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- [Narrator] Antarctica.
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A vast, icy desert.
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In terms of rainfall, it's
the driest place on earth.
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And yet, the Antarctic
holds more than two thirds
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of the planet's fresh water.
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With plunging temperatures
and powerful winds,
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our southernmost land mass
is an unrelenting habitat.
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But life persists and thrives.
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Once part of a connected
southern supercontinent,
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Antarctica is now isolated
by a current so powerful
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it creates undersea highways
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back to each and every continent.
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Where extraordinary life forms
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answer the call of the seasons.
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On icy islands and on
a land frozen by time.
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(dramatic orchestral music)
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This is the Wildest Antarctic.
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(serene piano music)
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Our southernmost continent is
the coldest place on earth.
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The south pole has just two seasons:
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summer and winter.
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The warmer months draw a
myriad of wondrous animals
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to Antarctic waters.
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Whales and dolphins stockpile
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on abundant schools of
fish, squid, and krill.
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Seabirds, penguins, and
seals arrive on land,
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returning to the same
areas each year to mate,
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raise young, and feed.
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Every winter, Antarctica transforms
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into a vastly different place.
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The extreme weather forces animals
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to flee for warmer waters.
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The entire continent swells,
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doubling in surface size
as sea water turns to ice.
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Blizzards set in.
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Nights lengthen until
darkness envelops the land
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for weeks on end.
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(dramatic orchestral music)
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The Antarctic winter exodus
reaches every other continent
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in the southern hemisphere.
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On distant shores, the renewal of life
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and the hunt continues.
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(dramatic boom)
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(serene orchestral music)
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South Georgia is a
mountainous, barren island
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in the south Atlantic ocean.
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Some 1,500 kilometers
from the Falkland Islands.
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And though it's not considered
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part of the Antarctic continent,
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the climate here is colder
than other parts of the world
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on the same latitude.
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This is because the
Antarctic circumpolar current
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is at its squeeze point
through Drake Passage.
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This is the narrowest distance
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between the southern
continent and South America.
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The current emerging on the
other side of the passage
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funnels icy water around these islands.
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It brings a rush of nutrients,
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plant and animal-based plankton,
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which creates an entire
ecosystem just off shore.
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As a result, this island
is a crowded landing pad
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for south polar species.
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Especially in breeding seasons.
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There are 30 different
kinds of birds here,
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including one of the
world's largest colonies
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of king and gentoo penguins.
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And four species of the seal family.
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(guttural growling)
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The weather is highly variable,
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but the draw card is the temperature.
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In summer, the maximum may reach
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as much as eight degrees.
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But it rarely dips below
minus 10, even in winter.
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It stays free of pack ice,
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though icebergs carved
from the island glaciers
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are a common sight in the bays.
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The more buoyant become platforms
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for the visiting seal colonies.
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(serene orchestral music)
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Southern elephant seals
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spend most of their lives under water.
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They are highly accomplished swimmers.
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They can deep dive for two hours at a time
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and slow their heart rates down
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to just one beat per minute.
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Moving about on land,
however, is another matter.
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(bouncy tuba music)
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These are the largest of seals.
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The males weigh in at nearly four tons,
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twice the size of a hippopotamus.
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The females are much smaller
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and lack the huge nose of the male
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that the elephant seals are named for.
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(dramatic orchestral music)
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The seals haul their large
bodies ashore twice a year.
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Once to molt, shedding
their outer layer of skin.
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And once a year to breed and birth.
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(seal growls)
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Pregnant females return to
the beach they were born on.
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Within days of giving birth,
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they're ready to mate,
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which they'll do at the same time
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as they raise their young.
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It's a big demand,
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but these seals have a short window ashore
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before they need to return
to the ocean to hunt.
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The large body of an elephant seal
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requires constant feeding.
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Young males just a few years old
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are already larger than the females,
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but are yet to reach the epic proportions
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of the big bulls.
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They lift up the front
half of their huge bodies
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and bear down on each other,
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taking small bites aimed at the neck.
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(guttural growling)
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This is just the dress rehearsal.
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The juveniles are sparring
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in practice for the years ahead.
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For one day, one of these young males
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will become the beach master.
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The beach's alpha male.
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(guttural growling)
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At summer's onset,
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the adult elephant seal bulls
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interrupt king penguin colonies
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and thunder their way
onto the beach first.
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They're pumped full of testosterone
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and need to stake out the best real estate
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for a mating territory.
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The bulls corral the females into a harem,
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their breeding group.
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The strongest bulls
will gather 50 or more.
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The weight difference between the sexes
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is no equal match.
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But it's constant work for the males
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herding so many wanderers.
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(dramatic orchestral music)
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Younger bulls carve out smaller harems
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and do their best to seduce
young females from others.
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But there is always one bull
that is the most dominant.
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This is the beach master.
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And he is always being tested.
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(guttural growling)
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A challenger issues a roar.
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The large proboscis, or nose,
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is designed as a kind of echo chamber
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to amplify the warning.
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He charges, and the years
of sparring practice
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become a real battle.
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(dramatic orchestral music)
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This young bull, little
more than a decade old,
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is no match for the beach master.
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He retreats back to the
safety of the water,
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effectively raising a white flag.
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(guttural growling)
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The beach is lined with
bloodied and battle-weary bulls,
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and they lose weight
every day they are here.
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The males are so obsessed
with guarding their harems,
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some won't eat for the entire three months
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of the breeding season.
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They survive on the huge fat reserves
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they've stored for the summer.
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They'll leave the beach
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nearly half the weight they
were when they arrived.
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A female with a baby will
also lose weight at this time.
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Eight kilograms each
day while she's nursing.
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Her pup puts on four kilos a day
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and quadruples in weight
in less than a month.
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The elephant seals spend
several weeks on this island
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before returning to sea
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to renew their constant
pursuit of fish and squid.
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Until then, it's a long
summer of fighting,
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mating, and finding small havens of space
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alongside the thousands of penguins
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that share this south
Georgia island beach.
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(serene orchestral music)
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As summer draws to an end,
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the resident king penguins
of south Georgia island
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head back out to sea.
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The only penguin that
spends its breeding cycle
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on the Antarctic continent
itself is the emperor.
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They're marching to the edge
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of the coldest place on earth.
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(penguins chirping)
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Stretching out into Drake Passage
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toward the tip of South America
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is the Antarctic peninsula.
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75% of the Antarctic's krill,
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the smaller larval stages
of fish and crustaceans,
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is found in the waters
around this peninsula.
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That brings an astonishing number
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of penguins and seals to its shores.
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But come winter, they
abandon the continent
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and head out to sea,
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using ice bergs for rest.
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All except for the largest of penguins.
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These emperors won't
be joining the exodus.
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They've evolved to survive
the harshest winter
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on the planet.
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(penguin trills)
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Emperors stand more than a meter tall.
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Compared to other penguins,
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they have larger fat reserves.
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As winter sets in,
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the sea ice freezes into a thick slab
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extending from the mainland,
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hundreds of kilometers long in some parts,
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and more than three meters thick.
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The emperor penguins have
timed their breeding cycle
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to allow the best chance of survival
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here for their chicks,
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which will hatch toward winter's end.
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But first, they must survive
the Antarctic's coldest days.
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These penguins mate for life.
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Each season, the female
will produce a single egg.
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Her body is depleted
from the energy it takes
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to create the new life,
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so she leaves soon after laying.
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She must travel up to 80 kilometers
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across the sea ice to the ocean to feed.
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There are no materials
to build nests here,
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so the male emperors become the nest.
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The female must transfer
the egg to the male quickly,
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before the egg freezes.
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The male carefully balances
the precious egg on his feet
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and keeps it in an adapted apron of fat.
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It hangs over the egg
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and warms it in the subzero temperatures.
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The females farewell the fathers
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and head off on the arduous trek
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to find the point where the ocean
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has ceased to freeze over.
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00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,451
The roundtrip will take several weeks.
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00:14:53,451 --> 00:14:56,034
(wind howling)
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The males must endure the coldest
depths of winter together.
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(penguin trills)
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They protect the egg in their brood pouch
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and huddle together for warmth.
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00:15:13,857 --> 00:15:17,220
Antarctic winds are
the strongest on earth,
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between one and 200 kilometers
an hour isn't uncommon.
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This adds wind chill to
plunging temperatures,
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00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,923
more than 40 degrees below zero.
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The penguins take turns bearing the brunt
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of the wind and snow on the outside
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before moving into the group center.
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Here it can reach over 30 degrees Celsius
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thanks to the combined body heat.
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At the peak of winter,
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they'll be in complete darkness
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for a fortnight when the
sun doesn't rise at all.
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(penguins chirping)
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Born into the cold and dark,
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the new chicks are often hatched
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by the time their mothers
return weeks later with food.
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She regurgitates the meal
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00:16:11,450 --> 00:16:13,617
she's carried across the ice.
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00:16:13,617 --> 00:16:17,784
(upbeat chiming orchestral music)
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It's still a precarious
time for the newborn.
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00:16:22,390 --> 00:16:23,940
It spends its first days
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in the warmth of the brood pouch.
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00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:29,703
Rolling away for too long
will mean freezing to death.
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00:16:35,730 --> 00:16:37,751
The females take over parenting duty
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to allow the males to
embark on their own trek
265
00:16:40,230 --> 00:16:41,363
across ice for food.
266
00:16:43,002 --> 00:16:46,002
(penguins chirping)
267
00:17:01,540 --> 00:17:02,810
There aren't many predators
268
00:17:02,810 --> 00:17:04,680
that dare to venture into the mainland
269
00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,620
at this time of year.
270
00:17:06,620 --> 00:17:09,793
But good weather brings
in seabirds like petrels.
271
00:17:15,030 --> 00:17:17,794
It only takes a moment for
the mother to be off guard,
272
00:17:17,794 --> 00:17:20,368
but this one is unyielding.
273
00:17:20,368 --> 00:17:21,201
(penguin caws)
274
00:17:21,201 --> 00:17:24,444
She protects her own and
another from the intruder.
275
00:17:24,444 --> 00:17:28,111
(dramatic orchestral music)
276
00:17:29,572 --> 00:17:33,155
(soaring orchestral music)
277
00:17:36,205 --> 00:17:38,300
When the chicks grow large enough,
278
00:17:38,300 --> 00:17:40,873
both parents leave on hunting missions.
279
00:17:43,830 --> 00:17:46,270
The chicks stay behind in creches
280
00:17:46,270 --> 00:17:48,070
with a few adults left to keep watch
281
00:17:48,070 --> 00:17:49,393
over the small groups.
282
00:17:55,690 --> 00:17:58,090
When the adults reach the hunting grounds,
283
00:17:58,090 --> 00:18:00,883
they chase fish, squid, and krill.
284
00:18:05,690 --> 00:18:07,310
Despite their size,
285
00:18:07,310 --> 00:18:09,193
emperors are impressive swimmers.
286
00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:16,780
Their streamlined bodies
287
00:18:16,780 --> 00:18:19,330
have been designed for this
underwater environment.
288
00:18:26,870 --> 00:18:28,130
They can stay underwater
289
00:18:28,130 --> 00:18:30,470
for up to 22 minutes
290
00:18:30,470 --> 00:18:33,533
and have logged dives
more than 500 meters deep.
291
00:18:40,774 --> 00:18:42,840
Back at the creche,
292
00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,000
the older chicks form an orderly queue
293
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,863
for today's important lesson.
294
00:18:48,694 --> 00:18:51,459
Some parts of the sea ice have melted
295
00:18:51,459 --> 00:18:54,426
just enough to form shallow pools.
296
00:18:54,426 --> 00:18:58,120
(bouncy orchestral music)
297
00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:00,030
Once brave chick must be the first
298
00:19:00,030 --> 00:19:01,403
to test the waters.
299
00:19:05,970 --> 00:19:08,050
The group soon follows.
300
00:19:08,050 --> 00:19:09,860
These chicks will spend the days ahead
301
00:19:09,860 --> 00:19:11,883
building up their pectoral wing muscles.
302
00:19:19,270 --> 00:19:21,490
The juveniles' thick downy coats
303
00:19:21,490 --> 00:19:23,640
are designed to keep in heat,
304
00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,636
but not to keep out water.
305
00:19:25,636 --> 00:19:29,136
(bouncy orchestral music)
306
00:19:43,300 --> 00:19:44,965
It's a strenuous outing,
307
00:19:44,965 --> 00:19:47,183
but every small puddle is practice.
308
00:19:48,682 --> 00:19:51,015
(splashing)
309
00:19:54,580 --> 00:19:56,240
Each molting sees their feathers
310
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:57,656
become more tightly packed
311
00:19:57,656 --> 00:19:59,233
and coated with oil.
312
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,380
As the ice melts,
313
00:20:07,380 --> 00:20:10,580
it brings the chance
to test deeper waters.
314
00:20:10,580 --> 00:20:12,470
Preparation for the day these emperors
315
00:20:12,470 --> 00:20:14,670
return to the big Southern Ocean
316
00:20:14,670 --> 00:20:17,071
that will soon reclaim these shores.
317
00:20:17,071 --> 00:20:19,404
(splashing)
318
00:20:24,232 --> 00:20:27,884
(bouncy orchestral music)
319
00:20:27,884 --> 00:20:30,134
(dripping)
320
00:20:33,540 --> 00:20:36,313
Melting ice heralds the onset of summer.
321
00:20:40,980 --> 00:20:43,670
It awakens spores of algae,
322
00:20:43,670 --> 00:20:45,221
leaving stains of red and green
323
00:20:45,221 --> 00:20:47,083
on the retreating floes.
324
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,022
As the saltwater softens
325
00:20:50,022 --> 00:20:52,580
and once again becomes liquid,
326
00:20:52,580 --> 00:20:55,283
it allows the arrival of gentoo penguins.
327
00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:02,374
The gentoos ascend from the pebble beaches
328
00:21:02,374 --> 00:21:06,113
and begin a steady trek
upwards through the snow.
329
00:21:15,220 --> 00:21:17,280
Their pathways are known
330
00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,290
and already worn in by the penguins
331
00:21:19,290 --> 00:21:20,803
that arrived first.
332
00:21:28,340 --> 00:21:30,030
Timing is everything
333
00:21:30,030 --> 00:21:31,958
when it comes to securing
the best positions
334
00:21:31,958 --> 00:21:33,893
at the peaks of the hills above.
335
00:21:39,150 --> 00:21:41,110
Gentoos have distinctive red beaks
336
00:21:41,110 --> 00:21:42,623
and white eye patches.
337
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,900
The males arrive at the clifftop first
338
00:21:47,900 --> 00:21:49,913
to work on wooing a female.
339
00:21:51,830 --> 00:21:54,920
After stacking rocks
into piles for a nest,
340
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,083
he will then collect more pebbles.
341
00:21:58,130 --> 00:22:00,303
These ones are special.
342
00:22:03,910 --> 00:22:05,950
The male offers them as tokens
343
00:22:05,950 --> 00:22:07,483
to a prospective partner.
344
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:11,470
She will accept a mate
345
00:22:11,470 --> 00:22:13,173
based on the size and shape.
346
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,932
But the criteria for an
impressive pebble offering
347
00:22:16,932 --> 00:22:19,283
is still somewhat of a mystery.
348
00:22:21,789 --> 00:22:24,622
(penguins cawing)
349
00:22:30,580 --> 00:22:32,830
The female gentoo lays her first egg
350
00:22:32,830 --> 00:22:34,702
about five days after mating
351
00:22:34,702 --> 00:22:37,693
and a second three days after that.
352
00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,680
The parents share egg-sitting duties
353
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:44,734
for about a month
354
00:22:44,734 --> 00:22:47,060
before the first signs of emerging life
355
00:22:47,060 --> 00:22:48,803
start stirring from within.
356
00:22:50,177 --> 00:22:53,427
(serene chiming music)
357
00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:59,820
Incredibly, both chicks
are born on the same day
358
00:22:59,820 --> 00:23:02,813
despite the eggs being laid days apart.
359
00:23:06,980 --> 00:23:08,454
They're covered in down
360
00:23:08,454 --> 00:23:12,163
and small, just a couple
of hundred grams in weight.
361
00:23:13,370 --> 00:23:15,620
They'll need to stay in
their makeshift pebble homes
362
00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:17,600
for about 75 days
363
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,452
before they're ready to
make their way to the ocean.
364
00:23:20,452 --> 00:23:23,180
(penguin cawing)
365
00:23:23,180 --> 00:23:25,793
The parents, however, have
chosen their sites well.
366
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:29,397
They're close to the sea
367
00:23:29,397 --> 00:23:32,263
and they descend to the
shore regularly to hunt.
368
00:23:36,830 --> 00:23:39,330
Gentoos are the fastest
underwater swimmers
369
00:23:39,330 --> 00:23:40,380
of the penguin world.
370
00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:47,080
They have to be.
371
00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,623
They're one of the favorite prey of these.
372
00:23:50,740 --> 00:23:52,162
Leopard seals.
373
00:23:52,162 --> 00:23:54,912
(dramatic music)
374
00:23:56,130 --> 00:23:59,150
So named for their recognizable spots,
375
00:23:59,150 --> 00:24:03,500
leopard seals have
sharp, canine-like teeth.
376
00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:05,890
They also make their way
back to the peninsula
377
00:24:05,890 --> 00:24:06,933
as the waters warm.
378
00:24:12,570 --> 00:24:14,063
Some have traveled far.
379
00:24:15,010 --> 00:24:16,480
Leopard seals are sighted
380
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,550
as far north as Tasmania,
381
00:24:18,550 --> 00:24:20,223
on Australia's southern tip.
382
00:24:23,770 --> 00:24:26,960
These marine mammals
are fearsome predators
383
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,173
and the only seal that
feeds on warm-blooded prey.
384
00:24:31,410 --> 00:24:33,373
They'll even eat other seals.
385
00:24:36,050 --> 00:24:38,070
Leopard seals tend to skew their diet
386
00:24:38,070 --> 00:24:39,670
toward the particular southern region
387
00:24:39,670 --> 00:24:41,173
they return to for summer.
388
00:24:42,540 --> 00:24:44,133
And here it's gentoo.
389
00:24:45,770 --> 00:24:48,520
(dramatic music)
390
00:24:55,390 --> 00:24:58,260
Leopard seals are solitary hunters.
391
00:24:58,260 --> 00:25:00,660
They can match the gentoo
for pace in the water.
392
00:25:07,093 --> 00:25:11,200
(serene orchestral music)
393
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,280
When the nesting season comes to an end
394
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,946
some three months after it began,
395
00:25:15,946 --> 00:25:18,803
the gentoo fledglings head to sea.
396
00:25:22,190 --> 00:25:26,208
They do so in their large family flocks.
397
00:25:26,208 --> 00:25:28,541
(splashing)
398
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,348
Safety in numbers is a
key survival strategy
399
00:25:32,348 --> 00:25:35,283
for sharing the water with
such a ferocious predator.
400
00:25:44,333 --> 00:25:47,833
(serene orchestral music)
401
00:25:53,935 --> 00:25:56,685
Antarctic sea ice peaks in winter
402
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,703
and retreats in the summer months.
403
00:26:06,810 --> 00:26:08,570
The entire continent undergoes
404
00:26:08,570 --> 00:26:10,130
a dramatic transformation
405
00:26:11,430 --> 00:26:15,660
as it shrinks from a 20 million
square kilometer surface
406
00:26:15,660 --> 00:26:18,393
down to three million square kilometers.
407
00:26:21,870 --> 00:26:24,040
As the days lengthen,
408
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,193
freshwater ice on the mainland also warms.
409
00:26:32,068 --> 00:26:34,330
(rumbling)
410
00:26:34,330 --> 00:26:37,565
Large chunks break off from
glaciers and ice shelves
411
00:26:37,565 --> 00:26:39,963
in a process called carving.
412
00:26:48,970 --> 00:26:51,070
Icebergs are set adrift,
413
00:26:51,070 --> 00:26:53,270
traveling with ocean currents and wind,
414
00:26:53,270 --> 00:26:54,856
often floating into bays
415
00:26:54,856 --> 00:26:56,483
and breaking apart onshore.
416
00:27:06,220 --> 00:27:08,720
Some can be huge.
417
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,480
The largest on record was measured
418
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,853
at nearly 300 kilometers long.
419
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,850
Descriptions vary according to size,
420
00:27:18,850 --> 00:27:20,313
shape, and origin.
421
00:27:22,870 --> 00:27:25,683
Tabular icebergs have a distinct flat top.
422
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,823
Bergs are no larger than
five meters above water.
423
00:27:38,420 --> 00:27:40,000
And when they're even smaller again,
424
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,993
under two meters, they're
known as growlers.
425
00:27:43,847 --> 00:27:47,347
(serene orchestral music)
426
00:27:49,490 --> 00:27:52,350
As the iceberg slowly
melts into the ocean,
427
00:27:52,350 --> 00:27:54,990
it generates a pool of freshwater,
428
00:27:54,990 --> 00:27:56,671
sometimes extending outward
429
00:27:56,671 --> 00:27:59,533
for a full nautical mile.
430
00:28:02,270 --> 00:28:04,520
They also shed the terrestrial material
431
00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:05,703
trapped in the ice.
432
00:28:08,010 --> 00:28:09,660
It's rich in iron
433
00:28:09,660 --> 00:28:12,163
and stimulates the
growth of phytoplankton,
434
00:28:15,140 --> 00:28:17,000
the plant-based organisms
435
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,263
that are the building
blocks for marine life.
436
00:28:22,210 --> 00:28:24,563
The food chain bursts into action.
437
00:28:29,290 --> 00:28:30,827
Animal plankton and krill,
438
00:28:30,827 --> 00:28:33,550
tiny shrimp-like crustaceans
439
00:28:33,550 --> 00:28:36,581
attract floating organisms like jellyfish.
440
00:28:36,581 --> 00:28:39,998
(bouncy xylophone music)
441
00:28:42,460 --> 00:28:45,653
Small fish hide in holes
on the berg's underside.
442
00:28:53,050 --> 00:28:55,410
Fur seals, sea lions, and seals
443
00:28:55,410 --> 00:28:57,246
come to feed and take the opportunity
444
00:28:57,246 --> 00:28:59,723
to rest during the long days offshore.
445
00:29:05,010 --> 00:29:07,581
Seabirds like the Wilson's Storm-Petrel
446
00:29:07,581 --> 00:29:10,927
migrate huge distances
from north of the equator
447
00:29:10,927 --> 00:29:12,474
to their summer breeding grounds
448
00:29:12,474 --> 00:29:14,153
around the Antarctic.
449
00:29:16,950 --> 00:29:18,460
They feed around icebergs
450
00:29:18,460 --> 00:29:21,371
by running along the surface of the water,
451
00:29:21,371 --> 00:29:23,855
their foot taps attracting hungry fish
452
00:29:23,855 --> 00:29:26,343
to come within striking distance.
453
00:29:28,070 --> 00:29:29,630
Petrels are not the only ones
454
00:29:29,630 --> 00:29:30,915
returning to home shores
455
00:29:30,915 --> 00:29:33,863
to feast on the exploding
krill population.
456
00:29:39,968 --> 00:29:42,437
(deep groaning)
457
00:29:42,437 --> 00:29:46,060
(serene piano music)
458
00:29:46,060 --> 00:29:49,145
At 150 tons and 30 meters long,
459
00:29:49,145 --> 00:29:52,073
blue whales are the largest living animal.
460
00:30:02,270 --> 00:30:04,520
And the largest are found here
461
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,463
in the Antarctic oceans.
462
00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,390
These whales sweep up
huge amounts of krill
463
00:30:15,390 --> 00:30:18,050
in a single open-mouth lunge,
464
00:30:18,050 --> 00:30:21,023
consuming as much as eight tons a day.
465
00:30:33,950 --> 00:30:36,360
Summer cues a return to
these waters for them
466
00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,463
and many of their relatives.
467
00:30:40,872 --> 00:30:43,539
(deep groaning)
468
00:30:45,810 --> 00:30:48,453
A southern right whale
is easily identifiable.
469
00:30:49,361 --> 00:30:51,070
It's the only large whale
470
00:30:51,070 --> 00:30:52,620
that doesn't have a dorsal fin.
471
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,140
They're returning from breeding grounds
472
00:31:05,140 --> 00:31:07,320
around the southern tips of Africa,
473
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,703
Australia, New Zealand, and South America.
474
00:31:12,290 --> 00:31:14,313
Many have their calves in tow.
475
00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,040
The mother's milk is extremely high in fat
476
00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,743
and these calves will put
on 60 kilograms each day.
477
00:31:27,140 --> 00:31:29,340
They'll wean over the summer
478
00:31:29,340 --> 00:31:31,673
and begin feeding on the polar krill.
479
00:31:47,630 --> 00:31:49,480
Pilot whales are one of the four
480
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,723
toothed-whale species that come here.
481
00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:57,610
Their teeth allow them to catch
482
00:31:57,610 --> 00:32:00,363
and eat larger prey like squid and fish.
483
00:32:07,684 --> 00:32:10,970
Orcas are another toothed-whale species.
484
00:32:10,970 --> 00:32:13,560
More specifically, they're dolphins,
485
00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:15,203
the largest of their kind.
486
00:32:19,810 --> 00:32:22,483
Orcas don't migrate in the
way their relatives do,
487
00:32:23,330 --> 00:32:25,150
but will follow the migratory paths
488
00:32:25,150 --> 00:32:26,853
of other animals they hunt.
489
00:32:31,390 --> 00:32:33,600
These are supreme carnivores.
490
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,463
They eat fish, seals, and penguins.
491
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,733
Even other dolphins and whales.
492
00:32:46,420 --> 00:32:49,423
This pack is feasting on the
carcass of a minke whale.
493
00:32:50,851 --> 00:32:54,351
(serene orchestral music)
494
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:03,262
The carcass also feeds a flock of seabirds
495
00:33:03,262 --> 00:33:05,713
making the return journey south.
496
00:33:10,260 --> 00:33:12,530
In these vast, cold oceans,
497
00:33:12,530 --> 00:33:15,850
every floating object from
ice to rotting remains
498
00:33:15,850 --> 00:33:18,283
becomes a living ecology for a short time.
499
00:33:24,809 --> 00:33:28,059
(serene chiming music)
500
00:33:29,970 --> 00:33:34,050
Some ocean currents travel
for thousands of kilometers,
501
00:33:34,050 --> 00:33:36,200
beginning in one part of the world
502
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,963
and bringing warm or cold
water to another entirely.
503
00:33:43,150 --> 00:33:45,310
Just south of the Australian continent
504
00:33:45,310 --> 00:33:47,070
is where currents from the equator
505
00:33:47,070 --> 00:33:48,903
meet those from the south pole.
506
00:33:49,900 --> 00:33:52,311
Eastward, a major current from the tropics
507
00:33:52,311 --> 00:33:55,540
travels the seaboard, rounds Tasmania,
508
00:33:55,540 --> 00:33:57,733
and continues to follow the coastline.
509
00:34:00,980 --> 00:34:03,619
Ocean currents that flow
adjacent to coastlines
510
00:34:03,619 --> 00:34:05,773
are called boundary currents.
511
00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,590
The Leeuwin is the world's longest.
512
00:34:09,590 --> 00:34:12,733
It arrives from the
Indian Ocean in the west.
513
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,803
One area's weather can impact on another.
514
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:22,560
Monsoon winds hit ferocious speeds
515
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,733
around the equator in the north in summer.
516
00:34:30,370 --> 00:34:31,560
Several weeks later,
517
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,600
the winds have pushed
currents to reach peak force
518
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,513
as they arrive into
southern Australian waters.
519
00:34:40,310 --> 00:34:43,583
This current flow coincides
with a temperature drop.
520
00:34:48,770 --> 00:34:52,653
In the south, Antarctica
is being seized by winter.
521
00:34:55,940 --> 00:34:58,190
Here, the water is still cold enough
522
00:34:58,190 --> 00:34:59,913
for the seasonal migrators.
523
00:35:03,610 --> 00:35:06,573
Whales pass by on their
way to birthing grounds.
524
00:35:16,677 --> 00:35:18,410
Some species followed
525
00:35:18,410 --> 00:35:22,103
cold current pathways long ago and stayed.
526
00:35:23,690 --> 00:35:27,603
Sea lions, fur seals, and little penguins.
527
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,427
Coastal islands along Australia's south
528
00:35:33,427 --> 00:35:35,230
have become a permanent home
529
00:35:35,230 --> 00:35:37,263
for these cold water specialists.
530
00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:43,027
Kangaroo Island is a large rocky outcrop,
531
00:35:43,027 --> 00:35:46,463
roughly seven times the size of Singapore.
532
00:35:48,460 --> 00:35:49,950
Above the water line,
533
00:35:49,950 --> 00:35:52,818
this island has a number
of pristine habitats
534
00:35:52,818 --> 00:35:55,720
from sea caves to sand dunes,
535
00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:57,943
wetlands and dense bush land.
536
00:36:02,100 --> 00:36:04,999
The island is named for
its very own kangaroos,
537
00:36:04,999 --> 00:36:08,023
a subspecies separate to the mainland's.
538
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,283
The marine ecosystems are equally diverse.
539
00:36:19,130 --> 00:36:21,283
The sea bed is covered with large gardens
540
00:36:21,283 --> 00:36:24,860
of microalgae, or seaweed.
541
00:36:24,860 --> 00:36:27,723
It's a prime hunting ground
that hides small prey
542
00:36:27,723 --> 00:36:31,073
and draws in larger hunters.
543
00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,493
This Australian draughtboard shark
544
00:36:34,493 --> 00:36:37,590
cruises the seaweed beds for small fish,
545
00:36:37,590 --> 00:36:39,163
squid, and shellfish.
546
00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:42,820
It's only found in a small range
547
00:36:42,820 --> 00:36:45,140
in these cold southern waters,
548
00:36:45,140 --> 00:36:47,620
and usually at far greater depths,
549
00:36:47,620 --> 00:36:49,543
more than 600 meters below.
550
00:36:52,810 --> 00:36:55,092
The cold water sweeping
in from the Antarctic
551
00:36:55,092 --> 00:36:58,430
also cultivates crops of sponges,
552
00:36:58,430 --> 00:37:00,210
a very primitive form of animal
553
00:37:00,210 --> 00:37:02,893
that tends to anchor and
grow, much like a plant.
554
00:37:05,910 --> 00:37:09,380
Though more commonly associated
with tropical waters,
555
00:37:09,380 --> 00:37:11,239
several species of frog fish
556
00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:14,043
live amid Kangaroo
Island's sponge gardens.
557
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,570
These small ambush hunters
558
00:37:17,570 --> 00:37:19,453
are voracious carnivores.
559
00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:22,670
A frog fish's pectoral fins
560
00:37:22,670 --> 00:37:24,690
are fused and splayed,
561
00:37:24,690 --> 00:37:26,873
better suited to crawling than swimming.
562
00:37:30,860 --> 00:37:33,493
Frog fish are also found
on the northern fringes
563
00:37:33,493 --> 00:37:36,750
of the Indian Ocean around Indonesia,
564
00:37:36,750 --> 00:37:39,453
connected to the south
by the Leeuwin current.
565
00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:43,603
Masterful camouflagers,
566
00:37:43,603 --> 00:37:46,483
frog fish perfectly
replicate their habitat,
567
00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:50,943
be it a tropical reef
or a cool sponge bed.
568
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,700
(bouncy orchestral music)
569
00:37:56,700 --> 00:37:58,880
This sponge crab goes a step further
570
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:00,133
in his mimicry act.
571
00:38:01,090 --> 00:38:03,375
It actually takes a piece
of the sponge garden
572
00:38:03,375 --> 00:38:05,873
and places it atop its shell.
573
00:38:08,090 --> 00:38:11,500
Not only does the crab
blend into the sea floor,
574
00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:14,070
but these sponges are one of nature's
575
00:38:14,070 --> 00:38:16,740
oldest success stories.
576
00:38:16,740 --> 00:38:18,682
They are a live organism
577
00:38:18,682 --> 00:38:21,923
and many produce chemicals
that are foul-tasting.
578
00:38:23,630 --> 00:38:25,400
By wearing it like a hat,
579
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,020
the sponge affords the crab
580
00:38:27,020 --> 00:38:29,103
an extra degree of protection.
581
00:38:37,100 --> 00:38:39,052
Close to the island's shore,
582
00:38:39,052 --> 00:38:43,223
an 11-armed sea star
stalks the tidal pools.
583
00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:49,256
This is south Australia's largest starfish
584
00:38:49,256 --> 00:38:52,593
and it uses its entire body to catch food.
585
00:38:55,060 --> 00:38:57,880
The arms are covered
in tiny jaw-like knobs
586
00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,653
called pedicellariae.
587
00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,970
They can latch onto small crabs or worms
588
00:39:03,970 --> 00:39:06,280
until an arm or foot can reach
589
00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,033
and pass it to the central gut.
590
00:39:14,370 --> 00:39:17,430
Idiomysids are tiny crustaceans,
591
00:39:17,430 --> 00:39:18,863
just millimeters long.
592
00:39:20,530 --> 00:39:23,210
They're also known as sea bees
593
00:39:23,210 --> 00:39:26,913
and it's theorized they help
sea grass fields to flourish.
594
00:39:29,490 --> 00:39:32,310
Sea grasses are a marine plant
595
00:39:32,310 --> 00:39:34,883
with roots, flowers, and leaves.
596
00:39:36,150 --> 00:39:37,860
Sea bees have been found
597
00:39:37,860 --> 00:39:40,013
with sea grass pollen in their legs.
598
00:39:47,850 --> 00:39:50,080
The sea grass around Kangaroo Island
599
00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,570
harbors two very distant relatives:
600
00:39:53,570 --> 00:39:57,323
the knobby seahorse and
the weedy sea dragon.
601
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:03,300
Both have evolved to have
long, plant-like bodies
602
00:40:03,300 --> 00:40:06,450
and elongated mouths designed to suck up
603
00:40:06,450 --> 00:40:09,437
tiny shrimp like the idiomysids.
604
00:40:09,437 --> 00:40:12,437
(serene harp music)
605
00:40:15,485 --> 00:40:18,890
A Shaw's boxfish stalks the sea grass,
606
00:40:18,890 --> 00:40:21,283
blowing jets of air onto the sand.
607
00:40:22,580 --> 00:40:25,368
It's cleverly uncovering any tiny worms,
608
00:40:25,368 --> 00:40:29,353
shrimp, and crabs hiding
just below the sea bed.
609
00:40:30,830 --> 00:40:34,008
Like all boxfish, this
one grows an exoskeleton
610
00:40:34,008 --> 00:40:36,183
as well as an internal one.
611
00:40:37,950 --> 00:40:40,363
Its body is encased in a bony box
612
00:40:40,363 --> 00:40:43,593
and the skin can release
toxins if it gets stressed.
613
00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:48,760
The Shaw's boxfish is considered
614
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,890
to be endemic to the eastern Indian Ocean.
615
00:40:51,890 --> 00:40:54,300
However, it's also found all along
616
00:40:54,300 --> 00:40:56,343
the southern Australian coastline.
617
00:40:59,350 --> 00:41:01,280
The Leeuwin current is thought
618
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,933
to have swept the boxfish
from tropical waters to cool.
619
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:08,818
In some areas of the southern hemisphere,
620
00:41:08,818 --> 00:41:12,113
this process has worked in reverse.
621
00:41:14,150 --> 00:41:16,504
Vast networks of underwater highways
622
00:41:16,504 --> 00:41:19,231
have carried south polar species
623
00:41:19,231 --> 00:41:22,133
to surprisingly warm places.
624
00:41:25,300 --> 00:41:26,805
Like Africa.
625
00:41:26,805 --> 00:41:30,320
(upbeat percussion music)
626
00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,210
On South African savannas,
627
00:41:32,210 --> 00:41:35,593
daytime temperatures soar
above 30 degrees Celsius.
628
00:41:37,479 --> 00:41:41,190
It's a country renowned
for spectacular wildlife:
629
00:41:41,190 --> 00:41:43,663
lions, elephants, and giraffes.
630
00:41:46,260 --> 00:41:47,760
It seems barely imaginable
631
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,486
these animals of the dry, hot plains
632
00:41:49,486 --> 00:41:51,130
could share their home
633
00:41:51,130 --> 00:41:53,253
with the likes of seals and penguins.
634
00:41:58,490 --> 00:41:59,990
Africa's southernmost tip
635
00:41:59,990 --> 00:42:03,002
is a meeting place for roaring trade winds
636
00:42:03,002 --> 00:42:05,683
and a number of oceanic currents.
637
00:42:09,750 --> 00:42:12,725
The Cape Agulhas is a
fast-flowing surface current
638
00:42:12,725 --> 00:42:14,433
that transports large volumes
639
00:42:14,433 --> 00:42:16,400
of warm tropical water
640
00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,600
along the African coastline to the cape.
641
00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,230
It rounds the cape, picking up icy
642
00:42:22,230 --> 00:42:24,590
Antarctic waters from the south,
643
00:42:24,590 --> 00:42:27,573
becoming the Benguela
Current heading north.
644
00:42:33,060 --> 00:42:34,590
A current much like this
645
00:42:34,590 --> 00:42:37,013
was a potential pathway
for polar travelers
646
00:42:37,013 --> 00:42:41,203
some 30 million years ago: penguins.
647
00:42:43,490 --> 00:42:44,910
African penguins long ago
648
00:42:44,910 --> 00:42:47,920
evolved to cope with the heat.
649
00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:50,963
They have a pink featherless
gland above each eye.
650
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:55,053
The hotter it gets, the pinker it becomes.
651
00:42:56,100 --> 00:42:57,815
The gland sends blood to the area
652
00:42:57,815 --> 00:43:00,493
to help cool the penguin down.
653
00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:03,140
They build nests on land
654
00:43:03,140 --> 00:43:05,803
out of their own excrement, or guano.
655
00:43:07,130 --> 00:43:09,361
Unlike Antarctic emperors
that try desperately
656
00:43:09,361 --> 00:43:12,078
to keep their eggs from freezing over,
657
00:43:12,078 --> 00:43:14,370
these penguins have to shield theirs
658
00:43:14,370 --> 00:43:16,873
from the searing African sun.
659
00:43:18,910 --> 00:43:20,747
If they can't find a bush for cover,
660
00:43:20,747 --> 00:43:23,270
they'll use their own bodies for shade
661
00:43:23,270 --> 00:43:25,603
and take the brunt of the heat themselves.
662
00:43:27,007 --> 00:43:28,497
When the chicks have hatched,
663
00:43:28,497 --> 00:43:31,520
parents divide guarding duty.
664
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:32,673
A fishing trip in the bay
665
00:43:32,673 --> 00:43:34,923
is a well-earned cool respite.
666
00:43:38,340 --> 00:43:40,730
African penguins share the cape beaches
667
00:43:40,730 --> 00:43:44,900
with rock hyrax, a small furry mammal
668
00:43:44,900 --> 00:43:46,973
with feet adapted for rock climbing.
669
00:43:47,810 --> 00:43:51,010
The hyrax looks like a large rodent
670
00:43:51,010 --> 00:43:55,153
but is biologically more
closely related to an elephant.
671
00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,677
They have a similar skull structure,
672
00:44:00,677 --> 00:44:02,706
including teeth designed to grind
673
00:44:02,706 --> 00:44:04,393
the hard vegetation.
674
00:44:07,770 --> 00:44:09,870
African shores pose a unique problem
675
00:44:09,870 --> 00:44:12,910
for hyrax and penguins alike.
676
00:44:12,910 --> 00:44:15,943
They are hunted by mongoose and leopards.
677
00:44:19,810 --> 00:44:22,263
The penguins at least
can escape to the sea.
678
00:44:27,670 --> 00:44:29,755
However, the cold currents of long ago
679
00:44:29,755 --> 00:44:32,423
also brought marine predators.
680
00:44:34,739 --> 00:44:36,271
Fur seals.
681
00:44:36,271 --> 00:44:39,021
(seals grunting)
682
00:44:41,620 --> 00:44:43,330
Roughly two million fur seals
683
00:44:43,330 --> 00:44:45,163
live on the South African cape.
684
00:44:47,130 --> 00:44:49,370
One of the larger colonies is based around
685
00:44:49,370 --> 00:44:51,773
small rocky outcrops
near the southern tip.
686
00:44:52,630 --> 00:44:54,803
Dyer and Geyser Islands.
687
00:44:55,867 --> 00:45:00,200
(upbeat percussion music)
688
00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:02,690
Unlike most other fur seal groups,
689
00:45:02,690 --> 00:45:05,563
the cape fur seals live here year-round.
690
00:45:06,570 --> 00:45:09,430
They use these islands
as a base for mating,
691
00:45:09,430 --> 00:45:11,743
raising young, and resting.
692
00:45:13,670 --> 00:45:16,243
But spend most of their
time fishing at sea.
693
00:45:22,050 --> 00:45:24,910
Like the Antarctic, the island kelp beds
694
00:45:24,910 --> 00:45:27,603
offer up small fish
and squid taking cover.
695
00:45:31,790 --> 00:45:34,030
But the cape fur seals' preferred diet
696
00:45:34,030 --> 00:45:36,080
of sardines and anchovies
697
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,993
swim out wider in the deeper ocean.
698
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:46,300
To reach the open sea,
699
00:45:46,300 --> 00:45:49,026
the fur seals must first
pass through the channel
700
00:45:49,026 --> 00:45:51,163
that separates these islands.
701
00:45:52,930 --> 00:45:56,633
This channel is locally
known as Shark Alley.
702
00:46:07,630 --> 00:46:10,610
Sharks like bronze whalers
are here most of the year
703
00:46:11,930 --> 00:46:14,973
and in bigger numbers for
the annual sardine run
704
00:46:14,973 --> 00:46:17,743
that takes place along
the coastline each winter.
705
00:46:21,220 --> 00:46:22,960
The cold water also attracts
706
00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:25,900
the largest predatory fish in the ocean:
707
00:46:25,900 --> 00:46:27,583
great white sharks.
708
00:46:30,837 --> 00:46:33,843
In summer, strong southeasterly winds
709
00:46:33,843 --> 00:46:35,689
sweep the current coming from
710
00:46:35,689 --> 00:46:38,253
the south polar region into the bay.
711
00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:42,793
It's also when the cape
fur seal pups are born.
712
00:46:45,540 --> 00:46:48,020
By winter, the newly adult seals
713
00:46:48,020 --> 00:46:50,100
are large enough to make
their maiden voyages
714
00:46:50,100 --> 00:46:51,133
across the channel.
715
00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:55,750
But they have not yet learned
716
00:46:55,750 --> 00:46:57,760
to swim at their peak speed
717
00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:00,063
and lack open water experience.
718
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:07,876
The great whites have come to know
719
00:47:07,876 --> 00:47:10,120
this is a regular time and place
720
00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:12,113
that a source of food is on offer.
721
00:47:17,700 --> 00:47:21,003
These are one of the ocean's
most skilled hunters.
722
00:47:22,140 --> 00:47:25,060
They can reach over six meters in length
723
00:47:25,060 --> 00:47:27,520
and have large, triangular teeth
724
00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:30,733
designed for securing
and ripping into flesh.
725
00:47:36,540 --> 00:47:38,228
Great white sharks prefer to hunt
726
00:47:38,228 --> 00:47:41,090
in cooler waters around the globe,
727
00:47:41,090 --> 00:47:44,403
but they adapt their hunting
technique to each area.
728
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:51,133
At Shark Alley, their weapon is speed.
729
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,140
Despite their huge girth,
730
00:47:55,140 --> 00:47:56,990
these sharks have a pointed nose
731
00:47:56,990 --> 00:47:58,623
and streamlined bodies.
732
00:48:00,650 --> 00:48:03,220
Their tactic: stay deep
733
00:48:03,220 --> 00:48:07,230
and watch overhead for a
seal-shaped shadow to pass by.
734
00:48:07,230 --> 00:48:09,576
Then sprint to the surface.
735
00:48:09,576 --> 00:48:12,508
(dramatic boom)
736
00:48:12,508 --> 00:48:16,175
(dramatic orchestral music)
737
00:48:21,240 --> 00:48:22,793
On the South African cape,
738
00:48:22,793 --> 00:48:26,030
great whites launch with such ferocity
739
00:48:26,030 --> 00:48:28,023
they breach the water's surface.
740
00:48:34,390 --> 00:48:38,140
Their entire bodies, all 3,000 kilograms,
741
00:48:38,140 --> 00:48:41,263
clear the water in
astonishing aerial leaps.
742
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:48,310
The young fur seals are learning
743
00:48:48,310 --> 00:48:49,973
the lesson of their lives.
744
00:48:52,270 --> 00:48:53,933
A wrong turn will mean death.
745
00:48:58,370 --> 00:49:01,020
Those lucky enough to
escape the first attack
746
00:49:01,020 --> 00:49:03,420
twist and turn, trying to predict
747
00:49:03,420 --> 00:49:05,570
where the shark will strike next
748
00:49:05,570 --> 00:49:07,493
and attempt to sprint to safety.
749
00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:12,027
(dramatic orchestral music)
750
00:49:18,864 --> 00:49:22,633
For many, a misdirection is fatal.
751
00:49:36,710 --> 00:49:40,823
For others, the return swim
to shore is a fast one.
752
00:49:41,670 --> 00:49:43,566
A fur seal can learn to outmaneuver
753
00:49:43,566 --> 00:49:44,983
a great white shark.
754
00:49:53,562 --> 00:49:56,160
But the lesson is a costly one.
755
00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:58,650
Only half of the fur seals under attack
756
00:49:58,650 --> 00:50:00,533
in Shark Alley will survive.
757
00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:11,799
Right across the southern hemisphere,
758
00:50:11,799 --> 00:50:14,250
as each season turns,
759
00:50:14,250 --> 00:50:17,813
nature responds with a
call to hunt and hide.
760
00:50:19,741 --> 00:50:21,903
To bloom and to birth.
761
00:50:23,980 --> 00:50:25,870
Where the southern wildlife goes
762
00:50:25,870 --> 00:50:28,000
for each stage of their life cycles
763
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:29,760
is determined by instinct
764
00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:33,573
and handed down through generations.
765
00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:37,940
The clock is reset each year
766
00:50:37,940 --> 00:50:39,637
and emanates from the point of the globe
767
00:50:39,637 --> 00:50:42,190
that is at that part of the year
768
00:50:42,190 --> 00:50:45,837
the farthest from the sun: the Antarctic.
769
00:50:50,174 --> 00:50:53,841
(dramatic orchestral music)
57128
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