1 00:00:06,049 --> 00:00:09,469 (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) 2 00:00:17,351 --> 00:00:19,353 DAVE: Divers in the water. Divers in the water. 3 00:00:20,688 --> 00:00:24,400 Well, this is the danger zone. This is where the predators lie. 4 00:00:26,611 --> 00:00:28,362 Leopard Seal! Leopard Seal! 5 00:00:30,782 --> 00:00:33,659 Stop it. No. No biting. 6 00:00:35,244 --> 00:00:36,287 No. 7 00:00:37,038 --> 00:00:38,915 Now we’ve just got to watch it here. 8 00:00:40,416 --> 00:00:42,543 Uh-oh. (BLEEP) 9 00:00:44,420 --> 00:00:46,255 -(THEME MUSIC BEGINS) -Ooh! 10 00:00:48,591 --> 00:00:49,467 You ready? 11 00:00:49,550 --> 00:00:50,510 BERTIE: I'm Bertie. 12 00:00:51,219 --> 00:00:53,221 Filming animals is my job. 13 00:00:53,346 --> 00:00:54,722 That is not a chase you see every day. 14 00:00:55,139 --> 00:00:57,433 BERTIE: And I take it really seriously! 15 00:00:57,725 --> 00:00:59,018 Look, I'm trying to film penguins. 16 00:00:59,185 --> 00:01:01,062 -(ROARS) -Oh, and I've missed it. 17 00:01:03,064 --> 00:01:04,565 Well, that was quite close. 18 00:01:05,775 --> 00:01:09,904 BERTIE: I want to tell wildlife stories in a rapidly changing world. 19 00:01:10,571 --> 00:01:13,157 That sounded like a big crack! 20 00:01:13,741 --> 00:01:14,575 (GASPS) 21 00:01:16,202 --> 00:01:18,204 BERTIE: These are my adventures. 22 00:01:19,330 --> 00:01:21,165 (THEME MUSIC ENDS) 23 00:01:24,418 --> 00:01:27,213 BERTIE: Nine thousand miles from my home in England 24 00:01:27,296 --> 00:01:29,715 is the coldest continent on Earth. 25 00:01:36,639 --> 00:01:38,182 We’ve made it to Antarctica! 26 00:01:39,016 --> 00:01:43,271 Look at that big wall of icy mountains at the end of the world. 27 00:01:44,856 --> 00:01:46,274 Oh, my word! 28 00:01:50,444 --> 00:01:54,907 BERTIE: These freezing waters are home to a variety of extraordinary animals, 29 00:01:57,827 --> 00:02:00,997 and I'm here to film one of the biggest who have ever lived 30 00:02:01,122 --> 00:02:02,123 on our planet... 31 00:02:04,834 --> 00:02:06,544 the mighty Fin Whale. 32 00:02:07,378 --> 00:02:12,800 Twice as long as a Greyhound bus, as heavy as a fully-loaded airliner, 33 00:02:13,217 --> 00:02:16,262 they range thousands of miles across the world’s oceans. 34 00:02:18,681 --> 00:02:23,352 Hunted to the very edge of extinction over decades of commercial whaling, 35 00:02:23,603 --> 00:02:26,230 they are still listed as a vulnerable species. 36 00:02:27,899 --> 00:02:31,277 But in the last few years, scientists have reported seeing 37 00:02:31,402 --> 00:02:35,865 huge gatherings of Fin Whales off a remote island in Antarctica, 38 00:02:36,574 --> 00:02:39,785 and I want to film the largest gathering in history, 39 00:02:40,077 --> 00:02:42,330 above and below the waterline. 40 00:02:44,081 --> 00:02:47,752 And we’re sure to see some other epic animals on our journey. 41 00:02:49,253 --> 00:02:53,466 Antarctica is a monumental challenge to film in at the best of times, 42 00:02:53,674 --> 00:02:55,718 freezing cold water, howling winds. 43 00:02:55,968 --> 00:02:58,596 But the whale gathering we're going for doesn’t happen 44 00:02:58,804 --> 00:03:01,390 in a nice little sheltered bay in the lee of a mountain. 45 00:03:01,515 --> 00:03:04,227 It happens out in the roughest bit of ocean on the planet. 46 00:03:06,187 --> 00:03:07,855 BERTIE: There is no shelter in the Southern Ocean, 47 00:03:08,397 --> 00:03:11,067 where winds can hit 70 miles per hour, 48 00:03:12,276 --> 00:03:14,862 whipping up waves over 70 feet high. 49 00:03:16,572 --> 00:03:19,242 And with sea temperatures just above freezing, 50 00:03:19,575 --> 00:03:22,787 human survival in the water would be measured in minutes. 51 00:03:25,248 --> 00:03:26,582 And there’s another catch. 52 00:03:26,999 --> 00:03:29,877 The Antarctic winter is just around the corner, 53 00:03:30,586 --> 00:03:35,925 so every day that we stay here it will get colder, darker, stormier... 54 00:03:37,009 --> 00:03:38,469 and more dangerous. 55 00:03:40,471 --> 00:03:44,600 Our skipper wants us out of here in 28 days, not a day longer. 56 00:03:47,228 --> 00:03:48,562 The clock is ticking. 57 00:03:52,358 --> 00:03:55,236 The key to our success lies in the food supply. 58 00:03:55,778 --> 00:03:58,823 The ocean is vast, but if we can find their food 59 00:03:58,990 --> 00:04:00,616 we should find the whales. 60 00:04:02,410 --> 00:04:05,204 And penguins are our first major clue. 61 00:04:06,414 --> 00:04:07,748 They eat the same food. 62 00:04:11,294 --> 00:04:13,838 There’s nothing quite like arriving at a penguin colony. 63 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:17,049 It is a complete assault on the senses. 64 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:22,054 It’s noisy, it’s really smelly... and there’s just so much going on. 65 00:04:22,305 --> 00:04:24,015 (PENGUINS SQUAWKING) 66 00:04:24,223 --> 00:04:25,683 (IMITATING PENGUIN) 67 00:04:30,104 --> 00:04:33,482 These penguins love rocks, they love rocks! 68 00:04:33,649 --> 00:04:37,778 Antarctica is so icy that these penguins need bare rock to nest on. 69 00:04:38,237 --> 00:04:40,323 And they use the rocks to build their nests, 70 00:04:40,448 --> 00:04:43,784 so you can see there's a couple here just running around... 71 00:04:45,202 --> 00:04:47,288 then running back to their nests with rocks. 72 00:04:50,833 --> 00:04:53,502 Here he comes, this g... this one's going to grab a rock just here.... 73 00:04:58,591 --> 00:05:00,092 There we go, there’s a nice one. 74 00:05:01,510 --> 00:05:02,678 Back to its nest. 75 00:05:04,388 --> 00:05:06,974 While our goal is to go for a big whale aggregation, 76 00:05:07,183 --> 00:05:10,061 all the animals here, these Chinstrap Penguins, 77 00:05:10,227 --> 00:05:12,104 the Antarctic Fur Seals that are running around 78 00:05:12,188 --> 00:05:13,189 in this colony as well, 79 00:05:13,397 --> 00:05:17,151 everything is going to be out in the sea hunting together. 80 00:05:20,488 --> 00:05:23,783 BERTIE: Antarctica may be the best place to film giant animals, 81 00:05:24,283 --> 00:05:27,119 but you can’t just rock up with your camera and press record. 82 00:05:27,703 --> 00:05:29,663 You have to pay the price of admission. 83 00:05:31,582 --> 00:05:34,460 And that means crossing one of the deadliest stretches 84 00:05:34,585 --> 00:05:37,838 of water on Earth, between South America and Antarctica, 85 00:05:39,090 --> 00:05:40,466 the Drake Passage. 86 00:05:47,139 --> 00:05:50,768 It’s a 500-mile stretch of violent and unpredictable ocean, 87 00:05:51,435 --> 00:05:54,522 and countless ships much bigger than ours have been lost 88 00:05:54,647 --> 00:05:56,232 without trace in these waters. 89 00:06:02,655 --> 00:06:05,574 For our skipper Ben Wallis, even the simplest jobs 90 00:06:05,783 --> 00:06:07,034 become life-threatening. 91 00:06:07,827 --> 00:06:09,870 Ben needed to change a lightbulb in the mast. 92 00:06:11,163 --> 00:06:13,082 The worst part about all of this is that a 93 00:06:13,499 --> 00:06:15,626 a big roll down at boat level 94 00:06:16,794 --> 00:06:20,214 is an even bigger roll at the top of the mast! 95 00:06:23,384 --> 00:06:26,470 In waves like these, with the sea temperature only 96 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:29,390 just above freezing, anyone who falls overboard 97 00:06:29,723 --> 00:06:30,850 is just not gonna survive. 98 00:06:30,933 --> 00:06:32,810 There is not enough time for us to turn the boat around 99 00:06:32,935 --> 00:06:34,395 and go back and find them 100 00:06:34,895 --> 00:06:37,857 Hey! (CHUCKLES) 101 00:06:39,692 --> 00:06:41,402 -All good? -Like brand new. 102 00:06:48,409 --> 00:06:51,287 We’re a few days into the crossing now and I’m feeling 103 00:06:51,912 --> 00:06:52,872 pretty rough. 104 00:06:53,247 --> 00:06:57,293 But I thought this would be a good time to give you a little boat tour, so... 105 00:06:59,837 --> 00:07:00,921 Right, let’s go in here. 106 00:07:01,630 --> 00:07:03,424 Here’s one of the boys’ rooms. 107 00:07:04,133 --> 00:07:05,384 You all right, lads? 108 00:07:05,885 --> 00:07:08,888 Right, in here we’ve got Tash, who, uh, 109 00:07:09,472 --> 00:07:10,973 is... has a very important job. 110 00:07:11,056 --> 00:07:13,350 She’s in charge of all the... all the footage. 111 00:07:13,476 --> 00:07:15,352 -Download going all right? -Yeah. Going great. 112 00:07:15,686 --> 00:07:19,773 Now got to be gentle around this corner because Will is feeling 113 00:07:19,899 --> 00:07:22,401 a little worse-for-wear. How you doing, man? 114 00:07:22,693 --> 00:07:25,488 Nope, not... not good. Okay, we’ll leave him to it. 115 00:07:25,738 --> 00:07:28,115 And, ooh... We got... we got some movement! 116 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,701 (BERTIE LAUGHS) 117 00:07:30,993 --> 00:07:32,703 -(RETCHES) -Oh. (CHUCKLES) 118 00:07:33,954 --> 00:07:35,164 Oh dear. 119 00:07:39,502 --> 00:07:43,631 BERTIE: After four days at sea, we get our first glimpse of Antarctica, 120 00:07:44,131 --> 00:07:45,090 Elephant Island. 121 00:07:48,344 --> 00:07:51,847 And we’re rewarded with a sign that we’ve come to the right place. 122 00:07:53,098 --> 00:07:54,308 Whoa! 123 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:56,977 That... giant 124 00:07:57,603 --> 00:08:00,189 is a Fin Whale, that’s our first Fin Whale. 125 00:08:00,981 --> 00:08:03,192 And for an animal that's absolutely massive, 126 00:08:03,442 --> 00:08:06,153 it doesn’t show much of its body from the surface, 127 00:08:06,362 --> 00:08:08,280 so I’m going to chuck the drone up to get a better look. 128 00:08:08,989 --> 00:08:09,865 Nice one. 129 00:08:14,036 --> 00:08:17,456 Well, this beauty is a Southern Fin Whale. 130 00:08:17,915 --> 00:08:21,377 And these 80-foot giants can live 90 years. 131 00:08:21,919 --> 00:08:23,879 They are massive. 132 00:08:24,129 --> 00:08:28,676 A big female can be more than 80 tons, that’s about 16 African Elephants. 133 00:08:29,343 --> 00:08:31,845 And they can be fast. I mean, these Fin Whales are shaped 134 00:08:32,263 --> 00:08:34,348 like a torpedo, so they're super streamlined. 135 00:08:34,473 --> 00:08:37,518 They can clock speeds of up to 25 miles an hour. 136 00:08:40,980 --> 00:08:44,316 These whales in Antarctica have a lovely yellowy-orange hue, 137 00:08:44,441 --> 00:08:48,070 it makes them look a bit dirty. And those are diatoms. 138 00:08:48,195 --> 00:08:51,448 They're little microscopic organisms that grow on the skin of the whale. 139 00:08:56,161 --> 00:08:59,039 BERTIE: In one of man’s greatest crimes against nature, 140 00:08:59,373 --> 00:09:03,377 three quarters of a million Fin Whales were killed before commercial whaling 141 00:09:03,627 --> 00:09:05,629 was banned in 1986. 142 00:09:08,340 --> 00:09:11,802 From the brink of extinction, their numbers seem to be recovering, 143 00:09:12,386 --> 00:09:14,221 and that’s why we’re here now. 144 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,436 Our first job is to find a safe place to anchor, 145 00:09:20,811 --> 00:09:22,271 which is easier said than done. 146 00:09:22,855 --> 00:09:26,650 Elephant Island is completely exposed to the furious storms 147 00:09:26,775 --> 00:09:28,027 of the Southern Ocean. 148 00:09:29,570 --> 00:09:33,449 It’s not long before we’re treated to a taste of what we can expect 149 00:09:33,574 --> 00:09:34,617 from the weather here. 150 00:09:36,076 --> 00:09:38,287 I started this mission by saying that we were coming 151 00:09:38,495 --> 00:09:40,623 to the toughest place in the world to film, 152 00:09:41,081 --> 00:09:44,335 but it’s only now that we're here that the reality of that 153 00:09:44,418 --> 00:09:45,669 is really dawning on me! 154 00:09:46,128 --> 00:09:48,213 I mean, we can’t do anything in this. 155 00:09:49,048 --> 00:09:51,759 We’re just going to have to hang on to this anchorage 156 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,845 until this storm passes. 157 00:09:57,056 --> 00:09:59,016 We’re going nowhere for now. 158 00:10:01,477 --> 00:10:04,104 BERTIE: To have any chance of tracking down the whales, 159 00:10:04,229 --> 00:10:05,731 we need to get scientific, 160 00:10:05,981 --> 00:10:08,525 to predict where their food hotspots will be. 161 00:10:10,611 --> 00:10:12,863 And I've brought just the person to help with that, 162 00:10:13,322 --> 00:10:14,323 Leigh Hickmott, 163 00:10:14,615 --> 00:10:16,283 a world-leading whale expert. 164 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:20,663 Where do you think is going to be our prime areas? 165 00:10:21,163 --> 00:10:24,208 We can see where the isobaths come close together 166 00:10:24,416 --> 00:10:27,586 indicates the water going from very deep water 167 00:10:27,711 --> 00:10:29,171 to very shallow water quite quickly. 168 00:10:29,922 --> 00:10:32,841 And those are the areas we want to try and concentrate on. 169 00:10:34,134 --> 00:10:37,054 BERTIE: So Leigh thinks our best chance of success is here, 170 00:10:37,221 --> 00:10:41,642 northwest of the island where the seabed suddenly drops away hundreds of feet, 171 00:10:42,726 --> 00:10:44,853 forming a steep underwater cliff. 172 00:10:46,188 --> 00:10:48,148 Deep ocean currents smash 173 00:10:48,315 --> 00:10:50,526 into this cliff and are forced upwards, 174 00:10:50,734 --> 00:10:53,237 carrying the nutrients that attract small creatures, 175 00:10:53,404 --> 00:10:55,614 which attract bigger creatures, which attract... 176 00:10:56,073 --> 00:10:57,282 well, you get the idea. 177 00:11:01,704 --> 00:11:04,540 After two days stuck on anchor, the storm passes 178 00:11:06,208 --> 00:11:07,960 and I’m itching to get out. 179 00:11:08,252 --> 00:11:11,255 We've got to test our plan, and find some whales in the area 180 00:11:11,463 --> 00:11:13,632 we're calling the Northwest Corner. 181 00:11:14,383 --> 00:11:15,676 Wow, here we go. 182 00:11:16,176 --> 00:11:18,595 I don’t know, today could be the day. The anchor's up, 183 00:11:19,096 --> 00:11:19,972 heading out. 184 00:11:20,180 --> 00:11:22,599 It’s looking pretty windy out there, but we’ve got to be in it to win it. 185 00:11:22,725 --> 00:11:25,978 The conditions seem to change every five minutes, so, uh, yeah. 186 00:11:26,145 --> 00:11:27,646 Fingers crossed the whales are out there somewhere. 187 00:11:33,402 --> 00:11:36,530 BERTIE: But as soon as we are offshore, we hit heavy seas. 188 00:11:39,366 --> 00:11:42,119 It’s definitely not flat, there’s a big swell left over. 189 00:11:42,870 --> 00:11:44,121 You know, it’s one challenge 190 00:11:44,830 --> 00:11:46,665 finding the whales in all this swell, 191 00:11:47,374 --> 00:11:51,128 but then on top of that, being able to launch the little boat 192 00:11:51,336 --> 00:11:53,464 for diving and launching drones, 193 00:11:54,298 --> 00:11:55,340 it’s, uh... 194 00:11:55,799 --> 00:11:57,468 Yeah, it’s going to be a real challenge. 195 00:11:57,634 --> 00:12:00,137 (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) 196 00:12:02,806 --> 00:12:05,684 BERTIE: We’ll need to rely on our GPS and depth sounder 197 00:12:05,893 --> 00:12:07,603 to get us in the right area. 198 00:12:11,273 --> 00:12:13,484 We’ve just been watching the depth sounder, 199 00:12:13,817 --> 00:12:17,112 and as we go further and further offshore the depth has just been 200 00:12:17,321 --> 00:12:19,406 creeping down slowly, slowly, slowly. 201 00:12:19,573 --> 00:12:21,658 And then all of a sudden in the last few minutes 202 00:12:21,825 --> 00:12:23,744 it has just started nosediving, 203 00:12:24,661 --> 00:12:27,915 so we must have hit a giant underwater cliff. 204 00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:34,880 BERTIE: It’s time to find out if our theory about 205 00:12:35,130 --> 00:12:37,341 the location of the whales’ food is any good. 206 00:12:38,008 --> 00:12:38,842 BEN: Right there. 207 00:12:41,678 --> 00:12:43,514 BERTIE: There’s definitely a lot of action around, 208 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:47,017 a lot of birds, a lot of albatross, Cape Petrels zooming around. 209 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:48,977 -Seeing lots of birds... -LEIGH: Whales are out! 210 00:12:49,102 --> 00:12:50,270 Oh, there's a whale. (CHUCKLES) 211 00:12:54,942 --> 00:12:57,444 Ooh! Another blow over there, nice. 212 00:12:58,987 --> 00:13:01,740 We’re starting to see whales, our first whales. 213 00:13:04,326 --> 00:13:05,285 Two. 214 00:13:09,331 --> 00:13:10,666 Oh, yeah, big lunge. 215 00:13:13,752 --> 00:13:15,254 Wow. 216 00:13:16,129 --> 00:13:18,131 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 217 00:13:18,423 --> 00:13:20,717 We've been seeing lots of little individual blows, 218 00:13:20,884 --> 00:13:22,511 then of all of the sudden up ahead, 219 00:13:23,095 --> 00:13:25,556 there’s, what, at least 10 whales, 220 00:13:25,681 --> 00:13:27,057 Leigh, what do you reckon? 221 00:13:29,351 --> 00:13:31,103 Whoa! Look at all the blows! 222 00:13:34,606 --> 00:13:36,859 Whoa! That is a relief to see that. 223 00:13:38,944 --> 00:13:41,488 Whoo! (CHUCKLES) Here we go! 224 00:13:42,573 --> 00:13:43,907 Whoa! 225 00:13:46,493 --> 00:13:50,789 BERTIE: We seem to be in the right place, but to film this properly, 226 00:13:51,331 --> 00:13:53,584 I want to use all our specialist cameras... 227 00:13:53,792 --> 00:13:56,378 and that’s clearly not happening right now. 228 00:13:57,504 --> 00:13:58,714 It’s way too rough. 229 00:13:59,214 --> 00:14:02,759 So, I guess not going to be able to get in the water, 230 00:14:02,843 --> 00:14:04,219 not going to be able to fly the drone. 231 00:14:04,970 --> 00:14:07,264 But we’ve definitely found the spot... 232 00:14:08,599 --> 00:14:10,642 now we just need the weather to co-operate. 233 00:14:12,019 --> 00:14:14,229 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 234 00:14:14,605 --> 00:14:16,773 BERTIE: But the weather doesn’t co-operate. 235 00:14:17,649 --> 00:14:21,194 We’re hit by 40 mile per hour winds and towering waves. 236 00:14:22,362 --> 00:14:24,114 (WIND WHISTLING) 237 00:14:24,531 --> 00:14:27,034 Conditions change completely every few hours... 238 00:14:29,328 --> 00:14:31,163 and go bad in a matter of minutes. 239 00:14:32,623 --> 00:14:34,291 We're forced to run for shelter. 240 00:14:40,088 --> 00:14:44,927 I feel like I’m on an enormous comedown after such a big adrenaline hit. 241 00:14:45,302 --> 00:14:47,346 You know, usually when you’re filming wildlife, 242 00:14:47,971 --> 00:14:51,642 the big variable is whether or not the animals are doing the thing, 243 00:14:52,434 --> 00:14:55,479 but here we saw that the animals were definitely doing the thing! 244 00:14:55,687 --> 00:14:58,774 And, you know, today was meant to be a weather window, 245 00:14:59,024 --> 00:15:03,195 but it turns bad so quick again that now we’ve got to run away, 246 00:15:03,278 --> 00:15:04,821 and wait for another window. 247 00:15:06,323 --> 00:15:09,409 We’re going to need a lot of stars to align in order 248 00:15:09,618 --> 00:15:11,536 to even get a chance at making this work. 249 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,629 BERTIE: Another storm is forecast to hit us overnight, 250 00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:24,049 so we run south to a small island called Gibbs, 251 00:15:24,299 --> 00:15:26,677 where our skipper thinks there is a safe anchorage. 252 00:15:29,221 --> 00:15:32,307 We need to hide out and wait for the right conditions 253 00:15:32,391 --> 00:15:33,976 to go looking for the whales again. 254 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:39,106 (PENGUINS SQUAWKING) 255 00:15:39,481 --> 00:15:42,734 Well, we’ve just come round this corner and found an absolute monster 256 00:15:42,943 --> 00:15:46,905 of a Chinstrap Penguin colony they're just all up this mountainside. 257 00:15:49,116 --> 00:15:52,369 And there's a lot of Giant Petrels, which are a big predatory, 258 00:15:52,577 --> 00:15:55,747 scavenging bird, pulling apart a couple penguins, 259 00:15:55,956 --> 00:15:58,375 so that means there's likely other predators in here. 260 00:15:58,709 --> 00:16:03,088 So, this could be a... a really cool spot for us to see what’s going on. 261 00:16:14,307 --> 00:16:17,686 BERTIE: I'm heading ashore to explore this unexpected penguin colony. 262 00:16:18,186 --> 00:16:22,024 Their presence here could be a clue, pointing us towards the whales. 263 00:16:30,490 --> 00:16:33,535 Chinstraps get their name from that black marking 264 00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:36,663 that runs under their chin, and they're also sometimes called 265 00:16:36,788 --> 00:16:41,043 Stonebreaker Penguins because of that ear-piercing screech. 266 00:16:41,209 --> 00:16:43,295 (PENGUINS SCREECHING) 267 00:16:43,503 --> 00:16:46,757 BERTIE: I mean, they are sociable birds that waddle ashore 268 00:16:46,882 --> 00:16:48,508 in these massive numbers to nest. 269 00:16:49,593 --> 00:16:52,054 Over a million breeding pairs have been recorded 270 00:16:52,846 --> 00:16:53,847 in a single colony. 271 00:16:54,306 --> 00:16:57,893 They go to pretty extreme lengths to climb up and make a nest with a view. 272 00:17:02,856 --> 00:17:04,941 There is a lot of penguins here! 273 00:17:05,442 --> 00:17:08,904 Every ridge we've gone over, every little corner we've gone round, 274 00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:11,698 there’s just more and more Chinstrap Penguins. 275 00:17:12,115 --> 00:17:15,160 I mean, there must be tens of thousands of birds here. 276 00:17:16,411 --> 00:17:18,538 I mean, it just goes to show how much food there must be 277 00:17:18,705 --> 00:17:21,249 in that ocean to support all of these mouths. 278 00:17:25,253 --> 00:17:27,297 BERTIE: There's no food for the penguins on land, 279 00:17:27,422 --> 00:17:29,758 so every morning they line up 280 00:17:29,841 --> 00:17:33,804 like thousands of commuters at rush hour to hit the water. 281 00:17:36,515 --> 00:17:39,726 It's an amazing scene, so I'm gonna set up down at the shoreline. 282 00:17:40,227 --> 00:17:43,105 But we do need to keep an eye out for the other locals. 283 00:17:44,981 --> 00:17:46,233 (ROARS) 284 00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:48,360 BERTIE: They're with no natural predators on land... 285 00:17:48,610 --> 00:17:51,196 -(ROARS) -...and almost no human contact, 286 00:17:51,279 --> 00:17:55,117 these Antarctic Fur Seals have never developed a fear of people. 287 00:17:55,784 --> 00:17:57,077 Oh, okay, okay, hey! 288 00:17:59,246 --> 00:18:02,082 That’s close enough. Go on, no, keep going. 289 00:18:02,332 --> 00:18:03,208 Nuh-uh. 290 00:18:04,543 --> 00:18:07,420 So these are the naughty ones. Oi, back up! 291 00:18:08,547 --> 00:18:12,926 You just got to, yeah, remind that we're not a chew toy. 292 00:18:13,927 --> 00:18:14,970 Keep going. 293 00:18:15,679 --> 00:18:18,515 There we go. And they're usually pretty obedient. 294 00:18:28,859 --> 00:18:31,736 BERTIE: When these little Chinstraps get into deeper water, 295 00:18:31,987 --> 00:18:34,322 they hunt the same food as the whales. 296 00:18:36,158 --> 00:18:37,075 Krill, 297 00:18:37,534 --> 00:18:41,746 it's a tiny shrimp-like crustacean that swarms in their millions. 298 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,126 To catch the krill, 299 00:18:46,793 --> 00:18:51,256 penguins transform from clumsy, waddling, flightless birds... 300 00:18:52,090 --> 00:18:55,468 into torpedo-like undersea ninjas. 301 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,611 You know, I’ve said... I've said we’re here to film 302 00:19:12,736 --> 00:19:13,862 a big whale gathering, 303 00:19:14,613 --> 00:19:16,031 but, you know, all these penguins 304 00:19:16,239 --> 00:19:17,991 and the Fur Seals, they play just as big a role 305 00:19:18,074 --> 00:19:20,160 in... in the big feeding spectacle... 306 00:19:21,536 --> 00:19:23,747 and also I just really like penguins. 307 00:19:30,795 --> 00:19:32,005 BERTIE: Well, from the drone, 308 00:19:32,505 --> 00:19:35,675 the scale of this exodus is mind-blowing. 309 00:19:39,429 --> 00:19:42,140 It’s such a tough life being one of these little penguins. 310 00:19:42,349 --> 00:19:45,602 Look at this little guy, here it goes. (CHUCKLES) 311 00:19:46,937 --> 00:19:50,065 He's got to face a series of obstacles every morning 312 00:19:50,357 --> 00:19:51,733 just to get in the water. 313 00:19:58,740 --> 00:20:00,533 And that’s only the start of it. 314 00:20:01,284 --> 00:20:04,537 (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) 315 00:20:11,711 --> 00:20:15,590 They seem pretty nervous to get in, I guess predators could be hanging around 316 00:20:15,674 --> 00:20:16,633 in the shallows around the rocks. 317 00:20:19,886 --> 00:20:22,555 Nobody wants to make the first move. 318 00:20:36,194 --> 00:20:39,447 Oh, classic prey behavior. There’s safety in numbers. 319 00:20:42,284 --> 00:20:46,288 Looks like... they’re gonna go for it! Here they go. 320 00:21:04,931 --> 00:21:07,183 We were just, uh, watching these penguins pour into the water 321 00:21:07,434 --> 00:21:09,394 and they were looking super nervous, 322 00:21:10,353 --> 00:21:12,022 and we figured out why, 323 00:21:12,272 --> 00:21:14,107 we just saw a huge Leopard Seal head pop up. 324 00:21:15,191 --> 00:21:16,776 Yeah, it was just in there. 325 00:21:16,985 --> 00:21:19,279 It is just skulking round the rocks waiting for the penguins 326 00:21:19,446 --> 00:21:21,823 to... to pour into the water and then snatch one. 327 00:21:22,032 --> 00:21:24,242 (PENGUINS SQUAWKING) 328 00:21:25,035 --> 00:21:27,078 LEIGH: The Leopard Seal is gonna take advantage of the fact 329 00:21:27,162 --> 00:21:29,122 that the penguins are just jumping in. 330 00:21:29,414 --> 00:21:31,541 There’s lots of swell, there’s lots of wash. 331 00:21:32,459 --> 00:21:35,378 For such a large animal, they are incredibly agile in the water. 332 00:21:37,005 --> 00:21:39,924 Huge head, big eyes, and really big, powerful jaws and teeth. 333 00:21:45,597 --> 00:21:48,892 BERTIE: This adult female gives us a gruesome display of the skills 334 00:21:49,142 --> 00:21:51,311 that make her such a deadly hunter. 335 00:21:53,021 --> 00:21:55,732 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 336 00:22:32,394 --> 00:22:34,270 BERTIE: Thrashing her prey about might look cruel, 337 00:22:34,354 --> 00:22:37,690 but they don't have the serrated teeth of a shark, 338 00:22:38,274 --> 00:22:41,945 this is the only way that they can break down their food 339 00:22:42,112 --> 00:22:44,072 into small enough chunks to swallow. 340 00:22:48,535 --> 00:22:50,829 The weather takes a turn for the worse, 341 00:22:53,081 --> 00:22:57,127 but a hunting Leopard Seal is too good an opportunity to miss. 342 00:22:58,586 --> 00:23:02,841 So, it’s time to suit up and brave the icy waters for the first time. 343 00:23:04,968 --> 00:23:09,722 Well, filming underwater here... isn’t a lot of fun in the preparation, 344 00:23:10,306 --> 00:23:14,227 it’s a lot of getting very cold. But, I think it'll be worth it. 345 00:23:15,854 --> 00:23:17,397 Now for the really cold bit. 346 00:23:19,315 --> 00:23:20,442 Do it quick, do it quick. 347 00:23:26,406 --> 00:23:27,824 BERTIE: I’m using a wetsuit... 348 00:23:28,116 --> 00:23:30,368 so I can be more nimble than in a dry suit. 349 00:23:31,369 --> 00:23:33,872 But even the thickest wetsuit will let in water. 350 00:23:35,457 --> 00:23:36,833 Freezing water. 351 00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:39,210 I’ve never dived in Antarctica before, 352 00:23:39,294 --> 00:23:43,673 so I’m pretty apprehensive as to what that first hit is like. 353 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:47,177 Have it? 354 00:23:48,803 --> 00:23:52,974 BERTIE: This is a little daunting. The water is minus one Celsius, 355 00:23:53,558 --> 00:23:55,226 that's about 30 Fahrenheit. 356 00:23:56,394 --> 00:23:57,854 I’m trying to comfort myself 357 00:23:58,021 --> 00:24:01,524 with the knowledge that humans are not a Leopard Seal’s natural prey. 358 00:24:03,067 --> 00:24:06,279 I’m also aware that this female could kill us very easily 359 00:24:06,362 --> 00:24:07,405 if she wanted to. 360 00:24:07,947 --> 00:24:11,743 In 2003, a scientist was dragged underwater, bitten, 361 00:24:11,910 --> 00:24:14,412 and drowned by a Leopard Seal in Antarctic waters. 362 00:24:21,878 --> 00:24:25,882 In this cold, I've got about 20 minutes of dive time before my core temperature 363 00:24:26,049 --> 00:24:27,675 starts to drop dangerously low. 364 00:24:28,343 --> 00:24:29,844 I’m going to have to work fast. 365 00:24:41,648 --> 00:24:43,900 Well, this is the penguin danger zone. 366 00:24:44,526 --> 00:24:45,777 This is the spot where they go 367 00:24:45,902 --> 00:24:48,863 to jump off the rocks and head out to sea. 368 00:24:51,950 --> 00:24:55,370 So they come flying off those rocks at high speed 369 00:24:55,912 --> 00:24:58,957 to make sure they clear this zone as quick as possible. 370 00:25:11,386 --> 00:25:13,763 Leopard seal, Leopard seal. 371 00:25:23,314 --> 00:25:24,482 That right there... 372 00:25:26,818 --> 00:25:29,070 is a penguin’s worst nightmare. 373 00:25:30,405 --> 00:25:31,864 Oh, wow. 374 00:25:37,287 --> 00:25:41,207 These Leopard Seals can be twice as heavy as a male lion... 375 00:25:44,794 --> 00:25:47,088 but that looks more like a dragon. 376 00:26:08,109 --> 00:26:10,570 She is huge. 377 00:26:21,372 --> 00:26:22,332 Stop it! 378 00:26:32,467 --> 00:26:34,344 She’s a little feisty. 379 00:26:38,890 --> 00:26:39,932 Whoa. 380 00:26:41,267 --> 00:26:43,394 Now we’ve just got to watch it here. 381 00:26:45,188 --> 00:26:46,689 We’re fine, but... 382 00:26:47,815 --> 00:26:51,653 we've just got to make sure we don’t let it be naughty. 383 00:26:56,282 --> 00:26:58,117 Coming back. Uh-oh. 384 00:26:59,911 --> 00:27:03,456 No, oi! No, no. No biting. 385 00:27:08,753 --> 00:27:10,380 Please don’t scratch 386 00:27:11,172 --> 00:27:12,924 my nice glass dome. 387 00:27:18,846 --> 00:27:22,308 All this gaping and biting, she’s not trying to eat us, 388 00:27:22,475 --> 00:27:24,602 she’s just trying to figure out what we are 389 00:27:24,852 --> 00:27:26,813 because we’re complete aliens to her. 390 00:27:26,938 --> 00:27:29,273 She’s probably never seen a human in her life. 391 00:27:39,117 --> 00:27:40,702 She’s so sneaky. 392 00:27:42,078 --> 00:27:44,288 She knows exactly which way we’re looking 393 00:27:44,414 --> 00:27:47,083 and she always comes up behind us. 394 00:27:56,384 --> 00:28:00,263 You see how she just appears and disappears into the swell, 395 00:28:00,430 --> 00:28:02,765 using the waves and the rocks as cover. 396 00:28:13,568 --> 00:28:14,610 (BLEEP) 397 00:28:16,821 --> 00:28:19,198 Okay, that was one lunge too far. 398 00:28:21,033 --> 00:28:24,662 Now she’s ignoring the penguins and paying way too much attention in us. 399 00:28:27,790 --> 00:28:29,167 Dan, it's time to get out. 400 00:28:34,881 --> 00:28:35,840 Thanks, dude. 401 00:28:38,676 --> 00:28:39,552 That was wild! 402 00:28:41,721 --> 00:28:44,140 She’s using her natural coloration against the rocks 403 00:28:44,265 --> 00:28:48,019 and against the aerated water, and the penguins will have no idea 404 00:28:48,186 --> 00:28:49,520 she’s there until it’s too late. 405 00:28:49,896 --> 00:28:53,274 So, she's... she’s in the right spot, she's... and that’s why she probably 406 00:28:53,399 --> 00:28:56,861 got funny with us because she knows she’s got a prime hunting spot there, 407 00:28:57,111 --> 00:28:59,322 she probably defends it from other Leopard Seals. 408 00:28:59,530 --> 00:29:02,158 So, she got to the point where she wanted to keep hunting 409 00:29:02,325 --> 00:29:03,618 and it was time for us to go. 410 00:29:03,868 --> 00:29:05,453 I think we got out at the right moment. 411 00:29:05,745 --> 00:29:08,372 -Yeah. Good call. -It was getting a little "Ooh, okay." 412 00:29:10,041 --> 00:29:13,002 BERTIE: For those penguins that do make it through the kill-zone, 413 00:29:13,127 --> 00:29:15,630 their odds improve dramatically. 414 00:29:17,298 --> 00:29:21,302 Their speed and their agility gives them the edge in open water... 415 00:29:26,641 --> 00:29:30,186 And then they’re free to head offshore and hunt the krill swarms 416 00:29:30,311 --> 00:29:32,438 that will feed them and their chicks. 417 00:29:36,275 --> 00:29:39,612 And we need to get back to our hunt for those same krill swarms. 418 00:29:41,781 --> 00:29:45,785 But back out on the northwest corner, the weather is still not playing ball. 419 00:29:47,912 --> 00:29:52,625 The wind keeps changing direction, that means we need to keep hunting 420 00:29:52,792 --> 00:29:55,837 for new anchorages if we want to sleep safely at night. 421 00:30:02,426 --> 00:30:03,678 Wow! 422 00:30:04,971 --> 00:30:06,305 Look at all these whale bones. 423 00:30:07,890 --> 00:30:11,185 I often forget that Antarctica 424 00:30:11,269 --> 00:30:14,689 was the scene of one of the biggest wildlife massacres, 425 00:30:14,856 --> 00:30:16,440 if not the biggest in history. 426 00:30:16,941 --> 00:30:19,235 Millions of whales were slaughtered 427 00:30:19,402 --> 00:30:22,363 for their blubber, to make margarine and soap. 428 00:30:24,907 --> 00:30:27,827 This must be the... the jawbone. 429 00:30:29,203 --> 00:30:30,621 Huge! 430 00:30:33,708 --> 00:30:37,920 I often get pretty down about how badly we humans 431 00:30:38,045 --> 00:30:41,048 have behaved as a species, but since the ban on commercial whaling 432 00:30:41,257 --> 00:30:44,594 in the '80s, the whales here have started to make 433 00:30:45,011 --> 00:30:47,388 a remarkable comeback and there have been reports 434 00:30:47,722 --> 00:30:52,977 of more whales off this coast than there have been for decades, 435 00:30:53,519 --> 00:30:55,855 and that’s why we’re here, that’s what we’re looking for 436 00:30:58,274 --> 00:31:01,027 BERTIE: Seeing these bones makes me even more determined 437 00:31:01,110 --> 00:31:02,528 to track down the aggregation, 438 00:31:03,237 --> 00:31:07,116 to discover whether the Fin Whales really are making a comeback. 439 00:31:10,578 --> 00:31:12,246 Well, time is running out. 440 00:31:12,538 --> 00:31:16,334 But the sea is flatter, the skies are clear... ish, 441 00:31:16,459 --> 00:31:18,169 and we have Fin Whales. 442 00:31:18,252 --> 00:31:22,506 Not the aggregation we want, but enough for whale biologist Leigh 443 00:31:22,798 --> 00:31:24,383 to deploy some satellite tags. 444 00:31:24,884 --> 00:31:27,845 These tags are gonna help him understand their behavior, 445 00:31:30,181 --> 00:31:33,100 and I'm hoping they're gonna lead us to the big feed. 446 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,656 LEIGH: The science we want to collect is completely new. 447 00:31:46,781 --> 00:31:48,741 We... We really want to know where these animals go 448 00:31:48,950 --> 00:31:50,117 when they leave here. 449 00:31:50,576 --> 00:31:53,412 What are their migration routes? Where do they go to give birth? 450 00:31:57,166 --> 00:32:01,754 My job here is going to be photo ID, see if it has any unique 451 00:32:01,879 --> 00:32:05,591 identifiable markings on its back or its dorsal fin. 452 00:32:08,344 --> 00:32:09,804 Okay, Dave, are you ready? 453 00:32:10,137 --> 00:32:13,099 BERTIE: This tagging process is covered by really strict permitting rules 454 00:32:13,265 --> 00:32:15,226 to make sure we avoid stressing the whales. 455 00:32:15,309 --> 00:32:16,435 Gently. 456 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:18,854 BERTIE: He’s going in nice and slow, nice and gently 457 00:32:19,605 --> 00:32:22,316 to make sure the animal is calm and relaxed, 458 00:32:23,067 --> 00:32:24,819 so he can make a... a clean shot. 459 00:32:26,278 --> 00:32:29,156 BERTIE: The tags are harmless to these massive animals, 460 00:32:29,407 --> 00:32:32,535 but I’m still amazed by Leigh’s self-control. 461 00:32:32,743 --> 00:32:35,663 He won’t fire the dart until he has the perfect shot. 462 00:32:35,746 --> 00:32:36,622 Ea... Easy. 463 00:32:36,998 --> 00:32:38,833 We needed a little more fin there. 464 00:32:39,208 --> 00:32:40,710 BERTIE: Oh, that was really close. 465 00:32:41,460 --> 00:32:44,380 -That was very close. -I thought you were going to fire then. 466 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:46,090 That's... That's it. 467 00:32:51,053 --> 00:32:53,681 This is a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. 468 00:32:56,559 --> 00:32:57,768 That's it, close the gap. 469 00:32:57,852 --> 00:33:01,272 BERTIE: The titanium dart carrying the satellite tag has to stick 470 00:33:01,397 --> 00:33:03,816 in the base of the fin, and not the whale’s body, 471 00:33:04,275 --> 00:33:06,610 to have any chance of staying attached when it dives. 472 00:33:07,445 --> 00:33:08,612 That's it, close the gap. 473 00:33:11,907 --> 00:33:16,287 Yes! Tag on. Brilliant, thank you all so much. 474 00:33:17,997 --> 00:33:20,958 BERTIE: That tag should start sending regular transmissions 475 00:33:21,167 --> 00:33:23,711 about the whale’s movement to Leigh’s colleague in Germany. 476 00:33:24,170 --> 00:33:25,796 When we get hold of that data, 477 00:33:26,422 --> 00:33:28,382 I hope it'll lead us to our goal. 478 00:33:30,593 --> 00:33:31,552 Tag on. 479 00:33:36,807 --> 00:33:38,267 BERTIE: But over the next few days... 480 00:33:38,851 --> 00:33:41,103 the conditions continue to worsen. 481 00:33:44,482 --> 00:33:46,609 (WIND WHISTLING) 482 00:33:48,110 --> 00:33:51,947 As the days tick by, serious doubts are creeping in. 483 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,706 Well, we’re not having a lot of luck here, we’re just getting hammered 484 00:34:00,790 --> 00:34:05,419 day after day by just mad wind, rain, snow. 485 00:34:05,711 --> 00:34:08,923 It's hard to believe it's ever going to be calm enough here for us to film 486 00:34:11,926 --> 00:34:13,260 The pressure is on. 487 00:34:14,637 --> 00:34:17,139 BERTIE: But there’s one small scrap of hope. 488 00:34:17,473 --> 00:34:21,393 One of Leigh’s satellite tags is reporting lots of whale activity 489 00:34:21,519 --> 00:34:22,895 close to our anchorage. 490 00:34:31,028 --> 00:34:35,116 Well, we’ve just pulled up the anchor and for the first time in days, 491 00:34:35,741 --> 00:34:38,702 it’s clear, there’s no fog, there’s not too much wind, 492 00:34:38,828 --> 00:34:40,037 we’ve got the conditions. 493 00:34:40,162 --> 00:34:43,666 And straight away, on the horizon, 494 00:34:43,791 --> 00:34:47,169 I can see little party poppers. (IMITATES EXPLOSIONS) 495 00:34:47,336 --> 00:34:50,131 They look like little cannons going off, 496 00:34:50,756 --> 00:34:52,550 but we know they're not little cannons. 497 00:34:54,593 --> 00:34:59,140 So, we are going to motor full steam in that direction. 498 00:35:06,897 --> 00:35:09,900 BERTIE: This is it, this is the best chance we have. 499 00:35:10,067 --> 00:35:11,944 All the preparation, all the searching, 500 00:35:12,403 --> 00:35:14,029 it all comes down to this. 501 00:35:16,240 --> 00:35:17,825 It’s always the most nerve-racking time. 502 00:35:18,409 --> 00:35:20,661 I don’t know how many months, even years, 503 00:35:21,453 --> 00:35:23,080 I’ve been thinking about this moment. 504 00:35:25,791 --> 00:35:27,501 The pressure’s on, come on! 505 00:35:28,127 --> 00:35:32,047 (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) 506 00:35:43,601 --> 00:35:44,643 BERTIE: This is unbelievable. 507 00:35:45,144 --> 00:35:48,314 I mean, it looked like a lot of whales from... from the surface, 508 00:35:48,439 --> 00:35:51,025 but now I’m up in the sky. The scale of it is... 509 00:35:52,109 --> 00:35:55,571 mind-boggling, there are just whales everywhere. 510 00:35:58,115 --> 00:36:00,159 And all their blows are lit up by the sun, 511 00:36:00,993 --> 00:36:02,912 and Elephant Island in the background. 512 00:36:05,748 --> 00:36:09,293 We need to keep the boat a safe distance from the aggregation, 513 00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:12,922 but using the drone I can get right to the heart of the action... 514 00:36:13,088 --> 00:36:14,173 (CHUCKLES) 515 00:36:14,381 --> 00:36:17,676 ...and reveal that extraordinary feeding technique. 516 00:36:18,594 --> 00:36:20,304 They’re side by side, they’re going to lunge, 517 00:36:20,387 --> 00:36:22,431 they're accelerating, big tail pump. 518 00:36:24,767 --> 00:36:26,060 That is wild! 519 00:36:27,478 --> 00:36:30,481 Right now they’re sieving so on the top side of their jaw, 520 00:36:31,232 --> 00:36:34,235 they’ve got big baleen plates, they’re big hair-like plates, 521 00:36:34,443 --> 00:36:37,112 they’re made of keratin just like our fingernails or our hair. 522 00:36:39,448 --> 00:36:41,992 So, they use the elasticity of that massive mouth 523 00:36:42,201 --> 00:36:46,080 and their huge tongue to push the water back out 524 00:36:46,247 --> 00:36:48,791 through those baleen plates so they act as a sieve 525 00:36:48,916 --> 00:36:50,376 that catch all the krill. 526 00:36:55,047 --> 00:36:59,218 That’s got to be one of the most extraordinary adaptations, 527 00:37:00,135 --> 00:37:01,220 to go from a... 528 00:37:02,012 --> 00:37:04,306 slim, streamlined missile shape 529 00:37:04,890 --> 00:37:08,811 into a giant balloon in seconds. 530 00:37:16,151 --> 00:37:17,236 Oh, no way! 531 00:37:17,403 --> 00:37:18,988 So that’s a Humpback Whale in the middle there. 532 00:37:21,031 --> 00:37:24,159 You can tell because its got these huge pectoral fins here, 533 00:37:24,368 --> 00:37:26,745 and the... the Fin Whales’ pec fins are much smaller. 534 00:37:27,663 --> 00:37:31,125 And I thought this Humpback Whale must be a little baby, but its not. 535 00:37:31,292 --> 00:37:33,377 It... It's fully grown, its just that the Fin Whales 536 00:37:33,502 --> 00:37:35,087 are so much bigger. 537 00:37:37,881 --> 00:37:41,635 You can see the albatross, and the whales, and the penguins, and the Fur Seals, 538 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,888 all having one ginormous party. 539 00:37:47,308 --> 00:37:48,892 (MUSIC FADES) 540 00:37:50,644 --> 00:37:53,897 Well, seeing this whale spectacle on the drone is one thing. 541 00:37:53,981 --> 00:37:55,983 It's spectacular, you really get a sense of scale, 542 00:37:56,817 --> 00:37:58,652 but you are detached from it, it’s not very intimate. 543 00:37:58,861 --> 00:38:01,447 So to really see what’s going on, 544 00:38:02,781 --> 00:38:04,116 gonna have to get wet. 545 00:38:05,284 --> 00:38:07,244 Yeah, the weather at the surface has improved, 546 00:38:07,494 --> 00:38:11,790 but the sea is practically freezing and the swell is getting worse. 547 00:38:12,333 --> 00:38:13,334 Mind. 548 00:38:15,169 --> 00:38:18,005 BERTIE: Once underwater, we'll be smashed by powerful currents 549 00:38:18,255 --> 00:38:19,465 surging up from the deep. 550 00:38:20,132 --> 00:38:22,634 This is the most dangerous point of the whole mission. 551 00:38:23,344 --> 00:38:24,928 Well, this is serious proper diving now. 552 00:38:25,220 --> 00:38:26,930 We’re out in the open ocean, we’re in the swell 553 00:38:27,056 --> 00:38:28,474 so we’ve got to be super on it. Um... 554 00:38:29,058 --> 00:38:33,354 A big danger here is getting lost, so Calum here is, uh... is going 555 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:35,522 to be marking me and Dan’s position under the water. 556 00:38:35,689 --> 00:38:37,483 That’s why he’s got the stupid orange hat on, 557 00:38:37,691 --> 00:38:38,859 so he’s easy to spot. 558 00:38:38,984 --> 00:38:41,236 And... it is a bit harsh, but it's true. 559 00:38:41,653 --> 00:38:44,114 Um, these whales are big, intelligent animals, 560 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:46,450 but they are going to be preoccupied feeding 561 00:38:46,533 --> 00:38:47,993 so we do have to have our wits about us. 562 00:38:49,453 --> 00:38:52,790 BERTIE: Fin Whales are protected by law and there are very strict rules 563 00:38:52,873 --> 00:38:53,916 on approaching them. 564 00:38:54,124 --> 00:38:57,878 So we need to get in the right position and let them come to us. 565 00:38:58,337 --> 00:39:02,549 But that’s not easy when they move so fast, and dive so deep. 566 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:15,646 DAVE: Divers in the water, divers in the water. 567 00:39:24,196 --> 00:39:28,325 BERTIE: Under water, the ocean seems even more vast and empty. 568 00:39:29,243 --> 00:39:33,038 You have to read the clues to have a chance of being in the right place. 569 00:39:34,873 --> 00:39:37,793 And guess who’s here to point us in the right direction? 570 00:39:39,545 --> 00:39:43,632 Our Chinstrap Penguin friends are experts at tracking the krill. 571 00:39:47,094 --> 00:39:51,557 Below us, a huge shoal of rarely-seen Marbled Rock Cod 572 00:39:51,807 --> 00:39:54,476 loom out of the depths to join the party. 573 00:39:54,893 --> 00:40:00,274 (ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYING) 574 00:40:05,195 --> 00:40:07,364 And then the krill start to swarm again. 575 00:40:09,158 --> 00:40:11,827 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 576 00:40:12,661 --> 00:40:15,873 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 577 00:40:35,976 --> 00:40:40,606 BERTIE: They look big enough from above, but underwater the Fin Whales 578 00:40:40,772 --> 00:40:42,024 are simply immense. 579 00:40:45,611 --> 00:40:47,154 After so long searching, 580 00:40:47,821 --> 00:40:50,866 I can’t quite believe I'm right next to one. 581 00:40:53,744 --> 00:40:57,289 It’s humbling to think that they can live for 90 years, 582 00:40:57,706 --> 00:41:02,169 and this very whale could have been alive during the whale hunting days, 583 00:41:02,461 --> 00:41:05,172 when it's species was being massacred by humans.... 584 00:41:09,384 --> 00:41:11,303 But I sense no hostility... 585 00:41:13,263 --> 00:41:14,932 only curiosity. 586 00:41:15,807 --> 00:41:18,227 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 587 00:41:40,832 --> 00:41:44,962 BERTIE: With every lunge, each whale seizes a volume of water and krill 588 00:41:45,045 --> 00:41:47,130 the size of a school bus. 589 00:41:49,258 --> 00:41:52,135 For a short time, it doubles in size. 590 00:41:55,264 --> 00:41:59,935 The Fin Whale can trap 10,000 krill in a single mouthful, 591 00:42:00,060 --> 00:42:02,729 and swallow up to two tons in a day. 592 00:42:08,068 --> 00:42:12,906 They need a massive amount of energy to power such a huge body. 593 00:42:13,365 --> 00:42:17,411 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 594 00:42:34,886 --> 00:42:37,431 -(BIRDS SQUAWKING) -(MUSIC FADES) 595 00:42:41,518 --> 00:42:46,064 That was epic. Out of nowhere, huge Fin Whale... (IMITATES EXPLOSION) 596 00:42:46,273 --> 00:42:49,151 ...it obviously just fed, blasted straight past 597 00:42:49,276 --> 00:42:50,819 with its mouth fully inflated. 598 00:42:51,194 --> 00:42:52,613 Just see how big its mouth is. 599 00:42:52,988 --> 00:42:55,282 And then it just cruised right past and I was thinking, 600 00:42:55,657 --> 00:42:59,202 "Oh, the tail’s got to be coming, the tail’s got to be coming," 601 00:42:59,703 --> 00:43:01,788 and it just took forever to pass. 602 00:43:02,372 --> 00:43:04,374 I mean, those whales, they look big from the boat, 603 00:43:04,541 --> 00:43:07,252 they look big from the drone, but it's on a whole other level 604 00:43:07,336 --> 00:43:10,797 when they’re a few feet away... (PANTING) ...fully inflated.... 605 00:43:11,048 --> 00:43:13,842 (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) 606 00:43:14,468 --> 00:43:19,181 The funniest thing is when you look up to see where Calum is 607 00:43:19,306 --> 00:43:23,226 and you see Calum is surrounded by Giant Petrels and albatross, 608 00:43:23,352 --> 00:43:27,189 all assuming that he’s something dead that they can eat on the surface. 609 00:43:28,190 --> 00:43:29,566 It's not a fun place to be. 610 00:43:29,691 --> 00:43:30,817 (MEN CHUCKLE) 611 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:34,029 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 612 00:43:34,321 --> 00:43:37,240 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 613 00:43:42,496 --> 00:43:45,248 BERTIE: As the afternoon goes on, to our amazement, 614 00:43:45,499 --> 00:43:47,125 the numbers continue to build 615 00:43:47,209 --> 00:43:48,085 Cheers, man. 616 00:43:48,585 --> 00:43:52,130 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 617 00:44:04,142 --> 00:44:09,648 I’ve never seen anything this spectacular on a monitor screen before. 618 00:44:15,612 --> 00:44:17,906 For every whale we can see on the surface, 619 00:44:18,073 --> 00:44:21,243 there must be three more at least underneath. 620 00:44:30,168 --> 00:44:35,298 BERTIE: It’s hard to comprehend that we slaughtered 750,000 Fin Whales, 621 00:44:37,718 --> 00:44:40,137 taking the species to the brink of extinction. 622 00:44:41,430 --> 00:44:45,350 Knowing that makes this spectacle even more powerful. 623 00:44:49,688 --> 00:44:52,524 And more importantly, new research has shown 624 00:44:52,649 --> 00:44:57,112 the vital role these giants play in capturing and recycling carbon. 625 00:44:58,905 --> 00:45:02,117 A thriving whale population brings huge benefits 626 00:45:02,284 --> 00:45:04,202 not just to these remote waters, 627 00:45:05,245 --> 00:45:06,872 but to the planet as a whole. 628 00:45:13,044 --> 00:45:18,091 From this footage, scientists estimate that more than 300 whales 629 00:45:18,216 --> 00:45:19,968 were feeding in this aggregation. 630 00:45:21,595 --> 00:45:25,599 It's the largest known gathering of Fin Whales ever filmed. 631 00:45:25,849 --> 00:45:29,186 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 632 00:45:37,527 --> 00:45:38,528 Whoa! 633 00:45:41,072 --> 00:45:45,368 This is all pretty moving because I know that I'm very lucky 634 00:45:45,452 --> 00:45:48,747 and I get to go all over the world and film incredible wildlife spectacles, 635 00:45:48,955 --> 00:45:51,082 but wherever I seem to go at the moment, 636 00:45:51,374 --> 00:45:53,293 it seems like wildlife is on the back foot, 637 00:45:53,418 --> 00:45:56,671 but here this place is different. I mean, look at it. 638 00:45:57,506 --> 00:46:00,342 And this is what happens when you look after wildlife, 639 00:46:00,592 --> 00:46:04,179 when you give it the chance. It'll come back on an unbelievable scale. 640 00:46:04,971 --> 00:46:09,309 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 641 00:46:13,146 --> 00:46:16,441 This is a day I’m not going to forget in a hurry. 642 00:46:16,817 --> 00:46:20,070 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 643 00:46:30,580 --> 00:46:32,666 (MUSIC FADES) 644 00:46:32,916 --> 00:46:34,000 (THEME MUSIC PLAYING) 645 00:46:34,209 --> 00:46:37,128 BERTIE: Until our expedition, no one knew exactly where 646 00:46:37,295 --> 00:46:40,841 the Fin Whales went once they'd finished feeding in Antarctic waters. 647 00:46:41,341 --> 00:46:44,845 But the whales tagged in this film have been recorded migrating up 648 00:46:44,928 --> 00:46:48,181 the west coast of South America for the first time. 649 00:46:48,765 --> 00:46:50,767 Could that be where they go to breed? 650 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,354 Unfortunately the tags stopped transmitting, 651 00:46:55,188 --> 00:46:59,025 and this still remains a mystery until more research is done. 652 00:47:00,235 --> 00:47:01,736 (THEME MUSIC ENDS)