Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze Human Planet


Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze

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Only one creature has carved a life for itself

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in every habitat on Earth.

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That creature is us.

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All over the world, we still use our ingenuity to survive

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in the wild places,

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far from the city lights, face to face with raw nature.

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This is the Human Planet.

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DOGS BARK

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At the top of our planet lies

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one of the most remote places on Earth.

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The Arctic.

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In winter, the region is frozen and dark for months on end.

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There are no trees and there are no plants to eat.

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We humans weren't built to withstand a landscape as hostile as this.

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And yet, four million people live here.

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Their survival relies upon an intimate knowledge of this,

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the most hostile habitat on Earth.

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HE SHOUTS

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HOWLS

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The beginning of a new Arctic year.

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After months of winter darkness,

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the sun finally returns to this frozen land.

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BELL CHIMES

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For the Inuit of Saattut, Greenland,

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the sun's return marks the beginning of their hunting calendar.

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Now that the residents have enough daylight,

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a world of opportunity opens up.

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They can embark on expeditions far from town,

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travelling across the thousands of kilometres of sea ice

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that lead to their hunting grounds.

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HOWLS

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Today, Amos Jensen and his son Karl-Frederik

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have to feed their dogs.

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DOGS HOWL

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Their dogs are essential.

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At this time of year, the dogsled

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is their only means of transportation.

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Because their hunting trip could take some time,

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father and son will need a few comforts of home,

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or even home itself.

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To find the most nutritious dog food,

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Amos and Karl-Frederik need to travel many kilometres across the sea ice.

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What they're after is a real-life Arctic sea monster,

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a Greenland shark.

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To support their weight, the ice

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only needs to be five centimetres thick,

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about two inches.

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This ice is nearly a metre thick, and it could support a jumbo jet.

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THEY PANT

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DOGS BARK

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Amos knows that Greenland sharks are partial to whale meat.

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And he also knows they live in the deepest waters.

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Now, both men and dogs have to wait for something to take the bait.

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(DOGS WHINE)

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As temperatures plummet to -35 degrees Celsius,

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the dogs' thick fur keeps them warm.

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HOWLS

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But without their hut,

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Amos and Karl-Frederik would freeze to death.

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DOGS BARK

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It's time to check if the dogs will eat today.

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From the vibrations he feels on the fishing line,

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he knows they've hooked something.

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But he won't know if it's a shark until they pull it up.

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It's down so deep

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they have to stretch their fishing line

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along the ice in hundred-metre lengths.

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They pull their catch up a staggering 800 metres,

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nearly twice the height of the Empire State Building.

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They've caught the Greenland shark they were hoping for.

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The Greenland shark is the only native Arctic shark.

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It's one of the largest predators in these seas.

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Researchers have found caribou and even polar bears in its stomach.

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THEY CHUCKLE

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The shark has accidentally wrapped the fishing line round its tail.

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It's not the normal way to land a shark,

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but a catch is a catch.

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Amos and Karl can't lift the shark by themselves

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so they enlist the help of the dogs.

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DOGS BARK

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HE SHOUTS

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This shark is four metres long, weighs over half a ton

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and is the largest they've ever caught.

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But it will only feed their 20 dogs for two weeks.

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DOGS BARK

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For Greenlanders, it is essential to have well-fed dogs

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if they're to continue hunting and fishing.

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Here in the Arctic, the bond between man and dog is so important.

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It's unlikely we would have colonised

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this habitat without our best friends.

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As the year moves on, so does the quest for survival.

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It's March, but the Arctic Ocean is still dominated by sea ice.

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An area four times the size of the United States is frozen over.

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The ice connects Europe to Russia, and Russia to North America.

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And here in the Canadian Arctic,

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people have a unique insight into what lies beneath the ice.

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In Kangiqsujjuaq, northeast Canada,

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Lukasi Nappaaluk is watching the tides.

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Tomorrow, the spring equinox

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will create the most extreme tides of the year,

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and a spectacular opportunity for a meal.

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The neap tide literally opens a door

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for a garden of seafood just below the ice.

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You just need to know where to find it.

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Lukasi and his friends prefer snowmobiles to dogsleds.

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And they don't bother to bring along a shelter either.

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Everything they need to protect themselves from the elements

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is right beneath their feet.

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Even if it's -45 degrees Celsius outside,

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body warmth can heat an igloo to a balmy +16,

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a full 60 degrees warmer.

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Cosy inside their igloo, Lukasi and his friends must now wait.

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Before they can hunt, something extraordinary has to happen.

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Underneath the sea ice, the tide is going out

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and out.

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The floating ice drops a staggering 12 metres, nearly 40 feet,

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exposing the seabed, and, hopefully, the bounty they're after.

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Lukasi and his friends try to get

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under the ice as quickly as possible.

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They have just half an hour before the tide comes back in.

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The world beneath their feet is unstable.

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The giant blocks of ice are no longer supported by water

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and could collapse at any moment.

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This is the only place on Earth where the tides are extreme enough

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to allow people to dare venture under the sea ice.

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And in a chamber that moments ago was underwater,

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they find what they're looking for.

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Mussels.

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All they could hope for.

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Now they have just minutes to gather all they can carry.

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The returning tide is an unstoppable force.

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As the sea steadily flows back,

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it lifts the huge blocks of ice over their heads.

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Even as they escape, the ice shifts around them.

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The ocean reclaims its secret garden.

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Lukasi can only harvest mussels for the few days of extreme tides.

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Mussels are a delicious way to break up a diet

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that during winter has been mainly seal meat and fish.

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THEY LAUGH AND CHAT

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But summer is on the way, and everything is about to change.

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By June, the sun finally pushes temperatures above zero.

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The sea ice begins to melt.

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BIRDSONG

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And as it breaks apart, it triggers an annual summer migration.

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WHALE SONG

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GROWLS AND GRUNTS

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Animals that have spent the winter far offshore

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follow the melting ice into the bays and fjords.

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For Arctic hunters, this creates a unique opportunity.

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HUNTERS SHOUT

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Mamarut Kristiansen, and his brothers Mikele and Gedion,

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are Thule Inuit from northern Greenland.

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They're rushing to keep the most important appointment

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in their hunting calendar.

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They must be punctual.

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In just a few weeks, the sea ice

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they're travelling on will melt away.

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Their goal is the most precious food in the Arctic.

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Narwhal.

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These legendary whales are looking for a way into the bay.

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This is a mythic creature...

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HE SHOUTS

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...but it is also a source of the rarest vitamin in the Arctic.

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Vitamin C.

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In a landscape with so few edible fruits or plants,

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the Inuit don't have alternatives.

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BIRDSONG

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Spotting narwhal is hard enough.

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Even scientists who study them rarely see them.

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But if Mikele is going to catch one,

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the narwhal will have to swim a great deal closer than this.

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It could be weeks before the three brothers see narwhal again.

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But they have to stay alert, and there's plenty to prepare.

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In this region, the law states

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that hunters can only use traditional methods.

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This means travelling in kayaks,

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a craft the Inuit invented thousands of years ago,

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and using the avatak, a buoy made from the skin of a ring seal.

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Even though it's midnight, the sun still shines.

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In June, the sun simply

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circles the sky, never dipping below the horizon.

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It's vital that one of them stands guard at all times.

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But Gedion isn't just looking for narwhal.

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He's watching the ice.

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DOGS BARK

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Already it's thinning and breaking apart.

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If they're not careful,

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the brothers could find themselves adrift on a melting piece of ice.

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Mamarut and Gedion know not to panic.

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Narwhal are extremely skittish,

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so the hunters enter the water with care.

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The three brothers work as a team.

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They're after just one whale.

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It's an ambush.

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The narwhal pass within 50 feet of Mikele

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but still all three hunters wait.

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If he strikes too soon, the whole pod will dive.

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His eye is on the stragglers bringing up the rear.

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Especially in the final approach, Mikele must be silent

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and directly behind his prey.

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SHOUTING

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Their success will benefit the whole community.

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The single narwhal will feed their families for weeks, if not months.

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The most prized part of the narwhal is the skin.

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They call it muktuk.

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It's their primary source of vitamin C.

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Ounce for ounce, narwhal skin contains

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almost as much vitamin C as oranges.

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Without narwhal,

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it's doubtful the Inuit would have survived in this part of the Arctic.

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It's now July, and the sun finally wins its battle.

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The sea ice melts into open ocean.

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To find food, man turns his attention to the land.

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Siorapaluk, Greenland,

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is the northernmost native settlement on Earth.

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Every year, Maassannguaq Oshima is treated to a spectacle.

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Millions of little auks on migration.

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They come here to breed on the cliffs.

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And for predators,

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there's a mouth-watering supply of protein whizzing overhead.

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If you can reach it.

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Thousands of years ago, Maassannguaq's ancestors

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worked out how to make nets out of sinew and driftwood.

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And they created the same hiding spots he uses today.

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On a good day, Maassannguaq can gather up to 500 birds.

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But he won't eat them now.

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He'll take his cue from a fellow hunter.

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Arctic foxes often stuff a few birds underground,

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so that when times are lean, they'll have food to fall back on.

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The birds can be used to make kiviak,

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a dish that you save for a rainy day.

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The recipe is thousands of years old, and it goes like this.

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Take one seal skin.

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Stuff as many little auks inside it as you can.

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At least 500.

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Sew it up.

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Make sure you press all the air out.

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Seal fat repels flies, so be generous when coating the seams.

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And finally, use a big rock to make sure no more air gets in.

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Maassannguaq's kiviak won't be ready for three months,

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but the frozen ground is a natural refrigerator.

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Come winter, he and his family will have a vital supply of food.

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It's now September.

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Days are getting shorter and temperatures are plummeting.

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The few plants that have managed to grow over the short Arctic summer

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are dying back.

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This is exactly what is happening on Arnoy island, northern Norway.

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3,000 reindeer have been grazing here all summer.

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But now they have to move,

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because their winter food source,

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lichen, can only be found 450 kilometres away.

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And to get to it, they'll have to cross this, the Arnoy strait.

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Elle-Helene Siri is in charge

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of leading these reindeer across the water.

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She belongs to a family of Sami reindeer herders.

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Before the migration begins,

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Elle helps split the deer into smaller groups

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so they can give them vital medicine.

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SHE SHOUTS

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On the day she was born, Elle was given a portion of this herd.

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Now aged 20, and a recent graduate of Norway's reindeer college,

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it's up to her to make sure they all survive the perilous journey ahead.

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It will take nearly a month

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for these deer to migrate to their winter pastures.

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But today is the toughest day of all,

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because the deer have to swim 2.5 kilometres across the channel.

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COWBELLS CHIME DULLY

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REINDEER GRUNT

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These chilly Arctic waters are only just above freezing.

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Even for adult reindeer this is a long swim.

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But for this year's calves, which have never been in the water before,

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it's a marathon.

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SHIP HORN BLARES

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As the young calves approach the halfway point, exhaustion sets in.

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For Elle, it's a tense moment,

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because if one calf turns around and swims back, the rest could follow.

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A baby female is in trouble, and suddenly, she turns back.

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Elle must stop her or the whole migration could derail.

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She's done it.

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The migration remains on track.

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After an hour of hard swimming, Elle and her reindeer reach the mainland.

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It won't be long before Elle's deer will be grazing

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on the lichen they need to get them through the winter.

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And it's not just animals looking for a meal at this time of year.

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In Greenland, Maassannguaq and his father are already breaking into

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the caches of little auks they stored up in the summer.

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The birds have now fermented and have become

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the Inuit delicacy known as kiviak.

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It's easy to tell if your kiviak is ready by the aroma.

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It should sting the nostrils.

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This is why it's polite always to serve kiviak outdoors.

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The flavour should resemble extremely intense Gorgonzola cheese.

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Nothing is wasted. Everything is edible.

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The Inuit of northern Greenland love kiviak so much

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that it's the dish of choice for birthdays and weddings.

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And it's nutritious, full of vitamins and minerals

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that will sustain people over the winter months ahead.

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As September gives way to October, winter returns to the Arctic.

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The ocean ices over once again.

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One of the first places to freeze lies along Hudson's Bay

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near the town of Churchill, Manitoba.

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Every year, the 1,000 human residents must share their town

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with one of the few predators on Earth

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that actively hunts human beings.

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BEAR GROWLS

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From September to November,

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as many as 300 ravenous polar bears descend on Churchill

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on their way back to hunt on the sea ice.

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BEAR GROWLS

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Bob Windsor is in charge of protecting the residents.

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He belongs to a special task force - the Polar Bear Alert team.

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'Polar bears are pure predators, so they kill other animals to eat.

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'That's how they survive.

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'Knowing that, you have to give them a little more respect

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'because you could also be a potential meal for them.'

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(OVER RADIO) This is one nine zero.

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Just to let everybody know that there's a bear coming towards town.

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BEAR SNARLS

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VEHICLE HORN BLARES

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As a first line of defence,

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Bob tries to frighten the bear back into the wilderness.

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GUNSHOTS

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But this skirmish isn't necessarily over.

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GUNSHOT

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Desperate for something to eat, bears often return in the darkness...

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WINDCHIMES/DOG BARKS

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...which is bad news for Bob,

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because tonight, more than any other night, fills him with dread.

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'Halloween is probably the busiest night of the year that we work,

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'just by the sheer number of people out and about that evening.'

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DOG BARKS

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So, the potential for something bad to happen is definitely there.

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MUSIC PLAYS

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At the same time as the trick-or-treaters hit the streets,

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people at the Royal Legion gather for their weekly meat raffle.

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The prize for winning is prime Canadian beef.

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Next ticket...

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number 440.

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-Ha-ha-ha-ha! Yeah!

-APPLAUSE

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This may seem cavalier,

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but the residents of Churchill refuse to live in fear.

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And the protection of the polar bear patrol makes them feel safe.

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However, in the past,

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bears have mauled and killed people right here on Main Street,

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and Bob is all too aware of the risks.

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You always hope and pray that nothing bad is gonna happen.

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Keep your eyes open, be aware of your surroundings

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and always be thinking that there could be a bear nearby.

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They'll move around. You won't hear them.

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Hi! Trick or treat!

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We kind of refer to them sometimes as ghosts,

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cos they'll just disappear on you.

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They'll be there, then, "Where did it go?" A little spooky that way.

0:42:530:42:58

They're amazingly fast, amazingly agile, and amazingly stealthful.

0:43:010:43:06

-SHE SCREAMS

-Trick or treat!

0:43:070:43:11

-Hi, guys! How you doin'?

-Trick or treat.

0:43:140:43:17

Trick or treat?

0:43:170:43:18

-Have you seen any bears?

-No, it's been good tonight.

0:43:180:43:21

There was a bear in town earlier today.

0:43:210:43:23

-But there's been nothing tonight at all.

-Did you hear that? We're safe.

0:43:230:43:27

You have a good night tonight, OK?

0:43:270:43:29

Keep your eyes open for polar bears too, OK?

0:43:290:43:32

-Thank you, guys.

-Bye-bye!

0:43:320:43:34

-Happy Halloween!

-See you, little bear!

0:43:340:43:36

Happy Halloweenie!

0:43:360:43:38

Tonight, the residents of Churchill are safe,

0:43:450:43:49

but it was a closer call than many of them realised.

0:43:490:43:52

Inside this bear trap is proof

0:43:530:43:56

trick-or-treaters weren't the only ones on the streets last night.

0:43:560:44:01

Lured into the cage by seal meat, this male weighs over half a ton.

0:44:010:44:07

This bear is sedated and will be flown

0:44:130:44:16

at least 60 kilometres outside of town.

0:44:160:44:19

In the past,

0:44:260:44:28

an average of 75 bears per year have been transported out of Churchill.

0:44:280:44:33

But in recent years, the number of invading bears has halved

0:44:380:44:42

because in this part of the Arctic, polar bears are in decline.

0:44:420:44:46

They have timed the sedative so that it wears off soon after they land

0:44:560:45:00

so that bears can protect themselves from other bears in the area.

0:45:020:45:07

For Officer Windsor,

0:45:080:45:10

it means working fast before this bear fully wakes up.

0:45:100:45:14

A single swipe from a male this size could be fatal.

0:45:160:45:20

It's a great feeling cos here it is, you're letting them go.

0:45:240:45:29

You can't help but wonder where's it going to be going,

0:45:290:45:32

how is it going to make out.

0:45:320:45:34

Very satisfying to see a bear actually get up and go on its way.

0:45:370:45:41

HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR

0:45:410:45:43

Wish 'em well, hope for the best, and to never seem 'em again in town.

0:45:470:45:52

With the sea ice forming fast,

0:46:020:46:03

it won't be long before this polar bear

0:46:030:46:06

can roam far and wide in search of food.

0:46:060:46:09

But for people, moving around the Arctic

0:46:120:46:15

is about to get a lot more treacherous,

0:46:150:46:18

because the sun is deserting them.

0:46:180:46:21

It's November in Ilulissat, Greenland,

0:46:210:46:24

and the sun no longer rises above the horizon.

0:46:240:46:28

The residents won't see daylight for another 54 days.

0:46:300:46:34

They try to live their lives as normal. They still hunt and fish.

0:46:360:46:41

Adults go to work.

0:46:430:46:46

Children go to school.

0:46:470:46:50

But it's all under the cover of darkness.

0:46:510:46:54

As the dark days drag on, everybody yearns for the sun to come back.

0:47:010:47:07

DOG BARKS

0:47:130:47:15

Finally, on January 13th, they get their wish.

0:47:190:47:24

The entire community comes out to celebrate

0:47:240:47:28

the first sunrise of the new year.

0:47:280:47:30

With every new sunrise, the Arctic is warming up.

0:47:420:47:47

And the seasonal opportunities that have made life possible

0:47:500:47:53

may not be here in years to come.

0:47:530:47:56

However, the people of the Arctic are born survivors.

0:47:580:48:03

If there's anyone who can adapt

0:48:030:48:06

to the changes on the horizon, surely it's them.

0:48:060:48:11

For the Arctic team, the narwhal hunt was always going to be a challenge.

0:48:200:48:25

The hunt happens in the spring,

0:48:270:48:29

when the sea ice is at its most fragile and dangerous.

0:48:290:48:33

HE SHOUTS

0:48:390:48:40

Even knowing the risks, no-one could have foreseen

0:48:430:48:46

quite how much drama they would face in this treacherous place.

0:48:460:48:51

Day one on the ice,

0:49:000:49:01

and the experienced crew, including polar cameraman Doug Allan,

0:49:010:49:06

are busy loading the sleds.

0:49:060:49:08

This is what you need to take six people onto the ice for a fortnight.

0:49:080:49:12

It's a hell of a lot of stuff, isn't it?

0:49:120:49:15

We've probably got about 400 kilos between six people.

0:49:160:49:19

So, to say we're travelling light is possibly a little understatement!

0:49:190:49:24

With the kit and a person on board,

0:49:240:49:27

each dogsled is having to carry about 100 kilos of freight,

0:49:270:49:31

which is quite a lot, really, between 12 dogs.

0:49:310:49:35

But this is what these dogs are bred for, and they're in their element.

0:49:380:49:43

They set off across 27 kilometres of sea ice to open water.

0:49:430:49:47

Three brothers, Mamarut, Gedion and Mikele,

0:49:500:49:53

lead the crew on their quest for narwhal.

0:49:530:49:56

HE SHOUTS

0:49:560:49:59

After only a couple of hours,

0:50:030:50:05

the expedition encounters their first sign of danger.

0:50:050:50:08

You can quite distinctly see the movement here.

0:50:090:50:12

The swell's coming in from the open ocean and it's breaking it up.

0:50:120:50:16

And this little crack here, which you can put your finger down,

0:50:160:50:20

maybe 15 minutes from now, it's going to be this wide.

0:50:200:50:23

Half an hour, it will be too wide to cross.

0:50:230:50:26

You have to be careful. This ice is on the move all the time.

0:50:260:50:29

The Inuit hunters decide the ice is too unstable

0:50:290:50:34

and the expedition is forced back to the safety of land.

0:50:340:50:38

After five and a half hours of travelling,

0:50:380:50:40

we've come all the way across the...the inlet.

0:50:400:50:43

The ice edge is still unstable so I think we'll wait the night out here

0:50:430:50:47

and then maybe have a look-see tomorrow.

0:50:470:50:50

The next morning,

0:50:520:50:53

they pick their way across broken tidal ice to the sleds,

0:50:530:50:56

to check out the situation.

0:50:560:50:58

I'm pleased the hunters made the decision they did, as overnight,

0:50:580:51:03

we've lost three or four kilometres of the ice shelf,

0:51:030:51:06

which is now disappearing rapidly in that direction.

0:51:060:51:10

As we were coming into the fjord, we actually crossed our tracks,

0:51:120:51:16

and they disappeared into the water, which was quite a sobering thought.

0:51:160:51:21

When they do reach the edge, they can't believe their luck,

0:51:230:51:27

as Mamarut quickly spots some narwhal.

0:51:270:51:29

We've just seen some narwhal further along the ice edge,

0:51:320:51:35

so the guys are getting the kayaks ready

0:51:350:51:38

because if the narwhals come close, they might try to hunt them.

0:51:380:51:42

Doug's ready to capture the action.

0:51:440:51:46

But just when Gedion is in position to harpoon, the narwhal dives.

0:51:490:51:55

They wait and hope for the whales to resurface.

0:51:590:52:03

It's now one o'clock in the morning. We've been here for about 12 hours.

0:52:040:52:09

The narwhal have gone

0:52:090:52:11

but the hunters are still sure that they're going to come back,

0:52:110:52:16

and we're still waiting, and we're all getting very tired.

0:52:160:52:20

24-hour daylight melts the ice from above,

0:52:230:52:27

and ocean swells stress the ice from beneath.

0:52:270:52:31

It's not the safest place to camp,

0:52:310:52:34

but they must wait at the edge for the narwhals' return.

0:52:340:52:38

The days start to run into weeks

0:52:400:52:42

and the crew have to extend their shoot.

0:52:420:52:45

It's almost three weeks now that we've been on location

0:52:460:52:50

and this...this is the problem - ice.

0:52:500:52:54

And somewhere under here are the narwhals.

0:52:540:52:58

It's really frustrating.

0:52:580:53:01

Next, it's the weather that turns against them.

0:53:030:53:07

It's just one thing after another, isn't it?

0:53:080:53:12

Oh!

0:53:150:53:17

I'll tell you how bored I am.

0:53:200:53:22

-How bored are you?

-I moved my tent this morning.

0:53:220:53:25

That was the most exciting thing I've done in three days.

0:53:250:53:28

And I moved it six feet.

0:53:280:53:30

It gave me a sense of satisfaction, cos I'd done something!

0:53:300:53:34

As the days pass, the temperature rises

0:53:370:53:40

and the ice thins, increasing the chance of something going wrong.

0:53:400:53:46

Did you hear it? Did you hear it? Oh, listen, listen!

0:53:560:53:59

It's cracking... It's cracking right underneath us right now.

0:53:590:54:03

You can't see it cos there's snow on top of it. There was like, "Crunch!"

0:54:030:54:07

DOGS HOWL

0:54:070:54:10

It's perfect narwhal conditions, perfect light, perfect everything,

0:54:100:54:14

and what's happening, we've got swell.

0:54:140:54:17

The swell can fracture the sea ice literally anywhere.

0:54:170:54:20

That's not good news.

0:54:200:54:21

So, it's time to leave here and head to safer ground.

0:54:210:54:26

The normally laid-back Inuit up their pace,

0:54:270:54:30

and the crew realise the situation is serious.

0:54:300:54:33

Go! Go!

0:54:330:54:35

Gotta go.

0:54:370:54:39

HE SHOUTS

0:54:400:54:42

HE SHOUTS

0:54:440:54:46

They are all now cast adrift on an ice floe.

0:54:570:55:01

I don't know how the hell we're going to get off this now!

0:55:010:55:05

They're facing an emergency and everyone's focus turns to survival.

0:55:070:55:11

Stop this, please.

0:55:130:55:14

The whole expedition is now floating away at an alarming rate.

0:55:170:55:23

There are 13 people, 54 dogs and six sleds of kit to get to safety.

0:55:260:55:31

HE SHOUTS

0:55:310:55:33

Gedion has got into his canoe

0:55:340:55:36

and is paddling furiously across the lead with a very fine trace wire,

0:55:360:55:41

onto which, by the looks of it, they will put a much thicker rope,

0:55:410:55:44

to physically haul from the other side the sleds across,

0:55:440:55:47

which is very clever, cos they float - amazing.

0:55:470:55:50

Speed is of the essence,

0:55:510:55:53

as the wind blows the team further and further from land.

0:55:530:55:57

The sea temperature here can kill in minutes.

0:55:570:56:02

It pays not to rock the boat.

0:56:040:56:07

Get the important stuff on!

0:56:090:56:12

Well, the guys have done great.

0:56:120:56:15

Very impressed. No flap. They knew what to do.

0:56:150:56:19

After four hours ferrying,

0:56:200:56:22

the kit and crew reach the other side safely.

0:56:220:56:25

But that still leaves 54 water-shy dogs.

0:56:270:56:32

DOGS WHINE

0:56:340:56:36

CALLS OUT

0:56:400:56:42

On the other side, they're still far from home

0:56:470:56:50

and on ice that's breaking up around them.

0:56:500:56:53

It's a race against time,

0:56:550:56:57

as over 10km before they reach the safety of the village.

0:56:570:57:01

Within sight of home,

0:57:030:57:04

an inexperienced dog team makes a serious error.

0:57:040:57:08

SHOUTING

0:57:080:57:11

SHOUTING

0:57:140:57:16

An unseen crack has opened up just metres from the village.

0:57:180:57:22

Any wider and the fully laden sledge would sink to the bottom,

0:57:240:57:27

dragging the dogs under.

0:57:270:57:29

There's a dog trapped under the sledge

0:57:320:57:35

but, miraculously, even this one emerges unharmed.

0:57:350:57:39

Doug and the crew spot the problem and find a better route home.

0:57:410:57:46

It was another week before the ice was safe enough

0:57:490:57:52

for the crew to film the full narwhal hunt sequence.

0:57:520:57:55

This shoot, more than any other,

0:57:560:57:59

highlights the importance of the complete trust

0:57:590:58:02

between the Human Planet crew and the local Inuit,

0:58:020:58:06

in a place where knowing your environment is the key to survival.

0:58:060:58:10

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:340:58:36

E-mail [email protected]

0:58:360:58:38

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