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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
At the far south of our planet
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lies the most hostile
of the Earth's frozen lands.
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00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,160
WIND GUSTS
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00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:46,760
Antarctica.
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00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,080
Here, temperatures can fall
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00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,960
to below minus 80 degrees Celsius...
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00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,440
..and winds blow up to 200mph.
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00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:11,160
Its icy centre
is almost devoid of life.
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00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,040
But on the edge of Antarctica,
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00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,000
some creatures find a way
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not just to survive,
but to flourish.
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00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,520
Here are some of the greatest
concentrations of life
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00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,720
to be found anywhere on Earth.
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00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,080
The continent of Antarctica
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00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,680
lies at the southern end
of the globe.
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00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,760
Twice the size of Australia,
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00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,680
it's the largest, coldest
expanse of land on the planet.
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00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,600
To the north of it, however,
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00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,880
across 1,000 miles of ocean,
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00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,400
lie the subantarctic islands,
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00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,440
where conditions are
somewhat less hostile to life.
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00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,440
The largest of them
is South Georgia.
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00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,120
PENGUINS SQUAWK
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00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:37,320
Here, a million king penguins
live and breed the year round.
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00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,360
PENGUINS SQUAWK
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00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,520
A mother has returned
after a month at sea...
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00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,280
..collecting food
for her hungry chick.
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00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,760
At ten months old, chicks are
the size of a human toddler,
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00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,240
and covered in no more
than a downy fleece.
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00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,600
Until they get
their waterproof feathers,
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00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,840
they themselves cannot go to sea...
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00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,400
CHICK WHISTLES
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00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,720
..so they have to rely totally
on their parents
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to bring them food.
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Their time together is brief -
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00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,240
just long enough to disgorge
her crop of fish and squid.
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00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,320
All too soon,
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00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,440
parents have to return to sea
to collect more.
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00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,280
But getting back there
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00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,080
can take several hours.
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00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,200
Hundreds of parents
make the commute together.
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00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,680
A beak can be used as an ice-pick
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00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,120
to negotiate the steeper parts
of their trek.
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00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,920
This mile-long snow-covered trudge
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00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,400
is unique to this colony,
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00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,040
and has never been seen before.
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At last, the sea.
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00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:02,640
After several days on land,
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00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,000
their feathers need washing
to be ready
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00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,040
for the long days of swimming
that lie ahead.
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00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:22,520
But this is a dangerous place
to loiter.
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Three metres long,
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00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,680
more than three times
the size of a king penguin,
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00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,560
these fearsome hunters
are usually solitary.
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00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,600
But at this time of the year,
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00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,720
in this bay, there are
as many as 30 of them.
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00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:28,320
If these penguins think
that they're safe on land...
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..they are mistaken.
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00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,240
PENGUIN SQUAWKS
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00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,960
Any one of these huge seals
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00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,040
can take as many
as ten penguins a day.
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00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,280
PENGUINS SQUAWK
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00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,520
Their best chance...
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00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,120
..is to stay with the crowd.
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00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,120
There's safety in numbers.
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Made it.
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00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,600
Only to return in a month's time...
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00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,720
..and once again face death head-on.
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00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,400
This is surely
one of the greatest challenges
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00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,200
faced by any parent.
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00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,800
1,500 miles off the continent's
east coast
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00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,040
lies another of the tiny outposts
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00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,680
that are vital for the survival
of Antarctic wildlife.
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00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,080
The Sub-Antarctic Islands
of the Antipodes.
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00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,320
In spring, the longer days
turn each tiny speck of land
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00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,600
into a potential breeding ground...
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00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,040
..for the Antipodean
wandering albatross.
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00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,280
Its wings are three metres across,
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00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,840
amongst the biggest of any bird.
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00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,200
This 14-year-old male
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00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,760
is now mature enough
to start selecting a partner.
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00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,440
For the smaller, darker female,
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00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,160
choosing a suitable mate
is of equal importance.
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00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,320
After all,
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00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,760
they may stay together
for the next 50 years.
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00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,840
To make this crucial decision,
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00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,000
they use one of the most
elaborate courtship rituals
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00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,640
of any sea bird.
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00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,720
He begins by sky-pointing.
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00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:11,240
CALLS
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00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,000
It seems to be working.
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00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,760
CALLS
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00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,000
Next, he attempts a move...
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00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,880
..known as the double head-bob.
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00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,520
SQUAWKING
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00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,080
CLICKING
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The finale is the real decider.
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00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,080
Synchronised wing-spreading.
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00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:10,160
She seems impressed.
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00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,160
But another male appears...
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00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:26,680
..and shows off...
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00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:28,560
SCREECHES
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00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:30,720
..his wings.
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00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,760
The greater the span,
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00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,000
the more attractive he could be.
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00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,000
But the first male won't tolerate
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00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,080
a rival cutting in.
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00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,760
Yet another hopeful
joins in the competition.
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00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:56,240
And another.
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00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,000
This was not supposed to be
a dance-off.
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00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,600
She prefers one tango at a time.
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00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:26,800
It seems that this is not
going to be his year after all.
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00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:39,200
But he's caught the eye
of another albatross.
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00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,160
Once again, he begins
his courtship display.
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00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,320
SQUAWKING
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00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:04,360
But this is, in fact,
another male.
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00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,720
CLICKING
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00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:17,360
Regardless, he continues
to demonstrate his eligibility.
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00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:32,840
This could still be the one
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00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,240
with whom he will share
the rest of his life.
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00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:53,360
On the Antipodes Islands, it's
becoming increasingly common.
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00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:59,280
Today, there are three times
as many males as females.
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00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,800
Females feed further north
than the males,
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00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,240
in waters used
by industrial fishing fleets
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00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,600
that catch and drown
great numbers of sea birds.
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00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,560
As a result,
the female albatross here
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00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,560
is now declining fast.
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00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:36,160
A same-sex partnership like this
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00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,240
may bring no survival advantage...
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00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:46,320
..but is apparently preferable
to a life alone.
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00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,000
The wealth of life found around
Antarctica's lonely islands
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00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,880
is evidence of the richness of
the waters that surround them.
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00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,520
The Southern Ocean.
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00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,080
WAVES CRASH
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00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,120
It may appear treacherous.
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00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,520
Its gale-force winds certainly
create powerful currents.
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00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:36,000
But all this stirring
has an important effect.
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00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,080
It brings up nutrients
from the depths,
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00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,680
helping to create some
of the richest seas on Earth.
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00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,000
And this provides food
for the largest animal
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00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,720
to have ever lived.
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00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,800
The Antarctic blue whale.
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00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,280
It's more than 30 metres long...
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00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,840
..but it's rarely
been filmed before.
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00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:58,880
Only the Southern Ocean
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00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,880
can provide the four tonnes of food
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00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,720
that the biggest of all
blue whales needs every day.
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00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,880
This ocean giant was
almost hunted to extinction,
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00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,360
but thanks to an international ban
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00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:22,160
on commercial whaling,
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00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,840
its numbers are now increasing.
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00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,080
The closer the seas are
to mainland Antarctica...
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00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:04,200
..the colder they become...
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00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,120
..until, a few hundred miles
offshore,
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00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:19,000
the ocean's surface freezes solid.
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00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,120
It forms a cover of sea ice
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00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,000
that is twice the size of Europe
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00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,040
and encircles the entire continent.
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00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,560
This is a stronghold
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00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,440
for one of Antarctica's
most remarkable inhabitants.
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00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,360
It uses its teeth
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00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,800
to prevent its breathing holes
from freezing over.
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00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,400
The Weddell seal.
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00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,760
The most southerly breeding
mammal on the planet.
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00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,040
GRUNTS
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00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:24,640
This ten-day-old pup
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00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,080
is still entirely dependent
on his mother.
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00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,000
Out on the ice,
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00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,160
it may be safe
from marine predators...
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00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,480
..but within its first two weeks,
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00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,600
it will have to venture
into the underwater world
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upon which its future depends.
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00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,680
This is the coldest water on Earth.
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00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,480
So it's not surprising
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00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,760
that a pup needs some encouragement.
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00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,240
It's time to leave the safety
of the breathing hole.
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00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,000
To catch fish
and then safely return,
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00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,520
this pup must learn
how to find his way
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00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,040
through the maze
of underwater ice caverns.
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00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,080
But after just eight minutes...
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00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,680
..his mother signals
that it's time to head back.
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00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,080
She can hold her breath
for an hour and a half.
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00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,920
But he is already starting to tire
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00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:16,760
and is running out of air.
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00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,440
On their way back
to their breathing hole,
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00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:27,080
they hear a sound
as loud as a fighter jet.
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00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,200
STEADY THUMPING
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00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:39,120
It is the call of a half-tonne
male Weddell seal
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00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,880
announcing that
he's on the lookout for a mate.
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00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,200
She, however, is still
producing milk for her pup,
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00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,280
and so isn't sexually receptive.
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00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,360
But he doesn't stop trying.
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00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:11,000
THUMPING
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00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,400
To repel his advances,
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00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,480
she leaves her pup's side.
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00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:31,760
But the pup isn't strong enough
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00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:35,360
to haul himself out
without his mother's help.
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00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,400
PUP WAILS
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00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,600
She tries to fight off
the adult male.
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00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:20,880
She's wounded him so seriously
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00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,200
that he is unlikely
to be back any time soon.
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00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:30,840
SQUEAKS
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00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,120
A gentle nudge from Mother
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00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:42,240
is all an exhausted pup needs
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00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,440
to make it to the safety
of the sea ice.
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00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:56,840
Mothers stay with their pups
for six weeks,
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00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,680
by which time they're strong
enough to fend for themselves.
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00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,440
PUP WHINES
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00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,120
As spring arrives,
the sea ice retreats,
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00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:21,400
and in a few places,
Antarctica's coast
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00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,880
is exposed to the open sea.
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00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,320
And that attracts
all kinds of animals.
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00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,480
Having spent the winter at sea,
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00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,040
chinstrap penguins can now
come ashore to breed.
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00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,520
Soon, the coast becomes
extremely crowded.
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00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:01,640
But there are ways
to maintain social distance.
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00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,320
SPLATTING
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00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,440
Oh, dear.
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00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,240
The chicks,
until they're eight weeks old,
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00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,720
depend on their parents for food
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00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,520
and, critically, warmth.
222
00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:42,640
Meltwater is a particular problem.
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00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,760
The chicks' feathers
are not yet waterproof.
224
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,800
Getting wet could be fatal.
225
00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,720
A father's duty is to keep
his chicks high and dry...
226
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,360
..using the only
building material available.
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00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:04,560
Stones.
228
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,880
And suitable ones are precious.
229
00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:29,360
So it's vital to hold on
to every one.
230
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,400
But while backs are turned...
231
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,080
..collections are readily
plundered by neighbours.
232
00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,920
With thieves like these around...
233
00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:59,200
..that stone has just become
even more valuable.
234
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,720
SQUAWKS
235
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:10,920
SQUAWKS
236
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:18,280
SQUAWKS
237
00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:30,280
What's lacking in skill...
238
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,040
..is made up for with persistence.
239
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,400
But a parent's labours
could be in vain.
240
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,800
CHICK CHEEPS
241
00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,520
Summer temperatures
have now been recorded
242
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,120
as high as 18 degrees Celsius.
243
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,120
As a result, the penguins'
carefully constructed platforms
244
00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:15,960
are now being flooded.
245
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,280
There is more meltwater
than ever before...
246
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:30,200
..and the ground
is becoming a quagmire.
247
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,120
Downy feathers,
248
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,960
which are excellent insulation
from the cold when dry,
249
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:43,480
are no defence when wet.
250
00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:52,680
Hypothermia sets in.
251
00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,040
Over the last 50 years,
252
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:13,040
the number of chinstraps here
has dropped by half.
253
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,160
Antarctica is losing
254
00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,080
the very element that defines it.
255
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:30,520
Ice.
256
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:36,920
That is now diminishing
257
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,720
six times faster than it once did.
258
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,760
Neumayer Glacier on South Georgia
259
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,880
has lost nearly six miles
of ice in just 20 years.
260
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,080
Parts of Antarctica are warming
faster than anywhere else
261
00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:06,920
in the southern hemisphere.
262
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,200
And that is having
a serious effect
263
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,000
on the animals
that live on its coast,
264
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,520
such as the Weddell seal.
265
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:22,960
With less sea ice available,
266
00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,000
many are now hauling out on land.
267
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:37,920
That's not just a problem
for them...
268
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,840
..but also for the predators
269
00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:43,880
that specialise in hunting them...
270
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,360
..one particular group
of Antarctic killer whales,
271
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,720
100 or so animals strong.
272
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,360
Killer whales are among
the most intelligent
273
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,120
of all nonhuman predators.
274
00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,160
And they're now working out
how to tackle prey
275
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:15,360
that isn't a Weddell seal.
276
00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,520
An Adelie penguin,
resting on the ice.
277
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:25,520
SQUAWKS
278
00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,480
A mere snack
for an adult killer whale...
279
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,440
..but it gives this group
of six-year-olds
280
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,680
a chance to practise one
of their particularly ingenious
281
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:48,000
hunting techniques.
282
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:00,160
Wave-washing.
283
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:01,600
PENGUIN SQUAWKS
284
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,960
A skill that takes
at least 15 years to perfect.
285
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,320
First, the killer whales assess
the size and position
286
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,720
of a possible victim.
287
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:18,360
They must then calculate
the speed needed...
288
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,400
..for an attack.
289
00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:24,840
SQUAWKS
290
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:30,960
But they're too late.
291
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,000
Even though a co-ordinated
flick of their tails
292
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,520
creates a reasonable wave...
293
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,480
..it's nothing
without precision timing.
294
00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:47,440
GRUNTS
295
00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,400
With fewer of their favourite
prey of Weddell seals
296
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,280
resting on ice floes,
297
00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:05,440
killer whales now have no choice
298
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,520
but to target new prey.
299
00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,320
Crabeater seals.
300
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,040
Numbering 15 million,
301
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,560
they're the most abundant
marine mammal on Earth.
302
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,000
SEAL GROWLS
303
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,320
But they are a far more
dangerous target...
304
00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:37,960
..than a Weddell seal.
305
00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:41,560
Stronger...
306
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:45,720
..and more inclined to fight back.
307
00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,840
But each member of this pod
308
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,680
needs to eat a seal a day.
309
00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,120
So the pressure is on to feed.
310
00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:12,480
They're led by a matriarch
311
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,880
who knows exactly what to do.
312
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,280
Living 100 years or more,
313
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,680
she has plenty of hunting
experience to draw upon.
314
00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,320
GROWLS
315
00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,680
With the ice floe
having broken in two,
316
00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:02,880
the seals have become
more vulnerable.
317
00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:08,760
The matriarch now pushes
the ice floe into open water
318
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:12,800
to give their next wave
maximum impact.
319
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:20,320
This requires teamwork
and precision.
320
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,880
She makes her final calculations.
321
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,080
This seal has only one way
322
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:21,920
of escaping death.
323
00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,880
Unlike the less muscular
Weddell seal,
324
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:36,480
the crabeater has the strength
325
00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:38,560
to hurl itself out of the water...
326
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:40,960
..just in time.
327
00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,320
For the killer whales,
328
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,520
it has been
a significant waste of energy.
329
00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:00,240
Their need to eat
is now greater than ever.
330
00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:06,400
A leopard seal.
331
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:15,000
By far the most ferocious
of all Antarctica's seals.
332
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,160
Dare this pod tackle him?
333
00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:32,800
He's a three-metre adult,
334
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,040
an aggressive hunter
in his own right.
335
00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,240
Unused to being targeted
by killer whales...
336
00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,200
..the leopard seal
makes the mistake
337
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,720
of leaving the safety
of the ice floe.
338
00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:21,880
The killer whales approach
the seal with utmost caution.
339
00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,520
Keeping away
from its powerful teeth,
340
00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:34,680
they seize it by its tail...
341
00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,400
..and try to drown it.
342
00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,960
The hungry youngsters
get to feed first.
343
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:08,960
But tackling less-familiar prey
is risky,
344
00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:13,120
and starvation is a real
danger for these killer whales.
345
00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,520
Only time will tell
346
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:29,120
whether these skilful hunters
can adjust quickly enough
347
00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:31,400
to survive in this changing world.
348
00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:47,880
Beyond Antarctica's
rich coastal fringes
349
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,920
lies a vast frozen interior.
350
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,760
This is certainly one
of the most inhospitable places
351
00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,200
for life on Earth.
352
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:09,160
Its icecap,
three miles thick in places,
353
00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:13,600
holds almost two-thirds
of the Earth's fresh water.
354
00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:20,560
The accumulation of snowfalls
over millions of years
355
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,840
has bedded vast mountain ranges
longer than the Himalayas.
356
00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:36,360
All that can be seen of them
is the tips of their peaks.
357
00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:54,120
Smoking vents standing
20 metres tall
358
00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:58,360
hint at the volcanicity that
lies beneath the ice sheet.
359
00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,080
The recent discovery
360
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,760
of more than 20 previously
unknown volcanoes
361
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:08,720
reveals that Antarctica is
362
00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:12,560
one of the most volcanic
places on Earth.
363
00:41:22,720 --> 00:41:24,800
Almost 4,000 metres high,
364
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:28,920
Mount Erebus is one of just
seven volcanoes on Earth
365
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,720
with a permanent lava lake.
366
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,200
Less than 1%
of this frozen interior
367
00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:43,440
is free of ice.
368
00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,080
But isolated outcrops of rock
369
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,640
offer sanctuaries
for one of the few animals
370
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,760
willing to brave temperatures
of minus 30 degrees Celsius.
371
00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:10,240
The snow petrel.
372
00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:18,200
They fly 100 miles inland
373
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:21,440
in order to breed
away from predators.
374
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:34,240
This male gets to work
clearing a shallow scrape,
375
00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:36,960
which he will then line
with feathers
376
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:38,880
to give his chick
a little protection
377
00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:40,520
from the bitter cold.
378
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:50,040
But crevices are in short supply...
SQUAWKING
379
00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:56,760
..and rivals are ever ready
to fight for them.
380
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:08,160
SQUAWKS
381
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:10,560
SQUAWKING
382
00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,080
When aerial combat fails,
383
00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:25,640
snow petrels deploy
another weapon.
384
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:29,080
Vomit.
385
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:46,040
It could be lethal.
386
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,640
If the putrid stomach oil freezes,
387
00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:52,960
his flight feathers
could stick together.
388
00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:59,160
Fortunately, he knows
how to clean them...
389
00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:09,040
..with a snow bath.
390
00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:28,400
Now to get on with
the task of breeding.
391
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:31,800
CHIRPING
392
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:52,520
From here to the South Pole,
1,000 miles further inland...
393
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:54,480
WIND HOWLS
394
00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:58,760
..conditions become
even more hostile for life.
395
00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:03,720
Winds driving over
the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
396
00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:07,400
can reach speeds of up to 200mph.
397
00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:16,120
As these gale-force winds
descend from the ice sheet,
398
00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:20,200
they pick up both speed and warmth.
399
00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:38,240
They create the most arid
conditions on Earth.
400
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,880
These aren't snowdrifts.
401
00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:56,600
They're sand dunes.
402
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:06,480
Some of these so-called dry valleys
403
00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:10,240
have not felt rain
in over a million years.
404
00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,240
Carved by the wind,
405
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:27,800
strange monuments
up to four metres tall
406
00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:30,880
stand on the desolate valley floor.
407
00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,440
The only life form...
408
00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:56,280
..a mummified crabeater seal
409
00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,880
that mysteriously strayed here,
410
00:46:59,880 --> 00:47:02,200
possibly thousands of years ago.
411
00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:17,320
But if you look hard enough...
412
00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:23,960
..life can be found
in Antarctica's interior.
413
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:32,320
Hidden in the mountains
of eastern Antarctica,
414
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:34,720
Lake Untersee.
415
00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:42,800
A little over ten years ago,
416
00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:46,320
scientists dived
beneath its frozen surface...
417
00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:52,080
..and made a discovery that
would change our perception
418
00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:54,760
of the possibility of alien life.
419
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:04,720
Lying on its lakebed
420
00:48:04,720 --> 00:48:07,560
are living structures
found nowhere else on Earth.
421
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:17,880
Giant stromatolites.
422
00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:21,600
Standing half a metre tall...
423
00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:25,200
..their existence down here
424
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:27,880
provides an extraordinary insight
425
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,680
into how life on our planet
might have evolved.
426
00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:37,640
These living structures
have been built
427
00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:39,480
over thousands of years
428
00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:44,280
by arguably the most important
microorganism on Earth.
429
00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:48,720
Cyanobacteria.
430
00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:55,760
The very first living organisms
to have produced oxygen.
431
00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:02,600
Without them, Earth would
have remained uninhabitable
432
00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:04,200
for higher life forms.
433
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,480
If the building blocks for life
can be found here,
434
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,200
in the most hostile
place on Earth...
435
00:49:19,240 --> 00:49:21,520
..surely life could exist
436
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:25,320
in the ice-covered lakes
of distant planets.
437
00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:48,120
Whilst filming in the extremes
438
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:52,320
of Antarctica, capturing
the remarkable behaviour
439
00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,600
of wave-washing killer
whales was to prove
440
00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:56,560
the crew's greatest challenge yet.
441
00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:01,080
The team set off
from the Falkland Islands
442
00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:03,360
on board the Golden Fleece,
443
00:50:03,360 --> 00:50:07,800
which will be their home
for the next month and a half.
444
00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:09,600
It's under the command
445
00:50:09,600 --> 00:50:12,640
of Antarctic explorer Dion Poncet.
446
00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,720
What's the weather like
for the crossing?
447
00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:18,000
The first day is good.
448
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:19,200
And then...
449
00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:22,520
..nothing bad...
that we can see...yet...
450
00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:29,640
To reach Antarctica, they must
first cross the Drake Passage -
451
00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:34,040
650 miles of
the world's roughest ocean.
452
00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:39,400
Confined to his bunk, executive
producer Mark Brownlow
453
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:40,920
has yet to find his sea legs.
454
00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:42,120
Destroyed.
455
00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:45,160
Fourth day at sea.
456
00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:46,360
Sick.
457
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:51,080
On arrival at the peninsula,
458
00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:55,920
their search begins,
guided by Leigh Hickmott,
459
00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,640
a whale scientist who
is part of a 14-year study
460
00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:02,800
on the only killer whales
in the world
461
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:04,240
known to wave-wash.
462
00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:07,560
We now have
a greater understanding,
463
00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:11,600
perhaps, of how small
the population is, actually,
464
00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:12,840
of these killer whales.
465
00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:15,640
The parent population
is about 50 animals,
466
00:51:15,640 --> 00:51:17,160
so really not very many at all.
467
00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:21,560
With so few of these highly
specialised killer whales
468
00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:24,560
patrolling an area more than
half the size of Wales,
469
00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,920
they head to where
they were last sighted.
470
00:51:31,720 --> 00:51:34,920
After three days of
round-the-clock surveillance,
471
00:51:34,920 --> 00:51:36,960
the team finally catch a glimpse.
472
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:40,280
Found our first killer whales.
473
00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:48,600
There's the one we want! Whoo!
474
00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:50,600
Good start.
475
00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:00,960
To get shots low to the water,
476
00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:04,760
they launch a gyro-stabilised
camera system in a small boat
477
00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:07,840
that's only half the length
of the killer whales.
478
00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:09,200
Stay still.
479
00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:13,760
That's so cool!
480
00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:19,360
Definitely feel like
we've just been checked out.
481
00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:22,680
It's quite intimidating.
482
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:30,520
In a filming first,
483
00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:33,280
camera operator Bertie Gregory
484
00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:37,120
launches the drone
to capture a new perspective
485
00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:39,560
on this hunting technique.
486
00:52:39,560 --> 00:52:43,000
We've got four, five
killer whales, spy-hopping.
487
00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:47,480
Some are moving away!
They might get ready for a wave.
488
00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:53,560
There's the first wave!
489
00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:57,040
That's the breaking wave
that's broken the pack in half.
490
00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:02,960
The seal's in the water!
491
00:53:02,960 --> 00:53:06,120
Seal's in the water!
He could be in trouble here.
492
00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:10,640
They could just
kill the seal cleanly,
493
00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:14,880
but they are using the seal
to teach their young how to hunt.
494
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:18,520
It's really hard to watch.
495
00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:23,440
The team's ground-breaking footage
496
00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:25,920
is also providing
valuable scientific data,
497
00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:28,920
contributing to the long-term study
498
00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:32,320
of these highly specialised
killer whales.
499
00:53:34,120 --> 00:53:38,400
Animal B-17 - she was first
photographed back in 2009.
500
00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:39,680
So here she is.
501
00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:42,320
This is a photograph taken
during Frozen Planet I.
502
00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:43,720
If we look on the right,
503
00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:46,200
here's a picture that
we took during our cruise.
504
00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:49,640
She's certainly the matriarch
of her particular group.
505
00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:52,040
We're seeing how
she's teaching her offspring
506
00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:55,000
to become this
very efficient killer.
507
00:53:56,280 --> 00:53:58,320
But after such a promising start,
508
00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:01,120
conditions take a turn
for the worse.
509
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:04,680
The thing that's changed
510
00:54:04,680 --> 00:54:06,880
enormously here is the weather.
511
00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:11,160
In the past,
the peninsula was famous for
512
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:13,800
perfect calm, still,
513
00:54:13,800 --> 00:54:15,760
bright sunshine, clear skies.
514
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:17,440
And...
515
00:54:17,440 --> 00:54:18,760
..doesn't happen so much.
516
00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:23,520
And warmer weather here means
less sea ice, which could
517
00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:25,760
have consequences
for the killer whales'
518
00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,080
preferred prey of Weddell seals.
519
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:30,480
There's a cruel irony, really,
520
00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:33,520
that we've today found the largest
group of Weddell seals,
521
00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:36,520
but they're on the beach.
They're not on pack ice.
522
00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:39,400
And that's potentially because
the Antarctic Peninsula
523
00:54:39,400 --> 00:54:42,200
is one of the most rapidly
warming places on the planet.
524
00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:53,800
The team film the killer whales
525
00:54:53,800 --> 00:54:55,800
switching to hunt crabeater seals...
526
00:54:59,120 --> 00:55:01,920
...but then, something
remarkable happens.
527
00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:07,400
They approach one of Antarctica's
528
00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:10,240
most formidable predators,
the leopard seal.
529
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:22,680
This is absolutely incredible,
530
00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:25,680
because that's really not considered
a key prey for them.
531
00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:30,040
Ooh, he's chosen a bad piece.
532
00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:31,960
The ice has split into four...
533
00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,600
..and he's chosen
the smallest quarter.
534
00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:48,000
It's phenomenal.
535
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:52,280
It's the first time a killer whale
536
00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:55,240
hunting a leopard seal
has been captured on camera.
537
00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:01,080
As extraordinary as that is,
538
00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:04,680
it's a sobering indication
of the challenges ahead
539
00:56:04,680 --> 00:56:06,560
for these killer whales.
540
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,640
I don't think
it's too much to say
541
00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:12,120
that we are facing
a climate emergency.
542
00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:14,280
There's a real chance that,
543
00:56:14,280 --> 00:56:16,240
as we lose this pack-ice
environment,
544
00:56:16,240 --> 00:56:18,920
that this predator, that has
one of the most complex
545
00:56:18,920 --> 00:56:21,320
foraging strategies on the planet,
546
00:56:21,320 --> 00:56:22,800
is going to be potentially lost.
547
00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:27,400
And that's a tragedy that I,
548
00:56:27,400 --> 00:56:29,680
in my lifetime,
don't want to see,
549
00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:31,840
and for our children,
most certainly,
550
00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:33,400
we can't allow to happen.
551
00:56:46,160 --> 00:56:51,440
Next time, we journey to
the frozen lands of the north.
552
00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:56,360
A world of snowbound forests
and vast open tundra.
553
00:57:01,160 --> 00:57:04,000
Where seasonal extremes
554
00:57:04,000 --> 00:57:06,240
push animals to their limit.
555
00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:17,440
The Open University
has produced a poster
556
00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:21,920
exploring how animals adapt to life
in the world's coldest environments.
557
00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:23,960
To order your free copy,
please call...
558
00:57:27,560 --> 00:57:29,000
..or go to...
559
00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:34,800
..and follow the links
to the Open University.
41492
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