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200 million years ago,
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our planet looked very different
from what it does today.
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It was entirely covered by sea,
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00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,956
which surrounded one single
supercontinent we call Pangaea.
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And then Pangaea began to break up.
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Life was cast adrift on fragments of land.
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And these fragments eventually
became our seven continents.
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We will see how life developed
on each continent,
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giving rise to the extraordinary
and wonderful diversity that we see today.
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We'll venture to the frozen wilderness
of Antarctica...
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...where life thrives against the odds...
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...and to the riches of South America,
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full of the unexpected...
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...from the wilds of Africa...
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...to the vast expanses of North America
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and the searing heat of Australia.
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We'll explore the remote reaches
of Asia...
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...home to rarely seen creatures...
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...and Europe,
a world transformed by humanity.
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And we'll discover how this may be
the most critical moment for life on Earth
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since the continents formed.
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We are changing the world so rapidly
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that wildlife is now facing
some of its greatest challenges yet.
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Never has it been
a more important time
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to reveal the precious diversity of life
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on our seven continents.
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This is Seven Worlds, One Planet.
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Of all the continents...
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...one was first sighted by humans
just 200 years ago.
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And only now are we beginning to
understand what it takes to survive here.
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It's the most hostile of them all.
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98% of mainland Antarctica,
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an area one and a half times
the size of the United States,
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is covered in ice...
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...on which virtually nothing can live.
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So life is dependent on the ocean
that surrounds it.
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But even the ocean freezes.
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Only one mammal
can live this far south...
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...the Weddell seal.
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(SEAL GRUNTS)
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She has to keep her breathing hole open
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by grinding back the ice with her teeth.
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Out here on the sea ice,
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all these seals are far from the predators
of the open ocean...
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...so this is the safest place
for her to give birth.
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Leaving the warmth of the womb
and landing on ice
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is the sharpest drop in temperature
any animal ever faces.
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(PUP MEWLS)
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But her pup can't swim
for the first ten days of its life.
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It's trapped here, out on the ice.
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(WIND GUSTS)
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(PUP MEWLS)
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She shields her pup from the wind.
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Although it's spring,
temperatures can drop
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to minus 40 degrees Celsius
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and blizzards can rage for days.
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Three days on,
and the storm is still raging.
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She now faces the hardest of decisions.
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Does she stay with her pup?
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(MEWLS)
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Or shelter in the water?
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Now her pup's best chance of survival
is for the storm to pass quickly.
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(WIND HOWLS)
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Some pups didn't make it.
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(YOWLS)
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(MEWLS)
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An answer.
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(YOWLS)
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(MEWLS)
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If this pup now joins its mother
in the water,
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00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,438
it will be safe from any future storm.
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It's minus 2 degrees Celsius,
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but being in water is warmer
than lying on the ice in the howling wind.
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Its chances of surviving here
are now extremely good.
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Only a few hardy animals can live
all year round as far south as this.
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Further from the Pole,
on the fringes of the continent,
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lie islands that are free of sea ice.
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(CAWING)
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Here there are other challenges.
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Saint Andrews Bay on South Georgia
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is packed with half a million
king penguins.
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In spring, the chicks are left for days
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whilst their parents are away
collecting food for them.
84
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There is a simple arrangement.
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00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:21,150
The chicks must stay exactly
where their parents left them
86
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to be sure of being found again.
87
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(CHEEPS)
88
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(CHEEPS)
89
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But this chick has decided
to look around.
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There is a lot to be investigated.
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(CHEEPING)
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But it must not stray too far
from its meeting place.
93
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This parent has returned
with food in its crop.
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But its chick isn't where it left it.
95
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It's hard to stay put
when there's so much to play with.
96
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(GRUNTING)
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Elephant seals are here too.
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Very mysterious.
99
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(SEAL GRUNTS)
100
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(SEAL GRUNTS)
101
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(GRUNTING)
102
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Finding it in the crowd of youngsters
is not going to be easy.
103
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They must recognise each other
by their calls.
104
00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,840
(CAWING AND CHEEPING)
105
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(CHEEPS)
106
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But to hear these
in such a noisy colony
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they must be within 15 metres
of each other.
108
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(CAWS)
109
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(CHEEPS)
110
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(CAWS)
111
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(CHEEPS)
112
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Reunited.
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Saint Andrews beach is one
of the most crowded on the planet,
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and so holding a territory here
is a constant battle.
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This bull elephant seal holds
the mating rights to 60 females.
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(GRUNTS QUIETLY)
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For two months,
he's guarded this stretch of beach.
118
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Unable to feed,
he's losing ten kilos a day...
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...and he's exhausted.
120
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But other bulls are lying around,
waiting their chance.
121
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(GRUNTS)
122
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(GRUNTS)
123
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(PENGUINS CAW)
124
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(GRUNTS)
125
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(GRUNTING)
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Blubber 15cm thick
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is protection against the cold,
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but not from the impact
of a four-tonne opponent.
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He holds his ground
and forces the intruder back out to sea.
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Life in the Antarctic is harsh indeed,
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but all these creatures come here
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because the Southern Ocean
is one of the richest on Earth.
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When, 30 million years ago,
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the continent broke away
from South America and drifted south,
135
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currents began to swirl right around it.
136
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:53,875
They are now the strongest
of any currents on the planet.
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They sweep up nutrients from the depths
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and so create one of the richest
feeding grounds in all the world's oceans.
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And some of the creatures
that come here to feast
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do so in a most sophisticated way.
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Humpback whales.
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It's summer,
and they've come here for a banquet.
143
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The cold waters
contain great shoals of krill.
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It's estimated that
there are 400 trillion of them
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and that their combined weight is greater
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than that of any other animal species
on the planet.
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To collect them, the humpbacks
blow curtains of bubbles
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which the krill won't cross.
149
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The whales then rise,
150
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spiralling inwards
to concentrate the swarm.
151
00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:59,035
Summer in Antarctica is a time of plenty,
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when most humpbacks are able to put on
the reserves they need for the whole year.
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00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:12,591
But the wildlife in these waters
faces an uncertain future.
154
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,160
The Southern Ocean is warming.
155
00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,509
90% of the world's ice
lies in Antarctica,
156
00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:35,919
and in some parts the rate at which
it's melting is doubling every decade.
157
00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,155
Sea levels are rising.
158
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,151
But there is a more immediate threat.
159
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,073
The warming of the coldest region on Earth
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00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,034
is having a profound effect
on global weather patterns.
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00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,749
And this change in the climate
is already being felt right here.
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(SQUAWKING)
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This grey-headed albatross chick
is four weeks old.
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So far, it has been sheltered
from the gales by its parents,
165
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who take turns to collect food for it
out at sea.
166
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It is the only chick
that they will have in two years.
167
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(CHEEPS)
168
00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,638
A delicate touching of beaks
strengthens their bond.
169
00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,870
But these tender moments
cannot last for ever.
170
00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,913
As a chick grows, so does its appetite,
171
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so one parent has to leave to find food
before the other returns.
172
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(CHEEPS)
173
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,712
Parting is a big step,
174
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and they take time over it.
175
00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:31,439
(CHEEPS)
176
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,353
For the first time in its life,
177
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,391
this chick is alone.
178
00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:23,151
The Antarctic is the windiest continent,
179
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and in recent years,
climate change has brought storms
180
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,838
that are more frequent
and even more powerful.
181
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,759
(WIND GUSTS)
182
00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:44,399
Winds now regularly reach 70mph.
183
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,831
But the albatross chicks
must try to stay on their nests.
184
00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:08,837
(CHEEPS)
185
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,750
Surviving the storm is one thing...
186
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:58,078
...but now, off the nest
in these freezing temperatures,
187
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this chick has just hours to live.
188
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:16,157
The brutal conditions
have taken their toll.
189
00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,795
Some chicks have already succumbed
to exposure.
190
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,276
The bond is so strong
191
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,597
it can be hard for a father to let go.
192
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:46,912
The albatross population here
193
00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,273
has more than halved in the last 15 years.
194
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,797
These albatross are facing extinction.
195
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:05,035
They simply cannot keep pace
with the changes affecting their world.
196
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,272
More parents are returning
to the colony.
197
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,350
Something is not right.
198
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,150
The nest should not be empty.
199
00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,675
The chick is actually
right below its parent,
200
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:08,237
but because it's not on the nest,
the parent doesn't recognise it...
201
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:12,111
(CHEEPS)
202
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:19,757
...and doesn't help it.
203
00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:26,431
Strangely, perhaps,
204
00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,679
these albatross do not recognise
their chicks by sight,
205
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,758
sound or smell.
206
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,839
They identify them
by finding them on the nest.
207
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,598
So these violent storms
have created a problem
208
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,759
that the albatross
are not equipped to solve.
209
00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,635
If it is to survive,
210
00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,230
the chick will have to
get back on the nest by itself.
211
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,920
The chick has made it.
212
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,758
The bond is re-established immediately
213
00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,350
and its parent once again
provides the warmth
214
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,199
that the chick so desperately needs.
215
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:17,993
(CAWS)
216
00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,512
It's safe...for now.
217
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,759
Nowhere in Antarctica is survival easy.
218
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:59,150
Gentoo penguins
travel up to 50 miles every day
219
00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,032
to find food,
220
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,754
and they're now returning to their chicks.
221
00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,673
They are the fastest penguin in the sea
222
00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,394
and can swim at 22mph.
223
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,431
But other animals can swim much faster.
224
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:28,359
Orca.
225
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,273
This penguin must rely on its agility.
226
00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:55,918
(HOOTS)
227
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:21,194
(HOOTS)
228
00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,198
(HOOTS)
229
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:44,999
(HOOTS)
230
00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:48,070
(HOOTS)
231
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,678
With four orcas chasing it,
232
00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:11,996
the penguin stood little chance.
233
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,999
Most gentoo parents
do make it back to the colony.
234
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,194
Today, it's been a good hunt for krill.
235
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,716
Perhaps too good.
236
00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:04,753
The chicks grow, and it seems that
the Mohawk style is back in fashion.
237
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,837
It's just a phase.
238
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,359
He'll grow out of it.
239
00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:17,514
He'll soon lose
these remaining down feathers
240
00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:21,634
and be ready to leave the colony
and collect food for himself.
241
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,118
But doing so is becoming harder
242
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,436
because of climate change.
243
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,439
(RUMBLING)
244
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,791
Glaciers in the region
are now calving faster
245
00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:41,117
than they have done since records began.
246
00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,830
And this brash ice now fills the bays.
247
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,755
It's autumn.
248
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,875
The chicks have lost their down feathers
and they're hungry.
249
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,834
They must go to sea for the first time.
250
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,877
But there's now a risk of being crushed
between blocks of ice.
251
00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,872
They have to get
to the distant icebergs...
252
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:39,399
...and so reach the open ocean
that lies beyond.
253
00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,720
And that is easier said than done.
254
00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:56,878
A leopard seal.
255
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:58,752
(CAWING)
256
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:00,712
Their main predator.
257
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,438
It's a giant - three metres long.
258
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,829
These icy conditions help it to hunt.
259
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:23,310
The penguins can neither walk nor swim.
260
00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,950
They have no way of telling
where the seal will strike.
261
00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,075
These are easy pickings.
262
00:35:25,720 --> 00:35:27,358
(GRUNTS)
263
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,952
For some, it's time to retreat.
264
00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,879
But now it's back to square one.
265
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:20,279
There's no alternative
but to run the gauntlet once again.
266
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,957
(CAWS)
267
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:45,955
(CAWS)
268
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:57,794
The seal seems to be toying
with this penguin.
269
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:04,310
But safety is in sight.
270
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,154
The ice floe is near the open ocean...
271
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,078
...but this penguin is exhausted.
272
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,399
(PENGUIN CAWS)
273
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,079
(SEAL GRUNTS)
274
00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:55,999
(PENGUIN CAWS)
275
00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:57,793
(SEAL GROWLS)
276
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,319
Perhaps it's not worth it, after all.
277
00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,271
Winter is coming.
278
00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:48,550
Antarctica now undergoes
a major transformation.
279
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,998
Every day, 40,000 more square miles
of sea freeze over.
280
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:03,431
By the end of winter,
the continent has doubled in size.
281
00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:09,998
This is by far
the largest desert in the world.
282
00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:14,310
(WIND HOWLS)
283
00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:32,191
But the frozen surface of the sea
hides a great secret.
284
00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,995
It may be hostile above the ice,
285
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,397
but below it, conditions are so stable
286
00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,434
that life over millennia
has had time to diversify.
287
00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:58,676
Creatures here grow to a great size.
288
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:02,191
Predatory nemertine worms
are three metres long.
289
00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:10,429
These dramas only become visible
when speeded up.
290
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,113
We're only just beginning to discover
the details
291
00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:21,198
of the lives of such strange creatures.
292
00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:29,320
Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites.
293
00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:37,478
Each individual possesses
both male and female reproductive organs,
294
00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:43,596
so to mate, one nudibranch
just needs to find another nudibranch,
295
00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:45,757
and anyone will do.
296
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:49,795
But nonetheless, this is a challenge
297
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,275
when their tiny eyes can barely see.
298
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:08,079
Some do get lucky.
299
00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,560
They're fertilising each other,
300
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:20,910
and both will produce young.
301
00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,154
When it's hard to find a partner,
302
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,432
it pays not to have to worry
about your gender.
303
00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:48,472
Sea anemones may look like plants,
but actually are animals,
304
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:54,437
and feed by catching edible particles that
drift within reach of their tentacles.
305
00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:00,435
But being rooted to the sea floor
306
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:03,120
makes them vulnerable to predators.
307
00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:11,554
An ocean-going jellyfish, a metre
or so across, searching for food.
308
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:27,990
The jellyfish senses prey.
309
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:53,754
But it's the sea anemones
that have made the catch,
310
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,996
and they've grabbed a monster.
311
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,153
A rare feast
for these stationary predators.
312
00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:21,353
They devour their catch
over the next four days.
313
00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:38,994
Life here under the ice
has remained unchanged for millennia.
314
00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:42,190
But in the last 200 years
315
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:47,030
much of Antarctica's wildlife
has had to face new predators.
316
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:53,397
Human beings.
317
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,909
(BELL TOLLS)
318
00:43:56,040 --> 00:44:00,398
We devised new hunting techniques
and used them so mercilessly
319
00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:04,036
that we almost exterminated
the great whales.
320
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:12,393
These whaling stations on South Georgia
were at the centre of this industry.
321
00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:13,999
(CREAKING)
322
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:29,317
More than one and a half million whales
were slaughtered in Antarctic waters.
323
00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:36,080
The blubber was stripped
from their massive bodies
324
00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:41,229
and boiled down in vats
to make margarine and soap.
325
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:48,078
And the largest animal ever recorded -
326
00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:53,593
a 33-metre blue whale,
perhaps over 100 years old -
327
00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:57,600
was butchered on this ramp
in just two hours.
328
00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,950
This reckless slaughter marked a new low
329
00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:12,720
in our relationship
with the natural world.
330
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,997
Southern right whales
were hit the hardest.
331
00:45:49,720 --> 00:45:52,872
They were so trusting and inquisitive
332
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,231
that they swam right up
to the whalers' boats.
333
00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:02,110
And the whalers called them right whales
334
00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:05,596
because they were
the right whales to hunt.
335
00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:08,239
(HOOTS)
336
00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:13,716
(HOOTS)
337
00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:18,471
Mothers with calves
were targeted first.
338
00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,718
To give birth, females came
to the same sheltered bays
339
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:30,073
and would not leave their calves
alone at the surface.
340
00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:32,919
In just decades,
341
00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:37,796
a population of 35,000 was so reduced
342
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:41,117
that only 35 of the females survived.
343
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:47,909
But times have changed.
344
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:53,831
A ban on the commercial hunting
of whales introduced in 1986
345
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:59,194
has stopped all but Japan,
Norway and Iceland.
346
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:08,232
Our relationship to these remarkable
creatures has undergone a huge shift.
347
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:15,195
Scientists are now learning
a great deal about these whales...
348
00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:22,552
...but we still don't know
how long they live.
349
00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:29,238
It's thought
that some individuals alive today
350
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,671
were around
at the time of the mass slaughter...
351
00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:40,794
...yet these 60-tonne whales remain
gentle and inquisitive around humans.
352
00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:51,552
By putting a stop
to commercial hunting,
353
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:55,992
this population of whales
has now grown to over 2,000.
354
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:22,192
The recovery of life in Antarctic waters
355
00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:27,759
may have a significance that extends
far beyond the reaches of the continent
356
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,156
and will affect us all.
357
00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:37,078
Just off the coast of Elephant Island,
358
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:43,594
we have recently witnessed what might be
the greatest feeding spectacle on Earth.
359
00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:49,918
On the horizon,
360
00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:55,433
over 150 whales have gathered
to feast on krill.
361
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:08,831
This is the largest congregation
of great whales ever filmed.
362
00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:26,357
These are mostly fin whales,
up to 26 metres long.
363
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:32,077
Humpback whales are dwarfed
in comparison.
364
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:40,036
Thousands of animals
from all over Antarctic waters
365
00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:41,639
are making their way here.
366
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:58,831
These seas are once again
beginning to brim with life.
367
00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,272
And scientists have discovered
that the Southern Ocean,
368
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,198
and the life within it,
369
00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,200
soaks up more than twice as much
carbon from the atmosphere
370
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:15,436
as the Amazon rainforest.
371
00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:26,989
By protecting Antarctica,
372
00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:30,397
we don't just protect the life here,
373
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:36,198
we are helping to restore
the natural balance of the entire planet.
374
00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:01,593
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: Saint Andrews Bay
375
00:51:01,720 --> 00:51:05,714
provides one of the most spectacular
sights in the whole of the Antarctic,
376
00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:10,869
but to get there the team will have to
cross the roughest seas in the world,
377
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:13,833
and nerves are starting to show.
378
00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:16,270
The wind is picking up already!
379
00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:23,394
It'll take ten days at sea
to reach this remote location.
380
00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:28,196
And it's not long before
they start to feel a bit green.
381
00:51:30,960 --> 00:51:33,429
No, there's some big waves
coming now.
382
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:39,476
With these conditions lasting days,
all who can take shifts at the helm.
383
00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:44,630
And you get given a talk
to say if you fall in the water here,
384
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,639
there's nothing anyone can do,
they can't save you.
385
00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:51,355
It's so cold, you'll die
in under a couple of minutes.
386
00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:52,629
Wow!
387
00:51:57,680 --> 00:51:58,750
(RETCHES)
388
00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:01,998
Below deck,
Rolf hasn't yet found his sea legs.
389
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:09,038
For me, this is like punishment
or prisoner ship or whatever.
390
00:52:09,160 --> 00:52:13,040
I mean, I can't understand at all
how people do this voluntarily,
391
00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:17,040
people dream of being on a boat
or sailing or anything.
392
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:20,118
Look at that.
1 mean, how much the boat is moving,
393
00:52:20,240 --> 00:52:22,151
1 feel like in a washing machine.
394
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,155
The island of South Georgia
finally appears.
395
00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,713
It's a relief to step onto solid land.
396
00:52:38,560 --> 00:52:41,234
Yeah, the seasickness
is already forgotten, to be honest,
397
00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:43,078
but it's all forgotten.
398
00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:46,078
It's just out of this world.
399
00:52:47,600 --> 00:52:50,160
It's so wonderful
that these places still exist.
400
00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:59,996
They will spend the next three weeks
in Saint Andrews Bay.
401
00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:06,071
Rolf is here to film the king penguins
in this enormous colony.
402
00:53:07,240 --> 00:53:12,679
And Mark must capture
the elephant seals' intense mating season.
403
00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:14,438
(SEAL GRUNTS)
404
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:20,349
On such a crowded beach,
fights can break out anywhere.
405
00:53:20,480 --> 00:53:22,391
(GRUNTS)
406
00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:27,837
Males are up to six metres long
407
00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:30,270
and they are pumped
full of testosterone.
408
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:37,556
The bulls take little notice of the crew
and will stop at nothing.
409
00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:39,717
Oh, my God.
410
00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:06,839
That went from nothing
411
00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:09,793
to being nearly steam-rollered
by four huge males.
412
00:54:11,120 --> 00:54:12,838
(GRUNTS)
413
00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:18,836
Beyond the chaos of the beach,
414
00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:22,078
Rolf has king penguins in front of him,
415
00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:24,669
and, thankfully, he's smiling again.
416
00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,155
1 would really call them
the gentlemen penguins
417
00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:31,069
because they are very polite,
they are charming, they have humour -
418
00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:35,239
there are so many funny, lovely moments.
419
00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:38,591
1 absolutely adore the penguins for that.
420
00:54:38,720 --> 00:54:40,791
But as weeks go by,
421
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:45,915
the reality of living amongst penguins
comes to the fore.
422
00:54:47,240 --> 00:54:51,438
Every morning 1 think,
"Wow, it's-it's stinky,”
423
00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:56,430
but then 1 realise these smells
come out of my suit
424
00:54:56,560 --> 00:54:58,437
and it's myself!
425
00:54:58,560 --> 00:54:59,550
Urgh.
426
00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:11,280
Back on the beach, the team
Is using a stabilised camera rig.
427
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:14,472
They can now react faster to fights.
428
00:55:15,600 --> 00:55:18,353
So far on this shoot,
we've seen a lot of quick fights
429
00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:20,756
but we haven't seen
some extended fights
430
00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:26,114
where you see one bull
paired equally against another bull.
431
00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:29,232
These fights are rare.
432
00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:31,920
The team will need to be at the ready.
433
00:55:32,040 --> 00:55:34,714
- Mark, Mark, Mark.
- Let's get running.
434
00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:41,435
Ooh, hello.
435
00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:02,550
- These are two huge, evenly matched boys.
- I know.
436
00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:04,512
Wow, 1 never thought
we'd be this close 10 them.
437
00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:05,550
1 know. Nor did 1.
438
00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:08,832
This is really tense.
We've just got to watch out.
439
00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:15,280
Got there.
440
00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:21,840
1 never thought I'd see it that close
441
00:56:21,960 --> 00:56:26,909
and be able to move around it as this
kind of aggressive ballet is happening.
442
00:56:27,040 --> 00:56:28,439
(SEAL GRUNTS)
443
00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:31,632
And it does make you quite tense.
444
00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:38,317
The shoot is going well,
but the crew are noticing worrying signs.
445
00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:42,233
It's a really hot day today.
446
00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:50,510
30 years ago, the front of that glacier
was right down on the beach.
447
00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:52,278
It's retreated a huge amount.
448
00:56:53,680 --> 00:56:56,752
I don't really know what climate change
is going to mean
449
00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,679
for all the wildlife that's living here.
450
00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:06,113
Parts of the Antarctic are warming five
times faster than the rest of the world.
451
00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:09,438
If this trend continues,
452
00:57:09,560 --> 00:57:13,394
it will threaten the very existence
of these polar creatures.
453
00:57:16,040 --> 00:57:18,350
On the last day of filming,
454
00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:23,509
the team can't help but reflect
on the future of the wildlife here.
455
00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:25,517
For me, it's emotional,
456
00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:28,996
because I know this might have been
a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
457
00:57:30,160 --> 00:57:34,279
1 will definitely take big memories
with me and 1 will be sad.
458
00:57:36,720 --> 00:57:39,473
It's a really special place, you know,
SO...
459
00:57:41,120 --> 00:57:42,918
1 don't know.
460
00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:44,553
(PENGUINS CALL)
461
00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:49,517
1 just hope we can keep these places...
462
00:57:50,800 --> 00:57:51,995
...and protect them.
463
00:57:57,280 --> 00:57:58,953
(SOBS QUIETLY)
464
00:58:09,080 --> 00:58:10,275
Next time...
465
00:58:11,320 --> 00:58:13,277
...the largest continent on Earth.
466
00:58:17,160 --> 00:58:18,878
A world of extremes...
467
00:58:20,040 --> 00:58:23,351
...where rarely seen animals
roam the land.
468
00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:31,870
Asia.