| 8:20 | PART ONE The Bountiful Sea
Gentoo Penguins feed on |
9:00 |
Krill |
9:30 |
Humpback Whale |
| 10:55 |
bubble curtain trap krill in summer |
12:50 |
Cape Petrels feed near surface |
15:20 |
Black-browed Albatross can dive a couple of meters |
| 17:30 |
Giant Antarctic Petrels are vultures of the Antarctic |
18:00 |
Wandering Albatross is biggest scavenger, 3000 pairs nest in South Georgia |
19:30 | 10-kg
Wandering Albatross chick begs for squid |
| 21:10 |
King Penguins also feed in open ocean; nest in 2-million colonies near edge of sea ice. |
23:30 | Parent and chick find each other by voice |
25:50 |
King Penguin courtship walk and vocal duet |
| 2:30 | The Ice Retreats
Southern Elephant Seal bull weighs over 3 tons, is beachmaster of 100 females in harem |
3:25 |
Southern Elephant Seals fight |
7:00 |
Black-browed Albatross returns from sea |
| 7:30 |
Grey-headed Albatross breeds in large colony; each pair uses same nest mound as previous seasons; faithful for 20 seasons |
9:00 |
Grey-headed Albatross mate after beak-striking courtship, take turns incubating single egg |
9:45 |
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross male calls for females |
| 10:45 |
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross courtship dance followed by display flight |
12:00 | Petrels and
Shearwaters nest in tussock grass at night |
12:35 |
White-chinned Petrel defends territory |
| 13:30 |
Macaroni Penguin colony of 80,000; more than 10,000,000 in South Georgia, fight for nesting territory; abandons smaller of 2 eggs |
16:40 |
Sheathbill feeds on abandoned egg |
19:00 |
Gentoo Penguin nests on rock, hatch 2 eggs |
| 21:10 | Slide down slope to sea |
21:50 | Humpbacks seek krill as sea ice melts |
23:00 | 30 million
Crabeater Seal lives on krill, rests on ice |
| 24:10 |
Adelie Penguins breed further south than any other penguin; march 60 miles over ice |
24:40 | Walking and sliding |
25:10 |
Snow Petrels |
| 25:40 | breed further south than any other bird, on nunataks - snow-free mountain tops that project over ice like oasis |
26:50 |
Snow Petrel bathes in snow |
1:15 | The Race to Breed Summer (November):
Antarctic Fur Seals breed in colony of over a million on beaches of South Georgia. Each dominant bull rules over 30 square meters, a dozen females |
| 3:20 |
South Polar Skua feed on afterbirth of pups |
6:20 |
Antarctic Fur Seal males fight |
8:20 | 200,000
Chinstrap Penguins return to beach on Deception Island to feed chicks in the hills; slopes of volcanic ash |
| 13:00 |
Leopard Seal preys on penguins |
14:00 | Injured penguin struggles past Skuas toward nest. |
17:17 |
Antarctic Mite contain antifreeze; supercool to -30C, feed on moss and dead vegetation |
| 19:00 |
Lichen can dissolve rock and extract nutrients |
20:20 |
Algae paints snow pink |
21:50 |
Blue-eyed Shag dives |
| 23:05 |
Antarctic Terns can mate 2 or 3 times a season |
24:05 | 300,000
Antarctic Petrels breed on Scullin Monolith |
27:00 |
South Polar Skuas attack stray Adelie Penguin chick |
| 1:10 | PART TWO The Door Closes
Macaroni Penguins try to get shore against pounding surf on South Georgia to complete breeding before freeze. |
3:00 | In Cape Royds.
Adelie Penguin most southerly nesting penguin |
5:00 | Young skitter across brash to get to sea, hunted by
Leopard Seal |
| 8:35 | Meter-long
Nemertine Worm feed on penguin carcass by turning stomach inside out. |
9:00 |
Giant Isopod 10 cm long |
10:20 | On Deception Island
Chinstrap Penguin stands motionless for 3 weeks while molting |
| 12:25 | Sea water freezes at -1.9C, producing
pancake ice |
12:50 | Crystal above ice form
ice flowers |
15:00 |
Antarctic Fur Seal mother calls for pup |
| 17:10 |
Giant Antarctic Petrel rips open carcass with hooked beak; are called "gluttons" and "stinkers" |
18:50 |
South Georgia Pintail also feeds on the meat |
20:00 |
Southern Elephant Seal females molt in wallow |
| 20:40 |
Grey-headed Albatross also nests in South Georgia, travels 600 miles to find squid for chick |
21:50 |
Wandering Albatross has 3-meter wingspan, nests inland on tussock grass, court for 3 years |
26:55 |
Emperor Penguins |
| 2:05 | The Big Freeze
Weddell Seal keeps ice holes |
5:00 | Rich life below the ice includes
giant jellyfish |
6:00 |
Stalk sponges |
| 7:00 | Female Weddell Seal birthing on ice |
8:00 | Pup swims after 1 week |
9:10 | Scrpae breathing hole with teeth, which wear down after 20 years |
| 9:40 | Male defends breathing hole as harem territory |
10:35 |
Mount Erebus is largest active volcano in Antarctica |
12:40 | Valley is driest place on earth; preserving carcasses |
| 14:15 | Lichen can penetrate dry rock |
14:40 | Antarctic plateau 3,000 meters high |
16:25 |
Emperor Penguins move south in May; 25,000 birds in one nesting site, |
| 16:25 |
lay egg directly on ice |
19:00 |
Emperor Penguin males huddle do not eat for 115 days. |
19:45 |
Aurora Australis in winter |
| 20:50 |
Emperor Penguin females return, walking 100 miles to reach colony |
25:23 |
Waif chick tries to find shelter from unpartnered adult |
0:00 | Footsteps in the Snow |
Peter Chen
