0:00:15 > 0:00:18Every summer, tens of thousands of tourists
0:00:18 > 0:00:23flock to a peculiarly British outpost on the Antarctic Peninsula.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29They are drawn here by the spectacle of gentoo penguins,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and a post office from where they can send a postcard home.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44The post office is staffed by a dedicated team who, over the next
0:00:44 > 0:00:49four months, will live as neighbours to these extraordinary birds.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But the penguins' story is not always picture-postcard.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01In-fighting,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03marital squabbles
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and daylight robbery are routine...
0:01:07 > 0:01:08SQUAWKING
0:01:08 > 0:01:12..and growing chicks must overcome many hurdles
0:01:12 > 0:01:14if they are to survive to adulthood.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20This unique backdrop,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23where people and penguins live cheek by beak, offers
0:01:23 > 0:01:28an intimate view into the life of one of the world's most loved birds.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Welcome to Penguin Post Office.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It's early November - summer on the Antarctic Peninsula -
0:02:07 > 0:02:11and around 3,000 gentoo penguins are returning from an intensive
0:02:11 > 0:02:16spell of deep sea fishing to their breeding grounds at Port Lockroy.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The gentoos are in a rush to establish nest sites.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The longer days and warmer temperatures encourage the penguins
0:02:33 > 0:02:37to start the business of finding a mate to breed and raise young.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Many will have to walk the best part of two miles
0:02:47 > 0:02:49in search of a suitable nest site -
0:02:49 > 0:02:54an arduous journey for a bird with big feet and very short legs.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But what makes this colony of gentoos particularly unusual
0:03:04 > 0:03:07is that every year they choose to take up residence
0:03:07 > 0:03:10alongside Port Lockroy's other summer inhabitants...
0:03:14 > 0:03:15People.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27An advance party from the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust
0:03:27 > 0:03:28has arrived at Port Lockroy
0:03:28 > 0:03:31in preparation for the forthcoming tourist season.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This year, the water surrounding their island base
0:03:40 > 0:03:42is still frozen solid
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and so, like the penguins, they take a path across the sea ice.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Their destination is a remote British outpost
0:03:55 > 0:03:57with an extraordinary history.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Today, it's the most popular tourist attraction in Antarctica.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11The big draw being penguins and the Penguin Post Office.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Welcome to Port Lockroy!
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Port Lockroy is about 700 miles to the south of Argentina and Chile
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and lies in the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39which forms the northernmost part of mainland Antarctica.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Here on the island,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48this building houses the world's most southerly public post office...
0:04:50 > 0:04:51..a charitable gift shop
0:04:51 > 0:04:54that supports a number of Antarctic heritage sites...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59..and a museum dedicated to Port Lockroy's history
0:04:59 > 0:05:02that goes back to the dawn of Antarctic exploration.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12Port Lockroy was first discovered in the early 1900s by French explorers
0:05:12 > 0:05:16as a safe place to anchor and shelter from harsh storms.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Later, whalers working the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula
0:05:21 > 0:05:23processed their catch here.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28But in the early 20th century,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31as nations around the world started to claim ownership of parts
0:05:31 > 0:05:34of Antarctica, the British wanted to get in on the act.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The British realised they needed what they called...
0:05:40 > 0:05:43"We need a permanent presence on the peninsula
0:05:43 > 0:05:46"if we're going to actually protect our claim."
0:05:46 > 0:05:51So they brought down two wooden huts on a ship, called Base A and Base B.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53And this is Base A.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14In 1943, here at Base A, also known as Bransfield House,
0:06:14 > 0:06:19the British established a research centre for the upper atmosphere.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20Their work was crucial
0:06:20 > 0:06:24in the development of high frequency radio communications.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28The base also acted as a post office
0:06:28 > 0:06:31in order to reinforce Britain's claim on the peninsula,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and occasional passing ships would deliver letters back to the UK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The base was continuously manned by scientists from 1943
0:06:48 > 0:06:50until it was closed in 1959.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56The men worked a 33 month tour-of-duty, which included
0:06:56 > 0:07:00two very long harsh winters when there were no visiting ships.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But their life here was not as hard as you might imagine
0:07:07 > 0:07:10as they made Bransfield House a home from home,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14incorporating almost every comfort they were used to back in Britain.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18This is a fabulous room.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21We've got the gramophone the men would listen to,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23we've got the picture of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen -
0:07:23 > 0:07:27every British base certainly had those photographs.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31We've got the bar - the men enjoyed a tipple.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Player's Navy Cut - of course, everybody smoked in those days.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40And, with no women on the base, the men were free
0:07:40 > 0:07:43to decorate in a style of their choosing.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48You've got marvellous paintings that guys painted of, you know,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Hollywood movie stars - women, of course -
0:07:50 > 0:07:52on the walls in the bunk room.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors, Elizabeth Taylor,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I have to look around, yeah, Elizabeth Taylor's over there,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and Doris Day. Yes, Doris Day, that's on of my favourites.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It was an all-male contingent down here, sometimes for, you know,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11overwintering, obviously, and the mind, you know, the mind wanders.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So, of course, yeah, it was a nice way to express yourself.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23But one sight the men would not have enjoyed
0:08:23 > 0:08:25is that of the gentoo penguins.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28They arrived on the island after the scientists had left
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and over the past 50 years,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33as the climate in Antarctica has warmed,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36the snow has started to melt earlier in the season,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41giving the gentoo penguins new nest sites amongst the rocks.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But this year there is more snow than usual,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and the team have some hard work ahead of them.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Soon they will be welcoming thousands of tourists
0:08:55 > 0:08:57from passing cruise ships, to the museum,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00gift shop and post office.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02They've a long summer ahead of them.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11For me, it's really about the opportunity
0:09:11 > 0:09:14to immerse in this environment
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and spend a good amount of time here, a whole season here,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and see all of the changes that happen from November until March.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26And so many things do change - the penguins arrive, they mate,
0:09:26 > 0:09:32they lay eggs, the eggs hatch, the chicks fledge and then they go.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And seeing that, you know, who gets to see that?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I mean, I never watch a bird go through its whole entire life cycle
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and here I'll get to do that,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and with a penguin, which is, you know, a pretty cool bird.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Most gentoos remain faithful to their partner for life
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and now the penguins have started their courting rituals.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Underneath the Union Jack, a pair have claimed their regular
0:09:58 > 0:10:02nesting spot and reaffirm their bond by bowing heads.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Down at the boatshed, another couple gets reacquainted.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14All over the island, gentoos are preparing to breed.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23This year will be particularly busy at Port Lockroy
0:10:23 > 0:10:26as up to ten members of staff will come and go.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32The core post office team consists of four women, led by Helen,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34who first came here six years ago.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40The first time I came here,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43it was just somewhere I'd always wanted to visit.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I just love going to the wild places,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I was drawn by the remoteness of it and the hardness
0:10:48 > 0:10:51of living here, the cold and the difficulties, and the fact
0:10:51 > 0:10:54that, even though we're living in a lovely warm building,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56we're still camping, basically, in a hut.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59We're camping, we've got no running water. It's very basic.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The chance to work in Antarctica offered Jane,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07who trained as a lawyer in England, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13People at home just are amazed that, you know,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I'm lucky enough to have this opportunity, really.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Er, they think it's great.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20They think I'm mad because I'm always cold
0:11:20 > 0:11:22so I'll just be freezing here!
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Erm, but to start with, you just can't believe it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Everywhere you look, there's a penguin, so it takes a little
0:11:28 > 0:11:31bit of a while to adjust to that. And then, once you do,
0:11:31 > 0:11:36it's just this constant source of entertainment, you know, with their
0:11:36 > 0:11:40everyday goings-on and the ins and outs and activity in the colonies.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's really, really good.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Back at the water's edge,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00some of the gentoos are bringing pebbles ashore from the seabed.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11There are no trees on Antarctica so, instead of using twigs or leaves
0:12:11 > 0:12:15to build nests, these penguins make theirs from small stones.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Picking out the best one
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and carrying it all the way to the nest site
0:12:23 > 0:12:27is the penguin equivalent of giving a loved-one a box of chocolates.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37During the summer months,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Port Lockroy is under almost 24-hour daylight
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and the sea ice is finally starting to break up.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Outside the post office, the couple under the Union Jack
0:12:55 > 0:12:57are busy building up their nest.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Down behind the boatshed,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20this pair of penguins is well ahead of the game.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28They've lucked out and have found an old nest, already free of snow.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Over the past week, they've been adding new stones, piling them
0:13:33 > 0:13:38one on top of the other, to create good drainage from snow and rain.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43A dry nest is essential
0:13:43 > 0:13:46if these birds are to have any success in raising young.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Penguins are fiercely protective of their pile of stones
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and, because nests are so tightly packed together in the colony,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06neighbourly disputes constantly break out.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11And a nest left unattended for more than a few seconds
0:14:11 > 0:14:13is in danger of being stolen.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18SQUAWKING
0:14:28 > 0:14:31A large cruise ship has arrived in the bay.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Tourists from all over the world
0:14:33 > 0:14:36have each paid thousands of pounds to be here.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Coming to Antarctica is, for a lot of them, it's a lifelong ambition.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47You know, it's a dream they've had.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Many of the people on the ships are fairly elderly
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and they say, "I've wanted to do this all my life."
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Coming ashore is a chance for close-up photos of gentoos,
0:14:59 > 0:15:05whilst inside there's a plethora of penguin-themed mementos and gifts.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12The appeal is so great
0:15:12 > 0:15:17that many people part with over £500 in a single shopping spree.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But, above all, everyone delights in the simple act
0:15:24 > 0:15:27of sending a postcard from the Penguin Post Office.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32To find a little bit of Britain
0:15:32 > 0:15:35tucked away here in the Antarctic is...
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It's wonderful, just wonderful.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It's a surprise to people that they can be so far away from home
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and it seems so strange in so many other respects,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and yet here's this familiar concept of a post office
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and a chance to keep in touch.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55We're just writing to our daughters.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I don't know what you're planning to say!
0:15:58 > 0:16:03I'm just planning to tell them this is a fantastic place to be.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07"To my darling family, it is so hard to describe this amazing place.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09"I really am at the end of the world -
0:16:09 > 0:16:12"snow, wind and penguins all around.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14"What an adventure we are having!"
0:16:14 > 0:16:18"Freezing conditions, penguins, snowing, rough seas,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21"unbelievable and spectacular scenery!"
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- These cards are to ourselves! - THEY LAUGH
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Almost everything has a penguin on it,
0:16:29 > 0:16:34including specially-designed stamps that take postcards the world over.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38And, not surprisingly, the gentoo colony
0:16:38 > 0:16:41that surrounds the post office makes a great impression.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46They toddle along, they waddle along,
0:16:46 > 0:16:47they fall over and they get up again.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51You could just watch them for hours
0:16:51 > 0:16:54because their antics are just so adorable.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00I think I have about 800 pictures of penguins on my camera
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and I don't want to delete one of them.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08But in spite of their comic appeal,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11gentoos are not always as innocent as they look,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and given half a chance they'll cheat on their partner.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Back by the boatshed, a female returns to her nest site
0:17:22 > 0:17:25to find her partner has been up to no good.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Another lady has taken her place and she's not going to stand for it.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40She viciously attacks the unwelcome female
0:17:40 > 0:17:43whilst the unfaithful male watches on.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Finally she returns and reprimands her partner.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06He gets it in the neck for his philandering ways.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Penguins are prolific love-makers
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and mate frequently throughout the summer.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23The male bows to his partner
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and appears to arouse her by flapping his flippers.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33If the female submits to his charms,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36she lies down and the male mounts her back.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46For the male, it's an acrobatic balancing act to stay on top.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56When the moment's right,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00the pair briefly rub their private parts together,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03allowing the male to transfer sperm
0:19:03 > 0:19:05by a process known as a cloacal kiss.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11If the egg is successfully fertilised,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14a chick will be expected in around two months' time.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20But things do not always go exactly according to plan.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's approaching the end of November
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and the penguin pair that was ahead of the game with building their nest
0:19:40 > 0:19:44are amongst the first on the island to be sitting on eggs.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56A few days later, eggs also appear in the nest under the Union Jack.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Most females lay a clutch of two,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10each coated by a thick shell
0:20:10 > 0:20:13to protect them from cracking against the stones.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22In the Antarctic keeping eggs at a constant 35 degrees centigrade
0:20:22 > 0:20:24poses a real challenge.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29But both male and female, who take equal share in incubation duties,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33have a brood pouch - a hollow area of bare skin
0:20:33 > 0:20:38that's lined with blood vessels to transfer heat from parent to egg.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50For the next month they will continually turn their eggs
0:20:50 > 0:20:53to ensure that heat is evenly distributed,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57giving the developing chick the best chance of survival.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Now they're sitting on eggs, the post office penguins
0:21:05 > 0:21:08face the challenge of protecting them from predators.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Skuas are formidable adversaries.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25They launch surprise attacks, dive-bombing penguins from the air.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Despite brave attempts to drive this skua away,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46repeated aerial assaults have caused an egg to be dislodged
0:21:46 > 0:21:48from the nest of a panicking penguin.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57The skua gets its reward.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Unlucky parents who lose their eggs to skuas will have to wait
0:22:10 > 0:22:13another year for their next chance to raise young.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34During this period of incubating eggs,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36one adult is always pinned to the nest,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39keeping eggs warm and defending them from predators,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41whilst the other is away fishing.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54This leaves the stones they've made such a concerted effort to gather
0:22:54 > 0:22:57easy pickings for thieving penguins.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16At the boatshed stone pilfering is rife,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and one sly penguin is proving particularly adept
0:23:19 > 0:23:21at burgling the neighbours.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Running through the colony, stone after stone is pinched
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and taken back to the nest.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38All penguins have criminal tendencies and, over the course
0:23:38 > 0:23:41of the breeding season, thousands of pebbles will be stolen
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and re-stolen in the competition to keep up the largest family pile.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's now the height of summer
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and the peak of the Antarctic tourist season.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The post office penguins don't appear the least bothered
0:24:22 > 0:24:24by the presence of people
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and seem perfectly happy to pose for photographs.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40With an average of two ship visits a day,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44there are a lot of postcards to be processed.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49But for Kristy, who is taking a sabbatical from teaching
0:24:49 > 0:24:51at the University of Washington,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56the chance to work in Antarctica is a welcome break from academia.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06So, we hand-frank everything here at Port Lockroy.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09This year we'll do probably
0:25:09 > 0:25:12between 60 and 80,000 postcards by hand like this.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It's kind of relaxing.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21It's probably one of my favourite things that I do here, actually.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31People write about penguins, they're always writing about penguins
0:25:31 > 0:25:36and so many people send messages of...of love really, you know,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39just love to their family and their friends.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I think that's because this place really is romantic
0:25:45 > 0:25:48in a very wild kind of way,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and that's what people are trying to capture
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and they only have a couple of lines on a postcard
0:25:54 > 0:25:59and so they'll often just say things like "this is magical",
0:25:59 > 0:26:02you know, and "it's a dream come true"
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and "it's a once in a lifetime experience".
0:26:06 > 0:26:10And I agree with them fully. It is pretty magical here.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It's not just the post office and penguins
0:26:23 > 0:26:25that draw people to this region.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The Antarctic Peninsula is scenically
0:26:29 > 0:26:32by far the most dramatic region of the continent...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40..and it also provides a rich diversity of wildlife.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56The Peninsula is an extension of the South American Andes,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58forming a coastal spine of mountains
0:26:58 > 0:27:01whose jagged peaks rise out of the ocean.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06This otherworldly landscape of glaciers and ice
0:27:06 > 0:27:10casts a spell on all of those that have the fortune to visit.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Living in the Antarctic is really hard to describe.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23The colours here - it's just hues of blue and grey and white,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and very bright, even on a dull day.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34You hear the waves on the beach or you hear the calls of the birds
0:27:34 > 0:27:38or the sounds of the weather, the snow or the hail.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It's just, erm, the nearest thing I could imagine
0:27:44 > 0:27:48to being on another planet, on our planet.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13It's the end of December and over the past 24 hours
0:28:13 > 0:28:16the first gentoo chick on the island - with the aid
0:28:16 > 0:28:20of a sharp little egg tooth on the tip of its beak -
0:28:20 > 0:28:23has been slowly breaking free of its egg.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Once hatched - weighing little more than a couple of ounces -
0:28:43 > 0:28:47this vulnerable chick is born blind to the world.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Emerging from the egg has been an exhausting process
0:28:56 > 0:28:59and the chick barely has the strength to hold up its head.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07With just a thin layer of down,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10the chick has no means of regulating heat,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13so for the next two weeks it will be completely reliant
0:29:13 > 0:29:15on its parents to provide warmth.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Seconds after hatching, the chick instinctively
0:29:23 > 0:29:26makes repeated begging calls to be fed,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30which the parent answers by regurgitating food from its stomach.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49With up to three days between the first and second hatching,
0:29:49 > 0:29:54the chance to feed and gain valuable weight gives the first-born
0:29:54 > 0:29:58a considerable head start over its sibling in the race for survival.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Now there are hungry mouths to feed,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37parent penguins take it in turns to go on day long fishing trips
0:30:37 > 0:30:40that can take them as far as ten miles from the colony.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48But with super-streamlined bodies and immensely powerful flippers,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52these journeys are effortless as they literally fly through water.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Forage dives lasting up to three minutes
0:31:13 > 0:31:17can take them to depths exceeding 200m.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24They reach speeds in excess of 20mph,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27making them the fastest swimming birds on Earth.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37The penguin's main quarry is krill -
0:31:37 > 0:31:40small crustaceans that form immense swarms
0:31:40 > 0:31:43and underpin all life in the Antarctic.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01Gentoos may make as many as 450 dives in a single day's foraging,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and if they've been successful in gorging themselves on krill
0:32:05 > 0:32:08they return to the colony half a kilo heavier.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18As soon as a penguin returns from fishing
0:32:18 > 0:32:22it waddles back to the nest to find its partner.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Because they have been separated for the best part of a day
0:32:27 > 0:32:32the pair reaffirm their bond by the formal ritual of bowing heads.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Then they swap positions
0:32:37 > 0:32:41and the returning adult feeds the newly-hatched chick.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Both parents divide their time equally between caring
0:32:47 > 0:32:50for the young and foraging for food.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Within a week most of the eggs on the island have hatched
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and the majority of nests have two chicks,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01demanding round-the-clock attention.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Because the summer season is so short
0:33:11 > 0:33:15the chicks need to grow fast to survive the cold months ahead,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19so in just three weeks they're likely to quadruple in size.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Competition between chicks is fierce, and if food becomes scarce
0:33:26 > 0:33:29the parents will favour the strongest chick,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31leaving the weaker one to perish.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44At this stage of their development the chicks are vulnerable
0:33:44 > 0:33:48to attack from skuas, and the penguin adults are on high alert.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03But the skuas have needs of their own.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Skuas come to Port Lockroy in the summer months to breed.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12They establish nests in shallow rocky depressions, called scrapes,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16and the female usually lays a clutch of two eggs.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24The adults share in incubating the eggs, swapping over every few hours.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30Like the penguins, they have to be quick to switch positions
0:34:30 > 0:34:32to ensure the eggs don't lose heat.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49Penguin chicks are now a prized source of food for the skuas
0:34:49 > 0:34:51and hunting intensifies.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07The skua is a dogged opponent,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11continually surveying the colony for the chance of a quick kill.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42For this unlucky chick it's a gruesome end
0:35:42 > 0:35:45as the skua attempts to swallow it whole.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Life's a bit more cosy in the Penguin Post Office
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and, with so many tourists, the postcards are piling high.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Kristy bundles them up and they're taken by cruise ship
0:36:13 > 0:36:16900 miles north to the Falkland Islands.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22The Royal Air Force then fly them all the way to England,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26where they enter the UK postal system and are dispatched worldwide.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32They'll take up to six weeks to reach their final destination.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's now mid-January and the chicks are quickly growing.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Too big to sit under the parent,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52they're starting to discover there's a world beyond the nest.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Down behind the boatshed, this plucky little fellow,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00still a couple of months from learning
0:37:00 > 0:37:02the true purpose of flippers,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06is taking his first uncertain steps towards independence.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Soon the chick is given a very valuable lesson -
0:37:32 > 0:37:34don't annoy the neighbours!
0:37:44 > 0:37:48For now, chicks won't dare venture far from the nest.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01But even the shortest excursion provides plenty of opportunity
0:38:01 > 0:38:04to practise the tricky art of rock climbing.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Food is still by far the biggest preoccupation
0:38:32 > 0:38:35but instead of just being fed on demand,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38the chicks are now being made to work for it.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52The parent, forcing its chicks to chase for a feed,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54encourages competition
0:38:54 > 0:38:57where the strongest and most determined gets fed first.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Food chasing also helps the chicks build up strength
0:39:13 > 0:39:17in preparation for the time when they'll need to fend for themselves.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26By adulthood penguins become such fast runners
0:39:26 > 0:39:29that over short distances they can outrun a human.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14A strong wind has brought blizzard conditions to Port Lockroy.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20But the rough weather hasn't deterred the tourists,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23who've taken refuge in the Penguin Post Office
0:40:23 > 0:40:26to buy penguin paraphernalia and send postcards home.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29GENERAL CHATTER
0:40:32 > 0:40:36I wrote a postcard to ourselves and I said that...
0:40:36 > 0:40:39SPEAKS CHINESE
0:40:39 > 0:40:44..in Chinese, which means we landed here in blizzard,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48so best wishes from the end of the world!
0:40:48 > 0:40:49That's all!
0:40:53 > 0:40:57I mean, Antarctica's not like any other holiday destination.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59The weather takes priority.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03You have to expect the unexpected.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05You really can't plan.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07You know, it is a hostile place, it's a hostile environment,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10it always has been and it always will be for people.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19We're here at the post office on the worst day that we've
0:41:19 > 0:41:22encountered so far since we began our journey in Antarctica.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25"It is very cold and snowy. The penguins are everywhere."
0:41:28 > 0:41:30It's amazing their robustness
0:41:30 > 0:41:32and capability to sustain bad weather.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37We are hardly sustaining the storm outside and they are,
0:41:37 > 0:41:39it's as if it's a sunny day for them.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42The penguins are just completely soaking it all up,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46loving this weather, so it really provides perspective.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48They are adapted to be here and we are not!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50WIND HOWLS
0:41:54 > 0:41:57PENGUIN BRAYS
0:42:04 > 0:42:08As the weeks go by, curiosity and the strong urge to explore
0:42:08 > 0:42:11is taking the chicks further and further from the nest.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22As they run the gauntlet of the colony and enter neighbouring
0:42:22 > 0:42:26territories, the chicks are repeatedly bullied and harassed.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29SQUAWKING
0:42:39 > 0:42:44The chicks seem slow to learn that neighbours aren't always welcoming
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and it pays to keep out of the way.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13One chick has fallen victim to a vicious assault.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34Although it's been bloodied and is now severely weakened,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37the adults' attack is unrelenting.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48This distressing behaviour is rarely witnessed,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50so we can only speculate why it's occurred.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59Perhaps it shows the extreme lengths
0:43:59 > 0:44:02the penguins will go to in order to defend their territory.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28The dead chick's sibling returns
0:44:28 > 0:44:31and lays its head down on the corpse
0:44:31 > 0:44:34as if mourning the loss of its companion.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18At the skua's nest an empty shell is obvious evidence
0:45:18 > 0:45:20that there's been a recent hatching.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41This ball of fluff will stay under the protection of its parent's wing
0:45:41 > 0:45:43only for a couple of days.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50After this short time, it will leave the nest and take refuge
0:45:50 > 0:45:55in the nearby rocks, freeing both parents to forage for food.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15When it comes to feeding time, the adult returning
0:46:15 > 0:46:20from a successful hunt lands a good distance from the nest
0:46:20 > 0:46:23so as not to reveal its location to predators
0:46:23 > 0:46:26like giant petrels, or even other skuas.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Surprisingly agile, by instinct the chick
0:46:35 > 0:46:38clambers across the rocks to meet the reward of food.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56The male regurgitates the contents of his stomach,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59presenting the chick with semi-digested fish.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04The female, who has spent
0:47:04 > 0:47:08so much time on the nest brooding the chick, shares in the spoils.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16This year, her other egg will fail
0:47:16 > 0:47:19and this chick will be their only offspring.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36It's now the beginning of February
0:47:36 > 0:47:39and, with the tourist season still in full swing,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42the chicks are starting to gang together
0:47:42 > 0:47:44in nursery groups called creches.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52The chicks need to stick together because their parents are now
0:47:52 > 0:47:56spending long periods at sea foraging for food.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00The chicks now have a very healthy appetite
0:48:00 > 0:48:04and the parents have to work hard to meet the ever-growing demand.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22But what goes in one end...
0:48:22 > 0:48:24comes out the other.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29I do love the penguins, but it is not all, um...
0:48:29 > 0:48:31They poop a lot.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34And, with so many pooping chicks on the loose,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38it's a constant battle for the post office workers.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44Living with the penguins does cause us some challenges, you know.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45The smell and the mess -
0:48:45 > 0:48:48I mean, the penguins are constantly pooping everywhere.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52We have a path, a rocky path that leads up to the base
0:48:52 > 0:48:56and all our passengers, all the visitors walk up this path
0:48:56 > 0:49:00and we have to keep that clean so that not too much, um,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02gets walked into the base.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05So every morning we collect buckets of seawater from the sea
0:49:05 > 0:49:08and scrub the rocks clean.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24We don't honestly really notice the smell but everybody else does,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27so it can be quite funny when you're in the post office
0:49:27 > 0:49:30and one of the passengers will say,
0:49:30 > 0:49:34"How do you cope with the smell of the penguins?"
0:49:34 > 0:49:36And the first thought that goes through your mind is,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38"I can't really smell the penguins."
0:49:38 > 0:49:41I think we just, we absorb their smell, too,
0:49:41 > 0:49:43so we all smell together come the end of the season.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49Just like lazy teenagers, the chicks are quite happy to sit around
0:49:49 > 0:49:52while all the work's being done.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11By mid-February the adults start looking very dishevelled.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17This scruffy stage is known as the annual moult,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20where old feathers that have started to lose their insulating
0:50:20 > 0:50:24and waterproofing properties are replaced by new ones.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32It's a stressful time as they're in no condition
0:50:32 > 0:50:34to enter the water and fish.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Because of this parents take it in turns to moult,
0:50:39 > 0:50:43ensuring one still remains able to feed the chicks.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Over this 20-day moulting period the adult fasts and, having only
0:50:50 > 0:50:55fat reserves to survive on, they lose up to half their body weight.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02The chicks are also transforming
0:51:02 > 0:51:06and beginning to look a bit like punks with Mohican hairdos.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12They are also moulting,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15quickly losing their downy baby fluff for adult plumage.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21Soon the chicks will be indistinguishable
0:51:21 > 0:51:24from their parents and, as winter approaches,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28it won't be long before they are ready to enter the water.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41The chicks are now congregating in even bigger groups.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Ganging together provides safety in numbers,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47making them far less vulnerable to predation.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03A skua chances its luck.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11The chicks flee but continue to stick together in tight formation.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Not deterred, the skua persists,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21harassing the chicks on the off chance
0:52:21 > 0:52:23it will be able to pick off a weak one.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35But, as the chase continues, the tables start to turn.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47The chicks gain confidence
0:52:47 > 0:52:51and as a united front they start to chase the skua!
0:53:01 > 0:53:04CHIRPING AND HONKING
0:53:16 > 0:53:17A valuable lesson -
0:53:17 > 0:53:21when you're a penguin, it's best to stick with the crowd.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32While the post office workers
0:53:32 > 0:53:36get on with some much-needed pre-winter maintenance,
0:53:36 > 0:53:40the chicks are beginning to discover a new element - water.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50The young ones are curious,
0:53:50 > 0:53:54though seem a little nervous about getting their feet wet.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08But hunger is a powerful incentive
0:54:08 > 0:54:11and, to encourage chicks to take the plunge,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14parent penguins draw them down to the water's edge
0:54:14 > 0:54:15by making them chase for food.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Once they enter the water, the chicks have to learn
0:54:30 > 0:54:32how to swim by trial and error.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Soon the chicks will be feeding themselves
0:54:39 > 0:54:43and will, at last, gain full independence of their parents.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58It's the beginning of March and winter is fast approaching.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07The tourist season has ended
0:55:07 > 0:55:10and the post office workers are dispatching the last post.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24It's a day of reflection as this is also the day
0:55:24 > 0:55:28that the team is packing up and leaving Port Lockroy for home.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Being in this environment for so long, really,
0:55:35 > 0:55:39I think we get a sense of what life is in Antarctica.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Not for us, because we're not meant to be here, really, as people,
0:55:43 > 0:55:47but for the creatures that evolved to be in this environment,
0:55:47 > 0:55:50and to bear witness to that is very, very special.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59The team has chosen one of the worst days of the season
0:55:59 > 0:56:01to leave the island
0:56:01 > 0:56:04and, as they struggle against storm-force winds
0:56:04 > 0:56:05to take down the Union Jack,
0:56:05 > 0:56:08their thoughts inevitably turn towards home.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15I think we're all looking forward to getting back to certain things
0:56:15 > 0:56:19at home but we'll all go back with a different outlook on life.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25The experience of coming here is, er, is life-changing.
0:56:26 > 0:56:32It takes you back to, um, to what's really important in life, you know.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34It takes you down to the bare essentials
0:56:34 > 0:56:37and makes you realise that all the stuff
0:56:37 > 0:56:40you think you need at home you actually don't,
0:56:40 > 0:56:42and that's refreshing.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The team is heading to a nearby cruise ship
0:56:47 > 0:56:49which will take them to South America.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57For the next seven months, the base will remain unoccupied
0:56:57 > 0:56:59until a new group of volunteers returns
0:56:59 > 0:57:03and opens up the post office for another summer season of tourism.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07It does cast a spell on you.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10When you go home it leaves a lasting impression on you
0:57:10 > 0:57:12and it's very hard to not want to come back.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16I know that I will want to come back in some way at some point.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39But, over the winter, the penguins remain around Port Lockroy
0:57:39 > 0:57:41and these tough, resilient birds
0:57:41 > 0:57:45will brave many months of brutal sub-zero temperatures.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Soon all the fully grown chicks will join their parents
0:57:55 > 0:57:58on regular long-distance fishing trips,
0:57:58 > 0:58:03where, finally, they'll become masters of their Antarctic home.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Then next summer, in huge numbers,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13the penguins will gather once again
0:58:13 > 0:58:16to start the process of breeding at the Penguin Post Office.