1 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,320 Looking down from two miles above the surface of the Earth 2 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,880 it's impossible not to be impressed 3 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,000 by the sheer grandeur and splendour 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,360 and power of the natural world. 5 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,360 Ten years ago, in a television series called Planet Earth, 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:35,640 we revealed many of those wonders, but today, much has changed. 7 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:44,640 We can now show life on our planet in entirely new ways. 8 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,120 Bring you closer to animals than ever before. 9 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:00,960 But that's not all. 10 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,040 Our planet has changed too. 11 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,240 Never have those wildernesses been as fragile and as precious 12 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:10,680 as they are today. 13 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:17,000 At this crucial time for the natural world, 14 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,200 we will journey to every corner of the globe... 15 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,680 ..to explore the greatest treasures of our living planet... 16 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,680 ..and reveal the extreme lengths animals go to 17 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:36,880 to survive. 18 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,800 Finally, we will explore our cities 19 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,360 to see how life is adapting 20 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,400 to the newest habitat on Earth. 21 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,480 This is Planet Earth II. 22 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,680 There are hundreds of thousands of islands, 23 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,360 each one a world in miniature, 24 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:58,200 a microcosm of our living planet. 25 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,440 The struggles to survive on these remote lands 26 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,480 reflect the challenges faced by all life on Earth. 27 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,640 The tiny island of Escudo off the coast of Panama. 28 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,560 Home to the pygmy three-toed sloth. 29 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,160 This is a male and life here suits him well. 30 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,280 Mangroves provide all the leaves he can eat 31 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,480 and there are no predators to worry him. 32 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,560 Island life may seem idyllic but it comes at a price. 33 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,680 There are only a few hundred pygmy sloths in existence. 34 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,280 And he needs a mate. 35 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,000 SCREECHING 36 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,920 That's an enticing call... 37 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:09,200 ..from a female. 38 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:21,240 Somewhere out there. 39 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,200 FEMALE SCREECHES AGAIN 40 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,800 The problem is, there's deep water between them. 41 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,880 So what should any red-blooded sloth do? 42 00:04:58,120 --> 00:04:59,760 Swim, of course. 43 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:31,720 Could this be her? 44 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,280 He does his best to put on a turn of speed. 45 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,360 But she's not the one. 46 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:00,280 She already has a baby and she won't mate again until it leaves her 47 00:06:00,280 --> 00:06:01,840 in about six months' time. 48 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,360 Even life on a paradise island can have its limitations. 49 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,000 MORE SCREECHING 50 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:32,480 The world's entire population of pygmy sloths is isolated 51 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,880 on a speck of land no bigger than New York's Central Park. 52 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,680 The size of an island has a huge influence on the fate 53 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,440 of those cast away there. 54 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,920 The island of Komodo in Indonesia. 55 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,480 Home to dragons. 56 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:29,120 Ten feet long and weighing an impressive 150 lbs, 57 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,360 these are the largest living lizards on the planet. 58 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,200 It's unusual to find large predators on islands. 59 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,920 Yet, for four million years, the Komodo dragon has dominated here. 60 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,240 It might seem there wouldn't be enough food 61 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,200 to support such giants on this relatively small island. 62 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,480 But reptiles, being cold-blooded, 63 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,440 need only about a tenth of the food a carnivorous mammal would. 64 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,080 A single meal will last a dragon a month. 65 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:38,800 others of their own kind. 66 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,040 And there are some 2,000 of them here. 67 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:11,280 This giant, however, isn't looking for food - he's looking for a mate. 68 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,040 Female dragons come into season only once a year. 69 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:30,800 She's receptive. 70 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,000 So far, so good. 71 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,240 But he's strayed into someone else's patch. 72 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:58,600 Another huge male thinks he is the king here. 73 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:10,920 Space being limited on islands, 74 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,760 In dragon society, size is everything. 75 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,600 But if rivals are closely matched, the outcome can be uncertain. 76 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,800 Muscular tails strike with the power of sledgehammers. 77 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,960 And their serrated teeth are as sharp as steak knives. 78 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,960 Each tries to topple his opponent. 79 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:43,280 Defeated. 80 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,840 can often lead to intense competition. 81 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,800 But some islands are immense. 82 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:10,840 More like miniature continents. 83 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:22,000 And these provide opportunities for life to experiment and evolve. 84 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:27,680 Madagascar is one of the biggest islands and also one of the oldest, 85 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:32,520 having split away from Africa over 120 million years ago. 86 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,440 With time and isolation, 87 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:50,280 its animals have adapted to take advantage of every available niche. 88 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:01,720 The island now has some 250,000 different species, 89 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,600 most found nowhere else on Earth. 90 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,920 These are not monkeys, but lemurs. 91 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:29,840 From a single ancestor, about 100 different types have evolved. 92 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,200 The largest, the indri, seldom comes down from the branches. 93 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:51,080 The much smaller ringtails wander in troops across the forest floor 94 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,080 searching for food. 95 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,880 And tiny bamboo lemurs eat nothing except bamboo. 96 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,240 almost every environment on the island. 97 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,280 Even the most extreme. 98 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:29,120 This baby sifaka has a hard life ahead of it. 99 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,000 He's been born in the most arid and hostile corner 100 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,400 of Madagascar's vast landscape. 101 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,480 If he is to survive here, he has much to learn. 102 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,200 The spiny forest is like a desert. 103 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,480 It rarely rains, so water and food is very hard to find. 104 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,840 Moving from tree to tree is a perilous business. 105 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,960 Here, nearly all the plants are covered with ferocious spines. 106 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,400 His mother searches the tree tops for the youngest leaves. 107 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,520 They provide the only food and water to sustain the family. 108 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,880 At three months old, the youngster is starting to explore. 109 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,040 All too soon he will have to fend for himself up here. 110 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,840 But it's altogether easier to stay on mother's back. 111 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,840 If he can master the strange ways of this forest... 112 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,000 ..he will have a little corner of Madagascar to himself. 113 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,200 Island life encourages animals to do things differently. 114 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,640 And on some islands that is essential. 115 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,720 There are islands still forming today... 116 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:49,840 ..built by volcanoes. 117 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,240 Some erupt explosively. 118 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,120 Others pour out rivers of molten rock. 119 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:07,360 Lava. 120 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:15,200 In the last 50 years, 121 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,160 ten new volcanic islands have been formed. 122 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:50,480 Newly created and often remote, they're hard for colonists to reach. 123 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,200 Even those that do find these are tough places to survive. 124 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,800 This is Fernandina, one of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. 125 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:15,400 Young and still volcanically active, it's a desolate place. 126 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:34,040 The surrounding sea, however, is particularly rich with life. 127 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,000 And the frontier between these two very different worlds is the home of 128 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,120 one of the strangest of reptiles. 129 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:51,640 Seagoing iguanas. 130 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,080 They are vegetarians, 131 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,200 but since there's little food for them on the land, 132 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,040 marine iguanas graze on the sea floor. 133 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,400 A big male like this one can dive to 30 metres 134 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,760 and hold his breath for half an hour. 135 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,400 There are more than 7,000 individuals on Fernandina alone. 136 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,760 And by bringing nutrients from the sea to the land, 137 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,880 the iguanas help other animals to survive here, too. 138 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,200 Crabs feed on dead skin on the iguana's back 139 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,120 and, in turn, provide a welcome exfoliation service. 140 00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:19,920 While smaller lizards prey on the flies that pester the colony. 141 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,800 But not all the relationships on this island are so harmonious. 142 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,920 Marine iguanas lay their eggs in sand. 143 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,480 In June, when the hatchlings emerge, they are vulnerable. 144 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,160 They must join the adults at the edge of the sea. 145 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,360 But the journey will be a dangerous one. 146 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:39,040 Racer snakes. 147 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,920 The snakes miss their chance. 148 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,240 But more babies are hatching. 149 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,600 And now the snakes are on the alert. 150 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,960 This is the best feeding opportunity they will get all year. 151 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:55,560 On flat ground, a baby iguana can outrun a racer snake. 152 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,120 But others are waiting in ambush. 153 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,200 Another hatchling has its first glimpse of a dangerous world. 154 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,360 A snake's eyes aren't very good, 155 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:35,000 but they can detect movement. 156 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:40,840 So if the hatchling keeps its nerve, it may just avoid detection. 157 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:14,480 A near miraculous escape. 158 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,560 The lucky survivors can begin learning the unique way of life 159 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,160 demanded by this hostile island. 160 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,080 Although marine iguanas are expert swimmers, 161 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,120 they can't cross open oceans. 162 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:55,480 But even the stormiest waters are no barrier for birds. 163 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:10,520 Gale force winds and cold temperatures make the sub-Antarctic 164 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,160 islands off New Zealand particularly unwelcoming in winter. 165 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:32,720 But, when the brief summer comes, temperatures rise and winds slacken. 166 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,280 It's now that visitors arrive. 167 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,760 All here to breed before winter returns. 168 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:01,760 There's the Snares penguins. 169 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,240 Shearwaters come, too. 170 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:19,160 This is an excellent place for them to dig their nesting burrows, 171 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,440 for no predators have managed to get here. 172 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,160 Soon the island is crowded with birds. 173 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,520 Every one of them eager to make the most of the short breeding season. 174 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,360 But not everyone has a partner. 175 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,240 A male Buller's albatross waits for his mate. 176 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:00,520 Each year they spend six months apart, travelling the ocean. 177 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,520 They reunite here to breed. 178 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,680 But this year, she's late. 179 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:19,480 No, that's not her. 180 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,160 The other birds come and go. 181 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:37,720 The clock is ticking. 182 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,000 If she doesn't appear soon, 183 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,720 it could be too late for them to breed successfully. 184 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,760 Every morning the shearwaters fly off to collect food for their young. 185 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,680 Everybody else seems to be getting on with it. 186 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:28,560 The shearwaters' return marks another lost day. 187 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,120 There are three million birds on the island, but only one matters to him. 188 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,120 Could this be her? 189 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:52,760 At last. 190 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,600 At first, he's a little coy. 191 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,160 But not for long. 192 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,560 They greet each other with the special dance 193 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,160 they've perfected over many years. 194 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:54,520 There is much to do if they're to raise a chick before winter returns. 195 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:04,160 But when you have been apart for six months, some things can't be rushed. 196 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:28,800 Islands in warm tropical waters don't experience seasonal extremes. 197 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,520 The Seychelles, lying off the coast of East Africa, 198 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:42,720 provide a sanctuary for sea birds all the year round. 199 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,880 Fairy terns are permanent residents. 200 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:04,080 They take a fairly relaxed view about what constitutes a nest. 201 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,800 A bare branch is quite enough. 202 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,600 Climbing onto it to incubate has to be done with care. 203 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,240 Once a year, the noddies arrive. 204 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:35,760 They do make nests, 205 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:38,400 and pisonia trees provide their young 206 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,520 with a rather less precarious start in life. 207 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,440 Nesting on this island looks idyllic. 208 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,960 But behind the beauty, there's a sinister side. 209 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:05,440 The Seychelles fody makes quick work of an unattended egg. 210 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,560 She knows something's not quite right, 211 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,840 but her drive to incubate is strong. 212 00:34:40,720 --> 00:34:42,680 The noddies too have a problem. 213 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,720 As their chicks grow, 214 00:34:48,720 --> 00:34:52,760 so the pisonia trees develop seeds that are sticky 215 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:54,680 and equipped with hooks. 216 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,120 By the time the young noddies leave, 217 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,240 they carry these hitchhiking seeds away to other islands. 218 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,800 But sometimes the pisonia trees are too successful. 219 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:26,800 If a fledgling, testing out its wings, drops to the ground, 220 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:29,000 it can get covered with the seeds. 221 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:42,520 Entangled and weighed down, if it can't free itself, 222 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:43,880 the youngster will starve. 223 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,280 The pisonia may have failed to disperse these seeds... 224 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,560 ..but it will soon have fertiliser for its roots. 225 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:18,560 This is why some people call the pisonia the "bird catcher tree". 226 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,080 The fairy tern laid another egg, 227 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,880 and now she has a tiny chick to feed. 228 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:05,880 This chick is lucky. 229 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,800 By the time it fledges, the pisonia seeds will have dispersed, 230 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,040 and the danger they brought will be gone. 231 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,560 Even the most idyllic-looking of islands presents challenges 232 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,240 for the animals living there. 233 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:37,680 But the greatest threat they face is change. 234 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,200 Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. 235 00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,680 For millions of years, 236 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,480 this remote speck of land has been ruled by crabs. 237 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,680 Their ancestors came from the sea, 238 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:16,840 but most have now adopted a land-based existence. 239 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:30,320 Given there are so many of them, they get on relatively harmoniously. 240 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:38,480 They're the gardeners and caretakers of a tiny crab utopia. 241 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,400 Once a year, they must all return to the sea to breed, 242 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,080 and the march of the red crabs 243 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:52,040 is one of the greatest natural spectacles on earth. 244 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,200 There are 50 million of them. 245 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:17,160 It's an event that has brought the island worldwide fame. 246 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:29,880 But in recent years, 247 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:33,480 millions of red crabs haven't managed to reach the sea. 248 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,680 An invader has occupied this island. 249 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:47,760 Yellow crazy ants. 250 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:53,240 They escaped from visiting ships and with no predators to control them, 251 00:39:53,240 --> 00:39:57,320 they have now created vast super colonies in the forest. 252 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:09,640 When migrating red crabs march into their territory, the ants attack. 253 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:12,960 Squirting acid into the crabs' eyes and mouths. 254 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:25,280 The crabs have no defence. 255 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:30,840 Blinded and confused... 256 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:33,280 ..they're doomed. 257 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:48,280 Humans brought these ant invaders here, 258 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,600 and now humans are having to control them. 259 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:59,920 Isolated communities may evolve from millions of years in relative peace. 260 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:05,440 But, when new challenges arrive, they can struggle to cope. 261 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:12,920 Of all the species that have become extinct in recent years, 262 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,800 around 80% have been islanders. 263 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:24,200 Our impact on the Earth is greater today than ever before. 264 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,000 Yet some islands are so remote 265 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,720 that few humans have even set foot on them. 266 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,440 Zavodovski Island is one. 267 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,760 It lies in the great Southern Ocean. 268 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:49,440 It's not only surrounded by the stormiest of seas, 269 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,480 It's the last place on Earth you would choose to live. 270 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,520 Unless you're a chinstrap penguin. 271 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:13,840 There is plenty of food in these waters, but to exploit it, 272 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,880 the penguins have to risk their lives. 273 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,600 Life here is dangerous in the extreme. 274 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:24,520 PENGUINS CHATTER 275 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:29,320 But there are some benefits from living on a volcano. 276 00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:36,360 Its warmth melts the snow early in the year. 277 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:39,600 And, by January, the Antarctic's mid-summer, 278 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,880 the island is covered in chicks. 279 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,040 Parents take turns at guarding them 280 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:52,200 until they're large enough to be left alone. 281 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:01,680 This mother's chicks are hungry, but she has no food left to give them. 282 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:07,480 Their survival depends on their father returning with the next meal. 283 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:13,640 But some don't make it. 284 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,960 Skuas harass the colony, hoping to snatch a chick. 285 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:41,320 She can't risk leaving them. 286 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:50,280 Everything will be fine, as long as their father comes back soon. 287 00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:24,520 He's been fishing 50 miles offshore, but now he's not far away. 288 00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:31,120 For him, however, and for all the other parents here, 289 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,320 the worst of the journey is still to come. 290 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:10,000 Tiny claws help him to get whatever grip he can on the rough lava. 291 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:40,640 For these commuters, it's rush hour. 292 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:45,040 Some have had a really bad day. 293 00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:53,760 The father now has a two-mile walk to the nest, 294 00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:56,040 and a stomach loaded with food doesn't help. 295 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:06,720 This is the largest penguin colony in the world. 296 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:20,200 But as he makes the same journey every other day, 297 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,080 It's true that there can be safety in numbers, 298 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:36,840 but numbers can also be something of a problem 299 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:45,280 The mother is still waiting. 300 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,360 Her chicks are now desperate. 301 00:47:49,360 --> 00:47:51,120 THEY CHEEP 302 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,120 In the midst of all this deafening chorus, 303 00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:00,120 he can recognise her particular cry. 304 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:21,240 At last. 305 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,720 Both chicks will get a meal. 306 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:50,520 With a head bob of acknowledgement, their mother now leaves. 307 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:53,600 It's her turn to do the feeding run. 308 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:06,720 This formidable commute is the price these penguins pay for sanctuary. 309 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:16,160 A strange vision of paradise to us, perhaps, 310 00:49:16,160 --> 00:49:21,800 but, for one and a half million penguins, this island has it all. 311 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:36,440 Islands may seem remote and insignificant, 312 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:41,080 but they are home to some of the most precious wildlife on Earth. 313 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:07,080 The expedition to film on the island of Zavodovski 314 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:09,560 was the most intrepid shoot of the series. 315 00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:13,920 To ensure its success, the team have called in 316 00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:16,440 Antarctic expert Jerome Poncet, 317 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:19,480 one of the few people to have set foot on the island. 318 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:25,600 This whole region of Antarctica is rarely visited. 319 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:32,600 And this is the planet's roughest ocean. 320 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:44,080 After seven long days and nights at sea, 321 00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:46,920 they get their first glimpse of the final destination. 322 00:50:46,920 --> 00:50:49,960 It's actually quite surreal after a whole year, 323 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:51,880 trying to put the expedition together. 324 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:54,160 And then today we wake up, and there's the volcano. 325 00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:55,560 That's Zavodovski. 326 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,720 The explorers who discovered this place 327 00:50:59,720 --> 00:51:03,040 spoke of the stench of sulphurous gases, 328 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,600 treacherous waters, 329 00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:08,120 and astonishing numbers of penguins. 330 00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:14,080 It seems not much has changed. 331 00:51:15,720 --> 00:51:17,960 Jerome's been round the whole place, 332 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,840 and there literally is only one safe area to get on, 333 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,040 and he's telling us 334 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:26,400 it's that rock face over there. 335 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:29,320 The team must take everything they need to survive. 336 00:51:30,720 --> 00:51:32,120 There are the penguins! 337 00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:35,960 Though the boat'll stay nearby, 338 00:51:35,960 --> 00:51:37,800 they will need to be self-sufficient. 339 00:51:39,240 --> 00:51:42,840 But that means taking a tonne of equipment up this cliff. 340 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:45,480 Just get to that lot to help. 341 00:51:45,480 --> 00:51:47,040 Many flippers make light work. 342 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,120 They work all day getting the gear ashore. 343 00:51:58,400 --> 00:51:59,920 doesn't make it easy. 344 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,920 The hardest thing for us has been finding a pathway through, 345 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:07,160 because there's absolutely penguins everywhere you look. 346 00:52:14,120 --> 00:52:16,200 Finally, it's time to make camp. 347 00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:24,960 They choose a sheltered place that won't disturb the locals. 348 00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:30,520 But since most of the penguins won't have seen a human being before, 349 00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:32,760 they seem keen to pop over and visit. 350 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,520 Hello. Nosy neighbours. 351 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:39,840 The team set off 352 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:42,880 to start documenting the daily lives of the penguins, 353 00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:45,320 and what they find is astonishing. 354 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:50,080 As soon as you walk over that ridge, you sort of get a tingly feeling, 355 00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:54,320 because I've never seen that many animals in one spot. 356 00:52:54,320 --> 00:52:55,760 It's mind-blowing. 357 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:00,480 It's like Glastonbury Festival. 358 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:01,760 The whole landscape 359 00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:05,720 is full of little black and white penguins waddling around. 360 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:13,000 This is penguin paradise, and that's what we're trying to show. 361 00:53:18,240 --> 00:53:19,200 A promising start. 362 00:53:20,880 --> 00:53:23,800 But here, fortunes can change quickly. 363 00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:29,400 # Summertime... # 364 00:53:33,080 --> 00:53:35,320 Every season within ten minutes. 365 00:53:39,160 --> 00:53:43,160 As the snow melts, it creates an unforeseen problem. 366 00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:46,920 We purposely chose this campsite 367 00:53:46,920 --> 00:53:50,000 because it was a place where the penguins didn't seem to go. 368 00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:53,240 I think we've realised why the penguins don't nest here. 369 00:53:53,240 --> 00:53:56,120 It's because of the spray and because of some run-off, 370 00:53:56,120 --> 00:53:58,520 so we are literally in a bit of a bog. 371 00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:01,800 And it's not just mud. 372 00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:08,000 A couple of these guys, as they wander down to do a spot of fishing, 373 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:12,280 they tend to use my tent as a little poop spot. 374 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,240 You kind of get used to it at night, 375 00:54:14,240 --> 00:54:17,360 just hearing a constant splat on top of the tent. 376 00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:20,600 But, as you can see, all of the kit, 377 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:24,120 I'm afraid that's getting splat on as well. 378 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:27,720 And, when the wind changes, it brings a noxious reminder 379 00:54:27,720 --> 00:54:30,440 that they're camping on an active volcano. 380 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:35,520 It's the first time we've smelt sulphur, 381 00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:38,680 which is welcome relief from smelling penguins. 382 00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:40,000 It's smoking away. 383 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:44,800 I think if they start running for the sea, 384 00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:47,640 we're going to be calling Jerome pretty quick for the boat. 385 00:54:50,240 --> 00:54:54,320 Each day filming on Zavodovski seems to present a new challenge. 386 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:01,560 Next, a huge storm hits the island. 387 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,880 just how tough life can be for the penguins. 388 00:55:13,640 --> 00:55:16,920 It's hard not to be moved by the effort they go to 389 00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:18,480 to feed their chicks. 390 00:55:20,520 --> 00:55:23,040 These huge waves are coming in. 391 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:25,160 The penguins are surfing here, 392 00:55:25,160 --> 00:55:27,240 getting battered on these big boulders. 393 00:55:27,240 --> 00:55:30,000 Now and then you just get a penguin that gets catapulted 394 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:32,960 15 metres in the air - it's totally ludicrous. 395 00:55:35,560 --> 00:55:39,320 And really, I think there are quite a few penguins getting killed in it. 396 00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:48,560 The beach in the afternoon was just a scene of death and destruction. 397 00:55:50,520 --> 00:55:52,120 It was absolute carnage. 398 00:55:54,480 --> 00:55:55,680 It was heartbreaking. 399 00:55:55,680 --> 00:55:58,520 I mean, they're trying so hard to get up the beach with broken legs 400 00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:03,360 and bleeding and very, you know, sobering, really. 401 00:56:07,080 --> 00:56:10,720 After witnessing the struggles, the penguins must endure, 402 00:56:10,720 --> 00:56:12,840 the team now face the same problem. 403 00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:15,280 Getting off the island. 404 00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:20,840 With another storm coming in, they decide to take their chance. 405 00:56:23,040 --> 00:56:26,680 Jerome has seconds to get in and out between the waves. 406 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:29,160 Or the Zodiac could tip... 407 00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:32,120 ..leaving them all stranded. 408 00:56:33,440 --> 00:56:36,080 Hurray, that's the first box off the island. 409 00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:45,040 What took a day to get ashore must be off in minutes. 410 00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:46,560 And the swell is getting bigger. 411 00:56:48,880 --> 00:56:51,200 Their window of opportunity is closing. 412 00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:54,840 Look at this swell now, watch out, watch out! 413 00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:04,800 The equipment's off, but now the team has to follow. 414 00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:12,040 She's just leaving us now, is she? 415 00:57:12,040 --> 00:57:14,480 That's the producer, she's gone! We have to swim now. 416 00:57:17,280 --> 00:57:18,360 They're gone. Yeah. 417 00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:21,760 Luckily it didn't come to that. 418 00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:31,960 Safely aboard, they leave with an unforgettable experience 419 00:57:31,960 --> 00:57:36,040 of how hard life is on an island at the edge of the world. 420 00:57:40,720 --> 00:57:46,040 Next time, we ascend into the planet's highest peaks 421 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:48,880 to discover a spectacular but hostile world, 422 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:51,600 where only the toughest animals can endure. 423 00:57:54,680 --> 00:57:57,560 This is life on the roof of the world. 424 00:57:57,560 --> 00:57:58,840 Mountains.