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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: In winter,
at the top of the planet
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00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,920
lies an icy wilderness...
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00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,520
..not of land
but of frozen water.
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00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:48,760
The Arctic Ocean.
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00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,200
Its surface forms
an almost solid platform
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00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,640
that is bigger than
the whole of the United States.
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00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,560
WIND HOWLS
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00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,880
Its presence and condition
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00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,600
dominates the lives of
all the many and varied animals
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00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,520
that live both on it...
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00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,400
..and beneath it.
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00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,880
In the coming months,
the sun's warmth
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00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,840
will melt much of it and expose
the rich waters beneath.
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00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,000
CRACKING
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00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,160
To survive here, life
must adapt to this world
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00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,800
that alternates
between ice and water.
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00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,000
CRACKING
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00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,320
After three months
of winter darkness,
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00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,560
the sun rises
across Arctic Norway.
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00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,000
A newly emerged
polar bear mother
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00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,120
encourages her cubs to take
their first tentative steps
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00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,840
on the sea ice.
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00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,680
Cubs will stay with
their mothers for two years,
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00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,960
learning the skills needed
to survive out here.
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00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,200
BEAR CALLS
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00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,600
But thereafter,
they will be on their own.
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00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,080
Further out on the sea ice...
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00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,800
GRUNTS
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00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,480
..this young female bear,
less than six years old,
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00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,200
is already fully independent.
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00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,960
She's superbly adapted to life
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00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,240
on the frozen ocean,
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00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,240
protected from the cold
by thick, insulating fat
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00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560
and a double layer of fur.
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00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,040
This time of year is
the best time for feeding.
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00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,720
The ringed seals
on which she depends
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00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:36,400
feed on fish
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00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,200
and are swimming
40 metres beneath her.
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00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,920
But after ten minutes
down there,
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00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,960
they must return
to the few gaps in the ice
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00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,360
to take a breath and rest.
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00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,680
She has acute hearing
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00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,040
and one of the most sensitive
noses in nature.
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00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,840
She can detect a seal's lair
beneath two metres
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00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,640
of snow and ice.
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00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,600
Timing is everything.
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Only one in ten attempts
is successful.
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00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,800
So for a young bear,
each meal is very important.
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00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,680
But a male has picked up
the scent of the kill.
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00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,320
Large males
pose a real threat...
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00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,040
..and could inflict
fatal injuries in a fight.
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00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,120
But she stands her ground.
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00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,840
Remarkably,
rather than fight...
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GROWLING
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..they start to play.
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00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:56,920
And then,
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00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,280
they set off
to explore together.
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00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,520
Well fed and still young,
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00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,000
these two seem to be
forming a friendship.
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00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,120
She shows off
the swimming skills
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00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,680
that enable her to move with
ease between water and ice.
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00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,240
GROWLING
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00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:56,640
She's behind you!
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00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,040
Dancing on ice...
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00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,080
..apparently,
just for the joy of it.
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00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,720
After three hours together,
they part company...
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00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,520
GRUNTS
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00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:02,400
..and return once again
to their solitary lives.
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00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,320
GRUNTS
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00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,520
Polar bears thrive
at this time of year
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00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:23,560
thanks to the huge platform of
sea ice on which they can hunt.
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00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,560
The Arctic Ocean lies
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00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,760
across the top
of the northern hemisphere
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00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,400
and over
the North Pole itself...
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00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,000
..and is surrounded
by three continents -
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00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,760
Europe, North America and Asia.
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00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,360
In winter, the sea ice extends
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00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,000
across an area of
over five million square miles.
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00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,320
But off the coast
of Arctic Russia,
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00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,400
a tiny pocket of water
has been kept open...
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00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,960
..by the continuous stirring
of 30 trapped beluga whales.
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00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:35,720
These four-metre-long Arctic
whales are superbly adapted
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00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,560
for hunting far beneath
the surface of the sea ice.
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00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:45,240
WHALES CALL
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00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,560
Nonetheless, being mammals,
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00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,080
they must return to the surface
to breathe
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00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,440
every 15 minutes or so.
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00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,640
But this cold spell
is exceptionally severe.
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00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,760
And there's not another
breathing hole within 20 miles.
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00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,000
Nearby fish and squid
disappeared long ago.
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00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,840
These emaciated whales
have been imprisoned by the ice
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00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,520
for five months,
and they're now starving.
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00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,440
Their only chance of escape
will come
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00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,440
when there is a change
in the season.
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00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,080
As spring finally reaches
the north of the planet,
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00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,840
air temperatures
creep above freezing.
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00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,080
CRACKING
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00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,360
The impenetrable ice ceiling
begins to fracture.
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00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,280
Small, life-saving channels
open up...
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00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,000
..bringing freedom.
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00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,880
But spring is a dangerous time
for beluga.
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00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,280
As tides and currents
pull ice apart,
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00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,800
the beluga find themselves
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00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,200
in a labyrinth
of shifting ice floes
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00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,640
that could close
their breathing holes
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00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,240
at any point
and so drown them.
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00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,000
WHALES CALL
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00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,200
Using their
sophisticated sonar,
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00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,960
they try to find a way
through the icy maze...
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00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:23,680
..and eventually reach
a patch of open water.
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00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,800
They're not the only
whales here.
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00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:40,760
Narwhal,
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00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,000
the unicorns of the sea,
are closely related to beluga.
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00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,840
In a rarely seen encounter,
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00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,400
these two kinds of whales
appear to socialise.
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00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,400
Who knows what's going on
between them?
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00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,680
But soon, they set off together
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00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:17,600
through the shifting
fields of ice...
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00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,440
..a journey of
up to 1,000 miles...
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00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,600
WHALE CALLS
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00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,600
..before they reach
ice-free waters,
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00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,240
where they can
rear their young.
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00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,160
As the spring sunshine
strengthens,
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00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,560
the broken pack ice
off the coast of Greenland
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00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:03,200
becomes a nursery.
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00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,000
A harp seal pup.
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00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,400
Born just a week ago.
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00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,560
He has little fat.
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00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:22,480
His thick fur
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00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,760
is his only protection
from the Arctic chill.
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00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,880
In between dozes, he waits
for his mother to return.
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00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,360
MOTHER GRUNTS
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00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,680
She has only one pup a year...
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00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:46,720
PUP SQUEALS
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00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,240
..and will produce milk
for only 12 days,
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00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,880
one of the shortest
nursing periods in nature.
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00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,520
That is just long enough
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00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,640
for him to develop
a thick layer of blubber...
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00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:12,480
..thanks to his mother's milk,
which is 50% fat.
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00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,400
And his mother stays alongside
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00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:21,960
while he learns
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00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,000
an important survival skill
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00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,480
for any seal...
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00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,200
CALLS
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00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,480
MOTHER GRUNTS
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00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:40,920
..how to swim.
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00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,560
He may not be keen
to take the plunge.
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00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:51,280
The saltwater is minus two
degrees Celsius, after all.
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00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,840
Pups start with a doggy paddle.
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00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,560
Mum stays reassuringly close.
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00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,560
Still developing
his insulating blubber,
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00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,920
a pup is at risk
of hypothermia
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00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:31,880
so needs to rest
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00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:33,520
and warm up.
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00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,240
Each day,
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00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,080
he puts on another two kilos...
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00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,480
..and practises swimming
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00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,840
for just a little longer.
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00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:11,280
Since birth, this pup
has tripled in weight,
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00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,520
and he's now at ease
in this curious other world.
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00:17:28,120 --> 00:17:30,600
12 days gone by.
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00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,280
A mother's work is done.
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00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:48,880
In producing milk, she's lost
a third of her body weight.
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00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,600
Now she must return
to her feeding grounds.
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00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,080
CALLS OUT
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00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,040
She will never see
her pup again.
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00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:46,640
The next four weeks
he spends alone,
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00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,240
sticking close
to the ice platform...
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00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,440
..surviving on
his fat reserves
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00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,520
as his downy fleece is replaced
by a sleek coat
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00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,000
more suited to swimming.
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00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:10,360
But temperatures
in the Arctic are now
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00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,200
rising faster
than ever before...
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00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,880
..creating storms
that break up the ice floes
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00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,120
earlier each spring.
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00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,840
Harp seal pups are being
tipped into freezing waters
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00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:39,000
before they're ready to endure
long periods at sea.
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00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:54,280
In some pupping areas,
almost none survive.
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00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,480
As spring turns to summer,
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00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,120
life on the sea ice
suddenly begins to proliferate.
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00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,200
The daylight increases,
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00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,440
and algae that had
remained dormant
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00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,040
within the ice all winter
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00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:37,880
begin to bloom.
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00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,240
This upside-down meadow
is now cropped
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00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:48,880
by plankton.
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00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,400
For a little skeleton shrimp
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00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,040
living at the bottom
of a towering forest of kelp,
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00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,520
the best way to get
a share of the food...
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00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,520
..is to climb.
191
00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,880
If you're only
two centimetres long...
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00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,840
..this is like
scaling a skyscraper.
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00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,080
And yet it's not alone.
194
00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,360
Hundreds of fellow shrimps
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00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:41,120
are attempting the same ascent.
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00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:48,080
A new mother
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00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,520
has parked her brood
halfway up.
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00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,360
And she's not
about to give way.
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00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,120
This one is
a determined commuter.
200
00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:16,040
But the mother's drive
to protect her young
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00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,280
is now causing a traffic jam.
202
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:28,600
At last...
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00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,680
many have made it
to the topmost branches
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00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:33,880
of this underwater forest.
205
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,160
And it's been
well worth the effort.
206
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:42,960
The prize...
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00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,600
is a plankton feast...
208
00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:51,960
..raining down from above.
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00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,160
By midsummer,
Arctic waters are filled
210
00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:02,320
with food...
211
00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:18,120
..making them into one
of the richest of all oceans...
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00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:26,320
..feeding billions of
microscopic mouths
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00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:27,520
as well as...
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00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,840
..the biggest mouth
on the planet.
215
00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,320
The bowhead whale.
216
00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,640
Its four-metre-long
baleen plates
217
00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,960
enable it to sieve out
218
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,880
up to six tonnes
of plankton a day.
219
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:59,200
And it grows swiftly into
an 18-metre, 100-tonne giant.
220
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,320
In summer, the bowheads
are so well fed
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00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,000
they head for
an annual get-together.
222
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,440
After a year of wear and tear,
223
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,720
their skin needs
reconditioning.
224
00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,960
WHALES CALL
225
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,200
This is a whale health spa.
226
00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:54,080
Rocks and sand in the shallows
are used like pumice stones
227
00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,520
with which to rub off
dead skin and parasites.
228
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,840
Such places can become
very popular.
229
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,400
This bay,
off the coast of Russia,
230
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,040
attracts an immense gathering
of over 50 bowheads.
231
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,160
They are the longest-lived
of all mammals.
232
00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,440
Some are 200 years old
233
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,440
and have been coming here
for many decades.
234
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,080
Suddenly...
235
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,160
their peace is shattered.
236
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,440
Killer whales have arrived
from the south...
237
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:02,920
..nine metres long,
238
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,920
weighing nine tonnes...
239
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,400
..and renowned for their
exceptional intelligence.
240
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,920
This particular pack
specialises in hunting
241
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:16,880
bowhead whales.
242
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,160
The bowheads retreat
into the shallows...
243
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,000
..where it will be harder
244
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,040
for killer whales
to launch an attack.
245
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,640
But the killers can swim
246
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,520
much faster than the bowheads.
247
00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,920
The group tries to close ranks.
248
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,640
But the killers attempt
to separate them.
249
00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,640
They look for individual signs
250
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:18,960
of weakness.
251
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,680
In the shallows,
the bowheads lash out...
252
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,720
..with their
seven-metre-wide tails.
253
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,840
But in the confusion,
254
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,880
some run aground.
255
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,640
Others try to reach
deeper water.
256
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,800
This youngster,
half the size of an adult,
257
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,720
is extremely vulnerable.
258
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:32,240
The killer whales
259
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,280
take turns to ram
into its sides...
260
00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:41,000
..cracking its ribs so that
it struggles to breathe.
261
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:11,760
Then they push the youngster
down until, finally...
262
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:14,720
..it drowns.
263
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,720
The battle is over.
264
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,840
It lasted an hour.
265
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,760
Yet now the killer whales eat
only one part of their prey...
266
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,280
..the young bowhead's
soft, fatty tongue.
267
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,600
Today, more and more bowheads
268
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,840
are falling prey
to killer whales
269
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:00,200
as the warming climate
270
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,800
causes the protective barrier
of sea ice
271
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,240
to melt earlier each year.
272
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:28,440
By midsummer, millions
of migratory sea birds,
273
00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,480
having flown thousands
of miles to get here,
274
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,760
are feeding
in the Arctic's rich waters.
275
00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:37,320
BIRDS CALL
276
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:40,800
Over a million
277
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,680
crested auklets,
no bigger than puffins,
278
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,080
now descend on Alaska's
Saint Lawrence Island
279
00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,800
and are preparing to breed.
280
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,200
To win a mate, a male must try
281
00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,040
to stand out from the crowd.
282
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,760
And auditions are already
under way.
283
00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,000
CHEEPING
284
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:10,200
Males and females, unusually,
look very similar,
285
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,120
each adorned with
an Elvis-like crest.
286
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,960
But it's the size of the crest
that matters.
287
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,640
And this male's headgear
seems to be
288
00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:26,480
no more than adequate.
289
00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,600
BIRD SCREECHES
290
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,600
A position on the ground
is also important.
291
00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:45,320
One large male
wants this particular perch.
292
00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,280
And having got it,
he breaks into song.
293
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:00,760
WHOOPING CALL
294
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,520
He now releases
a potent tangerine scent
295
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,000
from the back of his neck.
296
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,880
And a mob of fans go wild.
297
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,320
This male, however,
298
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,400
seems to have nothing to offer.
299
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:33,320
But a gaggle of groupies
300
00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,880
can be a dangerous distraction.
301
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,240
An Arctic fox.
302
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,160
BIRDS CALL
303
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:10,680
It's found an egg.
304
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,240
With the stage cleared,
305
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,360
the highest perch
306
00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,040
has become vacant.
307
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,240
This is a moment to shine.
308
00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,360
BIRD SCREECHES
309
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,480
His display
doesn't go unnoticed.
310
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,840
And his tangerine perfume
attracts an admirer.
311
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,840
And not just one.
312
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,280
Now it's down to the females
to impress him.
313
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,360
In auklet society, both sexes
314
00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,200
have a say when it comes to
choosing a mate.
315
00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:53,160
At the height of summer, with
24 hours of sunlight a day,
316
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:56,640
over half the sea ice
melts away.
317
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,360
BIRDS CALL
318
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,000
The beaches of Svalbard
319
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,360
provide safe places to haul out
for one of
320
00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:12,400
the Arctic's special residents.
321
00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:18,640
Walruses.
322
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:26,600
They forage for shellfish for
up to 17 hours at a stretch.
323
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:32,400
Now...
324
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,120
GRUNTS
325
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,160
..it's time for a rest.
326
00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:44,960
Each adult male
weighs more than a tonne.
327
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:51,960
And heaving oneself
over the sand...
328
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:55,800
..without the support of water
329
00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:57,760
is very hard work.
330
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,200
This male has a particular
331
00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,440
sunbathing spot in mind...
332
00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:13,800
..right in the middle
333
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,160
of the 50-strong huddle.
334
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:19,040
GRUNTING
335
00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:27,520
A prod helps
in parting the crowd.
336
00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,360
Almost in.
337
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,040
At last, he can settle down
for a snooze...
338
00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,400
..swaddled on all sides
339
00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,840
by the bodies
of his neighbours.
340
00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:04,160
GRUNTING
341
00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,960
But it's not a peaceful spot.
342
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,560
LOUD GRUNTING
343
00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:21,800
Sleep isn't easy
when a fidgety bedfellow
344
00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:23,880
decides that he has an itch
345
00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,040
that needs scratching.
346
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:29,720
This is the time to moult,
347
00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:33,320
to get rid of one's old fur
with all its parasites
348
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:37,920
and expose the healthy
new coat beneath.
349
00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:39,440
BUBBLING
350
00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,640
These days,
Svalbard's summer temperatures
351
00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:56,160
can soar to 22 degrees Celsius.
352
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:07,040
Flushing red by bringing blood
close to the skin
353
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,680
helps them to keep cool.
354
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,840
But some overheating
is unavoidable...
355
00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,920
..especially for a big male.
356
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:35,720
Enough is enough.
357
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,040
Getting up here...
358
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:46,360
was a slog.
359
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:51,480
But this male has found
a better way of getting down.
360
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:55,200
Let gravity do the work.
361
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,240
Now, that is cool!
362
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,200
Ahhh!
363
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:44,360
Everyone is doing it.
It saves both time and energy.
364
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:52,680
But walruses will need
all the tricks they can find.
365
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,000
The Arctic is warming,
366
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,720
and these cold-loving animals
are facing
367
00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:04,360
a precarious future.
368
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,760
For millennia, the Arctic Ocean
has frozen over in the winter
369
00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:21,760
and then gradually melted
370
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,560
throughout the spring
and summer.
371
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,240
But in the last 40 years,
372
00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:33,320
the extent of the summer
sea ice has declined by 50%.
373
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:41,840
Some predict that it will be
ice-free as early as 2035.
374
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:47,920
This profound change...
375
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,880
..is already having an impact
376
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,640
on the Arctic Ocean's
highly specialised wildlife.
377
00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,280
With less summer sea ice
from which to hunt seals,
378
00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:09,320
some polar bears are now
travelling up to 400 miles...
379
00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,720
swimming continuously
for up to ten days
380
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:14,400
in search of land.
381
00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:24,880
Wrangel Island,
off Arctic Russia...
382
00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:30,200
..the only land
for almost 100 miles.
383
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,680
Each summer, more and more
polar bears come ashore here.
384
00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:48,120
This newly arrived mother
385
00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,920
needs to find food
for her family...
386
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,880
CALLS OUT
387
00:41:56,640 --> 00:42:00,720
..but knows not to approach
other adult bears.
388
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:05,920
A full-grown male
389
00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:08,240
can kill and eat a cub
390
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:12,280
and will do so if other food
is in short supply.
391
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:18,720
There are over 1,000 bears
on this one island.
392
00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:24,960
It's the greatest concentration
of polar bears
393
00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:26,880
on the planet.
394
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:37,200
But there is food to be had
on these remote shores.
395
00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:42,920
A walrus colony...
396
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:46,960
..2,000 strong.
397
00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,560
The walruses panic.
398
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:15,200
And there are casualties.
399
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:32,720
GROWLS
400
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,600
Fights break out.
401
00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:50,160
This is no place
for a young family.
402
00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:00,440
The mother calls her cubs away.
403
00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,160
They must search elsewhere.
404
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:42,360
Grass is a poor meal for a growing
cub.
405
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,320
And starvation in summer
is a real threat.
406
00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:01,200
But this opportunity to feed...
407
00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,560
..is one she cannot
afford to ignore.
408
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:12,200
It's time to gamble.
409
00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:19,720
Her cubs follow her.
410
00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:21,760
MOTHER GROWLS
411
00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:23,880
She urges them to stay back.
412
00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:35,280
CUBS CALL OUT
413
00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:41,640
The males are twice her size.
414
00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:45,600
But, preoccupied with feeding,
415
00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:47,880
they tolerate her presence.
416
00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:56,160
The distress calls
of her cubs, however...
417
00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:57,280
CUB CALLS OUT
418
00:45:57,280 --> 00:45:58,920
..attract unwelcome attention.
419
00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:19,640
Their mother rushes
to shield them with her body.
420
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,840
But she seems torn between
guarding her family
421
00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:33,880
and feeding herself.
422
00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:51,880
Cubs left by themselves
423
00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:55,440
are easy prey
for a hungry male bear.
424
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:10,000
But now her maternal instincts
take over.
425
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:35,480
Faced with a mother's fury...
426
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:37,880
the dominant male
backs down.
427
00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,040
Having fought her way in...
428
00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:09,320
..her cubs can now feed
for the first time in weeks.
429
00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:20,520
Polar bears were once
430
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:24,200
the supreme hunters
on the sea ice.
431
00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:27,640
Now, each summer,
more and more of them
432
00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:31,280
have to come to land
in search of food.
433
00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:39,840
Whether the ice bear
survives into the next century
434
00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:44,240
depends on what happens to
the sea ice on which they rely.
435
00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:52,600
As with all of the Arctic
Ocean's remarkable wildlife,
436
00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:56,080
it's how the climate changes
over the coming years
437
00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,800
that will determine
their future.
438
00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,040
In today's unpredictable
and changing Arctic,
439
00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:22,880
filming its wildlife is
an ever-increasing challenge...
440
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,520
..none more so than trying
to capture the brief time
441
00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:29,960
that a mother harp seal spends
442
00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:32,080
preparing her pup
for life at sea.
443
00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:39,360
To find the seal's
pupping grounds,
444
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:42,360
the crew have sailed
to a remote area of the Arctic
445
00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:44,680
off the east coast
of Greenland.
446
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:48,080
But here, they quickly discover
447
00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:51,040
that its usually solid
platform of sea ice
448
00:49:51,040 --> 00:49:53,920
has broken up into
thousands of floes.
449
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,840
It's a surprising sight
even for veteran captain
450
00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,680
Bjorne Kvernmo.
451
00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,840
And with the sea ice
so fractured,
452
00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:16,560
there's no sign
of any wildlife.
453
00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:21,600
We've been at sea
for well over a week now.
454
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:24,600
We still haven't
filmed a thing.
455
00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,880
With mother and pup together
for just 12 days, it's a race
456
00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:32,040
to find the dense pack ice
457
00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,960
on which the breeding seals
give birth.
458
00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:41,080
The team head a further 100
miles up the Greenland coast,
459
00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:43,600
to an area no film crew
460
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:45,360
has ventured into before.
461
00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:50,320
Their gamble pays off.
462
00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:52,240
SQUEAL
463
00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:57,000
Our first harp seal, baby!
464
00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:00,400
From the smaller,
more manoeuvrable tender,
465
00:51:00,400 --> 00:51:02,760
cameraman Jamie McPherson
466
00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:04,520
hopes to record
the precious time
467
00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:06,280
mother and pup spend together
468
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:07,680
on the ice.
469
00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:08,720
WHISPERS: I've been filming
470
00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:11,120
probably one of the cutest
animals in the world.
471
00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:12,440
And there was suckling,
472
00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:14,440
which is really cool,
because it's really funny,
473
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:16,480
because the baby goes from
one nipple to the other nipple
474
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:18,640
and just goes
backwards and forwards.
475
00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:26,640
WHISPERS: That's one of the
sweetest things I've ever seen!
476
00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:28,800
Utterly adorable!
477
00:51:30,240 --> 00:51:32,920
With mum now calling it
into the water,
478
00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:36,640
this pup may be ready
for its very first swim.
479
00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:38,200
PUP CALLS OUT
480
00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:40,800
It's the cue
for underwater cameraman
481
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:42,200
Hugh Miller.
482
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:45,080
We're going to try
something different
483
00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:46,960
and actually get into the water
with the seals.
484
00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:50,120
We're definitely
in new territory here.
485
00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:54,720
To film this rare moment
underwater,
486
00:51:54,720 --> 00:51:56,800
Hugh will need to get
a lot closer,
487
00:51:56,800 --> 00:51:58,480
without disturbing them.
488
00:52:00,640 --> 00:52:03,840
But with Arctic waters
at minus two degrees Celsius,
489
00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:08,000
even with a protective
thermal dry suit,
490
00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:12,560
Hugh only has an hour before he
risks developing hypothermia.
491
00:52:15,240 --> 00:52:19,760
It's now a matter of waiting
for the pup to take the plunge.
492
00:52:20,800 --> 00:52:23,160
The guys have now
been in for about...
493
00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:27,320
..20 minutes.
494
00:52:28,920 --> 00:52:32,720
I can guarantee you
they'll be freezing cold.
495
00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:37,960
Hugh's body temperature
is getting dangerously low.
496
00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:46,240
HUGH: Conditions have been...
497
00:52:46,240 --> 00:52:48,160
really hard.
498
00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:49,640
The cold just...
499
00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:53,160
It's been very, very difficult!
LAUGHS
500
00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:56,000
DAVID: With less than a week to go
501
00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:59,640
before this mother is likely
to leave her pup forever,
502
00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:02,440
Jamie continues to capture
their intimate interactions...
503
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:10,240
..while Hugh is yet to film
a single shot.
504
00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:13,640
To make matters worse,
505
00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:16,280
temperatures fall to
506
00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:18,480
minus 30 degrees centigrade.
507
00:53:19,640 --> 00:53:21,680
And as the wind direction
changes,
508
00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:25,440
the floes are forced
closer together.
509
00:53:25,440 --> 00:53:28,040
Pack ice has just come in
from all around us.
510
00:53:28,040 --> 00:53:29,560
It could flip the boat,
511
00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:32,520
and that would be
the end of the shoot.
512
00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:35,240
Hemmed in by blocks
513
00:53:35,240 --> 00:53:37,600
weighing several tonnes,
the small skiffs
514
00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:40,640
are at risk of getting crushed.
515
00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:42,960
They radio for help.
516
00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:45,520
But as the mother ship
approaches, she shunts
517
00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,720
even more ice their way.
518
00:53:52,160 --> 00:53:54,880
So, we've got these big
chunks of ice either side of us
519
00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:57,080
and they've got to go
somewhere, so...
520
00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:02,000
With help three days away,
the crew
521
00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:04,800
can't afford any mistakes.
522
00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:13,320
In the nick of time,
a lifeline.
523
00:54:17,720 --> 00:54:19,280
Safely aboard!
524
00:54:20,240 --> 00:54:22,200
That was a bit full-on!
525
00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:29,120
By the next day,
the pack ice has drifted apart.
526
00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,840
And not a moment too soon.
527
00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:44,240
RACHEL: Awww!
528
00:54:48,240 --> 00:54:50,920
JAMIE WHISPERS: We just
saw it go for its first swim.
529
00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:53,000
It was amazing.
530
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:56,280
It just sort of flops about on
the surface. It was very cool.
531
00:54:59,240 --> 00:55:03,480
With the pup finally in the
water, Hugh seizes his chance.
532
00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:08,600
But what will the pup make
of this curious sea creature?
533
00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:17,960
This pup is playing with -
playing with! - the camera.
534
00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:20,520
I can see Hugh's smile
from here.
535
00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:24,840
HUGH: Oh, lovely. Wow!
536
00:55:26,480 --> 00:55:28,320
That was great!
537
00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,560
Yeah, we saw.
That was great!
538
00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:32,360
HUGH: So nice.
539
00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:37,640
Just as Hugh gets his reward,
540
00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:40,880
the Arctic conditions
take a turn for the worse.
541
00:55:40,880 --> 00:55:42,320
WIND HOWLS
542
00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:43,920
We've been getting
some amazing stuff,
543
00:55:43,920 --> 00:55:47,400
but now the wind's picked up,
so we're trying to get out.
544
00:55:49,560 --> 00:55:51,080
With a storm brewing,
545
00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:54,720
not even the mother ship
is safe among the ice floes.
546
00:55:54,720 --> 00:55:59,720
The crew have no choice
but to leave the seals behind.
547
00:56:07,080 --> 00:56:09,520
It would roll in on a storm?
548
00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:12,960
And they drown?
549
00:56:20,720 --> 00:56:24,960
Today, the combination
of reduced Arctic sea ice
550
00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:26,800
and heavy storms
551
00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:30,040
is leading to more and more
tragedies like this.
552
00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:34,440
Unless this trend is reversed,
553
00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:38,160
the future for much of
the Arctic's unique wildlife
554
00:56:38,160 --> 00:56:40,200
hangs in the balance.
555
00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:47,800
Next time...
556
00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:52,400
..we explore the unpredictable world
557
00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:54,480
of frozen peaks...
558
00:56:55,800 --> 00:56:57,680
..to discover the surprising animals
559
00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:01,960
..that live life...
560
00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:05,640
..on the edge.
561
00:57:13,360 --> 00:57:16,840
The Open University has produced a
poster exploring how animals adapt
562
00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:19,240
to life in the world's coldest
environments.
563
00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:24,480
To order your free copy, please
call:
564
00:57:26,280 --> 00:57:29,360
Or go to...
565
00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:33,960
..and follow
the links to The Open University.
41060
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