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The polar regions are the coldest,
most extreme places on our planet.
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Winds reach 200 miles an hour
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and temperatures drop as low as
minus 70 degrees centigrade.
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Only the toughest can survive here.
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00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,959
Over the course of a year,
polar animals must overcome
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not just the cold, but the most
extreme seasonal changes on Earth.
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00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:17,000
In the High Arctic, winter is one
long night that lasts for months.
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00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:25,520
On lee-side slopes, beneath
the snow, new lives are beginning.
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The cubs are born blind and tiny.
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An early birth is easier on
the mother, who is barely awake.
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Despite her sleepiness, her instinct
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to nurse is overwhelming.
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CUBS SQUEAK
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The cubs' clucking calls
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stimulate her to produce milk.
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And what milk!
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It's nine times richer than our own,
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and enables her to double
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their weight every few weeks.
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The sun is returning after
an absence of nearly four months.
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And its warmth starts to transform
this magical ice world.
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Spring has arrived.
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The greatest seasonal change
on our planet is now under way.
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Antarctica is still locked in ice,
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and surrounded by a frozen ocean.
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Nonetheless,
there are signs of spring.
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Adelie penguins are arriving.
Just the males.
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They've spent five months at sea,
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where it's warmer than it is
on land,
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and now they're in a hurry,
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for spring will be short.
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They have travelled 6,000 miles
across the ocean
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since leaving their colony last year
and now, they're returning to breed.
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They cannot lay their eggs on ice
for they would freeze.
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So they have to come here,
where there is bare rock.
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Over the coming months,
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the few parts of Antarctica
that are ice-free will be the stage
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on which five million Adelies will
build their nests.
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To construct one, they need pebbles.
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And without a good-looking nest,
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a male will be unable to
attract a female.
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It takes stones of all shapes
and sizes to build a decent nest
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and finding ones that are
just right is not easy.
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So, some penguins turn
to a life of crime.
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The one who has been robbed
seems unaware
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that the thief is just over his
shoulder and looking for more.
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The thief's nest is coming along
nicely, probably because
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he keeps a particularly
sharp lookout for robbers.
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After all, it takes one to know one.
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By fair means or foul, the males
must finish their nests quickly
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if they're to raise a family
over the short Antarctic summer.
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In the north of our planet,
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the weak sunshine is a welcome
relief after the months of darkness.
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Finally, it's time for polar bear
families to emerge from their dens.
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This is not the easiest place
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to take your first steps.
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And the little ones will need plenty
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of encouragement from their mother.
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If she can raise all three
to independence,
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it will be a rare achievement.
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During the months underground,
all they've known is their mother.
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Now, the big, wide world holds
all sorts of challenges
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for these brave, young explorers.
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The mother leads her new family out
over the frozen sea
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to hunt for seals.
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But the spring melt
is already under way.
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All across the Arctic, the sun's
warming effect is increasing.
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Sea ice is showing
the first signs of weakening.
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Inland, the northern rivers are
still locked in ice.
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The frozen waterfalls are like dams,
holding back billions of tonnes
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of fresh water that has not moved
for almost six months.
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CREAKING
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The vast watershed lies motionless.
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But as spring advances,
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it begins to stir.
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The frozen waterfalls start
to weaken.
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Above them,
the pressure is mounting.
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Now, from high above, whole sections
can be seen to be on the move.
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The waterfalls are straining
to hold back the force
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that is building up above them.
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The dam bursts...
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and the river is unleashed.
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These vast floods accelerate
the breakup.
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Soon, an area of sea ice
the size of Australia
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will vanish from the Arctic Ocean.
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The spring melt breaks the ice
for visitors.
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Narwhals.
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The unicorns of the North are on
a mission to reach
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the new fishing grounds in the bays
that have been frozen up all winter,
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but are now opening up.
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To get to them,
the narwhals must travel down leads,
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temporary cracks in the ice.
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But these new roads could close
at any time,
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cutting off the air
that they need to breathe.
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The road narrows, until there's
barely room for one-way traffic.
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Then, a surprise. Narwhals
coming from the other direction.
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It's a stand-off. Each team faces
an armoury of sharp tusks.
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Finally, one side concedes.
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And everyone continues
in the same direction.
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The melting sea ice reveals
open ocean.
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And the changes on land are
no less dramatic.
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Beneath the snow,
life is already stirring.
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The Arctic tundra is unveiled.
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Water that has been locked in ice
all winter
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once again flows freely.
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A landscape that was only white
now bursts with colour.
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Migrants begin arriving
from the south
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and, suddenly, the tundra is alive
with new families.
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These Arctic wolf cubs are
just over a month old
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and always looking out
for their next meal.
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Their parents have been hunting.
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Their offerings are devoured
instantly.
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Arctic hare is a mainstay
of the tundra diet
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and one the cubs seem
particularly keen on.
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Uneaten food is usually hidden
for leaner times,
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but there will be no leftovers
today.
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The cubs are growing fast
and are always hungry.
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The good times are certainly back,
but these white wolves remind us
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of the Arctic's less welcoming side.
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Their coats are pale to conceal them
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during the long, snowy winter.
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It's easy to forget
that one month ago,
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this land was
a barren, white desert.
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But finding a decent meal here
is never easy.
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The parents travel up to 80 miles
in a day in search of
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more substantial prey
for their growing family.
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Musk oxen are immensely powerful.
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And their sharp horns can kill.
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But a calf is more vulnerable.
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The two wolves work together
to split the herd
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and isolate their victim.
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It seems that the wolf cubs will,
at last, eat well.
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But the herd regroups.
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The cattle ride to the rescue.
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The wolves cannot penetrate
the wall of horns.
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The herd are protecting their calf.
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For the musk oxen, it's all for one
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and one for all.
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It's a struggle for all polar
animals to feed themselves
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and their families
in the brief Arctic summer.
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But there is one tiny creature
of the tundra that has found
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an astounding solution
to the shortness of the season.
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The woolly bear caterpillar.
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It's always the first insect
to appear after the snow's retreat.
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The caterpillar then eats as fast as
it can and, indeed it must,
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for this far north,
summer only lasts a few weeks.
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The days shorten only too soon,
but the caterpillar has not yet
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got enough reserves
to transform itself into a moth.
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It can't leave the Arctic,
for it can't fly.
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So, it settles down beneath a rock.
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The sun's warmth rapidly dwindles.
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Beneath the rock,
the caterpillar is out of the wind,
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but the cold penetrates
deep into the ground.
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Soon, its heart stops beating.
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It ceases to breathe
and its body starts to freeze.
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First, its gut. Then, its blood.
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After four months of darkness,
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the Arctic begins to thaw.
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And the caterpillar rises
from the dead.
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By the time the first shoots of
willow appear in the early spring,
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the woolly bear is already eating.
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But no matter how fast
the woolly bear eats,
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it will not have time to gather
enough food this year either,
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and the cold closes in once again.
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Year after year, the caterpillar
slows down in the autumn
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and then freezes solid.
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But, eventually,
a very special summer arrives.
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This one will be its last.
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It's now 14 years old.
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The world's oldest caterpillar.
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Its remaining days
now become frantic.
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It starts to weave a silk cocoon.
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Inside, its body is changing
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into one that can fly and search.
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Abilities that will be crucial
in the days ahead.
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All across the Arctic,
moths are emerging.
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After completing
their 14-year preparation,
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they now have just a few days
to find a partner and mate.
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No life illustrates more vividly
the struggle to survive
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in this most seasonal of places.
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In a matter of weeks, the north
will be frozen over once again.
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At the southern end of our planet,
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Antarctica is still surrounded
by sea ice.
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The Antarctic spring arrives first
at the outer islands.
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Although the beaches
of South Georgia are now ice-free,
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the King Penguins face
a new challenge.
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Their peaceful waterfront has turned
into an obstacle course of blubber.
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The elephant seals have arrived.
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The beachmaster's authority is
being challenged.
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This rival means business.
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The beachmaster owns the females
here and must to fight keep them.
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The beachmaster himself weighs four
tonnes, but this rival is his equal.
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The beachmaster has won
the first battle,
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but he may have to defend his harem
every hour for the next month.
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If he can stay master of his beach
for this period,
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many of the young born here
next year will be his.
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In summer,
the Southern Ocean bursts with life.
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No bird is more at home in water,
and they are masterful surfers.
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Penguins are found only
in the Southern Hemisphere.
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They can't fly, but they don't need
to. There are no polar bears here.
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These are Gentoo Penguins.
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Each spring, they come ashore to lay
their eggs and rear their young.
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Their hungry chicks demand
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00:26:12,441 --> 00:26:15,720
so much seafood that
both parents have to go fishing.
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00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:24,800
And fishing can be dangerous.
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A southern sea lion.
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It uses the speed of a breaking wave
to catch up with the Gentoos.
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Sea lions normally eat fish,
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so he's used to catching
streamline swimmers.
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But the Gentoos seem more
than his match out at sea.
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He must change tactics.
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00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,400
Perhaps it would be easier
in the shallows.
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00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,520
But, no, it seems
penguins are uncatchable in water.
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00:27:57,840 --> 00:27:59,080
How about on land?
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00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,999
The penguin's wings,
so powerful for swimming,
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00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,759
are of no help
when it comes to running.
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00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,280
Now, surely,
the sea lion has a chance?
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00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,200
But on the beach,
both are like fish out of water.
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Rarely do hunter and hunted play
their roles with so little skill.
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The outcome is anyone's guess.
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Every summer,
over 40 million penguins
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00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,080
take to the Southern Ocean to feed.
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They're joined
by thousands of whales.
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Minkes are the most numerous.
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They all come here to harvest
the richest ocean on Earth.
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Southern humpbacks have travelled
4,000 miles from the equator
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to get here in time
for the Antarctic summer.
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Each year, the sea ice
that surrounds Antarctica melts,
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effectively halving the size
of the continent
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and exposing rich waters
around its coastline.
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It's the most spectacular
seasonal change occurring
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anywhere on our planet.
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The remnants of the sea ice are
occupied by sunbathing seals
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that have been here all winter.
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But new arrivals are following
the retreating ice edge.
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And they have come here to hunt.
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Killer whales.
The ocean's top predator.
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Killers are like wolves,
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for they will hunt animals
far larger than themselves.
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But even smaller prey are a problem
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if you can't reach them.
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The solution is teamwork.
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Swimming in perfect formation,
they flick their tails in unison
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and create a wave
that cracks the ice.
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They regroup and assess the damage.
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00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,240
A more powerful wave is needed.
249
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,800
The ice floe is breaking up.
250
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,959
Now, they are close enough to get
a good look at their target.
251
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,119
The seal is a crabeater,
sharp-toothed and feisty.
252
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:51,560
Not their favourite.
253
00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:57,599
The wolves of the sea move on
254
00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,480
in search of easier quarry.
255
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,600
A Weddell seal, that's better.
256
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,040
These are more docile
and easier to tackle.
257
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,600
The pod stays close together
and travels silently.
258
00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,239
This time, they unleash
a far more powerful wave,
259
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,360
and with astonishing accuracy.
260
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,879
These big waves are not intended
to break the ice,
261
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,399
but to knock the prey into
the water,
262
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,000
and they rarely fail.
263
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,480
The seal is now where
the killers wanted.
264
00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,360
But the hunt is far from over.
265
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:36,800
They need to grab their prey
by the tail,
266
00:33:36,801 --> 00:33:39,240
while avoiding its snapping jaws.
267
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,400
Only then will they be able
to pull it down and drown it.
268
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,240
Side swipes create violent,
underwater turbulence, a new tactic.
269
00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,520
Blowing bubbles gives cover for
others to lunge at the seal's tail.
270
00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,720
Somehow, the seal manages
to reach a tiny ice floe.
271
00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:22,679
The killers could easily grab it,
272
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:25,360
but now, this seems
to have become a game.
273
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,440
The seal's life hangs
on a roll of the ice.
274
00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,600
Yet again, the pod joins forces
to dislodge the seal.
275
00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:08,160
The seal sees a chance to escape.
276
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:17,479
Exhausted, it no longer has
the energy to pull itself to safety.
277
00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,520
And the killers are moving in.
278
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:29,480
Game over.
279
00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,279
As the Antarctic summer draws to an
end, visitors that rely on the brief
280
00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:52,080
flush of food will soon be forced
north by the return of the sea ice.
281
00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:02,200
For the largest land predator, the
sea ice cannot return soon enough.
282
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:11,440
The end of the Arctic summer and
the sun hasn't set for three months.
283
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,640
It's hard to imagine the bitter cold
will soon return.
284
00:36:28,240 --> 00:36:32,079
Some will welcome the chills
of autumn but, for most,
285
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:36,440
time is running out before they will
have to retreat to the south.
286
00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,199
The shorter days
and colder nights trigger
287
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:50,199
a dramatic change in the willows
and blueberry bushes.
288
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,159
They stop producing
the green pigment that harnesses
289
00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:58,280
the sun's energy, and red and yellow
pigments build up in their leaves.
290
00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,839
The tundra blazes with colour
291
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,920
and the whole landscape is
transformed.
292
00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:35,239
The sound of autumn.
293
00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:37,800
The musk ox rut has begun.
294
00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,839
This clash of polar titans could
easily become a fight
295
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:52,040
to the death, as males battle
over females.
296
00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:58,119
A heavy skull and helmet of horn,
four inches thick,
297
00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:02,040
provide some protection
for the musk ox's brain.
298
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,960
The impact is like a car crash
at 30 miles an hour.
299
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:36,079
Over the next half hour,
300
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:40,799
the advantage ebbs and flows,
as each tries to finish the duel.
301
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,240
If one can turn the other
302
00:38:42,241 --> 00:38:44,840
and gore its flank,
the fight will be over.
303
00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:00,920
The stakes rise as the risk of
injury, or even death, increases.
304
00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:16,320
This male is outmanoeuvred.
305
00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,680
And the champion returns
to claim his females.
306
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:29,279
By now,
most animals have migrated south.
307
00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,839
But the musk ox,
with their thick coats,
308
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:34,720
will stay
and face the approaching winter.
309
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,720
The moisture in the air freezes
and hoarfrost decorates the leaves.
310
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:56,000
Ice crystals grow like shards
of glass on every twig.
311
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:16,039
As the sun's influence continues
o dwindle here in the north,
312
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:19,199
the freeze pushes
into the tree line,
313
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:21,880
spreading over
one fifth of the planet.
314
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,240
The northern forests
lock down for winter.
315
00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:49,400
The last running water freezes
and cathedrals of ice are formed.
316
00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:00,280
The great waterfalls of the north
shut down.
317
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:11,360
The stage is now set
for a magical event.
318
00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,360
The formation of snowflakes.
319
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,639
Cold air meets warm air
from the south
320
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,560
and the moisture it carries
crystallises.
321
00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:33,199
All have a six-fold symmetry,
322
00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,960
but no two have ever been found
with exactly the same shape.
323
00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,679
Each snowflake is water waiting
to be released in spring.
324
00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:54,559
For this reason, snow is the
life blood of these silent forests
325
00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:58,200
and all that live here depend on it
in one way or another.
326
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:08,159
Some, like the Great Grey Owl,
327
00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:13,680
appear in spring for the boom times,
then vanish like phantoms.
328
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:02,280
Stooped, shrouded figures bear
the weight of winter's heavy snows.
329
00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:41,559
The heavy snows make it
330
00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:42,800
hard to get around,
331
00:43:42,801 --> 00:43:44,359
even for the largest and
332
00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:46,720
most powerful wolves in the world.
333
00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,759
Today, they are setting out to hunt.
334
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:53,879
The pack is 25-strong,
335
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,279
a sign that the prey
they are seeking is formidable.
336
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,760
The largest land animal
in North America.
337
00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,080
Bison.
338
00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,639
The bison form a defensive circle
around their young,
339
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:17,960
horns pointing outwards.
340
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,040
The wolves need a bison
to break rank.
341
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:38,200
But the tables are turning
and now the wolves have to retreat.
342
00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:44,799
The pack focus their attention
on the rear of the herd
343
00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:46,760
and the bison begin to panic.
344
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:23,880
A young bison falls behind.
345
00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:32,640
Even this yearling dwarfs
the wolves.
346
00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:42,239
Running head down,
347
00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:44,600
the herd's only thought is escape.
348
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:51,880
A stroke of luck for the wolves.
349
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,799
The kill will feed the pack
for several days.
350
00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:12,319
But then,
they will have to resume the chase.
351
00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:14,399
At the frozen ends of our planet,
352
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:17,240
the struggle for survival
never eases.
353
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:30,040
For a few, the snow is an ally.
354
00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:43,399
Voles stay active throughout
the winter, moving between pockets
355
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:48,199
of perfectly refrigerated food
in a network of tunnels.
356
00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,320
These tunnels are a sanctuary
from predators.
357
00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:56,080
Except one.
358
00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:02,479
The least weasel is a tiny hunter
359
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:04,760
and the vole's nemesis.
360
00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:13,119
Its body is exactly
361
00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:15,519
the same width as a vole's,
362
00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:18,040
so there's nowhere a vole can go
that a weasel can't follow.
363
00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:50,839
The weasel's long slender shape is
perfect for hunting in tunnels,
364
00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:53,959
but the worst possible shape
for staying warm.
365
00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,280
So, they need a special way
of doing that.
366
00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:01,720
She plucks the fur from its body,
tuft by tuft.
367
00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:15,399
And now, she puts it all together
to make a cosy blanket,
368
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:17,480
under which to sleep in her den.
369
00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:39,680
100 miles above the Earth,
the aurora lights up the sky.
370
00:48:51,360 --> 00:48:55,919
After travelling millions of miles
across space, solar winds, attracted
371
00:48:55,920 --> 00:49:00,640
by the magnetic pull of the Poles,
collide with the Earth's atmosphere.
372
00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:06,440
Trillions of charged particles
dance across the sky.
373
00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:18,439
Above the Arctic, the aurora
borealis, the northern lights.
374
00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:22,039
In the south,
it's the aurora australis,
375
00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:26,400
the southern lights, that bring
light to Antarctica's long winter.
376
00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:39,999
These spectacular light shows
are only a tease.
377
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:44,320
Solar energy maybe, but no warmth
that will help the Emperor Penguins.
378
00:50:05,480 --> 00:50:09,559
The male penguins have not eaten
for months and have only each other
379
00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:12,480
for protection
from hurricane-force winds.
380
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:21,239
They have been deserted
by the females, left to incubate
381
00:50:21,240 --> 00:50:24,560
their eggs throughout
the worst winter on Earth.
382
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,080
The Emperors are not entirely alone.
383
00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:44,759
The Weddell seal.
384
00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:49,160
The only mammal to remain here
throughout the winter.
385
00:50:55,480 --> 00:51:00,160
Beneath the ice, they are beyond the
reach of the bitter winter winds.
386
00:51:08,880 --> 00:51:11,999
The sea is minus two degrees
centigrade.
387
00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,800
A warm bath compared
to the conditions overhead.
388
00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,439
The roof of ice insulates this world
389
00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:27,840
from the wild fluctuations above.
390
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:34,880
The temperature down here has barely
changed for 25 million years.
391
00:51:46,760 --> 00:51:49,759
There could hardly be
a greater contrast
392
00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,880
to the bleak, windswept world
just above.
393
00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,040
But there is a constant danger here.
394
00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:16,600
Swirling patterns in the water
reveal its presence.
395
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:23,119
They're made by brine,
super-concentrated salt water.
396
00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:24,960
It's a warning.
397
00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:32,759
New sea ice forming above
leaves behind brine
398
00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:36,160
that is so extremely salty,
it sinks rapidly.
399
00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:46,239
As it descends, the sea water
around it freezes instantly
400
00:52:46,240 --> 00:52:48,639
and forms a sheath of ice.
401
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:52,520
A brinicle that grows downwards
towards the sea floor.
402
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:02,840
Winter is reaching down
from the cold world above.
403
00:53:23,280 --> 00:53:26,479
As it touches the sea floor,
it kills whatever living thing
404
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,840
it contacts by encasing it
in a tomb of ice.
405
00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:45,919
As calm returns beneath the ice,
406
00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:49,680
a dramatic change is coming
to the world above.
407
00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:18,440
The sun returns to Antarctica.
408
00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:24,039
The longest night on Earth has ended
409
00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:26,720
and winter begins to give way
to spring.
410
00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,039
Female Emperor Penguins.
411
00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:55,080
After four months feeding at sea,
they're returning sleek and fat.
412
00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:28,120
Penguins, it seems,
can fly after all.
413
00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:35,800
But a winter at sea has left them
a little out of practice.
414
00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:34,360
There is no time to waste.
Faraway, the males are waiting.
415
00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:50,960
Reunited after three months apart.
416
00:56:56,720 --> 00:56:59,879
The reward for the female's return,
417
00:56:59,880 --> 00:57:02,440
a first glimpse of her chick.
418
00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:12,040
A task that began in autumn
has been completed.
419
00:57:15,120 --> 00:57:17,359
Despite the huge odds against it,
420
00:57:17,360 --> 00:57:21,520
the precious chick has survived the
winter and is now with its mother.
421
00:57:22,680 --> 00:57:24,640
And she has food.
422
00:57:30,200 --> 00:57:32,480
The chick's first fresh meal.
423
00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:36,760
The female's mission is complete.
424
00:57:44,440 --> 00:57:47,039
For those Emperor Penguins
that survive,
425
00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:48,760
the worst is over for this year.
426
00:57:56,160 --> 00:57:59,200
There will soon be abundant food
for everyone.
427
00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:10,079
The Emperors have taken on
the polar winter and won.
428
00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:11,600
The gamble has paid off.
429
00:58:13,560 --> 00:58:15,040
All other animals escaped.
430
00:58:15,041 --> 00:58:17,119
Only they remained with their eggs,
431
00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:23,519
and it's they who will benefit most
from the rich southern spring.
432
00:58:23,520 --> 00:58:25,560
Their epic journey is complete.
433
00:58:35,840 --> 00:58:39,359
Sync and corrected by APOLLO
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