Frozen Planet II - Episode 2

PHOTO: A polar bear pouncing to catch her seal prey, hidden under several feet of snow and sea ice (BBC Studios)

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In Frozen Ocean the series dives into a world of water and ice to reveal the animals which survive on and under the Arctic sea ice. It’s a seasonal story that begins in the depths of winter. This is a time of plenty for polar bears who can afford to play in the short winter days, through to the perils of spring as the sea ice breaks up, finally to its bountiful summer where visitors are drawn to the ocean from afar to feed up and breed.

A pod of beluga whales has been confined to an ice hole for five months risking starvation as the food around them runs out. In spring the sun melts the sea ice allowing their escape. And off the east coast of Greenland, the floating pack ice becomes a nursery ground for harp seals.

Summer is a time of plenty in the Arctic Ocean and plankton blooms feed millions of tiny skeleton shrimps and ancient bowhead whales. But today’s loss of sea ice is having a profound impact on these long-lived creatures. Every year they travel to secret locations, known as ‘whale spas’, and their vulnerable calves are now more likely than ever to be attacked by killer whales.

Full summer also brings 24-hour daylight to the Arctic attracting visitors from afar, including huge flocks of seabirds like crested auklets. For the resident walrus the summer heat can be unbearable and an old male uses an ingenious technique to get himself back to the cool of the water. And a mother polar bear finds herself stranded on a remote island full of threatening males as she struggles to feed her cubs.

Key Species and Stories

Polar bear playing, Svalbard, Norway
Polar bears are usually very solitary animals, so filming two young bears, a young male and a female bear, forging a surprising friendship and playing was a first for the camera team involved. The bears spent several hours together, seemingly dancing on ice.

Beluga whale, Russia and Canada
Entrapments of beluga whales are ephemeral and happen rarely, so it was incredible luck that the team was able to film it before the sea ice broke up. The last time the Natural History Unit filmed something like this was for the original Blue Planet, more than 20 years ago.

Narwhal, Canada
Narwhal and beluga share the same migration paths but interactions between these two closely related species are very rarely observed.

The behaviour filmed by Frozen Planet II is so special a scientific publication is underway based on our BBC footage.

Harp seal, Greenland Sea
Mothers and pups have just a few weeks together for the pups to learn to swim, before they are left to fend for themselves. But in today’s warming climate storms can tip helpless youngsters into the sea before they are strong enough to fend for themselves.

Skeleton shrimp, Norway
Quirky skeleton shrimp live across the Arctic. This is a species not filmed for television previously.

Bowhead whale, Russia and Canada
Bowheads can live to over 200 years old. Their special ‘spas’ have only been discovered relatively recently. Remote underwater ‘camera traps’ were developed to film these.

Killer whale, Russia
Killer whales are age-old predators of bowheads. With the loss of sea ice they are having an increased opportunity to target them as prey. Detail of the killer whale hunt new behaviour and footage filmed for the series is being used as part of scientific publications.

Crested auklets, Sivuqaq, St Lawrence Island, USA
Crested auklet mating displays have not broadcast since the original BBC Blue Planet series 20 years ago, and never in such detail.

Walrus, Atlantic Walrus
Walrus are characterful Arctic residents. In this episode we see an adult male using an ingenious technique to get himself in the cool of the water – a roly poly – a behaviour that has never been filmed for television.

Polar bear (mother and cub), Wrangel Island, Russia
Stranded by the lack of sea ice on which they usually feed, the remote outpost of Wrangel Island attracts more polar bears in summer than any other location. Due to the presence of a Russian Military base and extremely unpredictable logistics due to weather, this is an incredibly difficult location to film on. Filming was possible through the support of rangers and staff of the State Nature Reserve on the island.

About

Frozen Planet II is on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday, 11 September at 8pm.

Source BBC One

September 8, 2022 4:00am ET by BBC One  

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