1 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,880 David Attenborough: At the far south of our planet 2 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,520 lies the most hostile of the earth's frozen lands. 3 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,160 Antarctica. 4 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,720 Here, temperatures can fall 5 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,440 to below minus 80 degrees celsius... 6 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,880 And winds blow up to 200 miles an hour. 7 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:11,600 Its icy centre is almost devoid of life. 8 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,440 But on the edge of Antarctica, 9 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:22,320 some creatures find a way 10 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,560 not just to survive, but to flourish. 11 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,840 Here are some of the greatest concentrations of life 12 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:36,200 to be found anywhere on earth. 13 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,440 The continent of Antarctica 14 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,160 lies at the southern end of the globe. 15 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,000 Twice the size of Australia, 16 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,160 it's the largest, coldest expanse of land on the planet. 17 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,920 To the north of it, however, 18 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,240 across 1,000 miles of ocean, 19 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,640 lie the subantarctic islands, 20 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,960 where conditions are somewhat less hostile to life. 21 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,000 The largest of them is South Georgia. 22 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:37,720 Here, a million king penguins live and breed the year round. 23 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 A mother has returned after a month at sea... 24 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,680 Collecting food for her hungry chick. 25 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,080 At ten months old, chicks are the size of a human toddler, 26 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,680 and covered in no more than a downy fleece. 27 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,880 Until they get their waterproof feathers, 28 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:27,280 they themselves cannot go to sea... 29 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,080 So they have to rely totally on their parents 30 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,440 to bring them food. 31 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,120 Their time together is brief - 32 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,720 just long enough to disgorge her crop of fish and squid. 33 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,640 All too soon, 34 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,920 parents have to return to sea to collect more. 35 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,520 But getting back there can take several hours. 36 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,680 Hundreds of parents make the commute together. 37 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:21,920 A beak can be used as an ice-pick 38 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,560 to negotiate the steeper parts of their trek. 39 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,320 This mile-long snow-covered trudge 40 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:39,320 is unique to this colony, and has never been seen before. 41 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,560 At last, the sea. 42 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:02,920 After several days on land, 43 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,360 their feathers need washing to be ready 44 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,480 for the long days of swimming that lie ahead. 45 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:23,000 But this is a dangerous place to loiter. 46 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:54,520 Leopard seals. 47 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:57,720 Three metres long, 48 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:01,000 more than three times the size of a king penguin, 49 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,080 these fearsome hunters are usually solitary. 50 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,880 But at this time of the year, 51 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:19,200 in this bay, there are as many as 30 of them. 52 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,840 If these penguins think that they're safe on land... 53 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,280 They are mistaken. 54 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,280 Any one of these huge seals 55 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,440 can take as many as ten penguins a day. 56 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,000 Their best chance... 57 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,640 Is to stay with the crowd. 58 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,560 There's safety in numbers. 59 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,560 Made it. 60 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,920 Only to return in a month's time... 61 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:12,200 And once again face death head-on. 62 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,760 This is surely one of the greatest challenges 63 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:20,720 faced by any parent. 64 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,200 1,500 miles off the continent's east coast 65 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,360 lies another of the tiny outposts 66 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,200 that are vital for the survival of antarctic wildlife. 67 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,560 The sub-antarctic islands of the antipodes. 68 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,680 In spring, the longer days turn each tiny speck of land 69 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,000 into a potential breeding ground... 70 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,560 For the antipodean wandering albatross. 71 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,720 Its wings are three metres across, 72 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,360 amongst the biggest of any bird. 73 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,440 This 14-year-old male 74 00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:28,240 is now mature enough to start selecting a partner. 75 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,800 For the smaller, darker female, 76 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,640 choosing a suitable mate is of equal importance. 77 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:44,560 After all, 78 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:48,200 they may stay together for the next 50 years. 79 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,240 To make this crucial decision, 80 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,400 they use one of the most elaborate courtship rituals 81 00:09:57,520 --> 00:09:59,000 of any sea bird. 82 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:03,160 He begins by sky-pointing. 83 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,520 It seems to be working. 84 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,400 Next, he attempts a move... 85 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,320 Known as the double head-Bob. 86 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,560 The finale is the real decider. 87 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,600 Synchronised wing-spreading. 88 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:10,600 She seems impressed. 89 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,680 But another male appears... 90 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,120 And shows off... 91 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,080 His wings. 92 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,080 The greater the span, 93 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,400 the more attractive he could be. 94 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,320 But the first male won't tolerate 95 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,560 a rival cutting in. 96 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,200 Yet another hopeful joins in the competition. 97 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:56,720 And another. 98 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,480 This was not supposed to be a dance-off. 99 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,000 She prefers one tango at a time. 100 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:27,280 It seems that this is not going to be his year after all. 101 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,680 But he's caught the eye of another albatross. 102 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:52,520 Once again, he begins his courtship display. 103 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,760 But this is, in fact, another male. 104 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,800 Regardless, he continues to demonstrate his eligibility. 105 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,120 This could still be the one 106 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,800 with whom he will share the rest of his life. 107 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:53,640 On the antipodes islands, it's becoming increasingly common. 108 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:59,720 Today, there are three times as many males as females. 109 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Females feed further north than the males, 110 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,480 in waters used by industrial fishing fleets 111 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,040 that catch and drown great numbers of sea birds. 112 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,000 As a result, the female albatross here 113 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,080 is now declining fast. 114 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,520 A same-sex partnership like this 115 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,680 may bring no survival advantage... 116 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:46,880 But is apparently preferable to a life alone. 117 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:01,320 The wealth of life found around Antarctica's lonely islands 118 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:05,400 is evidence of the richness of the waters that surround them. 119 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,800 The southern ocean. 120 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,440 It may appear treacherous. 121 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:27,000 Its Gale-force winds certainly create powerful currents. 122 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,480 But all this stirring has an important effect. 123 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,400 It brings up nutrients from the depths, 124 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,120 helping to create some of the richest seas on earth. 125 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:00,400 And this provides food for the largest animal 126 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,200 to have ever lived. 127 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,240 The antarctic blue whale. 128 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,760 It's more than 30 metres long... 129 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,240 But it's rarely been filmed before. 130 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,240 Only the southern ocean 131 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,240 can provide the four tonnes of food 132 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,200 that the biggest of all blue whales needs every day. 133 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:18,200 This ocean giant was almost hunted to extinction, 134 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,760 but thanks to an international ban 135 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:22,600 on commercial whaling, 136 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,320 its numbers are now increasing. 137 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,520 The closer the seas are to mainland Antarctica... 138 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:04,600 The colder they become. 139 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,560 Until, a few hundred miles offshore, 140 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,480 the ocean's surface freezes solid. 141 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,240 It forms a cover of sea ice 142 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:32,320 that is twice the size of Europe 143 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,120 and encircles the entire continent. 144 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,000 This is a stronghold 145 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:45,880 for one of Antarctica's most remarkable inhabitants. 146 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,640 It uses its teeth 147 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,280 to prevent its breathing holes from freezing over. 148 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:08,920 The weddell seal. 149 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,280 The most southerly breeding mammal on the planet. 150 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,000 This ten-day—old pup 151 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:28,520 is still entirely dependent on his mother. 152 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,320 Out on the ice, 153 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,560 it may be safe from marine predators... 154 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,760 But within its first two weeks, 155 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,000 it will have to venture into the underwater world 156 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:47,200 upon which its future depends. 157 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,160 This is the coldest water on earth. 158 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,920 So it's not surprising 159 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,160 that a pup needs some encouragement. 160 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,720 It's time to leave the safety of the breathing hole. 161 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,360 To catch fish and then safely return, 162 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,880 this pup must learn how to find his way 163 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,480 through the maze of underwater ice caverns. 164 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,520 But after just eight minutes... 165 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:04,120 His mother signals that it's time to head back. 166 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,520 She can hold her breath for an hour and a half. 167 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,280 But he is already starting to tire 168 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,240 and is running out of air. 169 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,720 On their way back to their breathing hole, 170 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,440 they hear a sound as loud as a fighterjet. 171 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:39,520 It is the call of a half-tonne male weddell seal 172 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,320 announcing that he's on the lookout for a mate. 173 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,600 She, however, is still producing milk for her pup, 174 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,720 and so isn't sexually receptive. 175 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,760 But he doesn't stop trying. 176 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,760 To repel his advances, 177 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,000 she leaves her pup's side. 178 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,080 But the pup isn't strong enough 179 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,720 to haul himself out without his mother's help. 180 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,080 She tries to fight off the adult male. 181 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:21,200 She's wounded him so seriously 182 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,640 that he is unlikely to be back any time soon. 183 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,440 A gentle nudge from mother 184 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,520 is all an exhausted pup needs 185 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,920 to make it to the safety of the sea ice. 186 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,200 Mothers stay with their pups for six weeks, 187 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,200 by which time they're strong enough to fend for themselves. 188 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,400 As spring arrives, the sea ice retreats, 189 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,800 and in a few places, Antarctica's coast 190 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,360 is exposed to the open sea. 191 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:31,840 And that attracts all kinds of animals. 192 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,800 Having spent the winter at sea, 193 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,520 chinstrap penguins can now come ashore to breed. 194 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,000 Soon, the coast becomes extremely crowded. 195 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,080 But there are ways to maintain social distance. 196 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:24,880 Oh, dear. 197 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,680 The chicks, until they're eight weeks old, 198 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,120 depend on their parents for food 199 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,960 and, critically, warmth. 200 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:43,040 Meltwater is a particular problem. 201 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,240 The chicks' feathers are not yet waterproof. 202 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,320 Getting wet could be fatal. 203 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,920 A father's duty is to keep his chicks high and dry... 204 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,800 Using the only building material available. 205 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,080 Stones. 206 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,360 And suitable ones are precious. 207 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,840 So it's vital to hold on to every one. 208 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:36,720 But while backs are turned... 209 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,560 Collections are readily plundered by neighbours. 210 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,320 With thieves like these around... 211 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:59,600 That stone has just become even more valuable. 212 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,680 What's lacking in skill... 213 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:35,520 Is made up for with persistence. 214 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,840 But a parent's labours could be in vain. 215 00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:57,840 Summer temperatures have now been recorded 216 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,560 as high as 18 degrees celsius. 217 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:14,520 As a result, the penguins' carefully constructed platforms 218 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:16,440 are now being flooded. 219 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,760 There is more meltwater than ever before... 220 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,680 And the ground is becoming a quagmire. 221 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:36,480 Downy feathers, 222 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:40,400 which are excellent insulation from the cold when dry, 223 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,920 are no defence when wet. 224 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,160 Hypothermia sets in. 225 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,360 Over the last 50 years, 226 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,240 the number of chinstraps here has dropped by half. 227 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:23,560 Antarctica is losing 228 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,480 the very element that defines it. 229 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,040 Ice. 230 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:37,320 That is now diminishing 231 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,200 six times faster than it once did. 232 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,120 Neumayer glacier on South Georgia 233 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,400 has lost nearly six miles of ice in just 20 years. 234 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,520 Parts of Antarctica are warming faster than anywhere else 235 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,360 in the southern hemisphere. 236 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,480 And that is having a serious effect 237 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,360 on the animals that live on its coast, 238 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,920 such as the weddell seal. 239 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,360 With less sea ice available, 240 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,400 many are now hauling out onland. 241 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,360 That's not just a problem for them... 242 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,240 But also for the predators 243 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,360 that specialise in hunting them. 244 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,800 One particular group of antarctic killer whales, 245 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,160 100 or so animals strong. 246 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,760 Killer whales are among the most intelligent 247 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:09,640 of all nonhuman predators. 248 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,560 And they're now working out how to tackle prey 249 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:15,840 that isn't a weddell seal. 250 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,000 An adélie penguin, resting on the ice. 251 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,920 A mere snack for an adult killer whale... 252 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,760 But it gives this group of six-year-olds 253 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:47,080 a chance to practise one of their particularly ingenious 254 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:48,440 hunting techniques. 255 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:00,640 Wave washing. 256 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:06,400 A skill that takes at least 15 years to perfect. 257 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,720 First, the killer whales assess the size and position 258 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,000 of a possible victim. 259 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,760 They must then calculate the speed needed... 260 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:20,880 For an attack. 261 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:31,440 But they're too late. 262 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:37,360 Even though a co-ordinated flick of their tails 263 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,000 creates a reasonable wave... 264 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,960 It's nothing without precision timing. 265 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,760 With fewer of their favourite prey of weddell seals 266 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,680 resting on ice floes, 267 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,800 killer whales now have no choice 268 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:07,960 but to target new prey. 269 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:11,800 Crabeater seals. 270 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,320 Numbering 15 million, 271 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,040 they're the most abundant marine mammal on earth. 272 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,720 But they are a far more dangerous target... 273 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:38,480 Than a weddell seal. 274 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,040 Stronger... 275 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,200 And more inclined to fight back. 276 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,840 But each member of this pod 277 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,160 needs to eat a seal a day. 278 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,520 So the pressure is on to feed. 279 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,840 They're led by a matriarch 280 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,280 who knows exactly what to do. 281 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,640 Living 100 years or more, 282 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,200 she has plenty of hunting experience to draw upon. 283 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:01,040 With the ice floe having broken in two, 284 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,400 the seals have become more vulnerable. 285 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:09,040 The matriarch now pushes the ice floe into open water 286 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:13,320 to give their next wave maximum impact. 287 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,800 This requires teamwork and precision. 288 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:43,360 She makes her final calculations. 289 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,280 This seal has only one way of escaping death. 290 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,240 Unlike the less muscular weddell seal, 291 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:36,920 the crabeater has the strength 292 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,040 to hurl itself out of the water... 293 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:41,480 Just in time. 294 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:48,640 For the killer whales, 295 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,960 it has been a significant waste of energy. 296 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,680 Their need to eat is now greater than ever. 297 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:06,880 A leopard seal. 298 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:15,480 By far the most ferocious of all Antarctica's seals. 299 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,600 Dare this pod tackle him? 300 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,080 He's a three-metre adult, 301 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,520 an aggressive hunter in his own right. 302 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,640 Unused to being targeted by killer whales... 303 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,520 The leopard seal makes the mistake 304 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,120 of leaving the safety of the ice floe. 305 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:22,320 The killer whales approach the seal with utmost caution. 306 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:32,920 Keeping away from its powerful teeth, 307 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,080 they seize it by its tail... 308 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:39,840 And try to drown it. 309 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:02,400 The hungry youngsters get to feed first. 310 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,280 But tackling less-familiar prey is risky, 311 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,640 and starvation is a real danger for these killer whales. 312 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:25,840 Only time will tell 313 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:29,480 whether these skilful hunters can adjust quickly enough 314 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:31,880 to survive in this changing world. 315 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:48,240 Beyond Antarctica's rich coastal fringes 316 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,400 lies a vast frozen interior. 317 00:39:56,040 --> 00:40:00,120 This is certainly one of the most inhospitable places 318 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:01,640 for life on earth. 319 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,520 Its icecap, three miles thick in places, 320 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:14,000 holds almost two-thirds of the earth's fresh water. 321 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:20,840 The accumulation of snowfalls over millions of years 322 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:25,320 has bedded vast mountain ranges longer than the himalayas. 323 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:36,800 All that can be seen of them is the tips of their peaks. 324 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,480 Smoking vents standing 20 metres tall 325 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,880 hint at the volcanicity that lies beneath the ice sheet. 326 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:03,400 The recent discovery 327 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:07,200 of more than 20 previously unknown volcanoes 328 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,000 reveals that Antarctica is 329 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:13,040 one of the most volcanic places on earth. 330 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:25,200 Almost 4,000 metres high, 331 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:29,280 mount erebus is one of just seven volcanoes on earth 332 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,240 with a permanent lava lake. 333 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,640 Less than 1% of this frozen interior 334 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:44,000 is free of ice. 335 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:53,440 But isolated outcrops of rock 336 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,000 offer sanctuaries for one of the few animals 337 00:41:56,120 --> 00:42:00,280 willing to brave temperatures of minus 30 degrees celsius. 338 00:42:09,240 --> 00:42:10,760 The snow petrel. 339 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,480 They fly 100 miles inland 340 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,880 in order to breed away from predators. 341 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:34,560 This male gets to work clearing a shallow scrape, 342 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,320 which he will then line with feathers 343 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:39,280 to give his chick a little protection 344 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:41,040 from the bitter cold. 345 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:48,680 But crevices are 346 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:50,480 in short supply... 347 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:57,240 And rivals are ever ready to fight for them. 348 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,400 When aerial combat fails, 349 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:27,080 snow petrels deploy another weapon. 350 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:29,600 Vomit. 351 00:43:44,240 --> 00:43:46,480 It could be lethal. 352 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,920 If the putrid stomach oil freezes, 353 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:53,440 his flight feathers could stick together. 354 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,680 Fortunately, he knows how to clean them... 355 00:44:07,240 --> 00:44:09,520 With a snow bath. 356 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:28,880 Now to get on with the task of breeding. 357 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:52,880 From here to the south pole, 1,000 miles further inland... 358 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:59,240 Conditions become even more hostile for life. 359 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:04,120 Winds driving over the east antarctic ice sheet 360 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:07,920 can reach speeds of up to 200 miles an hour. 361 00:45:13,240 --> 00:45:16,560 As these Gale-force winds descend from the ice sheet, 362 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:20,720 they pick up both speed and warmth. 363 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:38,640 They create the most arid conditions on earth. 364 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:53,280 These aren't snowdrifts. 365 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:57,040 They're sand dunes. 366 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,800 Some of these so-called dry valleys 367 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:10,600 have not felt rain in over a million years. 368 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:24,560 Carved by the wind, 369 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:28,200 strange monuments up to four metres tall 370 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,320 stand on the desolate valley floor. 371 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,920 The only life form... 372 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,720 A mummified crabeater seal 373 00:46:56,840 --> 00:47:00,280 that mysteriously strayed here, 374 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:02,720 possibly thousands of years ago. 375 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:17,760 But if you look hard enough... 376 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:24,440 Life can be found in Antarctica's interior. 377 00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:32,720 Hidden in the mountains of eastern Antarctica, 378 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:35,200 lake untersee. 379 00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:43,160 A little over ten years ago, 380 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:46,800 scientists dived beneath its frozen surface... 381 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:52,560 And made a discovery that would change our perception 382 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:55,280 of the possibility of alien life. 383 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:05,040 Lying on its iakebed 384 00:48:05,160 --> 00:48:08,080 are living structures found nowhere else on earth. 385 00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:18,320 Giant stromatolites. 386 00:48:20,040 --> 00:48:22,000 Standing half a metre tall... 387 00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:25,560 Their existence down here 388 00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:28,160 provides an extraordinary insight 389 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:31,200 into how life on our planet might have evolved. 390 00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:38,040 These living structures have been built 391 00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:39,760 over thousands of years 392 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:44,720 by arguably the most important microorganism on earth. 393 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:49,200 Cyanobacteria. 394 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:56,200 The very first living organisms to have produced oxygen. 395 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:02,920 Without them, earth would have remained uninhabitable 396 00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:04,720 for higher life forms. 397 00:49:09,720 --> 00:49:12,760 If the building blocks for life can be found here, 398 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,640 in the most hostile place on earth... 399 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:22,360 Surely life could exist 400 00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:25,600 in the ice-covered lakes of distant planets. 401 00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:48,840 David Attenborough: Whilst filming in the extremes 402 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:52,640 of Antarctica, capturing the remarkable behaviour 403 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:54,920 of wave-washing killer whales was to prove 404 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:57,040 the crew's greatest challenge yet. 405 00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:01,520 The team set off from the Falkland Islands 406 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:03,760 on board the golden fleece, 407 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:08,160 which will be their home for the next month and a half. 408 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:10,000 It's under the command 409 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:13,160 of antarctic explorer Dion poncet. 410 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:17,160 Man: What's the weather like for the crossing? 411 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:18,400 The first day is good. 412 00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:19,560 And then... 413 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:23,000 Nothing bad... That we can see... yet... 414 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:30,000 To reach Antarctica, they must first cross the Drake passage - 415 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:34,440 650 miles of the world's roughest ocean. 416 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:39,760 Confined to his bunk, executive producer Mark brown/ow 417 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:41,280 has yet to find his sea legs. 418 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:42,600 Destroyed. 419 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:45,600 Fourth day at sea. 420 00:50:45,720 --> 00:50:46,800 Sick. 421 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:51,400 On arrival at the peninsula, 422 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:56,240 their search begins, guided by Leigh hickmott, 423 00:50:56,360 --> 00:51:00,040 a whale scientist who is part of a 14-year study 424 00:51:00,160 --> 00:51:03,160 on the only killer whales in the world 425 00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:04,680 known to wave wash. 426 00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:07,880 We now have a greater understanding, 427 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,360 perhaps, of how small the population is, 428 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:13,200 actually, of these killer whales. 429 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,000 The parent population is about 50 animals. 430 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:17,600 So really not very many at all. 431 00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,920 With so few of these highly specialised killer whales 432 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,840 patrolling an area more than half the size of wales, 433 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,360 they head to where they were last sighted. 434 00:51:32,240 --> 00:51:35,240 After three days of round-the-clock surveillance, 435 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,400 the team finally catch a glimpse. 436 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:40,800 Found our first killer whales. 437 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:49,040 Man: There's the one we want! Woo! 438 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,080 Good start. 439 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:01,360 To get shots low to the water, 440 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:05,080 they launch a gyro-stabilised camera system in a small boat 441 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,240 that's only half the length of the killer whales. 442 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:09,680 Man: Stay still. 443 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:14,240 That's so cool! 444 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,840 Definitely feel like we've just been checked out. 445 00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:23,160 It's quite intimidating. 446 00:52:29,440 --> 00:52:33,600 In a filming first, camera operator bertie Gregory 447 00:52:33,720 --> 00:52:37,520 launches the drone to capture a new perspective 448 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:39,840 on this hunting technique. 449 00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:43,520 We've got four, five killer whales, spy hopping. 450 00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:47,960 Some are moving away! They might get ready for a wave. 451 00:52:52,720 --> 00:52:53,840 There's the first wave! 452 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:57,520 That's the breaking wave that's broken the pack in half. 453 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:03,320 Gregory: The seal's in the water! 454 00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:06,600 Seal's in the water! He could be in trouble here. 455 00:53:08,760 --> 00:53:10,880 Brownlow: They could just kill the seal cleanly, 456 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:15,320 but they are using the seal to teach their young how to hunt. 457 00:53:17,440 --> 00:53:19,040 It's really hard to watch. 458 00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:23,720 The team's ground-breaking footage 459 00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:26,360 is also providing valuable scientific data, 460 00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,320 contributing to the long-term study 461 00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:32,720 of these highly specialised killer whales. 462 00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:38,800 Animal b-17, she was first photographed back in 2009. 463 00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:40,000 So here she is. 464 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:42,720 This is a photograph taken during frozen planet I. 465 00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:44,040 If we look on the right, 466 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:46,560 here's a picture that we took during our cruise. 467 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:50,000 She's certainly the matriarch of her particular group. 468 00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:52,320 We're seeing how she's teaching her offspring 469 00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:55,480 to become this very efficient killer. 470 00:53:56,760 --> 00:53:58,600 But after such a promising start, 471 00:53:58,720 --> 00:54:01,600 conditions take a turn for the worse. 472 00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:05,120 Poncet: The thing that's changed 473 00:54:05,240 --> 00:54:07,120 enormously here is the weather. 474 00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:11,560 In the past, the peninsula was famous for 475 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:14,160 perfect calm, still, 476 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:16,160 bright sunshine, clear skies. 477 00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:17,840 And... 478 00:54:17,960 --> 00:54:19,120 Doesn't happen so much. 479 00:54:19,240 --> 00:54:23,800 And warmer weather here means less sea ice, which could 480 00:54:23,920 --> 00:54:26,160 have consequences for the killer whales' 481 00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,440 preferred prey of weddell seals. 482 00:54:28,560 --> 00:54:30,840 Hickmott: There's a cruel irony, really, that we've 483 00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:33,840 today found the largest group of weddell seals, 484 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:35,720 but they're on the beach. 485 00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:38,120 They're not on pack ice. And that's potentially 486 00:54:38,240 --> 00:54:40,240 because the antarctic peninsula is one of 487 00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:42,680 the most rapidly warming places on the planet. 488 00:54:52,680 --> 00:54:54,160 The team film the killer whales 489 00:54:54,280 --> 00:54:56,240 switching to hunt crabeater seals... 490 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:02,320 But then, something remarkable happens. 491 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:07,680 They approach one of Antarctica 's 492 00:55:07,800 --> 00:55:10,760 most formidable predators, the leopard seal. 493 00:55:21,040 --> 00:55:22,920 Hickmott: This is absolutely incredible, 494 00:55:23,080 --> 00:55:26,160 because that's really not considered a key prey for them. 495 00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:30,480 Ooh, he's chosen a bad piece. 496 00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:32,280 The ice has split into four... 497 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:35,120 And he's chosen the smallest quarter. 498 00:55:46,680 --> 00:55:48,440 It's phenomenal. 499 00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:52,600 It's the first time a killer whale 500 00:55:52,720 --> 00:55:55,680 hunting a leopard seal has been captured on camera. 501 00:55:59,520 --> 00:56:01,400 As extraordinary as that is, 502 00:56:01,520 --> 00:56:05,040 it's a sobering indication of the challenges ahead 503 00:56:05,160 --> 00:56:06,960 for these killer whales. 504 00:56:08,080 --> 00:56:10,000 Hickmott: I don't think it's too much to say 505 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:12,520 that we are facing a climate emergency. 506 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:14,600 There's a real chance that, 507 00:56:14,720 --> 00:56:16,560 as we lose this pack-ice environment, 508 00:56:16,680 --> 00:56:19,280 that this predator, that has one of the most complex 509 00:56:19,400 --> 00:56:21,640 foraging strategies on the planet, 510 00:56:21,760 --> 00:56:23,160 is going to be potentially lost. 511 00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:27,720 And that's a tragedy that I, 512 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:30,000 in my lifetime, don't want to see. 513 00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:32,240 And for our children, most certainly, 514 00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:33,840 we can't allow to happen.