All language subtitles for Penguins Spy in the Huddle 1of3 The Journey 720p HDTV_Subtitles01.ENG

Penguins - behind their feisty charm
lies an amazing character.

These cheeky birds have to bring
up their chicks

against the most extraordinary odds.

SpyCams discover just how special
they really are.

From the freezing Antarctic...

to the scorching tropics...

this is the story of nature's most
devoted parents -

filmed as never before.

A chick's-eye view
of an emperor penguin's mum and dad.

His parents have
trekked across a frozen sea

and battled blizzards to raise him.

The Humboldt is just as dedicated.

Shielding their chicks

from the desert sun is just
one of the many tasks they face.

Rockhoppers rear their young
in the storm-lashed South Atlantic.

No other penguin is so daring
and spirited.

These parents will face huge
challenges as they bring up

chicks in the toughest
places on Earth.

Their struggles only end when their
young leave for the ocean.

But their incredible story begins

long before their chicks are even
born.

The Antarctic is home to just 2
of the world's 17 types of penguin.

But a new variety has just
appeared -

PenguinCam.

As well as a camera in its body,
there's another in its eye.

It just has to wait for its
legendary subjects to arrive.

They are emperors -
the world's tallest

and most regal penguin,
standing a metre high.

Their curiosity is encouraging.

They must accept EmperorCam

if it is to film their lives
up close for nearly a year.

Emperors are a very special penguin -

the only animal on Earth to
breed through the Antarctic winter.

As the long journey
to their breeding grounds begins,

the penguins accept
EmperorCam as one of their own.

Ahead, more penguins
are on the march.

They can't delay - their destination
lies many miles across a frozen sea.

The Falkland Islands in the South
Atlantic,

the breeding grounds
of the rockhopper.

Our second
remarkable penguin - RockhopperCam -

will record the rockhoppers' arrival,
using a camera concealed in its eye.

It's joined by an aquatic version

that can film both above
and below the water.

Its camera-eye captures
the penguins' homecoming.

After five months at sea,
these rockhoppers are returning

to build new nests where
they themselves were born.

They appear at the same time each
year, having travelled 400 miles

from their fishing grounds off
Argentina to be here.

The real challenge begins
when they reach the shallows -

they must somehow make it ashore.

It won't be easy.

These are some of the roughest
waters in the world.

The first to appear are all males.

7,000 will arrive in small landing
parties over the next five days.

Rockhoppers are spirited characters.

Tough, irrepressible, with a
reputation of never giving up.

It's just as well.

As soon as they're ashore, the waves
reclaim them.

The heavy swells toss them like
flotsam, but they won't be deterred.

Success at last!

But victory is brief.

Despite their
ordeal, they must try again -

a new generation of rockhoppers
depends on it.

When they do, RockhopperCam will be
ready.

The Atacama desert in Peru,
the most arid in the world.

The surprising home of our third and
least known penguin...

..the Humboldt.

Sophisticated robotics allow
HumboldtCam

to patrol the shoreline where
the penguins are due to arrive.

But they're late -
the beach sadly deserted.

Then, after days of waiting,
they finally arrive.

These Humboldts will face their own
extraordinary challenges

as they struggle to reach their
nesting grounds

and raise a new generation.

They're so shy that they've
rarely been filmed,

but already HumboldtCam is capturing
the closest shots ever recorded.

It even moves among them
without ruffling a feather.

Humboldts are the only mainland
penguin to live in the tropics.

Their survival depends
on the Humboldt current that brings

both food
and cold water to these shores.

Like the other penguins, they accept
the SpyCam as one of their own,

even testing its reaction.

But it's only a brief encounter.

Fur seals!

PENGUINS SQUAWK

Chasing penguins is
one of their favourite pastimes.

To the seals, it's just a game.

They normally prey on fish and squid.

But the Humboldts aren't taking any
chances.

Higher up the beach
is a colony of sea lions.

Although they look
just like fur seals,

they're three times bigger
and they will kill penguins.

SEA LIONS GRUNT

There's also rather a lot of them.

20,000 in all,

blocking the way to the penguins'
nest site.

Crossing the blockade won't be easy.

HumboldtCam is already in the thick
of it

as the first penguin tries his luck.

Near the shore,
sea lions are thin on the ground.

It seems surprisingly
straightforward.

But nothing is ever that simple.

It's so easy to put a foot wrong.

But there's no turning back now.

Their best chance is to run for their
lives.

SEA LIONS SNARL

Fortunately for them,
sea lions are slow

and clumsy on land.

The penguins
outmanoeuvre them every time.

A close call...then a bite!

But he escapes with his life.

The advanced party makes it.

But only just!

They desperately clamber to safety.

Their followers aren't so lucky.

Just in time, they find a place to
hide - a sea cave.

It might offer shelter or hold hidden
dangers.

No-one's keen find out.

Back in Antarctica,

the emperor penguins' trek to their
breeding grounds is well under way.

It's a long slog and the frozen sea
ice presents all kinds of challenges.

But the occasional slip-up is the
least of their worries.

A small crack has appeared.

It's enough to stop the whole
march in its tracks.

Cracks form as the sea
beneath the ice rises and falls.

He's nervous, but the march must go
on.

The rest try their luck
with varying degrees of success.

They have reason to be frightened -

leopard seals patrol
these tide-cracks,

looking for struggling penguins.

As more pile in,
they pulverise the ice,

making it even harder to escape.

But they possess a useful tool -

an ice pick that gets them
out of trouble.

On the Falklands, RockhopperCam
returns to duty

as the penguins begin
their second assault on the shore.

The weather still isn't helping.

But they remember an old tactic -

face danger head on!

This streamlines the impact and keeps
their feet firmly on the ground.

They've passed the first hurdle, but
their challenges are far from over.

Rockhoppers build their nests as far
from the waves as possible,

at the top of a cliff that's
a hundred metres high!

It's a tough climb - but they aren't
called rockhoppers for nothing.

They haven't hopped for five months
and they're out of practice.

Made it! But that was just
the first few metres.

There's nearly a hundred to go!

RockCam prepares to record
the next of their many trials.

It's designed to film on the move.

A cliff path seems deceptively easy,
but RockCam soon has to give up.

There are sheer drops below
and the waves are steadily building.

Just one left...

..and then there were none.

They will just have to try yet again.

Back at the cave, the Humboldts are
still too nervous to enter.

But it just takes one brave soul
and the rest soon follow.

It was wise to be cautious.

The cave holds a nasty surprise.

Vampire bats.

They feed on any warm-blooded
creature and birds are no exception.

There's no reprieve, the sea lions
have cut off their escape.

SEA LIONS SNARL

Their only choice is to face their
fears.

BATS SQUEAK

While their eyes adjust to the dark,
they can't see the danger.

Vampires can last just two days
without feeding on blood -

they never turn down a meal.

They home in by sensing body heat.

As fortune has it,

the cave offers an escape route.

It's a tunnel that bypasses the
sea lions and reaches the other side.

As they scramble up the cliff,

another PenguinCam records their
achievement.

But the penguins face a new
challenge - the baking hot desert.

Year after year,

they return to this parched and
inhospitable place to lay their eggs.

They have no choice -

the desert borders
the coast for hundreds of miles.

They must reach their nest
sites before it gets too hot -

an unusual concern for a penguin!

In Antarctica,
emperors face an opposite problem.

A glacier entering the frozen sea

creates an ice maze riddled with
crevasses -

one mistake could prove fatal.

Even here, the penguins' incredible
sense of direction guides them

towards their breeding grounds.

By keeping together

and sharing knowledge,
they are less likely to get lost.

It's a matter of follow-the-leader,

but all it takes is
one false move...

..and it can all go horribly wrong.

PENGUIN SQUAWKS

Alone, the ice maze seems
strangely disorientating.

He calls,
but his voice is lost on the wind.

His companions continue without him.

He escapes the maze,

but it's too late.

He must attempt the journey alone.

Hardened by battle, the rockhoppers
stage one more assault.

In the race to the top,
one penguin cadges a ride.

With the tide receding,
the cliff path seems safer.

But appearances can be deceptive.

He's caught in a trap and
the sea isn't finished yet.

He makes it!

This time the sea is more forgiving.

Rockhoppers are notoriously
tenacious.

It's just as well -

an even steeper cliff lies ahead.

There are no easy routes, but he's
chosen one of the most difficult.

Mountaineering techniques are
required.

He uses his flippers as arms,

his claws as crampons

and his bill as a climbing axe.

He triumphs,

but a loss of concentration then
throws it all away.

Fortunately, body fat
makes a great shock-absorber.

This time he selects a less
challenging route.

At the summit,

the penguins show that their hopping
skills have returned.

It's a sack-race to
reclaim old nest-sites.

But other males have beaten them
here.

And it's difficult to remember
exactly where you nested last year.

Those that have already staked
a claim won't budge.

And they don't take kindly to
newcomers.

Among the crowds, a familiar face -

RockhopperCam.

Like other PenguinCams,
it can manoeuvre

to find the best viewpoint without
disturbing the colony.

It doesn't get better than this.

When the females arrive,

7,000 pairs will be jostling
here as they bring up their chicks.

Even so, RockhopperCam needs
back-up...

..EggCam!

Ten of these EggCams are deployed
throughout the colony.

They record continuously and film
closer than any other spy camera.

The male's job is to build the nest.

It may be just a few twigs,
but every piece is treasured.

Stealing from a neighbour is
a crime that pays.

With nest sites claimed and tidied,

a moment to celebrate.

Now, they have to wait a week or
more for the females to arrive.

The lone emperor continues his
journey,

determined to reach
the breeding grounds.

His companions are several
miles ahead

and the weather has started to turn.

He's built to endure
Antarctic storms,

but it's a bad time for any penguin
to be alone.

Ahead, the others are feeling the
full force of the blizzard.

PenguinCam joins them,

as driving snow makes the route
almost impassable.

They're now wasting
precious energy.

As winds reach 90 miles an hour,

they start to huddle
together for warmth.

It's their best chance of survival.

The lone penguin struggles on.

He's weakening from exertion
and the cold.

Then, through the whiteout,

distant shapes appear.

Forming the huddle allowed him
to catch up.

It may have saved his life.

The Humboldts are almost
at their nesting grounds,

but they have one last hurdle to
face -

a colony of Peruvian booby birds lies

between the penguins and their
nest-site.

Out at sea, the two
species are close competitors.

But here,
the boobies have the best weaponry.

PENGUIN CALLS

The penguins face an army of spears.

A jab to the eye would spell
disaster

and there are thousands of
birds to get through.

The Humboldts' only defence
is their quick reactions.

With escape in sight,
one penguin dares to retaliate.

But he doesn't hang around for long.

Their trials finally over,

the nest site is within reach.

It's a Humboldt nursery,
dug into the desert.

Here, they're safe from sea lions,
nesting birds and storms -

well worth the journey to get here.

Humboldts are faithful birds
and usually pair for life.

The males dig burrows to protect
their young from the desert sun.

It's dirty work.

The colony has been here
so long, it's built on guano -

centuries of accumulated penguin poo.

Job done, his mate moves in.

In a few days,
she'll lay the first egg.

The blizzard over, the emperors wake
to a very different day.

PENGUINS SQUAWK

They can't delay.

They still have miles to go.

EmperorCam takes an early lead.

Fresh snow creates perfect
sledging conditions.

Finally, the end of the emperors'
journey is in sight.

A frozen bay, located where the
sea-ice meets the Antarctic mainland.

Emperors have visited this hallowed
spot for thousands of years.

Here, the ice stays firm throughout
the breeding season,

giving sanctuary to 3,000 pairs.

SpyCams are already here.

And there are new varieties, too.

The penguin's waddle walk
is part of a display

that shows that this new EmperorCam
is regarded as just another penguin.

EmperorCam is a fully-fledged
member of the colony.

She's also the first to lay an egg!

A clutch of EggCams are soon
in the thick of it.

Back in the Falklands,
7,000 rockhopper males have waited

nearly two weeks
for their partners to arrive.

Their only pastime has been
a spot of housekeeping.

Then, the sight they've been
waiting for -

the girls are back.

Their surfing technique helps them
locate their favourite landing spot.

The tide is out, allowing a more
elegant arrival.

After five months away, they're keen
to see their partners again.

FEMALES SQUAWK

Hopping is faster than waddling,

so they bounce their way
to the colony.

Single males try
to catch their eye.

But rockhoppers mate for life and
most females are already spoken for.

She stops to listen.

Her partner has a distinctive
call that helps her

pinpoint his whereabouts.

She hasn't
seen him for nearly half a year.

Fittingly, their greeting is called
an "ecstatic display".

Preening helps
rekindle their relationship.

But not all are so lucky in love.

This male is still
waiting for his mate to return.

Emperor penguins are spared
these concerns,

as most choose a new mate each year.

Penguins looking
for a partner set themselves apart

and start to display.

This male doesn't have to
wait for long.

He's unlucky this time.

But he's spoilt for choice.

There are 3,000 possible partners.

Her waddle walk shows she's keen.

They mirror each other's actions to
confirm that they're now a couple.

But their blossoming
romance soon sparks jealousies.

A second female tries to muscle in.

She pecks at her rival,

but the male's having none of it.

The girls fight it out.

It's flippers at dawn.

She shoves her challenger
to the ground,

but it's not over yet.

Her mate cheers her on.

SQUAWKS

This time she's clinched it.

She's slapped her way to victory.

Their synchronised waddle advertises
they're an item.

It's time to get down to business.

It's their first breeding season
and their inexperience is clear.

And just as they get the hang of
things,

the female's love rival is back.

She has many ways of spoiling
the moment.

Time to find a quieter spot.

Back with the rockhoppers,

the lonesome male is still
waiting for his mate.

But his eye soon begins to wander.

RockhopperCam has found an admirer.

The penguin displays to show he's
keen.

She might be a robot,
but it's still love at first sight.

Preening is a sign that the male's
getting serious.

It seems the perfect match.

But some romances
aren't meant to be.

The rockhopper's real mate is coming
home...

..and she's in quite a hurry.

She's a jealous bird.

PenguinCam suffers the consequences.

The couple reunite.

They now only have eyes for each
other.

RockhopperCam may have been jilted,

but she picks herself right back up
again...

..while the pair have some
catching up to do.

At the emperor colony,

after mating, the new couples keep
themselves to themselves.

Two weeks later, it's time for their
single egg to be laid.

Both share in this precious moment.

On ice, laying is a challenge.

A dropped egg will quickly freeze,

and their long march would have been
for nothing.

She flicks her tail forward
to catch the egg,

while her feet cushion the fall.

Success!

She shows off her treasure -

her partner must understand that he
shares the responsibility.

It will soon be his turn to
care for it.

For the female,

producing the egg has taken its toll

and she must soon leave for the sea
to feed and recuperate.

The future of their developing chick

now depends on the strength
and endurance of its father.

Back in the Falklands,

rockhopper eggs are being laid
throughout the colony.

Rockhoppers have two eggs,
the first is smaller than the second.

The lesser egg is for insurance -
it's often taken by predators.

Skuas seize more than any other.

Their strategy is simple -

attack from out of the blue.

The colony soon switches to high
alert...

..and prepares its defences.

They create a fortress of sharp
beaks, impossible to penetrate.

The skua has lost the advantage
of surprise and retreats.

By joining forces,
the colony prevails.

And this penguin still has
both her eggs.

In Peru, the Humboldts also lay
two eggs,

but they conceal them
inside a burrow.

There are egg thieves here, too.

Turkey vultures time their arrival
for the nesting period.

But they are nervous of entering
the burrow.

A Humboldt will fight
fiercely to protect her eggs

and she easily repels the vulture.

Protected underground,
both eggs usually survive.

At the rockhopper colony,
it's time for a change of shifts.

After two weeks,

the female rockhoppers usually leave
for the sea.

Like the emperor females, they hand
over parenting duties to the males.

Some mums aren't convinced that this
is such a good idea.

She needs some gentle persuasion.

He tries a firmer approach...

..and she still refuses to budge.

But when push comes to shove,
the call of the sea prevails.

The females haven't
eaten for two weeks.

It's now a mad dash for the ocean
and food.

A lot rests on their success -

when they return, there will be
new mouths to feed.

For emperors, swapping parental
duties is a much riskier task.

The male offers encouragement
by showing off his brood pouch

which will protect the egg.

But she, too, is reluctant to trust
her mate

with such immense responsibility.

He tenderly strokes the egg -
a sign he will take good care.

But transferring the egg is
a delicate operation -

too long on the ice
and the embryo will freeze.

Success - the egg is now
cosily in his brood pouch.

It's time for his mate to leave
her treasure behind.

She and the other females must
retrace their steps back to the sea.

It will be a long journey.

Winter is closing in

and the falling temperatures have
frozen even more of the ocean.

The male must cherish this egg
throughout the long dark days ahead.

The female's duty is to return with
food in the spring.

For the male, the toughest
challenge is yet to come.

As the weather closes in, he must
protect their prized investment

through the harshest winter on Earth.

Back on the Falklands,

there is already movement.

An egg has started to hatch.

It's a magical moment...

..but this bundle of fluff will bring

a whole new set of challenges
for its parents.

Next time, our spy cameras will
discover how all these growing chicks

survive in some of the toughest
environments on Earth.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd