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00:00:11,964 --> 00:00:15,844
Looking down from two miles above
the surface of the Earth,
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it's impossible not to be impressed
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00:00:18,284 --> 00:00:22,484
by the sheer grandeur,
and splendour and power
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of the natural world.
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Ten years ago, in a television series
called Planet Earth,
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we revealed many of those wonders,
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but today, much has changed.
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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
We can now show life on our planet
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in entirely new ways,
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bring you closer to animals
than ever before,
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and reveal new wildlife dramas
for the very first time.
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(GROWLING)
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But that's not all.
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Our planet has changed, too.
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Never have those wildernesses
been as fragile
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and as precious as they are today.
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At this crucial time
for the natural world,
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we will journey to every corner
of the globe
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to explore the greatest treasures
of our living planet,
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and reveal the extreme lengths
animals go to to survive.
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Finally, we will explore our cities
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to see how life is adapting
to the newest habitat on Earth.
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This is Planet Earth II.
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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
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ATTENBOROUGH: There are hundreds
of thousands of islands,
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each one a world in miniature.
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A microcosm of our living planet.
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The struggles to survive
on these remote lands
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reflect the challenges
faced by all life on Earth.
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The tiny island of Escudo
off the coast of Panama,
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home to the pygmy three-toed sloth.
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This is a male,
and life here suits him well.
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Mangroves provide all the leaves
he can eat
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and there are no predators to worry him.
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Island life may seem idyllic,
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but it comes at a price.
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There are only a few hundred
pygmy sloths in existence,
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and he needs a mate.
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(SHRILL CALL)
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That's an enticing call...
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(CALL CONTINUES)
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...from a female
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somewhere out there.
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And this, for a sloth,
is a quick reaction.
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(CALL CONTINUES)
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The problem is there's deep water
between them.
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So what should any red-blooded sloth do?
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Swim, of course.
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Could this be her?
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He does his best to put on
a turn of speed.
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But she's not the one.
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She already has a baby
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and she won't mate again
until it leaves her
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in about six months' time.
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Even life on a paradise island
can have its limitations.
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(CALL CONTINUES)
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But at least she can't be far away.
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The world's entire population
of pygmy sloths
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is isolated on a speck of land no bigger
than New York's Central Park.
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The size of an island
has a huge influence
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on the fate of those cast away there.
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The island of Komodo in Indonesia.
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Home to dragons.
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Ten feet long and weighing
an impressive 150 pounds,
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these are the largest living lizards
on the planet.
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It's unusual to find large predators
on islands.
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Yet, for four million years,
the Komodo dragon has dominated here.
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It might seem there wouldn't be
enough food
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to support such giants
on this relatively small island,
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but reptiles, being cold-blooded,
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need only about a tenth of the food
a carnivorous mammal would.
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A single meal
will last a dragon a month.
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They're so successful,
that their only serious competition
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comes from others of their own kind,
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and there are some 2, 000 of them here.
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This giant, however,
isn't looking for food.
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He's looking for a mate.
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Female dragons come into season
only once a year.
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She is receptive.
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So far, so good.
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But he strayed
into someone else's patch.
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Another huge male
thinks he is the king here.
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Space being limited on islands,
dragon territories overlap,
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and that creates continual conflict.
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In dragon society, size is everything.
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But if rivals are closely matched,
the outcome can be uncertain.
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Muscular tails strike the power
of sledgehammers.
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And their serrated teeth
are as sharp as steak knives.
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Each tries to topple his opponent.
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Defeated.
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Only the most powerful dragons
win the right to mate.
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(FLY BUZZING)
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(SNORTING)
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The limited food and space
on the small islands
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can often lead to intense competition.
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But some islands are immense.
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More like miniature continents.
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And these provide opportunities
for life to experiment and evolve.
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Madagascar is one of
the biggest islands
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and also one of the oldest,
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having split away from Africa over
120 million years ago.
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With time and isolation,
its animals have adapted
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to take advantage
of every available niche.
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The island now has some
250, 000 different species,
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most found nowhere else on Earth.
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These are not monkeys, but lemurs.
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From a single ancestor, about a hundred
different types have evolved.
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The largest, the Indri,
seldom comes down from the branches.
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The much smaller ring-tails
wander in troops across the forest floor
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searching for fruit.
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And tiny bamboo lemurs eat nothing
except bamboo.
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With few competitors,
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lemurs have been free to colonise almost
every environment on the island,
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even the most extreme.
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This baby sifaka
has a hard life ahead of it.
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He's been born in the most arid
and hostile corner
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of Madagascar's vast landscape.
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If he is to survive here,
he has much to learn.
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The spiny forest is like a desert.
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It rarely rains, so water and food
is very hard to find.
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Moving from tree to tree
is a perilous business.
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Here, nearly all the plants
are covered with ferocious spines.
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His mother searches the treetops
for the youngest leaves.
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They provide the only food and water
to sustain the family.
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At three months old,
the youngster is starting to explore.
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All too soon, he will have to fend
for himself up here.
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But it's altogether easier
to stay on Mother's back.
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If he can master the strange ways
of this forest,
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he will have a little corner
of Madagascar to himself.
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Island life encourages animals
to do things differently,
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and on some islands, that is essential.
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(VIOLENT RUMBLING)
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There are islands still forming today
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built by volcanoes.
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Some erupt explosively,
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others pour out rivers of molten rock,
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lava.
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In the last 50 years,
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10 new volcanic islands
have been formed.
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Newly created and often remote,
they're hard for colonists to reach.
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Even those that do, find these
are tough places to survive.
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This is Fernandina,
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one of the Galapagos Islands
in the Pacific.
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Young and still volcanically active,
it's a desolate place.
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The surrounding sea, however,
is particularly rich with life,
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and the frontier between these
two very different worlds
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is the home of one of the strangest
of reptiles,
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sea-going iguanas.
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They are vegetarians,
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but since there's little food for them
on the land,
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marine iguanas graze on the sea floor.
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A big male like this one
can dive to 30 metres
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and hold his breath for half an hour.
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There are more than 7, 000 individuals
on Fernandina alone.
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And by bringing nutrients from the sea
to the land,
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the iguanas help other animals
to survive here, too.
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Crabs feed on dead skin
on the iguanas' back
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and, in turn, provide
a welcome exfoliation service.
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(FLIES BUZZING)
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While smaller lizards prey on
the flies that pester the colony.
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But not all the relationships
on this island are so harmonious.
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Marine iguanas lay their eggs in sand.
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In June, when the hatchlings emerge,
they're vulnerable.
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They must join the adults
at the edge of the sea.
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But the journey will be a dangerous one.
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Racer snakes.
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The snakes missed their chance.
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But more babies are hatching.
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And now the snakes are on the alert.
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This is the best feeding opportunity
they will get all year.
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On flat ground a baby iguana
can outrun a racer snake.
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But others are waiting in ambush.
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Another hatchling has its first glimpse
of a dangerous world.
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A snake's eyes aren't very good,
but they can detect movement.
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So if the hatchling keeps its nerve,
it may just avoid detection.
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A near miraculous escape.
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The lucky survivors
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00:26:23,724 --> 00:26:26,564
can begin learning
the unique way of life
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demanded by this hostile island.
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Although marine iguanas
are expert swimmers,
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they can't cross open oceans.
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But even the stormiest waters
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are no barrier for birds.
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Gale force winds and cold temperatures
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make the subantarctic islands
off New Zealand
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particularly unwelcoming in winter.
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But when the brief summer comes,
temperatures rise and winds slacken.
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It's now that visitors arrive.
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All here to breed before winter returns.
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There's the Snares penguins.
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Shearwaters come, too.
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00:28:15,964 --> 00:28:19,764
This is an excellent place for them
to dig their nesting burrows,
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for no predators
have managed to get here.
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Soon the island is crowded with birds.
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00:28:33,444 --> 00:28:37,404
Every one of them eager to make
the most of the short breeding season.
196
00:28:41,484 --> 00:28:44,244
But not everyone has a partner.
197
00:28:50,524 --> 00:28:54,044
A male Buller's albatross
waits for his mate.
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00:28:57,084 --> 00:29:01,764
Each year they spend six months apart,
travelling the ocean.
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00:29:06,724 --> 00:29:09,364
They reunite here to breed.
200
00:29:12,284 --> 00:29:14,644
But this year, she's late.
201
00:29:18,244 --> 00:29:20,244
No, that's not her.
202
00:29:24,604 --> 00:29:26,884
The other birds come and go.
203
00:29:36,844 --> 00:29:38,564
The clock is ticking.
204
00:29:39,844 --> 00:29:44,684
If she doesn't appear soon, it will be
too late for them to breed successfully.
205
00:29:47,404 --> 00:29:51,644
Every morning the shearwaters fly off
to collect food for their young.
206
00:29:52,084 --> 00:29:53,084
(HOOTING)
207
00:29:54,404 --> 00:29:55,884
(CHIRPING)
208
00:30:09,524 --> 00:30:12,644
Everybody else seems
to be getting on with it.
209
00:30:25,084 --> 00:30:29,604
The shearwaters' return
marks another lost day.
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00:30:31,644 --> 00:30:34,524
There are three million birds
on the island,
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00:30:34,604 --> 00:30:36,964
but only one matters to him.
212
00:30:44,964 --> 00:30:46,124
Could this be her?
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00:30:52,324 --> 00:30:53,444
At last.
214
00:31:04,484 --> 00:31:05,844
(SQUAWKING)
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00:31:08,004 --> 00:31:10,364
At first, he's a little coy.
216
00:31:11,524 --> 00:31:13,684
(SQUAWKING)
217
00:31:24,564 --> 00:31:26,204
But not for long.
218
00:31:33,244 --> 00:31:35,804
They greet each other
with the special dance
219
00:31:35,884 --> 00:31:38,604
they've perfected over many years.
220
00:31:49,724 --> 00:31:55,284
There is much to do, if they're to raise
a chick before winter returns.
221
00:31:59,924 --> 00:32:02,644
But when you've been apart
for six months,
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00:32:02,724 --> 00:32:05,044
some things can't be rushed.
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00:32:23,724 --> 00:32:29,924
Islands in warm tropical waters
don't experience seasonal extremes.
224
00:32:32,884 --> 00:32:36,004
The Seychelles, lying off
the coast of East Africa,
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00:32:36,084 --> 00:32:39,164
provide a sanctuary
for seabirds all the year round.
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00:32:40,924 --> 00:32:42,884
(BIRDS CHIRPING AND SCREECHING)
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00:32:55,764 --> 00:32:58,324
Fairy terns are permanent residents.
228
00:32:59,844 --> 00:33:04,964
They take a fairly relaxed view
about what constitutes a nest.
229
00:33:06,324 --> 00:33:08,644
A bare branch is quite enough.
230
00:33:17,364 --> 00:33:22,244
Climbing onto it to incubate
has to be done with care.
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Once a year, the noddies arrive.
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00:33:34,844 --> 00:33:37,884
They do make nests, and Pisonia trees
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00:33:37,964 --> 00:33:42,004
provide their young with a rather
less precarious start in life.
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00:33:48,924 --> 00:33:51,524
Nesting on this island looks idyllic,
235
00:33:52,884 --> 00:33:57,044
but behind the beauty
there's a sinister side.
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00:34:01,364 --> 00:34:06,444
The Seychelles fody makes quick work
of an unattended egg.
237
00:34:21,524 --> 00:34:23,404
She knows something's not quite right,
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00:34:23,484 --> 00:34:26,924
but her drive to incubate is strong.
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00:34:41,484 --> 00:34:43,684
The noddies, too, have a problem.
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00:34:47,604 --> 00:34:49,404
As their chicks grow,
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00:34:49,484 --> 00:34:53,484
so the Pisonia tree
develops seeds that are sticky
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00:34:53,564 --> 00:34:55,204
and equipped with hooks.
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00:35:00,604 --> 00:35:02,764
By the time the young noddies leave
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00:35:02,844 --> 00:35:06,924
they carry these hitchhiking seeds
away to other islands.
245
00:35:13,484 --> 00:35:17,724
But sometimes the Pisonia trees
are too successful.
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00:35:23,284 --> 00:35:27,084
If a fledgling testing out its wings
drops to the ground,
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00:35:27,164 --> 00:35:29,844
it can get covered with the seeds.
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00:35:38,244 --> 00:35:40,524
Entangled and weighed down,
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00:35:41,164 --> 00:35:44,804
if it can't free itself,
the youngster will starve.
250
00:35:58,244 --> 00:36:03,124
The Pisonia may have failed
to disperse these seeds,
251
00:36:03,564 --> 00:36:07,964
but it will soon have fertiliser
for its roots.
252
00:36:13,764 --> 00:36:19,604
This is why some people call
the Pisonia the "bird catcher tree".
253
00:36:22,364 --> 00:36:24,004
(SQUAWKING)
254
00:36:52,644 --> 00:36:55,604
The Fairy tern laid another egg,
255
00:36:55,684 --> 00:36:58,604
and now she has a tiny chick to feed.
256
00:37:05,244 --> 00:37:06,724
This chick is lucky.
257
00:37:09,524 --> 00:37:13,484
By the time it fledges,
the Pisonia seeds will have dispersed
258
00:37:13,564 --> 00:37:15,964
and the danger
they brought will be gone.
259
00:37:27,164 --> 00:37:30,284
Even the most idyllic looking of islands
260
00:37:30,364 --> 00:37:34,044
presents challenges
for the animals living there.
261
00:37:34,124 --> 00:37:38,204
But the greatest threat they face
is change.
262
00:37:54,484 --> 00:37:57,204
Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
263
00:37:58,644 --> 00:38:04,444
For millions of years this remote
spec of land has been ruled by crabs.
264
00:38:10,524 --> 00:38:13,484
Their ancestors came from the sea,
265
00:38:13,564 --> 00:38:17,644
but most have now adopted
a land-based existence.
266
00:38:26,724 --> 00:38:31,044
Given there are so many of them,
they get along relatively harmoniously.
267
00:38:33,604 --> 00:38:39,404
They're the gardeners and caretakers
of a tiny crab utopia.
268
00:38:43,084 --> 00:38:46,724
Once a year, they must all return
to the sea to breed,
269
00:38:46,804 --> 00:38:49,004
and the march of the red crabs
270
00:38:49,084 --> 00:38:52,964
is one of the greatest
natural spectacles on Earth.
271
00:39:04,484 --> 00:39:06,844
There are 50 million of them.
272
00:39:13,684 --> 00:39:18,164
It's an event that has brought
the island worldwide fame.
273
00:39:28,764 --> 00:39:30,444
But in recent years,
274
00:39:30,524 --> 00:39:34,564
millions of red crabs
haven't managed to reach the sea.
275
00:39:40,484 --> 00:39:43,484
An invader has occupied this island.
276
00:39:46,484 --> 00:39:48,604
Yellow crazy ants.
277
00:39:49,684 --> 00:39:52,884
They escape from visiting ships,
and with no predators
278
00:39:52,964 --> 00:39:55,604
to control them,
they have now created vast
279
00:39:55,684 --> 00:39:58,084
super colonies in the forest.
280
00:40:04,004 --> 00:40:07,044
When migrating
red crabs march into their territory,
281
00:40:07,124 --> 00:40:08,644
the ants attack,
282
00:40:10,284 --> 00:40:14,044
squirting acid
into the crabs' eyes and mouths.
283
00:40:23,924 --> 00:40:26,124
The crabs have no defence.
284
00:40:29,964 --> 00:40:34,044
Blinded and confused, they're doomed.
285
00:40:45,364 --> 00:40:48,764
Humans brought these ant invaders here
286
00:40:48,844 --> 00:40:51,724
and now humans are having
to control them.
287
00:40:55,244 --> 00:41:00,844
Isolated communities may evolve
for millions of years in relative peace,
288
00:41:02,284 --> 00:41:06,644
but when new challenges arrive,
they can struggle to cope.
289
00:41:09,044 --> 00:41:13,564
Of all the species that have become
extinct in recent years,
290
00:41:13,644 --> 00:41:17,044
around 80% have been islanders.
291
00:41:20,644 --> 00:41:25,444
Our impact on the Earth is greater today
than ever before.
292
00:41:26,484 --> 00:41:28,804
Yet some islands are so remote,
293
00:41:28,884 --> 00:41:31,924
that few humans have even set foot
on them.
294
00:41:35,244 --> 00:41:37,964
Zavodovski Island is one.
295
00:41:41,564 --> 00:41:44,324
It lies in the great Southern Ocean.
296
00:41:44,404 --> 00:41:47,684
It's not only surrounded
by the stormiest of seas,
297
00:41:47,764 --> 00:41:50,644
it is itself an active volcano.
298
00:41:53,244 --> 00:41:56,684
It's the last place on Earth
you'd choose to live.
299
00:42:05,724 --> 00:42:08,684
Unless, you're a chinstrap penguin.
300
00:42:11,204 --> 00:42:14,524
There's plenty of food in these waters,
but to exploit it,
301
00:42:14,604 --> 00:42:17,204
the penguins have to risk their lives.
302
00:43:05,924 --> 00:43:09,684
Life here is dangerous in the extreme.
303
00:43:22,844 --> 00:43:23,884
(PENGUINS CHATTERING)
304
00:43:26,764 --> 00:43:30,284
But there are some benefits from living
on a volcano.
305
00:43:32,764 --> 00:43:36,124
Its warmth melts the snow
early in the year
306
00:43:37,004 --> 00:43:40,364
and by January,
the Antarctic's mid-summer,
307
00:43:40,444 --> 00:43:42,884
the island is covered in chicks.
308
00:43:42,964 --> 00:43:43,964
(CHIRPING)
309
00:43:47,204 --> 00:43:50,284
Parents take turns at guarding them
310
00:43:50,364 --> 00:43:52,644
until they're large enough
to be left alone.
311
00:43:57,524 --> 00:44:02,484
This mother's chicks are hungry,
but she has no food left to give them.
312
00:44:04,364 --> 00:44:08,484
Their survival depends on their father
returning with their next meal.
313
00:44:12,844 --> 00:44:14,564
But some don't make it.
314
00:44:28,684 --> 00:44:32,604
Skuas harass the colony
hoping to snatch a chick.
315
00:44:32,684 --> 00:44:33,764
(SKUA HONKING)
316
00:44:40,484 --> 00:44:42,364
She can't risk leaving them.
317
00:44:47,204 --> 00:44:51,124
Everything will be fine
as long as their father comes back soon.
318
00:45:20,484 --> 00:45:23,644
He's been fishing 50 miles offshore,
319
00:45:23,724 --> 00:45:25,724
but now, he's not far away.
320
00:45:28,444 --> 00:45:31,844
For him, however,
and for all the other parents here,
321
00:45:31,924 --> 00:45:34,564
the worst of the journey
is still to come.
322
00:46:06,444 --> 00:46:10,924
Tiny claws help him to get
whatever grip he can on the rough lava.
323
00:46:38,684 --> 00:46:41,644
For these commuters, it's rush hour.
324
00:46:43,204 --> 00:46:45,964
Some have had a really bad day.
325
00:46:50,204 --> 00:46:54,324
The father now has
a two mile walk to the nest,
326
00:46:54,404 --> 00:46:56,924
and a stomach loaded with food
doesn't help.
327
00:47:04,004 --> 00:47:07,884
This is the largest penguin colony
in the world.
328
00:47:07,964 --> 00:47:09,924
(PENGUINS CHATTERING)
329
00:47:14,684 --> 00:47:18,044
But as he makes the same journey
every other day,
330
00:47:18,124 --> 00:47:21,124
he should be able to do it
with his eyes closed.
331
00:47:29,684 --> 00:47:32,804
It's true that there can be safety
in numbers,
332
00:47:32,884 --> 00:47:35,484
but numbers can also be something
of a problem
333
00:47:35,564 --> 00:47:37,724
when you're trying to find
your own nest.
334
00:47:44,284 --> 00:47:46,164
The mother is still waiting.
335
00:47:48,284 --> 00:47:50,364
Her chicks are now desperate.
336
00:47:50,444 --> 00:47:51,444
(CHICKS CHIRPING)
337
00:47:56,204 --> 00:47:58,804
In the midst of all this
deafening chorus,
338
00:47:58,884 --> 00:48:01,364
he can recognise her particular cry.
339
00:48:01,444 --> 00:48:02,444
(CRYING OUT)
340
00:48:20,964 --> 00:48:22,084
At last.
341
00:48:37,564 --> 00:48:39,644
Both chicks will get a meal.
342
00:48:46,884 --> 00:48:51,524
With a head bob of acknowledgement,
their mother now leaves.
343
00:48:51,604 --> 00:48:54,804
It's her turn to do the feeding run.
344
00:49:01,204 --> 00:49:07,404
This formidable commute is the price
these penguins pay for sanctuary.
345
00:49:13,724 --> 00:49:17,164
A strange vision of paradise to us,
perhaps,
346
00:49:17,244 --> 00:49:20,644
but for one and a half million penguins,
347
00:49:20,724 --> 00:49:22,844
this island has it all.
348
00:49:33,604 --> 00:49:37,524
Islands may seem remote
and insignificant,
349
00:49:37,604 --> 00:49:41,764
but they are home to some of the most
precious wildlife on Earth.
350
00:50:05,164 --> 00:50:08,164
The expedition to film on the island
of Zavodovski
351
00:50:08,244 --> 00:50:10,844
was the most intrepid shoot
of the series.
352
00:50:11,804 --> 00:50:13,444
To ensure its success,
353
00:50:13,524 --> 00:50:17,524
the team have called in
Antarctic expert Jerome Poncet,
354
00:50:17,604 --> 00:50:20,604
one of the few people to have set foot
on the island.
355
00:50:23,124 --> 00:50:26,604
This whole region of Antarctica
is rarely visited.
356
00:50:30,764 --> 00:50:33,444
And this is the planet's roughest ocean.
357
00:50:42,524 --> 00:50:45,084
After seven long days and nights at sea,
358
00:50:45,164 --> 00:50:48,164
they get their first glimpse
of their final destination.
359
00:50:48,844 --> 00:50:51,004
It's actually quite surreal
after a whole year
360
00:50:51,084 --> 00:50:52,564
of trying to
put the expedition together,
361
00:50:52,644 --> 00:50:55,084
and then today we wake up
and there's the volcano.
362
00:50:55,164 --> 00:50:56,284
That's Zavodovski.
363
00:50:58,004 --> 00:51:00,684
ATTENBOROUGH:
The explorers who discovered this place
364
00:51:00,764 --> 00:51:04,844
spoke of the stench of sulphurous gases,
365
00:51:04,924 --> 00:51:09,604
treacherous waters
and astonishing numbers of penguins.
366
00:51:13,044 --> 00:51:15,364
It seems not much has changed.
367
00:51:16,724 --> 00:51:18,244
The drone's been around the whole place
368
00:51:18,324 --> 00:51:21,644
and there, literally, is only
one safe area to get on,
369
00:51:21,724 --> 00:51:24,404
and he's telling us
it's that rock face over there.
370
00:51:27,244 --> 00:51:30,324
ATTENBOROUGH: The team must take
everything they need to survive.
371
00:51:31,244 --> 00:51:32,244
MAN: Here are penguins.
372
00:51:35,084 --> 00:51:36,764
ATTENBOROUGH:
Though the boat will stay nearby,
373
00:51:36,844 --> 00:51:38,604
they will need to be self-sufficient.
374
00:51:39,924 --> 00:51:43,564
But that means taking a ton
of equipment up this cliff.
375
00:51:44,564 --> 00:51:46,324
MAN: Just get that lot to help.
376
00:51:46,404 --> 00:51:48,044
Many flippers make light work.
377
00:51:50,724 --> 00:51:53,484
ATTENBOROUGH: They work all day
getting the gear ashore,
378
00:51:56,164 --> 00:51:59,124
but the fact that there are
so many penguins on the island
379
00:51:59,204 --> 00:52:00,444
doesn't make it easy.
380
00:52:01,804 --> 00:52:04,884
Yeah, the hardest thing for us
has been finding a pathway through,
381
00:52:04,964 --> 00:52:07,764
as there's absolutely penguins
everywhere you look.
382
00:52:15,124 --> 00:52:17,364
ATTENBOROUGH:
Finally, it's time to make camp.
383
00:52:22,364 --> 00:52:26,044
They choose a sheltered place
that won't disturb the locals.
384
00:52:27,524 --> 00:52:31,284
But since most of the penguins
won't have seen a human being before,
385
00:52:31,364 --> 00:52:33,564
they seem keen to pop over and visit.
386
00:52:33,644 --> 00:52:34,644
(PENGUINS CHATTERING)
387
00:52:36,084 --> 00:52:37,284
ELIZABETH WHITE: Nosy neighbours.
388
00:52:39,764 --> 00:52:41,444
ATTENBOROUGH:
The team set off to start documenting
389
00:52:41,524 --> 00:52:43,804
the daily lives of the penguins,
390
00:52:43,884 --> 00:52:46,244
and what they find is astonishing.
391
00:52:47,244 --> 00:52:49,124
As soon as you walk over that ridge,
392
00:52:49,204 --> 00:52:52,524
you so get the tingly feeling
because I've never seen
393
00:52:52,604 --> 00:52:54,524
that many animals in one spot.
394
00:52:55,204 --> 00:52:56,284
It's just mind-blowing.
395
00:52:59,084 --> 00:53:01,964
Just like Glastonbury Festival,
396
00:53:02,044 --> 00:53:03,524
the whole landscape was full of
397
00:53:03,604 --> 00:53:06,364
little black and white penguins
waddling around.
398
00:53:10,964 --> 00:53:14,124
This is penguin paradise
and that's what we've got to show.
399
00:53:18,844 --> 00:53:20,164
ATTENBOROUGH: A promising start,
400
00:53:21,764 --> 00:53:25,124
but, here, fortunes can change quickly.
401
00:53:29,044 --> 00:53:30,524
MAN: ♪ Summertime... ♪
402
00:53:34,044 --> 00:53:36,564
- Every season within 10 minutes.
- WHITE: Mmm.
403
00:53:40,004 --> 00:53:43,844
ATTENBOROUGH: As the snow melts,
it creates an unforeseen problem.
404
00:53:46,044 --> 00:53:48,884
We've purposely changed the campsite
because it was a place
405
00:53:48,964 --> 00:53:51,004
where the penguins didn't seem to go.
406
00:53:51,084 --> 00:53:53,644
I think we've realised why the penguins
don't nest here,
407
00:53:53,724 --> 00:53:56,564
it's because of the spray
and because of some run-off,
408
00:53:56,644 --> 00:53:58,604
so we are literally in a bit of a bog.
409
00:54:00,724 --> 00:54:03,044
ATTENBOROUGH: And it's not just mud.
410
00:54:04,804 --> 00:54:06,924
MAN: Couple of these guys,
as they wander down
411
00:54:07,004 --> 00:54:08,644
to do a spot of fishing,
412
00:54:08,724 --> 00:54:11,964
they tend to use my tent as
a little, uh, poop spot.
413
00:54:13,204 --> 00:54:15,884
You kinda get used to it at night
just hearing a constant
414
00:54:15,964 --> 00:54:17,564
splat on top of the tent.
415
00:54:18,204 --> 00:54:20,444
But, as you can see, all of the kit,
416
00:54:20,524 --> 00:54:24,564
I'm afraid that's, uh,
getting splat on as well. (CHUCKLES)
417
00:54:24,964 --> 00:54:28,764
ATTENBOROUGH: And when the wind changes,
it brings a noxious reminder
418
00:54:28,844 --> 00:54:31,364
that they are camping on
an active volcano.
419
00:54:33,764 --> 00:54:36,164
It's the first time
we've smelt sulphur which is
420
00:54:36,244 --> 00:54:38,644
a welcome relief from smelling penguins.
421
00:54:39,564 --> 00:54:40,924
It's smoking away.
422
00:54:42,524 --> 00:54:45,484
(CHUCKLES) And I think if they
start running for the sea
423
00:54:45,564 --> 00:54:47,804
we're gonna be calling Jerome
pretty quick with the boat.
424
00:54:51,004 --> 00:54:53,124
ATTENBOROUGH:
Each day filming on Zavodovski
425
00:54:53,204 --> 00:54:55,284
seems to present a new challenge.
426
00:54:59,564 --> 00:55:02,564
Next, a huge storm hits the island.
427
00:55:05,364 --> 00:55:10,564
Only now do the team realise just
how tough life can be for the penguins.
428
00:55:14,284 --> 00:55:19,084
It's hard not to be moved by the effort
they go to to feed their chicks.
429
00:55:21,404 --> 00:55:23,684
These huge waves are coming in.
430
00:55:23,764 --> 00:55:27,764
The penguins are surfing it,
getting battered on these big boulders,
431
00:55:27,844 --> 00:55:30,964
and now and again you just get a penguin
that gets catapulted
432
00:55:31,044 --> 00:55:33,764
15 metres in the air,
it's totally ludicrous.
433
00:55:36,004 --> 00:55:39,284
I really think there are, uh,
quite few penguins getting killed in it.
434
00:55:45,004 --> 00:55:49,324
The beach in the afternoon was just
a scene of death and destruction.
435
00:55:51,164 --> 00:55:52,924
It was absolute carnage.
436
00:55:55,204 --> 00:55:56,444
It's kind of heartbreaking,
437
00:55:56,524 --> 00:55:58,124
I mean, they're trying so hard
to get up the beach
438
00:55:58,204 --> 00:56:00,644
with broken legs and bleeding and...
439
00:56:01,644 --> 00:56:04,204
Very, you know, sobering, really.
440
00:56:07,644 --> 00:56:11,284
ATTENBOROUGH: After witnessing
the struggles the penguins must endure,
441
00:56:11,364 --> 00:56:13,444
the team now face the same problem,
442
00:56:14,764 --> 00:56:16,244
getting off the island.
443
00:56:17,484 --> 00:56:19,324
With another storm coming in,
444
00:56:19,804 --> 00:56:21,644
they decide to take their chance.
445
00:56:23,524 --> 00:56:27,404
Jerome has seconds to get in and out
between the waves.
446
00:56:28,524 --> 00:56:30,084
Or the Zodiac could tip,
447
00:56:31,244 --> 00:56:32,724
leaving them all stranded.
448
00:56:33,924 --> 00:56:36,324
WHITE: Hey, that's the first box
off the island.
449
00:56:42,044 --> 00:56:43,604
ATTENBOROUGH:
What took a day to get ashore
450
00:56:43,684 --> 00:56:47,524
must be off in minutes.
And the swell is getting bigger.
451
00:56:49,404 --> 00:56:52,044
Their window of opportunity is closing.
452
00:56:53,444 --> 00:56:55,444
MAN: Hey, look at the swell.
Now watch out, watch out.
453
00:57:02,124 --> 00:57:05,484
ATTENBOROUGH: The equipment's off,
but now the team has to follow.
454
00:57:10,404 --> 00:57:12,284
MAN: So she's just leaving us now,
is she?
455
00:57:12,524 --> 00:57:15,164
That's the producer, she's gone.
We have to swim now.
456
00:57:20,244 --> 00:57:22,364
ATTENBOROUGH:
Luckily, it didn't come to that.
457
00:57:27,164 --> 00:57:31,564
Safely aboard, they leave with
an unforgettable experience
458
00:57:31,644 --> 00:57:34,164
of how hard life is
459
00:57:34,244 --> 00:57:36,764
on an island at the edge of the world.
460
00:57:36,844 --> 00:57:38,364
(PENGUINS CHATTERING)
461
00:57:41,284 --> 00:57:42,484
Next time,
462
00:57:42,564 --> 00:57:44,524
we ascend
into the planet's highest peaks
463
00:57:46,204 --> 00:57:49,324
to discover a spectacular
but hostile world
464
00:57:50,004 --> 00:57:52,844
where only the toughest animals
can endure.
465
00:57:53,884 --> 00:57:55,244
(GROWLING AND SNARLING)
466
00:57:55,524 --> 00:57:58,044
This is life on the roof of the world,
467
00:57:58,124 --> 00:57:59,884
mountains.