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Over one third of our planet
is frozen,

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and yet, the icy worlds
of the Arctic and Antarctic

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are as alien to most of us
as the surface

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of another planet.

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They are places of superlatives.

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From ice caps that hold nearly 80%
of our planet's fresh water

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to frozen forests
that encircle the entire globe.

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These are places
that feed our imaginations,

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places that seem to be borrowed
from fairy tales.

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They're dominated and shaped
by the ice...

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..both by its coming
and by its going.

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This is our planet's
last true wilderness

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and one that is changing just as
we're beginning to understand it.

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In this series, we'll be travelling
to all parts of these lonely lands,

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both north and south,

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to witness its wonders
perhaps for the last time

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and to discover
some extraordinary examples

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of survival against all the odds,

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as can be found anywhere
on the planet.

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The poles are permanently
capped with ice.

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Nowhere is colder,
windier or more hostile to life.

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I'm standing at the North Pole -
the very top of the Earth.

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Up here, it's easy to see
why the polar regions are so cold.

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The sun never rises high enough
in the sky to warm my back

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and those rays
that do strike the surface

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are mostly reflected back
from this great whiteness.

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But the fundamental problem is that
there's no sun here at all

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for half the year.

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The polar winter is unrivalled
in its harshness.

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A night that lasts for months.

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Only the toughest stay,

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as temperatures plunge
to minus 70 degrees centigrade.

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And yet, the greatest challenge
to life here is not the cold,

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but the extreme swings
between the seasons.

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When the sun finally returns,

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an extraordinary
transformation begins.

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This frozen world
begins to melt away.

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The polar spring brings
a brief opportunity for life.

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By summer, the sun no longer sets

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and works its magic
for 24 hours a day.

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Now it's a race to breed
before the sun departs.

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By autumn, all but the hardiest
abandon the poles

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and the ice extends its grip.

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Land and sea close down
for the long, polar winter,

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until, once again, the sun returns.

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It's spring in the High Arctic

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and the sun illuminates
a giant frozen ocean,

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the first stop on our journey.

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The most powerful land predator
is on the prowl.

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A male polar bear
is searching for a mate.

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Willing females
are few and far between

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and the sea ice on which he travels
will soon melt and vanish.

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He's running out of time to find
a mate in this vast, frozen desert.

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Ten miles ahead,
a single female without cubs -

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exactly what the male is seeking.

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He seems to relish her scent,
even though she's miles away.

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This is an exciting prospect.

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She's clearly giving off
the right signals.

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He locks onto her tracks,
eager not to lose her trail.

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It's easier to tread in
the compacted snow of her footprints.

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This pursuit could last for days.

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The female eventually
comes into view.

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The search is finally over.

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For the female, only half his weight,

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this must be
a nerve-racking encounter.

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The male could kill her
if he chooses.

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But he has other intentions...

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..and she is ready and willing.

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She leads him to higher ground.

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It seems that courting polar bears
prefer privacy,

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often leaving the sea ice
and heading for the hills

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to avoid the prying eyes

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of rival males
who might disturb them.

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Few have witnessed this moment.

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For the male,

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his only tender encounter
in an otherwise solitary life.

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But it doesn't last long -

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a rival suitor has also
caught the female's scent.

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Courtship has to be put on hold.
He must fight for his rights.

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THEY ROAR

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He sees off this first challenger
without injury to either party,

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but bloodier battles are to come.

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THEY ROAR

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Another battle won,
though he has been slightly injured.

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He hurries back to his mate,

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but now she seems to have
lost her enthusiasm.

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Female polar bears
are high-maintenance.

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Wherever she goes, he will follow,
mating with her when she allows

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and guarding her at all times.

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Over the next two weeks,
the male sees off many rivals

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but the battles
take their toll on him.

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He is almost spent,

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but he has ensured that no other
bears have mated with his female.

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It's time for the couple

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to go their separate ways.

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She will give birth to his cubs,
alone, in nine months' time

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and he may never see her again.

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He returns to the frozen ocean,

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no doubt relieved
to resume his solitary ways,

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and just in time.

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The ice beneath his feet
will soon be gone.

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Each spring,
the Arctic Ocean undergoes

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an extraordinary transformation.

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An area of sea ice
the size of Europe melts,

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exposing the rich waters beneath.

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Short-tailed shearwaters
have travelled 10,000 miles

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from Australia to be here.

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18 million visitors darken the skies,

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the largest gathering of sea birds
on the planet.

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Humpback whales have come
all the way from the Equator

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to feed in these rich, polar waters.

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Their giant tails
are five metres across.

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Simply raising them above the surface

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gives the whales
enough downward momentum

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to reach the great swarms
of krill and herring below.

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The shearwaters follow
the giants' lead.

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For those who can get here,
in summer,

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these waters provide a feast
of epic proportions.

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But the good times
will be very short -

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a problem that faces all life
in the polar regions.

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Journeying south
across the Arctic Ocean,

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the first land you reach
is Greenland,

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the largest island in the world.

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Despite its name,
Greenland is mostly white,

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covered by a giant ice sheet

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six times the size
of the United Kingdom.

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In the middle of the island,
the ice is nearly two miles thick.

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It's a bleak, quiet world.

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Sapphire-blue melt lakes

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are the first sign that
a dynamic process is underway.

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Each lake forms in a matter of days,
expanding until it's miles across

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and starts to overflow.

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The spill water then carves its way
through the ice.

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The water courses through
an icy delta

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like blood along the arteries
of a cold-blooded monster,

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a monster that is stirring.

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And without warning, the water
suddenly plunges down an open shaft,

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falling a vertical mile
into the heart of the ice sheet.

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This meltwater has
a surprising effect -

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it lubricates the junction

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between the ice
and the rock floor beneath,

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so the entire ice sheet
is now on the move,

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sliding downhill into the ocean.

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This, Jakobshavn Isbrae,

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is the fastest-flowing glacier
on our planet,

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moving as much as 40 metres a day.

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As it advances,
it destroys everything in its path,

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even cutting its way through
Greenland's great mountain ranges

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on its drive downwards
towards the sea.

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When speeded up,

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these solid rivers of ice seem
to flow just like liquid rivers.

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This is the titanic force

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that cuts down mountains and levels
the surface of continents.

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The ice is now entering
the last stage of its descent.

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As it gains speed,

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huge crevasses open that
extend down to its very core.

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It's reached the ocean,

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and millions of tonnes of ice have
lost the support of their rocky bed.

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Something must give.

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CREAKING

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These icefalls are an ominous sign
of what is about to happen...

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..a rupture deep within the glacier.

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A colossal iceberg is born.

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This single block of ice,

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many hundreds of metres across,

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would dwarf the biggest
of mankind's buildings.

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Every year,

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tens of thousands of icebergs
are spawned by Greenland's glaciers,

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and their number
is steadily increasing

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as the climate continues to warm.

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The break-up of the bergs
fills the bays of the Arctic

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with exquisite ice sculptures.

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It also releases great volumes
of cold, fresh water into the sea.

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Greenland's meltwater influences
the course of the ocean currents,

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which, in turn, has an effect
on the weather around the world.

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The Arctic is closer to home
than many of us realise.

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It includes the northernmost parts
of the three continents

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on which most of us live -
Europe, Asia and North America.

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The first bare land we reach
on our journey south

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is a bleak treeless wilderness
known as tundra.

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Each spring,
animals travel up from the south,

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to be ready for the rich grazing

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that will be unveiled
by the spring melt.

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For the caribou,

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the timing is critical.

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Arrive early and a winter storm
could kill you.

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Delay too long and you may fail
to lay down the fat

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needed to survive a polar winter.

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Further south still,

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and stooped, shrouded figures
end the flat monotony of the tundra.

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This is the tree line,
the first place on our journey

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with sufficient warmth
and liquid water

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to enable a tree to grow.

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Surviving here
is so crushingly difficult,

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that it can take hundreds of years
for a seedling

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to grow into a stunted shrub.

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But even small trees

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can provide cover for a predator.

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Wolves. These, in northern Canada,

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are the largest and most powerful
in the world

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and they are setting out to hunt.

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The pack is 25 strong,

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a sign that the prey
they are seeking is formidable.

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These bison are even bigger
than their southern cousins

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and the largest land animals
in North America.

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00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:17,240
For generations,
wolves and bison here

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have been shaped by their battles
with each other,

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making each the most impressive
of its kind.

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The bison will not stay long
among the trees.

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They're not safe here.

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The wolves are closing in,

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00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,280
but their chance of ambushing
the bison in the woods has passed.

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00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,280
Their prey are now in the open
and grouped together for safety.

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00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,000
The wolves will need
to work as a team

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00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,840
if they are to make a kill.

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They circle the herd,
trying to unsettle it

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00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:01,800
and split it up.

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00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,240
But the bison are armed
and dangerous.

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00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,880
They will be safe as long as
they stick together.

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The wolves up their game,
harrying the herd,

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00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,440
a ploy to trigger a stampede

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00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,640
and split away
one of the smaller ones.

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00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,120
The bison form a defensive circle
around their young,

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horns pointing outwards.

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The wolves need a bison
to break rank.

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00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,480
But the tables are turning
and now the wolves have to retreat.

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The pack focus their attention
on the rear of the herd

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and the bison begin to panic.

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A young bison falls behind.

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Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves.

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Running head-down,
the herd's only thought is escape.

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A stroke of luck for the wolves.

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The kill will feed the pack
for several days.

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00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,240
But then they will have
to resume the chase.

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00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:22,720
At the frozen ends of our planet,

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the struggle for survival
never eases.

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South of the tree line,
the winters are shorter,

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so trees grow faster and taller
and forests begin to appear.

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00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:52,000
As the warm, humid air from the south
meets the cold, arctic air,

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the moisture it carries crystallises
and snowflakes fall from the sky.

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Each crystal forms around
a particle of dust.

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All have a six-fold symmetry

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but no two have ever been found
with exactly the same shape.

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Their variety and complexity
is breathtaking.

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Each snowflake is water waiting
to be released in spring.

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00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:39,360
For this reason,

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snow is the lifeblood
of these silent forests

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00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,720
and all that live here depend on it
in one way or another.

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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