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Looking down on our planet,
it may come as a surprise
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00:00:25,140 --> 00:00:29,820
to find just how much of it
is blanketed in snow and ice.
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00:00:29,820 --> 00:00:35,260
These vast frozen wildernesses cover
more than a fifth of the Earth...
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00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:41,180
..yet some areas are so remote
and inhospitable that, even today,
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00:00:41,180 --> 00:00:45,220
the closest we've come to
exploring them is from space.
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00:00:49,020 --> 00:00:52,980
More than a decade ago,
the first series of Frozen Planet
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00:00:52,980 --> 00:00:56,580
examined life in the Arctic
and the Antarctic.
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00:00:58,460 --> 00:01:03,900
In this series, we will explore all
of Earth's frozen habitats...
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..from its highest peaks,
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00:01:08,180 --> 00:01:10,580
to its snowbound deserts...
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00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:15,700
..to deep beneath the ice.
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00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:23,820
Between them, they contain an
astonishing array of animals...
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..many that are found
nowhere else on Earth.
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00:01:35,740 --> 00:01:38,460
POLAR BEARS SNARLING
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We will watch the extraordinary ways
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by which they manage to survive.
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00:01:51,060 --> 00:01:52,580
WOLF YELPS
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00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:03,660
Using new technology,
such as racer drones,
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00:02:03,660 --> 00:02:07,460
we'll gain a new insight into
their remarkable lives.
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00:02:09,940 --> 00:02:13,500
But just as we're beginning
to understand its wildlife,
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00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:16,660
we are recognising
an alarming truth.
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Our frozen wildernesses
are disappearing
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at faster rates than ever before.
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00:02:27,620 --> 00:02:31,100
And never has it been more important
to understand
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00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:35,300
what is going on in these
icy territories.
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00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:48,860
In this first episode, we will
travel from pole to pole...
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..to celebrate the
precious wildlife
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found in our frozen wildernesses...
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00:02:56,620 --> 00:02:59,060
SEAL GRUNTS
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..and witness their wonders...
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..while there is still time
to save them.
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This is Frozen Planet II.
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We begin our journey in the
far south of the planet.
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After six months of darkness,
the sun is starting to return
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to the largest frozen expanse
on Earth...
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00:04:03,540 --> 00:04:06,340
..Antarctica -
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a continent almost twice
the size of Australia.
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Here, temperatures fall to
-80 degrees centigrade.
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It's the coldest place on Earth.
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00:04:34,220 --> 00:04:36,820
WIND HOWLS
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There is only one animal
here hardy enough
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to raise its family in winter...
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..the emperor penguin.
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00:04:54,740 --> 00:04:59,460
Winds here can reach speeds
of over 100mph,
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and a chick is in real danger
of freezing to death.
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But his parents are possibly
the most devoted in all nature.
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They shield him from the full force
of the icy blast...
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..and huddle together to create
a tight creche.
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Within it, the chicks, remarkably,
can maintain their body temperature
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of 37 degrees Celsius.
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00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:43,260
Until one spring day,
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when the chicks have grown to
almost a metre tall...
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..the parents simply walk away.
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00:06:03,540 --> 00:06:07,460
Their parental duties
are complete...
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00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:14,940
..and they will never again
return to their chicks.
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00:06:23,580 --> 00:06:27,060
As the days pass,
the chicks grow hungry...
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CHICK CALLS
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00:06:35,620 --> 00:06:39,900
And their only chance of finding
a meal is out at sea...
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..but that could be 30 miles away
across the frozen ocean.
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00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:57,100
When one makes the first
bold move...
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HIGH-PITCHED CALLING
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..the rest follow.
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They set off at a steady pace.
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00:07:14,860 --> 00:07:19,380
But sliding on your belly
is an easy option.
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00:07:23,780 --> 00:07:27,580
Out on this ever-changing platform
of the frozen sea...
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00:07:28,660 --> 00:07:32,020
..towering walls of ice
stand in their way.
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This will require
mountaineering skills.
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Beaks come in useful as ice-picks.
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And tobogganing is a quick way down.
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As they near the sea,
the ice becomes more unstable.
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00:08:26,940 --> 00:08:32,020
Even the smallest crack is met
with suspicion.
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00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:39,300
And with good reason.
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00:08:40,580 --> 00:08:44,380
A crack can quickly turn
into a gaping chasm.
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00:08:47,820 --> 00:08:50,060
PENGUINS HONK
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00:08:59,060 --> 00:09:03,660
If they can't escape, the panicked
chicks will be doomed.
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Made it.
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00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:34,540
Finally, the end is in sight.
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The Southern Ocean.
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In some years, the sea ice
is so unstable
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that none make it as far as this.
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These chicks are the lucky ones.
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Not the most graceful entry.
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But they are in their element...
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..the sea.
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00:10:38,780 --> 00:10:42,900
They may have endured
the toughest of upbringings,
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00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:47,940
but now they can reap the benefits
of the long summer ahead
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and feed in the richest waters
on Earth.
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In winter, the seas around
Antarctica are so cold
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that they form a platform of ice
twice the size of Europe.
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00:11:28,980 --> 00:11:34,020
But in summer, just off the shores
of the Antarctic Peninsula,
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00:11:34,020 --> 00:11:38,620
the ice cover breaks up into
millions of tiny ice floes.
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It's an excellent place
for a Weddell seal
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to rest up after a night's feed.
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SEAL EXHALES
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00:11:56,340 --> 00:11:58,980
The bay is sheltered...
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00:12:00,820 --> 00:12:03,900
..and the water calm.
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00:12:13,020 --> 00:12:16,260
But there are great dangers here.
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00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:35,660
WAVES CRASH
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00:12:48,940 --> 00:12:52,060
Killer whales.
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This pair of 15-year-olds
are learning what is perhaps
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the most complex hunting technique
in nature.
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After sizing up their prey...
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..they assemble 30 metres away...
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...and then launch an attack.
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00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:24,500
They swim in tandem,
synchronising their tail beats...
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...to create a wave.
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00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:36,300
The seal is washed off...
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00:13:39,180 --> 00:13:41,980
..but it won't give up
without a fight.
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00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:11,460
The seal has escaped...
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..this time.
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00:14:16,740 --> 00:14:21,940
But for the young killer whales,
help is at hand.
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They live in multi-generational
family groups...
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..led by an experienced female,
who can be over 100 years old.
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00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:40,500
Helped by her accumulated knowledge,
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the whales have become
ruthlessly efficient.
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00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:06,060
They have a 90% hunting
success rate.
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00:15:09,980 --> 00:15:15,220
But a killer whale needs to eat
a seal a day...
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00:15:16,820 --> 00:15:21,900
..so this 14-strong family has
a lot of hunting to do.
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00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:32,780
Spreading out, they spyhop
to search the ice floes.
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00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:40,900
When a seal is spotted,
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the scouts alert the family
with a rallying call.
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00:15:45,380 --> 00:15:48,100
HIGH-PITCHED CALLS
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00:15:53,860 --> 00:15:56,220
But if they are to catch
a seal resting on
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00:15:56,220 --> 00:15:59,180
such a large piece of ice...
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00:15:59,180 --> 00:16:02,940
..the hunters need to change
their tactics.
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00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:11,660
This time, they produce
a sub-surface wave.
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00:16:11,660 --> 00:16:14,180
THUDDING AND CRACKING
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It breaks the ice into
smaller pieces.
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00:16:23,740 --> 00:16:27,100
But the seal still has a raft...
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00:16:29,180 --> 00:16:33,620
..and appears to be protected
from any oncoming wave.
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00:16:37,180 --> 00:16:41,340
The matriarch whale, however,
has a plan.
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Working in a coordinated way,
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the pod push the seal's ice platform
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into clearer water.
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00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:19,940
The matriarch now tries
another tactic
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which will avoid injury...
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..blowing bubbles.
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They disorientate the tiring seal.
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And the whales move in for the kill.
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00:17:59,180 --> 00:18:04,740
Only about 100 killer whales in the
world hunt using this technique.
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00:18:08,940 --> 00:18:13,180
It's an ingenious solution
to the problem of finding prey
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00:18:13,180 --> 00:18:17,380
here in the most extreme frozen
habitat on Earth.
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Antarctica is so cold
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because of its position at
the far south of the planet.
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00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:39,020
But travel north, and
you'll find other icy worlds
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that are created by altitude -
in the mountains.
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00:18:45,060 --> 00:18:47,740
The Andes, in South America,
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00:18:47,740 --> 00:18:51,620
with its 4,500 miles
of snow-covered peaks,
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00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:54,820
is the longest range on Earth.
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00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:03,860
These high icy worlds even exist
close to the equator,
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where the sun is at its hottest -
as on Mount Kenya, in Africa.
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But the highest mountains of all
stretch 1,500 miles across
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the north of sub-tropical Asia -
the Himalaya.
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00:19:32,860 --> 00:19:36,140
At the western end,
bordering Pakistan,
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stand the Karakoram.
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They contain more peaks
over 8,000 metres high
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than any other range on Earth...
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...and include K2, which stands
over 8,600 metres tall.
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00:20:06,380 --> 00:20:10,780
The slopes of the Himalaya carry
the greatest accumulation
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of snow and ice outside
the polar regions.
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It's an area known as
the Third Pole.
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But north of the Himalaya,
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there are even more surprising
frozen worlds created by altitude.
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A remote snow-bound desert...
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..the Gobi.
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CAMELS BELLOWING
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And beyond it, a grassy plain
that stretches
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for 5,000 miles across Central Asia.
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00:20:59,140 --> 00:21:02,420
It's known as the Great Steppe.
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00:21:07,420 --> 00:21:11,140
Here, sheltering from the elements
in his boulder den,
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is a somewhat grouchy resident.
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A Pallas's cat.
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He has the densest fur of any cat
in the world.
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00:21:34,060 --> 00:21:39,620
Nonetheless, to keep warm, he must
catch up to five rodents a day.
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00:21:48,460 --> 00:21:51,700
Top of the menu are voles...
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...and gerbils.
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Relative to body size,
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Pallas's cats have one of the
shortest legs of any cat...
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..and that helps by giving them
a low profile when stalking.
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00:22:15,780 --> 00:22:20,180
But it's not so good for wading
through deep snow.
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SNOW CRUNCHES
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CAT MEOWS
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00:22:32,940 --> 00:22:36,100
Never mind. There are plenty more.
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He just needs to stay focused.
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00:22:58,380 --> 00:23:01,980
Unfortunately, the longer
he's out in the snow,
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00:23:01,980 --> 00:23:05,060
the colder his paws become.
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And he has only one way to get
the blood circulating again.
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PAWS RUSTLE
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That could be one shake too many.
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GERBIL CALLS
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Only one hunt in three by
a Pallas's cat is successful.
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No wonder he has the reputation
of being
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the grumpiest cat in the world.
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00:24:10,260 --> 00:24:13,100
To the north of the steppe,
in higher latitudes,
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lies yet another frozen world.
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The boreal forest.
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00:24:26,940 --> 00:24:31,420
750 billion snow-covered trees.
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00:24:38,060 --> 00:24:41,540
It's the largest forest on Earth,
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00:24:41,540 --> 00:24:44,380
encircling the top of the world
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from Europe to Russia,
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and across to North America.
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00:24:57,060 --> 00:25:01,260
At the far eastern end
of this vast Siberian forest
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00:25:01,260 --> 00:25:06,020
lies the hunting ground of one
of the world's rarest big cats.
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00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:21,940
The Siberian tiger.
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00:25:33,380 --> 00:25:36,420
Illegal hunting and destruction
of its habitat
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00:25:36,420 --> 00:25:40,300
have driven this tiger to
the very brink of extinction.
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00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:45,500
Now fewer than 500 remain
in the wild.
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00:25:54,900 --> 00:26:00,540
Weighing nearly 200kg, it's the
largest of all the big cats.
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00:26:06,220 --> 00:26:11,620
To keep warm, this male must
eat 10kg of meat a day.
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00:26:14,780 --> 00:26:17,900
But in winter, any prey
remaining here...
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00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:19,820
DEER CALLS
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00:26:19,820 --> 00:26:22,460
...is all too easily alarmed.
213
00:26:31,060 --> 00:26:34,900
He must patrol his entire
700 square mile territory
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00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:37,380
if he is to find enough to eat.
215
00:26:39,020 --> 00:26:41,380
PIGS SNORTING
216
00:26:43,020 --> 00:26:47,260
His acute sense of smell tells him
that wild pig were here.
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00:26:47,260 --> 00:26:49,540
TIGER SNUFFLES
218
00:26:58,100 --> 00:27:03,540
He's so hungry that he would tackle
even a 150kg black bear.
219
00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:11,260
But it left here months ago...
220
00:27:11,260 --> 00:27:14,900
...leaving only a faint trace
of its scent.
221
00:27:19,180 --> 00:27:22,620
In the autumn, bears here escape
the coming winter
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00:27:22,620 --> 00:27:25,100
by hibernating inside caves.
223
00:27:33,740 --> 00:27:37,260
But that wouldn't stop a tiger
from trying to catch one.
224
00:27:47,740 --> 00:27:51,660
Remote cameras reveal
the bear's whereabouts.
225
00:27:56,940 --> 00:27:58,460
TIGER SNUFFLES
226
00:28:00,420 --> 00:28:05,060
It retreated into the farthest
recess months ago.
227
00:28:09,580 --> 00:28:12,580
The tiger is simply too big
to reach it.
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00:28:12,580 --> 00:28:15,020
TIGER GROWLS
229
00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:25,620
But ready for every opportunity,
230
00:28:25,620 --> 00:28:29,860
this big cat is able to endure
the long Siberian winter.
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00:28:36,020 --> 00:28:40,060
And as long as this forest is kept
free from poachers,
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00:28:40,060 --> 00:28:44,300
these magnificent tigers have
a good chance of surviving.
233
00:28:52,220 --> 00:28:57,300
In the northerly reaches
of the boreal forest...
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00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:01,860
...a strange phenomenon
illuminates the night sky.
235
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:07,500
The Aurora borealis.
236
00:29:09,620 --> 00:29:12,620
Electrically charged particles
from the sun
237
00:29:12,620 --> 00:29:14,540
collide with the Earth's atmosphere,
238
00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:17,500
creating this otherworldly display.
239
00:29:24,740 --> 00:29:29,820
Viewed from space, the aurora
brings light to the frozen poles,
240
00:29:29,820 --> 00:29:34,060
which otherwise would remain in
darkness for almost three months.
241
00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:45,860
This is the Arctic tundra...
242
00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:53,460
...where temperatures can fall to
-50 degrees Celsius.
243
00:29:55,380 --> 00:29:57,220
With little or no shelter,
244
00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:00,220
few animals can survive
the winter here.
245
00:30:01,980 --> 00:30:03,740
But some do.
246
00:30:03,740 --> 00:30:06,020
WIND HOWLS
247
00:30:10,620 --> 00:30:12,860
Muskox.
248
00:30:12,860 --> 00:30:15,900
Relics from the last ice age.
249
00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:24,820
Two layers of fur protect them
from temperatures of -30 degrees.
250
00:30:29,140 --> 00:30:32,540
This allows them to give birth
in early spring.
251
00:30:36,460 --> 00:30:40,740
At six hours old, a calf
is already able to stand...
252
00:30:43,140 --> 00:30:45,220
LOW BELLOW
253
00:30:46,780 --> 00:30:51,460
...ready to follow the herd in
the search for fresh grazing.
254
00:30:57,940 --> 00:31:00,700
But until they gain in strength,
255
00:31:00,700 --> 00:31:03,300
they are very vulnerable.
256
00:31:06,420 --> 00:31:08,580
CALF BLEATS
257
00:31:12,340 --> 00:31:14,380
They're being stalked.
258
00:31:17,780 --> 00:31:20,100
Grizzly bears.
259
00:31:34,300 --> 00:31:37,420
Weighing up to 300kg,
260
00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:41,700
they have emerged after six months
of hibernation...
261
00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:44,380
...and are extremely hungry.
262
00:31:49,340 --> 00:31:52,700
One gets to within just
ten metres...
263
00:31:54,020 --> 00:31:55,620
...and then attacks.
264
00:32:26,300 --> 00:32:28,500
CALF BLEATS
265
00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:33,740
Separated from their mothers,
266
00:32:33,740 --> 00:32:37,700
the newly born are unable to
distinguish friend...
267
00:32:39,020 --> 00:32:41,020
..from foe.
268
00:32:52,940 --> 00:32:57,860
The bear instinctively kills
every calf it can.
269
00:33:03,060 --> 00:33:06,100
Only a few escape.
270
00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:16,140
But the herd is now far away...
271
00:33:19,700 --> 00:33:23,540
...and he is too weak to follow.
272
00:33:38,300 --> 00:33:40,820
CALF CALLS WEAKLY
273
00:33:44,780 --> 00:33:49,580
90% of calves do not survive
their first year.
274
00:33:52,980 --> 00:33:57,220
Even one without injury stands
little chance without its mother.
275
00:33:58,500 --> 00:34:01,140
CALF BLEATS
276
00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,740
CALF CALLS
277
00:34:40,340 --> 00:34:42,580
Reunited.
278
00:34:48,140 --> 00:34:51,780
If just a few calves survive
to adulthood,
279
00:34:51,780 --> 00:34:55,780
the future of the herd
will be secure.
280
00:35:11,260 --> 00:35:14,780
North of the tundra lies
the Arctic Ocean,
281
00:35:14,780 --> 00:35:17,420
surrounded by three continents -
282
00:35:17,420 --> 00:35:21,460
Europe, North America and Asia.
283
00:35:23,660 --> 00:35:27,900
In winter, it remains almost
entirely frozen.
284
00:35:31,180 --> 00:35:35,540
But as the spring sunshine finally
reaches the northernmost part
285
00:35:35,540 --> 00:35:40,300
of the planet, the sea ice
begins to break up.
286
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:45,660
This marks the start of
the breeding season
287
00:35:45,660 --> 00:35:49,220
for male hooded seals.
288
00:35:52,220 --> 00:35:55,300
RUMBLING GRUNT
289
00:36:00,820 --> 00:36:06,460
When they're six years old, the
males develop an inflatable nose.
290
00:36:09,100 --> 00:36:11,140
They're ready to breed -
291
00:36:11,140 --> 00:36:13,380
and the bigger their nose,
292
00:36:13,380 --> 00:36:16,220
the more attractive they will be
to a female.
293
00:36:17,780 --> 00:36:21,580
And now this one is eager
to prove it.
294
00:36:36,500 --> 00:36:39,580
A female has just given birth.
295
00:36:43,860 --> 00:36:48,340
A mother spends a mere four days
feeding milk to her pup...
296
00:36:51,420 --> 00:36:56,500
...and then, and only then,
will she be ready to mate again.
297
00:36:59,180 --> 00:37:04,180
That is too long for an impatient
youngster to wait around.
298
00:37:17,420 --> 00:37:22,700
These females seem to have been
claimed by a larger male.
299
00:37:24,340 --> 00:37:29,500
But if this youngster is to breed
this year, it's worth a try.
300
00:37:33,420 --> 00:37:36,260
SEALS BELLOW
301
00:37:38,540 --> 00:37:42,140
An inflatable nose can also be used
302
00:37:42,140 --> 00:37:44,500
to intimidate a rival.
303
00:37:46,420 --> 00:37:49,500
His bravado pays off.
304
00:37:54,580 --> 00:37:58,180
He must now woo the
receptive female.
305
00:38:04,580 --> 00:38:06,540
MALE SEAL CALLS
306
00:38:13,420 --> 00:38:15,660
SEAL CALLS
307
00:38:16,820 --> 00:38:18,860
She seems unimpressed.
308
00:38:21,380 --> 00:38:24,420
But he has another trick.
309
00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:39,020
He has an expandable sac within
his left nostril.
310
00:38:52,860 --> 00:38:55,260
What is her verdict?
311
00:38:57,100 --> 00:39:00,020
FEMALE SEAL GRUNTS
312
00:39:02,260 --> 00:39:04,420
A sharp nip on the tail...
313
00:39:07,980 --> 00:39:10,980
..and that means no.
314
00:39:16,340 --> 00:39:19,260
With only one day in the year
in which to mate,
315
00:39:19,260 --> 00:39:22,300
the female is understandably choosy.
316
00:39:26,180 --> 00:39:30,460
And until the youngster has grown
a more impressive balloon,
317
00:39:30,460 --> 00:39:33,060
he's unlikely to be chosen.
318
00:39:33,060 --> 00:39:35,300
SEAL GROANS
319
00:39:35,300 --> 00:39:38,140
No wonder he's deflated.
320
00:39:46,460 --> 00:39:49,900
The spring not only transforms
the ocean,
321
00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,620
it also triggers an important event
322
00:39:52,620 --> 00:39:55,620
on the biggest of the
Arctic's islands.
323
00:39:57,460 --> 00:40:01,820
Greenland - over 1,600 miles long.
324
00:40:04,780 --> 00:40:07,140
WIND HOWLS
325
00:40:08,780 --> 00:40:12,740
It's covered by a single
gigantic ice sheet,
326
00:40:12,740 --> 00:40:15,500
the largest in the
northern hemisphere.
327
00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:26,300
As spring advances,
the surface of the ice melts,
328
00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:29,980
forming crystal-clear lakes...
329
00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:32,740
..up to five miles wide.
330
00:40:37,500 --> 00:40:40,620
Climate change is bringing
higher temperatures,
331
00:40:40,620 --> 00:40:43,940
so there is more and more meltwater.
332
00:40:45,820 --> 00:40:49,700
It drains down into the
mile-thick ice sheet...
333
00:40:51,140 --> 00:40:55,500
...and a whole chain of events
is then triggered.
334
00:40:57,260 --> 00:41:02,060
Time-lapse photography from space
reveals what happens next.
335
00:41:10,420 --> 00:41:16,300
The increased meltwater accelerates
the ice sheet's slide downhill.
336
00:41:27,060 --> 00:41:29,460
Eventually, it reaches the ocean.
337
00:41:32,420 --> 00:41:35,140
ICE SHEET CRACKING
338
00:42:15,060 --> 00:42:18,060
Here, it breaks up into icebergs,
339
00:42:18,060 --> 00:42:21,820
some taller than the
Empire State Building.
340
00:42:54,820 --> 00:42:58,740
Greenland is losing its ice
six times faster today
341
00:42:58,740 --> 00:43:01,460
than it was 30 years ago.
342
00:43:04,740 --> 00:43:07,980
It alone is responsible
for a quarter
343
00:43:07,980 --> 00:43:11,020
of the rise in global sea levels.
344
00:43:22,220 --> 00:43:26,060
Changes in the Arctic are
already affecting the lives
345
00:43:26,060 --> 00:43:29,580
of its highly specialised wildlife.
346
00:43:35,820 --> 00:43:37,740
Polar bears.
347
00:43:42,740 --> 00:43:48,020
These one year old twins still rely
on their mother for her milk,
348
00:43:48,020 --> 00:43:52,060
protection and crucial
survival lessons.
349
00:44:13,900 --> 00:44:18,460
But they have yet to perfect their
swimming technique...
350
00:44:21,220 --> 00:44:24,740
...and they can't wait to practise.
351
00:44:34,220 --> 00:44:37,500
The cubs need to be as at home
in the water
352
00:44:37,500 --> 00:44:39,780
as they are on the sea ice.
353
00:44:49,700 --> 00:44:51,420
POLAR BEAR GRUNTS
354
00:44:51,420 --> 00:44:53,540
Their mother calls them out.
355
00:44:54,860 --> 00:44:59,500
Until they've accumulated a
significant layer of body fat...
356
00:44:59,500 --> 00:45:01,940
...they feel the cold.
357
00:45:03,780 --> 00:45:08,020
A roll in the snow is a good way
to dry off.
358
00:45:13,460 --> 00:45:16,540
Then it's back to play...
359
00:45:19,460 --> 00:45:22,180
..while their mother heads off
to hunt.
360
00:45:28,180 --> 00:45:31,820
Over the coming months,
a mother must provide her cubs
361
00:45:31,820 --> 00:45:34,820
with not just milk, but meat -
362
00:45:34,820 --> 00:45:36,860
and lots of it.
363
00:45:41,380 --> 00:45:45,220
By midsummer, the sea ice
has become so thin...
364
00:45:50,460 --> 00:45:54,740
..that her best chance of
catching her preferred prey
365
00:45:54,740 --> 00:45:59,060
is by ambushing it from the water.
366
00:46:10,820 --> 00:46:14,060
It's a technique known
as aquatic stalking.
367
00:46:18,540 --> 00:46:21,340
She approaches downwind...
368
00:46:23,020 --> 00:46:28,260
..and tries to get within a metre
of a bearded seal.
369
00:46:37,020 --> 00:46:41,500
But today there is less sea ice
to provide cover,
370
00:46:41,500 --> 00:46:45,940
so she is having to target
riskier prey.
371
00:46:49,180 --> 00:46:51,620
The hooded seal.
372
00:47:02,820 --> 00:47:05,780
They are about the same size
as the bearded,
373
00:47:05,780 --> 00:47:09,100
but more aggressive and dangerous.
374
00:47:45,340 --> 00:47:48,900
She moves round to the other side.
375
00:48:17,180 --> 00:48:21,020
The Arctic is now warming
more than twice as fast
376
00:48:21,020 --> 00:48:23,140
as the rest of the world.
377
00:48:24,700 --> 00:48:31,140
The sea could be ice-free in summer
by as early as 2035.
378
00:48:36,860 --> 00:48:39,900
That will make it harder
for mother polar bears
379
00:48:39,900 --> 00:48:42,740
to feed themselves...
380
00:48:42,740 --> 00:48:45,180
...let alone their cubs.
381
00:48:51,700 --> 00:48:54,740
Well adapted to live in the cold...
382
00:48:56,540 --> 00:49:00,620
..the animals that inhabit our
frozen lands and seas
383
00:49:00,620 --> 00:49:03,860
need one thing more than
any other...
384
00:49:09,780 --> 00:49:15,420
..and that is for the planet
to stop warming.
385
00:49:29,220 --> 00:49:33,540
It's now up to us
to make that happen.
386
00:49:51,820 --> 00:49:56,100
Filming across the length and
breadth of our frozen planet,
387
00:49:56,100 --> 00:49:59,540
one of the team's greatest
challenges was to capture
388
00:49:59,540 --> 00:50:03,460
the enormity of Greenland's
rapidly melting ice sheet.
389
00:50:07,020 --> 00:50:12,140
To do so, the crew launched five
separate filming expeditions,
390
00:50:12,140 --> 00:50:16,180
installing specially designed
cold-proof time-lapse cameras
391
00:50:16,180 --> 00:50:19,020
that were to run for three years.
392
00:50:24,140 --> 00:50:29,340
Even commissioning satellites to
record the big-picture changes.
393
00:50:32,180 --> 00:50:35,460
But the story would be incomplete
without documenting
394
00:50:35,460 --> 00:50:37,540
the finale of this event -
395
00:50:37,540 --> 00:50:40,540
the calving of Greenland's
Store Glacier...
396
00:50:41,980 --> 00:50:44,980
...a wall of ice over
three miles long...
397
00:50:46,060 --> 00:50:49,260
..and towering 120 metres high.
398
00:50:50,500 --> 00:50:53,620
HELICOPTER ROTOR HUMS
399
00:50:55,500 --> 00:50:58,860
The crew arrive at the height
of the summer thaw,
400
00:50:58,860 --> 00:51:03,500
when, at any moment, fracturing ice
blocks the size of a small town
401
00:51:03,500 --> 00:51:05,940
may be cast into the sea.
402
00:51:11,460 --> 00:51:14,020
Camping out for the
next three weeks,
403
00:51:14,020 --> 00:51:16,940
the team takes advantage of
the constant daylight
404
00:51:16,940 --> 00:51:20,220
offered by the far north
at this time of the year.
405
00:51:23,100 --> 00:51:26,580
We've got a lot of ice on the
glacier, 24 hours a day.
406
00:51:26,580 --> 00:51:28,780
So, yeah, we're poised.
407
00:51:30,580 --> 00:51:34,500
I started at about 8pm, and it's
currently, yeah, just after 2:00.
408
00:51:34,500 --> 00:51:37,220
I've got until 4am this morning,
I think.
409
00:51:37,220 --> 00:51:39,260
HE SNORES
410
00:51:39,260 --> 00:51:41,940
INSECTS BUZZ
411
00:51:41,940 --> 00:51:44,980
They're hoping to be one of
the first film crews
412
00:51:44,980 --> 00:51:48,940
to use a camera drone for
unprecedented proximity
413
00:51:48,940 --> 00:51:51,260
and a brand-new perspective.
414
00:51:51,260 --> 00:51:53,220
Yeah, it's going.
DISTANT RUMBLING
415
00:51:53,220 --> 00:51:56,900
It's not long before their new
technology is put to the test.
416
00:51:57,940 --> 00:52:00,140
DRONE BUZZES
417
00:52:00,140 --> 00:52:03,420
But it quickly reveals
its limitations.
418
00:52:07,540 --> 00:52:10,580
The issue with the drone -
you've got to turn it on,
419
00:52:10,580 --> 00:52:14,020
get it in the air, and fly it 1.5km
to the glacier fronts.
420
00:52:15,220 --> 00:52:17,940
So, if you SEE a calving
happening...
421
00:52:17,940 --> 00:52:19,660
..then you're too late.
422
00:52:20,740 --> 00:52:23,420
With a flight time of
just 20 minutes,
423
00:52:23,420 --> 00:52:26,660
gauging the moment of take-off
is critical.
424
00:52:26,660 --> 00:52:29,020
Yeah, I feel like today
just every decision I've made
425
00:52:29,020 --> 00:52:30,780
has been the wrong one.
426
00:52:30,780 --> 00:52:33,180
It's really easy to trick yourself
into thinking,
427
00:52:33,180 --> 00:52:35,940
"Oh, it's going to go, it's going
to go," so you get out there,
428
00:52:35,940 --> 00:52:38,260
use up a whole drone battery
hovering, come back,
429
00:52:38,260 --> 00:52:40,580
and as you're heading back...pfff!
430
00:52:43,060 --> 00:52:45,900
Soon, the team face another problem
431
00:52:45,900 --> 00:52:48,420
that comes with today's
warming Arctic.
432
00:52:51,580 --> 00:52:56,060
Unseasonably wet weather makes it
impossible to fly the drone,
433
00:52:56,060 --> 00:52:59,300
and acts as a catalyst
for further melting.
434
00:53:01,620 --> 00:53:03,540
THUNDEROUS CRASHING
435
00:53:03,540 --> 00:53:06,500
Absolute racket happening down in...
436
00:53:06,500 --> 00:53:08,460
..the glacier.
437
00:53:08,460 --> 00:53:10,100
Oh, my goodness.
438
00:53:10,100 --> 00:53:11,460
DISTANT BOOMING
439
00:53:12,940 --> 00:53:15,140
Even if it is a major
calving event...
440
00:53:17,180 --> 00:53:19,100
..can't see a thing.
441
00:53:19,100 --> 00:53:21,220
BOOMING ECHOES
442
00:53:22,900 --> 00:53:25,540
That sound just went on and on.
443
00:53:26,900 --> 00:53:28,340
HEAVY BOOM
444
00:53:30,180 --> 00:53:32,100
That one was huge.
445
00:53:34,860 --> 00:53:39,700
After five days of frustration,
the fog finally lifts
446
00:53:39,700 --> 00:53:43,340
to reveal the bay choked
with giant icebergs.
447
00:53:45,260 --> 00:53:49,180
It appears the crew have missed
their opportunity.
448
00:53:56,100 --> 00:53:59,820
The morale of the crew has taken
a little bit of a downturn.
449
00:54:01,500 --> 00:54:04,220
Do you know what,
I just don't know what to say.
450
00:54:04,220 --> 00:54:06,340
I'm so tired.
451
00:54:06,340 --> 00:54:10,380
To make matters worse, a plague
of mosquitoes descends,
452
00:54:10,380 --> 00:54:13,220
further disheartening
the exhausted team.
453
00:54:13,220 --> 00:54:15,700
INSECTS BUZZ
454
00:54:19,540 --> 00:54:22,220
All your senses are all-go
all the time,
455
00:54:22,220 --> 00:54:25,460
even when you're trying to sleep,
so it's just...
456
00:54:25,460 --> 00:54:28,460
...a bit emotionally draining
sometimes.
457
00:54:34,260 --> 00:54:37,260
Then, with just a few
shooting days left,
458
00:54:37,260 --> 00:54:40,060
under a warming sun,
459
00:54:40,060 --> 00:54:43,900
the glacier groans and rumbles
back into action.
460
00:54:43,900 --> 00:54:46,140
GLACIER CREAKS
461
00:54:47,980 --> 00:54:49,540
Ooh...
462
00:54:49,540 --> 00:54:50,660
HEAVY BOOM
463
00:54:52,300 --> 00:54:53,620
Guys, big one going!
464
00:54:55,100 --> 00:54:57,980
This could be the opportunity
they've been waiting for.
465
00:55:00,060 --> 00:55:02,420
Oh, my gosh, look at that! Ah!
466
00:55:13,180 --> 00:55:17,140
A calving event lasting long enough
to film from the drone.
467
00:55:19,700 --> 00:55:23,300
But no-one is prepared for
the sheer scale of it.
468
00:55:30,740 --> 00:55:34,260
Just layer after layer of ice
broke away
469
00:55:34,260 --> 00:55:36,340
and fell into the sea,
470
00:55:36,340 --> 00:55:40,700
and then out came this enormous,
skyscraper-sized iceberg,
471
00:55:40,700 --> 00:55:43,660
displacing vast quantities of water
472
00:55:43,660 --> 00:55:47,660
and throwing enormous blocks of ice
around like they were nothing.
473
00:55:49,940 --> 00:55:52,300
Sitting here, day after day,
crossing your fingers
474
00:55:52,300 --> 00:55:54,820
and hoping that you get a big
calving and you see a big event,
475
00:55:54,820 --> 00:55:56,460
and you manage to film it,
476
00:55:56,460 --> 00:55:58,460
and when it does happen,
when it does go off,
477
00:55:58,460 --> 00:56:00,740
it's so exciting,
and you get the adrenaline.
478
00:56:00,740 --> 00:56:03,380
And then, afterwards, as you're
sort of coming down from that,
479
00:56:03,380 --> 00:56:06,020
there's a bitter sweetness to it
as you realise that's another piece
480
00:56:06,020 --> 00:56:09,380
of ice that's slowly raising
the sea level.
481
00:56:12,700 --> 00:56:18,180
Such imagery provides an invaluable
record of the rapid changes
482
00:56:18,180 --> 00:56:22,620
that are now taking place across
our frozen planet.
483
00:56:32,180 --> 00:56:34,820
Next time...
484
00:56:34,820 --> 00:56:38,060
..we travel to the Arctic Ocean.
485
00:56:40,300 --> 00:56:44,180
Where life must adapt in
a changing world...
486
00:56:46,060 --> 00:56:49,780
..of water and ice.
487
00:57:00,020 --> 00:57:03,620
The Open University has produced
a poster exploring how animals
488
00:57:03,620 --> 00:57:06,740
adapt to life in the world's
coldest environments.
489
00:57:06,740 --> 00:57:12,460
To order your free copy,
please call 0300 303 0553,
490
00:57:12,460 --> 00:57:17,700
or go to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet2
491
00:57:17,700 --> 00:57:20,100
and follow the links
to the Open University.
38365
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