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200 million years ago,
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00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,516
our planet looked very different
from what it does today.
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00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,995
It was entirely covered by sea,
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00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,956
which surrounded one single
supercontinent we call Pangaea.
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00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,597
And then Pangaea began to break up.
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00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,116
Life was cast adrift on fragments of land.
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00:00:47,119 --> 00:00:51,795
And these fragments eventually
became our seven continents.
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00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,594
We will see how life developed
on each continent,
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00:00:57,719 --> 00:01:03,192
giving rise to the extraordinary
and wonderful diversity that we see today.
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00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,799
We'll venture to the frozen wilderness
of Antarctica...
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00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,075
...where life thrives against the odds...
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00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,632
...and to the riches of South America,
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00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,512
full of the unexpected...
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00:01:24,719 --> 00:01:26,790
...from the wilds of Africa...
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00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,512
...to the vast expanses of North America
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00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,712
and the searing heat of Australia.
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00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,872
We'll explore the remote reaches
of Asia...
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00:01:44,039 --> 00:01:46,235
...home to rarely seen creatures...
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00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,992
...and Europe,
a world transformed by humanity.
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00:01:58,599 --> 00:02:04,231
And we'll discover how this may be
the most critical moment for life on Earth
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00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:06,078
since the continents formed.
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00:02:07,599 --> 00:02:10,513
We are changing the world so rapidly
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that wildlife is now facing
some of its greatest challenges yet.
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00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,399
Never has it been
a more important time
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00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,911
to reveal the precious diversity of life
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00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:27,599
on our seven continents.
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00:02:50,199 --> 00:02:55,069
This is Seven Worlds, One Planet.
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Of all the continents...
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...one was first sighted by humans
just 200 years ago.
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00:03:32,439 --> 00:03:38,230
And only now are we beginning to
understand what it takes to survive here.
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It's the most hostile of them all.
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98% of mainland Antarctica,
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an area one and a half times
the size of the United States,
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is covered in ice...
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...on which virtually nothing can live.
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00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,519
So life is dependent on the ocean
that surrounds it.
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But even the ocean freezes.
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Only one mammal
can live this far south...
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...the Weddell seal.
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She has to keep her breathing hole open
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by grinding back the ice with her teeth.
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00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,233
Out here on the sea ice,
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all these seals are far from the predators
of the open ocean...
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...so this is the safest place
for her to give birth.
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00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,151
Leaving the warmth of the womb
and landing on ice
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is the sharpest drop in temperature
any animal ever faces.
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00:05:36,959 --> 00:05:42,273
But her pup can't swim
for the first ten days of its life.
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It's trapped here, out on the ice.
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She shields her pup from the wind.
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00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,149
Although it's spring,
temperatures can drop
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to minus 40 degrees Celsius
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00:06:22,439 --> 00:06:25,113
and blizzards can rage for days.
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00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,113
Three days on,
and the storm is still raging.
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She now faces the hardest of decisions.
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00:07:02,759 --> 00:07:04,432
Does she stay with her pup?
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00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,396
Or shelter in the water?
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Now her pup's best chance of survival
is for the storm to pass quickly.
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00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,869
Some pups didn't make it.
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00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:21,399
An answer.
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00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,351
If this pup now joins its mother
in the water,
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it will be safe from any future storm.
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It's minus 2 degrees Celsius,
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but being in water is warmer
than lying on the ice in the howling wind.
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Its chances of surviving here
are now extremely good.
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Only a few hardy animals can live
all year round as far south as this.
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00:09:31,039 --> 00:09:34,158
Further from the Pole,
on the fringes of the continent,
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lie islands that are free of sea ice.
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Here there are other challenges.
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Saint Andrews Bay on South Georgia
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is packed with half a million
king penguins.
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In spring, the chicks are left for days
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whilst their parents are away
collecting food for them.
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There is a simple arrangement.
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00:10:17,519 --> 00:10:21,149
The chicks must stay exactly
where their parents left them
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to be sure of being found again.
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00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,230
But this chick has decided
to look around.
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There is a lot to be investigated.
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00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:38,192
But it must not stray too far
from its meeting place.
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This parent has returned
with food in its crop.
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But its chick isn't where it left it.
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00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,840
It's hard to stay put
when there's so much to play with.
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Elephant seals are here too.
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Very mysterious.
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Finding it in the crowd of youngsters
is not going to be easy.
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00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,157
They must recognise each other
by their calls.
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00:12:47,919 --> 00:12:50,559
But to hear these
in such a noisy colony
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they must be within 15 metres
of each other.
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Reunited.
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00:13:36,519 --> 00:13:40,912
Saint Andrews beach is one
of the most crowded on the planet,
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00:13:41,039 --> 00:13:44,475
and so holding a territory here
is a constant battle.
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00:13:49,039 --> 00:13:55,433
This bull elephant seal holds
the mating rights to 60 females.
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For two months,
he's guarded this stretch of beach.
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00:14:04,279 --> 00:14:07,989
Unable to feed,
he's losing ten kilos a day...
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00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,030
...and he's exhausted.
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00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,913
But other bulls are lying around,
waiting their chance.
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Blubber 15cm thick
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is protection against the cold,
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but not from the impact
of a four-tonne opponent.
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He holds his ground
and forces the intruder back out to sea.
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00:16:20,039 --> 00:16:23,919
Life in the Antarctic is harsh indeed,
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00:16:24,039 --> 00:16:26,076
but all these creatures come here
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because the Southern Ocean
is one of the richest on Earth.
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00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,629
When, 30 million years ago,
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00:16:35,759 --> 00:16:40,072
the continent broke away
from South America and drifted south,
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00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,918
currents began to swirl right around it.
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00:16:48,879 --> 00:16:53,875
They are now the strongest
of any currents on the planet.
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00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,394
They sweep up nutrients from the depths
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00:17:01,519 --> 00:17:06,434
and so create one of the richest
feeding grounds in all the world's oceans.
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And some of the creatures
that come here to feast
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do so in a most sophisticated way.
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Humpback whales.
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It's summer,
and they've come here for a banquet.
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The cold waters
contain great shoals of krill.
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It's estimated that
there are 400 trillion of them
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and that their combined weight is greater
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than that of any other animal species
on the planet.
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To collect them, the humpbacks
blow curtains of bubbles
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which the krill won't cross.
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00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:38,590
The whales then rise,
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00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,111
spiralling inwards
to concentrate the swarm.
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00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,035
Summer in Antarctica is a time of plenty,
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00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:04,154
when most humpbacks are able to put on
the reserves they need for the whole year.
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00:19:08,039 --> 00:19:12,590
But the wildlife in these waters
faces an uncertain future.
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00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:20,160
The Southern Ocean is warming.
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00:19:26,799 --> 00:19:30,509
90% of the world's ice
lies in Antarctica,
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00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:35,919
and in some parts the rate at which
it's melting is doubling every decade.
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Sea levels are rising.
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00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:46,151
But there is a more immediate threat.
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00:19:48,319 --> 00:19:51,073
The warming of the coldest region on Earth
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00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,034
is having a profound effect
on global weather patterns.
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00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,749
And this change in the climate
is already being felt right here.
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00:20:06,079 --> 00:20:10,550
This grey-headed albatross chick
is four weeks old.
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So far, it has been sheltered
from the gales by its parents,
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who take turns to collect food for it
out at sea.
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00:20:26,839 --> 00:20:31,152
It is the only chick
that they will have in two years.
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A delicate touching of beaks
strengthens their bond.
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00:21:03,319 --> 00:21:06,869
But these tender moments
cannot last for ever.
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00:21:11,759 --> 00:21:15,913
As a chick grows, so does its appetite,
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00:21:16,039 --> 00:21:20,477
so one parent has to leave to find food
before the other returns.
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00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,711
Parting is a big step,
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00:21:27,839 --> 00:21:29,750
and they take time over it.
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00:22:05,599 --> 00:22:08,353
For the first time in its life,
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this chick is alone.
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00:22:19,759 --> 00:22:23,151
The Antarctic is the windiest continent,
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00:22:23,279 --> 00:22:27,750
and in recent years,
climate change has brought storms
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00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,837
that are more frequent
and even more powerful.
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00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,398
Winds now regularly reach 70mph.
148
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,830
But the albatross chicks
must try to stay on their nests.
149
00:23:49,519 --> 00:23:51,750
Surviving the storm is one thing...
150
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:58,077
...but now, off the nest
in these freezing temperatures,
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00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,999
this chick has just hours to live.
152
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:16,156
The brutal conditions
have taken their toll.
153
00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,795
Some chicks have already succumbed
to exposure.
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00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,276
The bond is so strong
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it can be hard for a father to let go.
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00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:46,912
The albatross population here
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00:24:47,039 --> 00:24:51,272
has more than halved in the last 15 years.
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00:24:54,519 --> 00:24:57,797
These albatross are facing extinction.
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They simply cannot keep pace
with the changes affecting their world.
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More parents are returning
to the colony.
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Something is not right.
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The nest should not be empty.
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The chick is actually
right below its parent,
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00:26:03,799 --> 00:26:08,237
but because it's not on the nest,
the parent doesn't recognise it...
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...and doesn't help it.
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Strangely, perhaps,
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these albatross do not recognise
their chicks by sight,
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sound or smell.
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00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,838
They identify them
by finding them on the nest.
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00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:45,597
So these violent storms
have created a problem
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that the albatross
are not equipped to solve.
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If it is to survive,
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the chick will have to
get back on the nest by itself.
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The chick has made it.
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00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,758
The bond is re-established immediately
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and its parent once again
provides the warmth
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that the chick so desperately needs.
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It's safe...for now.
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00:28:48,799 --> 00:28:52,759
Nowhere in Antarctica is survival easy.
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00:28:54,359 --> 00:28:59,150
Gentoo penguins
travel up to 50 miles every day
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to find food,
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and they're now returning to their chicks.
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They are the fastest penguin in the sea
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and can swim at 22mph.
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00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,431
But other animals can swim much faster.
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Orca.
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00:29:42,359 --> 00:29:45,272
This penguin must rely on its agility.
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00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,678
With four orcas chasing it,
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00:31:09,799 --> 00:31:11,996
the penguin stood little chance.
190
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,999
Most gentoo parents
do make it back to the colony.
191
00:31:47,359 --> 00:31:51,193
Today, it's been a good hunt for krill.
192
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,715
Perhaps too good.
193
00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:04,752
The chicks grow, and it seems that
the Mohawk style is back in fashion.
194
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It's just a phase.
195
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,358
He'll grow out of it.
196
00:32:14,839 --> 00:32:17,513
He'll soon lose
these remaining down feathers
197
00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:21,634
and be ready to leave the colony
and collect food for himself.
198
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,117
But doing so is becoming harder
199
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,435
because of climate change.
200
00:32:34,559 --> 00:32:37,790
Glaciers in the region
are now calving faster
201
00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:41,116
than they have done since records began.
202
00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,829
And this brash ice now fills the bays.
203
00:33:02,319 --> 00:33:04,755
It's autumn.
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00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,875
The chicks have lost their down feathers
and they're hungry.
205
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,834
They must go to sea for the first time.
206
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,876
But there's now a risk of being crushed
between blocks of ice.
207
00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,872
They have to get
to the distant icebergs...
208
00:33:35,279 --> 00:33:39,398
...and so reach the open ocean
that lies beyond.
209
00:33:43,079 --> 00:33:45,720
And that is easier said than done.
210
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A leopard seal.
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Their main predator.
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00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,438
It's a giant - three metres long.
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00:34:08,119 --> 00:34:11,829
These icy conditions help it to hunt.
214
00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:23,309
The penguins can neither walk nor swim.
215
00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,949
They have no way of telling
where the seal will strike.
216
00:35:14,639 --> 00:35:17,074
These are easy pickings.
217
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,952
For some, it's time to retreat.
218
00:36:08,079 --> 00:36:10,878
But now it's back to square one.
219
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:20,278
There's no alternative
but to run the gauntlet once again.
220
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:57,793
The seal seems to be toying
with this penguin.
221
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:04,309
But safety is in sight.
222
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,153
The ice floe is near the open ocean...
223
00:37:27,039 --> 00:37:30,077
...but this penguin is exhausted.
224
00:38:09,519 --> 00:38:12,318
Perhaps it's not worth it, after all.
225
00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,271
Winter is coming.
226
00:38:43,679 --> 00:38:48,550
Antarctica now undergoes
a major transformation.
227
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,998
Every day, 40,000 more square miles
of sea freeze over.
228
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:03,431
By the end of winter,
the continent has doubled in size.
229
00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:09,998
This is by far
the largest desert in the world.
230
00:39:27,559 --> 00:39:32,190
But the frozen surface of the sea
hides a great secret.
231
00:39:40,639 --> 00:39:42,994
It may be hostile above the ice,
232
00:39:43,119 --> 00:39:46,396
but below it, conditions are so stable
233
00:39:46,519 --> 00:39:50,434
that life over millennia
has had time to diversify.
234
00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:58,675
Creatures here grow to a great size.
235
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:02,190
Predatory nemertine worms
are three metres long.
236
00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:10,429
These dramas only become visible
when speeded up.
237
00:40:15,199 --> 00:40:18,112
We're only just beginning to discover
the details
238
00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:21,197
of the lives of such strange creatures.
239
00:40:26,679 --> 00:40:29,320
Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites.
240
00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:37,478
Each individual possesses
both male and female reproductive organs,
241
00:40:37,599 --> 00:40:43,596
so to mate, one nudibranch
just needs to find another nudibranch,
242
00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:45,757
and anyone will do.
243
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:49,795
But nonetheless, this is a challenge
244
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,275
when their tiny eyes can barely see.
245
00:41:05,199 --> 00:41:08,079
Some do get lucky.
246
00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,559
They're fertilising each other,
247
00:41:18,679 --> 00:41:20,909
and both will produce young.
248
00:41:27,559 --> 00:41:30,153
When it's hard to find a partner,
249
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,431
it pays not to have to worry
about your gender.
250
00:41:44,159 --> 00:41:48,472
Sea anemones may look like plants,
but actually are animals,
251
00:41:48,599 --> 00:41:54,436
and feed by catching edible particles that
drift within reach of their tentacles.
252
00:41:58,079 --> 00:42:00,434
But being rooted to the sea floor
253
00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:03,119
makes them vulnerable to predators.
254
00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:11,554
An ocean-going jellyfish, a metre
or so across, searching for food.
255
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:27,989
The jellyfish senses prey.
256
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:53,753
But it's the sea anemones
that have made the catch,
257
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,996
and they've grabbed a monster.
258
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,152
A rare feast
for these stationary predators.
259
00:43:17,119 --> 00:43:21,353
They devour their catch
over the next four days.
260
00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:38,994
Life here under the ice
has remained unchanged for millennia.
261
00:43:40,039 --> 00:43:42,190
But in the last 200 years
262
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:47,030
much of Antarctica's wildlife
has had to face new predators.
263
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:53,396
Human beings.
264
00:43:56,039 --> 00:44:00,398
We devised new hunting techniques
and used them so mercilessly
265
00:44:00,519 --> 00:44:04,036
that we almost exterminated
the great whales.
266
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:12,393
These whaling stations on South Georgia
were at the centre of this industry.
267
00:44:23,559 --> 00:44:29,317
More than one and a half million whales
were slaughtered in Antarctic waters.
268
00:44:32,199 --> 00:44:36,079
The blubber was stripped
from their massive bodies
269
00:44:36,199 --> 00:44:41,228
and boiled down in vats
to make margarine and soap.
270
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:48,077
And the largest animal ever recorded -
271
00:44:48,199 --> 00:44:53,592
a 33-metre blue whale,
perhaps over 100 years old -
272
00:44:53,719 --> 00:44:57,599
was butchered on this ramp
in just two hours.
273
00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,949
This reckless slaughter marked a new low
274
00:45:10,079 --> 00:45:12,719
in our relationship
with the natural world.
275
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,996
Southern right whales
were hit the hardest.
276
00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:52,871
They were so trusting and inquisitive
277
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,231
that they swam right up
to the whalers' boats.
278
00:45:58,639 --> 00:46:02,110
And the whalers called them right whales
279
00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:05,596
because they were
the right whales to hunt.
280
00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:18,471
Mothers with calves
were targeted first.
281
00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,717
To give birth, females came
to the same sheltered bays
282
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:30,072
and would not leave their calves
alone at the surface.
283
00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:32,918
In just decades,
284
00:46:33,039 --> 00:46:37,795
a population of 35,000 was so reduced
285
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:41,117
that only 35 of the females survived.
286
00:46:45,519 --> 00:46:47,909
But times have changed.
287
00:46:48,039 --> 00:46:53,831
A ban on the commercial hunting
of whales introduced in 1986
288
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:59,193
has stopped all but Japan,
Norway and Iceland.
289
00:47:02,679 --> 00:47:08,231
Our relationship to these remarkable
creatures has undergone a huge shift.
290
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:15,195
Scientists are now learning
a great deal about these whales...
291
00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:22,552
...but we still don't know
how long they live.
292
00:47:26,119 --> 00:47:29,237
It's thought
that some individuals alive today
293
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,670
were around
at the time of the mass slaughter...
294
00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:40,793
...yet these 60-tonne whales remain
gentle and inquisitive around humans.
295
00:47:48,559 --> 00:47:51,552
By putting a stop
to commercial hunting,
296
00:47:51,679 --> 00:47:55,992
this population of whales
has now grown to over 2,000.
297
00:48:19,119 --> 00:48:22,192
The recovery of life in Antarctic waters
298
00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:27,759
may have a significance that extends
far beyond the reaches of the continent
299
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,155
and will affect us all.
300
00:48:34,119 --> 00:48:37,077
Just off the coast of Elephant Island,
301
00:48:37,199 --> 00:48:43,594
we have recently witnessed what might be
the greatest feeding spectacle on Earth.
302
00:48:48,119 --> 00:48:49,918
On the horizon,
303
00:48:50,039 --> 00:48:55,432
over 150 whales have gathered
to feast on krill.
304
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:08,831
This is the largest congregation
of great whales ever filmed.
305
00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:26,356
These are mostly fin whales,
up to 26 metres long.
306
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:32,077
Humpback whales are dwarfed
in comparison.
307
00:49:35,199 --> 00:49:40,036
Thousands of animals
from all over Antarctic waters
308
00:49:40,159 --> 00:49:41,639
are making their way here.
309
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:58,831
These seas are once again
beginning to brim with life.
310
00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,271
And scientists have discovered
that the Southern Ocean,
311
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,197
and the life within it,
312
00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,199
soaks up more than twice as much
carbon from the atmosphere
313
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:15,436
as the Amazon rainforest.
314
00:50:24,519 --> 00:50:26,989
By protecting Antarctica,
315
00:50:27,119 --> 00:50:30,396
we don't just protect the life here,
316
00:50:30,519 --> 00:50:36,197
we are helping to restore
the natural balance of the entire planet.
317
00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:01,592
Saint Andrews Bay
318
00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:05,713
provides one of the most spectacular
sights in the whole of the Antarctic,
319
00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:10,869
but to get there the team will have to
cross the roughest seas in the world,
320
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:13,833
and nerves are starting to show.
321
00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:16,269
The wind is picking up already!
322
00:51:18,159 --> 00:51:23,393
It'll take ten days at sea
to reach this remote location.
323
00:51:23,519 --> 00:51:28,195
And it's not long before
they start to feel a bit green.
324
00:51:30,960 --> 00:51:33,429
No, there's some big waves
coming now.
325
00:51:33,559 --> 00:51:39,476
With these conditions lasting days,
all who can take shifts at the helm.
326
00:51:41,079 --> 00:51:44,630
And you get given a talk
to say if you fall in the water here,
327
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,639
there's nothing anyone can do,
they can't save you.
328
00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:51,355
It's so cold, you'll die
in under a couple of minutes.
329
00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:52,628
Wow!
330
00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:01,998
Below deck,
Rolf hasn't yet found his sea legs.
331
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:09,038
For me, this is like punishment
or prisoner ship or whatever.
332
00:52:09,159 --> 00:52:13,039
I mean, I can't understand at all
how people do this voluntarily,
333
00:52:13,159 --> 00:52:17,039
people dream of being on a boat
or sailing or anything.
334
00:52:17,159 --> 00:52:20,117
Look at that.
1 mean, how much the boat is moving,
335
00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:22,150
1 feel like in a washing machine.
336
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,155
The island of South Georgia
finally appears.
337
00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,713
It's a relief to step onto solid land.
338
00:52:38,559 --> 00:52:41,233
Yeah, the seasickness
is already forgotten, to be honest,
339
00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:43,077
but it's all forgotten.
340
00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:46,077
It's just out of this world.
341
00:52:47,599 --> 00:52:50,159
It's so wonderful
that these places still exist.
342
00:52:55,159 --> 00:52:59,996
They will spend the next three weeks
in Saint Andrews Bay.
343
00:53:01,519 --> 00:53:06,070
Rolf is here to film the king penguins
in this enormous colony.
344
00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:12,679
And Mark must capture
the elephant seals' intense mating season.
345
00:53:16,559 --> 00:53:20,349
On such a crowded beach,
fights can break out anywhere.
346
00:53:24,639 --> 00:53:27,836
Males are up to six metres long
347
00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:30,269
and they are pumped
full of testosterone.
348
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:37,556
The bulls take little notice of the crew
and will stop at nothing.
349
00:53:37,679 --> 00:53:39,717
Oh, my God.
350
00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:06,838
That went from nothing
351
00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:09,793
to being nearly steam-rollered
by four huge males.
352
00:54:16,639 --> 00:54:18,835
Beyond the chaos of the beach,
353
00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:22,077
Rolf has king penguins in front of him,
354
00:54:22,199 --> 00:54:24,668
and, thankfully, he's smiling again.
355
00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,155
1 would really call them
the gentlemen penguins
356
00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:31,068
because they are very polite,
they are charming, they have humour -
357
00:54:31,199 --> 00:54:35,239
there are so many funny, lovely moments.
358
00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:38,590
1 absolutely adore the penguins for that.
359
00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:40,791
But as weeks go by,
360
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:45,914
the reality of living amongst penguins
comes to the fore.
361
00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:51,438
Every morning 1 think,
"Wow, it's-it's stinky,”
362
00:54:51,559 --> 00:54:56,429
but then 1 realise these smells
come out of my suit
363
00:54:56,559 --> 00:54:58,436
and it's myself!
364
00:54:58,559 --> 00:54:59,550
Urgh.
365
00:55:06,079 --> 00:55:11,280
Back on the beach, the team
Is using a stabilised camera rig.
366
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:14,472
They can now react faster to fights.
367
00:55:15,599 --> 00:55:18,353
So far on this shoot,
we've seen a lot of quick fights
368
00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:20,755
but we haven't seen
some extended fights
369
00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:26,114
where you see one bull
paired equally against another bull.
370
00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:29,231
These fights are rare.
371
00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:31,920
The team will need to be at the ready.
372
00:55:32,039 --> 00:55:34,713
- Mark, Mark, Mark.
- Let's get running.
373
00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:41,434
Ooh, hello.
374
00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:02,550
- These are two huge, evenly matched boys.
- I know.
375
00:56:02,679 --> 00:56:04,512
Wow, 1 never thought
we'd be this close 10 them.
376
00:56:04,639 --> 00:56:05,550
1 know. Nor did 1.
377
00:56:05,679 --> 00:56:08,831
This is really tense.
We've just got to watch out.
378
00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:15,280
Got there.
379
00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:21,840
1 never thought I'd see it that close
380
00:56:21,960 --> 00:56:26,909
and be able to move around it as this
kind of aggressive ballet is happening.
381
00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:31,632
And it does make you quite tense.
382
00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:38,317
The shoot is going well,
but the crew are noticing worrying signs.
383
00:56:40,559 --> 00:56:42,233
It's a really hot day today.
384
00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:50,510
30 years ago, the front of that glacier
was right down on the beach.
385
00:56:50,639 --> 00:56:52,277
It's retreated a huge amount.
386
00:56:53,679 --> 00:56:56,751
I don't really know what climate change
is going to mean
387
00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,679
for all the wildlife that's living here.
388
00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:06,112
Parts of the Antarctic are warming five
times faster than the rest of the world.
389
00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:09,438
If this trend continues,
390
00:57:09,559 --> 00:57:13,393
it will threaten the very existence
of these polar creatures.
391
00:57:16,039 --> 00:57:18,349
On the last day of filming,
392
00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:23,509
the team can't help but reflect
on the future of the wildlife here.
393
00:57:23,639 --> 00:57:25,516
For me, it's emotional,
394
00:57:25,639 --> 00:57:28,996
because I know this might have been
a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
395
00:57:30,159 --> 00:57:34,278
1 will definitely take big memories
with me and 1 will be sad.
396
00:57:36,719 --> 00:57:39,472
It's a really special place, you know,
SO...
397
00:57:41,119 --> 00:57:42,918
1 don't know.
398
00:57:46,239 --> 00:57:49,516
1 just hope we can keep these places...
399
00:57:50,800 --> 00:57:51,994
...and protect them.
400
00:58:09,079 --> 00:58:10,275
Next time...
401
00:58:11,320 --> 00:58:13,277
...the largest continent on Earth.
402
00:58:17,159 --> 00:58:18,878
A world of extremes...
403
00:58:20,039 --> 00:58:23,351
...where rarely seen animals
roam the land.
404
00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:31,869
Asia.
31615
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