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NARRATOR: Baffin Island,

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the largest island
in the Canadian Arctic.

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For half the year,
it's locked in ice

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and nearly unfit for life.

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But when winter releases its grip...

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..its frozen coastline shrinks.

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Millions of visitors thrive...

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..while ice-loving locals
struggle to survive.

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From the Arctic...

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(GROWLS)

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(CHUFFING)

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..to the tropics...

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(TRUMPETS)

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..islands are wild laboratories...

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..where unique rules apply...

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(SQUAWKS)

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..and nature puts life...

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(SNAKE HISSES)
(MONKEY CHATTERS)

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..to the ultimate test.

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(HYENA LAUGHS)
(POLAR BEAR GROWLS)

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Baffin is the fifth largest island
on the planet...

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..but just a few regions
support life.

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In the summer, vast tundra flatlands

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and thousands of kilometres
of seaside cliffs...

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..and in winter,

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millions of square kilometres
of sea ice

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connect Baffin to Greenland
and the rest of the Arctic.

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The island's landmass,
frozenly fused with the mainland,

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is nearly 3,000% bigger now

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than it will be in the summer.

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It's a vast temporary home...

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..for both predator

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and prey.

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(SNORTS, GROWLS)

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More than 90% of polar bears' diet

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comes from seals.

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(SNIFFING)

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It's not always an easy meal...

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..but there are plenty of seals here.

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(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

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(GROWLS)

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(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

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(MUSIC FADES OUT)

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(WIND WHISTLES)

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(MUNCHING)

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So, even during winter,

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when temperatures drop 50 below zero

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and the sun never rises...

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..bears are living well
out on the sea ice.

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But on Baffin, change is inevitable.

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After three dark months,
the sun is about to rise again.

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It's a critical moment.

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The countdown is now on

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before this place is transformed.

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For now, some seem content
to just enjoy the moment.

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(SQUEAKS)

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This Arctic fox also spends
most of her winter

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out on the island's
vast frozen fringes of sea ice.

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A perfect place
to catch the sunrise...

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..and also to get breakfast.

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(YAPPING)

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She can dig out seal pups
from dens inside the ice sheet...

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..but out on the sea ice,
there are many ways to get food.

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(BIRD CAWS)

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(YAPPING)

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(CAWING)

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(SNIFFING)

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It's likely an old polar bear kill,

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kept fresh
with natural refrigeration.

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And a great winter meal.

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The coming months will
radically change her island home.

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Summer will be her time of plenty.

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Spring on the sea ice is still
a great time for polar bears.

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(GRUNTS)

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This young male is well fed.

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And after a long, dark winter,

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it's time to catch up with a friend.

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Male polar bears can forge
long-lasting friendships.

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The leftover bit
from an old seal kill

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is perfect for a bout of tug-of-war.

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(GROWLING)

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Play-fighting helps these buddies
build strength...

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..and sharpen reflexes.

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(GROWLING)

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Real fights between bears
can be deadly...

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(GROWLING)

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..so it's best to train up
with a friend first.

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Ultimately,
bears are solitary animals...

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..though they will almost certainly
cross paths again.

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But for now,
our young bear goes off on his own...

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..in search of his next meal...

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..while there's still sea ice
to stand on.

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By late spring,

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the island's sea ice is bathed
in near-constant hot sunshine...

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..and the coastline's
transformation begins.

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As the sea ice retreats,

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Baffin is, in effect,
becoming smaller.

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(ICE CRACKING)

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The edge of this icy coastline
is a very rich habitat.

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It only lasts for a few months,

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but attracts a rush of visitors
while it's still intact.

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For Inuit people who've lived here
for thousands of years,

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the word for floe edge is "Sinaaq",

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which means "Line of Life".

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Baffin is starting to wake up
from its winter slumber.

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(CHIRPING)

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(GRUNTS)

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Right now, the balance of water
and ice is perfect for walrus.

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They hunt in these waters

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but still have plenty of room
to spread out.

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Life is good.

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(RUMBLES)

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Millions of seabirds
migrate to Baffin

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and feast in the open water.

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Belugas, one of the Arctic's
only year-round resident whales,

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are also migrating.

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They're en route
to their summer waters

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where they will raise their calves.

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(SQUEAKING)

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But there's an impenetrable wall
of sea ice in their way.

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So, for the time being,
they have nowhere to go...

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..which is exactly what
some islanders have been waiting for.

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(SNIFFING)

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The young bear is going
to try his luck

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at the floe edge this year.

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He needs to eat
while there's still ice to hunt from.

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(GRUNTING)
(ICE CRUNCHING)

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But a swimming whale
is a lot harder to catch

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than seals out on the sea ice.

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He's got to pick his moment wisely.

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(GRUNTS)

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(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

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(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

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(BELUGAS WHISTLING)

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(MUSIC FADES OUT)

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It seems the impatience of youth
might have got in his way.

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He doesn't have much time left
on the sea ice...

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..and climate change
is wreaking havoc.

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The Arctic is warming
four times faster than anywhere else,

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so the months ahead will be
very unpredictable for him.

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Twenty-four hours of daylight
fuels an explosion of life,

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above and below the ice...

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..and is converted into food

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that powers
an entire Arctic ecosystem.

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As the ice thins,

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plankton come alive,

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along with other species
of marine invertebrates.

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Their world is one
that's rarely seen.

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But many invertebrates
have been on the planet

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for over 50 million years.

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None are larger
than a couple of centimetres...

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..but their role is huge.

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They're the hidden engine
that drives the rich productivity

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in Baffin's waters.

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A bustling community
of over 5,000 alien-like species.

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Marine invertebrates
are a vital source of food

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for fish, birds, and whales.

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(SQUAWKING)

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Baffin's floe edge
is a constantly changing habitat...

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..which makes life hard
for the unicorns of the Arctic Ocean.

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Narwhals.

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Even as ice melts away,

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wind and ocean currents
push large sections back...

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..blocking the whales' way.

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Like belugas, they need to get
to warm shallow waters

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to raise their young.

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While there's plenty of food
for narwhals under the ice,

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many of the females in the pod
are pregnant...

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..and they're eager to keep moving.

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But they have to play by the rules
of the floe edge.

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So they're stuck
in a holding pattern.

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An ideal time
for a bit of socialising.

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These males spend time
getting acquainted,

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before engaging in what looks like
a slow-moving sword fight.

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Tusks are actually
overgrown canine teeth,

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some as long as 3m.

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But they're more than just teeth.

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Each contains millions
of tiny holes and nerve endings,

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which allow them to detect sound
or changes in water salinity.

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These interactions were long assumed
to be aggressive,

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but this could just be a bit
of tusk-to-tusk communication.

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The time for this socialising
is temporary.

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As the island's frozen coastline
continues to shrink,

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the pod will be able to finally push
to the warmth of their summer waters.

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Under many weeks of relentless sun...

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..Baffin's coastline is transformed.

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An area of sea ice twice the size
of the United Kingdom has gone.

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It's great news for migrating whales.

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But not so good for the young bear.

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(GRUNTING)

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His hunting grounds are melting.

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(SNIFFING)

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Seasonal melt is always
an unwelcome sight for bears,

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but climate change means
the sea ice could melt

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three times as fast
as it would have in the past.

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He needs a lucky break.

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(GRUNTS)

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(BIRDS CHIRPING)

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Like a mirage on the icy horizon,

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his sparring buddy...

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..and fresh whale meat.

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It's been a little while
since they've seen each other.

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He needs to tread lightly.

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Even friends will fight over food.

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(SNIFFING)

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(GROWLING)

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(ROARING)

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(CHUFFING)

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Luckily, it seems to be
a relatively amicable reunion.

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(ROARING)

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Polar bears don't love to share food,

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00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,920
but a whale carcass is enough
for both of them.

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00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:27,760
After this meal...

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..they indulge in a swim
under the midnight sun.

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(ROARING)

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This is their last chance
for a bit of leisure time.

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The clock has nearly run out
for this year's sea ice.

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As they part ways again,

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life isn't going to be so easy.

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(GRUNTS)

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While Baffin's sea ice
continues to melt...

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00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:30,160
..the island itself is starting
to shed its winter coat.

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Baffin's flatland tundra

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stretches for roughly
200,000 square kilometres.

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Millions of years of glacial activity
have ground down rock

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00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,600
into vast barren plains
and rolling hills.

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For a few short months,

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the island lets life flourish

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for those hardy enough
to make it here.

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(HONKING)

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Hundreds of thousands of snow geese
fly the length of North America

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00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,080
to nest here and raise their young.

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00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,360
The island's tundra
provides lots of elbow room...

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00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,280
..and it's rich with food.

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After their long trip north,

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geese replenish their strength
from a wide variety of vegetation.

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00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,720
Like all other life
on this harsh island,

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plants are in a race
against time each summer.

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The perpetual sun works
in their favour.

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00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:22,400
But still,
they must contend with ice.

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00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,720
Just a metre below the surface,
the soil stays frozen.

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00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:35,080
Plants here have evolved roots
that spread shallow and wide

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to avoid the permafrost.

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00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,320
Hundreds of species take root

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under these severely
limiting conditions.

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But just a handful

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dare to be beautiful.

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Some Arctic wildflowers are in bloom
for just a couple of days.

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As if in a state of worship,
flowers follow the sun...

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00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,160
..soaking up every last bit
of its warmth.

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Twenty-four hours of daylight

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00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,120
supercharge the flowers
on the tundra.

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00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,680
But to reproduce, they need some help

254
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from some of the island's
smallest residents.

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00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:37,960
(BUZZES)

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An Arctic bumblebee is cosy

257
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in the relative warmth
of an underground nest.

258
00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,680
Today, the promise of warm sunshine
and all those flowers

259
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,720
is too much to pass by.

260
00:23:58,080 --> 00:23:59,560
Bees are cold-blooded

261
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,440
and use the radiant heat
of the flowers to warm up.

262
00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:08,160
But there's no time to waste.

263
00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,240
These flowers need pollinating.

264
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,720
(BUZZES)

265
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,120
Arctic bumblebees are the most
northerly bee in the world,

266
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,400
and one of the few pollinators

267
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,960
Baffin's wildflower meadows
can count on.

268
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,560
The island permits only
a short explosion of colour

269
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,600
on its tundra each summer.

270
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,320
But summer's not over yet,

271
00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:54,880
and new life will soon be shooting up
all over the bustling flatlands.

272
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,360
Under months of non-stop sunshine...

273
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,840
..Baffin's coastline is scorched.

274
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,440
Its waterways open,
it's an island once more...

275
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,640
..and a fraction of the size it was
with its vast borders of sea ice.

276
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,920
This provides opportunities
and challenges

277
00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,000
for the island's residents.

278
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,480
Walrus probably have mixed feelings
about the thawing ocean.

279
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,080
They're now free to move
through the water...

280
00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:50,960
..sniffing out food
in Baffin's shallows.

281
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,240
But walrus love ice.

282
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,280
(CHUFFS)

283
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,440
Hauling out on what remains
during the hot summer months

284
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,640
helps keep them from overheating,

285
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,320
so they cram
their thousand-kilo frames

286
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:12,040
onto every available
square centimetre of frozen ocean...

287
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,560
...and try to be cordial.

288
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:19,800
(GROANS)

289
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,680
But walrus do have a tender side
that's rarely seen.

290
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,600
This calf is just a few months old

291
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,520
and was born directly onto the ice.

292
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,760
She's been inseparable from Mum
ever since.

293
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,160
She's had a lot of time
to get used to life on the ice...

294
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,560
..but her experience in the water
is limited.

295
00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,880
She can swim as soon as she's born,

296
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,320
but Mum knows she needs
to build strength and experience.

297
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,120
High time for some swimming lessons.

298
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,560
They start with an encouraging hug
from Mum.

299
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,040
It looks like
this is going to be a group lesson.

300
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,080
The calves are still
getting the hang of life off-ice,

301
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:49,640
but these swims are vital
to their survival

302
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,600
in Baffin's constantly
changing environment.

303
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,800
There is one islander
who misses the sea ice

304
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,840
more than anyone else.

305
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,400
It's been months since the floe edge
provided for this bear.

306
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,200
Now he has to swim.

307
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,800
But it takes five times more energy
to swim than walk.

308
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,600
Climate change is putting the
species' swimming skills to the test.

309
00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,520
The longer ice-free summers
of recent years...

310
00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,120
..means he's expending more energy
each year.

311
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,320
This is only worth it
if he can find more food.

312
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,960
He can kill and eat walrus
if they're hauled out on land...

313
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,080
..but it's a risky proposition

314
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:05,560
to go after
these two-tusked heavyweights

315
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,600
in the open water like this.

316
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,080
He's young and inexperienced.

317
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,680
He's tired, and he could get hurt.

318
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,760
He shifts course

319
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,800
and gives them a wide berth.

320
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,160
An iceberg is a literal life raft
for this bear.

321
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,440
A momentary respite

322
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,880
from the harsh reality
of summer living.

323
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,680
There's still many months left

324
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,120
before the island expands
its coastlines with ice again.

325
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:18,760
He's going to need
another lucky break.

326
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,160
Summer is the tundra's time to shine,

327
00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,720
even if it's
a perilously short season.

328
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,200
For now, though,
life is still thriving.

329
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,360
In fact, it's sprouting
right from the ground.

330
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:44,400
(PUPS SQUEAKING)

331
00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:54,640
In the last few months,

332
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,560
the female Arctic fox
has been very busy.

333
00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,560
She's shed her white winter coat...

334
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:06,480
..but more importantly,
she's got seven pups.

335
00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,720
(HIGH-PITCHED YAPPING)

336
00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,000
For Mum, it's not all fun and games.

337
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,960
Her pups are growing
and need more than just milk.

338
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,800
And they're still too small
to leave alone at the den...

339
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,920
..so her partner needs
to bring home the dinner.

340
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,880
Luckily for them, the summer tundra
is filled with food.

341
00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,440
There are thousands of new geese
greeting the world.

342
00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:58,480
(NEARBY GEESE HONKING)

343
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,600
The time for papa fox to act is now.

344
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,760
But most nests are well guarded.

345
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,760
(HONKING)

346
00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:21,200
Really well guarded.

347
00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:23,240
(HONKING)

348
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,680
(PUPS WHINGE, SQUEAL)

349
00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:29,760
He's got his own brood
to think about.

350
00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:34,600
He can't afford
to come home empty-handed.

351
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,640
(HONKS)

352
00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,400
Not all geese parents
are equally fierce

353
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:01,440
in the protection of their nests.

354
00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,880
The tundra has provided.

355
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,040
(PUPS SQUEALING)

356
00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,040
A razor-thin summer
on the Arctic flatlands

357
00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:44,080
will feed these pups well.

358
00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,240
Before long, they'll be full-grown

359
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,000
and learning the ropes of life
on the island's sea ice.

360
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,840
For now, with bellies full,

361
00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,760
they're content to just be pups.

362
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:29,200
Along thousands of kilometres
of steep cliffs,

363
00:34:29,240 --> 00:34:33,120
Baffin dares life to survive
in its vertical world.

364
00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:37,960
(SQUAWKING)

365
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,120
Made up of some of the oldest rock
on the planet,

366
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:45,160
they are carved by millions of years
of glaciers and erosion,

367
00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,880
but still,
they stand stubbornly vertical

368
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,320
against the elements
and passage of time.

369
00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,080
One rises above them all.

370
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,080
Over a kilometre,
straight up and down...

371
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:15,600
..Baffin's Mount Thor is the highest
vertical drop in the world.

372
00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:23,160
Most cliffs inland
are inhospitable to life.

373
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:26,720
But out next to the open ocean,

374
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:28,760
it's a different story.

375
00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:31,720
(SQUAWKING)

376
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,880
When the island's sheer rock faces
meet its rich waters...

377
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:51,560
..millions of seabirds are enticed
to brave Baffin's cliffs each summer.

378
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:54,080
(BIRDS SQUAWK NOISILY)

379
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,400
Nesting together like this
doesn't provide a lot of privacy.

380
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:03,600
But this is
prime waterfront property...

381
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,400
..so it's worth having to put up
with a noisy neighbour or two.

382
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,440
(SQUAWKING)

383
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,040
For thick-billed murres
and black-legged kittiwakes,

384
00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,400
the cliffs are mostly safe
from predators.

385
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:26,640
Mostly.

386
00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,680
(EERIE MUSIC)

387
00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:33,720
The young bear is hungry.

388
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:37,040
At this point in the summer,
he'll eat anything.

389
00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:41,760
Climate change is driving polar bears

390
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,280
to go after cliff-nesting birds
during ice-free months.

391
00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:52,680
Desperate times call
for desperate measures.

392
00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:05,680
(SCREECHING)

393
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:15,960
(SQUAWKING)

394
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,360
For an animal most comfortable
on the sea ice,

395
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:37,400
he's way out of his element.

396
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,760
Even the island's apex predator

397
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,640
is no match
for the island's steep cliffs.

398
00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:51,720
Summer can't end soon enough.

399
00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,080
(PANTING)

400
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:15,640
Baffin's waters have finally
given passage

401
00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:17,680
to its summer residents.

402
00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:21,960
Narwhals are carefully
navigating life

403
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,040
in the island's sheltered inlets.

404
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:29,840
With no sea ice, travel is easy,

405
00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,800
and there's plenty of time
to hang out with your pals.

406
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:43,680
The shallow water is the warmest

407
00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:46,440
the narwhals will experience
all year.

408
00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:49,480
They stick close to shore,
where fishing is best.

409
00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,800
Any thousand-kilo whale
might have a tricky time

410
00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,840
in just a couple of metres of water.

411
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:03,720
But narwhals have
an extra variable to consider.

412
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:06,680
Their tusks point downwards,

413
00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:09,920
so they can do some serious damage
in the shallows.

414
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,200
Their solution to this problem
is wonderfully simple...

415
00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:19,040
..swim upside down.

416
00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,080
Like aquatic acrobats,

417
00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,800
they move through the water
with just as much speed and grace

418
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:29,840
as they do right-side up.

419
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:39,680
This summer, there's a unique member
of the narwhal community

420
00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:41,720
traveling with the pod.

421
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,040
A two-tusked male.

422
00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,560
It is exceedingly rare

423
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:55,120
and has never before been filmed.

424
00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:04,080
The extra-toothed male is not
the only special member of the pod.

425
00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:15,360
New calves only know the island's
ice-free water of summer.

426
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:23,520
In the months to come,
they'll stick close to Mum...

427
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,240
..and learn to navigate the extremes

428
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,560
of Baffin's constantly
changing environment.

429
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,680
Not all areas of tundra on Baffin
are bustling with life.

430
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,440
The young bear needs a big meal,

431
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:56,920
and he's not finding anything here.

432
00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,960
But there is something promising
on the air.

433
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:08,600
He can smell food over 40km away.

434
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,560
His nose guides him
to the water's edge.

435
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:18,080
He's going to have to swim
across the inlet,

436
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:21,800
which will only further deplete
his precious fat reserves.

437
00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:28,720
But it's worth the risk.

438
00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:30,480
He needs to eat.

439
00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,720
It is a sight for sore eyes.

440
00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:12,560
A washed-up whale carcass
means one thing.

441
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,040
This bear is going to eat.

442
00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:24,240
(SNIFFING)

443
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,920
Baffin's waters have provided.

444
00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:56,760
After months of hardship,

445
00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:58,920
things are finally looking up.

446
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:07,000
He's eaten enough
to keep him going a few more months.

447
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:16,320
And now, it won't be long
before winter returns.

448
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,360
(EPIC MUSIC)

449
00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:21,800
From the vast tundra...

450
00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:26,240
..to the seaside cliffs...

451
00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:31,360
..to the ever-shifting coastline...

452
00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:37,800
..Baffin Island is a place
of constant change...

453
00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:41,760
..and ultimate extremes.

454
00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,040
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

455
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,520
AccessibleCustomerService@sky.uk


