Byw i'r Eithaf Arctig Gwyllt Iolo Williams

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-A land of extremes.

-Where fire and ice clash.

-Ancient mountains

-give way to lush forests.

-A forgotten wilderness,

-dazzling in its diversity.

-Seasons of darkness

-and perpetual light...

-..reveal life

-thriving against all odds.

-Ancient treasures

-revealed as never before.

-The shores of Scandinavia

-stretch for nearly a 100,000km.

-Time and tide shape the land

-and the lives of the creatures.

-It is a world of constant change...

-..where animals

-live, literally, on the edge.

-From temperate forests

-in the south...

-..to the frozen Arctic north

-gripped by ice for much of the year.

-But even here life survives.

-Far off

-the northern coast of Norway...

-..the Svalbard islands

-are home to the polar bear.

-Its acute sense of smell can locate

-seals a metre beneath the ice.

-During the worst of winter

-the polar bear is in its element.

-Polar bears

-inhabit only the extreme north...

-..but Scandinavia extends southwards

-to include five countries...

-..and a wide range of climates.

-Around a third of it

-lies within the Arctic Circle...

-..and the animals that live here...

-..must endure a brutal winter

-up to six months long.

-While the polar bear

-is an expert hunter in winter...

-..the ice deprives the sea eagles

-of Sweden of their usual prey.

-So they must find

-other sources of food.

-Some survive

-by feeding on frozen carcasses.

-The hooded crows are hungry too,

-but they'll have to wait their turn.

-Patience is required.

-Tugging at an eagle's tail feathers

-is a bad idea.

-When food is scarce, even

-a crow is a meal worth grabbing.

-The end of a long Scandinavian

-winter is a desperate time...

-..but change is in the air.

-The sea

-has been frozen for six months.

-Its surface is as solid as the land.

-Now the seascape is breaking up...

-..and for creatures

-accustomed to life on the ice...

-..the world is disintegrating.

-The polar bear

-has so far handled the thaw...

-..but hunting

-is proving more difficult.

-Its favourite prey, bearded seals,

-are heading north with the ice.

-Soon they will be

-beyond the bear's reach.

-The polar bear

-faces a summer of hardship...

-..stranded on Greenland

-by the retreating ice.

-Feeding opportunities are few.

-But for most creatures,

-spring is a time of plenty.

-A tribe of little auks

-descend on Greenland's west coast.

-They have spent the winter

-along the edge of the ice...

-..in the Northwest Atlantic.

-But in spring,

-some 30 million of them...

-..are drawn to Greenland's shores.

-That's four fifths

-of all the little auks on Earth.

-They come here to feed on fish

-and to nest on the cliffs.

-These birds form lifelong pairs.

-How the birds find their mates

-amongst the millions is a mystery.

-Somehow they reconnect...

-..renewing their bond

-after spending winter apart.

-With so many pairs

-looking for the ideal nest site...

-..squabbles are a certainty.

-In spring,

-the waters around Scandinavia...

-..are some of

-the richest in the world.

-Cold and warm currents mix.

-The sun's warmth attracts the fish

-to feast on of plankton...

-..which thrives

-during the long days of summer.

-All the creatures living on

-Scandinavia's coastal margins...

-..dance to the rhythm of the ocean.

-Now the sea is free of ice...

-..the white-tailed eagle

-can go fishing once more.

-And the humpback whale

-has come here for the same reason.

-The seasonal bounty

-essential to survival.

-Humpbacks

-and their new-born calves...

-..have travelled from the Caribbean,

-a dangerous journey of over 7,000km.

-The whale will eat

-half a tonne of krill each day...

-..because the mother has eaten

-nothing for an entire year.

-They'll feast all summer long,

-building up blubber...

-..to sustain them on the return

-journey south and throughout winter.

-The ocean attracts

-a diverse array of summer visitors.

-Not just auks,

-but millions of other seabirds...

-..come to nest on the steep cliffs.

-The rocky cliffs

-may look dangerous...

-..but to seabirds,

-they make ideal homes.

-High-rise apartment blocks where the

-ledges are potential nesting sites.

-Kittiwakes and puffins

-are birds of the open ocean.

-But they come ashore to breed.

-The kittiwakes

-opt for precarious balconies.

-And the puffins prefer

-roof gardens.

-Puffins spend hours

-diving for sand eels...

-..securing them in their

-sharp beaks, up to 30 at a time.

-It's the best food

-for their new chicks...

-..that are hiding in burrows.

-Cliff-dwelling birds

-attract aerial predators...

-..like the peregrine falcon,

-the fastest bird in the world.

-Lowland Denmark has

-only three or four pairs at present.

-But they thrive

-on Mons Klint island...

-..where cliffs

-provide caves for their nests...

-..and good vantage points

-for hunting.

-Peregrines, kittiwakes and puffins.

-These creatures live on the edge

-between land and sea.

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-Warm ocean currents make the climate

-surprisingly mild...

-..for a region

-so close to the Arctic Circle.

-And life flourishes.

-Scandinavian forests boast all four

-of Europe's major carnivores.

-Sweden is one of

-the last strongholds...

-..for the rare Eurasian lynx.

-With tighter limits on hunting...

-..the brown bear population has

-risen 20 fold in the last 80 years.

-Nowadays, around 3,000 of them

-roam the region.

-You will even find wolves.

-And the wolverine, whose powerful

-jaws can slice through bone.

-Wolverines are related

-to badgers and sea otters.

-They're very much at home

-in these northern forests...

-..where nothing seems beyond

-their reach or their appetites.

-Curious and wily...

-..a wolverine is always

-on the lookout for the next meal.

-The coastal forests

-run from Denmark in the south...

-..up to the Arctic Circle,

-the region of the tundra.

-There's yet another wonder

-in northern Scandinavia.

-The midnight sun.

-For two months, it skirts

-the horizon without setting.

-That's no consolation

-for the polar bear...

-..that's still stranded

-in Greenland.

-It's likely to starve unless it can

-find carrion or at least berries.

-There's no escape from the heat

-and the swarms of mosquitoes.

-It can't even shed its winter coat.

-All the creatures

-of the far north...

-..have adapted

-to the prolonged daylight...

-..in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

-In the north of Finland...

-..nocturnal animals

-must cope with a 24-hour day shift.

-The flying squirrel

-is a rare sight.

-It only breeds at this time of year.

-In spring, this female signals she's

-ready to mate by marking a branch.

-She rubs into the bark

-a mixture of her own droppings...

-..chewed up with saliva.

-Then all she has to do is wait.

-Within minutes, a male

-homes in on her scent from the air.

-Flying squirrels stretch the skin

-between their front and back legs...

-..to create wings.

-But another male

-sneaks in from below.

-She's worth fighting for.

-Falling with style, the first male

-lands right at the female's door.

-Now it's up to her to make a choice.

-At last she makes her choice.

-But she must remain vigilant.

-They need to watch out

-for the great grey owl...

-..which is normally nocturnal.

-Hunting almost entirely by sound...

-..owls eavesdrop on any scurrying.

-Luckily for the squirrels,

-the owl's main prey is voles.

-Inland waters

-are also teeming with life.

-Kesonsuo in Finland

-is an ideal home for ospreys.

-They form partnerships

-that last a lifetime.

-This couple is returning to their

-nest after a winter apart in Africa.

-Their first task

-is to repair their home.

-Only birds in love...

-..create nests without permission.

-Humans are their only threat.

-They can afford to nest

-out in the open.

-But time is of the essence.

-They have only five months

-to mate and raise their chicks.

-The ocean

-affects everything that lives here.

-The ebb and flow of the sea

-replenishes the land.

-It attracts

-many animals to its shores.

-With so much food around

-in spring...

-..finding a mate

-is the universal priority.

-The male ruff...

-..puts on a display for the female.

-Even though summer lasts a lot

-longer here than further north...

-..there's a sense of urgency.

-Each one defends its territory.

-Goldeneye ducks and horned grebes

-battle for supremacy.

-Spring quickly gives way to summer

-in these northern climes.

-Summer's a brief respite from

-the harsh winter that's approaching.

-For all creatures, raising

-a family is the highest priority.

-Kittiwakes lay two eggs on average,

-but only half of them will survive.

-They're fed on regurgitated fish

-ferried in a relay by both parents.

-Guillemots also nest here.

-They often mingle with kittiwakes...

-..in high-density breeding colonies,

-sometimes exceeding 100,000 pairs.

-Guillemots lay a single egg.

-Its pear shape

-stops it from rolling off.

-In just three weeks, the chick

-will leap from this ledge...

-..and join its parents

-to feed at sea.

-Scandinavia

-boasts some of the world's...

-..largest breeding colonies

-of seabirds.

-Little auks, kittiwakes

-and guillemots...

-..are all here

-to feast on the sea's bounty.

-Early summer is the best of times

-for most regions of Scandinavia.

-The Baltic Sea is no exception.

-Grey seals

-can afford to take it easy.

-They almost

-became extinct in the 1970s.

-Now, completely protected...

-..numbers have recovered

-to about 20,000.

-They're perfectly adapted

-to life in the water.

-Their whiskers

-are sensitive to water movement.

-They use them to track fish.

-The fish of the wild Arctic.

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-It's the height of summer.

-It's the best of times

-for most of Scandinavia's animals.

-The balmy weather

-triggers an explosion of life.

-The inshore lakes and marshes

-are teeming with insects.

-Frogs and fish enjoy the feast...

-..but they too become meals

-themselves for hungry chicks.

-The osprey now has

-three hungry mouths to feed.

-It has to succeed.

-Salmon is on today's menu.

-The chicks are just a few weeks old

-and growing fast.

-In another month or so,

-they must learn to fly.

-Then they'll set off

-on their long journey to Africa...

-..a journey of 7,000km.

-They must leave

-before the fish they need...

-..are out of their reach

-beneath the ice.

-If their father doesn't feed them...

-..they won't be

-strong enough to go the distance.

-He must catch up to eight fish

-a day to feed his family.

-The pressure is constant for both

-parents during the growth period.

-While he hunts, the female feeds

-the chicks and guards the nest.

-He's perfectly equipped for the job.

-A third eyelid

-acts like built-in goggles...

-..for clear underwater vision.

-Speed, angle and depth

-are calculated instinctively.

-Its wingspan

-is over a metre and a half.

-Flexible shoulder joints

-and powerful shoulder muscles...

-..allow him to fish with ease.

-Once the ferocious talons

-lock onto a fish...

-..they won't release

-until the osprey lands.

-The wolverine

-has only himself to feed.

-He heads back to a

-reindeer carcass he has discovered.

-It's attracting a lot of interest.

-Sharing its food isn't an option

-for this tenacious wolverine.

-It'll need

-to guard the carcass well.

-The scent of fresh meat

-is attracting too much competition.

-It could fight off these wolves...

-..but it has a more subtle tactic

-to keep the wolf at bay.

-It defecates on its food.

-The meat is his, with a little

-left over for the raven.

-The time of the midnight sun...

-..extends through the period

-of growth and fertility.

-But though the days are long,

-the season is short.

-Making the most

-of the sunlight is vital.

-Having feasted all summer, grey

-seals are in optimum condition.

-The males show off...

-..in preparation

-for the breeding season.

-Sheltered inlets provide the

-perfect backdrop for the display.

-They're in their element...

-..fishing,

-squabbling and basking on the beach.

-But for the polar bear, marooned

-on the shores of Greenland...

-..summer is not a time to rest.

-It will roam hundreds of kilometres

-in search of food, often in vain.

-A little is better than nothing.

-The raven will go hungry today.

-While the polar bear struggles

-to survive, the walruses relax.

-They're at home in the ocean,

-whatever the weather.

-They're taking a rest

-in between dives.

-They'll dive 100 times a day.

-Walruses have a unique technique

-for finding clams.

-For some reason, they almost

-always use the right flipper...

-..to waft the sand away.

-Even though the walrus

-cannot see its prey...

-..it finds the clams

-using its sensitive whiskers.

-In a single day, it can eat the meat

-of nearly 22,000 clams.

-That's approximately 75 kilos.

-The barren shores of Greenland

-hold no bounty for the polar bear.

-It's close to starvation.

-It's stumbled on a camp

-of research scientists.

-They have good reason to be worried.

-Polar bears, especially hungry ones,

-have been known to attack humans.

-It looks like it's more interested

-in the bathroom.

-It looks like it's done this before.

-Icon of the Arctic

-and expert hunter...

-..is eating toothpaste,

-of all things!

-Timing is crucial for polar bears.

-Missing the ice train back in March

-was a serious mistake.

-Stranded on land,

-it's far from its feeding grounds.

-Only the return of the ice

-will save it.

-Midsummer, and for

-Scandinavia's migrant visitors...

-..time is running out.

-In Iceland, the cliffs still echo

-the call of the birds.

-But the puffin, guillemot

-and kittiwake chicks have now grown.

-This is a new beginning.

-At the end of summer,

-the young puffins will leave...

-..but they'll return in four or five

-years to raise their own families.

-Other youngsters

-are also leaving their nests.

-The flying squirrel's babies are

-trying to fly for the first time.

-Once it makes sure

-the coast is clear.

-The three osprey chicks are seven

-weeks old and ready to fly the nest.

-This is their final meal

-from their parents.

-The mother will leave now and the

-father will follow in a few weeks.

-Then the chicks

-will be entirely on their own.

-They're flexing their muscles

-that will carry them to west Africa.

-One more rehearsal

-and they'll be ready to go.

-Both osprey and squirrel

-are entering an unknown world.

-The young squirrel is unsure.

-But the ospreys are ready to fly.

-Off it goes.

-The others are ready to follow.

-Even with plenty of practice,

-there are many dangers.

-Only one in 10 osprey chicks

-survives the journey.

-The days become shorter

-and the warmth leaves the sun.

-Autumn colours the land.

-This is a crucial time

-in the far north.

-With winter fast approaching, these

-creatures will either remain...

-..or migrate and escape the worst.

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-Along the coasts of Scandinavia...

-..cooler and stronger winds

-exert their pull on the land.

-They have changed

-its shape and form.

-As the land cools more quickly

-than the ocean, fog forms...

-..signalling the onset of winter.

-The change of seasons

-means it's time to migrate.

-In Denmark, these starlings

-are on their way south to Britain.

-When startled by birds of prey...

-..the entire flock moves as one.

-Each starling tries to stay close

-to its neighbour...

-..and mimic each other's moves.

-The black cloud confuses predators.

-Birds at the edge of the swarm

-are most vulnerable.

-So they constantly swap places.

-They each take their turn.

-The starling migration is just one

-part of a mass exodus of animals...

-..heading south to avoid

-the bite of the ferocious winter.

-Animals that stay behind

-must be prepared.

-Only the most resilient

-will survive the next six months.

-The brown bear

-will remain but it will hibernate.

-Hibernation is a wise move.

-The polar bear

-takes the opposite approach.

-Winter is its perfect time.

-Having endured the heat of summer,

-if it can survive a brief autumn...

-..it has a good chance of making it.

-Now it's winter, every morsel

-of fresh food must be fought after.

-Wolves, ravens and wolverines

-keep a wary eye on each other.

-The ravens follow the hunters,

-making them less likely to starve...

-..as long as

-the predators can find prey.

-The nights draw in.

-In the far north, the sun

-will not climb over the horizon...

-..for three months.

-Its twilight is pierced only by

-the wondrous Northern Lights.

-Winter clouds gather.

-They bring the snow which will

-cover the land for many months.

-The squawking ravens

-enjoy the change in season.

-Sun-kissed beaches...

-..are now blitzed with ice.

-The grey seals of the Baltic Sea

-couldn't care less.

-This is when female seals

-give birth to their young.

-But the males are here too - there's

-only one thing on their minds.

-Mating.

-The mothers must protect their

-babies but they also need to mate.

-The huge males

-weigh up to 300 kilos.

-Infants can easily be crushed.

-Mating preoccupies both sexes.

-Males battle

-for access to the best females.

-They can cause terrible wounds,

-using their sharp teeth as weapons.

-They injure each other...

-..and sometimes they injure pups.

-The fighting is relentless.

-Sometimes it's fatal.

-But the death of a seal pup

-can be a lifeline for others.

-A sea eagle seizes the opportunity.

-With the ice now forming offshore,

-winter penetrates the land.

-Predators of the north must seize

-every opportunity in winter.

-Wolverines are well equipped.

-Eating food direct from the freezer

-is no problem...

-..with such strong jaws.

-Their shaggy paws and sharp claws

-are formidable snow shoes.

-It's playtime for these two.

-Wolverines

-range across vast territories.

-They regularly patrol the perimeter.

-Ravens watch carefully, knowing

-they have hidden stores of food.

-The wolverine's scent marking

-doesn't deter them one bit.

-They're far too sly for that.

-They'll need to be sly

-to survive the coming months.

-Farther north,

-battered by Arctic winds...

-..the coastlines

-are now hemmed in by ice and snow.

-They'll stay that way

-for many months.

-Only the hardiest animals will

-survive these extreme conditions.

-The lynx is one such animal.

-It uses acute hearing

-and has a keen sense of smell.

-It uses both to acquire food.

-Lynx don't lose

-the scent trail under snow.

-There's nowhere to hide.

-The ice pack continues its advance,

-finally reaching the shore.

-For the polar bear, the good times

-have finally returned.

-It's in its element once again.

-Seals are back on menu.

-Once again,

-the polar bear reigns supreme.

-Until the ocean melts again.

-The Scandinavian coast

-is forever changing.

-The ocean shapes the land...

-..and the destinies

-of all the animals that live here.

-Where the land meets the sea.

-On the edge.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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