All language subtitles for Penguins 2019

Antarctica.

The coldest, windiest place
on our planet.

Half of the year,
there's total darkness.

The sun doesn't rise at all.

For the most part,

it's completely devoid
of life.

But each spring, that changes.

Meet Steve.

Two feet tall and 15 pounds

of freewheeling
Adelie penguin.

As a five-year-old male
coming of age,

he's going to be facing

some serious obstacles
in the months ahead.

But not to worry.

"Obstacle" is
Steve's middle name.

Although Steve's
made this trek before,

in previous years,
he was mostly just along for the ride.

But he's not that same
carefree kid anymore.

This year, he'll be joining
adult society.

He has no clue
what he's getting into.

All he knows is,
he's running late.

All the other
experienced males

in Steve's colony
are way ahead of him

on a 100-mile annual journey

across sea and ice to
Antarctica's rugged shores.

They're returning home
in advance of the females

to set up camp
for the mating season.

And they number
in the millions.

Adelies spend the entire winter out in the Southern Ocean.

But now that
spring has arrived,

they're seeking dry land.

Because dry land
is the only place

they can start a family.

And it's not just any old patch of land they're heading to.

They're returning to
the place they were born.

Their only job is to find a
good place to set up a home,

raise their chicks,

and then head back to the sea again before winter.

It's a monumental
polar expedition

that favors the early bird.

And Steve is the last one
to the party.

Wait, what?

Oh, no!

No, no, no.

Emperor penguins?

Entirely wrong species.

Hey! Any of you seen

a half a million penguins,
about my height?

Similar build.

No?

Okay.

A-ha! An obstacle.

Hyah!

Yes.

Hey, there,
I'm looking for...

I don't know
what that means.

I'm gonna go over here,
talk to someone else.

Just trying to
ask a question.

Excuse me?
Do we know each...

Actually, it's Steve
with a...

Okay.

Hey, kid, wake up.

Have you seen a colony...

Ow!

Dude,
I'm just asking...

Ow. Stop that.

Ow. Ow.

Stop. Ow.

I just got beat up by a baby.

This is not going well.

Please? Anyone.

Yeah! Yeah, uncomfortable.

Yeah, okay. Not panicking,
not panicking.

This is crazy, this is crazy.

This is crazy,
this is crazy... Whoa!

I'm good. All good.

This is just a bad dream.

Oh, hey! There they are.
Guys, wait up.

Guys!

Finally, Steve
has reached his destination.

The big city.

It's a tough place
for a first-timer.

Everyone's just arrived,

and they're all fighting
for their own little patch

of ice-free rock.

And young newcomers like Steve

need to watch their step.

First order of business,

find a nice, quiet
nesting spot to call his own.

Even though he was born here,

Steve's never had to stake
out his own place before.

But it shouldn't be that hard
to find a good spot. Right?

Hey, fellas, what's up?

New in town, just,
uh, you know,

looking for
a good nesting spot.

So, if you hear of anything... Mmm-hmm.

Ouch. Please don't bite me.
Thank you. Ouch.

The older,
more experienced males

have held these
prime nesting spots

for years.

And they will protect
their turf with their lives.

Staying calm.
Not panicking.

Not panicking.

All right, I'm sorry.

Well, that was,
uh, competitive.

All right. Next challenge.

There's only
one thing more precious

to an Adelie penguin
than exposed ground.

Stones.

There's not really anything
else to collect here.

They use the stones
to build their nests.

Each one raises the nest

a little bit higher
off the ground,

making sure their eggs
will be protected

from the cold snow.

By the time Steve gets around
to starting his collection,

most of the good ones
have been taken.

He has to work double time
just to catch up.

It's paying off, though.

He's building himself quite an attractive little nest.

Maybe too attractive.

Ah, welcome
to the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Hmm. Could've sworn I had more.

Oh, well.

Wait a minute.

One, two, three,
four, five...

Hey!

One, two, three...

Five.

What?

Maybe if I...

Oh. He'll just...

What if... No.

Maybe I could... No.

How am I supposed to...

What's with
all these neighbors?

They just come along
and steal stuff.

Hey!

You know what? Just stay calm.
Don't play their game.

Steve's got
to finish his nest fast

because out on the sea ice,

another several hundred
thousand Adelies

are headed his way.

A few weeks behind the males,

the females are now
returning, too.

Just like the males,

they've been out at sea
all winter.

They are the second wave
of the great homecoming.

And when they get
to the colony,

they're gonna wanna see some
progress on those nests.

Adelie penguins return to the same nest site every year

in the hope of finding
their same partner.

Which means a lot
of these guys are singing,

"Welcome home, darling!"

There's nothing more
attractive to the ladies

than a good crooner.

So, Steve lets it rip.

All right, ladies.

Open for business.

Oh, look at these two
lovebirds, hitting it off.

Good for you.

Oh, here comes one.

Is she looking at me?

I think
she's looking at me.

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!

She's coming this way!

Hi, there. My name's Steve.

And she's walking away.

Sometimes
the most beautiful songs

are the sad ones.

Looks like this just
isn't Steve's year.

Hold on a minute.

Hi. I'm Steve.

Steve, meet Adeline.

It's more than just
a beautiful courtship ritual.

Steve and Adeline will use these initial moments of intimacy

to memorize
each other's voices.

After this,

they'll be able
to find one another

amongst the crowds...

forever.

Well, well, well,

adulthood seems to be
off to a good start.

Romance. Courting.

He needs to keep
the good vibes rolling

and do whatever it takes
to impress Adeline.

It's all about the rock.

Yeah, I should
probably give her

a few more options
to choose from.

Wonder if she thinks
I'm attractive.

Collect a few rocks...

Stack up a few brownie points.

Gonna start a family!

I could build a tree fort!

Man, she smells great, though.

I gotta start working out.

Here, take a look
at this one.

Uh... You like it or...

Okay, all right.
All good.

Back to it.

Adeline requires the right
rocks to provide the perfect protection

for any chicks
they might have.

He gets an "A" for effort.

But a "D" in physics.

It's okay. Adeline's patient.

Steve will get there
in the end.

Steve hasn't left the colony
for over a month,

so he feels he's long overdue

for a little rest
and relaxation.

In late spring, the sea ice
begins to break apart.

It's a perfect opportunity
for a refreshing swim.

A few hours out in the water
does wonders for a penguin.

It's all they need

before returning
to their household duties.

It's like spring break.

Just colder.

Finally,
some peace and...

Whoa! Jeez.

When you spend
every waking moment

surrounded by thousands
of fellow penguins,

solitude is a luxury.

So, Steve's looking
for a quieter spot,

away from the crowd.

He just needs to wash off
the dirt and grime

from all that hard work.

Then, it's off to enjoy
some alone time.

Gotta admit,
those were some sweet stones I picked out.

Killer whales.

♪ Riding on icebergs!

♪ Yeah!

Two hundred times
bigger than an Adelie,

they are Antarctica's
top predator.

You don't wanna take
your chances with these guys.

The killer whales have been waiting
for the ice to break up, too.

These channels provide

the perfect route
to their fishing grounds.

And no one wants to become a snack along the way.

Ah! That was awesome!

Hey, guys, I had an idea.

Guys?

Where are they all going?

Awkward.

So peaceful out here.

That's why I keep coming back.

I wish I could fly.

Back at the colony,

Adeline has been busy.

Two precious little packages,

which Adeline and Steve will have to keep
as warm as possible over the next month.

Because as spring turns into summer in Antarctica,

the winds begin to build.

They're called katabatics.

Winds drawn
by the warmer ocean

out of the colder interior.

And they can reach 150 miles an hour in an instant.

It's a hurricane-strength
blizzard.

Even those used to
tough Antarctic conditions

know it's bad news
to be caught exposed.

And the Adelies struggle
to return to the colony.

Separated from the others,

Steve quickly
becomes disoriented.

Out here, there is
no shelter from the storm.

Even in the colony,
everyone has to hunker down.

Parents must not let
their eggs get exposed

to the minus-40-degree
wind chill.

The pummeling snow
buries all in its path.

Including Adeline
and her eggs.

And there's a real possibility

that Steve
will never see her again.

Three days after they began,
the winds subside.

Adeline has survived

and remarkably
kept her eggs alive.

But she has no idea
where Steve is.

Adeline!

Adeline!

Steve? Steve!

The bond
between these two lovebirds

grows stronger every day.

The katabatic winds
signal the beginning

of the very short
Antarctic summer.

As the sea ice breaks up
around the continent,

the most productive ocean
on the planet

emerges from below.

The Southern Ocean
that surrounds Antarctica

briefly attracts
millions of animals back

to feast in its rich waters
full of plankton and fish.

It's a rare time
of plenty for all.

And Steve and the other males
are taking full advantage,

feeding and fattening up for the coming weeks of summer.

With the sea ice now gone,

it's like a giant pantry full of food right at their doorstep.

Just in time
for any new hungry mouths

that might appear.

And Adeline has got her
timing just right.

Steve's fishing trip with the boys has made him late

for the most important event
in his life.

Okay, just stay calm.

You're gonna be fine.

You got the nest built,
then the mating thing...

Whoops! Excuse me.

Laid the eggs, eggs are in the nest.

Yeah. Pardon me.

Picked up the fish for lunch.

It's all gonna work out!

Maybe Steve's not
the most punctual partner,

but the belly full of fish
he's brought home

more than makes up for that.

And it couldn't have come
at a better time.

Adeline is fast running out
of food.

It's her turn
to go fill up on fish.

So, they trade places.

And Steve nervously steps
into the role of father

for the first time
in his life.

He has no idea
what he's doing.

But his instinct
is telling him

to regurgitate his lunch
into his kid's mouth.

So, he does.

Steve and Adeline will now share the chick-feeding duties.

Compared to
everyone else though,

they're still behind.

Most of the other families
are well on their way.

Child-rearing is really the only game in town right now,

as the parents of many species

join the race
to raise their families.

South Polar skuas
are attracted

by the same exposed rock
as the Adelies.

They also migrate here
to have their chicks,

taking advantage of
the short, bountiful summer.

But when it comes to
providing for their chicks,

they are two
very different species.

Steve's job, as he
understands it anyway,

is basically
barf on the chick,

then flatten it into the
rocks to keep it warm.

The skuas, however,
take things to the extreme.

Skuas are penguin predators.

They take advantage of
distracted parents.

But Steve's attention
is fully on his family.

Especially now that his second chick has hatched out.

The threat can come
at any time

from anywhere.

As the chicks grow,

so does the pressure on Steve as a first-time father.

He has to feed
and fatten them up

before winter arrives,

forcing the Adelies back out
into the open ocean.

This is the role
he's been preparing for

his entire life.

Steve and Adeline only have
a small window of time

before the sea freezes over

and cuts off their route
to the ocean.

If the chicks are to survive
the winter,

they must quadruple in size
over the next month.

So, Steve needs
to show Adeline

he can put food on the table.

It's time to beef up
those kids.

Steve has to work hard

for each belly
full of fish and krill.

Each meal time can involve
a 100-mile round-trip.

Steve can't
do it alone, though.

Both parents have to work
round the clock

to keep their chicks fed.

A month into his new life
as a father

and Steve has made this trip
up the hill to feed his chicks

countless times.

By now, they spend most
of their time unattended.

Steve will only pay them a
visit every couple of days.

So their brief meetups can get

pretty lively.

Come and get it!

Come and get it!

Come and get it!
Whoa! Whoa!

Okay, let's take turns, huh?

Meal times
are hard enough as it is

without the neighbors' kids
coming around

looking for handouts.

So, Steve cleverly starts up
a game of "Follow the Food."

Which is also a great way
to separate

his chicks from the others.

When did they get so fast?

All right, what do you say
we take a little break? Yeah?

I'm serious. Stop this.

Quick, turn left!

Oh, come on.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, help! Help!

All right, this has gotta end.

Engage power thrusters.

Adeline, little help?

Adeline!

It's high summer,

and the colony is bathed
in 24-hour daylight.

Though the temperature is
hovering around freezing,

by Antarctic standards,

it's actually pretty warm.

Especially for chicks
covered in down.

With most of the adults
away out at sea,

the chicks
crowd close together

in creches for protection

as the skuas are
a constant threat.

They hunt in pairs,

looking for
the weakest and smallest.

The older chicks
are more likely

to be part of a creche
at this point,

which offers
some strength in numbers.

But the younger chicks
are more vulnerable.

And Steve and Adeline's are
some of the youngest around.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Get away from my kids.

Get outta here.

Go eat your own kids.

Oh, jeez,
they just want food again.

Oh!

All right! Okay. All right.

You want some barf?
Here's some barf. There you go.

Got some nice barf for you.

All-you-can-eat barf.

Work for it, boys.

It's good, right? It's good barf.

Oh, goodness. Um...

Adeline, uh, one of
the chicks needs you.

I'm just gonna go
pick up some fish

for the kids.

Trying to do your best.
I don't know.

Maybe I'm not
picking the right fish.

They never barf up Adeline's barf.

What is that smell?

Oh, no.

Steve's
accidentally wandered

into the elephant seal
district.

And it's mating season

for the largest and
stinkiest seal in the world.

It's definitely not
the kind of courtship

Steve's familiar with.

Everyone here is looking
for a mate.

Uh... No.

No, no, no. No.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

All right, what was
I supposed to be doing?

Fish. Chicks. Parenting.

Right, back to it.

As summer
draws to an end,

Steve and Adeline spend
more and more time away

on fishing runs to
bulk up their chicks

for the coming
winter departure.

The young ones are left
on their own.

Which is just as well

because they're beginning
to molt

their downy brown
baby feathers,

leaving them itchy and cranky.

For some,

it's also an opportunity
to try out some fresh looks.

Losing your cold-weather
feathers in Antarctica

is always a gamble, though.

By fall,

the weather once again
becomes the dominant force.

Snowflakes are a totally new
experience for these chicks.

They are blissfully unaware
of the danger

this shift in the weather
brings with it.

It's a change that leaves
Steve and Adeline anxious.

This late in the season,

the chicks have grown so big,

their parents can no longer
protect them

from the elements.

Adeline knows that soon,

they will have to
fend for themselves.

Abandoning his family

is the last thing
Steve wants to do right now.

But he has no choice.

The chicks have to eat.

As bad as things are
here on land,

the greatest danger
is still approaching.

Winter is knocking
on their door.

And far out at sea,

the ocean is starting
to freeze over again.

This is the change
that Steve and Adeline

have been preparing their chicks for the entire time.

Soon, the continent
of Antarctica

will be completely surrounded by solid ice,

cutting off the Adelies'
access to open water

and, therefore, to their food.

So, the whole colony
is moving down to the shore

to make final preparations
before their departure.

First item on the list,

they must introduce
their chicks to the sea.

For their entire short lives,

they've been confined
to the patch of bare rock

where their parents
built their nests.

So they've never
experienced water before.

And yet, in no time at all,

they have to ready themselves

for the biggest journey
of their lives.

Swimming out on the open sea.

What they need is a strong,
reliable adult

to show them how it's done.

Whoop! Pardon me.
Excuse me, excuse me.

Relax, Adeline, I got this.

Watch and learn, kids.

Come on! It's perfectly safe.

I'm thinking
there should probably be

a lifeguard on duty.

Always remember,

whenever you're on the water,

the key is to stay calm
and don't panic.

Got it?

Look, kids, it's fun!
I promise!

Whoo-hoo! Whoa!

I don't need help.

Help!

It's not that cold
once you're in.

Oh, yeah!

Whoo!

Whoa! Hey! All right!

Hmm. You see?
You just keep your cool,

don't panic
and everything's fine.

Great job, kids. Great lesson.

Great lesson.

Phew!

Kids?

The time for
swimming lessons is over.

Now, there are
more immediate concerns.

The wind has pushed
the drift ice into the shore

and sealed in
the entire coastline.

It can happen
in a matter of hours.

It's even caught the adults
by surprise.

Many of them
have gotten trapped

in the ice floes
while fishing.

Including Adeline.

This leaves Steve
solely responsible

for the chicks' safe
departure from the colony.

And, as if the task
weren't difficult enough,

the mass of shifting ice

has cut off access
to the ocean.

This is yet another
new environment

the chicks
have to contend with.

And while they're busy
learning to swim through it,

they have no idea of the
danger lurking beneath.

Leopard seals.

The broken ice has created
the perfect habitat

for this ambush hunter.

If the chicks can make it out to
sea, they'll be safe.

In open water, leopard seals
have nowhere to hide.

The bigger pieces of ice

provide the chicks
with some protection.

Finding a chunk with any space
left on it is the hard part.

The seals are attracted

to any nervous thrashing
around in the water.

So, any baby penguin
who starts panicking

makes itself a prime target.

A couple of seals can kill
nearly 100 penguins in a day.

Steve knows this is
do-or-die for the chicks.

Adeline's made it across the pack ice to the open water.

Steve needs to get the chicks out there to safety.

It's okay, kids.

I've dealt with leopard seals before.

Just pay close attention
and follow my lead.

Remember,

stay calm and don't panic.

Steve makes it
out to Adeline.

Now their chicks must attempt
the crossing on their own.

If they can make it out
to their parents,

they'll have access
to the open sea.

It's the greatest test
they've ever faced.

The best they can do is follow their father's example.

One of the chicks makes
it safely to firmer ice.

The other one, however,
is not so lucky.

His only hope is to play dead.

If he remains perfectly still,

the leopard seal
may lose interest.

It worked.

With the open water in sight,

the chicks are now
out of danger.

They've grown up fast,

and there's nothing more
their parents can do for them.

They'll now head north,

along with
all the other Adelies,

into the open ocean

where they're happiest
and safest,

leaving the trials
of land and ice behind

until spring returns again.

Over the coming weeks,

Steve and Adeline will continue to push north,
as well.

But, ultimately, they too
will go their separate ways.

They'll face the next
six months on their own

in the Southern Ocean.

If all goes well,

they'll see each other again
next spring.

Steve did a pretty good job
for a first-time father.

He found a great partner.

He made her a beautiful nest.

They raised two healthy
chicks together.

Who knows?

With a little luck,

he could pull it off again
next year.

Many penguins won't survive
to see another spring.

The Antarctic winter is
the harshest on our planet.

To make it through,
you need stamina,

grit,

determination,

and a little bit
of whatever Steve's got.

Like this?
You want me to walk like this?

Does this look good?

You didn't get the slip, did you?

What? Why do you guys get jackets?
It's freezing!

Wardrobe!

I guess this solves
the mystery

of why our kit is covered
in penguin poo.

Somebody say "action."

Oh, forget it.
Here we go. Whoa!

Ha-ha! Perfect ten.

Which way was
the penguin colony again?

Oh, man,

I messed it up.
That was my bad.

Let's do it again.
Do it again!

That's the best
you're gonna get, guys.

All right and here we go.

You're not even
pointing the camera at me!

This is... We're done. I think we're done.

Eh, putting this down right here.

All right. Heading home. Heading home.

Good night, Sophie.
Great day. Great day. Whew!

Oh, I can't wait to get back
to the hotel and my hot tub.

We have absolutely
no visibility.

Oh, the stench!

I'm going to be hiding

in the colony like this.