Episode.5.Arctic
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00:00You
00:23They Arctic
00:30For anything to survive here, it has to be strong and able to deal with ice and snow
00:38at any time.
00:42The largest and least known part of this inhospitable region belongs to Russia.
01:00Russia's Arctic stretches over 6,000 kilometres from the Norwegian border to Alaska.
01:11Endless expanses of icy wilderness and storm-tossed islands with mysterious names like Novaya Zemlya,
01:19Taymyr or the legendary Wrangell Island.
01:28In March, the ice sheet on the White Sea, in the west of the Russian Arctic, begins
01:34to break up.
01:38Thousands of harp seals gather here to give birth.
01:54Mother seals always keep a hole in the ice open and can thus surface right next to their
02:00offspring.
02:18Seal pups weigh only 10 kilograms at birth, less than a tenth of their mother.
02:25Their immediate preoccupation is feeding and growing, quickly, as seals only suckle their
02:31young for 12 days.
02:33Thereafter, the little ones remain on the ice on their own until their dark coats are
02:38fully developed and they can take to the sea.
02:45But for now, they're still cuddly and white and impatient for their next meal.
02:55About seven times a day, mother and baby meet at feeding time.
03:19Seal milk is very nutritious, with a fat content of 42%.
03:33The pups put on around two kilos a day.
03:37Once the mothers stop suckling, the young seals have reached a weight of about 35 kilos
03:43and are well prepared for the future.
03:57A male seal tries to attract some attention.
04:00The mating season for harp seals is approaching, but for now, the female gives him the cold
04:06shoulder.
04:09Maybe blowing bubbles will help.
04:14The admirer is persistent.
04:26But she really isn't in the mood.
04:40After the short suckling period, the pups will not see their mothers again.
04:45Well fed, they are safe for now on the ice flows of the White Sea.
04:52Polar bears are almost never seen in this region.
04:55The bears, the largest land predators on earth, are far out in the Arctic Ocean, where
05:01they find prey more easily.
05:08Only rarely do they come across other bears, as by the end of winter, the sea ice has reached
05:14its greatest extent.
05:16Soon the ice will melt and the kings of the Arctic will have to take to dry land.
05:27Mid-May, 4,000 kilometres east of the White Sea in northern Yakutia.
05:38One of the rarest birds in the world builds its nest here during the winter, a Siberian
05:43white crane.
05:44The remaining 2,000 or 3,000 of these mysterious birds breed exclusively in Russia.
05:55The birds react extremely nervously to any disturbance, and for this reason, have hardly
06:01ever been captured on film.
06:19A thousand kilometres further east lies Wrangell Island, close to the Alaskan peninsula.
06:28In mid-May, snow geese arrive on the island near the Bering Strait from their North American
06:33winter quarters.
06:38In the only breeding colony in the whole of Russia, almost 50,000 pairs of geese settle
06:44in a high valley.
06:46Their arrival is eagerly anticipated.
06:56The Arctic fox in its winter pelt is always hungry, but the geese are well able to defend
07:03themselves.
07:10In May, the sun is already strong, but the geese's breeding areas are still covered
07:16in snow.
07:17That calls for patience.
07:22Day by day, the snow-free areas, important food sources for geese and snipe, increase.
07:30The long migration has used up the energy reserves of the smaller birds, which now urgently
07:36need to feed.
07:50In the Russian Arctic, winter is never far away.
07:54Polar air masses can cause the weather to change in no time.
08:03The next morning, the temperature has fallen to minus 10 degrees centigrade.
08:11The Arctic fox is well protected from cold and wind by its winter fur.
08:17It keeps a constant lookout for victims of the harsh weather.
08:23The snow geese still have enough in reserve to go a few days without food.
08:28They save their energy and weight, just like the long-tailed squirrels.
08:37Not everybody is suffering from the sudden onset of winter.
08:42Rusk oxen are well prepared for the extreme cold.
08:45In contrast to the migratory birds, they've spent the whole winter here in temperatures
08:50below minus 40 degrees.
08:55Originally related to goats, these massive animals were extinct in the Arctic, then successfully
09:03reintroduced in the mid-1970s, and are now thriving.
09:09The cold spell has already lasted a week, unusually long.
09:14For the birds, the situation is slowly getting serious.
09:18The frozen ground offers hardly any food.
09:21Huddled together, grey plovers, ruddy turnstones and dunlins seek shelter from the icy wind.
09:29For some, it's already too late.
09:41In the end, it is the sun's energy that saves them.
09:45Cold water finds its way through the snowy plains.
10:00Finally, the frost eases its icy grip on the ground.
10:16A commotion goes through the colony as a wolf appears in the valley.
10:23It does not, however, seem interested in the birds.
10:26They, on the other hand, are all the more interested in the predator.
10:38A veritable pursuit ensues, albeit from a safe distance.
10:45Finally, the uninvited guest withdraws.
10:53In the breeding colony, however, nobody sounds the all-clear.
10:57Foxes raid the nesting grounds on a daily basis.
11:03The geese are prepared.
11:05While the female broods, the gander is always close by, ready to defend the nest.
11:11The fox knows better than to attack him.
11:17Because of the sudden cold spell, many geese have given up their nests.
11:22The fox finds more than it can eat, and can thus store some for later.
11:37Foxes create hundreds of such caches.
11:40In the cold earth of the tundra, the eggs stay fresh for months.
11:47Soon, it has looted all the abandoned nests, and life becomes harder again.
11:59The fox tests the gander's defensive capabilities.
12:03At the first sign of weakness, the predator will keep up the pressure.
12:17Got it!
12:23It only manages to carry off one egg, but will remember the nest as a good source.
12:31This time, it goes straight into the offensive.
12:37The goose doesn't stand a chance, and loses one egg after the other.
12:43Only one remains, for now.
12:48Fox!
12:51Fox!
12:55Fox!
12:59Fox!
13:03Fox!
13:07Fox!
13:13At the end of June, summer arrives in the Russian Arctic.
13:35For a short while, the tundra reveals hidden treasures, rooted poppies, white dryads and
14:27the breeding season is now in full swing. Grey plovers, snow buntings and common eider ducks
14:40enjoy the sunny days. Even now, temperatures barely rise above zero. Sleet is common and
14:53the animals are used to it. Then the sleet turns into heavy snow, burying the summer in just a few hours.
15:12The eider duck must not move or its clutch of eggs will be lost.
15:22Tenaciously, it braves the weather.
15:41The musk oxen too are suffering. They can handle the cold, but the wet snow saturates their heavy fur.
15:53This small group, led by an old bull, gets nervous as a second bull strides purposefully up from the valley.
16:02With its head down and to one side, the older bull assumes its fighting stance.
16:09The rivals show off their mighty flanks.
16:20The newcomer approaches the females.
16:27One cow smells especially interesting, but it's too soon. The mating season doesn't begin until
16:35August and September. The old bull has had enough and challenges the rival.
16:54There is only a short skirmish. Another few months will pass before the rivalry gets serious.
17:05The snow does not lie for very long. The July sun is too strong. It slowly reveals Wrangell Island's distant past.
17:27Ivory washed free from the permafrost. Wrangell Island remained home to woolly mammoths long after they were extinct elsewhere.
17:37This tusk is barely 4,000 years old, a remnant of the very last of their kind.
17:57Some contemporaries of the mammoth have survived till today.
18:05Reindeer. Russia's Arctic is the habitat of the largest reindeer population on Earth.
18:12About a million live on the Taimyr Peninsula alone.
18:18The grazing reindeer pass through the snow goose colony without incident.
18:27All the same, the geese are especially alert at the moment.
18:36Their offspring have begun to hatch. While the first chicks could have left the nest with their parents after a few hours,
18:43they have to wait until all the eggs are hatched. And that can easily take a whole day.
18:51A dangerous phase for the youngest.
18:57If the fox gets too close, the safest place is under mother's wing.
19:14This time, however, the fox is not after the geese. It has spotted something bigger in the undergrowth of dwarf willows.
19:23A lemming. A prize catch.
19:33The coast seems to be clear. But there's another predator about.
19:44A wolverine. The large marten is too big to be chased away by a gander.
19:50Fortunately, it settles for an egg and leaves the chicks alone.
19:59It's the gosling's last chance to relax before the whole family moves to the flat tundra, where huge lakes offer food and shelter.
20:10A long and dangerous journey for the geese. Some families migrate over 70 kilometres, whatever the weather.
20:29July is the warmest month of the year.
20:33And the green tundra has food in abundance, not only for the goslings.
21:04In the mountains, the Arctic foxes have only few offspring this year.
21:09Just two cubs wait for the parents to return.
21:13Moreover, they're much too small for their age, as there are almost no lemmings this summer.
21:19Their mother returns only rarely, and even then, with hardly any food.
21:24The prospects aren't good for the young foxes.
21:29Lower down, on the plains, things look brighter.
21:33Here, the cubs have developed much faster, because they have an additional source of food, goslings.
21:43Shortly afterwards, they're joined by their siblings.
21:47Sharing is not a popular concept.
21:51The young foxes are not afraid of the cold.
21:54They're not afraid of the cold.
21:56They're not afraid of the cold.
21:58They're not afraid of the cold.
22:00They're not afraid of the cold.
22:02They're not afraid of the cold.
22:04They're not afraid of the cold.
22:06They're not afraid of the cold.
22:08They're not afraid of the cold.
22:10They're not afraid of the cold.
22:12They're not afraid of the cold.
22:14They're not afraid of the cold.
22:16They're not afraid of the cold.
22:18They're not afraid of the cold.
22:34As so often in life, if two cannot agree, a third profits.
22:49Snowy Owls
22:58Snowy owls cannot switch to a diet of geese.
23:02They're dependent on lemmings.
23:04The chicks beg, but their mother has not brought any food.
23:09In years with few lemmings, many snowy owls do not breed at all.
23:14This mother has only two chicks instead of the usual ten,
23:18and one of them is very weak.
23:27The difference in size of the siblings is enormous.
23:37The mother goes off hunting.
23:45For hours, she watches for signs of movement on the hill opposite.
23:51The lemming has long been in her sights.
24:02She tries her luck.
24:07It's high time her offspring had something to eat.
24:15Mother owl
24:19This time, the mother owl succeeds in catching one of the elusive rodents.
24:25The prey is immediately claimed by the stronger chick.
24:29By now, the smaller sibling is barely showing signs of life.
24:34The mother, however, tries to feed it the lemming.
24:39But to no avail.
24:41The little one is too weak, and the bigger one too hungry.
24:47There's nothing the mother can do.
25:09Mother owl
25:24The bigger chick is safe for the moment,
25:27but the mother owl will have enough trouble providing enough food for one.
25:39Arctic coasts are surprisingly rich feeding grounds.
25:44A grey whale.
25:47Close to the coast, it filters the sea floor for crabs and mussels.
25:56Belugas.
25:58The name is Russian in origin and means the white ones.
26:02In the summer, they migrate over thousands of kilometres
26:06along the shallow Russian Arctic coast,
26:09searching for crabs and shoals of fish.
26:18The little group includes a young whale, just a few hours old.
26:23It keeps close to its mother.
26:25It's much easier to swim in her wake.
26:37Seabirds also know what rich pickings are to be found here
26:42and form large breeding colonies all along the coast.
26:46One species is especially well-suited to the harsh climate.
26:51Brunich's guillemots.
26:55Here, close to the rocks, the chicks are sheltered from the wind
27:00Here, close to the rocks, the chicks are sheltered from the wind
27:05and unpleasant surprises.
27:16Fortunately, the shower is just a short hop away.
27:26Nordic seabirds have to be resilient,
27:29even in summer, the wind drives fields of pack ice towards the coast.
27:35What was a waterfall a moment ago is frozen solid the next.
27:40The nests of the red-legged kittiwakes are transformed into crystal palaces.
28:00The guillemot chicks have left their rock.
28:03With a daring leap, they normally go straight into the water.
28:08This year, pack ice blocks the way.
28:11They must, however, get to the open sea so that their parents can feed them.
28:20Moving nimbly from flow to flow,
28:23Moving nimbly from flow to flow,
28:26the arctic fox senses an opportunity.
28:47For now, the chick is safe because the fox doesn't like water.
28:53It's still a long way to the open sea, however.
29:01The fox lands in a dead end,
29:04and when it ends up taking an involuntary bath, it's had enough.
29:24By mid-August, Rannell Island is surrounded by drifting ice fields,
29:30with weighty cargo on board.
29:34Polar bears.
29:37By mid-August, Rannell Island is surrounded by drifting ice fields,
29:42with weighty cargo on board.
29:46Polar bears.
30:06A large bears sense that the ice is fragile and use the proximity to the island to leave
30:21the flow.
30:27Due to global warming, the periods without sea ice along the Russian northern coast are
30:34becoming longer and longer.
30:39A few hundred bears are stranded on Wrangel Island where they will have to wait until
30:45November when the sea freezes over again.
30:49Until then, there won't be much to eat.
31:07Predators have sharp senses, above all when they're hungry.
31:15This young bear has seen a movement in the shallow lagoon.
31:23It takes a closer look.
31:51And it tries to catch a fish, unheard of behaviour for a polar bear.
32:09Polar bears are really seal hunters.
32:12This youngster doesn't seem very well equipped to deal with fish.
32:27Yet if it tastes good, the bear will quickly learn how to catch it.
32:48It's now September.
32:50For the musk oxen, the time for rivalry is to be settled.
33:00Often, two bulls of similar strength will stay together for some time and regularly
33:08perform violent sparring matches.
33:32Serious fighting, however, is something else.
33:53Deep lowing challenges the rival.
34:14Weighing around 400 kilos each, the bulls crash into each other at speeds of up to 50
34:21kilometres per hour.
34:35But in spite of the enormous forces involved, injuries are rare.
34:48The bulls' thick horny plates sit on a flexible layer of keratin and solid bone underneath,
34:55which cushion the impact.
35:03The strain is nonetheless enormous, so the weaker of the two rivals usually gives up
35:10fairly quickly.
35:24Autumn in the tundra.
35:26The snow geese gather.
35:29A 5,000 kilometre flight lies before them.
35:33Some even fly as far as California and Mexico.
36:03The coming winter is already in the air.
36:25The hungry bears patrol the gravel banks, keeping out of each other's way.
36:31Bears with young are especially cautious about their surroundings.
36:44The cub is just nine months old.
36:48Even other bears just wanting to be playful are too dangerous for it.
36:54Thus it stays close to its mother, who keeps potential playmates at a distance.
37:05Even older cubs are cautious.
37:10This adult male, weighing a good 700 kilos, is certainly not suitable.
37:17Occasionally, males even kill cubs.
37:26Apart from waiting for winter to come, there's not a lot the bears can do.
37:34An old walrus skin is a welcome distraction for this young male.
37:39It makes a good toy and at least tastes of something.
37:54The bear would much prefer to have the skin complete with contents.
38:06In late September, tens of thousands of walruses leave the Arctic seas.
38:12They move southwards through the Bering Strait, away from the storms and ice.
38:17On their journey, they cover large distances, but also need regular periods of rest on dry
38:24land.
38:36As long as there are polar bears lurking on the banks, the walruses will stay in the water.
38:42It's the only safe place for them.
38:49It is hard for a polar bear to overpower a walrus, even on dry land.
38:54If they stay in the water, the bears will have to make do with hungry glances.
39:03Some way away from the group, a lone walrus has ventured into the shallows.
39:09It's weak and rests its head on its long tusks.
39:16It does not remain undiscovered for long.
39:23In the twilight, a large male bear picks up the scent.
39:32The next morning, not much of the walrus remains.
39:43A young bear discovers the carcass.
39:52Cautiously, it moves closer.
39:55The real owner could be somewhere nearby.
40:00He is in fact only 200 metres away, a giant of a bear, and so full of food it can hardly move.
40:13The youngster seizes the opportunity.
40:22Using its own weight, it tenderizes the meat.
40:29The old bear hasn't the energy to argue.
40:38Even so, the younger one remains cautious.
40:46It has to take its chance, however.
40:48There won't be any other food any time soon.
40:57Wearily, the walruses watch the beach.
41:15Only when the last bear has vanished do they leave the water.
41:26Walruses are very sociable animals.
41:28Lone animals are seen only rarely.
41:31Even when there is plenty of space, they lie down close together with body contact.
41:38The huge animals can weigh up to one and a half tonnes, and their tusks grow to lengths
41:44of over half a metre.
41:46Dangerous weapons feared even by polar bears.
41:50Scuffles are commonplace.
41:55Finally, the colony of giants settles down.
42:04But not for long.
42:06Winter is on the way, and the walruses will soon set out for the Bering Strait.
42:18By October, the temperatures no longer make it over freezing point.
42:23The winter has finally returned.
42:26The polar bear's time on dry land is almost over.
42:46When the first fields of pack ice reach the coast, the bears set out for their frozen
42:52world where no one can follow.
43:04The Arctic is still a place where nature makes the rules, and not humans.
43:21Soon the sun will disappear for months behind the horizon, and Russia's Arctic will sink
43:28into darkness, illuminated only by the eerie glimmer of northern lights.
43:58The Arctic is still a place where nature makes the rules, and not humans.