 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:21,999 The good times are certainly back, 248 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:27,119 but these white wolves remind us of the Arctic's less welcoming side. 249 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,639 Their coats are pale, to conceal them during the long, snowy winter. 250 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:41,119 It's easy to forget that one month ago, this land was a barren white desert. 251 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,919 At the southern end of our planet, 252 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,639 the Antarctic sea-ice is still at its greatest extent. 253 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,079 But there are a few islands on its outer edge 254 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,479 that the sea-ice never quite reaches. 255 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:12,599 South Georgia is washed by the rich waters of the Southern Atlantic 256 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:14,759 and the comparative warmth of the sea 257 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,879 takes the edge off the vicious southern winter. 258 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,999 It's even possible for a few hardy animals, 259 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,839 like the Wandering Albatross, to live here throughout the whole year. 260 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,719 The enormous albatross chicks 261 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,839 take 13 months to fledge, 262 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,559 so they have no choice but to sit here throughout the winter. 263 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,919 It can't be easy, but their thick layer of fluffy down 264 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,319 keeps out the worst of the cold. 265 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:02,439 Their parents travel thousands of miles to collect the fish and squid 266 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,159 they need to stay warm and to grow. 267 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:20,199 The season is turning and storms blow in with little warning. 268 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,439 King penguins have also been here all winter. 269 00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:40,839 Their chicks survive by huddling in crèches to conserve their heat. 270 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:45,039 A solitary bird here standing alone would quickly die of exposure. 271 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:51,399 It seems for a hardy few, violent storms are a price worth paying 272 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:55,719 for year-round fishing in the rich waters of the Southern Ocean. 273 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,319 The penguins have had the beach to themselves all winter, 274 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,119 but that is a luxury that will not last. 275 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:21,599 As the winter storms subside, life begins to return. 276 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,999 For half of the year, South Georgia has the greatest concentration 277 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:37,999 of sea birds in the world 278 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:41,159 and most of them arrive in the early spring. 279 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:52,679 Macaroni penguins make the most impressive entrance, 280 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,079 over five million pairs of them. 281 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:57,999 They are the world's most numerous penguin 282 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,359 and half of them are now here. 283 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,359 The arrival is complete. 284 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:13,119 Courtship is next on South Georgia's busy spring schedule. 285 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,839 The Wandering Albatross has the most elaborate display. 286 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,199 These two are renewing their bonds after being months apart. 287 00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:42,799 Wanderers pair up in their teens and can spend a further 50 years together, 288 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,839 one of the longest partnerships in the animal world. 289 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:13,439 By the middle of spring, 290 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,159 the snows have cleared from the coves and the low ground. 291 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,399 The beaches are almost free of ice, too, 292 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:25,199 but that isn't the biggest change facing the king penguins. 293 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:31,239 Their peaceful waterfront has turned into an obstacle course of blubber. 294 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,239 The elephant seals have arrived. 295 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:44,639 This beach now contains a greater mass of animals than any other in the world. 296 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,599 The young seals were conceived here a year ago, 297 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,599 and now that they've been born, their mothers are ready to mate again. 298 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:09,839 The mating rights on this patch of the beach belong to a beach master. 299 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:13,639 His harem contains 50 females, 300 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,079 females that are coveted by others. 301 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:22,599 His authority is being challenged. 302 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:29,919 This rival means business. 303 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:47,119 This could be the beach master's first serious test of his spring campaign. 304 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,639 The beach master himself weighs four tons, 305 00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,039 but this rival is his equal. 306 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:22,559 When these titans clash, bones crunch. 307 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:09,239 He has won the first battle, but he may have to defend his harem 308 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,919 every hour for the next month. 309 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:16,719 If he can stay master of his beach for this period, 310 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,999 many of the young born here next year will be his. 311 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:29,039 It's the end of spring on the Wandering Albatross cliffs, 312 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:31,159 their season for fledging. 313 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,759 Last year's chicks have lost their fluffy down 314 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:38,199 and step up to the challenge of getting into the air. 315 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,559 An albatross is not very competent on the ground, 316 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,999 so until it can fly, it isn't good for much 317 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:03,519 and this makes the maiden flight the crucial event in an albatross's life. 318 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:12,119 Managing the largest wingspan in the world takes practice, 319 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:17,039 lots of it. 320 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,359 Weeks can go by like this. 321 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:38,879 Certainly the winds must be right. 322 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,199 But it does appear that for some 323 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:44,039 the problem is something of a mental one. 324 00:41:58,400 --> 00:41:59,639 At last. 325 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:09,479 The Southern Ocean beckons. 326 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:14,319 This bird's feet will not touch land again for five years. 327 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:24,959 One thousand miles further south, on the edge of the Antarctic continent, 328 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,879 the sea-ice is only just starting to break. 329 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:32,359 But the Adélie penguins' activities are certainly warming up. 330 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:38,279 The males have now finished their nests, by fair means or foul, 331 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,199 and the females are finally returning, 332 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:43,719 just as the weather is improving. 333 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,159 Now their courtship can begin. 334 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:45,879 The eggs are laid 335 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,519 and the females leave the job of incubating them to the males, 336 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:53,679 while they go fishing out on the fragmenting sea-ice. 337 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:05,239 Killer whales. 338 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,679 It's teamwork that makes killer whales so dangerous. 339 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:20,559 And this is a big team. 340 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:19,199 There is no real need for the penguins to be alarmed. 341 00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:24,479 These killer whales are a kind that only eats fish. 342 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:32,719 Rising out is simply the best way for the whales to work out 343 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:36,319 which cracks lead towards the coast and better fishing. 344 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:54,919 A new generation of Adélies steps forth into the short Antarctic spring 345 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,479 to be nurtured by industrious parents, 346 00:46:57,560 --> 00:47:01,199 who've taken great risks to give their young a head start. 347 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,159 They will need to grow fast if they are to fledge 348 00:47:09,240 --> 00:47:12,039 and leave before the freeze sets in again. 349 00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:18,559 It's a battle they will win or lose over the approaching summer. 350 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:44,599 To film the entire breeding cycle 351 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:45,999 of the Adélie penguin, 352 00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:49,599 Frozen Planet sent a team to one of the world's largest colonies 353 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:51,839 at Cape Crozier, Antarctica. 354 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:55,039 I've heard so much about it, I've read so much about it 355 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:57,519 and finally we're going to get there, it's good. 356 00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:00,759 Cameraman Mark Smith and Director Jeff Wilson plan 357 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:03,839 to spend the next four months living amongst the penguins, 358 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:08,079 in a location first visited by the early explorers a century ago. 359 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:12,879 So arduous was Scott's winter expedition to Cape Crozier 360 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,599 that it became known as "the worst journey in the world". 361 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:19,959 Wow! It's fantastic. 362 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:24,079 Modern means make Mark and Jeff's journey 363 00:48:24,160 --> 00:48:25,639 a more comfortable affair, 364 00:48:25,720 --> 00:48:29,759 but once there, they will be tested to the very limits of their endurance. 365 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:38,959 The pair arrive in early spring with enough supplies 366 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:43,319 to survive the next four months working alone in the Antarctic wilderness. 367 00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:46,039 We're here. 368 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:49,319 Scott's legend of Cape Crozier 369 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:52,359 tells of some extreme weather, to say the least. 370 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:55,479 So, Mark and Jeff take advantage of the clear conditions 371 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:59,039 in the knowledge that the Adélies' arrival is imminent. 372 00:49:02,640 --> 00:49:05,919 But the next morning, things take a turn for the worse. 373 00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:09,399 We've just come up to this ridge to go and check 374 00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:12,479 exactly what it looks like down in the colony. 375 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:15,959 But even here you can hear 376 00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:20,639 a huge kind of roaring noise up on the hill. 377 00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:25,079 I've never really heard anything like that before. 378 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:30,999 Up there, it must be blowing the most almighty gale 379 00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:34,439 and that is, you know, just a mile away or something. 380 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:37,719 So, that means that that could get here very, very quickly. 381 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:42,159 So, yeah, it makes you slightly scared. It's weird, isn't it? 382 00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:45,639 The winds here are famously ferocious, 383 00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:48,239 and with so little experience of this location, 384 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:51,999 Mark and Jeff retreat to the relative shelter of their hut. 385 00:49:53,360 --> 00:49:57,199 I was just stood here thinking, "Well, it can't be too bad, 386 00:49:57,320 --> 00:49:59,599 "because we haven't seen rocks starting to blow around yet." 387 00:49:59,720 --> 00:50:04,439 And just at that moment there was like a rock took off and rolled down there. 388 00:50:08,520 --> 00:50:11,119 You know, it's getting stronger. 389 00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:14,759 By the second day of the storm, 390 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:16,679 the winds reach 80 miles an hour 391 00:50:16,760 --> 00:50:18,479 and it's apparent that even getting lunch 392 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:21,199 from the outside larder is too risky. 393 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:35,519 To their increasing alarm, the storm continues to build. 394 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:39,799 All afternoon it's been blowing about... 395 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:42,439 It must have been 100 miles an hour, 396 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:45,999 and in the last half hour it's just got a lot stronger. 397 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:48,799 Aside from being utterly terrified, 398 00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:52,279 there's the added worry that our gear is stashed outside somewhere. 399 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:54,119 We didn't have room for it in the hut 400 00:50:54,200 --> 00:50:57,839 and we just don't know whether it's going to be there in the morning or not, 401 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,719 which is... It could spell the end of our trip. 402 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:02,599 On the third day of the storm, 403 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:05,319 the winds hit 130 miles an hour. 404 00:51:05,680 --> 00:51:08,879 The hut starts to shake from its very foundations, 405 00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:12,279 and Mark and Jeff's situation becomes critical. 406 00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:15,599 The wind's so strong, it's constantly blowing the pilot light out 407 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:17,719 on the paraffin stove, 408 00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:20,879 so the temperature's dropping, the wind's rising. 409 00:51:22,720 --> 00:51:25,079 Sounds like the bloody roof's come off. 410 00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:30,119 The really scary thing is is that had we gone out 411 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:33,439 down to the colony and tried to film today, 412 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:37,039 there's a very high likelihood that we'd be dead by now, 413 00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:39,439 and I don't say that lightly. 414 00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:42,719 There's no way we would have seen this through down there, 415 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:45,679 and that is quite sobering. 416 00:51:53,240 --> 00:51:56,079 After four terrifying days inside the hut, 417 00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:00,399 the winds finally drop and Mark and Jeff are keen to see what, if any, 418 00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:02,399 equipment has survived. 419 00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:05,719 All the real important stuff, the camera stuff, 420 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:09,319 is all still here and it's still strapped to this rock. 421 00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:13,319 You have no idea how much joy that gives us. 422 00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:16,639 We can get on with our jobs now. 423 00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:25,359 The first things to welcome us into the colony are these skuas, 424 00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:30,239 which come in and batter us from above. 425 00:52:37,240 --> 00:52:39,359 At its height, the colony will swell 426 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:41,799 to over half a million penguins. 427 00:52:41,880 --> 00:52:45,039 And in the 24-hour daylight of the Antarctic summer, 428 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:48,679 Mark and Jeff spend all of their waking hours filming. 429 00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:52,959 Unpredictable weather continues to force the team 430 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:56,679 to climb the two miles back to the relative shelter of their hut, 431 00:52:57,080 --> 00:53:00,479 and Mark devises another way of testing the wind speed. 432 00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:11,719 After six weeks, the first sign 433 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:15,439 that the pair might be tiring of their penguin neighbors. 434 00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:17,279 Over there's a leopard seal. 435 00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:21,759 It's the first non-penguin-looking animal in two months. 436 00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:24,839 Will you look at that? It's a leopard seal! 437 00:53:25,440 --> 00:53:27,639 I was down here filming the penguins coming in, 438 00:53:27,720 --> 00:53:30,359 followed this penguin that came out of the waves 439 00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:32,559 up the beach, very nice shot, 440 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,839 stopped the shot and there, in the middle of the frame, 441 00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:37,399 was this completely white penguin 442 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:40,319 trying to get into the shot. 443 00:53:40,840 --> 00:53:43,239 We kind of suspect that he might be following us around now. 444 00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:50,079 Working around the clock for this length of time 445 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:53,079 in the presence of half a million screaming penguins 446 00:53:53,160 --> 00:53:55,359 would test anyone's resolve. 447 00:53:57,000 --> 00:53:59,319 I hate carrying gear. Hear that? 448 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:01,839 I hate carrying gear. I don't want to do it any more. 449 00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:05,079 Midway through their trip, 450 00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:08,119 after more than 1 ,000 hours amongst the penguins, 451 00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:11,279 their grip on reality is beginning to loosen. 452 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:15,519 Here we are on the penguin superhighway, 453 00:54:16,720 --> 00:54:19,359 where the penguins go down to the sea. 454 00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:23,999 It seems that they follow the American system, 455 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:28,799 driving on the right, going down to the sea on the right, 456 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:33,359 coming back from the sea on the left as you're facing the sea. 457 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:39,439 I'm fairly sure that yesterday, they were doing the British system. 458 00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:46,559 The legendary Cape Crozier weather soon snaps them back into reality. 459 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:49,039 Well, I'm just filming the penguins 460 00:54:49,120 --> 00:54:55,239 with this huge windstorm coming over the ice cap. 461 00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:56,879 This is the kind of thing we were warned about 462 00:54:56,960 --> 00:54:59,519 by the guy who was here before, who has been here for several years 463 00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:02,479 and saying, "If you see skies like this, then you should run for home." 464 00:55:02,560 --> 00:55:04,799 But of course, we're just going to stay and film it. 465 00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:07,359 Because we're the BBC. 466 00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:09,879 But in this part of the world, 467 00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:13,079 working for the BBC doesn't count for much. 468 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:15,439 Within minutes, the winds reach hurricane strength 469 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:18,039 and the crew are in serious trouble. 470 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:20,319 So, we've got to now venture out and go up the... 471 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:22,639 about a mile up this valley, where... 472 00:55:22,720 --> 00:55:27,079 which looks like it's got about 80-mile-an-hour winds blowing down it, 473 00:55:27,160 --> 00:55:28,519 so it's going to be quite an adventure. 474 00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:31,239 Bit frightening, though, really. 475 00:55:31,720 --> 00:55:34,639 After three months, the pair are now fully aware 476 00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:36,879 of the strength the winds can reach. 477 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:38,999 Getting a little stronger now! 478 00:55:39,080 --> 00:55:41,639 There is a very real danger that they could be separated 479 00:55:41,720 --> 00:55:44,279 and lost in these white-out conditions. 480 00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:59,119 Hey, watch this, Jeff. 481 00:56:08,040 --> 00:56:10,079 We're going to go... 482 00:56:12,720 --> 00:56:14,639 Two terrifying hours later, 483 00:56:14,720 --> 00:56:18,319 and their relief at finally reaching the hut is tangible. 484 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:24,599 With a month still to go at Cape Crozier, 485 00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:29,079 Mark, Jeff, and the penguins will face many more storms like this. 486 00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:31,519 But it seems that their greatest challenge 487 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:34,039 will be to maintain their sanity. 488 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:38,839 Here we are, travelling through the Antarctic by sled. 489 00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:41,159 We're being pulled by a herd of huskies. 490 00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:49,159 Twelve of them panting out front, breath steaming from their mouths, 491 00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:53,999 and as we go along, we see the happy people waving at us.