The Journey Penguins - Spy in the Huddle

Penguins - behind their feisty charm lies an amazing character.

These cheeky birds have to bring up their chicks

against the most extraordinary odds.

SpyCams discover just how special they really are.

From the freezing Antarctic...

to the scorching tropics...

this is the story of nature's most devoted parents -

filmed as never before.

A chick's-eye view of an emperor penguin's mum and dad.

His parents have trekked across a frozen sea

and battled blizzards to raise him.

The Humboldt is just as dedicated.

Shielding their chicks

from the desert sun is just one of the many tasks they face.

Rockhoppers rear their young in the storm-lashed South Atlantic.

No other penguin is so daring and spirited.

These parents will face huge challenges as they bring up

chicks in the toughest places on Earth.

Their struggles only end when their young leave for the ocean.

But their incredible story begins

long before their chicks are even born.

The Antarctic is home to just 2 of the world's 17 types of penguin.

But a new variety has just appeared -

PenguinCam.

As well as a camera in its body, there's another in its eye.

It just has to wait for its legendary subjects to arrive.

They are emperors - the world's tallest

and most regal penguin, standing a metre high.

Their curiosity is encouraging.

They must accept EmperorCam

if it is to film their lives up close for nearly a year.

Emperors are a very special penguin -

the only animal on Earth to breed through the Antarctic winter.

As the long journey to their breeding grounds begins,

the penguins accept EmperorCam as one of their own.

Ahead, more penguins are on the march.

They can't delay - their destination lies many miles across a frozen sea.

The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic,

the breeding grounds of the rockhopper.

Our second remarkable penguin - RockhopperCam -

will record the rockhoppers' arrival, using a camera concealed in its eye.

It's joined by an aquatic version

that can film both above and below the water.

Its camera-eye captures the penguins' homecoming.

After five months at sea, these rockhoppers are returning

to build new nests where they themselves were born.

They appear at the same time each year, having travelled 400 miles

from their fishing grounds off Argentina to be here.

The real challenge begins when they reach the shallows -

they must somehow make it ashore.

It won't be easy.

These are some of the roughest waters in the world.

The first to appear are all males.

7,000 will arrive in small landing parties over the next five days.

Rockhoppers are spirited characters.

Tough, irrepressible, with a reputation of never giving up.

It's just as well.

As soon as they're ashore, the waves reclaim them.

The heavy swells toss them like flotsam, but they won't be deterred.

Success at last!

But victory is brief.

Despite their ordeal, they must try again -

a new generation of rockhoppers depends on it.

When they do, RockhopperCam will be ready.

The Atacama desert in Peru, the most arid in the world.

The surprising home of our third and least known penguin...

..the Humboldt.

Sophisticated robotics allow HumboldtCam

to patrol the shoreline where the penguins are due to arrive.

But they're late - the beach sadly deserted.

Then, after days of waiting, they finally arrive.

These Humboldts will face their own extraordinary challenges

as they struggle to reach their nesting grounds

and raise a new generation.

They're so shy that they've rarely been filmed,

but already HumboldtCam is capturing the closest shots ever recorded.

It even moves among them without ruffling a feather.

Humboldts are the only mainland penguin to live in the tropics.

Their survival depends on the Humboldt current that brings

both food and cold water to these shores.

Like the other penguins, they accept the SpyCam as one of their own,

even testing its reaction.

But it's only a brief encounter.

Fur seals!

PENGUINS SQUAWK

Chasing penguins is one of their favourite pastimes.

To the seals, it's just a game.

They normally prey on fish and squid.

But the Humboldts aren't taking any chances.

Higher up the beach is a colony of sea lions.

Although they look just like fur seals,

they're three times bigger and they will kill penguins.

SEA LIONS GRUNT

There's also rather a lot of them.

20,000 in all,

blocking the way to the penguins' nest site.

Crossing the blockade won't be easy.

HumboldtCam is already in the thick of it

as the first penguin tries his luck.

Near the shore, sea lions are thin on the ground.

It seems surprisingly straightforward.

But nothing is ever that simple.

It's so easy to put a foot wrong.

But there's no turning back now.

Their best chance is to run for their lives.

SEA LIONS SNARL

Fortunately for them, sea lions are slow

and clumsy on land.

The penguins outmanoeuvre them every time.

A close call...then a bite!

But he escapes with his life.

The advanced party makes it.

But only just!

They desperately clamber to safety.

Their followers aren't so lucky.

Just in time, they find a place to hide - a sea cave.

It might offer shelter or hold hidden dangers.

No-one's keen find out.

Back in Antarctica,

the emperor penguins' trek to their breeding grounds is well under way.

It's a long slog and the frozen sea ice presents all kinds of challenges.

But the occasional slip-up is the least of their worries.

A small crack has appeared.

It's enough to stop the whole march in its tracks.

Cracks form as the sea beneath the ice rises and falls.

He's nervous, but the march must go on.

The rest try their luck with varying degrees of success.

They have reason to be frightened -

leopard seals patrol these tide-cracks,

looking for struggling penguins.

As more pile in, they pulverise the ice,

making it even harder to escape.

But they possess a useful tool -

an ice pick that gets them out of trouble.

On the Falklands, RockhopperCam returns to duty

as the penguins begin their second assault on the shore.

The weather still isn't helping.

But they remember an old tactic -

face danger head on!

This streamlines the impact and keeps their feet firmly on the ground.

They've passed the first hurdle, but their challenges are far from over.

Rockhoppers build their nests as far from the waves as possible,

at the top of a cliff that's a hundred metres high!

It's a tough climb - but they aren't called rockhoppers for nothing.

They haven't hopped for five months and they're out of practice.

Made it! But that was just the first few metres.

There's nearly a hundred to go!

RockCam prepares to record the next of their many trials.

It's designed to film on the move.

A cliff path seems deceptively easy, but RockCam soon has to give up.

There are sheer drops below and the waves are steadily building.

Just one left...

..and then there were none.

They will just have to try yet again.

Back at the cave, the Humboldts are still too nervous to enter.

But it just takes one brave soul and the rest soon follow.

It was wise to be cautious.

The cave holds a nasty surprise.

Vampire bats.

They feed on any warm-blooded creature and birds are no exception.

There's no reprieve, the sea lions have cut off their escape.

SEA LIONS SNARL

Their only choice is to face their fears.

BATS SQUEAK

While their eyes adjust to the dark, they can't see the danger.

Vampires can last just two days without feeding on blood -

they never turn down a meal.

They home in by sensing body heat.

As fortune has it,

the cave offers an escape route.

It's a tunnel that bypasses the sea lions and reaches the other side.

As they scramble up the cliff,

another PenguinCam records their achievement.

But the penguins face a new challenge - the baking hot desert.

Year after year,

they return to this parched and inhospitable place to lay their eggs.

They have no choice -

the desert borders the coast for hundreds of miles.

They must reach their nest sites before it gets too hot -

an unusual concern for a penguin!

In Antarctica, emperors face an opposite problem.

A glacier entering the frozen sea

creates an ice maze riddled with crevasses -

one mistake could prove fatal.

Even here, the penguins' incredible sense of direction guides them

towards their breeding grounds.

By keeping together

and sharing knowledge, they are less likely to get lost.

It's a matter of follow-the-leader,

but all it takes is one false move...

..and it can all go horribly wrong.

PENGUIN SQUAWKS

Alone, the ice maze seems strangely disorientating.

He calls, but his voice is lost on the wind.

His companions continue without him.

He escapes the maze,

but it's too late.

He must attempt the journey alone.

Hardened by battle, the rockhoppers stage one more assault.

In the race to the top, one penguin cadges a ride.

With the tide receding, the cliff path seems safer.

But appearances can be deceptive.

He's caught in a trap and the sea isn't finished yet.

He makes it!

This time the sea is more forgiving.

Rockhoppers are notoriously tenacious.

It's just as well -

an even steeper cliff lies ahead.

There are no easy routes, but he's chosen one of the most difficult.

Mountaineering techniques are required.

He uses his flippers as arms,

his claws as crampons

and his bill as a climbing axe.

He triumphs,

but a loss of concentration then throws it all away.

Fortunately, body fat makes a great shock-absorber.

This time he selects a less challenging route.

At the summit,

the penguins show that their hopping skills have returned.

It's a sack-race to reclaim old nest-sites.

But other males have beaten them here.

And it's difficult to remember exactly where you nested last year.

Those that have already staked a claim won't budge.

And they don't take kindly to newcomers.

Among the crowds, a familiar face -

RockhopperCam.

Like other PenguinCams, it can manoeuvre

to find the best viewpoint without disturbing the colony.

It doesn't get better than this.

When the females arrive,

7,000 pairs will be jostling here as they bring up their chicks.

Even so, RockhopperCam needs back-up...

..EggCam!

Ten of these EggCams are deployed throughout the colony.

They record continuously and film closer than any other spy camera.

The male's job is to build the nest.

It may be just a few twigs, but every piece is treasured.

Stealing from a neighbour is a crime that pays.

With nest sites claimed and tidied,

a moment to celebrate.

Now, they have to wait a week or more for the females to arrive.

The lone emperor continues his journey,

determined to reach the breeding grounds.

His companions are several miles ahead

and the weather has started to turn.

He's built to endure Antarctic storms,

but it's a bad time for any penguin to be alone.

Ahead, the others are feeling the full force of the blizzard.

PenguinCam joins them,

as driving snow makes the route almost impassable.

They're now wasting precious energy.

As winds reach 90 miles an hour,

they start to huddle together for warmth.

It's their best chance of survival.

The lone penguin struggles on.

He's weakening from exertion and the cold.

Then, through the whiteout,

distant shapes appear.

Forming the huddle allowed him to catch up.

It may have saved his life.

The Humboldts are almost at their nesting grounds,

but they have one last hurdle to face -

a colony of Peruvian booby birds lies

between the penguins and their nest-site.

Out at sea, the two species are close competitors.

But here, the boobies have the best weaponry.

PENGUIN CALLS

The penguins face an army of spears.

A jab to the eye would spell disaster

and there are thousands of birds to get through.

The Humboldts' only defence is their quick reactions.

With escape in sight, one penguin dares to retaliate.

But he doesn't hang around for long.

Their trials finally over,

the nest site is within reach.

It's a Humboldt nursery, dug into the desert.

Here, they're safe from sea lions, nesting birds and storms -

well worth the journey to get here.

Humboldts are faithful birds and usually pair for life.

The males dig burrows to protect their young from the desert sun.

It's dirty work.

The colony has been here so long, it's built on guano -

centuries of accumulated penguin poo.

Job done, his mate moves in.

In a few days, she'll lay the first egg.

The blizzard over, the emperors wake to a very different day.

PENGUINS SQUAWK

They can't delay.

They still have miles to go.

EmperorCam takes an early lead.

Fresh snow creates perfect sledging conditions.

Finally, the end of the emperors' journey is in sight.

A frozen bay, located where the sea-ice meets the Antarctic mainland.

Emperors have visited this hallowed spot for thousands of years.

Here, the ice stays firm throughout the breeding season,

giving sanctuary to 3,000 pairs.

SpyCams are already here.

And there are new varieties, too.

The penguin's waddle walk is part of a display

that shows that this new EmperorCam is regarded as just another penguin.

EmperorCam is a fully-fledged member of the colony.

She's also the first to lay an egg!

A clutch of EggCams are soon in the thick of it.

Back in the Falklands, 7,000 rockhopper males have waited

nearly two weeks for their partners to arrive.

Their only pastime has been a spot of housekeeping.

Then, the sight they've been waiting for -

the girls are back.

Their surfing technique helps them locate their favourite landing spot.

The tide is out, allowing a more elegant arrival.

After five months away, they're keen to see their partners again.

FEMALES SQUAWK

Hopping is faster than waddling,

so they bounce their way to the colony.

Single males try to catch their eye.

But rockhoppers mate for life and most females are already spoken for.

She stops to listen.

Her partner has a distinctive call that helps her

pinpoint his whereabouts.

She hasn't seen him for nearly half a year.

Fittingly, their greeting is called an "ecstatic display".

Preening helps rekindle their relationship.

But not all are so lucky in love.

This male is still waiting for his mate to return.

Emperor penguins are spared these concerns,

as most choose a new mate each year.

Penguins looking for a partner set themselves apart

and start to display.

This male doesn't have to wait for long.

He's unlucky this time.

But he's spoilt for choice.

There are 3,000 possible partners.

Her waddle walk shows she's keen.

They mirror each other's actions to confirm that they're now a couple.

But their blossoming romance soon sparks jealousies.

A second female tries to muscle in.

She pecks at her rival,

but the male's having none of it.

The girls fight it out.

It's flippers at dawn.

She shoves her challenger to the ground,

but it's not over yet.

Her mate cheers her on.

SQUAWKS

This time she's clinched it.

She's slapped her way to victory.

Their synchronised waddle advertises they're an item.

It's time to get down to business.

It's their first breeding season and their inexperience is clear.

And just as they get the hang of things,

the female's love rival is back.

She has many ways of spoiling the moment.

Time to find a quieter spot.

Back with the rockhoppers,

the lonesome male is still waiting for his mate.

But his eye soon begins to wander.

RockhopperCam has found an admirer.

The penguin displays to show he's keen.

She might be a robot, but it's still love at first sight.

Preening is a sign that the male's getting serious.

It seems the perfect match.

But some romances aren't meant to be.

The rockhopper's real mate is coming home...

..and she's in quite a hurry.

She's a jealous bird.

PenguinCam suffers the consequences.

The couple reunite.

They now only have eyes for each other.

RockhopperCam may have been jilted,

but she picks herself right back up again...

..while the pair have some catching up to do.

At the emperor colony,

after mating, the new couples keep themselves to themselves.

Two weeks later, it's time for their single egg to be laid.

Both share in this precious moment.

On ice, laying is a challenge.

A dropped egg will quickly freeze,

and their long march would have been for nothing.

She flicks her tail forward to catch the egg,

while her feet cushion the fall.

Success!

She shows off her treasure -

her partner must understand that he shares the responsibility.

It will soon be his turn to care for it.

For the female,

producing the egg has taken its toll

and she must soon leave for the sea to feed and recuperate.

The future of their developing chick

now depends on the strength and endurance of its father.

Back in the Falklands,

rockhopper eggs are being laid throughout the colony.

Rockhoppers have two eggs, the first is smaller than the second.

The lesser egg is for insurance - it's often taken by predators.

Skuas seize more than any other.

Their strategy is simple -

attack from out of the blue.

The colony soon switches to high alert...

..and prepares its defences.

They create a fortress of sharp beaks, impossible to penetrate.

The skua has lost the advantage of surprise and retreats.

By joining forces, the colony prevails.

And this penguin still has both her eggs.

In Peru, the Humboldts also lay two eggs,

but they conceal them inside a burrow.

There are egg thieves here, too.

Turkey vultures time their arrival for the nesting period.

But they are nervous of entering the burrow.

A Humboldt will fight fiercely to protect her eggs

and she easily repels the vulture.

Protected underground, both eggs usually survive.

At the rockhopper colony, it's time for a change of shifts.

After two weeks,

the female rockhoppers usually leave for the sea.

Like the emperor females, they hand over parenting duties to the males.

Some mums aren't convinced that this is such a good idea.

She needs some gentle persuasion.

He tries a firmer approach...

..and she still refuses to budge.

But when push comes to shove, the call of the sea prevails.

The females haven't eaten for two weeks.

It's now a mad dash for the ocean and food.

A lot rests on their success -

when they return, there will be new mouths to feed.

For emperors, swapping parental duties is a much riskier task.

The male offers encouragement by showing off his brood pouch

which will protect the egg.

But she, too, is reluctant to trust her mate

with such immense responsibility.

He tenderly strokes the egg - a sign he will take good care.

But transferring the egg is a delicate operation -

too long on the ice and the embryo will freeze.

Success - the egg is now cosily in his brood pouch.

It's time for his mate to leave her treasure behind.

She and the other females must retrace their steps back to the sea.

It will be a long journey.

Winter is closing in

and the falling temperatures have frozen even more of the ocean.

The male must cherish this egg throughout the long dark days ahead.

The female's duty is to return with food in the spring.

For the male, the toughest challenge is yet to come.

As the weather closes in, he must protect their prized investment

through the harshest winter on Earth.

Back on the Falklands,

there is already movement.

An egg has started to hatch.

It's a magical moment...

..but this bundle of fluff will bring

a whole new set of challenges for its parents.

Next time, our spy cameras will discover how all these growing chicks

survive in some of the toughest environments on Earth.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd