All language subtitles for Islands Natures Wild Laboratories S01 E03_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: Baffin Island,

the largest island
in the Canadian Arctic.

For half the year,
it's locked in ice

and nearly unfit for life.

But when winter releases its grip...

..its frozen coastline shrinks.

Millions of visitors thrive...

..while ice-loving locals
struggle to survive.

From the Arctic...

(GROWLS)

(CHUFFING)

..to the tropics...

(TRUMPETS)

..islands are wild laboratories...

..where unique rules apply...

(SQUAWKS)

..and nature puts life...

(SNAKE HISSES)
(MONKEY CHATTERS)

..to the ultimate test.

(HYENA LAUGHS)
(POLAR BEAR GROWLS)

Baffin is the fifth largest island
on the planet...

..but just a few regions
support life.

In the summer, vast tundra flatlands

and thousands of kilometres
of seaside cliffs...

..and in winter,

millions of square kilometres
of sea ice

connect Baffin to Greenland
and the rest of the Arctic.

The island's landmass,
frozenly fused with the mainland,

is nearly 3,000% bigger now

than it will be in the summer.

It's a vast temporary home...

..for both predator

and prey.

(SNORTS, GROWLS)

More than 90% of polar bears' diet

comes from seals.

(SNIFFING)

It's not always an easy meal...

..but there are plenty of seals here.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

(GROWLS)

(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

(MUSIC FADES OUT)

(WIND WHISTLES)

(MUNCHING)

So, even during winter,

when temperatures drop 50 below zero

and the sun never rises...

..bears are living well
out on the sea ice.

But on Baffin, change is inevitable.

After three dark months,
the sun is about to rise again.

It's a critical moment.

The countdown is now on

before this place is transformed.

For now, some seem content
to just enjoy the moment.

(SQUEAKS)

This Arctic fox also spends
most of her winter

out on the island's
vast frozen fringes of sea ice.

A perfect place
to catch the sunrise...

..and also to get breakfast.

(YAPPING)

She can dig out seal pups
from dens inside the ice sheet...

..but out on the sea ice,
there are many ways to get food.

(BIRD CAWS)

(YAPPING)

(CAWING)

(SNIFFING)

It's likely an old polar bear kill,

kept fresh
with natural refrigeration.

And a great winter meal.

The coming months will
radically change her island home.

Summer will be her time of plenty.

Spring on the sea ice is still
a great time for polar bears.

(GRUNTS)

This young male is well fed.

And after a long, dark winter,

it's time to catch up with a friend.

Male polar bears can forge
long-lasting friendships.

The leftover bit
from an old seal kill

is perfect for a bout of tug-of-war.

(GROWLING)

Play-fighting helps these buddies
build strength...

..and sharpen reflexes.

(GROWLING)

Real fights between bears
can be deadly...

(GROWLING)

..so it's best to train up
with a friend first.

Ultimately,
bears are solitary animals...

..though they will almost certainly
cross paths again.

But for now,
our young bear goes off on his own...

..in search of his next meal...

..while there's still sea ice
to stand on.

By late spring,

the island's sea ice is bathed
in near-constant hot sunshine...

..and the coastline's
transformation begins.

As the sea ice retreats,

Baffin is, in effect,
becoming smaller.

(ICE CRACKING)

The edge of this icy coastline
is a very rich habitat.

It only lasts for a few months,

but attracts a rush of visitors
while it's still intact.

For Inuit people who've lived here
for thousands of years,

the word for floe edge is "Sinaaq",

which means "Line of Life".

Baffin is starting to wake up
from its winter slumber.

(CHIRPING)

(GRUNTS)

Right now, the balance of water
and ice is perfect for walrus.

They hunt in these waters

but still have plenty of room
to spread out.

Life is good.

(RUMBLES)

Millions of seabirds
migrate to Baffin

and feast in the open water.

Belugas, one of the Arctic's
only year-round resident whales,

are also migrating.

They're en route
to their summer waters

where they will raise their calves.

(SQUEAKING)

But there's an impenetrable wall
of sea ice in their way.

So, for the time being,
they have nowhere to go...

..which is exactly what
some islanders have been waiting for.

(SNIFFING)

The young bear is going
to try his luck

at the floe edge this year.

He needs to eat
while there's still ice to hunt from.

(GRUNTING)
(ICE CRUNCHING)

But a swimming whale
is a lot harder to catch

than seals out on the sea ice.

He's got to pick his moment wisely.

(GRUNTS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

(BELUGAS WHISTLING)

(MUSIC FADES OUT)

It seems the impatience of youth
might have got in his way.

He doesn't have much time left
on the sea ice...

..and climate change
is wreaking havoc.

The Arctic is warming
four times faster than anywhere else,

so the months ahead will be
very unpredictable for him.

Twenty-four hours of daylight
fuels an explosion of life,

above and below the ice...

..and is converted into food

that powers
an entire Arctic ecosystem.

As the ice thins,

plankton come alive,

along with other species
of marine invertebrates.

Their world is one
that's rarely seen.

But many invertebrates
have been on the planet

for over 50 million years.

None are larger
than a couple of centimetres...

..but their role is huge.

They're the hidden engine
that drives the rich productivity

in Baffin's waters.

A bustling community
of over 5,000 alien-like species.

Marine invertebrates
are a vital source of food

for fish, birds, and whales.

(SQUAWKING)

Baffin's floe edge
is a constantly changing habitat...

..which makes life hard
for the unicorns of the Arctic Ocean.

Narwhals.

Even as ice melts away,

wind and ocean currents
push large sections back...

..blocking the whales' way.

Like belugas, they need to get
to warm shallow waters

to raise their young.

While there's plenty of food
for narwhals under the ice,

many of the females in the pod
are pregnant...

..and they're eager to keep moving.

But they have to play by the rules
of the floe edge.

So they're stuck
in a holding pattern.

An ideal time
for a bit of socialising.

These males spend time
getting acquainted,

before engaging in what looks like
a slow-moving sword fight.

Tusks are actually
overgrown canine teeth,

some as long as 3m.

But they're more than just teeth.

Each contains millions
of tiny holes and nerve endings,

which allow them to detect sound
or changes in water salinity.

These interactions were long assumed
to be aggressive,

but this could just be a bit
of tusk-to-tusk communication.

The time for this socialising
is temporary.

As the island's frozen coastline
continues to shrink,

the pod will be able to finally push
to the warmth of their summer waters.

Under many weeks of relentless sun...

..Baffin's coastline is transformed.

An area of sea ice twice the size
of the United Kingdom has gone.

It's great news for migrating whales.

But not so good for the young bear.

(GRUNTING)

His hunting grounds are melting.

(SNIFFING)

Seasonal melt is always
an unwelcome sight for bears,

but climate change means
the sea ice could melt

three times as fast
as it would have in the past.

He needs a lucky break.

(GRUNTS)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Like a mirage on the icy horizon,

his sparring buddy...

..and fresh whale meat.

It's been a little while
since they've seen each other.

He needs to tread lightly.

Even friends will fight over food.

(SNIFFING)

(GROWLING)

(ROARING)

(CHUFFING)

Luckily, it seems to be
a relatively amicable reunion.

(ROARING)

Polar bears don't love to share food,

but a whale carcass is enough
for both of them.

After this meal...

..they indulge in a swim
under the midnight sun.

(ROARING)

This is their last chance
for a bit of leisure time.

The clock has nearly run out
for this year's sea ice.

As they part ways again,

life isn't going to be so easy.

(GRUNTS)

While Baffin's sea ice
continues to melt...

..the island itself is starting
to shed its winter coat.

Baffin's flatland tundra

stretches for roughly
200,000 square kilometres.

Millions of years of glacial activity
have ground down rock

into vast barren plains
and rolling hills.

For a few short months,

the island lets life flourish

for those hardy enough
to make it here.

(HONKING)

Hundreds of thousands of snow geese
fly the length of North America

to nest here and raise their young.

The island's tundra
provides lots of elbow room...

..and it's rich with food.

After their long trip north,

geese replenish their strength
from a wide variety of vegetation.

Like all other life
on this harsh island,

plants are in a race
against time each summer.

The perpetual sun works
in their favour.

But still,
they must contend with ice.

Just a metre below the surface,
the soil stays frozen.

Plants here have evolved roots
that spread shallow and wide

to avoid the permafrost.

Hundreds of species take root

under these severely
limiting conditions.

But just a handful

dare to be beautiful.

Some Arctic wildflowers are in bloom
for just a couple of days.

As if in a state of worship,
flowers follow the sun...

..soaking up every last bit
of its warmth.

Twenty-four hours of daylight

supercharge the flowers
on the tundra.

But to reproduce, they need some help

from some of the island's
smallest residents.

(BUZZES)

An Arctic bumblebee is cosy

in the relative warmth
of an underground nest.

Today, the promise of warm sunshine
and all those flowers

is too much to pass by.

Bees are cold-blooded

and use the radiant heat
of the flowers to warm up.

But there's no time to waste.

These flowers need pollinating.

(BUZZES)

Arctic bumblebees are the most
northerly bee in the world,

and one of the few pollinators

Baffin's wildflower meadows
can count on.

The island permits only
a short explosion of colour

on its tundra each summer.

But summer's not over yet,

and new life will soon be shooting up
all over the bustling flatlands.

Under months of non-stop sunshine...

..Baffin's coastline is scorched.

Its waterways open,
it's an island once more...

..and a fraction of the size it was
with its vast borders of sea ice.

This provides opportunities
and challenges

for the island's residents.

Walrus probably have mixed feelings
about the thawing ocean.

They're now free to move
through the water...

..sniffing out food
in Baffin's shallows.

But walrus love ice.

(CHUFFS)

Hauling out on what remains
during the hot summer months

helps keep them from overheating,

so they cram
their thousand-kilo frames

onto every available
square centimetre of frozen ocean...

...and try to be cordial.

(GROANS)

But walrus do have a tender side
that's rarely seen.

This calf is just a few months old

and was born directly onto the ice.

She's been inseparable from Mum
ever since.

She's had a lot of time
to get used to life on the ice...

..but her experience in the water
is limited.

She can swim as soon as she's born,

but Mum knows she needs
to build strength and experience.

High time for some swimming lessons.

They start with an encouraging hug
from Mum.

It looks like
this is going to be a group lesson.

The calves are still
getting the hang of life off-ice,

but these swims are vital
to their survival

in Baffin's constantly
changing environment.

There is one islander
who misses the sea ice

more than anyone else.

It's been months since the floe edge
provided for this bear.

Now he has to swim.

But it takes five times more energy
to swim than walk.

Climate change is putting the
species' swimming skills to the test.

The longer ice-free summers
of recent years...

..means he's expending more energy
each year.

This is only worth it
if he can find more food.

He can kill and eat walrus
if they're hauled out on land...

..but it's a risky proposition

to go after
these two-tusked heavyweights

in the open water like this.

He's young and inexperienced.

He's tired, and he could get hurt.

He shifts course

and gives them a wide berth.

An iceberg is a literal life raft
for this bear.

A momentary respite

from the harsh reality
of summer living.

There's still many months left

before the island expands
its coastlines with ice again.

He's going to need
another lucky break.

Summer is the tundra's time to shine,

even if it's
a perilously short season.

For now, though,
life is still thriving.

In fact, it's sprouting
right from the ground.

(PUPS SQUEAKING)

In the last few months,

the female Arctic fox
has been very busy.

She's shed her white winter coat...

..but more importantly,
she's got seven pups.

(HIGH-PITCHED YAPPING)

For Mum, it's not all fun and games.

Her pups are growing
and need more than just milk.

And they're still too small
to leave alone at the den...

..so her partner needs
to bring home the dinner.

Luckily for them, the summer tundra
is filled with food.

There are thousands of new geese
greeting the world.

(NEARBY GEESE HONKING)

The time for papa fox to act is now.

But most nests are well guarded.

(HONKING)

Really well guarded.

(HONKING)

(PUPS WHINGE, SQUEAL)

He's got his own brood
to think about.

He can't afford
to come home empty-handed.

(HONKS)

Not all geese parents
are equally fierce

in the protection of their nests.

The tundra has provided.

(PUPS SQUEALING)

A razor-thin summer
on the Arctic flatlands

will feed these pups well.

Before long, they'll be full-grown

and learning the ropes of life
on the island's sea ice.

For now, with bellies full,

they're content to just be pups.

Along thousands of kilometres
of steep cliffs,

Baffin dares life to survive
in its vertical world.

(SQUAWKING)

Made up of some of the oldest rock
on the planet,

they are carved by millions of years
of glaciers and erosion,

but still,
they stand stubbornly vertical

against the elements
and passage of time.

One rises above them all.

Over a kilometre,
straight up and down...

..Baffin's Mount Thor is the highest
vertical drop in the world.

Most cliffs inland
are inhospitable to life.

But out next to the open ocean,

it's a different story.

(SQUAWKING)

When the island's sheer rock faces
meet its rich waters...

..millions of seabirds are enticed
to brave Baffin's cliffs each summer.

(BIRDS SQUAWK NOISILY)

Nesting together like this
doesn't provide a lot of privacy.

But this is
prime waterfront property...

..so it's worth having to put up
with a noisy neighbour or two.

(SQUAWKING)

For thick-billed murres
and black-legged kittiwakes,

the cliffs are mostly safe
from predators.

Mostly.

(EERIE MUSIC)

The young bear is hungry.

At this point in the summer,
he'll eat anything.

Climate change is driving polar bears

to go after cliff-nesting birds
during ice-free months.

Desperate times call
for desperate measures.

(SCREECHING)

(SQUAWKING)

For an animal most comfortable
on the sea ice,

he's way out of his element.

Even the island's apex predator

is no match
for the island's steep cliffs.

Summer can't end soon enough.

(PANTING)

Baffin's waters have finally
given passage

to its summer residents.

Narwhals are carefully
navigating life

in the island's sheltered inlets.

With no sea ice, travel is easy,

and there's plenty of time
to hang out with your pals.

The shallow water is the warmest

the narwhals will experience
all year.

They stick close to shore,
where fishing is best.

Any thousand-kilo whale
might have a tricky time

in just a couple of metres of water.

But narwhals have
an extra variable to consider.

Their tusks point downwards,

so they can do some serious damage
in the shallows.

Their solution to this problem
is wonderfully simple...

..swim upside down.

Like aquatic acrobats,

they move through the water
with just as much speed and grace

as they do right-side up.

This summer, there's a unique member
of the narwhal community

traveling with the pod.

A two-tusked male.

It is exceedingly rare

and has never before been filmed.

The extra-toothed male is not
the only special member of the pod.

New calves only know the island's
ice-free water of summer.

In the months to come,
they'll stick close to Mum...

..and learn to navigate the extremes

of Baffin's constantly
changing environment.

Not all areas of tundra on Baffin
are bustling with life.

The young bear needs a big meal,

and he's not finding anything here.

But there is something promising
on the air.

He can smell food over 40km away.

His nose guides him
to the water's edge.

He's going to have to swim
across the inlet,

which will only further deplete
his precious fat reserves.

But it's worth the risk.

He needs to eat.

It is a sight for sore eyes.

A washed-up whale carcass
means one thing.

This bear is going to eat.

(SNIFFING)

Baffin's waters have provided.

After months of hardship,

things are finally looking up.

He's eaten enough
to keep him going a few more months.

And now, it won't be long
before winter returns.

(EPIC MUSIC)

From the vast tundra...

..to the seaside cliffs...

..to the ever-shifting coastline...

..Baffin Island is a place
of constant change...

..and ultimate extremes.

(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

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