Europe is a densely packed continent
with some 700 million human residents across 50 countries.
It's famed for its cities and ancient civilizations
but the continent is also a treasure trove
of natural beauty, a mosaic of landscapes
each filled with their own unique animal communities.
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If you were planning a bucket list trip
of the natural wonders of Europe,
where would you start?
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Tracking polar bears, the ultimate bucket list adventure.
But perhaps not one you might consider in Europe,
but in Northern Europe, some of the countries of Scandinavia
stretch right up into the Arctic circle
into the land of the ice bear.
This is the biggest land carnivore on the planet
let alone Europe.
A big male can stand three meters tall
not something to mess with, but one of the most
spectacular natural wonders of Europe
though this giant is just the tip of the iceberg.
At one time, the whole of Europe was under
a great ice sheet, an extension of the Arctic ice cap
during the last ice age.
The ice retreated and now you have to go
to the far North to see it.
But if you brave the cold, there are other ice age relics
still roaming the wild.
On the bleak Tundra of Norway,
look out for muskox with shaggy coats
that record a long gone mammoths.
The muskox look like Tundra buffalo,
but are in fact supersized sheep.
For the ultimate showdown, get ringside seats for the rut.
The broad-based horns are thick pads of hair,
homemade crash helmets.
They can absorb shock, which is just as well
in their self-induced head-on collisions.
Wildlife can be hard to find at this frigid end
of the continent, but natural wonders abound.
You could explore the steaming bubbling geezers of Iceland.
Though far out in the Atlantic,
far West of the rest of Europe
it's still part of the continent though straddling
the North American continental plate as well.
Because it sits on the fault line,
it is a living monument to the forces of nature.
Born of volcanoes,
the ground continues to bubble and boil.
There are still more than 20 active volcanoes.
But this is a land of fire and ice.
Glaciers cover 11% of the country.
One of them, the biggest in Europe
is three times the size of Luxembourg.
While exploring the Wild Coast,
watch out for the Icelandic ponies believed to be
one of the purest breeds of horse in the world.
After Great Britain,
Iceland is Europe's largest island
and yet it is the least populated country in Europe
with endless wild landscapes to explore.
All across Europe's extreme North,
one of the top drawers for Intrepid tourists
is the charms to gaze at the mesmerizing Northern Lights.
Storms on the surface of the sun,
blast out clouds of highly charged particles,
known as electrons.
When they collide with the particles in Earth's atmosphere,
the energy is released discharging clouds of light.
That is the official explanation, but during human history
there've been many theories on the dancing lights
ranging from a bridge for the gods
to the spirits of the dead dancing across the sky.
Whether you go for the romantic or scientific explanations
there is no doubt this natural wonder
will take your breath away.
As day breaks over Norway's Coasts,
some of the most dramatic Fiordland on the planet
why not jump on a boat and go in search of Marine life?
During the fierce winter storms herring escape
the oceans fury by sheltering here.
And when they do, giants follow.
Its one of the best places to get up close
and personal with magnificent killer whales.
The bleak landscapes have always been a tough place
for humans to live.
But to spend time with some of the last true nomads
of the North, should be right up there
on everyone's bucket list.
And what better way than trekking with the Sami people
and their herds of semi domestic reindeer.
Their relationship probably began as the landscape
of the ice age retreated
and to people followed the natural deer migration north.
Thousands of years ago, the animals had already
been partly domesticated.
They still roam wild following their migratory instincts
and finding their own food, but the Sami protect them
from predators as they escort the herds harvesting animals
for meat and leather.
An ancient relationship and a glimpse into the past
that is irresistible to explore.
Crossing the North Sea to Europe's largest island,
you might glimpse one of the smallest marine mammals,
the Harbour porpoise.
Very small and hard to spot it's worth the effort
to lay eyes on this perpetually smiling
cousin of the dolphins.
Greeted by the famous White Cliffs of Dover,
you might begin a tour of the British Isles.
These cliffs were thrust up by the same forces
that created the Alps.
The chalk is made from fossilized bodies of billions
of tiny sea creatures that lived and died
during the time of the dinosaurs.
Some of the larger forms can still be seen eroding
from the cliffs.
Giant sharks cruise, the coastlines of the UK during summer.
The second biggest fish on the planet, a face to face
with the harmless filter feeding basking shark
should be on any water lover's list.
Though its closest cousin is the great white,
to which it bears a strong resemblance,
it's teeth are minute.
Opening its mouth wide, its gills do all the work
processing nearly 2000 tons of water an hour
sieving out tiny creatures from the plankton.
Every summer, the mysterious giants appear close to shore
especially along the UK's West Coast.
These more rugged coastlines provide hiding
and feeding spots for otters.
This much loved animals live all across the continent
usually in freshwater lakes and rivers,
but here they've adapted to a seafood diet.
The rich coast is teaming with fish for them to eat
a resource that also feeds huge seabird colonies
including 70% of the world's Northern gannets,
kittiwakes, guillemots, shags and irresistibly cute puffins.
For most of the year they live out at sea,
but during the early months of summer
they dig holes or use rabbit tunnels on the cliffs
to raise their young affording visitors a closeup view.
(bird sounds)
The Scottish West Coast has some of the most
breathtaking views and they don't stop as you had inland.
A hike across the Highlands is ideal for taking in
the landscape and enjoying ancient farmland.
Red deer stand majestically on the peaks
and golden Eagles soar overhead.
The Highlands can seem vast but nothing compared
to the endless expansive mainland Europe.
The continent is breached by seemingly endless forest.
The ice age cleared the continent of trees,
but in the years that followed, they reclaimed the land.
7,000 years ago, most of the continent was forested.
A long and complicated history with humans
changed all of that with most cleared for fuel
and the building materials and to make way for farm land.
Thankfully in some areas more recent forests have developed.
In fact, Europe is one of the few parts of the world
where forest cover has actually increased in recent years.
The continent is one of the most forest rich parts
of the world with 35% of land blanketed by trees.
And there are still small pockets of untouched virgin forest
that remain biodiversity hotspots unmissable
on any bucket list wildlife tour.
They are a stronghold for rare birds, fungus and flowers.
Germany is especially rich with over 30% of land
cloaked in lush green.
The vast pine forests are dark and mysterious,
magical and full of secrets.
Like the biggest member of the grouse family
on the continent, the impressive capercaillie.
If you are going to seek out these feathered beauties,
be sure to do it in their breeding season
for the best posturing and noise.
(bird sounds)
While the lush green deciduous forests provide shelter,
for wild boar,
the ancestor of domestic pigs.
They live in female led groups known as sounders.
Even lynx, shy and secretive top predators of the forest
hide out here.
The dappled cats were wiped out across most of Europe
but here numbers are slowly creeping up.
Even with a healthy population,
wild lynx are cryptic and seldom seen.
With their beautiful spotted coats,
they can blend into their surroundings
helping Cubs to explore safely.
The great forests of Poland are more ancient and majestic.
Still a stronghold for wolves,
though shrouded in fear and superstition
instances of wolves showing any aggression to people
are extremely rare.
They are normally shy and secretive finding remote patches
of wilderness to raise their families.
Left to their own devices,
wolves are prolific breeders with the whole pack
helping to raise the alpha pairs pups.
They play a vital role in controlling the numbers
of game animals that could otherwise
overgraze the vegetation.
Wolves are dramatic creditors that once lived
throughout the Northern hemisphere, but have been
ruthlessly hunted by people to protect livestock.
Here they can hunt their native prey,
including the biggest of Europe's land animals,
the European bison.
The huge wild cattle were hunted
to extinction in the 20th century
only a few in captivity escaped.
But from those few large herds have been bred
and slowly reintroduced into a few of their former haunts.
For a nature lover wild Europe
doesn't get much more exciting than this.
Watching a scene like this is like looking back
into history, a landscape unchanged in thousands of years.
But Europe's forests very wildly,
especially as you transverse the continent.
The cold stunted forest of the Arctic Tundra in the North
give way to dark green pine forests
and then the lush green deciduous forests.
Until you reach a Mediterranean landscape,
the continents Southern extreme
only heat tolerant trees make a living here.
Like evergreen oaks species like holm
and the remarkable cork oak.
The gnarly holes in the trunks provide protection
for wildlife, including this family of hoopoe
one of Europe's quirkiest birds.
The small insect eaters look bigger than they are
because of their slightly ostentatious head gear.
The thick bark is flame-retardant to protect them
from wildfires.
But it's rubbery, fast-growing properties
have drawn admirers.
These people are carrying on a traditional industry
that has played out in South Western Europe for eons.
Stripping the tree of its bark to make cork.
Wine stoppers and bathroom tiles start life here.
It looks drastic, but one of the plant's remarkable
qualities is that it can regenerate the bark.
And after a decade enough we'll have regrown for them
to be harvested again.
Because of the economic importance of the trees
pockets of oak have been set aside and protected
a safe haven for shy and elegant black storks.
While mostly rolling green hills,
Europe has straddled by several dramatic mountain ranges
demonstrating the unfathomable forces of geology.
An Intrepid bucket-list explorer might seek
a heavy duty hike in the Carpathian Mountain Ranges.
The highest and most dramatic peaks are those
of the Tatra Mountains punctuating the boundary
between Slovakia and Poland.
At well over two and 1/2 thousand meters tall,
the range is a challenging obstacle.
Though some residents take the peaks in their stride
like the nimble chamois.
Large hearts and an abundance of red blood cells
allow the little wild goats to cope
with the extreme altitudes where oxygen levels are lower
and they're tiny rubbery hooves grip
the slippery rocks.
Spotting an agile chamois
means you have made it to Europe's high country.
There's another even more dramatic mountain goat
to keep an eye out for, the ibex.
The noble beasts roam all of Europe's major mountains.
Though the Iberian Mountains have their own isolated species
and in the beautiful mountains of Iberia
the South Eastern parts of the continent,
it's not the only unique wildlife.
The rugged country protects little spots
of wildness that are sheltered a variety of wildlife
even pyrenean brown bears.
In the less populated and mountains of Eastern Europe,
brown bears still roam.
But where denser human populations have sprung up,
bears are all but gone.
Carefully protected, the Iberian bears are making
a slow comeback with more than 300 roaming the high country.
It's not easy to find them, but well worth the effort
trying to tick them off the bucket list.
And while searching there's every chance
of spotting other stunning wildlife.
From the bold and bolshy wall creeper
to the gigantic vultures flying overhead.
(bird sounds)
You might spot all five of the continents cleanup crew
The impressive lammergeier, huge black vulture,
the much smaller yellow headed Egyptian vulture
and the very similar and enormous
Griffon and Ruppell's vultures.
The vultures not only have an important job to do
clearing up the dead and preventing the spread of disease,
but also provide some of the most dramatic birdwatching
as they soar overhead.
And of course the landscape itself is a feast
for the eyes and food for the soul.
The mountains and the rocks they are made
of are as diverse as the wildlife living on them.
In some areas the bedrock is soft like the limestone
of Croatia and Hungary.
Seeping rainwater gradually nibbles away at this rock
and over eons sculpt stunning caves, gorges and waterfalls
another natural wonder to explore
and the place to look for dragons.
In the depths of the limestone caves
where the endless drips of water build stalactites
from minerals dissolved within them are dragon nurseries.
The pools without sunlight
in the absence of plants are crystal clear
making it possible to spot the olm.
Not the most impressive creature
considering that for hundreds of years
they were considered to be baby dragons waiting to grow
before they emerged to reck havoc on the land.
The truth is this little colorless amphibian
is Europe's only true troglodyte or cave dweller
In a lightless world, the salamander is completely blind
and uses heightened senses of hearing and to taste
to find its prey in the pools.
The movement of water that shapes these lands ultimately
join some of Europe's spectacular rivers.
Thousands crisscross the continent.
The Danube runs from Germany through Austria, Hungary
Croatia, Serbia, and Romania before spilling
into the Black Sea.
The rivers teem with fish
and the charismatic creatures that hunt them like otters
and king fishers, the jewels of the river.
At its lower elevations, stunning rivers of Europe flow
across lush green landscapes and farmland.
And before they reach the sea, some open out
into vast deltas.
These wetlands are a magnet for wildlife
like the Camargue in France or here
the wetlands of Andalusia on the Southern Coast of Spain.
The Delta of the Guadalquivir River creates mud flats
and marshes that make it one of the most important sites
in Europe for wetland birds,
a bird Watchers bucket-list paradise.
Herons, spoonbills and ducks flock
along with one of the most exotic sites in Europe,
greater flamingos.
Their seductive pinks coming from the coloring
and the tiny shrimps they sift from the water.
Spotted fallow deer pick their way
through the wet ground, rubbing shoulders
with some ancient breeds introduced
by the people of the region.
The horses here are among the oldest breeds
of domestic animals and pretty much live wild
as well as Spain's famous fighting bulls which are very much
at home in the marshy ground.
Like most rivers, the Guadalquivir flows into the sea.
Flowing from Southern Spain, you'd be forgiven
for thinking it would run into the Mediterranean
but this river spills into the Atlantic ocean.
It's close to the mouth of the Med
but there is one thing standing in its way,
the spectacular rock of Gibraltar.
From its peak you can look across to Africa,
to the East, the fringes of the North Atlantic ,
to the West the stunning turquoise of the Mediterranean.
The splinter of land jutting out into the sea is just short
of seven square kilometers and yet it's been important
to humans for 50,000 years or more.
Much of the wildlife here reflects its proximity
to North Africa particularly the famous Barbary macaques,
monkeys imported from Morocco hundreds of years ago
the rocks most famous inhabitants.
The monkeys are a tourist magnet.
Who wouldn't want to meet them?
The only primates in Europe, they've become important
in safeguarding their species
as their African ancestors are becoming rare.
With the best seat in the house,
the playful primates get a view
along the Mediterranean Coast.
Between the Sunkist ancient villages
and fishing ports are quiet bays
perfect for the Explorer who likes to take the plunge
in search of marine treasures.
Playful dolphins and a giant fish greet visitors.
Small by sea standards, The Med offers 2.5 million
square kilometers of marine paradise to explore.
Off the coast of Italy
the sea bed plunges to more than 5,000 meters.
A bit deep for the average bucket-list thrill seeker
but some of the residents that hunt squid in the debts
do come to the surface to breathe
offering a face to face
with the biggest brained animals on the planet, sperm whales
Though the giants might be the showstoppers,
they are the tip of the iceberg in terms of marine species.
The Med covers only 1% of the earth surface
and yet one in 10 known Marine species can be found here
from gigantic and mysterious sunfish
to critically important populations of turtles
and even one of the rarest animals on the planet.
There are only around 700 Mediterranean monk seals left
but carefully protected they are one of Europe's
natural treasures.
Still managing to find a few protective coves out of reach
of disturbance, where they can raise their precious pups.
The deep trenches of the Mediterranean
are the base of great submarine mountain ranges.
Some of their peaks can be seen protruding
above the surface
most dramatically along the profile of Italy
It's a narrow strip of land more than 1/3 covered
in mountains,
great chains like the Apennine and the Alps.
Some of Italy's islands like Sardinia are ancient
500 million years old.
Baked in the sun the hard granite rocks have little water.
So the rare pools attract life
including wild horses and water loving rodents, coypu.
Both were put here by people.
The horses in the ninth century and the coypu
much more recently in the 1920s when fur farms
imported them from South America.
Now both seem very happy here.
Sardinia is ancient, but other mountains of Italy are more
recent and continue to grow.
From Iceland to Italy,
opposite ends of the European continental plate
and both marked by volcanoes.
Here the African plate is being pushed beneath the European
Stromboli is one of the seven Aeolian Islands
rising from the sea.
There are 14 volcanoes in Italy and this is one
of the four that remain active erupting every day.
It's the growing peak of a volcano whose base
lies 3000 meters beneath the scenes.
The mountain ranges of Italy make it diverse
and for thousands of years, it has been one of the most
important countries for people with ancient
and important cultures arising throughout history.
It's ancient architecture is iconic bringing bucket listers
from far and wide.
Of course, all across the continent
ancient and dramatic villages, towns and cities
complete the rich journey through Europe.
For millions of years, our ancestors have lived in Europe
and the continent source some of the earliest human
settlements and agriculture
and later some of the earliest civilizations.
It became a super power and influence culture all
over the world and remains densely populated.
(singing in foreign language)
The huge number of countries makes the population of Europe
some of the most colorful and culturally diverse
bunch of people on the planet.
One, two.
Europe covers only 2% of the earth surface,
but houses 11% of the population.
However, it is still possible to find places
where people have ancient traditional lifestyles
and close connections to nature.
But it's the landscape itself that really steals the show.
From icebergs to subtropical beaches,
wetlands to dense forests
and mountains to deserts
and the myriad of unique animal and plant species
that call Europe home that make this great continent
worthy of any bucket list exploration.
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