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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: In winter,
at the top of the planet
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00:00:40,790 --> 00:00:43,751
lies an icy wilderness...
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00:00:45,086 --> 00:00:48,297
...not of land
but of frozen water.
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00:00:50,174 --> 00:00:52,009
The Arctic Ocean.
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00:00:54,595 --> 00:00:58,515
Its surface forms
an almost solid platform
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00:00:58,641 --> 00:01:02,061
that is bigger than
the whole of the United States.
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00:01:02,186 --> 00:01:04,188
(WIND HOWLS)
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00:01:07,525 --> 00:01:09,652
Its presence and condition
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00:01:09,777 --> 00:01:14,277
dominates the lives of
all the many and varied animals
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00:01:14,740 --> 00:01:16,658
that live both on it...
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00:01:17,785 --> 00:01:19,703
...and beneath it.
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00:01:26,502 --> 00:01:29,379
In the coming months,
the sun's warmth
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00:01:29,505 --> 00:01:34,005
will melt much of it and expose
the rich waters beneath.
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00:01:34,719 --> 00:01:36,762
(ICE CRACKLING)
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00:01:36,887 --> 00:01:41,182
To survive here,
life must adapt to this world
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00:01:41,309 --> 00:01:44,770
that alternates
between ice and water.
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00:01:46,230 --> 00:01:48,482
(CRACKLING)
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00:02:05,541 --> 00:02:08,377
After three months
of winter darkness,
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00:02:08,502 --> 00:02:13,002
the sun rises
across Arctic Norway.
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00:02:22,016 --> 00:02:24,351
A newly emerged
polar bear mother
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00:02:24,477 --> 00:02:27,021
encourages her cubs
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00:02:27,146 --> 00:02:31,646
to take their first
tentative steps on the sea ice.
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00:02:40,576 --> 00:02:44,246
Cubs will stay with
their mothers for two years,
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00:02:44,372 --> 00:02:47,833
learning the skills needed
to survive out here.
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00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:51,086
(GRUNTS)
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00:02:51,212 --> 00:02:54,840
But thereafter,
they will be on their own.
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00:02:59,053 --> 00:03:01,430
Further out on the sea ice...
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00:03:01,555 --> 00:03:03,139
(GRUNTS)
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00:03:03,265 --> 00:03:07,060
...this young female bear,
less than six years old,
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00:03:07,186 --> 00:03:09,938
is already fully independent.
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00:03:14,735 --> 00:03:16,945
She's superbly adapted to life
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00:03:17,071 --> 00:03:19,281
on the frozen ocean,
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00:03:19,407 --> 00:03:23,494
protected from the cold
by thick, insulating fat
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00:03:23,619 --> 00:03:25,996
and a double layer of fur.
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00:03:33,337 --> 00:03:37,837
This time of year
is the best time for feeding.
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00:03:41,721 --> 00:03:44,807
The ringed seals
on which she depends
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00:03:44,932 --> 00:03:46,558
feed on fish,
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00:03:46,684 --> 00:03:49,687
and are swimming
40 metres beneath her.
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00:03:51,939 --> 00:03:54,316
But after ten minutes
down there,
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00:03:54,442 --> 00:03:57,528
they must return
to the few gaps in the ice
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00:03:57,653 --> 00:04:00,155
to take a breath and rest.
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00:04:04,618 --> 00:04:06,661
She has acute hearing
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00:04:06,787 --> 00:04:10,207
and one of the most sensitive
noses in nature.
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00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:15,378
(SNIFFS)
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00:04:15,504 --> 00:04:18,381
She can detect a seal's lair
beneath two metres
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00:04:18,507 --> 00:04:20,300
of snow and ice.
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00:04:23,304 --> 00:04:25,055
Timing is everything.
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00:04:47,703 --> 00:04:51,164
Only one in ten attempts
is successful...
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00:04:52,249 --> 00:04:56,749
...So for a young bear,
each meal is very important.
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00:04:58,714 --> 00:05:02,092
But a male has picked up
the scent of the Kill.
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00:05:17,149 --> 00:05:20,485
Large males pose
a real threat...
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00:05:24,782 --> 00:05:28,577
...and could inflict
fatal injuries in a fight.
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00:05:34,834 --> 00:05:36,919
But she stands her ground.
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00:05:50,558 --> 00:05:54,228
Remarkably,
rather than fight...
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(GRUNTS)
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00:05:57,147 --> 00:05:59,357
...they start to play.
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00:06:11,704 --> 00:06:12,996
And then,
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00:06:13,122 --> 00:06:16,750
they set off
to explore together.
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Well fed and still young,
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00:06:28,387 --> 00:06:32,015
these two seem to be
forming a friendship.
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00:06:42,151 --> 00:06:44,570
She shows off
the swimming skills
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00:06:44,695 --> 00:06:49,195
that enable her to move with
ease between water and ice.
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00:07:00,252 --> 00:07:01,544
(GROWLING)
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00:07:13,849 --> 00:07:15,559
She's behind you!
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00:07:41,710 --> 00:07:44,087
Dancing on ice...
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00:07:46,006 --> 00:07:49,342
...apparently
just for the joy of it.
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00:08:10,739 --> 00:08:15,034
After three hours together,
they part company...
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00:08:16,787 --> 00:08:18,747
(GRUNTS)
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00:08:18,872 --> 00:08:23,372
...and return once again
to their solitary lives.
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00:08:26,588 --> 00:08:29,132
(GRUNTS)
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00:08:37,558 --> 00:08:40,769
Polar bears thrive
at this time of year
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00:08:40,894 --> 00:08:45,394
thanks to the huge platform of
sea ice on which they can hunt.
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00:08:51,488 --> 00:08:53,281
The Arctic Ocean lies
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00:08:53,407 --> 00:08:55,492
across the top
of the northern hemisphere
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00:08:55,617 --> 00:08:57,452
and over
the North Pole itself...
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00:08:59,329 --> 00:09:02,081
...and is surrounded
by three continents -
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00:09:02,207 --> 00:09:06,169
Europe, North America and Asia.
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00:09:09,089 --> 00:09:11,758
In winter, the sea ice extends
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00:09:11,884 --> 00:09:15,721
across an area of
over five million square miles.
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00:09:22,519 --> 00:09:25,313
But off the coast
of Arctic Russia,
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00:09:25,439 --> 00:09:28,733
a tiny pocket of water
has been kept open...
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00:09:38,077 --> 00:09:42,577
...by the continuous stirring
of 30 trapped beluga whales.
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00:09:55,928 --> 00:10:00,428
These four-metre-long arctic
whales are superbly adapted
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00:10:01,266 --> 00:10:05,353
for hunting far beneath
the surface of the sea ice.
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00:10:09,274 --> 00:10:11,192
(BUZZING)
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00:10:11,318 --> 00:10:13,570
Nonetheless, being mammals,
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00:10:13,695 --> 00:10:16,197
they must return to the surface
to breathe
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00:10:16,323 --> 00:10:18,825
every 15 minutes or so.
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00:10:24,498 --> 00:10:28,376
But this cold spell
is exceptionally severe.
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00:10:29,837 --> 00:10:33,715
And there's not another
breathing hole within 20 miles.
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00:10:36,844 --> 00:10:39,638
(WHISTLING)
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00:10:39,763 --> 00:10:43,391
Nearby fish and squid
disappeared long ago.
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00:10:45,018 --> 00:10:49,313
These emaciated whales
have been imprisoned by the ice
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00:10:49,439 --> 00:10:53,317
for five months,
and they're now starving.
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00:10:59,867 --> 00:11:02,452
Their only chance of escape
will come
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00:11:02,578 --> 00:11:04,705
when there is a change
in the season.
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00:11:13,338 --> 00:11:16,716
As spring finally reaches
the north of the planet,
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00:11:16,842 --> 00:11:20,637
air temperatures
creep above freezing.
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00:11:20,762 --> 00:11:23,097
(CRACKLING)
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00:11:36,778 --> 00:11:41,115
The impenetrable ice ceiling
begins to fracture.
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00:11:44,161 --> 00:11:48,373
Small life-saving channels
open up...
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00:11:53,754 --> 00:11:56,339
...bringing freedom.
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00:12:00,469 --> 00:12:04,556
But spring is a dangerous time
for beluga.
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00:12:05,599 --> 00:12:09,019
As tides and currents
pull ice apart,
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00:12:09,144 --> 00:12:11,604
the beluga find themselves
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00:12:11,730 --> 00:12:14,149
in a labyrinth
of shifting ice floes
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00:12:14,274 --> 00:12:16,693
that could close
their breathing holes
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00:12:16,818 --> 00:12:19,487
at any point,
and so drown them.
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00:12:19,613 --> 00:12:22,324
(WHISTLING)
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00:12:27,162 --> 00:12:28,997
(BUZZING)
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00:12:32,209 --> 00:12:34,878
Using their
sophisticated sonar,
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00:12:35,003 --> 00:12:37,964
they try to find a way through
the icy maze...
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00:12:52,062 --> 00:12:56,441
...and eventually reach
a patch of open water.
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00:13:03,365 --> 00:13:05,992
They're not
the only whales here.
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00:13:12,666 --> 00:13:14,125
Narwhal,
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00:13:14,251 --> 00:13:16,044
the unicorns of the sea,
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00:13:16,169 --> 00:13:18,671
are closely related to beluga.
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00:13:25,512 --> 00:13:27,805
In a rarely seen encounter,
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00:13:27,931 --> 00:13:31,643
these two kinds of whales
appear to socialise.
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00:13:33,895 --> 00:13:36,814
Who knows what's going on
between them?
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00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:49,494
But soon, they set off together
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00:13:49,619 --> 00:13:52,747
through the shifting fields
of ice...
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00:14:01,798 --> 00:14:05,009
...a journey
of up to 1,000 miles...
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00:14:07,929 --> 00:14:09,305
(BUZZING)
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00:14:09,431 --> 00:14:12,308
...before they reach
ice-free waters,
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00:14:12,434 --> 00:14:15,311
where they can
rear their young.
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00:14:30,952 --> 00:14:33,829
As the spring sunshine
strengthens,
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00:14:33,955 --> 00:14:37,458
the broken pack ice
off the coast of Greenland
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00:14:37,584 --> 00:14:40,295
becomes a nursery.
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00:14:46,593 --> 00:14:48,386
A harp seal pup...
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00:14:50,430 --> 00:14:53,015
...born just a week ago.
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He has little fat.
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00:14:57,062 --> 00:14:58,938
(TRILLS)
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His thick fur
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00:15:00,273 --> 00:15:03,693
is his only protection
from the arctic chill.
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00:15:06,905 --> 00:15:11,242
In between dozes, he waits
for his mother to return.
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00:15:16,415 --> 00:15:18,041
(MOTHER GRUNTS)
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00:15:20,544 --> 00:15:23,463
She has only one pup a year...
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00:15:23,588 --> 00:15:25,423
(PUP SQUEALS)
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00:15:29,803 --> 00:15:33,348
...and will produce milk
for only 12 days,
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00:15:33,473 --> 00:15:37,351
one of the shortest
nursing periods in nature.
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00:15:41,356 --> 00:15:42,982
That is just long enough
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00:15:43,108 --> 00:15:46,444
for him to develop
a thick layer of blubber...
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00:15:47,779 --> 00:15:52,279
...thanks to his mother's milk,
which is 50% fat.
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00:15:57,914 --> 00:16:00,583
And his mother stays alongside
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00:16:00,709 --> 00:16:04,421
while he learns
an important survival skill
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00:16:04,546 --> 00:16:06,047
for any seal...
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00:16:13,305 --> 00:16:14,973
(SQUEALS)
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00:16:15,098 --> 00:16:16,390
(MOTHER GRUNTS)
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00:16:16,516 --> 00:16:18,059
(SQUEALS)
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00:16:20,270 --> 00:16:22,105
...how to swim.
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00:16:24,357 --> 00:16:27,902
He may not be keen
to take the plunge.
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00:16:28,028 --> 00:16:32,528
The salt water is minus
two degrees Celsius, after all.
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00:16:43,919 --> 00:16:47,047
Pups start with a doggy paddle.
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00:16:51,301 --> 00:16:54,095
Mum stays reassuringly close.
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00:17:07,192 --> 00:17:09,611
Still developing
his insulating blubber,
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00:17:09,736 --> 00:17:13,156
a pup is at risk
of hypothermia,
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00:17:13,281 --> 00:17:15,157
So needs to rest
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00:17:15,283 --> 00:17:17,076
and warm up.
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00:17:22,541 --> 00:17:23,875
Each day,
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00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,003
he puts on another two kilos...
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00:17:28,713 --> 00:17:30,172
(SQUEALS)
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00:17:33,176 --> 00:17:34,635
...and practises swimming
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00:17:34,761 --> 00:17:37,054
for just a little longer.
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00:17:52,237 --> 00:17:56,157
Since birth,
this pup has tripled in weight,
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00:17:56,283 --> 00:18:00,745
and he's now at ease
in this curious other world.
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00:18:13,925 --> 00:18:16,510
12 days gone by.
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00:18:17,887 --> 00:18:21,307
A mother's work is done.
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00:18:21,433 --> 00:18:22,892
(GRUNTS)
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00:18:30,775 --> 00:18:35,275
In producing milk, she's lost
a third of her body weight.
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00:18:39,576 --> 00:18:43,621
Now she must return
to her feeding grounds.
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00:18:59,596 --> 00:19:01,806
(SQUEALS)
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00:19:11,358 --> 00:19:14,319
She will never see
her pup again.
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00:19:31,294 --> 00:19:35,673
The next four weeks
he spends alone,
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00:19:35,799 --> 00:19:38,510
sticking close
to the ice platform...
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00:19:41,304 --> 00:19:44,807
...surviving
on his fat reserves
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00:19:44,933 --> 00:19:49,145
as his downy fleece is replaced
by a sleek coat
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00:19:49,270 --> 00:19:51,313
more suited to swimming.
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00:19:51,439 --> 00:19:52,857
(SQUEALS)
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00:19:58,363 --> 00:20:00,365
But temperatures
in the Arctic are now
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00:20:00,490 --> 00:20:02,492
rising faster
than ever before...
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00:20:05,578 --> 00:20:09,248
...creating storms
that break up the ice floes
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00:20:09,374 --> 00:20:11,793
earlier each spring.
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00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,550
(SQUEALS)
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00:20:21,928 --> 00:20:25,932
Harp seal pups are being
tipped into freezing waters
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00:20:26,057 --> 00:20:30,352
before they're ready to endure
long periods at sea.
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00:20:40,572 --> 00:20:43,741
In some pupping areas,
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00:20:43,867 --> 00:20:46,327
almost none survive.
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00:21:12,353 --> 00:21:14,605
As spring turns to summer,
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00:21:14,731 --> 00:21:19,231
life on the sea ice
suddenly begins to proliferate.
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00:21:22,363 --> 00:21:24,698
The daylight increases,
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00:21:24,824 --> 00:21:27,076
and algae that had
remained dormant
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00:21:27,202 --> 00:21:29,787
within the ice all winter
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00:21:29,913 --> 00:21:31,873
begin to bloom.
195
00:21:38,421 --> 00:21:41,382
This upside-down meadow
is now cropped
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00:21:41,508 --> 00:21:43,343
by plankton.
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00:22:00,443 --> 00:22:03,362
For a little skeleton shrimp
198
00:22:03,488 --> 00:22:07,283
living at the bottom
of a towering forest of kelp,
199
00:22:07,408 --> 00:22:10,077
the best way to get
a share of the food...
200
00:22:11,287 --> 00:22:13,163
...Is to climb.
201
00:22:17,585 --> 00:22:19,753
If you're only
two centimetres long...
202
00:22:21,089 --> 00:22:23,883
...this is like
scaling a skyscraper.
203
00:22:26,803 --> 00:22:30,389
And yet it's not alone.
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00:22:32,433 --> 00:22:34,768
Hundreds of fellow shrimps
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00:22:34,894 --> 00:22:37,813
are attempting the same ascent.
206
00:22:43,611 --> 00:22:44,862
A new mother
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00:22:44,988 --> 00:22:47,532
has parked her brood
halfway up.
208
00:22:48,741 --> 00:22:52,619
And she's not
about to give way.
209
00:23:06,467 --> 00:23:10,929
This one is
a determined commuter.
210
00:23:11,055 --> 00:23:14,016
But the mother's drive
to protect her young
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00:23:14,142 --> 00:23:17,603
is now causing a traffic jam.
212
00:23:25,570 --> 00:23:27,071
At last...
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00:23:27,196 --> 00:23:30,365
...many have made it
to the topmost branches
214
00:23:30,491 --> 00:23:32,784
of this underwater forest.
215
00:23:35,246 --> 00:23:38,249
And it's been
well worth the effort.
216
00:23:40,376 --> 00:23:42,127
The prize...
217
00:23:42,253 --> 00:23:43,879
...is a plankton feast...
218
00:23:48,718 --> 00:23:51,637
...raining down from above.
219
00:23:57,018 --> 00:24:01,147
By midsummer,
arctic waters are filled
220
00:24:01,272 --> 00:24:02,356
with food...
221
00:24:14,118 --> 00:24:18,618
...making them into one
of the richest of all oceans...
222
00:24:23,252 --> 00:24:27,297
...feeding billions
of microscopic mouths,
223
00:24:27,423 --> 00:24:28,715
as well as...
224
00:24:29,801 --> 00:24:32,178
...the biggest mouth
on the planet...
225
00:24:39,060 --> 00:24:41,020
...the bow head whale.
226
00:24:44,482 --> 00:24:47,485
Its four-metre-long
baleen plates
227
00:24:47,610 --> 00:24:49,862
enable it to sieve out
228
00:24:49,988 --> 00:24:52,991
up to six tonnes of plankton
a day.
229
00:24:55,284 --> 00:24:59,784
And it grows swiftly into
an 18-metre 100-tonne giant.
230
00:25:08,631 --> 00:25:12,092
In summer,
the bow heads are so well fed
231
00:25:12,218 --> 00:25:15,095
they head for
an annual get-together.
232
00:25:27,358 --> 00:25:29,943
After a year of wear and tear,
233
00:25:30,069 --> 00:25:33,572
their skin needs
reconditioning.
234
00:25:35,450 --> 00:25:37,452
(BOOMING)
235
00:25:40,204 --> 00:25:43,373
This is a whale health spa.
236
00:25:44,459 --> 00:25:46,294
(BOOMING)
237
00:25:53,134 --> 00:25:57,634
Rocks and sand in the shallows
are used like pumice stones
238
00:25:58,806 --> 00:26:02,601
with which to rub off
dead skin and parasites.
239
00:26:07,648 --> 00:26:11,234
Such places can become
very popular.
240
00:26:18,618 --> 00:26:21,078
This bay,
off the coast of Russia,
241
00:26:21,204 --> 00:26:23,372
attracts an immense gathering
242
00:26:23,498 --> 00:26:25,917
of over 50 bow heads.
243
00:26:32,131 --> 00:26:35,551
They are the longest-lived
of all mammals.
244
00:26:43,768 --> 00:26:47,104
Some are 200 years old
245
00:26:47,230 --> 00:26:50,441
and have been coming here
for many decades.
246
00:26:53,986 --> 00:26:57,864
Suddenly,
their peace is shattered.
247
00:27:02,328 --> 00:27:05,831
Killer whales have arrived
from the south.
248
00:27:09,043 --> 00:27:10,586
Nine metres long,
249
00:27:10,711 --> 00:27:12,838
weighing nine tonnes...
250
00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:17,551
...and renowned for their
exceptional intelligence...
251
00:27:19,137 --> 00:27:23,141
...this particular pack
specialises in hunting
252
00:27:23,266 --> 00:27:25,268
bow head whales.
253
00:27:37,196 --> 00:27:40,240
The bow heads retreat
into the shallows...
254
00:27:41,784 --> 00:27:43,952
...where it will be harder
255
00:27:44,078 --> 00:27:47,247
for killer whales
to launch an attack.
256
00:27:52,545 --> 00:27:56,131
But the killers can swim
much faster than the bow heads.
257
00:28:03,890 --> 00:28:07,018
The group tries to close ranks.
258
00:28:12,106 --> 00:28:15,067
But the killers attempt
to separate them.
259
00:28:24,994 --> 00:28:28,747
They look for individual signs
of weakness.
260
00:28:41,302 --> 00:28:44,263
In the shallows,
the bow heads lash out...
261
00:28:46,474 --> 00:28:49,560
...with their
seven-metre-wide tails.
262
00:29:04,909 --> 00:29:08,537
But in the confusion,
some run aground.
263
00:29:23,135 --> 00:29:25,971
Others try to reach
deeper water.
264
00:29:28,933 --> 00:29:32,353
This youngster,
half the size of an adult,
265
00:29:32,478 --> 00:29:34,438
is extremely vulnerable.
266
00:29:44,740 --> 00:29:46,324
The Killer whales
267
00:29:46,450 --> 00:29:50,454
take turns
to ram into its sides...
268
00:29:50,579 --> 00:29:55,079
...cracking its ribs so that
it struggles to breathe.
269
00:30:23,112 --> 00:30:27,612
Then they push the youngster
down until, finally...
270
00:30:28,701 --> 00:30:30,703
...it drowns.
271
00:30:38,044 --> 00:30:40,046
The battle is over.
272
00:30:41,922 --> 00:30:44,424
It lasted an hour.
273
00:30:46,093 --> 00:30:50,593
Yet now the Killer whales eat
only one part of their prey...
274
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:55,269
...the young bow head's
soft, fatty tongue.
275
00:31:10,451 --> 00:31:13,203
Today, more and more bow heads
276
00:31:13,329 --> 00:31:16,623
are falling prey
to killer whales,
277
00:31:16,749 --> 00:31:18,208
as the warming climate
278
00:31:18,334 --> 00:31:20,794
causes the protective barrier
of sea ice
279
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:23,422
to melt earlier each year.
280
00:31:42,691 --> 00:31:47,191
By midsummer, millions
of migratory sea birds,
281
00:31:47,571 --> 00:31:50,615
having flown thousands
of miles to get here,
282
00:31:50,741 --> 00:31:54,161
are feeding
in the Arctic's rich waters.
283
00:31:55,162 --> 00:31:56,872
(BIRDS CALL)
284
00:31:58,916 --> 00:32:00,334
Over a million
285
00:32:00,459 --> 00:32:03,295
crested auklets,
no bigger than puffins,
286
00:32:03,421 --> 00:32:06,799
now descend on Alaska's
Saint Lawrence Island
287
00:32:06,924 --> 00:32:09,885
and are preparing to breed.
288
00:32:14,682 --> 00:32:19,182
To win a mate, a male must try
to stand out from the crowd.
289
00:32:21,856 --> 00:32:25,317
And auditions are already
under way.
290
00:32:25,443 --> 00:32:26,569
(CHEEPING)
291
00:32:26,694 --> 00:32:30,989
Males and females, unusually,
look very similar,
292
00:32:31,115 --> 00:32:35,119
each adorned
with an Elvis-like crest.
293
00:32:35,244 --> 00:32:39,206
But it's the size of the crest
that matters.
294
00:32:43,377 --> 00:32:46,088
And this male's headgear
seems to be
295
00:32:46,213 --> 00:32:48,381
no more than adequate.
296
00:32:50,551 --> 00:32:53,220
(SCREECHES)
297
00:32:53,345 --> 00:32:56,556
A position on the ground
is also important.
298
00:32:58,309 --> 00:33:00,561
(SCREECHES)
299
00:33:01,812 --> 00:33:06,312
One large male
wants this particular perch...
300
00:33:17,536 --> 00:33:21,164
...and having got it,
he breaks into song.
301
00:33:21,290 --> 00:33:23,792
(WHOOPS)
302
00:33:31,759 --> 00:33:36,013
He now releases
a potent tangerine scent
303
00:33:36,138 --> 00:33:37,597
from the back of his neck...
304
00:33:38,766 --> 00:33:41,643
...and a mob of fans go wild.
305
00:33:47,775 --> 00:33:49,318
This male, however,
306
00:33:49,443 --> 00:33:51,570
seems to have nothing to offer.
307
00:33:56,367 --> 00:34:00,037
But a gaggle of groupies can be
a dangerous distraction.
308
00:34:05,125 --> 00:34:07,085
An arctic fox.
309
00:34:14,093 --> 00:34:16,386
(BIRDS SCREECH)
310
00:34:34,947 --> 00:34:36,782
It's found an egg.
311
00:34:40,411 --> 00:34:42,496
With the stage cleared,
312
00:34:42,621 --> 00:34:46,583
the highest perch
has become vacant.
313
00:35:08,105 --> 00:35:11,608
This is a moment to shine.
314
00:35:11,734 --> 00:35:13,694
(WHOOPS)
315
00:35:24,788 --> 00:35:27,624
His display
doesn't go unnoticed.
316
00:35:33,297 --> 00:35:37,384
And his tangerine perfume
attracts an admirer.
317
00:35:46,435 --> 00:35:48,895
And not just one.
318
00:35:53,317 --> 00:35:56,945
Now it's down to the females
to impress him.
319
00:36:00,824 --> 00:36:03,827
In auklet society, both sexes
320
00:36:03,952 --> 00:36:06,955
have a say when it comes
to choosing a mate.
321
00:36:18,759 --> 00:36:20,427
At the height of summer,
322
00:36:20,552 --> 00:36:23,471
with 24 hours of sunlight
a day,
323
00:36:23,597 --> 00:36:27,225
over half the sea ice
melts away.
324
00:36:30,104 --> 00:36:33,148
(BIRDS CALL)
325
00:36:34,566 --> 00:36:36,818
The beaches of Svalbard
326
00:36:36,944 --> 00:36:39,988
provide safe places to haul out
327
00:36:40,114 --> 00:36:43,742
for one of the Arctic's
special residents...
328
00:36:48,330 --> 00:36:50,206
...walruses.
329
00:36:53,085 --> 00:36:55,420
They forage for shellfish
330
00:36:55,546 --> 00:36:58,549
for up to 17 hours
at a stretch.
331
00:37:03,303 --> 00:37:04,429
Now...
332
00:37:04,555 --> 00:37:06,223
(GRUNTS)
333
00:37:06,348 --> 00:37:08,516
...it's time for a rest.
334
00:37:12,938 --> 00:37:17,438
Each adult male
weighs more than a tonne.
335
00:37:23,198 --> 00:37:27,118
And heaving oneself
over the sand...
336
00:37:27,244 --> 00:37:28,828
...without the support of water
337
00:37:28,954 --> 00:37:30,956
is very hard work.
338
00:37:37,713 --> 00:37:42,008
This male has a particular
sunbathing spot in mind...
339
00:37:45,929 --> 00:37:47,597
...right in the middle
340
00:37:47,723 --> 00:37:50,058
of the 50-strong huddle.
341
00:37:50,184 --> 00:37:53,187
(GRUNTING)
342
00:38:00,152 --> 00:38:02,028
A prod helps
in parting the crowd.
343
00:38:16,460 --> 00:38:18,462
Almost in.
344
00:38:29,181 --> 00:38:31,766
At last, he can settle down
for a snooze...
345
00:38:32,851 --> 00:38:34,018
...swaddled on all sides
346
00:38:34,144 --> 00:38:36,688
by the bodies
of his neighbours.
347
00:38:38,565 --> 00:38:40,108
(GRUNTS)
348
00:38:40,234 --> 00:38:44,029
But it's not a peaceful spot.
349
00:38:44,154 --> 00:38:46,948
(BELLOWING GRUNTS)
350
00:38:54,039 --> 00:38:58,539
Sleep isn't easy
when a fidgety bedfellow
351
00:38:58,669 --> 00:39:00,671
decides that he has an itch
352
00:39:00,796 --> 00:39:03,006
that needs scratching.
353
00:39:04,341 --> 00:39:06,718
This is the time to moult,
354
00:39:06,844 --> 00:39:10,430
to get rid of one's old fur
with all its parasites,
355
00:39:10,556 --> 00:39:14,560
and expose the healthy
new coat beneath.
356
00:39:27,072 --> 00:39:30,742
These days,
Svalbard's summer temperatures
357
00:39:30,868 --> 00:39:34,413
can soar to 22 degrees Celsius.
358
00:39:42,337 --> 00:39:45,631
Flushing red by bringing blood
close to the skin
359
00:39:45,757 --> 00:39:48,551
helps them to keep cool.
360
00:39:54,433 --> 00:39:58,019
But some overheating
is unavoidable...
361
00:40:00,272 --> 00:40:03,358
...especially for a big male.
362
00:40:13,619 --> 00:40:15,704
Enough is enough.
363
00:40:23,211 --> 00:40:25,379
Getting up here...
364
00:40:25,505 --> 00:40:26,797
...was a slog.
365
00:40:27,883 --> 00:40:32,095
But this male has found
a better way of getting down.
366
00:40:33,180 --> 00:40:36,016
Let gravity do the work.
367
00:41:08,924 --> 00:41:12,552
Now, that...is cool.
368
00:41:14,638 --> 00:41:16,640
Ahhh!
369
00:41:21,895 --> 00:41:24,522
Everyone is doing it.
370
00:41:24,648 --> 00:41:27,317
It saves both time and energy.
371
00:41:32,114 --> 00:41:35,992
But walruses will need
all the tricks they can find.
372
00:41:39,371 --> 00:41:42,332
The Arctic is warming,
373
00:41:42,457 --> 00:41:46,294
and these cold-loving animals
are facing
374
00:41:46,420 --> 00:41:48,130
a precarious future.
375
00:41:59,266 --> 00:42:03,766
For millennia, the Arctic Ocean
has frozen over in the winter
376
00:42:04,021 --> 00:42:06,064
and then gradually melted
377
00:42:06,189 --> 00:42:09,150
throughout the spring
and summer.
378
00:42:10,610 --> 00:42:12,778
But in the last 40 years,
379
00:42:12,904 --> 00:42:17,404
the extent of the summer
sea ice has declined by 50%.
380
00:42:21,038 --> 00:42:24,416
Some predict
that it will be ice free
381
00:42:24,541 --> 00:42:27,168
as early as 2035.
382
00:42:31,465 --> 00:42:33,467
This profound change...
383
00:42:34,593 --> 00:42:36,511
...is already having an impact
384
00:42:36,636 --> 00:42:40,514
on the Arctic Ocean's
highly specialised wildlife.
385
00:42:46,688 --> 00:42:50,400
With less summer sea ice
from which to hunt seals,
386
00:42:50,525 --> 00:42:54,278
some polar bears are now
travelling up to 400 miles...
387
00:42:55,822 --> 00:42:59,200
...swimming continuously
for up to ten days
388
00:42:59,326 --> 00:43:01,119
in search of land.
389
00:43:08,794 --> 00:43:11,838
Wrangel Island,
off Arctic Russia...
390
00:43:13,131 --> 00:43:17,552
...the only land
for almost 100 miles.
391
00:43:21,056 --> 00:43:25,518
Each summer, more and more
polar bears come ashore here.
392
00:43:33,860 --> 00:43:36,153
This newly arrived mother
393
00:43:36,279 --> 00:43:39,031
needs to find food
for her family...
394
00:43:39,157 --> 00:43:40,741
(GRUNTS)
395
00:43:45,372 --> 00:43:49,459
...but knows not to approach
other adult bears.
396
00:43:52,879 --> 00:43:54,797
A full-grown male
397
00:43:54,923 --> 00:43:57,133
can Kill and eat a cub,
398
00:43:57,259 --> 00:44:01,471
and will do so if other food
is in short supply.
399
00:44:03,598 --> 00:44:08,098
There are over 1,000 bears
on this one island.
400
00:44:11,773 --> 00:44:16,273
It's the greatest concentration
of polar bears on the planet.
401
00:44:23,451 --> 00:44:27,455
But there is food to be had
on these remote shores.
402
00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:33,461
A walrus colony...
403
00:44:35,755 --> 00:44:37,631
...2,000 strong.
404
00:44:48,059 --> 00:44:50,811
The walruses panic.
405
00:45:04,367 --> 00:45:07,036
And there are casualties.
406
00:45:24,137 --> 00:45:25,388
(GROWLS)
407
00:45:29,392 --> 00:45:32,603
Fights break out.
408
00:45:39,527 --> 00:45:43,572
This is no place
for a young family.
409
00:45:50,997 --> 00:45:54,000
The mother calls her cubs away.
410
00:45:54,125 --> 00:45:55,709
(CHUFFS)
411
00:46:11,601 --> 00:46:13,769
They must search elsewhere.
412
00:46:33,665 --> 00:46:38,044
Grass is a poor meal
for a growing cub...
413
00:46:39,462 --> 00:46:43,132
...and starvation in summer
is a real threat.
414
00:46:55,937 --> 00:46:58,648
But this opportunity to feed...
415
00:46:58,773 --> 00:47:01,108
...is one she cannot
afford to ignore.
416
00:47:07,032 --> 00:47:09,159
It's time to gamble.
417
00:47:15,206 --> 00:47:16,790
Her cubs follow her.
418
00:47:16,916 --> 00:47:19,001
(GROWLS)
419
00:47:19,127 --> 00:47:21,254
She urges them to stay back.
420
00:47:24,924 --> 00:47:26,425
(BRAYS)
421
00:47:37,312 --> 00:47:39,814
The males are twice her size...
422
00:47:41,191 --> 00:47:43,860
...but, preoccupied
with feeding,
423
00:47:43,985 --> 00:47:46,278
they tolerate her presence.
424
00:47:50,533 --> 00:47:51,909
(WHIMPERS)
425
00:47:52,035 --> 00:47:54,787
The distress calls
of her cubs, however...
426
00:47:54,913 --> 00:47:56,039
(GROWLS)
427
00:47:56,164 --> 00:47:57,707
...attract unwelcome attention.
428
00:47:57,832 --> 00:48:00,084
(WHIMPERS)
429
00:48:04,547 --> 00:48:06,674
(WHIMPERS)
430
00:48:15,892 --> 00:48:19,437
Their mother rushes
to shield them with her body.
431
00:48:25,318 --> 00:48:26,527
(GROWLS)
432
00:48:27,987 --> 00:48:32,074
But she seems torn
between guarding her family
433
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:34,202
and feeding herself.
434
00:48:50,385 --> 00:48:52,845
Cubs left by themselves
435
00:48:52,971 --> 00:48:56,766
are easy prey
for a hungry male bear.
436
00:49:06,609 --> 00:49:11,109
But now her maternal instincts
take over.
437
00:49:11,906 --> 00:49:13,699
(GROWLING)
438
00:49:35,388 --> 00:49:38,391
Faced with a mother's fury,
439
00:49:38,516 --> 00:49:41,018
the dominant male
backs down.
440
00:49:50,403 --> 00:49:52,071
(BRAYS)
441
00:50:05,335 --> 00:50:07,211
Having fought her way in...
442
00:50:09,172 --> 00:50:11,174
...her cubs can now feed
443
00:50:11,299 --> 00:50:13,801
for the first time in weeks.
444
00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:25,271
Polar bears were once
445
00:50:25,396 --> 00:50:26,980
the supreme hunters
446
00:50:27,106 --> 00:50:29,191
on the sea ice.
447
00:50:29,317 --> 00:50:30,818
Now, each summer,
448
00:50:30,944 --> 00:50:32,695
more and more of them
449
00:50:32,820 --> 00:50:34,238
have to come to land
450
00:50:34,364 --> 00:50:36,657
in search of food.
451
00:50:41,621 --> 00:50:45,416
Whether the ice bear
survives into the next century
452
00:50:45,542 --> 00:50:50,042
depends on what happens to
the sea ice on which they rely.
453
00:50:53,716 --> 00:50:58,216
As with all of the Arctic
Ocean's remarkable wildlife,
454
00:50:58,805 --> 00:51:02,308
it's how the climate changes
over the coming years
455
00:51:02,433 --> 00:51:05,352
that will determine
their future.
32414
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