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Summer in the polar regions,
and the sun never sets.

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Imagine a single day
that lasts for months.

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Some polar animals
will face great challenges

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as their ice world
vanishes around them.

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Others must use
this special time wisely,

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for summer's riches will not last.

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The summer is just beginning

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and the increasing power of the sun

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is creating
a spectacular new landscape.

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This melting ice sheet
in the Arctic is 150 miles long,

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with 1,000 waterfalls.

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Vast expanses of ice

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that were once stone still,
have come to life.

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The polar bear's world
is melting away

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under the constant summer sun.

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As the season advances, the frozen
surface of the ocean disintegrates.

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Soon, the ice here
will have totally vanished.

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The polar bear family have to adapt
to their rapidly-changing home.

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For the two cubs,
this is a whole new watery world.

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It's the first time
they have seen the sea ice break up.

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They're only six months old

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and will be dependent on their
mother for another two years.

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They have much to learn.

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Their first swimming lesson,

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and they're not sure
that they want it.

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For their mother,
swimming is second nature.

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But the cubs still prefer
to have ice beneath their feet

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whenever they can.

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Soon, it will be impossible
to avoid the water.

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This lone male has lived through
a dozen summers

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and is perfectly at home
in the sea.

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He can swim up to 50 miles a day.

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He's hungry, and he's searching
this ice maze for seals.

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But travelling across
this increasingly fragile ice scape

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is hard work for an animal
weighing over half a tonne.

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It's also harder to hunt
when you have to swim.

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In open water,
the odds are in the seals' favour.

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Lean months lie ahead
for the polar bears.

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They will have to adopt
new hunting strategies,

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or risk starvation.

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The northern part of the Earth
is now tilting towards the sun,

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and all around the Arctic,
the sea ice continues its retreat.

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The last remnants of the ice world

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drift with the wind and the tides.

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The sun's heat may be gentle
at these latitudes,

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but it is continuous
for 24 hours a day,

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and it carves the ice
into magical shapes.

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Those that need ice have to visit
the glacier fronts to find it.

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A comfortable bed
is hard to come by.

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A polar bear's fur is so dense

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that water is easily shaken off.

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And ice absorbs water like a towel.

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That's better.

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There's now little chance
of catching seals,

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and this bear may not eat again
until the end of summer.

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It's better to save energy
and doze in the sun.

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The warmth of the sun's rays

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is now bringing the Arctic lands
back to life.

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FAINT BIRDSONG

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TWITTERING

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BIRDSONG

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Red phalaropes.

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They've flown
all the way from the tropics

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to feed in these rich
Arctic waters.

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They stir up the tiny creatures

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that are now flourishing here
with a special spinning dance.

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All excellent fuel as they hurry
to rear the next generation.

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The Arctic terns have made an even
longer journey to breed here.

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They have flown 11,000 miles
from the Antarctic.

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Their newly-hatched chicks
will need to grow fast

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if they're to accompany
their parents

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when they return south
in only six weeks' time.

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An eider duck has chosen to nest
in the centre of the tern colony.

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Hardly a tranquil place
to raise your young.

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But the noisy neighbours
have a feisty attitude to life,

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and that can be very valuable.

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SQUAWKING

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A hungry bear looking for a meal

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can destroy hundreds of nests

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in a single raid.

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Defensive squadrons of terns

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take off immediately.

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Sharp beaks stab down from above.

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The bear has nothing in his armoury
that can cope with this.

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The terns have drawn blood
from his muzzle.

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He leaves in search

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of an easier meal.

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The eiders survive, thanks
to their choice of neighbours.

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And the ducklings begin
their sprint to maturity.

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Fishing continues around the clock

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as the terns race
to rear their young

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before the return of the freeze.

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So the rich waters of summer fuel
the breeding of all these visitors

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and enable them to build up
the reserves they will need

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for the long return journey south.

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Inland, the winter snows have gone,

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revealing a vast
treeless wilderness.

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The male snowy owl
is finding plenty of lemmings

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to bring to his mate.

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But they're not just for her.

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She is brooding their rather
scruffy young.

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She tears the meal
into beak-sized chunks

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that the owlets can swallow whole.

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Each of them
can eat two lemmings a day.

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00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,800
The male has no time to rest.

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Over the course of the summer,
he will have to provide his family

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with over 1,000 lemmings.

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The hungry owlets keep the adults
working around the clock.

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The Arctic summer may be short,
but the days are long.

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Everyone must take advantage
of the 24-hour daylight.

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None more so than the owls' tiny
neighbours, the Lapland buntings.

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SQUAWKING

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Both parents feed their
growing family continuously.

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A mere ten days after hatching,

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and they will all have left
in record time.

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The last needs
a little encouragement.

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The owlets have also left
their nest

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and turned into football-sized
balls of fluff.

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But they still depend on their
parents for food and protection.

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A skua.

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Their mother's talons
are her best weapons.

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The owlets are dangerously exposed
out on the tundra,

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so they must hurry to change
from balls of fluff

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to fully-feathered adults.

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And to do that,
they need...more lemmings.

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A lemming doesn't last long
these days.

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Times are harder for the wolves
here in the high Arctic.

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The cubs are now six weeks old
and increasingly hungry.

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The adults have to struggle
to feed their growing family.

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Somewhere on this vast expanse
of tundra,

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there must be larger prey.

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Musk oxen are on the move.

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They're heading into the valleys,

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where the brief summer rains
will produce fresh grazing.

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This is an opportunity
that must be seized,

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even if it means
travelling 80 miles in a day.

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Their task is a formidable one.

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Musk oxen are immensely powerful

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and their sharp horns can kill.

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A heavily-armoured bull
would be an unwise choice.

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Even two wolves would find it
a struggle to bring it down.

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A calf.

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Much easier.

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The two wolves work together

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to split the herd
and isolate their victim.

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It seems that the wolf cubs
will at last eat well.

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But the herd regroups.

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The cavalry ride to the rescue.

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The whole herd encircles the calf
with a protective wall of horns.

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For the musk oxen,
it's all for one and one for all.

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00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,720
For the wolves, another attack

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would be not only futile,
but dangerous.

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They have spent a lot of energy

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and have nothing whatever
to show for it.

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00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:37,280
FORLORN HOWL

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Their failure will be felt
most keenly back at the den.

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HOWLING

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They have nothing
to take back to the family.

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HOWLING

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The pack are forced to move on
in search of better hunting.

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They must find something soon

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in this vast wilderness

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to feed their growing family.

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The brief Arctic summer
is almost over.

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FAINT SQUAWKING

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At the southern end of the planet,

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the long summer days
transform life,

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just as they do in the north,
but the cast here is very different.

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King penguins.

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A parent, returning with food,
must recognise its chick's call

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amongst a chorus of 400,000 birds.

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Huge colonies like this one

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are found all along
the north coast of South Georgia.

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King penguins are active
throughout the long summer days,

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so they have to deal with
an uncharacteristic polar problem.

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By midday,
the temperature can reach

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a sizzling 17 degrees centigrade.

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Any effort can
lead to overheating.

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It's best not to overexert oneself.

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The heavily-insulated penguins
stretch out

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so their naked feet
can cool in the breeze.

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Their gigantic neighbours
use a different approach.

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00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:14,840
Wet sand cools the backs
of these elephant seals,

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and also acts as a sunscreen.

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The chicks, in their downy coats
that have kept them warm all winter,

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are in even greater danger
of overheating.

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It will be two months
before they can swim properly,

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but a dip in a shallow river
brings a little relief.

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00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:19,200
There is, however,
another way to cool the blood.

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00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,360
This murky pool
has become a penguin spa.

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00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,760
It's a great way to cool the feet,

192
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,920
but there is no reason
to stop there.

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00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,960
You can indulge yourself
with the full treatment.

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00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,040
Mud, glorious mud!

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00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:17,360
For the fully-feathered adults,

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00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:20,720
there's a cleaner,
more invigorating option.

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00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:28,680
The bracing waters
of the Southern Ocean.

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00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,520
The 100-mile-long island
of South Georgia

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lies on the northern fringe
of Antarctica.

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00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,360
Ice-free all year,
its rich coastal waters

201
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,480
make it a popular breeding
destination for all beach lovers.

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00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,600
In summer,
95% of the world's population

203
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,840
of Antarctic fur seals come here.

204
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,480
Packed tightly together, they form

205
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,720
one of the densest gatherings
of marine mammals on Earth.

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00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,640
The island's beaches
are filling fast

207
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,400
and will soon be crammed with five
million of these summer visitors.

208
00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,400
Space is at a premium, as every
female needs a dry patch of sand

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00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,240
the size of a beach towel
for herself.

210
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,960
And for good reason.

211
00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,560
Virtually all of them give birth
within just ten days.

212
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,560
It's crucial to establish
a strong bond with your baby

213
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,400
in such a crowded colony.

214
00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:31,800
The pups grow quickly
on rich, high-fat milk.

215
00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,160
After giving birth,
the females are ready to mate,

216
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,520
so each male guards
up to 15 of them

217
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,560
in his small patch of beach.

218
00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:55,240
'A bull may only hold a territory
for one season in his entire life.

219
00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,600
So when a challenger arrives, he
will risk everything to retain it.

220
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,720
Their sharp teeth
inflict terrible injuries.

221
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,600
Many bulls die from exhaustion
after these fights.

222
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:06,920
In the heat of the battle,
the pups are also in real danger.

223
00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,040
The defeated bull makes his escape,

224
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:30,520
but the colony still suffers
from the side-effects of the battle.

225
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:43,520
Many of the pups get lost
in the violence and confusion.

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00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,320
FORLORN BARKING

227
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,320
This time, there is a happy ending.

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00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:34,120
As summer progresses,

229
00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,720
even more of the Southern Ocean
is gradually opening up.

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00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,720
The summer melt, as it moves south,

231
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,120
arrives first
at the Antarctic Peninsula,

232
00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,280
the most northern tip
of the continent.

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00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,880
As the ice retreats,
a dramatic 500-mile-long coastline

234
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:06,240
is revealed for the first time
in seven months.

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00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:15,960
This new seascape is home

236
00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:19,600
to one of the most numerous mammals
on the planet.

237
00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:23,600
Crabeater seals.

238
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,720
Over 15 million live here,
amongst the drifting ice floes.

239
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:42,520
They owe their existence here
to living organisms so small,

240
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,160
you might hardly notice them.

241
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:51,880
The underside of the sea ice
is stained by algae.

242
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,360
These microscopic plants

243
00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,440
support the most important
Antarctic creatures of all.

244
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:03,480
Krill.

245
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:07,800
They have been grazing on the
algal layer throughout the winter.

246
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,240
As the ice melts, more of the algae
are released into the water.

247
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:20,840
Both algae and krill
flourish in the summer sun.

248
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:31,160
The krill collect the algae
in the sieve-like basket

249
00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,760
formed by the interlocking hairs
between their front legs.

250
00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:49,040
There are 300-million tonnes
of krill in the Southern Ocean,

251
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,200
with a greater combined weight

252
00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,040
than that of any other animal
on the planet.

253
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:03,360
Almost all the animals
of the Antarctic depend on krill,

254
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,840
including its giants.

255
00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:10,000
Humpback whales.

256
00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,440
They drive the krill to the surface

257
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,240
and then strain it from the water

258
00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:28,560
with the baleen sieves
in their mouths.

259
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,080
Humpbacks often feed in teams,

260
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,680
so the overspill
from one huge mouth

261
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,360
can be collected by another
just behind.

262
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,560
The abundance of krill
attracts other visitors

263
00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,800
to the peninsula in the summer.

264
00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,080
Antarctic minke whales.

265
00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,920
Their pointed heads
and short dorsal fins

266
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,520
give them speed and endurance.

267
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,880
And they need both.

268
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:04,880
There are other whales here, too.

269
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:08,720
Killers.

270
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,720
This is an extended family
of mothers and their young.

271
00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,680
And a male with a huge dorsal fin

272
00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:27,120
almost two metres high.

273
00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:40,600
A lone minke whale.

274
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:50,000
It's just what this group
of killer whales are looking for.

275
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,880
Working as a team,
as they have done for decades,

276
00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:00,640
they fan out across the strait
in search of their quarry.

277
00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,080
And they've found it!

278
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:17,600
The minke races away,
pursued by outriders on each flank.

279
00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:48,840
Terrified,
the minke heads for the shore.

280
00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:54,960
It's so desperate to escape,
it almost beaches itself.

281
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,720
It makes a desperate
break for freedom.

282
00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:19,960
Two hours and 20 miles later,

283
00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:23,280
the minke is still alive
and swimming strongly.

284
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:29,080
Its only real defence
is its endurance.

285
00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,040
But the killers work as a team,

286
00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:34,520
with fresh ones replacing
the outriders in relays.

287
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:51,800
And as the minke tires,
the battering and the biting begins.

288
00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,880
Seabirds are attracted
by the smell of fresh blood

289
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:10,720
rising from the water.

290
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,880
The killers try to flip
the minke over.

291
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:36,320
If they can manage to keep its
blowhole underwater, it will drown.

292
00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:45,920
One forces the minke's whole body
down below the surface.

293
00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:03,920
And then, the final strike.

294
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,320
The team drag the minke under
for the last time.

295
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,880
And the hunters, finally, can feed.

296
00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:33,840
As the summer advances,

297
00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:37,120
the most southerly stretches
of the Antarctic Ocean

298
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,200
are released from the ice.

299
00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,200
Adelie penguins have been
feeding in the open ocean.

300
00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,000
The most southerly of all penguins,

301
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,320
they're returning
to the Antarctic continent

302
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:12,040
with stomachs full of krill.

303
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:09,240
The sea ice has finally retreated
all the way back to the beach,

304
00:44:09,240 --> 00:44:14,000
so the walk back to the colony
is as short as it will ever be.

305
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,840
Crucial for
the half-million penguins here

306
00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:21,040
who are hurrying to raise their
chicks before the freeze returns.

307
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,080
Most of the pairs
have two chicks to care for.

308
00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,160
Each chick requires
nearly 30 kilograms of food

309
00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:36,080
before it's fully grown.

310
00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:42,640
Most of their catch is krill,

311
00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:44,800
and Adelie penguins
consume a staggering

312
00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:48,440
1.5 million tonnes of it a year.

313
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:00,240
'There are no land-based
predators in Antarctica.

314
00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:06,760
The threat here
comes from the skies.

315
00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:18,840
A South polar skua.

316
00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:42,080
An unguarded chick
is an easy catch.

317
00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:12,760
Nothing can save the chick now.

318
00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:35,400
But now the parents can focus
all their attention on the second.

319
00:46:56,040 --> 00:47:00,560
Only half of these chicks
will survive to adulthood.

320
00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:03,280
But there are thousands more
parents with young

321
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:05,160
in this huge colony.

322
00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:12,480
Parents that cannot rest, for
their young must be fit and strong

323
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:16,360
if they're to survive the dangers
that autumn will bring.

324
00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:44,760
Next time - Autumn.

325
00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:47,680
And the sun starts to set
on the frozen planet.

326
00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:54,400
The race is on to finish breeding
before the big freeze.

327
00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,480
In summer, the frozen oceans melt

328
00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:25,440
and the polar animals disperse
to feed amongst the broken ice.

329
00:48:27,680 --> 00:48:30,960
So, even finding them
in this vast expanse of sea

330
00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:33,720
and drifting ice floes
wouldn't be easy.

331
00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:43,520
In the Arctic, the aim was to get
close to a polar bear family

332
00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:46,080
and film them
in this fast-melting world.

333
00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:55,680
Firstly, the team had to use

334
00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:59,240
a ship capable of breaking through
the pack ice

335
00:48:59,240 --> 00:49:03,160
around the 2,000-mile-long
coastline of Svalbard.

336
00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:10,120
Producer Miles Barton
and cameraman Ted Giffords

337
00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:14,760
are checking out fjords
known to be frequented by bears.

338
00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:19,240
We've just seen a bear walking around
in front of a glacier over there.

339
00:49:19,240 --> 00:49:22,280
We've just arrived, so this is
a test, more than anything,

340
00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:25,480
but we're going to go and see
if we can film it.

341
00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:28,720
We're seeing how smoothly
we can make this operation work.

342
00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:39,880
"Stay on Channel Six. Can you give
me directions to the bear, please?"

343
00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:45,280
The plan is that the team's
stabilised aerial camera,

344
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:47,440
now fitted to the speedboat,

345
00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:51,480
will give perfectly stable shots
of the bear swimming.

346
00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:55,200
If we spin this around, we'll lose
it. The fellow's over here, yeah?

347
00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:58,640
Oh, yeah, got him! I can't get
any tighter. You shoot it?

348
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:03,960
Whey!

349
00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:09,640
That's nice. Nice sparkle,
nice liquid look.

350
00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:12,240
Let's let him go. OK. Cut.

351
00:50:15,160 --> 00:50:20,160
After their initial success, the
weather takes a turn for the worse.

352
00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:27,480
For five days,
there are no more polar bears.

353
00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,760
The captain decides to take a break

354
00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:36,840
and parks up in the pack ice.

355
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:43,560
After all that fruitless searching
by the crew, a bear visits them.

356
00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:51,640
A large and inquisitive
adult male.

357
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:00,720
So the team decides to follow him.

358
00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:06,400
The open water
between boat and bear

359
00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:08,720
means the crew can safely film

360
00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:12,760
from surprisingly close range
without disturbing him.

361
00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:15,120
That's nice. Oop!

362
00:51:18,880 --> 00:51:21,120
The bear is so relaxed,

363
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:24,040
he even begins to hunt
right alongside them.

364
00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:27,520
He's looking for a seal inside.

365
00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:29,760
But he's just completely ignoring us.

366
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:32,680
Just hold it there.
Just hold it there for a minute.

367
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:35,760
He's going to climb up. OK. Ready?

368
00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:40,800
Ha-ha! That's a big bear!

369
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:47,520
That's pretty good, pretty good.

370
00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:51,360
The closest we've been
to a polar bear so far.

371
00:51:53,440 --> 00:51:56,240
Despite this remarkably
close encounter,

372
00:51:56,240 --> 00:52:00,600
the team still wants to film
a family of bears.

373
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:05,000
"There's these females and two cubs
to the starboard side.

374
00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:08,000
"She's at two..."
There's good news on the radio.

375
00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:12,720
Oh, there's a cub.
Yeah, I've seen the cubs.

376
00:52:12,720 --> 00:52:15,440
They're looking straight at us.
Look at that.

377
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:17,160
That's amazing!

378
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,360
As the mother looks
distinctly hungry,

379
00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:24,040
they will need to keep
at least 15 feet of open water

380
00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:26,320
between her and the boat.

381
00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:28,960
Having a good look at us.

382
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:32,400
Oh, look at them! Look at the cubs!
Yeah. Ha-ha!

383
00:52:38,560 --> 00:52:40,400
Jason, just go when you need to.

384
00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:46,000
Oop, here she comes. Bloody hell!

385
00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:51,040
Mother bears are always desperate
for food for their cubs,

386
00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:54,480
so the crew could be
the perfect supper.

387
00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,800
She's getting in. Oh, my God, she's
going to come in the water there.

388
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,840
The 15-foot gap was just enough.

389
00:53:01,840 --> 00:53:03,480
God, that was amazing!

390
00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:12,640
We have to go. OK.

391
00:53:14,240 --> 00:53:17,400
Do you want to get close up
to the cubs? Still rolling.

392
00:53:17,400 --> 00:53:20,320
Yeah, that's cute.
She's going in the water. OK.

393
00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:23,400
And then I'm going to stay
with the cubs.

394
00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:26,000
With the cubs for a nice splash.

395
00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:33,080
Go on, cubs. Yeah! Hey!

396
00:53:33,080 --> 00:53:35,200
Well done! Well done!

397
00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:36,600
Great stuff!

398
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:41,120
She looked like
she wanted to get in the boat.

399
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:47,040
Sometimes, it's quite shocking
to actually look up from the monitor

400
00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:49,360
and realise they're about 15 feet
away from you.

401
00:53:49,360 --> 00:53:51,400
But, um, a lovely family group.

402
00:53:55,320 --> 00:53:57,200
The boat-based camera has helped

403
00:53:57,200 --> 00:54:00,040
to get remarkably close shots
of the bear family,

404
00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:02,960
but how would it cope
in the more extreme conditions

405
00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:04,200
of the Southern Ocean?

406
00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:17,520
Another Frozen Planet team
headed south.

407
00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:21,640
The plan is to use the same camera
system to film the hunting strategy

408
00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:26,360
of the most spectacular
marine predators in Antarctica.

409
00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:29,000
Killer whales.

410
00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:34,880
The team enlisted the help
of scientists Bob Pitman

411
00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:36,600
and John Durban.

412
00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:38,800
They had put satellite tags
on the whales,

413
00:54:38,800 --> 00:54:42,800
and so could locate them
for the camera team.

414
00:54:44,440 --> 00:54:48,320
Doug Allan operates the camera rig
from the wheelhouse,

415
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:52,000
while Doug Anderson
films from the deck.'

416
00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:53,960
Yeah, there. See it?

417
00:54:53,960 --> 00:54:56,400
It just surfaced right with them.

418
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:59,000
OK, there's a killer whale at 11:00,

419
00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,200
about 200 metres heading towards
those two seals on the floe.

420
00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:04,120
Good. This could be really good.

421
00:55:05,960 --> 00:55:09,040
At last, having tracked the group
for several days,

422
00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:12,040
the whales look as if
they are about to hunt.

423
00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:14,080
Yeah, they're going to go in for it.

424
00:55:17,720 --> 00:55:19,280
There it goes.

425
00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:26,080
Four whales there.
Um, two adult females,

426
00:55:26,080 --> 00:55:28,720
a juvenile and a big adult male.

427
00:55:28,720 --> 00:55:31,560
Swimming in formation,
the killers create a wave

428
00:55:31,560 --> 00:55:34,720
to wash the seal off the floe.

429
00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:36,880
It's all pretty intense.

430
00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:38,480
Oh. There's another wave.

431
00:55:38,480 --> 00:55:41,520
Yes. Wave! Wow!

432
00:55:43,120 --> 00:55:45,120
Yeah, he's in the water.

433
00:55:45,120 --> 00:55:47,760
Having successfully filmed
several hunts

434
00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:49,800
with the boat-based cameras
from above,

435
00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:53,080
the team are keen to see
what's happening underwater.

436
00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,360
Only one way to find out.

437
00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:03,560
Time to launch the dinghy.

438
00:56:11,720 --> 00:56:14,040
Doug Anderson approaches the seal
and the killers

439
00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:17,240
with an underwater camera
mounted on a pole.

440
00:56:26,000 --> 00:56:28,640
For the first time,
the team can see

441
00:56:28,640 --> 00:56:33,280
how the whales create
the killer wave. There it is.

442
00:56:36,280 --> 00:56:38,400
The underwater camera also reveals

443
00:56:38,400 --> 00:56:42,120
surprisingly cautious behaviour
by the whales.

444
00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:46,320
They seem wary of being bitten
by the much smaller seal.

445
00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:51,280
And they even blow bubbles
to confuse it.

446
00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,280
They're so cautious with the seals.

447
00:56:54,280 --> 00:56:57,560
At the end of the day, the seal's
got a big mouth full of teeth,

448
00:56:57,560 --> 00:56:59,560
and these whales
just don't take risks.

449
00:57:08,840 --> 00:57:10,720
Having dealt with the seal,

450
00:57:10,720 --> 00:57:13,680
the whales turn their attention
to the dinghy.

451
00:57:13,680 --> 00:57:16,960
First, they get right up close

452
00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:19,200
for a better look at Doug.

453
00:57:26,120 --> 00:57:28,960
Then they line up to create
the kind of wave

454
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:30,920
that washed the seal off the floe.

455
00:57:30,920 --> 00:57:33,040
Oooh!

456
00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:37,720
For a moment, the crew
get an uncomfortably close

457
00:57:37,720 --> 00:57:41,520
seal's eye view of this remarkable
hunting strategy.

458
00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:51,520
Look! See that?
The juvies are making waves.

459
00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:57,080
It's a great feeling being there.
Being so close to the behaviour,

460
00:57:57,080 --> 00:57:59,240
having the water
coming into the boat.

461
00:57:59,240 --> 00:58:01,240
From our point of view, you know,

462
00:58:01,240 --> 00:58:05,120
it's all about trying to get the
feeling of being with these whales.

463
00:58:05,120 --> 00:58:08,960
With these whales, there's no bother
with that. They're so confident.

464
00:58:08,960 --> 00:58:11,640
They just want to be all around you
and checking you out.

465
00:58:11,640 --> 00:58:16,040
I can't imagine I'll have another
experience like this in my career.

466
00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:18,520
You know, these come along rarely.

467
00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:22,800
And you just feel happy and lucky
when...when they do come.

468
00:58:22,800 --> 00:58:25,280
You just don't get better
days than that.

469
00:58:32,760 --> 00:58:34,760
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470
00:58:34,760 --> 00:58:36,800
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