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The end of the Arctic summer, and
the sun hasn't set for three months.

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It's hard to imagine
the bitter cold will soon return.

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00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,480
Some will welcome
the chills of autumn, but for most,

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time is running out before they
will have to retreat to the south.

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Early autumn in the Canadian Arctic,

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and polar bears are gathering
on the coastal strip,

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waiting for the sea to freeze.

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But a life spent
alone on the sea ice

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is no preparation
for a crowded beach.

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Such close contact with other
bears must be stressful.

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Surely tempers will flare.

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Over half a tonne of bear
slams into the other.

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Polar bears will fight
to the death over mates,

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but not in autumn.

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Now these fearsome predators display

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a surprisingly tolerant side
to their natures.

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Being marooned on land means
the bears no longer have access

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to the seals they usually hunt

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and they have to
scrape by on whatever they can find.

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Like bears the world over,
they're not choosy feeders.

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They even turn vegetarian,

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delicately picking out
berries from between the thorns.

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There are plenty to go around

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so there's no need
to squabble over them.

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Any fighting is just for fun.

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The bears select sparring partners
who are well-matched

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and they always pull their punches,

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no-one wants to get hurt
in a play-fight.

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Perhaps these bouts are a way
of testing rivals

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in case they ever meet again
out on the sea ice.

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One thing's for sure,
the famous loners

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are revealing a social,
playful side we rarely see.

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It's all just boisterous fun
but with so many big males around,

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the females keep their cubs
at a safe distance.

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The wary mother will lead her
young to a quieter beach

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along the coast while
she waits for the ocean to freeze.

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The sea ice is
now at its minimum extent.

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In the Canadian Arctic,
vast stretches of coastline

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are now unlocked
and ready to receive visitors.

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Belugas -
the white whales of the North.

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They're relying on open water
to reach an ancient rendezvous.

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It's a journey they make every
year along traditional routes.

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Baby belugas ride piggy-back, pulled
along by their mother's slip stream.

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This one is only a month old,

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and won't turn
white for another five years.

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Thousands of belugas are being
drawn to one special estuary

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in the Canadian Arctic.

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It isn't food that brings them here.

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Curiously, it's personal hygiene.

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When the tide is low
they swim into the shallows

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and flail around with great
enthusiasm.

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They're after a body scrub.

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The gravel acts as a loofah

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and thrashing their bodies across it

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helps to get rid of their old skin.

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Presumably the treatment keeps
them clean and streamlined,

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but it also appears to feel good.

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Bliss!

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The water in the estuary is warmer
and less salty

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and that seems to soften the skin
making the scrub more effective.

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This secluded estuary is only
a temporary whale spa,

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the ocean will soon freeze again
forcing the whales to travel south.

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Vast seabird colonies
are the jewels of the Arctic.

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Brunnich's guillemots have spent
the summer months packed together

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on vertical cliffs
beyond the reach of predators.

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They are among the most numerous
seabirds in the Northern hemisphere.

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This colony alone
contains 100,000 birds

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and there are many more like it
all along the Arctic coastline.

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In just a few weeks
these cliffs will empty

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but before the guillemots can leave,
their chicks must fledge.

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00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,120
Their feathers are now fully formed,
but their stubby wings

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are still too short for them to fly
properly - this will be a challenge.

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It's a 150 metre drop and they need
to make it all the way to the sea.

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Here goes.

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He falls short
and survives the crash landing.

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The chicks are manna from heaven
for an Arctic fox.

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The next chick is
accompanied by a parent.

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Failed again.

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This looks better!

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Success!

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Aquatic landings
are certainly gentler

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and foxes can't reach you out here.

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The chicks will stay in their
parents' care for another month.

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The guillemots are not the only
ones preparing to leave,

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all across the Arctic millions of
summer visitors

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are beginning to return south.

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The guillemot chicks can't fly yet,

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so they and their families must swim
to their winter feeding grounds.

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It's a journey that will take them
a thousand miles south

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to the open ocean
and away from the approaching ice.

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The breeding season is over
and silence returns to the Arctic.

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But as the first storms of autumn

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sweep through the deserted
nesting grounds,

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they bring an unexpected bonanza
for the few that remain.

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The discovery doesn't remain
secret for long.

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It's a huge fin whale carcass.

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The polar bears have been drawn
from several miles away,

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guided by their extraordinary
sense of smell.

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Bears are arriving all the time,

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but there's plenty of room at this
18 metre long dining table.

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They're surprisingly relaxed,

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but with enough for everyone
there's no need to argue.

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The tastiest morsels are often
underwater.

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Others prefer some greens
with their dinner.

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After a well-balanced meal,

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there's nothing better
than some good company.

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Despite their reputation as loners,

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it's surprising just how sociable
polar bears can be.

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All across the Arctic
the temperature is now dropping

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and the sea is beginning to freeze.

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Every day over 20,000
square miles of ocean

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turn to ice as the cold
spreads south.

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At first, a thin, greasy film
appears on the surface

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Next, pancakes of ice start to
appear.

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The pancakes lock together
and form a continuous sheet.

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The Arctic Ocean is freezing again.

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At last the bear family can return
to the sea ice where they belong.

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It's been six months since the cubs
first emerged from the den.

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They've survived the hazards of
melting sea ice in spring

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and lack of food in summer

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and now, at last, they
are in their element again.

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As the north of our planet turns
away from the sun,

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the big chill travels south.

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Temperatures on
the tundra start to fall.

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The shorter days and colder nights
trigger a dramatic change

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in the willows
and blueberry bushes.

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They stop producing green pigment
that harnesses the sun's energy

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and red and yellow pigments build
up in their leaves.

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The tundra blazes with colour and
the whole landscape is transformed.

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A bull musk ox marks his territory
with scent from glands on his face.

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He's preparing for the breeding
season.

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He shadows his harem
of females as they graze

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the last of the summer grasses.

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He must be on his guard.

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An outsider is arriving,

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a large male whose intentions
soon become clear.

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The newcomer circles
the resident bull warily.

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The resident must take up
the intruder's challenge.

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This clash of Polar Titans could
easily become a fight to the death.

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The impact is like a car crash
at 30 miles an hour.

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A heavy skull and a helmet of horn
four inches thick

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provides some protection
for the musk ox's brain.

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Over the next half hour,
the advantage ebbs and flows

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as each tries to finish the duel.

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If one can turn the other and gore
its flank, the fight will be over.

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The stakes rise as the risk
of injury, or even death, increases.

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The rival is out-manoeuvred.

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And the champion returns
to his females.

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By now most animals have migrated
south, but the musk oxen,

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with their thick coats, will stay
and face the approaching winter.

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As autumn progresses,
the moisture in the air freezes

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and hoarfrost decorates the leaves.

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Ice crystals grow like diamonds
on every twig.

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All across the tundra, both the
rivers and the ground freeze solid.

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Glassy cathedrals
form as the remaining water

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becomes locked up as ice.

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Soon even the largest
waterfalls will be motionless.

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The tundra has been transformed
once again.

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It appears deserted.

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Caribou on their migration.

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Unlike the musk ox, caribou do head
south for the winter,

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but it's a long
and difficult journey.

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They use the frozen lakes as ice
roads - these are flat and firm -

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but it seems hooves and ice were
never really meant to go together.

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The frisky males would be well
advised to keep

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at least one eye on the road
as the mating season begins.

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A cow is being closely
guarded by a mature bull,

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with his much larger antlers.

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The females are busy
feeding-up for the winter,

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but the bull has other
things on his mind.

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The cow is playing hard to get.

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She heads off
with her admirer in pursuit.

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Several other bulls
join in the chase.

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She's out in front but the amorous
males are gaining on her.

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The big bull breaks off his chase
to deal with a rival.

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But now he's fallen
behind the other challengers.

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The younger bulls, with
their lighter antlers,

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keep up with the cow more easily,

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but as the pace slows,
the older bull catches up.

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Again he has to stop and fight.

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A decisive victory for the big male.

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He's earned the respect
of the vanquished bulls

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and they now trail in his wake.

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It's now become a game
of Grandma's footsteps,

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one look from the boss and the
young-bloods freeze in their tracks.

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The exhausted bull guards his prize,
but he'll need to recover

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before he is able to make the most
of his victory,

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and the herd continues
its journey south

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00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:45,200
to avoid the worst of the
advancing cold.

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From the ocean to the tundra,

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the north of our planet is now
completely frozen.

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The Antarctic.

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00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,800
In the far south,
autumn can be a particularly savage

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and unpredictable time.

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00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,520
South Georgia is a splinter of rock
in the middle

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00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,000
of the vast Southern Ocean.

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00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,080
It's only a hundred miles long
and is battered by the elements.

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00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:40,040
This ocean generates some
of the largest waves on the planet,

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they gain size and power as
they travel around the globe,

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uninterrupted by land
for 12,000 miles.

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00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:54,840
As they buffet South Georgia,
they also bring food.

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A seal carcass.

203
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,360
A prize worth braving the surf for.

204
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,920
Giant petrels are the vultures
of Antarctica,

205
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,040
and are always the first to
the spoils.

206
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,880
The word is out,
and the hordes move in.

207
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,200
Like feathered dinosaurs
they lock beaks in battle.

208
00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:36,040
These butchers provide a service
for some unlikely meat-eaters.

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00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,160
With the carcasses now opened,
pintail ducks arrive for a meal.

210
00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,240
There's plenty of good food here
and none of South Georgia's

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00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,920
inhabitants can afford to be fussy
with winter looming.

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00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,840
After the feast it's
time for a rinse and spin.

213
00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,920
The breeding season is finally over

214
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,440
and the petrels will soon
be heading out to sea

215
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,640
to avoid the worst of the winter.

216
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,960
A snowstorm is
an omen of things to come.

217
00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:50,720
There is now little left to eat
and South Georgia's beaches

218
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,400
will soon be abandoned
to the cold and ice.

219
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,480
Further south still,

220
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,680
and the first storms are striking
the continent of Antarctica.

221
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,040
The Adelie penguins must
rear their half grown chicks

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00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:38,720
to adulthood before winter
hits in just a few weeks' time.

223
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,840
The chicks are only three weeks old.

224
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,360
Their downy coats aren't fully
waterproof yet

225
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,320
and they cluster
together for warmth.

226
00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,840
These creches are essential
during bad weather

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00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:03,920
as most of the adults
are away at sea,

228
00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,760
fishing for their fast growing
families.

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00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,720
When the parents return,

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00:34:17,720 --> 00:34:20,960
their offspring quickly leave
the comfort of their peers.

231
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,880
Both chicks are ravenously hungry.

232
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,840
But there may only be enough
food for one.

233
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:45,520
This race could determine which
chick has the better prospects.

234
00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:08,280
Most Adelie pairs will only manage
to raise a single chick each season.

235
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,600
And this may not be it.

236
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:24,120
At least number one
is getting stronger by the day.

237
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:34,880
With one meal delivered, the
parents must quickly find another.

238
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:50,120
To rear their chicks
before the onset of winter,

239
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,640
the penguins must work
round the clock.

240
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,280
The parents can travel
over 100 miles

241
00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,600
to reach the best fishing grounds

242
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,520
and may be gone for several days
at a time.

243
00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:30,800
They return with a kilogram of fish
and squid in their bellies,

244
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,640
feed their chicks, and then go
off again to repeat the process.

245
00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:46,440
The job must be finished before
the sea freezes over again.

246
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:59,040
At seven-weeks-old, the chicks are
losing the last of their baby down,

247
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,440
and are now fully equipped
to take the plunge.

248
00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,960
Confidence is all that's lacking.

249
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:11,600
Perhaps it'll help
if the parents lead by example.

250
00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:22,960
There...effortless,
and as graceful as any fish.

251
00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:37,320
It seems penguins are not born
with a love of water.

252
00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:55,000
Staying submerged
is the next problem.

253
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,360
Buoyancy control is clearly
a skill that needs practise.

254
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,120
Well, it's a start(!)

255
00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:19,000
And at least they can now reach
the ice floes.

256
00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,800
Swimming is the first
of many lessons.

257
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:34,840
They must next learn to recognise
danger in all its forms.

258
00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,360
A leopard seal.

259
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,320
Even high up on an ice floe,
the penguins aren't safe.

260
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:21,800
Each year, leopard seals
will take 5,000 of them

261
00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:24,640
from this colony alone.

262
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:36,480
The Adelies that survive
drift out into the Southern Ocean.

263
00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:57,480
They will spend the next five months
feeding at sea,

264
00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:02,040
avoiding the great freeze
that is about to envelop Antarctica.

265
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:22,120
The edge of the sea ice advances
by up to two and a half miles a day.

266
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:34,120
Eventually, over 5 million
square miles of ice

267
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,000
will surround the continent
of Antarctica,

268
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,360
effectively doubling its size.

269
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,480
The great white wilderness
is empty.

270
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,200
But not for long.

271
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:11,280
Bizarrely, it's now that
the Emperor penguins arrive,

272
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,520
just as all the other penguins
have left.

273
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:30,000
These giants are now
at their heaviest.

274
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,680
They've been feeding at sea
all summer and can weigh 40 kilos.

275
00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:02,000
From the edge of the sea ice,
they head towards their colony...

276
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:08,360
..but an obstacle course of jumbled
ice blocks stands in their way.

277
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:16,600
The males are particularly fat
at this time of year.

278
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,160
This will be crucial for their
survival in the months ahead,

279
00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:26,600
but it doesn't make squeezing
through narrow gaps any easier(!)

280
00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:04,600
With the worst behind them,

281
00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:09,760
they start a 20 mile march
into the freezer to breed.

282
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:12,920
The only animals to do so.

283
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:27,080
By tobogganing they can travel
at twice their walking speed

284
00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:30,000
and it takes the weight
off tired feet.

285
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:55,480
Their destination is the
thicker ice, closer to shore,

286
00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:59,640
which will stay solid long enough
for them to safely rear their chicks

287
00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:01,840
throughout the months to come.

288
00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:14,920
Their colony is in the lee of
icebergs trapped in the frozen ocean

289
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,480
which will shelter them
from the bitter Antarctic winds.

290
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,880
Newly formed pairs
promenade together.

291
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:50,080
Courtship demands that both partners
strike and hold a variety of poses.

292
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:53,680
It's an important process
as the bond between the couple

293
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:56,680
will have to be an exceptionally
strong one.

294
00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:12,360
The final act lacks the elegance
of the prelude

295
00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:15,000
but at least it's quick.

296
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:23,760
The egg is laid a few days later.

297
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,760
It contains the female's
last reserves.

298
00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:30,200
She now has nothing more to give

299
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:33,640
and must pass the egg to the male
to incubate.

300
00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:40,760
The couple must be quick.

301
00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:44,680
If the egg rests on the ice
for too long it'll freeze.

302
00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:52,600
With their eggs
safe in the care of the males,

303
00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:56,640
the females start the long journey
back to the sea.

304
00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:14,720
The sun is also leaving
and will be gone for many months.

305
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:21,000
The precious eggs,
balanced on the males' feet,

306
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:25,080
will make the terrible ordeal
ahead worthwhile.

307
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:38,920
With no food
and only each other for warmth,

308
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,240
they will attempt to keep
the next generation alive

309
00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:46,440
while surviving in the most brutal
conditions on earth.

310
00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:52,120
Not all of them will succeed.

311
00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:58,960
At both ends of our planet,

312
00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:02,680
the sun sets for the last time
in autumn.

313
00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:07,760
A season of change comes to an end

314
00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:12,240
and one of endless darkness
and bitter cold begins.

315
00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,560
Next time, winter in the poles.

316
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,760
The harshest and coldest
conditions on earth.

317
00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:48,920
Ice takes a grip
of the frozen planet.

318
00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:08,400
The spectacular return
of the Emperor penguins

319
00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:11,440
was a key event
for the Frozen Planet team.

320
00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:20,200
The crew will have to operate

321
00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:22,920
in the most dangerous of all
polar environments -

322
00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:25,000
the edge of the sea ice.

323
00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,320
They have to fly in everything
they'll need for a month

324
00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:32,280
of living on the frozen ocean.

325
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:41,200
On board are slow motion cameraman
John Aitchison.

326
00:48:41,200 --> 00:48:44,240
Underwater cameraman
Didier Noirot.

327
00:48:44,240 --> 00:48:47,280
And director Chadden Hunter.

328
00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:52,600
With the plane gone,
the team are on their own.

329
00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,440
This is home for the next month.

330
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:57,640
But it doesn't look like much
right now.

331
00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:03,160
Their tents should be secure
on the permanent sea ice

332
00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:07,000
but they're still miles from
the ocean where they hope to film.

333
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,280
The locals are keen
to get acquainted

334
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,880
with anything
of a familiar shape and size.

335
00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:17,160
The Emperors are welcome
neighbours around camp,

336
00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:20,600
but the team need to film them
returning from the water

337
00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,480
and to do that
they face a daunting task.

338
00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:26,440
They must find a path
to the open sea

339
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:29,960
through a shifting landscape
of jagged sea ice.

340
00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,480
Their first scouting trip
doesn't look promising.

341
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:38,920
Neither maps nor Sat Nav help
in this ever-changing environment.

342
00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:43,360
The only clue that the ocean
lies somewhere to the east

343
00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:46,120
is a steady procession of penguins.

344
00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:50,400
Any suggestions, Didier?
We must find a way.

345
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:53,400
Yes. And we will find a way.

346
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,440
I like the attitude.
The penguins have found a way.

347
00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:02,280
It seems the Emperors will be
the key to reaching the ice edge.

348
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:04,040
OK, let's go.

349
00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:08,160
With their penguin guides
leading the way,

350
00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:11,600
snowmobiles are brought in
to haul 500kgs of equipment

351
00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:14,480
through the icy maze.

352
00:50:16,240 --> 00:50:20,720
It's tough going
for film crew and penguins.

353
00:50:20,720 --> 00:50:24,400
When the ice ridges halt progress,

354
00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:27,000
it's time for some
back-breaking work.

355
00:50:32,240 --> 00:50:37,160
The next three days are spent
chiselling through mile after mile

356
00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:39,000
of broken sea ice.

357
00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:54,440
Once finally clear
of the ice boulders,

358
00:50:54,440 --> 00:50:59,400
they spot their goal - a patch
of open ocean with penguins.

359
00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:08,080
John is first in position.

360
00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:11,320
He hopes to capture
the most striking images

361
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:14,720
by using a computerised
slow motion camera.

362
00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:19,840
But attempts to film the penguins
underwater are halted

363
00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:21,760
by an unwelcome visitor.

364
00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:25,120
We just saw the head
of a massive leopard seal

365
00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:29,200
so we'll get closer
to see what's going on.

366
00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:33,640
We must be careful because those
guys can come out very quickly,

367
00:51:33,640 --> 00:51:36,080
out of the hole, and give a bite,

368
00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,720
but being red like that, we should
be quite protected, you know?

369
00:51:39,720 --> 00:51:45,040
Being dressed in red
may be Didier's idea of safety,

370
00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:49,200
but the rest of the crew have
a healthy respect for leopard seals.

371
00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:54,080
They can be fiercely territorial
and are not afraid to attack humans.

372
00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:58,840
I think I can run faster than him
on land.

373
00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:00,640
That's very exciting.

374
00:52:00,640 --> 00:52:04,560
That's the first time I've ever seen
a leopard seal in my life

375
00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:07,080
and he's come straight out
of the hole and starts...

376
00:52:07,080 --> 00:52:09,400
walloping towards us.

377
00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:11,440
There's a lot of adrenalin.

378
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:14,480
With the seal frightening
the penguins away

379
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:19,160
and hassling the crew,
it's time to try a new hole.

380
00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:27,280
Oh, hello.

381
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,280
Can you see him?

382
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:37,440
While the seal's around, there's
little hope of filming the penguins,

383
00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:41,240
but now a far greater threat
is posed by the changing weather.

384
00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:45,400
That dark headland in the distance
is Cape Washington.

385
00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:49,200
That's our last sign of mainland.
We can't see anything else.

386
00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:52,040
Once we lose sight of that mainland

387
00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:55,920
that means we're out here
on our own on the sea ice.

388
00:52:55,920 --> 00:52:58,760
This visibility
is getting lower and lower.

389
00:52:58,760 --> 00:53:02,600
It's started snowing and this wind
is just blowing off shore

390
00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:06,680
so, if all this ice heads out,
we don't want to be on it.

391
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:09,400
I think we're going to can
filming for the day.

392
00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:19,880
All the signs suggest that a
big Antarctic storm is on its way.

393
00:53:23,120 --> 00:53:28,200
Winds pick up to 70mph and everyone
retreats to their tents.

394
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,480
High winds then turn to heavy snow.

395
00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:39,960
On the driest continent on Earth,
a big snowfall is rare.

396
00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:47,160
White-out conditions take the
penguins and film crew by surprise.

397
00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:53,840
Each day they must dig out
their buried equipment.

398
00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:56,040
Filming has ground to a halt.

399
00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:08,000
One week and a metre of snow later,
the headland is visible again

400
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:12,080
and the team are raring
to get back to the ice edge.

401
00:54:13,240 --> 00:54:16,960
They follow their old route
back through the frozen maze

402
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:19,320
and, with no leopard seal in sight,

403
00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:22,880
it's time for another attempt
with the pole cam.

404
00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:27,720
It's cumbersome, but it allows the
team to capture underwater images

405
00:54:27,720 --> 00:54:30,720
without having to risk
the icy water themselves.

406
00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:38,680
That is OK? That's perfect.
They are coming. I can see some.

407
00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:40,560
Oh, wow!

408
00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:44,720
Penguins coming in the hole.
This is awesome. This is great.

409
00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:49,440
The aim now is to film the penguins'
dramatic exit from the hole.

410
00:54:49,440 --> 00:54:52,720
The only problem...which hole?!

411
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:04,320
These penguins keep outsmarting us.

412
00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:07,920
We tried to switch holes
to film them coming up

413
00:55:07,920 --> 00:55:11,200
and they all just completely
came up behind us.

414
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:16,600
Whatever the crew try there's always
someone who hasn't read the script!

415
00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:22,680
John has been filming but he
can't view his slow motion shots

416
00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:24,840
until they're downloaded
to a computer.

417
00:55:26,160 --> 00:55:29,680
While he waits,
Didier seizes his chance.

418
00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:31,760
Come, my friend. Come.

419
00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:35,160
If you can't beat them, join them.

420
00:55:35,160 --> 00:55:38,560
It's time to go scuba diving
in the coldest waters on the planet.

421
00:55:38,560 --> 00:55:42,040
I will see you on the other side.

422
00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:50,000
The team are 300 miles from help

423
00:55:50,000 --> 00:55:53,440
and have only a small hole
as their lifeline to the surface.

424
00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:00,880
A magical world opens up.

425
00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:02,720
For the first time

426
00:56:02,720 --> 00:56:08,040
Didier now shares the penguins'
perspective from beneath the ice.

427
00:56:22,320 --> 00:56:26,280
This is Antarctica
at its most enchanting.

428
00:56:28,400 --> 00:56:31,160
For Chadden,
after weeks of struggle,

429
00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:34,920
the sequence quite literally
falls into his lap.

430
00:56:34,920 --> 00:56:36,720
Whoa!

431
00:56:37,720 --> 00:56:39,200
Sorry!

432
00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:42,960
I think I'm in the way.

433
00:56:49,720 --> 00:56:52,560
Just come a little this way.
There we go.

434
00:56:56,400 --> 00:56:58,880
I'm getting run over by penguins(!)

435
00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:04,200
I think it worked.
It's very difficult to tell.

436
00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:06,160
John's camera is finally capturing

437
00:57:06,160 --> 00:57:11,360
the super slow motion images
of the Emperors' dramatic return.

438
00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:16,760
With the penguins performing
perfectly

439
00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:18,960
it was all falling into place.

440
00:57:18,960 --> 00:57:21,040
The team were finally able
to capture

441
00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:24,440
Antarctica's most spectacular
belly flop.

442
00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:34,600
For a free Open University
illustrated poster of polar regions

443
00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:37,480
call the number on the screen

444
00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:44,160
or order online
by going to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet

445
00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:47,240
and follow the links
to Open University.

446
00:58:04,680 --> 00:58:07,480
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

447
00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:10,000
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk