1 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,640 Over one third of our planet is frozen, 2 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,080 and yet, the icy worlds of the Arctic and Antarctic 3 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,720 are as alien to most of us as the surface 4 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,320 of another planet. 5 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,600 They are places of superlatives. 6 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:56,120 From ice caps that hold nearly 80% of our planet's fresh water 7 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,760 to frozen forests that encircle the entire globe. 8 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,680 These are places that feed our imaginations, 9 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,720 places that seem to be borrowed from fairy tales. 10 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:15,680 They're dominated and shaped by the ice... 11 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,440 ..both by its coming and by its going. 12 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,600 This is our planet's last true wilderness 13 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,640 and one that is changing just as we're beginning to understand it. 14 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,240 In this series, we'll be travelling to all parts of these lonely lands, 15 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,200 both north and south, 16 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,720 to witness its wonders perhaps for the last time 17 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,800 and to discover some extraordinary examples 18 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,320 of survival against all the odds, 19 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,360 as can be found anywhere on the planet. 20 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,480 The poles are permanently capped with ice. 21 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,840 Nowhere is colder, windier or more hostile to life. 22 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:35,560 I'm standing at the North Pole - the very top of the Earth. 23 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:41,600 Up here, it's easy to see why the polar regions are so cold. 24 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:47,440 The sun never rises high enough in the sky to warm my back 25 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,680 and those rays that do strike the surface 26 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,760 are mostly reflected back from this great whiteness. 27 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:01,360 But the fundamental problem is that there's no sun here at all 28 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,480 for half the year. 29 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,200 The polar winter is unrivalled in its harshness. 30 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,400 A night that lasts for months. 31 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Only the toughest stay, 32 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,200 as temperatures plunge to minus 70 degrees centigrade. 33 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,960 And yet, the greatest challenge to life here is not the cold, 34 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,200 but the extreme swings between the seasons. 35 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,560 When the sun finally returns, 36 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,040 an extraordinary transformation begins. 37 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,560 This frozen world begins to melt away. 38 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,120 The polar spring brings a brief opportunity for life. 39 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,600 By summer, the sun no longer sets 40 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,240 and works its magic for 24 hours a day. 41 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:04,760 Now it's a race to breed before the sun departs. 42 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,720 By autumn, all but the hardiest abandon the poles 43 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,120 and the ice extends its grip. 44 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,320 Land and sea close down for the long, polar winter, 45 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,360 until, once again, the sun returns. 46 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,760 It's spring in the High Arctic 47 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,960 and the sun illuminates a giant frozen ocean, 48 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:45,960 the first stop on our journey. 49 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,120 The most powerful land predator is on the prowl. 50 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,840 A male polar bear is searching for a mate. 51 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:10,200 Willing females are few and far between 52 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,080 and the sea ice on which he travels will soon melt and vanish. 53 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:22,280 He's running out of time to find a mate in this vast, frozen desert. 54 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:43,080 Ten miles ahead, a single female without cubs - 55 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,320 exactly what the male is seeking. 56 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,440 He seems to relish her scent, even though she's miles away. 57 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,920 This is an exciting prospect. 58 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,760 She's clearly giving off the right signals. 59 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,520 He locks onto her tracks, eager not to lose her trail. 60 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,960 It's easier to tread in the compacted snow of her footprints. 61 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,000 This pursuit could last for days. 62 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,920 The female eventually comes into view. 63 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:29,840 The search is finally over. 64 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,480 For the female, only half his weight, 65 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,120 this must be a nerve-racking encounter. 66 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,520 The male could kill her if he chooses. 67 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,600 But he has other intentions... 68 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,520 ..and she is ready and willing. 69 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,440 She leads him to higher ground. 70 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,560 It seems that courting polar bears prefer privacy, 71 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,960 often leaving the sea ice and heading for the hills 72 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,840 to avoid the prying eyes 73 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,360 of rival males who might disturb them. 74 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,760 Few have witnessed this moment. 75 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:33,600 For the male, 76 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:38,280 his only tender encounter in an otherwise solitary life. 77 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,680 But it doesn't last long - 78 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,640 a rival suitor has also caught the female's scent. 79 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:54,720 Courtship has to be put on hold. He must fight for his rights. 80 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,800 THEY ROAR 81 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:10,560 He sees off this first challenger without injury to either party, 82 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,200 but bloodier battles are to come. 83 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:27,240 THEY ROAR 84 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:45,680 Another battle won, though he has been slightly injured. 85 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:47,760 He hurries back to his mate, 86 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,800 but now she seems to have lost her enthusiasm. 87 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,040 Female polar bears are high-maintenance. 88 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,320 Wherever she goes, he will follow, mating with her when she allows 89 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,600 and guarding her at all times. 90 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,480 Over the next two weeks, the male sees off many rivals 91 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,880 but the battles take their toll on him. 92 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,440 He is almost spent, 93 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,680 but he has ensured that no other bears have mated with his female. 94 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:55,760 It's time for the couple 95 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,280 to go their separate ways. 96 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:03,600 She will give birth to his cubs, alone, in nine months' time 97 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,040 and he may never see her again. 98 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,840 He returns to the frozen ocean, 99 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,160 no doubt relieved to resume his solitary ways, 100 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,760 and just in time. 101 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,880 The ice beneath his feet will soon be gone. 102 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,240 Each spring, the Arctic Ocean undergoes 103 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,760 an extraordinary transformation. 104 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,160 An area of sea ice the size of Europe melts, 105 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,560 exposing the rich waters beneath. 106 00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:42,080 Short-tailed shearwaters have travelled 10,000 miles 107 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:43,800 from Australia to be here. 108 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:55,320 18 million visitors darken the skies, 109 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,360 the largest gathering of sea birds on the planet. 110 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,560 Humpback whales have come all the way from the Equator 111 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:19,760 to feed in these rich, polar waters. 112 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,440 Their giant tails are five metres across. 113 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,960 Simply raising them above the surface 114 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,640 gives the whales enough downward momentum 115 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,840 to reach the great swarms of krill and herring below. 116 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,480 The shearwaters follow the giants' lead. 117 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,080 For those who can get here, in summer, 118 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,320 these waters provide a feast of epic proportions. 119 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,280 But the good times will be very short - 120 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,200 a problem that faces all life in the polar regions. 121 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,720 Journeying south across the Arctic Ocean, 122 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,440 the first land you reach is Greenland, 123 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,480 the largest island in the world. 124 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,440 Despite its name, Greenland is mostly white, 125 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,400 covered by a giant ice sheet 126 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,320 six times the size of the United Kingdom. 127 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:01,440 In the middle of the island, the ice is nearly two miles thick. 128 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,680 It's a bleak, quiet world. 129 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,480 Sapphire-blue melt lakes 130 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:17,280 are the first sign that a dynamic process is underway. 131 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:25,240 Each lake forms in a matter of days, expanding until it's miles across 132 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,120 and starts to overflow. 133 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:33,080 The spill water then carves its way through the ice. 134 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,960 The water courses through an icy delta 135 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:52,440 like blood along the arteries of a cold-blooded monster, 136 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,880 a monster that is stirring. 137 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:12,040 And without warning, the water suddenly plunges down an open shaft, 138 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:16,000 falling a vertical mile into the heart of the ice sheet. 139 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,120 This meltwater has a surprising effect - 140 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,080 it lubricates the junction 141 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,920 between the ice and the rock floor beneath, 142 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,760 so the entire ice sheet is now on the move, 143 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,800 sliding downhill into the ocean. 144 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,160 This, Jakobshavn Isbrae, 145 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,960 is the fastest-flowing glacier on our planet, 146 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,760 moving as much as 40 metres a day. 147 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,120 As it advances, it destroys everything in its path, 148 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:18,160 even cutting its way through Greenland's great mountain ranges 149 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,160 on its drive downwards towards the sea. 150 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:25,680 When speeded up, 151 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:30,160 these solid rivers of ice seem to flow just like liquid rivers. 152 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:38,840 This is the titanic force 153 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,560 that cuts down mountains and levels the surface of continents. 154 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:05,080 The ice is now entering the last stage of its descent. 155 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:08,960 As it gains speed, 156 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,360 huge crevasses open that extend down to its very core. 157 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,400 It's reached the ocean, 158 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,440 and millions of tonnes of ice have lost the support of their rocky bed. 159 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,040 Something must give. 160 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,320 CREAKING 161 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,320 These icefalls are an ominous sign of what is about to happen... 162 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,480 ..a rupture deep within the glacier. 163 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,760 A colossal iceberg is born. 164 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:56,600 This single block of ice, 165 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,520 many hundreds of metres across, 166 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,640 would dwarf the biggest of mankind's buildings. 167 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:10,200 Every year, 168 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,760 tens of thousands of icebergs are spawned by Greenland's glaciers, 169 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:16,920 and their number is steadily increasing 170 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,240 as the climate continues to warm. 171 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,160 The break-up of the bergs fills the bays of the Arctic 172 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,400 with exquisite ice sculptures. 173 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:42,720 It also releases great volumes of cold, fresh water into the sea. 174 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,240 Greenland's meltwater influences the course of the ocean currents, 175 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:54,360 which, in turn, has an effect on the weather around the world. 176 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,320 The Arctic is closer to home than many of us realise. 177 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,920 It includes the northernmost parts of the three continents 178 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,680 on which most of us live - Europe, Asia and North America. 179 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,080 The first bare land we reach on our journey south 180 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,960 is a bleak treeless wilderness known as tundra. 181 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,920 Each spring, animals travel up from the south, 182 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,280 to be ready for the rich grazing 183 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,360 that will be unveiled by the spring melt. 184 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:38,120 For the caribou, 185 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:39,560 the timing is critical. 186 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,320 Arrive early and a winter storm could kill you. 187 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,280 Delay too long and you may fail to lay down the fat 188 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,680 needed to survive a polar winter. 189 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,880 Further south still, 190 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:04,000 and stooped, shrouded figures end the flat monotony of the tundra. 191 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,160 This is the tree line, the first place on our journey 192 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:13,800 with sufficient warmth and liquid water 193 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,400 to enable a tree to grow. 194 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,680 Surviving here is so crushingly difficult, 195 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,640 that it can take hundreds of years for a seedling 196 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:25,480 to grow into a stunted shrub. 197 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,480 But even small trees 198 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,920 can provide cover for a predator. 199 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:43,600 Wolves. These, in northern Canada, 200 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,280 are the largest and most powerful in the world 201 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,240 and they are setting out to hunt. 202 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,160 The pack is 25 strong, 203 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,120 a sign that the prey they are seeking is formidable. 204 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,400 These bison are even bigger than their southern cousins 205 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,040 and the largest land animals in North America. 206 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:17,240 For generations, wolves and bison here 207 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,920 have been shaped by their battles with each other, 208 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,080 making each the most impressive of its kind. 209 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,440 The bison will not stay long among the trees. 210 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,240 They're not safe here. 211 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,560 The wolves are closing in, 212 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,280 but their chance of ambushing the bison in the woods has passed. 213 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,280 Their prey are now in the open and grouped together for safety. 214 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,000 The wolves will need to work as a team 215 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,840 if they are to make a kill. 216 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,520 They circle the herd, trying to unsettle it 217 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:01,800 and split it up. 218 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,240 But the bison are armed and dangerous. 219 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,880 They will be safe as long as they stick together. 220 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,360 The wolves up their game, harrying the herd, 221 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,440 a ploy to trigger a stampede 222 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,640 and split away one of the smaller ones. 223 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,120 The bison form a defensive circle around their young, 224 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:28,560 horns pointing outwards. 225 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:36,480 The wolves need a bison to break rank. 226 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,480 But the tables are turning and now the wolves have to retreat. 227 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:53,160 The pack focus their attention on the rear of the herd 228 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,000 and the bison begin to panic. 229 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:32,360 A young bison falls behind. 230 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,040 Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves. 231 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,640 Running head-down, the herd's only thought is escape. 232 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,160 A stroke of luck for the wolves. 233 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,960 The kill will feed the pack for several days. 234 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,240 But then they will have to resume the chase. 235 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:22,720 At the frozen ends of our planet, 236 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,720 the struggle for survival never eases. 237 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,800 South of the tree line, the winters are shorter, 238 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:45,720 so trees grow faster and taller and forests begin to appear. 239 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:52,000 As the warm, humid air from the south meets the cold, arctic air, 240 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:57,080 the moisture it carries crystallises and snowflakes fall from the sky. 241 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,960 Each crystal forms around a particle of dust. 242 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,040 All have a six-fold symmetry 243 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,600 but no two have ever been found with exactly the same shape. 244 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,440 Their variety and complexity is breathtaking. 245 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:38,080 Each snowflake is water waiting to be released in spring. 246 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:39,360 For this reason, 247 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,800 snow is the lifeblood of these silent forests 248 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,720 and all that live here depend on it in one way or another. 249 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,840 Some, like the great grey owl, appear in spring for the boom times, 250 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,080 then vanish like phantoms. 251 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:07,960 Others, like their lemming prey, 252 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:12,400 are here year-round beneath the snow, insulated from the cold air above. 253 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,440 The northern forests are a crossroads 254 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,640 for seasonal visitors and arctic specialists. 255 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,440 But they are so much more than this. 256 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,600 Together, they make up the taiga, an unbroken belt of forest 257 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,120 that stretches 7,000 miles around our planet 258 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:55,000 and contains one third of all the trees on Earth. 259 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,400 The taiga forest marks the end of our journey through the Arctic, 260 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,400 from the frozen ocean down across the lands that surround it. 261 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:27,800 The other end of our planet, the Antarctic, is starkly different. 262 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,240 A frozen continent completely surrounded by ocean. 263 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,080 Icebergs here are so large 264 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,680 that they're measured in miles not metres. 265 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,040 They're the only obstacles in the path of giant waves, 266 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,800 which circle around the continent unchecked by other lands. 267 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,360 These seas may be cold and storm-racked 268 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:07,560 but they're bursting with life. 269 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,920 No bird is more at home in water 270 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,080 and they are masterful surfers. 271 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:51,960 Penguins are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. 272 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:56,320 They can't fly, but they don't need to. 273 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,480 There are no polar bears here. 274 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,360 These are Gentoo Penguins. 275 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:14,240 Each spring, they come ashore to lay their eggs and rear their young. 276 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,240 Their hungry chicks demand so much seafood 277 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,280 that both parents have to go fishing. 278 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,880 And fishing can be dangerous. 279 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,760 A southern sea lion. 280 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:54,640 It uses the speed of a breaking wave to catch up with the Gentoos. 281 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,920 Sea lions normally eat fish, 282 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,960 so he's used to catching streamlined swimmers, 283 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:19,200 but the Gentoos seem more than his match out at sea. 284 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:20,640 He must change tactics. 285 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,360 Perhaps it will be easier in the shallows. 286 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,400 But no! It seems penguins are uncatchable in water. 287 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:02,280 How about on land? 288 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,400 The penguin's wings, so powerful for swimming, 289 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,160 are of no help when it comes to running. 290 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,640 Now, surely, the sea lion has a chance. 291 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,360 But on the beach, both are like fish out of water. 292 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:48,840 Rarely do hunter and hunted play their roles with so little skill. 293 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:50,920 The outcome is anyone's guess. 294 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,240 Every summer, 295 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:32,040 over 40 million penguins take to the Southern Ocean to feed. 296 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,760 They're joined by thousands of whales. 297 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:43,560 Minkes are the most numerous. 298 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,920 They all come here to harvest the richest ocean on Earth. 299 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:57,480 Carrying on south, we get our first glimpse of the frozen continent. 300 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:17,360 Southern humpbacks, after travelling 4,000 miles from the equator, 301 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,000 are finally arriving in Antarctica. 302 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,040 Humans have long felt the lure of this mysterious world, 303 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,800 yet it was only a hundred years ago 304 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,840 that the first explorers walked inland and were confronted by 305 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,720 the highest, driest and coldest territory on Earth. 306 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,080 Every year, the continent is transformed 307 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,600 as the sea ice that surrounds it begins to disappear. 308 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,440 This melt halves the size of Antarctica. 309 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,920 It's the most spectacular seasonal change occurring 310 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,400 anywhere on our planet. 311 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,800 The remnants of the sea ice are occupied by sunbathing seals 312 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:21,880 that have been here all winter. 313 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:28,280 But new arrivals are following the retreating ice edge 314 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,080 and they have come here to hunt. 315 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,520 Killer whales, the ocean's top predator. 316 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:45,600 Killers are like wolves, 317 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,800 for they will hunt animals far larger than themselves. 318 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,400 But even smaller prey are a problem if you can't reach them. 319 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,280 The solution is teamwork. 320 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:06,080 Swimming in perfect formation, they flick their tails in unison 321 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,000 and create a wave that cracks the ice. 322 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:22,960 They regroup and assess the damage. A more powerful wave is needed. 323 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,400 The ice floe is breaking up. 324 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,880 Now they are close enough to get a good look at their target. 325 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,960 The seal is a crabeater, sharp-toothed and feisty. 326 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:42,160 Not their favourite. 327 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:50,120 The wolves of the sea move on in search of easier quarry. 328 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,480 A Weddell seal. That's better. 329 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,280 These are more docile and easier to tackle. 330 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,160 The pod stays close together and travels silently. 331 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:13,920 This time, they unleash a far more powerful wave, 332 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:16,120 and with astonishing accuracy. 333 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,720 These big waves are not intended to break the ice, 334 00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:30,520 but to knock the prey into the water, and they rarely fail. 335 00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:18,920 The seal is now where the killers want it, 336 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,080 but the hunt is far from over. 337 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,080 They need to grab their prey by the tail 338 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,080 while avoiding its snapping jaws. 339 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:34,080 Only then will they be able to pull it down and drown it. 340 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:42,440 Sideswipes create violent underwater turbulence, a new tactic. 341 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:54,200 Blowing bubbles gives cover for others to lunge at the seal's tail. 342 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,200 Somehow, the seal manages to reach a tiny ice floe. 343 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,960 The killers could easily grab it, 344 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:16,360 but now this seems to have become a game. 345 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:22,280 The seal's life hangs on a roll of the ice. 346 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:38,400 Yet again, the pod joins forces to dislodge the seal. 347 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:58,960 The seal sees a chance to escape. 348 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,400 Exhausted, it no longer has the energy to pull itself to safety 349 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,200 and the killers are moving in. 350 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:20,520 Game over. 351 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:37,720 Although such team hunts are rarely seen, scientists believe 352 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:41,800 they may be the most complex ever documented in the natural world. 353 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:45,160 They were first witnessed by Captain Scott and his men 354 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:48,200 when they came to explore Antarctica 100 years ago. 355 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:56,480 Journeying further south, the fragmenting ice is replaced 356 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:00,840 by a permanent sheet that doesn't melt even at the height of summer. 357 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:06,560 It's a barrier that many creatures find impassable. 358 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,320 It repels even powerful minke whales. 359 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:12,760 They have to turn back 360 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:16,360 if they can no longer reach the air they need to breathe. 361 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:28,960 Under the ice, life has to be extremely specialised to survive. 362 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:36,120 Few of us will ever experience this strangely-still world, 363 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,800 and, as yet, no-one knows much about it. 364 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:47,480 The crystalline surface of the ice stalactites 365 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:51,760 provides a home for ice fish whose bodies are full of anti-freeze. 366 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,680 The ceiling of ice shields those living below it 367 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:04,560 from the violent polar weather that rages above. 368 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,200 Little here has changed for millions of years. 369 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:15,720 The cold allows animals to grow very slowly and become giants. 370 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:36,240 A relative of the woodlouse is the size of a dinner plate. 371 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:43,160 And this so-called "sea spider" has legs that span half a metre. 372 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,680 Now explorers are revealing other worlds 373 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:52,880 that lie hidden beneath the ice on land. 374 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,960 These smoking towers are the gateway to a network of caves. 375 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:07,680 Each contains an extraordinary assembly of ice crystals, 376 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:09,960 unlike any other on Earth. 377 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:22,720 Like snowflakes, every crystal is unique. 378 00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:25,600 Some are taller than a man. 379 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,240 Others are thought to harbour life, 380 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:35,760 seeded by strange bacteria that thrive in these extreme conditions. 381 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,960 The breeze that gently sways these crystals 382 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,720 is responsible for making them. 383 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:46,240 It's steam from the molten heart of Mount Erebus, 384 00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:49,120 the most southerly volcano on our planet. 385 00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:05,440 It's now thought that the ice caves fringing this crater 386 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:09,280 may even be a home for hitherto-unknown life forms. 387 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:18,000 From this oasis of warmth at the edge of the continent, 388 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:21,480 our journey continues inland towards the South Pole. 389 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:24,200 The first great hurdle 390 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:28,080 is the formidable Transantarctic mountain range. 391 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,680 We are following the route taken by Scott and Amundsen 392 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:36,280 as they struggled to become the first humans 393 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,880 to reach the South Pole. 394 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:44,840 They were travelling on foot 395 00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:47,640 and their first sight of these mountains 396 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:49,720 must have been daunting indeed. 397 00:43:49,720 --> 00:43:53,040 In front of them stretched one of the world's longest ranges, 398 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:57,600 spanning 2,000 miles from one side of the continent to the other. 399 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,120 The winds up here are the fastest on Earth. 400 00:44:04,120 --> 00:44:06,560 They reach speeds of 200 miles an hour. 401 00:44:10,720 --> 00:44:14,160 An ice-capped mountain bears the scars of the gales, 402 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:17,480 bizarre sculptures carved from solid ice. 403 00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:31,520 It's not only the ice that yields. 404 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:36,520 This sculptured spire is the remnant of a mountain, 405 00:44:36,520 --> 00:44:40,480 eroded from all sides by the ferocious elements. 406 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:49,000 Beyond, a wholly unexpected landscape - the dry valleys. 407 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,160 Only 1% of Antarctica is free of ice, 408 00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:02,440 and most of that bare rock is here. 409 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,560 The Dry Valleys are more like the surface of Mars 410 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,840 than is any other place on Earth. 411 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:27,800 The floor is covered with extraordinary natural sculptures, 412 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:32,240 created by the same winds that help to keep these valleys free of snow. 413 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:40,160 Over time, entire boulders are weathered from the inside out, 414 00:45:40,160 --> 00:45:42,640 until just a shell remains. 415 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:51,760 At the head of these valleys, the ice is making a breakthrough. 416 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:59,920 Millions of tons are tumbling in slow motion into the valley. 417 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:15,200 These ice blocks are the size of skyscrapers. 418 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,600 And this is the Beardmore Glacier, 419 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:29,360 which Scott and his men somehow traversed on foot. 420 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:34,840 It's over 100 miles long 421 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:37,560 and one of the largest glaciers on Earth. 422 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:46,680 But nothing could have prepared those early explorers 423 00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:49,040 for what they were about to encounter. 424 00:46:56,160 --> 00:47:00,600 The Antarctic ice cap, the largest expanse of ice on the planet. 425 00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:04,520 It's three miles thick in places 426 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:09,160 and imprisons 70% of the world's fresh water. 427 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:16,080 From here to the South Pole 700 miles away, 428 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,360 there is nothing but ice. 429 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:34,800 I'm at the South Pole at the end of my journey. 430 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:39,040 Although it's midsummer, the temperature here 431 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:43,120 is a bone-chilling 35 degrees below freezing. 432 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:46,760 It's exactly a hundred years almost to the day 433 00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:50,200 that the first human beings stood right here, 434 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:52,840 Amundsen followed by Scott. 435 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,720 In those days, reaching the poles 436 00:47:56,720 --> 00:48:02,080 was regarded as the ultimate in human endeavour and endurance, 437 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,720 and a source of great national pride. 438 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:10,520 Today, the polar regions have a rather different significance, 439 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:15,200 because now we've come to understand that what happens here 440 00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:19,200 and in the north affects every one of us, 441 00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:23,120 no matter where we live on this planet. 442 00:48:51,640 --> 00:48:54,640 The greatest challenge for the team making Frozen Planet 443 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:58,600 was the extreme remoteness of their locations. 444 00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:00,760 Many of the shoots lasted months at a time 445 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:03,720 and needed a number of crews to join forces. 446 00:49:06,640 --> 00:49:10,120 One location that would require such siege tactics 447 00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:14,520 was Mount Erebus, Antarctica's most active volcano. 448 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:18,440 This magical mountain does not give up her secrets easily. 449 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:27,880 To capture the full story of Mount Erebus from top to bottom 450 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:31,000 required four different film crews. 451 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:36,400 The cave team is dropped off at 12,000 feet, 452 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:37,760 close to the crater. 453 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:44,360 In howling winds and thin oxygen, 454 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,960 their challenge is to find a way into the volcano itself. 455 00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:52,880 They are venturing into the unknown. 456 00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:58,640 Somewhere below are spectacular ice caves, melted out by volcanic steam. 457 00:49:58,640 --> 00:50:01,080 Getting the team safely underground 458 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:03,800 is a relief for director Chadden Hunter. 459 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,200 Excellent, it's much warmer down here, it's freezing up there. 460 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:09,240 Minus 29. 461 00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:11,600 With him is cameraman Gavin Thurston. 462 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:16,080 You sort of forget being in here, you are actually inside a volcano. 463 00:50:16,080 --> 00:50:19,520 You know, above us and below us, there's bubbling lava 464 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:22,160 and you've got all these gases seeping up through here, 465 00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:23,960 which is how these caves are made, 466 00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,360 so there's also increased carbon dioxide in here. 467 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:29,440 As the cave team head deeper, 468 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,480 dangerous volcanic gases make breathing difficult. 469 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:34,120 The clock is ticking. 470 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:37,600 They will not have long to find the caves of crystals. 471 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:45,080 Above ground, the aerial team is pushing for the summit of Erebus. 472 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:50,160 Series producer Vanessa Berlowitz directs from the front seat, 473 00:50:50,160 --> 00:50:52,960 while aerial cameraman Michael Kelem 474 00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:55,560 controls the camera attached to the nose. 475 00:50:55,560 --> 00:50:57,640 We're going to be around 14,000 feet, 476 00:50:57,640 --> 00:51:00,200 on the performance limits of this aircraft. 477 00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:01,960 Any bad weather comes in up there 478 00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:04,400 and you're pretty much screwed, really, 479 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:06,480 you've got to get off the mountain fast. 480 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:09,080 Above 10,000 feet, the pilot must breathe oxygen 481 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:11,720 through a plastic tube in his nostrils. 482 00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:16,800 Approaching the crater, conditions do not look good. 483 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:19,400 Today, Erebus is belching out steam and gases, 484 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:22,760 making flying extremely risky. 485 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:25,880 Up here, the air is so thin, the helicopter can't hover 486 00:51:25,880 --> 00:51:27,320 and must keep moving. 487 00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:33,440 This is aerial filming at its most extreme. 488 00:51:33,440 --> 00:51:35,240 They struggle to get a clear view. 489 00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:41,160 We're just coming up to 14,000 feet, 490 00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:44,160 you can actually look right into the lava lake. 491 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:48,760 Oh, that's looking really good, Mike, just hold that there. 492 00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:52,200 The cameraman captures a rare shot of the molten lava, 493 00:51:52,200 --> 00:51:54,160 but it's soon obscured again. 494 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:00,520 The volcano is temperamental. 495 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:02,920 The team have seized a rare opportunity 496 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:07,160 to see into its molten heart, but now they must descend to safety. 497 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:14,440 As the weather closes in above, the cave team are making progress below. 498 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:24,640 It's Christmas Day and the crew are dressed for the occasion. 499 00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:31,320 Just watch my back on these icicles, 500 00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:33,520 I don't want to snap that top one off. 501 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:39,640 How strong are these pillars of ice? 502 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:42,920 It's about... Round about five... 503 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:46,120 So if I squeeze past, it's not going to snap it? 504 00:52:47,600 --> 00:52:50,800 Gavin is reassured by advice from the scientist. 505 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:55,640 Oh! 506 00:52:55,640 --> 00:52:58,720 Ohhh! Gavin! 507 00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:00,120 I'm sorry. 508 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:05,240 That's terrible. Oh, look, it fits perfectly, look. Look at that. 509 00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:13,160 Fortunately, these crystals are made of frozen water 510 00:53:13,160 --> 00:53:15,200 and can grow back in weeks. 511 00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:18,480 You've got these beautiful, clear, glass-like pillars 512 00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:21,600 and right next to it, this really delicate... 513 00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:24,120 Look how thin that filament is there. 514 00:53:26,360 --> 00:53:28,520 As the cave team explore deeper, 515 00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:31,760 each chamber reveals ice crystals 516 00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:34,680 more strange and spectacular than the last. 517 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:41,600 No-one on the team imagined a single Antarctic mountain 518 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:43,400 could house so many wonders. 519 00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:50,800 Down at the foot of Mount Erebus, a third crew, the dive team, 520 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,560 plan to explore the volcano's lower slopes, 521 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:56,960 which extend beneath the frozen sea. 522 00:53:56,960 --> 00:54:00,920 On board is underwater cameraman Hugh Miller. 523 00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:04,560 The problem is, we don't actually know what's under the ice here. 524 00:54:04,560 --> 00:54:07,640 So who knows, it's a bit of an adventure. 525 00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:11,280 Old-fashioned tools still work best. 526 00:54:11,280 --> 00:54:13,480 First, a hand chisel to create an opening, 527 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:16,160 then a saw to widen the hole. 528 00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:20,200 Ice-diving in the coldest waters on the planet 529 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:22,440 should be taken extremely seriously. 530 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:28,560 This dive's going to be a lot of things and warm is not on that list. 531 00:54:28,560 --> 00:54:32,960 Insulated suits will keep them alive under the ice for only 60 minutes. 532 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:38,040 Once the helicopter departs, there's no margin for error. 533 00:54:41,680 --> 00:54:46,000 The dive team begin to explore the lower slopes of Erebus, 534 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:49,240 discovering a hidden world rarely seen by humans. 535 00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:55,520 Patrolling the icy shores of the volcano are killer whales, 536 00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,640 the most southerly in the world. 537 00:54:59,200 --> 00:55:02,600 Tracking them from above is the orca team. 538 00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:07,720 They need a helicopter to get ahead of the whales 539 00:55:07,720 --> 00:55:10,280 and to land them on the fragile sea ice. 540 00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:16,040 Cameraman Jamie McPherson must pick his spot carefully. 541 00:55:16,040 --> 00:55:18,320 His aim is to get the cameras 542 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:22,760 as close to the killer whales as possible without disturbing them. 543 00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:28,760 He uses a film camera to capture the action in slow motion. 544 00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:39,000 And the orcas come right by him. 545 00:55:41,240 --> 00:55:42,960 Even in the extreme cold, 546 00:55:42,960 --> 00:55:46,320 a film camera proves to be rugged and reliable... 547 00:55:46,320 --> 00:55:49,760 provided there's enough film in the camera. 548 00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:53,600 End of the run. No! 549 00:55:56,600 --> 00:55:59,520 I've got him coming out, I just didn't get him going back in. 550 00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:03,000 All right! 551 00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:12,560 Below the sea ice, the dive team is setting up an underwater studio. 552 00:56:12,560 --> 00:56:15,800 Using a range of waterproof lights and time-lapse cameras, 553 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:20,560 they hope to capture the growth of bizarre underwater ice formations. 554 00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:30,240 Over the coming weeks, 555 00:56:30,240 --> 00:56:33,040 the dive team would go below the ice over 100 times 556 00:56:33,040 --> 00:56:35,280 to film the extraordinary secret world 557 00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:37,560 on the lower flanks of Mount Erebus. 558 00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:43,440 On top of the ice, the orca team has repositioned. 559 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:46,760 Their new goal is to get underwater shots of the whales. 560 00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:49,920 They don't dare to get IN the water with orcas. 561 00:56:49,920 --> 00:56:52,440 Attaching a camera to a pole is a safer option, 562 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:55,920 provided the whales aren't put off by it. 563 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:05,360 No-one is prepared for what happens next. 564 00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:07,560 Tell her what you just saw. 565 00:57:08,960 --> 00:57:10,840 HE LAUGHS 566 00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:13,200 The entire pod arrives. 567 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:34,160 Eyeball to eyeball, 568 00:57:34,160 --> 00:57:39,480 this is about as close to killer whales as it's possible to get. 569 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:42,760 By using multiple crews and cameras, the Frozen Planet team 570 00:57:42,760 --> 00:57:46,200 have been able to capture the full Erebus story, from the fire 571 00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:50,240 at its crater down to the whales that patrol its frozen shores. 572 00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:56,160 It's quite a privilege to feel whale breath on your face. 573 00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:14,800 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 574 00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:17,640 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk