BBC The Blue Planet Disc 1: Frozen Seas (2002)

Index
In winter the temperature drops to below -50 degrees centigrade and in Antarctica most animals escape the weather. But emperor penguins stay put and huddle together, incubating their eggs and rearing their chicks in the worst weather on the planet. Weddell seals also remain, keeping their breathing holes open by scraping away the ice with their teeth.

In the Arctic, animals that do stay north for the winter are forced to seek refuge in any patches of open water that haven't frozen over. Sometimes whales become trapped in these isolated tiny holes in the ice. A group of belugas are 22km from open ocean and it will be two months before the ice melts. They are painfully thin and horribly scarred. Their wounds are not inflicted by the ice but by polar bears that have spotted an easy meal. Aware of the danger, the whales stay submerged as long as they can, but they can only hold their breathe for 20 minutes. Eventually a bear makes a catch.

In spring, female polar bears emerge from winter dens with their cubs. The mother hasn't eaten for five months and is starving. Seal pups are a favourite, and she can detect them hidden in the snow from 2km away. As the ice melts, thousands of belugas congregate in large estuaries for a communal exfoliation! In warm shallow water they rub vigorously against the gravel to slough off dead skin and encourage moulting.

On Zavodovski Island is the largest penguin colony in the world. About two million chinstrap penguins come to breed on the snow-free slopes of this live volcano. But emperor penguins stick it out on the ice. At the water's edge they are nervous as leopard seals patrol this border. These seals are Antarctica's equivalent of polar bears. As winter closes in again and the ice begins to freeze, male emperor penguins trek south, away from the open sea, to spend the dark months of winter out on the ice.
Peter's DVD rating: 4.0 stars
Attenborough explores oceans during winter. Memorable scenes include a Polar Bear hunting Belugas, Chinstrap Penguins trying to climb onto land, and a Leopard Seal stalking Emperor Penguins.
2:55Walrus spends winter on polynias (patches of open water amid ice) 3:10 Bowhead Whale trapped in a polynia 4:25 Beluga Whales also trapped, hunted by Polar Bear
7:45 Herring Gull?s scavenge 8:35 Arctic Fox also scavenges on kill 10:15 Harp Seals nursing on pack ice
11:10 Hooded Seal males display 12:10 Ringed Seal birth in cave 12:30 Polar Bear mother and cub hunt for Ringed Seal pup hiding in lair
16:20 Spectacled Guillemot? dive and swim in summer 17:20 Beluga Whales feed on Arctic Cod in leads (cracks in melting ice) 18:10 Narwhals
18:55 Bowhead Whales feed on copepods 20:00 Polar Bear swimming 20:45 Walrus molting in spring, feeding on soft-shelled clams
23:05 Beluga Whales also need to molt in shallow water 25:00Autumn - winter, auroras. 26:25 Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
27:45 Weddell Seal scrapes air hole with teeth 29:45 Krill scrape algae off ice 31:15 Chinstrap Penguins climbing on land to breed
34:15 Chinstrap Penguins (2 million) nest on Zavodovski Island 36:40 Minke Whales , Humpback Whales feed on Krill in brash ice 39:50 Antarctic Fur Seals feed on Krill
40:00 Emperor Penguins hunted by Leopard Seal , walk back to colony to find chick      
Balaena_mysticetus.jpg
3:10 Bowhead Whale trapped in a polynia
Delphinapterus_leucas.jpg
4:25 Beluga Whales also trapped, hunted by
Ursus_maritimus.jpg
4:25 Polar Bear
Larus_argentatus.jpg
7:45 Herring Gull?s scavenge
Alopex_lagopus.jpg
8:35 Arctic Fox also scavenges on kill
Phoca_groenlandica.jpg
10:15 Harp Seals nursing on pack ice
Cystophora_cristata.jpg
11:10 Hooded Seal males display
Phoca_hispida.jpg
12:10 Ringed Seal birth in cave
Ursus_maritimus-hunt.jpg
12:30 Polar Bear mother and cub hunt for Ringed Seal pup hiding in lair
Cepphus_carbo.jpg
16:20 Spectacled Guillemot? dive and swim in summer
Delphinapterus_leucas-dive.jpg
17:20 Beluga Whales feed on Arctic Cod in leads (cracks in melting ice)
Monodon_monoceros.jpg
18:10 Narwhals
Balaena_mysticetus-tail.jpg
18:55 Bowhead Whales feed on copepods
Ursus_maritimus-swim.jpg
20:00 Polar Bear swimming
Odobenus_rosmarus.jpg
20:45 Walrus molting in spring, feeding on soft-shelled clams
Delphinapterus_leucas-calf.jpg
23:05 Beluga Whales also need to molt in shallow water
Aptenodytes_forsteri.jpg
26:25 Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
Leptonychotes_weddellii.jpg
27:45 Weddell Seal scrapes air hole with teeth
Euphausiacea.jpg
29:45 Krill scrape algae off ice
Pygoscelis_antarctica.jpg
31:15 Chinstrap Penguins climbing on land to breed
Pygoscelis_antarctica-nest.jpg
34:15 Chinstrap Penguins
Balaenoptera_acutorostrata.jpg
36:40 Minke Whales
Megaptera_novaeangliae.jpg
36:40 Humpback Whales
Arctocephalus_gazella.jpg
39:50 Antarctic Fur Seals
Euphausiacea-swarm.jpg
39:50 Krill
Aptenodytes_forsteri-fly.jpg
40:00 Emperor Penguins
Hydrurga_leptonyx.jpg
40:00 Leopard Seal
Index Dec 22, 2005 copyleft Peter Chen