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At the far south of our planet
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00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,560
lies the most hostile
of the Earth's frozen lands.
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00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:46,200
Antarctica.
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00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,560
Here, temperatures can fall
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00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,480
to below minus 80 degrees Celsius...
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00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,920
...and winds blow up to 200mph.
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00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:10,640
Its icy centre
is almost devoid of life.
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00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,560
But on the edge of Antarctica,
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some creatures find a way
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not just to survive,
but to flourish.
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Here are some of the greatest
concentrations of life
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00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:35,240
to be found anywhere on Earth.
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00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,560
The continent of Antarctica
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00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,200
lies at the southern end
of the globe.
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00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,120
Twice the size of Australia,
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00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,200
it's the largest, coldest
expanse of land on the planet.
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00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,080
To the north of it, however,
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00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,360
across 1,000 miles of ocean,
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00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,760
lie the subantarctic islands,
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00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:17,000
where conditions are
somewhat less hostile to life.
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00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,040
The largest of them
is South Georgia.
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00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,840
Here, a million king penguins
live and breed the year round.
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00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,040
A mother has returned
after a month at sea...
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...collecting food
for her hungry chick.
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00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:12,200
At ten months old, chicks are
the size of a human toddler,
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00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,720
and covered in no more
than a downy fleece.
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00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,040
Until they get
their waterproof feathers,
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00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,400
they themselves cannot go to sea...
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00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,200
...so they have to rely totally
on their parents
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00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,480
to bring them food.
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Their time together is brief -
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00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,760
just long enough to disgorge
her crop of fish and squid.
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00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,760
All too soon,
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00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,960
parents have to return to sea
to collect more.
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00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:04,800
But getting back there
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00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,560
can take several hours.
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00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,720
Hundreds of parents
make the commute together.
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00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:21,080
A beak can be used as an ice-pick
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00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,600
to negotiate the steeper parts
of their trek.
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00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,440
This mile-long snow-covered trudge
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00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:35,920
is unique to this colony,
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and has never been seen before.
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At last, the sea.
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00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:02,080
After several days on land,
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00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,480
their feathers need washing
to be ready
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00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,520
for the long days of swimming
that lie ahead.
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00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:22,040
But this is a dangerous place
to loiter.
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Leopard seals.
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00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:56,840
Three metres long,
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00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,120
more than three times
the size of a king penguin,
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00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,120
these fearsome hunters
are usually solitary.
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00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,040
But at this time of the year,
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00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,240
in this bay, there are
as many as 30 of them.
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00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:27,880
If these penguins think
that they're safe on land...
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00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,320
...they are mistaken.
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00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,400
Any one of these huge seals
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00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,480
can take as many
as ten penguins a day.
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00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,040
Their best chance...
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00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,680
...is to stay with the crowd.
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00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,600
There's safety in numbers.
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00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,600
Made it.
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00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,080
Only to return in a month's time...
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00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,240
...and once again face death head-on.
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00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,880
This is surely
one of the greatest challenges
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00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:19,760
faced by any parent.
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00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,320
1,500 miles off the continent's
east coast
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lies another of the tiny outposts
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that are vital for the survival
of Antarctic wildlife.
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00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,600
The Sub-Antarctic Islands
of the Antipodes.
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00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,800
In spring, the longer days
turn each tiny speck of land
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00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,040
into a potential breeding ground...
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00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,600
...for the Antipodean
wandering albatross.
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00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:13,840
Its wings are three metres across,
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amongst the biggest of any bird.
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00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,560
This 14-year-old male
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00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:27,280
is now mature enough
to start selecting a partner.
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00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,920
For the smaller, darker female,
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00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,680
choosing a suitable mate
is of equal importance.
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00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,680
After all,
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00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:47,240
they may stay together
for the next 50 years.
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00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,360
To make this crucial decision,
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00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,520
they use one of the most
elaborate courtship rituals
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00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,120
of any sea bird.
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00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:02,200
He begins by sky-pointing.
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00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,560
It seems to be working.
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00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,520
Next, he attempts a move...
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00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,440
...known as the double head-bob.
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00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,600
The finale is the real decider.
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00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,640
Synchronised wing-spreading.
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00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:09,640
She seems impressed.
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00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,720
But another male appears...
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00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,240
...and shows off...
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00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,200
...his wings.
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00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,200
The greater the span,
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00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,520
the more attractive he could be.
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00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,440
But the first male won't tolerate
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00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,600
a rival cutting in.
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00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,240
Yet another hopeful
joins in the competition.
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00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,760
And another.
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00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,520
This was not supposed to be
a dance-off.
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00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:12,040
She prefers one tango at a time.
102
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:26,320
It seems that this is not
going to be his year after all.
103
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,720
But he's caught the eye
of another albatross.
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00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:51,640
Once again, he begins
his courtship display.
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00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,880
But this is, in fact,
another male.
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00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,840
Regardless, he continues
to demonstrate his eligibility.
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00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,240
This could still be the one
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00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,840
with whom he will share
the rest of his life.
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00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:52,760
On the Antipodes Islands, it's
becoming increasingly common.
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00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:58,760
Today, there are three times
as many males as females.
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00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,240
Females feed further north
than the males,
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00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,600
in waters used
by industrial fishing fleets
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00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,080
that catch and drown
great numbers of sea birds.
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00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,120
As a result,
the female albatross here
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00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,120
is now declining fast.
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00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,640
A same-sex partnership like this
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00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,720
may bring no survival advantage...
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00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:45,920
...but is apparently preferable
to a life alone.
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00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,440
The wealth of life found around
Antarctica's lonely islands
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00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,440
is evidence of the richness of
the waters that surround them.
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00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,920
The Southern Ocean.
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00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,560
It may appear treacherous.
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00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:26,040
Its gale-force winds certainly
create powerful currents.
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00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,520
But all this stirring
has an important effect.
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00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,520
It brings up nutrients
from the depths,
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00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,160
helping to create some
of the richest seas on Earth.
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00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,520
And this provides food
for the largest animal
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00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,240
to have ever lived.
129
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,280
The Antarctic blue whale.
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00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,800
It's more than 30 metres long...
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00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,280
...but it's rarely
been filmed before.
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00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,360
Only the Southern Ocean
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can provide the four tonnes of food
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00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,240
that the biggest of all
blue whales needs every day.
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00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:17,320
This ocean giant was
almost hunted to extinction,
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00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:19,880
but thanks to an international ban
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00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:21,720
on commercial whaling,
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00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,360
its numbers are now increasing.
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00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,560
The closer the seas are
to mainland Antarctica...
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00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,640
...the colder they become...
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00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,680
...until, a few hundred miles
offshore,
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00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,520
the ocean's surface freezes solid.
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00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,640
It forms a cover of sea ice
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00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,440
that is twice the size of Europe
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00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,480
and encircles the entire continent.
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00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,120
This is a stronghold
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00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:44,920
for one of Antarctica's
most remarkable inhabitants.
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00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,760
It uses its teeth
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00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:58,320
to prevent its breathing holes
from freezing over.
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00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:07,960
The Weddell seal.
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00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,320
The most southerly breeding
mammal on the planet.
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00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,120
This ten-day-old pup
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is still entirely dependent
on his mother.
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00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,440
Out on the ice,
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00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,680
it may be safe
from marine predators...
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00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,880
...but within its first two weeks,
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it will have to venture
into the underwater world
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00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:46,240
upon which its future depends.
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00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:56,200
This is the coldest water on Earth.
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00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,080
So it's not surprising
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that a pup needs some encouragement.
162
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,760
It's time to leave the safety
of the breathing hole.
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To catch fish
and then safely return,
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00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,040
this pup must learn
how to find his way
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00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:38,520
through the maze
of underwater ice caverns.
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00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,560
But after just eight minutes...
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00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,160
...his mother signals
that it's time to head back.
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00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,560
She can hold her breath
for an hour and a half.
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00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,400
But he is already starting to tire
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00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,280
and is running out of air.
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00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,840
On their way back
to their breathing hole,
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00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:26,560
they hear a sound
as loud as a fighter jet.
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00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:38,640
It is the call of a half-tonne
male Weddell seal
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announcing that
he's on the lookout for a mate.
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00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,720
She, however, is still
producing milk for her pup,
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and so isn't sexually receptive.
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00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,880
But he doesn't stop trying.
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00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,880
To repel his advances,
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00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,040
she leaves her pup's side.
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00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,200
But the pup isn't strong enough
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00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,840
to haul himself out
without his mother's help.
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00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,120
She tries to fight off
the adult male.
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00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:20,320
She's wounded him so seriously
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00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,680
that he is unlikely
to be back any time soon.
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00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,560
A gentle nudge from Mother
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00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,640
is all an exhausted pup needs
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00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,960
to make it to the safety
of the sea ice.
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00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,320
Mothers stay with their pups
for six weeks,
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00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,240
by which time they're strong
enough to fend for themselves.
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00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,520
As spring arrives,
the sea ice retreats,
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00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,920
and in a few places,
Antarctica's coast
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00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,400
is exposed to the open sea.
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00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:30,880
And that attracts
all kinds of animals.
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00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,920
Having spent the winter at sea,
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00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,560
chinstrap penguins can now
come ashore to breed.
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00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:54,040
Soon, the coast becomes
extremely crowded.
197
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,120
But there are ways
to maintain social distance.
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00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:23,920
Oh, dear.
199
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,800
The chicks,
until they're eight weeks old,
200
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,240
depend on their parents for food
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00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,000
and, critically, warmth.
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00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,080
Meltwater is a particular problem.
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00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,280
The chicks' feathers
are not yet waterproof.
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00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,360
Getting wet could be fatal.
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00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:58,120
A father's duty is to keep
his chicks high and dry...
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00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,840
...using the only
building material available.
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00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,120
Stones.
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00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,400
And suitable ones are precious.
209
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:28,880
So it's vital to hold on
to every one.
210
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,840
But while backs are turned...
211
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,600
...collections are readily
plundered by neighbours.
212
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,360
With thieves like these around...
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00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,640
...that stone has just become
even more valuable.
214
00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,720
What's lacking in skill...
215
00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,560
...is made up for with persistence.
216
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,880
But a parent's labours
could be in vain.
217
00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:57,000
Summer temperatures
have now been recorded
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00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,600
as high as 18 degrees Celsius.
219
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:13,640
As a result, the penguins'
carefully constructed platforms
220
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:15,480
are now being flooded.
221
00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:20,800
There is more meltwater
than ever before...
222
00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,720
...and the ground
is becoming a quagmire.
223
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:35,600
Downy feathers,
224
00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,520
which are excellent insulation
from the cold when dry,
225
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,960
are no defence when wet.
226
00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,200
Hypothermia sets in.
227
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:08,480
Over the last 50 years,
228
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,520
the number of chinstraps here
has dropped by half.
229
00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:22,680
Antarctica is losing
230
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,520
the very element that defines it.
231
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,080
Ice.
232
00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,440
That is now diminishing
233
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,240
six times faster than it once did.
234
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,240
Neumayer Glacier on South Georgia
235
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,440
has lost nearly six miles
of ice in just 20 years.
236
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,640
Parts of Antarctica are warming
faster than anywhere else
237
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:06,400
in the southern hemisphere.
238
00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,600
And that is having
a serious effect
239
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,480
on the animals
that live on its coast,
240
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,960
such as the Weddell seal.
241
00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,480
With less sea ice available,
242
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,440
many are now hauling out on land.
243
00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,400
That's not just a problem
for them...
244
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,360
...but also for the predators
245
00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,400
that specialise in hunting them...
246
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,920
...one particular group
of Antarctic killer whales,
247
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,200
100 or so animals strong.
248
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,880
Killer whales are among
the most intelligent
249
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:08,680
of all nonhuman predators.
250
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,680
And they're now working out
how to tackle prey
251
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,880
that isn't a Weddell seal.
252
00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:24,040
An Adelie penguin,
resting on the ice.
253
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,960
A mere snack
for an adult killer whale...
254
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,880
...but it gives this group
of six-year-olds
255
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,200
a chance to practise one
of their particularly ingenious
256
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:47,480
hunting techniques.
257
00:31:58,040 --> 00:31:59,680
Wave-washing.
258
00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:05,440
A skill that takes
at least 15 years to perfect.
259
00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,840
First, the killer whales assess
the size and position
260
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,120
of a possible victim.
261
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,880
They must then calculate
the speed needed...
262
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:19,920
...for an attack.
263
00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:30,480
But they're too late.
264
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,480
Even though a co-ordinated
flick of their tails
265
00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,040
creates a reasonable wave...
266
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,000
...it's nothing
without precision timing.
267
00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,880
With fewer of their favourite
prey of Weddell seals
268
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,800
resting on ice floes,
269
00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,920
killer whales now have no choice
270
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,000
but to target new prey.
271
00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,840
Crabeater seals.
272
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,440
Numbering 15 million,
273
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,080
they're the most abundant
marine mammal on Earth.
274
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,760
But they are a far more
dangerous target...
275
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:37,520
...than a Weddell seal.
276
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:41,080
Stronger...
277
00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,240
...and more inclined to fight back.
278
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,400
But each member of this pod
279
00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,200
needs to eat a seal a day.
280
00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,560
So the pressure is on to feed.
281
00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:11,960
They're led by a matriarch
282
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,320
who knows exactly what to do.
283
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,760
Living 100 years or more,
284
00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:25,240
she has plenty of hunting
experience to draw upon.
285
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,160
With the ice floe
having broken in two,
286
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,440
the seals have become
more vulnerable.
287
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:08,160
The matriarch now pushes
the ice floe into open water
288
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,360
to give their next wave
maximum impact.
289
00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,840
This requires teamwork
and precision.
290
00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,400
She makes her final calculations.
291
00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,560
This seal has only one way
292
00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,440
of escaping death.
293
00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,360
Unlike the less muscular
Weddell seal,
294
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:36,080
the crabeater has the strength
295
00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,080
to hurl itself out of the water...
296
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:40,520
...just in time.
297
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:47,760
For the killer whales,
298
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,000
it has been
a significant waste of energy.
299
00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,720
Their need to eat
is now greater than ever.
300
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:05,920
A leopard seal.
301
00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:14,520
By far the most ferocious
of all Antarctica's seals.
302
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,640
Dare this pod tackle him?
303
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,200
He's a three-metre adult,
304
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,560
an aggressive hunter
in his own right.
305
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,680
Unused to being targeted
by killer whales...
306
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,640
...the leopard seal
makes the mistake
307
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,160
of leaving the safety
of the ice floe.
308
00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,360
The killer whales approach
the seal with utmost caution.
309
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,080
Keeping away
from its powerful teeth,
310
00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,120
they seize it by its tail...
311
00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,880
...and try to drown it.
312
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,440
The hungry youngsters
get to feed first.
313
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,400
But tackling less-familiar prey
is risky,
314
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:12,680
and starvation is a real
danger for these killer whales.
315
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,000
Only time will tell
316
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,600
whether these skilful hunters
can adjust quickly enough
317
00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:30,920
to survive in this changing world.
318
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:47,360
Beyond Antarctica's
rich coastal fringes
319
00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:50,440
lies a vast frozen interior.
320
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:59,240
This is certainly one
of the most inhospitable places
321
00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:00,680
for life on Earth.
322
00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,640
Its icecap,
three miles thick in places,
323
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:13,040
holds almost two-thirds
of the Earth's fresh water.
324
00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:20,000
The accumulation of snowfalls
over millions of years
325
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,360
has bedded vast mountain ranges
longer than the Himalayas.
326
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:35,840
All that can be seen of them
is the tips of their peaks.
327
00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:53,600
Smoking vents standing
20 metres tall
328
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:57,920
hint at the volcanicity that
lies beneath the ice sheet.
329
00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:02,520
The recent discovery
330
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,320
of more than 20 previously
unknown volcanoes
331
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,120
reveals that Antarctica is
332
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:12,080
one of the most volcanic
places on Earth.
333
00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:24,320
Almost 4,000 metres high,
334
00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:28,400
Mount Erebus is one of just
seven volcanoes on Earth
335
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,280
with a permanent lava lake.
336
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,760
Less than 1%
of this frozen interior
337
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,040
is free of ice.
338
00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:52,560
But isolated outcrops of rock
339
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,120
offer sanctuaries
for one of the few animals
340
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:59,320
willing to brave temperatures
of minus 30 degrees Celsius.
341
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:09,800
The snow petrel.
342
00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:17,600
They fly 100 miles inland
343
00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,920
in order to breed
away from predators.
344
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:33,680
This male gets to work
clearing a shallow scrape,
345
00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:36,440
which he will then line
with feathers
346
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:38,400
to give his chick
a little protection
347
00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:40,080
from the bitter cold.
348
00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,520
But crevices are in short supply...
349
00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:56,280
...and rivals are ever ready
to fight for them.
350
00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:22,520
When aerial combat fails,
351
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,080
snow petrels deploy
another weapon.
352
00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:28,640
Vomit.
353
00:43:43,240 --> 00:43:45,520
It could be lethal.
354
00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:50,080
If the putrid stomach oil freezes,
355
00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:52,480
his flight feathers
could stick together.
356
00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,720
Fortunately, he knows
how to clean them...
357
00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:08,560
...with a snow bath.
358
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:27,920
Now to get on with
the task of breeding.
359
00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:52,040
From here to the South Pole,
1,000 miles further inland...
360
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:58,280
...conditions become
even more hostile for life.
361
00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:03,240
Winds driving over
the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
362
00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:06,960
can reach speeds of up to 200mph.
363
00:45:12,240 --> 00:45:15,680
As these gale-force winds
descend from the ice sheet,
364
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:19,760
they pick up both speed and warmth.
365
00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:37,680
They create the most arid
conditions on Earth.
366
00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:52,320
These aren't snowdrifts.
367
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,080
They're sand dunes.
368
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,920
Some of these so-called dry valleys
369
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:09,760
have not felt rain
in over a million years.
370
00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:23,680
Carved by the wind,
371
00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:27,320
strange monuments
up to four metres tall
372
00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:30,360
stand on the desolate valley floor.
373
00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,960
The only life form...
374
00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:55,840
...a mummified crab eater seal
375
00:46:55,840 --> 00:46:59,400
that mysteriously strayed here,
376
00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:01,760
possibly thousands of years ago.
377
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:16,800
But if you look hard enough...
378
00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:23,480
...life can be found
in Antarctica's interior.
379
00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:31,840
Hidden in the mountains
of eastern Antarctica,
380
00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:34,240
Lake Untersee.
381
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,280
A little over ten years ago,
382
00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:45,840
scientists dived
beneath its frozen surface...
383
00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:51,680
...and made a discovery that
would change our perception
384
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:54,320
of the possibility of alien life.
385
00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:04,160
Lying on its lakebed
386
00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:07,120
are living structures
found nowhere else on Earth.
387
00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,360
Giant stromatolites.
388
00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:21,040
Standing half a metre tall...
389
00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:24,680
...their existence down here
390
00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:27,280
provides an extraordinary insight
391
00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,240
into how life on our planet
might have evolved.
392
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:37,160
These living structures
have been built
393
00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:38,880
over thousands of years
394
00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:43,760
by arguably the most important
microorganism on Earth.
395
00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,240
Cyanobacteria.
396
00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:55,240
The very first living organisms
to have produced oxygen.
397
00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:02,080
Without them, Earth would
have remained uninhabitable
398
00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:03,760
for higher life forms.
399
00:49:08,720 --> 00:49:11,880
If the building blocks for life
can be found here,
400
00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:14,680
in the most hostile
place on Earth...
401
00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:20,920
...surely life could exist
402
00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:24,800
in the ice-covered lakes
of distant planets.
403
00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:47,560
Whilst filming in the extremes
404
00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:51,760
of Antarctica, capturing
the remarkable behaviour
405
00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:54,040
of wave-washing killer
whales was to prove
406
00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,040
the crew's greatest challenge yet.
407
00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:00,640
The team set off
from the Falkland Islands
408
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:02,880
on board the Golden Fleece,
409
00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,280
which will be their home
for the next month and a half.
410
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:09,120
It's under the command
411
00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:12,200
of Antarctic explorer Dion Poncet.
412
00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:16,280
What's the weather like
for the crossing?
413
00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:17,520
The first day is good.
414
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:18,680
And then...
415
00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:22,040
...nothing bad...
that we can see...yet...
416
00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:29,120
To reach Antarctica, they must
first cross the Drake Passage -
417
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:33,480
650 miles of
the world's roughest ocean.
418
00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:38,880
Confined to his bunk, executive
producer Mark Brownlow
419
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:40,400
has yet to find his sea legs.
420
00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:41,640
Destroyed.
421
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:44,720
Fourth day at sea.
422
00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:45,840
Sick.
423
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:50,520
On arrival at the peninsula,
424
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:55,360
their search begins,
guided by Leigh Hickmott,
425
00:50:55,360 --> 00:50:59,160
a whale scientist who
is part of a 14-year study
426
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:02,280
on the only killer whales
in the world
427
00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:03,720
known to wave-wash.
428
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,040
We now have
a greater understanding,
429
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:11,040
perhaps, of how small
the population is, actually,
430
00:51:11,040 --> 00:51:12,320
of these killer whales.
431
00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:15,120
The parent population
is about 50 animals,
432
00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:16,640
so really not very many at all.
433
00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:21,080
With so few of these highly
specialised killer whales
434
00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:24,000
patrolling an area more than
half the size of Wales,
435
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,400
they head to where
they were last sighted.
436
00:51:31,240 --> 00:51:34,360
After three days of
round-the-clock surveillance,
437
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:36,440
the team finally catch a glimpse.
438
00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,840
Found our first killer whales.
439
00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:48,160
There's the one we want! Whoo!
440
00:51:48,160 --> 00:51:50,120
Good start.
441
00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:00,480
To get shots low to the water,
442
00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:04,200
they launch a gyro-stabilised
camera system in a small boat
443
00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:07,360
that's only half the length
of the killer whales.
444
00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:08,720
Stay still.
445
00:52:11,880 --> 00:52:13,280
That's so cool!
446
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:18,880
Definitely feel like
we've just been checked out.
447
00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:22,200
It's quite intimidating.
448
00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:30,040
In a filming first,
449
00:52:30,040 --> 00:52:32,720
camera operator Bertie Gregory
450
00:52:32,720 --> 00:52:36,640
launches the drone
to capture a new perspective
451
00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:38,960
on this hunting technique.
452
00:52:38,960 --> 00:52:42,560
We've got four, five
killer whales, spy-hopping.
453
00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:47,000
Some are moving away!
They might get ready for a wave.
454
00:52:51,720 --> 00:52:53,000
There's the first wave!
455
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:56,560
That's the breaking wave
that's broken the pack in half.
456
00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:02,440
The seal's in the water!
457
00:53:02,440 --> 00:53:05,640
Seal's in the water!
He could be in trouble here.
458
00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:10,040
They could just
kill the seal cleanly,
459
00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:14,360
but they are using the seal
to teach their young how to hunt.
460
00:53:16,440 --> 00:53:18,080
It's really hard to watch.
461
00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:22,840
The team's ground-breaking footage
462
00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,480
is also providing
valuable scientific data,
463
00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:28,440
contributing to the long-term study
464
00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:31,760
of these highly specialised
killer whales.
465
00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:37,920
Animal B-17 - she was first
photographed back in 2009.
466
00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:39,120
So here she is.
467
00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:41,840
This is a photograph taken
during Frozen Planet I.
468
00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:43,160
If we look on the right,
469
00:53:43,160 --> 00:53:45,680
here's a picture that
we took during our cruise.
470
00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:49,120
She's certainly the matriarch
of her particular group.
471
00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:51,440
We're seeing how
she's teaching her offspring
472
00:53:51,440 --> 00:53:54,520
to become this
very efficient killer.
473
00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:57,720
But after such a promising start,
474
00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:00,640
conditions take a turn
for the worse.
475
00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:04,240
The thing that's changed
476
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:06,240
enormously here is the weather.
477
00:54:06,240 --> 00:54:10,680
In the past,
the peninsula was famous for
478
00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:13,280
perfect calm, still,
479
00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:15,280
bright sunshine, clear skies.
480
00:54:15,280 --> 00:54:16,960
And...
481
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:18,240
...doesn't happen so much.
482
00:54:18,240 --> 00:54:22,920
And warmer weather here means
less sea ice, which could
483
00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:25,280
have consequences
for the killer whales'
484
00:54:25,280 --> 00:54:27,560
preferred prey of Weddell seals.
485
00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:29,960
There's a cruel irony, really,
486
00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:32,960
that we've today found the largest
group of Weddell seals,
487
00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:35,960
but they're on the beach.
They're not on pack ice.
488
00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:38,880
And that's potentially because
the Antarctic Peninsula
489
00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:41,720
is one of the most rapidly
warming places on the planet.
490
00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:53,280
The team film the killer whales
491
00:54:53,280 --> 00:54:55,280
switching to hunt crab eater seals...
492
00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:01,360
...but then, something
remarkable happens.
493
00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:06,800
They approach one of Antarctica's
494
00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:09,800
most formidable predators,
the leopard seal.
495
00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:22,080
This is absolutely incredible,
496
00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:25,200
because that's really not considered
a key prey for them.
497
00:55:27,640 --> 00:55:29,600
Ooh, he's chosen a bad piece.
498
00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:31,400
The ice has split into four...
499
00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:34,160
...and he's chosen
the smallest quarter.
500
00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:47,480
It's phenomenal.
501
00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:51,720
It's the first time a killer whale
502
00:55:51,720 --> 00:55:54,720
hunting a leopard seal
has been captured on camera.
503
00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:00,520
As extraordinary as that is,
504
00:56:00,520 --> 00:56:04,160
it's a sobering indication
of the challenges ahead
505
00:56:04,160 --> 00:56:06,000
for these killer whales.
506
00:56:07,080 --> 00:56:09,120
I don't think
it's too much to say
507
00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:11,640
that we are facing
a climate emergency.
508
00:56:11,640 --> 00:56:13,720
There's a real chance that,
509
00:56:13,720 --> 00:56:15,680
as we lose this pack-ice
environment,
510
00:56:15,680 --> 00:56:18,400
that this predator, that has
one of the most complex
511
00:56:18,400 --> 00:56:20,760
foraging strategies on the planet,
512
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:22,200
is going to be potentially lost.
513
00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:26,840
And that's a tragedy that I,
514
00:56:26,840 --> 00:56:29,120
in my lifetime,
don't want to see,
515
00:56:29,120 --> 00:56:31,360
and for our children,
most certainly,
516
00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:32,880
we can't allow to happen.
517
00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:50,920
Next time, we journey to
the frozen lands of the north.
518
00:56:50,920 --> 00:56:55,880
A world of snowbound forests
and vast open tundra.
519
00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:03,480
Where seasonal extremes
520
00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:05,720
push animals to their limit.
521
00:57:14,520 --> 00:57:16,880
The Open University
has produced a poster
522
00:57:16,880 --> 00:57:21,280
exploring how animals adapt to life
in the world's coldest environments.
523
00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:23,520
To order your free copy,
please call 0300 303 0553,
524
00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:28,560
or go to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet2
525
00:57:32,240 --> 00:57:34,320
...and follow the links
to the Open University.
39859
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