Autumn Frozen Planet


Autumn

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The end of the Arctic summer, and the sun hasn't set for three months.

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It's hard to imagine the bitter cold will soon return.

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Some will welcome the chills of autumn, but for most,

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time is running out before they will have to retreat to the south.

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Early autumn in the Canadian Arctic,

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and polar bears are gathering on the coastal strip,

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waiting for the sea to freeze.

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But a life spent alone on the sea ice

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is no preparation for a crowded beach.

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Such close contact with other bears must be stressful.

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Surely tempers will flare.

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Over half a tonne of bear slams into the other.

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Polar bears will fight to the death over mates,

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but not in autumn.

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Now these fearsome predators display

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a surprisingly tolerant side to their natures.

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Being marooned on land means the bears no longer have access

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to the seals they usually hunt

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and they have to scrape by on whatever they can find.

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Like bears the world over, they're not choosy feeders.

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They even turn vegetarian,

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delicately picking out berries from between the thorns.

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There are plenty to go around

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so there's no need to squabble over them.

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Any fighting is just for fun.

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The bears select sparring partners who are well matched

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and they always pull their punches -

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no-one wants to get hurt in a play-fight.

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Perhaps these bouts are a way of testing rivals

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in case they ever meet again out on the sea ice.

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One thing's for sure - the famous loners

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are revealing a social, playful side we rarely see.

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It's all just boisterous fun but with so many big males around,

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the females keep their cubs at a safe distance.

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The wary mother will lead her young to a quieter beach

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along the coast while she waits for the ocean to freeze.

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The sea ice is now at its minimum extent.

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In the Canadian Arctic, vast stretches of coastline

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are now unlocked and ready to receive visitors.

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Belugas - the white whales of the north.

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They're relying on open water to reach an ancient rendezvous.

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It's a journey they make every year along traditional routes.

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Baby belugas ride piggy-back, pulled along by their mother's slip stream.

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This one is only a month old,

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and won't turn white for another five years.

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Thousands of belugas are being drawn to one special estuary

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in the Canadian Arctic.

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It isn't food that brings them here.

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Curiously, it's personal hygiene.

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When the tide is low they swim into the shallows

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and flail around with great enthusiasm.

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They're after a body scrub.

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The gravel acts as a loofah

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and thrashing their bodies across it

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helps to get rid of their old skin.

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Presumably the treatment keeps them clean and streamlined,

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but it also appears to feel good.

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Bliss!

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The water in the estuary is warmer and less salty

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and that seems to soften the skin making the scrub more effective.

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This secluded estuary is only a temporary whale spa -

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the ocean will soon freeze again, forcing the whales to travel south.

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Vast seabird colonies are the jewels of the Arctic.

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Brunnich's guillemots have spent the summer months packed together

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on vertical cliffs beyond the reach of predators.

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They are among the most numerous seabirds in the northern hemisphere.

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This colony alone contains 100,000 birds

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and there are many more like it all along the Arctic coastline.

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In just a few weeks these cliffs will empty

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but before the guillemots can leave, their chicks must fledge.

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Their feathers are now fully formed, but their stubby wings

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are still too short for them to fly properly - this will be a challenge.

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It's a 150-metre drop and they need to make it all the way to the sea.

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Here goes.

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He falls short and survives the crash landing.

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The chicks are manna from heaven for an Arctic fox.

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The next chick is accompanied by a parent.

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Failed again.

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This looks better!

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Success!

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Aquatic landings are certainly gentler

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and foxes can't reach you out here.

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The chicks will stay in their parents' care for another month.

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The guillemots are not the only ones preparing to leave.

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All across the Arctic millions of summer visitors

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are beginning to return south.

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The guillemot chicks can't fly yet,

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so they and their families must swim to their winter feeding grounds.

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It's a journey that will take them a thousand miles south

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to the open ocean and away from the approaching ice.

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The breeding season is over and silence returns to the Arctic.

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But as the first storms of autumn

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sweep through the deserted nesting grounds,

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they bring an unexpected bonanza for the few that remain.

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The discovery doesn't remain secret for long.

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It's a huge fin whale carcass.

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The polar bears have been drawn from several miles away,

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guided by their extraordinary sense of smell.

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Bears are arriving all the time,

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but there's plenty of room at this 18-metre-long dining table.

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They're surprisingly relaxed,

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but with enough for everyone, there's no need to argue.

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The tastiest morsels are often underwater.

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Others prefer some greens with their dinner.

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After a well-balanced meal,

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there's nothing better than some good company.

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Despite their reputation as loners,

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it's surprising just how sociable polar bears can be.

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All across the Arctic the temperature is now dropping

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and the sea is beginning to freeze.

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Every day over 20,000 square miles of ocean

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turn to ice as the cold spreads south.

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At first, a thin, greasy film appears on the surface

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Next, pancakes of ice start to appear.

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The pancakes lock together and form a continuous sheet.

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The Arctic Ocean is freezing again.

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At last the bear family can return to the sea ice where they belong.

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It's been six months since the cubs first emerged from the den.

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They've survived the hazards of melting sea ice in spring

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and lack of food in summer

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and now, at last, they are in their element again.

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As the north of our planet turns away from the sun,

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the big chill travels south.

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Temperatures on the tundra start to fall.

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The shorter days and colder nights trigger a dramatic change

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in the willows and blueberry bushes.

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They stop producing green pigment that harnesses the sun's energy

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and red and yellow pigments build up in their leaves.

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The tundra blazes with colour and the whole landscape is transformed.

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A bull musk ox marks his territory with scent from glands on his face.

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He's preparing for the breeding season.

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He shadows his harem of females as they graze

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the last of the summer grasses.

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He must be on his guard.

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An outsider is arriving,

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a large male whose intentions soon become clear.

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The newcomer circles the resident bull warily.

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The resident must take up the intruder's challenge.

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This clash of polar Titans could easily become a fight to the death.

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The impact is like a car crash at 30 miles an hour.

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A heavy skull and a helmet of horn four inches thick

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provides some protection for the musk ox's brain.

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Over the next half-hour, the advantage ebbs and flows

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as each tries to finish the duel.

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If one can turn the other and gore its flank, the fight will be over.

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The stakes rise as the risk of injury, or even death, increases.

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The rival is outmanoeuvred.

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And the champion returns to his females.

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By now most animals have migrated south, but the musk oxen,

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with their thick coats, will stay and face the approaching winter.

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As autumn progresses, the moisture in the air freezes

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and hoarfrost decorates the leaves.

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Ice crystals grow like diamonds on every twig.

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All across the tundra, both the rivers and the ground freeze solid.

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Glassy cathedrals form as the remaining water

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becomes locked up as ice.

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Soon even the largest waterfalls will be motionless.

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The tundra has been transformed once again.

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It appears deserted.

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Caribou on their migration.

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Unlike the musk ox, caribou do head south for the winter,

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but it's a long and difficult journey.

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They use the frozen lakes as ice roads - these are flat and firm -

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but it seems hooves and ice were never really meant to go together.

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The frisky males would be well advised to keep

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at least one eye on the road as the mating season begins.

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A cow is being closely guarded by a mature bull,

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with his much larger antlers.

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The females are busy feeding up for the winter,

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but the bull has other things on his mind.

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The cow is playing hard to get.

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She heads off with her admirer in pursuit.

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Several other bulls join in the chase.

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She's out in front but the amorous males are gaining on her.

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The big bull breaks off his chase to deal with a rival.

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But now he's fallen behind the other challengers.

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The younger bulls, with their lighter antlers,

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keep up with the cow more easily,

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but as the pace slows, the older bull catches up.

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Again he has to stop and fight.

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A decisive victory for the big male.

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He's earned the respect of the vanquished bulls

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and they now trail in his wake.

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It's now become a game of grandma's footsteps -

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one look from the boss and the young-bloods freeze in their tracks.

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The exhausted bull guards his prize, but he'll need to recover

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before he is able to make the most of his victory,

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and the herd continues its journey south

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to avoid the worst of the advancing cold.

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From the ocean to the tundra,

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the north of our planet is now completely frozen.

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The Antarctic.

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In the far south, autumn can be a particularly savage

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and unpredictable time.

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South Georgia is a splinter of rock in the middle

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of the vast Southern Ocean.

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It's only a hundred miles long and is battered by the elements.

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This ocean generates some of the largest waves on the planet.

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They gain size and power as they travel around the globe,

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uninterrupted by land for 12,000 miles.

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As they buffet South Georgia, they also bring food.

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A seal carcass.

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A prize worth braving the surf for.

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Giant petrels are the vultures of Antarctica,

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and are always the first to the spoils.

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The word is out, and the hordes move in.

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Like feathered dinosaurs, they lock beaks in battle.

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These butchers provide a service for some unlikely meat-eaters.

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With the carcasses now opened, pintail ducks arrive for a meal.

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There's plenty of good food here

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and none of South Georgia's inhabitants can afford to be fussy

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with winter looming.

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After the feast it's time for a rinse and spin.

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The breeding season is finally over

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and the petrels will soon be heading out to sea

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to avoid the worst of the winter.

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A snowstorm is an omen of things to come.

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There is now little left to eat and South Georgia's beaches

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will soon be abandoned to the cold and ice.

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Further south still,

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and the first storms are striking the continent of Antarctica.

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The Adelie penguins must rear their half-grown chicks

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to adulthood before winter hits in just a few weeks' time.

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The chicks are only three weeks old.

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Their downy coats aren't fully waterproof yet

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and they cluster together for warmth.

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These creches are essential during bad weather

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as most of the adults are away at sea,

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fishing for their fast-growing families.

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When the parents return,

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their offspring quickly leave the comfort of their peers.

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Both chicks are ravenously hungry.

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But there may only be enough food for one.

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This race could determine which chick has the better prospects.

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Most Adelie pairs will only manage to raise a single chick each season.

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And this may not be it.

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At least number one is getting stronger by the day.

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With one meal delivered, the parents must quickly find another.

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To rear their chicks before the onset of winter,

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the penguins must work round the clock.

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The parents can travel over 100 miles

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to reach the best fishing grounds

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and may be gone for several days at a time.

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They return with a kilogram of fish and squid in their bellies,

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feed their chicks, and then go off again to repeat the process.

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The job must be finished before the sea freezes over again.

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At seven weeks old, the chicks are losing the last of their baby down

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and are now fully equipped to take the plunge.

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Confidence is all that's lacking.

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Perhaps it'll help if the parents lead by example.

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There...effortless, and as graceful as any fish.

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It seems penguins are not born with a love of water.

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Staying submerged is the next problem.

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Buoyancy control is clearly a skill that needs practice.

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Well, it's a start!

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And at least they can now reach the ice floes.

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Swimming is the first of many lessons.

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They must next learn to recognise danger in all its forms.

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A leopard seal.

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Even high up on an ice floe, the penguins aren't safe.

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Each year, leopard seals will take 5,000 of them

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from this colony alone.

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The Adelies that survive drift out into the Southern Ocean.

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They will spend the next five months feeding at sea,

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avoiding the great freeze that is about to envelop Antarctica.

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The edge of the sea ice advances by up to two and a half miles a day.

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Eventually, over 5 million square miles of ice

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will surround the continent of Antarctica,

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effectively doubling its size.

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The great white wilderness is empty.

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But not for long.

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Bizarrely, it's now that the Emperor penguins arrive,

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just as all the other penguins have left.

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These giants are now at their heaviest.

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They've been feeding at sea all summer and can weigh 40 kilos.

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From the edge of the sea ice, they head towards their colony...

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..but an obstacle course of jumbled ice blocks stands in their way.

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The males are particularly fat at this time of year.

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This will be crucial for their survival in the months ahead,

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but it doesn't make squeezing through narrow gaps any easier!

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With the worst behind them,

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they start a 20-mile march into the freezer to breed -

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the only animals to do so.

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By tobogganing, they can travel at twice their walking speed

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and it takes the weight off tired feet.

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Their destination is the thicker ice, closer to shore,

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which will stay solid long enough for them to safely rear their chicks

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throughout the months to come.

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Their colony is in the lee of icebergs trapped in the frozen ocean

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which will shelter them from the bitter Antarctic winds.

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Newly formed pairs promenade together.

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Courtship demands that both partners strike and hold a variety of poses.

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It's an important process as the bond between the couple

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will have to be an exceptionally strong one.

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The final act lacks the elegance of the prelude

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but at least it's quick.

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The egg is laid a few days later.

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It contains the female's last reserves.

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She now has nothing more to give

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and must pass the egg to the male to incubate.

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The couple must be quick.

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If the egg rests on the ice for too long it'll freeze.

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With their eggs safe in the care of the males,

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the females start the long journey back to the sea.

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The sun is also leaving and will be gone for many months.

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The precious eggs, balanced on the males' feet,

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will make the terrible ordeal ahead worthwhile.

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With no food and only each other for warmth,

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they will attempt to keep the next generation alive

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while surviving in the most brutal conditions on earth.

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Not all of them will succeed.

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At both ends of our planet,

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the sun sets for the last time in autumn.

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A season of change comes to an end

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and one of endless darkness and bitter cold begins.

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The spectacular return of the Emperor penguins

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was a key event for the Frozen Planet team.

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The crew will have to operate

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in the most dangerous of all polar environments -

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the edge of the sea ice.

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They have to fly in everything they'll need for a month

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of living on the frozen ocean.

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On board are slow motion cameraman John Aitchison.

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Underwater cameraman Didier Noirot.

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And director Chadden Hunter.

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With the plane gone, the team are on their own.

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This is home for the next month.

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But it doesn't look like much right now.

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Their tents should be secure on the permanent sea ice

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but they're still miles from the ocean where they hope to film.

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The locals are keen to get acquainted

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with anything of a familiar shape and size.

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The Emperors are welcome neighbours around camp,

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but the team need to film them returning from the water

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and to do that they face a daunting task.

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They must find a path to the open sea

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through a shifting landscape of jagged sea ice.

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Their first scouting trip doesn't look promising.

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Neither maps nor sat-nav help in this ever-changing environment.

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The only clue that the ocean lies somewhere to the east

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is a steady procession of penguins.

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-Any suggestions, Didier?

-We must find a way.

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-Yes.

-And we will find a way.

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I like the attitude. The penguins have found a way.

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It seems the Emperors will be the key to reaching the ice edge.

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OK, let's go.

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With their penguin guides leading the way,

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snowmobiles are brought in to haul 500kg of equipment

0:49:430:49:47

through the icy maze.

0:49:470:49:50

It's tough going for film crew and penguins.

0:49:520:49:56

When the ice ridges halt progress,

0:49:560:50:00

it's time for some back-breaking work.

0:50:000:50:02

The next three days are spent chiselling through mile after mile

0:50:070:50:12

of broken sea ice.

0:50:120:50:14

Once finally clear of the ice boulders,

0:50:270:50:30

they spot their goal - a patch of open ocean with penguins.

0:50:300:50:35

John is first in position.

0:50:410:50:43

He hopes to capture the most striking images

0:50:430:50:47

by using a computerised slow motion camera.

0:50:470:50:50

But attempts to film the penguins underwater are halted

0:50:510:50:55

by an unwelcome visitor.

0:50:550:50:57

We just saw the head of a massive leopard seal

0:50:570:51:00

so we'll get closer to see what's going on.

0:51:000:51:05

We must be careful because those guys can come out very quickly,

0:51:050:51:09

out of the hole, and give a bite,

0:51:090:51:11

but being red like that, we should be quite protected, you know?

0:51:110:51:15

Being dressed in red may be Didier's idea of safety,

0:51:150:51:20

but the rest of the crew have a healthy respect for leopard seals.

0:51:200:51:24

They can be fiercely territorial and are not afraid to attack humans.

0:51:240:51:29

I think I can run faster than him on land.

0:51:290:51:34

That's very exciting.

0:51:340:51:36

That's the first time I've ever seen a leopard seal in my life

0:51:360:51:40

and he's come straight out of the hole and starts...

0:51:400:51:42

walloping towards us.

0:51:420:51:45

There's a lot of adrenaline.

0:51:450:51:47

With the seal frightening the penguins away

0:51:470:51:50

and hassling the crew, it's time to try a new hole.

0:51:500:51:55

Oh, hello.

0:52:000:52:03

Can you see him?

0:52:040:52:06

While the seal's around, there's little hope of filming the penguins,

0:52:080:52:13

but now a far greater threat is posed by the changing weather.

0:52:130:52:17

That dark headland in the distance is Cape Washington.

0:52:180:52:21

That's our last sign of mainland. We can't see anything else.

0:52:210:52:25

Once we lose sight of that mainland

0:52:250:52:27

that means we're out here on our own on the sea ice.

0:52:270:52:31

This visibility is getting lower and lower.

0:52:310:52:34

It's started snowing and this wind is just blowing offshore

0:52:340:52:38

so, if all this ice heads out, we don't want to be on it.

0:52:380:52:42

I think we're going to can filming for the day.

0:52:420:52:45

All the signs suggest that a big Antarctic storm is on its way.

0:52:500:52:55

Winds pick up to 70mph and everyone retreats to their tents.

0:52:580:53:04

High winds then turn to heavy snow.

0:53:060:53:09

On the driest continent on Earth, a big snowfall is rare.

0:53:110:53:15

White-out conditions take the penguins and film crew by surprise.

0:53:180:53:23

Each day they must dig out their buried equipment.

0:53:250:53:29

Filming has ground to a halt.

0:53:290:53:31

One week and a metre of snow later, the headland is visible again

0:53:380:53:43

and the team are raring to get back to the ice edge.

0:53:430:53:48

They follow their old route back through the frozen maze

0:53:490:53:52

and, with no leopard seal in sight,

0:53:520:53:55

it's time for another attempt with the pole cam.

0:53:550:53:58

It's cumbersome, but it allows the team to capture underwater images

0:53:580:54:03

without having to risk the icy water themselves.

0:54:030:54:06

-That is OK?

-That's perfect.

-They are coming. I can see some.

0:54:100:54:14

Oh, wow!

0:54:140:54:16

Penguins coming in the hole. This is awesome. This is great.

0:54:160:54:20

The aim now is to film the penguins' dramatic exit from the hole.

0:54:200:54:25

The only problem...which hole?!

0:54:250:54:28

These penguins keep outsmarting us.

0:54:370:54:40

We tried to switch holes to film them coming up

0:54:400:54:43

and they all just completely came up behind us.

0:54:430:54:46

Whatever the crew try,

0:54:460:54:48

there's always someone who hasn't read the script!

0:54:480:54:52

John has been filming but he can't view his slow-motion shots

0:54:530:54:58

until they're downloaded to a computer.

0:54:580:55:00

While he waits, Didier seizes his chance.

0:55:010:55:05

Come, my friend. Come.

0:55:050:55:07

If you can't beat them, join them.

0:55:070:55:10

It's time to go scuba diving in the coldest waters on the planet.

0:55:100:55:14

I will see you on the other side.

0:55:140:55:17

The team are 300 miles from help

0:55:230:55:25

and have only a small hole as their lifeline to the surface.

0:55:250:55:29

A magical world opens up.

0:55:340:55:36

For the first time

0:55:360:55:38

Didier now shares the penguins' perspective from beneath the ice.

0:55:380:55:43

This is Antarctica at its most enchanting.

0:55:580:56:02

For Chadden, after weeks of struggle,

0:56:040:56:06

the sequence quite literally falls into his lap.

0:56:060:56:10

Whoa!

0:56:100:56:12

Sorry!

0:56:130:56:15

I think I'm in the way.

0:56:160:56:18

Just come a little this way. There we go.

0:56:250:56:28

I'm getting run over by penguins!

0:56:320:56:34

I think it worked. It's very difficult to tell.

0:56:360:56:40

John's camera is finally capturing

0:56:400:56:41

the super-slow-motion images of the Emperors' dramatic return.

0:56:410:56:47

With the penguins performing perfectly,

0:56:490:56:52

it was all falling into place.

0:56:520:56:54

The team were finally able to capture

0:56:540:56:56

Antarctica's most spectacular belly flop.

0:56:560:57:00

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:57:290:57:32

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