1 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,840 Looking down from two miles above the surface of the Earth 2 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,320 it's impossible not to be impressed 3 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,680 by the sheer grandeur and splendour 4 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,080 and power of the natural world. 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,000 Ten years ago, in a television series called Planet Earth, 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,440 we revealed many of those wonders, but today, much has changed. 7 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,840 We can now show life on our planet in entirely new ways. 8 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,840 Bring you closer to animals than ever before. 9 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,640 And reveal new wildlife dramas for the very first time. 10 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:00,720 But that's not all. 11 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,680 Our planet has changed too. 12 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,920 Never have those wildernesses been as fragile and as precious 13 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:10,440 as they are today. 14 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,600 At this crucial time for the natural world, 15 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,920 we will journey to every corner of the globe... 16 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,480 ..to explore the greatest treasures of our living planet... 17 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,320 ..and reveal the extreme lengths animals go to 18 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:36,680 to survive. 19 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,440 Finally, we will explore our cities 20 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,960 to see how life is adapting 21 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,120 to the newest habitat on Earth. 22 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,200 This is Planet Earth II. 23 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,400 There are hundreds of thousands of islands, 24 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,040 each one a world in miniature, 25 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,040 a microcosm of our living planet. 26 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,080 The struggles to survive on these remote lands 27 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,240 reflect the challenges faced by all life on Earth. 28 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,400 The tiny island of Escudo off the coast of Panama. 29 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,360 Home to the pygmy three-toed sloth. 30 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,920 This is a male and life here suits him well. 31 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,880 Mangroves provide all the leaves he can eat 32 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,240 and there are no predators to worry him. 33 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:50,200 Island life may seem idyllic but it comes at a price. 34 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,440 There are only a few hundred pygmy sloths in existence. 35 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,000 And he needs a mate. 36 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,680 SCREECHING 37 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,680 That's an enticing call... 38 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,800 ..from a female. 39 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,960 Somewhere out there. 40 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:21,000 And this, for a sloth, is a quick reaction. 41 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,840 FEMALE SCREECHES AGAIN 42 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:47,560 The problem is, there's deep water between them. 43 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:52,520 So what should any red-blooded sloth do? 44 00:04:57,840 --> 00:04:59,560 Swim, of course. 45 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:31,480 Could this be her? 46 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,040 He does his best to put on a turn of speed. 47 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,800 But she's not the one. 48 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,920 She already has a baby and she won't mate again until it leaves her 49 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:01,600 in about six months' time. 50 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,120 Even life on a paradise island can have its limitations. 51 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:17,680 MORE SCREECHING 52 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,280 But at least she can't be far away. 53 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:32,040 The world's entire population of pygmy sloths is isolated 54 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,600 on a speck of land no bigger than New York's Central Park. 55 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,360 The size of an island has a huge influence on the fate 56 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:45,160 of those cast away there. 57 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,680 The island of Komodo in Indonesia. 58 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,240 Home to dragons. 59 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:28,720 Ten feet long and weighing an impressive 150 lbs, 60 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,160 these are the largest living lizards on the planet. 61 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,960 It's unusual to find large predators on islands. 62 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,600 Yet, for four million years, the Komodo dragon has dominated here. 63 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,720 It might seem there wouldn't be enough food 64 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,960 to support such giants on this relatively small island. 65 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,120 But reptiles, being cold-blooded, 66 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,160 need only about a tenth of the food a carnivorous mammal would. 67 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,880 A single meal will last a dragon a month. 68 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,720 There are so successful that their only serious competition comes from 69 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:38,480 others of their own kind. 70 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,800 And there are some 2,000 of them here. 71 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:11,040 This giant, however, isn't looking for food - he's looking for a mate. 72 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,760 Female dragons come into season only once a year. 73 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:30,480 She's receptive. 74 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:40,800 So far, so good. 75 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,960 But he's strayed into someone else's patch. 76 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:58,360 Another huge male thinks he is the king here. 77 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,720 Space being limited on islands, 78 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,720 dragon territories overlap and that creates continual conflict. 79 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,480 In dragon society, size is everything. 80 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:41,320 But if rivals are closely matched, the outcome can be uncertain. 81 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,560 Muscular tails strike with the power of sledgehammers. 82 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,600 And their serrated teeth are as sharp as steak knives. 83 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,720 Each tries to topple his opponent. 84 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,040 Defeated. 85 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,080 Only the most powerful dragons 86 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:48,720 win the right to mate. 87 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,040 The limited food and space on small islands 88 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,560 can often lead to intense competition. 89 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,520 But some islands are immense. 90 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,560 More like miniature continents. 91 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:17,080 And these provide opportunities for life to experiment and evolve. 92 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:27,320 Madagascar is one of the biggest islands and also one of the oldest, 93 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:32,160 having split away from Africa over 120 million years ago. 94 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,080 With time and isolation, 95 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:50,080 its animals have adapted to take advantage of every available niche. 96 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:01,400 The island now has some 250,000 different species, 97 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,320 most found nowhere else on Earth. 98 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,520 These are not monkeys, but lemurs. 99 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,560 From a single ancestor, about 100 different types have evolved. 100 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,920 The largest, the indri, seldom comes down from the branches. 101 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,640 The much smaller ringtails wander in troops across the forest floor 102 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:51,800 searching for food. 103 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,720 And tiny bamboo lemurs eat nothing except bamboo. 104 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,360 With few competitors, lemurs have been free to colonise 105 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,000 almost every environment on the island. 106 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,040 Even the most extreme. 107 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,840 This baby sifaka has a hard life ahead of it. 108 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,680 He's been born in the most arid and hostile corner 109 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,160 of Madagascar's vast landscape. 110 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,200 If he is to survive here, he has much to learn. 111 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,960 The spiny forest is like a desert. 112 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:01,240 It rarely rains, so water and food is very hard to find. 113 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,640 Moving from tree to tree is a perilous business. 114 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,680 Here, nearly all the plants are covered with ferocious spines. 115 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,120 His mother searches the tree tops for the youngest leaves. 116 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,280 They provide the only food and water to sustain the family. 117 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,600 At three months old, the youngster is starting to explore. 118 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,840 All too soon he will have to fend for himself up here. 119 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,520 But it's altogether easier to stay on mother's back. 120 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,600 If he can master the strange ways of this forest... 121 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,720 ..he will have a little corner of Madagascar to himself. 122 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,960 Island life encourages animals to do things differently. 123 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,400 And on some islands that is essential. 124 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,440 There are islands still forming today... 125 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,600 ..built by volcanoes. 126 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,000 Some erupt explosively. 127 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,920 Others pour out rivers of molten rock. 128 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:07,080 Lava. 129 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:14,840 In the last 50 years, 130 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,880 ten new volcanic islands have been formed. 131 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:50,240 Newly created and often remote, they're hard for colonists to reach. 132 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,920 Even those that do find these are tough places to survive. 133 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:08,440 This is Fernandina, one of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. 134 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,160 Young and still volcanically active, it's a desolate place. 135 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,840 The surrounding sea, however, is particularly rich with life. 136 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:42,720 And the frontier between these two very different worlds is the home of 137 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,880 one of the strangest of reptiles. 138 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:51,480 Seagoing iguanas. 139 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:55,760 They are vegetarians, 140 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,840 but since there's little food for them on the land, 141 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,840 marine iguanas graze on the sea floor. 142 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:09,040 A big male like this one can dive to 30 metres 143 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,520 and hold his breath for half an hour. 144 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,120 There are more than 7,000 individuals on Fernandina alone. 145 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,360 And by bringing nutrients from the sea to the land, 146 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,520 the iguanas help other animals to survive here, too. 147 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,880 Crabs feed on dead skin on the iguana's back 148 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,920 and, in turn, provide a welcome exfoliation service. 149 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,680 While smaller lizards prey on the flies that pester the colony. 150 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:46,520 But not all the relationships on this island are so harmonious. 151 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:55,760 Marine iguanas lay their eggs in sand. 152 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:02,240 In June, when the hatchlings emerge, they are vulnerable. 153 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:09,800 They must join the adults at the edge of the sea. 154 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,120 But the journey will be a dangerous one. 155 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:38,840 Racer snakes. 156 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,680 The snakes miss their chance. 157 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,000 But more babies are hatching. 158 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,320 And now the snakes are on the alert. 159 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,680 This is the best feeding opportunity they will get all year. 160 00:22:50,360 --> 00:22:55,120 On flat ground, a baby iguana can outrun a racer snake. 161 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,920 But others are waiting in ambush. 162 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,960 Another hatchling has its first glimpse of a dangerous world. 163 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:33,040 A snake's eyes aren't very good, 164 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:34,760 but they can detect movement. 165 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:40,600 So if the hatchling keeps its nerve, it may just avoid detection. 166 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:14,240 A near miraculous escape. 167 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:25,280 The lucky survivors can begin learning the unique way of life 168 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,920 demanded by this hostile island. 169 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,760 Although marine iguanas are expert swimmers, 170 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,760 they can't cross open oceans. 171 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:55,200 But even the stormiest waters are no barrier for birds. 172 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:10,160 Gale force winds and cold temperatures make the sub-Antarctic 173 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,920 islands off New Zealand particularly unwelcoming in winter. 174 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:32,480 But, when the brief summer comes, temperatures rise and winds slacken. 175 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,000 It's now that visitors arrive. 176 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,480 All here to breed before winter returns. 177 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:01,560 There's the Snares penguins. 178 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,040 Shearwaters come, too. 179 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,760 This is an excellent place for them to dig their nesting burrows, 180 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,240 for no predators have managed to get here. 181 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,840 Soon the island is crowded with birds. 182 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,280 Every one of them eager to make the most of the short breeding season. 183 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,080 But not everyone has a partner. 184 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,960 A male Buller's albatross waits for his mate. 185 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,280 Each year they spend six months apart, travelling the ocean. 186 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,280 They reunite here to breed. 187 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,320 But this year, she's late. 188 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,320 No, that's not her. 189 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,800 The other birds come and go. 190 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:37,440 The clock is ticking. 191 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:40,640 If she doesn't appear soon, 192 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,480 it could be too late for them to breed successfully. 193 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,560 Every morning the shearwaters fly off to collect food for their young. 194 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,440 Everybody else seems to be getting on with it. 195 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:28,200 The shearwaters' return marks another lost day. 196 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:35,880 There are three million birds on the island, but only one matters to him. 197 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:44,800 Could this be her? 198 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:52,560 At last. 199 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,320 At first, he's a little coy. 200 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:24,920 But not for long. 201 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,280 They greet each other with the special dance 202 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,920 they've perfected over many years. 203 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:54,240 There is much to do if they're to raise a chick before winter returns. 204 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,840 But when you have been apart for six months, some things can't be rushed. 205 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:28,600 Islands in warm tropical waters don't experience seasonal extremes. 206 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,040 The Seychelles, lying off the coast of East Africa, 207 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,920 provide a sanctuary for sea birds all the year round. 208 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,640 Fairy terns are permanent residents. 209 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:03,840 They take a fairly relaxed view about what constitutes a nest. 210 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,520 A bare branch is quite enough. 211 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:20,400 Climbing onto it to incubate has to be done with care. 212 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,000 Once a year, the noddies arrive. 213 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,360 They do make nests, 214 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,000 and pisonia trees provide their young 215 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,240 with a rather less precarious start in life. 216 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,200 Nesting on this island looks idyllic. 217 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,760 But behind the beauty, there's a sinister side. 218 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:05,200 The Seychelles fody makes quick work of an unattended egg. 219 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,280 She knows something's not quite right, 220 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,600 but her drive to incubate is strong. 221 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,400 The noddies too have a problem. 222 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,320 As their chicks grow, 223 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,440 so the pisonia trees develop seeds that are sticky 224 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:54,440 and equipped with hooks. 225 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,760 By the time the young noddies leave, 226 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,960 they carry these hitchhiking seeds away to other islands. 227 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,520 But sometimes the pisonia trees are too successful. 228 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:26,520 If a fledgling, testing out its wings, drops to the ground, 229 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:28,800 it can get covered with the seeds. 230 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:42,200 Entangled and weighed down, if it can't free itself, 231 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:43,640 the youngster will starve. 232 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:01,000 The pisonia may have failed to disperse these seeds... 233 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:06,280 ..but it will soon have fertiliser for its roots. 234 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:18,280 This is why some people call the pisonia the "bird catcher tree". 235 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:54,640 The fairy tern laid another egg, 236 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,640 and now she has a tiny chick to feed. 237 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,640 This chick is lucky. 238 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,440 By the time it fledges, the pisonia seeds will have dispersed, 239 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:14,840 and the danger they brought will be gone. 240 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:30,280 Even the most idyllic-looking of islands presents challenges 241 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:31,960 for the animals living there. 242 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,440 But the greatest threat they face is change. 243 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:55,960 Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. 244 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,320 For millions of years, 245 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,240 this remote speck of land has been ruled by crabs. 246 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,320 Their ancestors came from the sea, 247 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,600 but most have now adopted a land-based existence. 248 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:30,000 Given there are so many of them, they get on relatively harmoniously. 249 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:38,240 They're the gardeners and caretakers of a tiny crab utopia. 250 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:45,040 Once a year, they must all return to the sea to breed, 251 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,720 and the march of the red crabs 252 00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:51,800 is one of the greatest natural spectacles on earth. 253 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,960 There are 50 million of them. 254 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:16,920 It's an event that has brought the island worldwide fame. 255 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:29,480 But in recent years, 256 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:33,240 millions of red crabs haven't managed to reach the sea. 257 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,360 An invader has occupied this island. 258 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:47,480 Yellow crazy ants. 259 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:52,880 They escaped from visiting ships and with no predators to control them, 260 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:57,000 they have now created vast super colonies in the forest. 261 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:07,560 When migrating red crabs march into their territory, the ants attack. 262 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,680 Squirting acid into the crabs' eyes and mouths. 263 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,040 The crabs have no defence. 264 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:30,520 Blinded and confused... 265 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:32,960 ..they're doomed. 266 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,920 Humans brought these ant invaders here, 267 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,400 and now humans are having to control them. 268 00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:59,680 Isolated communities may evolve from millions of years in relative peace. 269 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:05,240 But, when new challenges arrive, they can struggle to cope. 270 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:12,640 Of all the species that have become extinct in recent years, 271 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,560 around 80% have been islanders. 272 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:23,920 Our impact on the Earth is greater today than ever before. 273 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:27,560 Yet some islands are so remote 274 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,480 that few humans have even set foot on them. 275 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,240 Zavodovski Island is one. 276 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,400 It lies in the great Southern Ocean. 277 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,680 It's not only surrounded by the stormiest of seas, 278 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,240 it is itself an active volcano. 279 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:55,240 It's the last place on Earth you would choose to live. 280 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,280 Unless you're a chinstrap penguin. 281 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:13,480 There is plenty of food in these waters, but to exploit it, 282 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:15,640 the penguins have to risk their lives. 283 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:08,360 Life here is dangerous in the extreme. 284 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:24,360 PENGUINS CHATTER 285 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:29,120 But there are some benefits from living on a volcano. 286 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:35,880 Its warmth melts the snow early in the year. 287 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:39,320 And, by January, the Antarctic's mid-summer, 288 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:41,680 the island is covered in chicks. 289 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,640 Parents take turns at guarding them 290 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,960 until they're large enough to be left alone. 291 00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:01,400 This mother's chicks are hungry, but she has no food left to give them. 292 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,240 Their survival depends on their father returning with the next meal. 293 00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:13,360 But some don't make it. 294 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:31,760 Skuas harass the colony, hoping to snatch a chick. 295 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:41,120 She can't risk leaving them. 296 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:50,040 Everything will be fine, as long as their father comes back soon. 297 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:24,360 He's been fishing 50 miles offshore, but now he's not far away. 298 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,760 For him, however, and for all the other parents here, 299 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:33,080 the worst of the journey is still to come. 300 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:09,640 Tiny claws help him to get whatever grip he can on the rough lava. 301 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:40,400 For these commuters, it's rush hour. 302 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:44,760 Some have had a really bad day. 303 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:53,360 The father now has a two-mile walk to the nest, 304 00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:55,800 and a stomach loaded with food doesn't help. 305 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,520 This is the largest penguin colony in the world. 306 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:16,920 But as he makes the same journey every other day, 307 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:19,960 he should be able to do it with his eyes closed. 308 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:31,720 It's true that there can be safety in numbers, 309 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:34,200 but numbers can also be something of a problem 310 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,600 when you're trying to find your own nest. 311 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:45,000 The mother is still waiting. 312 00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:49,080 Her chicks are now desperate. 313 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:50,880 THEY CHEEP 314 00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:57,760 In the midst of all this deafening chorus, 315 00:47:57,760 --> 00:47:59,800 he can recognise her particular cry. 316 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:21,000 At last. 317 00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:38,480 Both chicks will get a meal. 318 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:50,160 With a head bob of acknowledgement, their mother now leaves. 319 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,360 It's her turn to do the feeding run. 320 00:48:59,720 --> 00:49:06,400 This formidable commute is the price these penguins pay for sanctuary. 321 00:49:12,240 --> 00:49:15,760 A strange vision of paradise to us, perhaps, 322 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:21,560 but, for one and a half million penguins, this island has it all. 323 00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:36,080 Islands may seem remote and insignificant, 324 00:49:36,080 --> 00:49:40,880 but they are home to some of the most precious wildlife on Earth. 325 00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:06,720 The expedition to film on the island of Zavodovski 326 00:50:06,720 --> 00:50:09,320 was the most intrepid shoot of the series. 327 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:13,600 To ensure its success, the team have called in 328 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:16,080 Antarctic expert Jerome Poncet, 329 00:50:16,080 --> 00:50:19,240 one of the few people to have set foot on the island. 330 00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:25,320 This whole region of Antarctica is rarely visited. 331 00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:32,400 And this is the planet's roughest ocean. 332 00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:43,680 After seven long days and nights at sea, 333 00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:46,600 they get their first glimpse of the final destination. 334 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:49,600 It's actually quite surreal after a whole year, 335 00:50:49,600 --> 00:50:51,480 trying to put the expedition together. 336 00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:53,840 And then today we wake up, and there's the volcano. 337 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:55,320 That's Zavodovski. 338 00:50:56,520 --> 00:50:59,400 The explorers who discovered this place 339 00:50:59,400 --> 00:51:02,600 spoke of the stench of sulphurous gases, 340 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:05,320 treacherous waters, 341 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,920 and astonishing numbers of penguins. 342 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:13,800 It seems not much has changed. 343 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,600 Jerome's been round the whole place, 344 00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:20,560 and there literally is only one safe area to get on, 345 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:21,720 and he's telling us 346 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:23,400 it's that rock face over there. 347 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:29,040 The team must take everything they need to survive. 348 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:31,800 There are the penguins! 349 00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:35,600 Though the boat'll stay nearby, 350 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:37,520 they will need to be self-sufficient. 351 00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:42,560 But that means taking a tonne of equipment up this cliff. 352 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:45,200 Just get to that lot to help. 353 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:46,800 Many flippers make light work. 354 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:51,920 They work all day getting the gear ashore. 355 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,080 But the fact there are so many penguins on the island 356 00:51:58,080 --> 00:51:59,680 doesn't make it easy. 357 00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:03,600 The hardest thing for us has been finding a pathway through, 358 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,920 because there's absolutely penguins everywhere you look. 359 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:16,000 Finally, it's time to make camp. 360 00:52:21,120 --> 00:52:24,760 They choose a sheltered place that won't disturb the locals. 361 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:30,120 But since most of the penguins won't have seen a human being before, 362 00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:32,520 they seem keen to pop over and visit. 363 00:52:33,720 --> 00:52:36,240 - Hello. - Nosy neighbours. 364 00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:39,480 The team set off 365 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,640 to start documenting the daily lives of the penguins, 366 00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:45,120 and what they find is astonishing. 367 00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:49,680 As soon as you walk over that ridge, you sort of get a tingly feeling, 368 00:52:49,680 --> 00:52:54,000 because I've never seen that many animals in one spot. 369 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:55,520 It's mind-blowing. 370 00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:00,160 It's like Glastonbury Festival. 371 00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:01,400 The whole landscape 372 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:05,480 is full of little black and white penguins waddling around. 373 00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:12,800 This is penguin paradise, and that's what we're trying to show. 374 00:53:17,720 --> 00:53:18,960 A promising start. 375 00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:23,560 But here, fortunes can change quickly. 376 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:29,160 # Summertime... # 377 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:35,040 Every season within ten minutes. 378 00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:42,880 As the snow melts, it creates an unforeseen problem. 379 00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:46,520 We purposely chose this campsite 380 00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:49,640 because it was a place where the penguins didn't seem to go. 381 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:52,880 I think we've realised why the penguins don't nest here. 382 00:53:52,880 --> 00:53:55,760 It's because of the spray and because of some run-off, 383 00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:58,280 so we are literally in a bit of a bog. 384 00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:01,400 And it's not just mud. 385 00:54:03,320 --> 00:54:07,560 A couple of these guys, as they wander down to do a spot of fishing, 386 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:11,960 they tend to use my tent as a little poop spot. 387 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:13,760 You kind of get used to it at night, 388 00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:16,960 just hearing a constant splat on top of the tent. 389 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:20,160 But, as you can see, all of the kit, 390 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,760 I'm afraid that's getting splat on as well. 391 00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:27,360 And, when the wind changes, it brings a noxious reminder 392 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:30,200 that they're camping on an active volcano. 393 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:35,120 It's the first time we've smelt sulphur, 394 00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:38,360 which is welcome relief from smelling penguins. 395 00:54:38,360 --> 00:54:39,760 It's smoking away. 396 00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:44,400 I think if they start running for the sea, 397 00:54:44,400 --> 00:54:47,360 we're going to be calling Jerome pretty quick for the boat. 398 00:54:49,880 --> 00:54:54,040 Each day filming on Zavodovski seems to present a new challenge. 399 00:54:58,320 --> 00:55:01,280 Next, a huge storm hits the island. 400 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:06,280 Only now do the team realise 401 00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:09,400 just how tough life can be for the penguins. 402 00:55:13,080 --> 00:55:16,440 It's hard not to be moved by the effort they go to 403 00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:18,040 to feed their chicks. 404 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:22,480 These huge waves are coming in. 405 00:55:22,480 --> 00:55:24,480 The penguins are surfing here, 406 00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:26,640 getting battered on these big boulders. 407 00:55:26,640 --> 00:55:29,400 Now and then you just get a penguin that gets catapulted 408 00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:32,520 15 metres in the air - it's totally ludicrous. 409 00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:38,920 And really, I think there are quite a few penguins getting killed in it. 410 00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:48,080 The beach in the afternoon was just a scene of death and destruction. 411 00:55:50,000 --> 00:55:51,680 It was absolute carnage. 412 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:55,160 It was heartbreaking. 413 00:55:55,160 --> 00:55:58,040 I mean, they're trying so hard to get up the beach with broken legs 414 00:55:58,040 --> 00:56:02,960 and bleeding and very, you know, sobering, really. 415 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:10,160 After witnessing the struggles, the penguins must endure, 416 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:12,320 the team now face the same problem. 417 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:14,840 Getting off the island. 418 00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:20,440 With another storm coming in, they decide to take their chance. 419 00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:26,240 Jerome has seconds to get in and out between the waves. 420 00:56:27,360 --> 00:56:28,720 Or the Zodiac could tip... 421 00:56:30,080 --> 00:56:31,680 ..leaving them all stranded. 422 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:35,640 Hurray, that's the first box off the island. 423 00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:44,600 What took a day to get ashore must be off in minutes. 424 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:46,200 And the swell is getting bigger. 425 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:50,800 Their window of opportunity is closing. 426 00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:54,440 Look at this swell now, watch out, watch out! 427 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:04,240 The equipment's off, but now the team has to follow. 428 00:57:09,160 --> 00:57:11,480 She's just leaving us now, is she? 429 00:57:11,480 --> 00:57:14,080 That's the producer, she's gone! We have to swim now. 430 00:57:16,640 --> 00:57:17,960 - They're gone. - Yeah. 431 00:57:19,120 --> 00:57:21,320 Luckily it didn't come to that. 432 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:31,320 Safely aboard, they leave with an unforgettable experience 433 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:35,640 of how hard life is on an island at the edge of the world. 434 00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:45,520 Next time, we ascend into the planet's highest peaks 435 00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:48,360 to discover a spectacular but hostile world, 436 00:57:48,360 --> 00:57:51,160 where only the toughest animals can endure. 437 00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:57,040 This is life on the roof of the world. 438 00:57:57,040 --> 00:57:58,360 Mountains.