1 00:00:08,764 --> 00:00:12,067 [♪] 2 00:00:18,307 --> 00:00:21,777 [Wind whistles] 3 00:00:21,777 --> 00:00:24,280 [David Suzuki]: The end of the last Ice Age 4 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,217 signalled the birth of modern Canada. 5 00:00:33,556 --> 00:00:35,491 But thousands of years later, 6 00:00:35,491 --> 00:00:41,130 much of the north is still buried under ice. 7 00:00:49,505 --> 00:00:54,410 People have shaped and exploited other areas of Canada, 8 00:00:54,410 --> 00:00:56,278 but the ice and cold 9 00:00:56,278 --> 00:01:00,282 have made the far north seem impenetrable. 10 00:01:18,734 --> 00:01:22,805 Few people or animals feel at home here. 11 00:01:27,443 --> 00:01:30,346 Less than 1% of North American mammals 12 00:01:30,346 --> 00:01:34,817 can survive year-round above the tree line. 13 00:01:43,492 --> 00:01:46,895 Ice defines the Arctic, 14 00:01:46,895 --> 00:01:49,398 and what happens to ice here 15 00:01:49,398 --> 00:01:53,202 will influence the entire planet. 16 00:02:08,183 --> 00:02:14,222 Ice suits one creature more than any other in the Arctic... 17 00:02:14,223 --> 00:02:17,226 The Polar bear. 18 00:02:21,697 --> 00:02:26,402 Last fall, this mother built her den in the frozen ground 19 00:02:26,402 --> 00:02:29,739 and gave birth to a pair of cubs over winter. 20 00:02:37,613 --> 00:02:41,283 She hasn't eaten for eight months. 21 00:02:42,918 --> 00:02:45,754 But she's lost almost half her body weight, 22 00:02:45,754 --> 00:02:48,490 and relies on a double-layered coat of fur 23 00:02:48,490 --> 00:02:51,493 to keep warm. 24 00:02:51,493 --> 00:02:55,330 She needs to find food soon. 25 00:02:59,735 --> 00:03:00,803 But she will have to wait 26 00:03:00,803 --> 00:03:03,372 until her cubs are confident enough 27 00:03:03,372 --> 00:03:06,475 to travel long distances. 28 00:03:09,244 --> 00:03:11,446 They have no immediate worries, 29 00:03:11,447 --> 00:03:17,319 as their mother will nurse them for around two years. 30 00:03:17,319 --> 00:03:21,456 So for now, they can explore and play. 31 00:03:25,294 --> 00:03:27,796 The ice that will become their greatest ally 32 00:03:27,796 --> 00:03:31,867 is at first strange and new. 33 00:03:59,962 --> 00:04:01,363 In early spring, 34 00:04:01,363 --> 00:04:03,932 this family will travel hundreds of kilometres 35 00:04:03,932 --> 00:04:05,534 to reach hunting grounds 36 00:04:05,534 --> 00:04:08,904 before the break up of the sea ice. 37 00:04:15,778 --> 00:04:20,549 Polar bears hunt seals in many different ways, 38 00:04:20,549 --> 00:04:24,386 but they all rely on sea ice. 39 00:04:33,695 --> 00:04:36,531 To anyone who hasn't spent their life here, 40 00:04:36,532 --> 00:04:40,636 Arctic ice appears to be a single entity. 41 00:04:43,739 --> 00:04:46,041 In fact, it takes many different forms 42 00:04:46,041 --> 00:04:51,547 both on land and sea, 43 00:04:51,547 --> 00:04:58,554 varying massively in age, consistency, and behaviour. 44 00:04:58,554 --> 00:05:00,522 Some communities in the north 45 00:05:00,522 --> 00:05:04,726 have 70 different words to describe sea ice, 46 00:05:04,726 --> 00:05:09,497 even more than they have for snow. 47 00:05:09,498 --> 00:05:11,967 Ice can be many different things, 48 00:05:11,967 --> 00:05:14,336 from gigantic glaciers 49 00:05:14,336 --> 00:05:18,473 to the smallest crystals, 50 00:05:18,473 --> 00:05:23,011 and some ice behaves in astonishing ways. 51 00:05:34,556 --> 00:05:36,058 With the right conditions, 52 00:05:36,058 --> 00:05:38,827 one of the Arctic's secret ice wonders 53 00:05:38,827 --> 00:05:43,632 starts to grow. 54 00:05:43,632 --> 00:05:46,668 They are called frost flowers, 55 00:05:46,668 --> 00:05:49,504 a phenomenon where beautiful patterns of ice 56 00:05:49,504 --> 00:05:51,539 form on the frozen sea 57 00:05:51,540 --> 00:05:55,511 when temperatures suddenly plummet. 58 00:05:59,014 --> 00:06:02,818 No one knows for sure why they form, 59 00:06:02,818 --> 00:06:04,019 but scientists know 60 00:06:04,019 --> 00:06:07,789 that they contain a high concentration of bacteria, 61 00:06:07,789 --> 00:06:11,426 the building blocks of life. 62 00:06:15,030 --> 00:06:17,432 Only hours after they appear, 63 00:06:17,432 --> 00:06:20,602 their intricate structures start to fade, 64 00:06:20,602 --> 00:06:23,905 leaving no trace behind. 65 00:06:31,914 --> 00:06:37,419 Sea ice is almost always in flux, 66 00:06:37,419 --> 00:06:41,456 and it can move in all sorts of ways. 67 00:06:43,191 --> 00:06:45,994 Seen from the level of the frozen sea, 68 00:06:45,994 --> 00:06:50,966 it looks as if the cliffs are climbing to the sky. 69 00:06:54,569 --> 00:06:56,538 But this illusion is created 70 00:06:56,538 --> 00:06:59,708 by some of the largest tides in the world, 71 00:06:59,708 --> 00:07:05,714 which are still flowing underneath the ice. 72 00:07:05,714 --> 00:07:07,816 When the tide comes back in, 73 00:07:07,816 --> 00:07:12,788 the temporary ice cliffs vanish once again. 74 00:07:24,633 --> 00:07:29,738 This landscape appears to breathe. 75 00:07:46,588 --> 00:07:50,192 These forceful tides present hidden opportunities, 76 00:07:50,192 --> 00:07:53,696 but are also extremely dangerous. 77 00:07:58,033 --> 00:08:00,168 With all other traditional food sources 78 00:08:00,168 --> 00:08:02,804 hard to find in february, 79 00:08:02,804 --> 00:08:06,775 these hunters will take the risk. 80 00:08:17,819 --> 00:08:20,088 They know that at the lowest tides, 81 00:08:20,088 --> 00:08:23,858 the sea under the thick ice retreats so far back 82 00:08:23,859 --> 00:08:26,028 that if you know what to look for, 83 00:08:26,028 --> 00:08:31,166 you can find stable hollow spaces under the ice. 84 00:08:35,003 --> 00:08:36,238 This gives them access 85 00:08:36,238 --> 00:08:39,307 to the rich bounty of the seabed. 86 00:08:39,307 --> 00:08:42,043 It's knowledge that has been passed down 87 00:08:42,044 --> 00:08:45,781 from generation to generation. 88 00:08:53,221 --> 00:08:55,056 They are willing to risk the danger 89 00:08:55,057 --> 00:08:56,925 from tonnes of ice 90 00:08:56,925 --> 00:09:00,295 just centimetres above their heads, 91 00:09:00,295 --> 00:09:05,867 all for an unlikely source of nutritious food... 92 00:09:05,867 --> 00:09:08,136 Thousands of rich mussels, 93 00:09:08,136 --> 00:09:12,707 enough to feed all their families. 94 00:09:21,650 --> 00:09:23,919 They have less than an hour to collect them 95 00:09:23,919 --> 00:09:27,289 before the tide returns. 96 00:09:55,383 --> 00:09:57,685 When the sea starts to come back, 97 00:09:57,686 --> 00:10:00,122 there's no time to lose. 98 00:10:09,731 --> 00:10:13,435 They must leave now before the cave fills with seawater, 99 00:10:13,435 --> 00:10:16,872 trapping them beneath the ice. 100 00:10:24,045 --> 00:10:27,815 In moments, the ice seals over, 101 00:10:27,816 --> 00:10:32,754 and there's no trace of anyone having been there. 102 00:10:32,754 --> 00:10:37,692 [Wind blows] 103 00:10:37,692 --> 00:10:38,960 Like the Inuit, 104 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,896 the animals that live year round in the Arctic 105 00:10:41,897 --> 00:10:44,699 also know how to exploit local conditions 106 00:10:44,699 --> 00:10:50,405 to find hidden food. 107 00:10:50,405 --> 00:10:53,341 Even though the sea freezes over winter, 108 00:10:53,341 --> 00:10:54,909 there are places 109 00:10:54,910 --> 00:10:59,280 where the current and wind keeps the water open. 110 00:11:03,385 --> 00:11:06,888 Called Polynyas, they act like oases, 111 00:11:06,888 --> 00:11:11,459 and are magnets for animals. 112 00:11:11,459 --> 00:11:13,728 In the middle of Hudson Bay, 113 00:11:13,728 --> 00:11:15,230 common Eider ducks are drawn 114 00:11:15,230 --> 00:11:17,899 to one of these patches of open water 115 00:11:17,899 --> 00:11:20,034 to find food. 116 00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:33,882 They appear to fly 117 00:11:33,882 --> 00:11:36,818 as they dive to depths of 15 metres 118 00:11:36,818 --> 00:11:42,123 to forage on the ocean floor. 119 00:11:42,123 --> 00:11:47,261 They are looking for mussels and urchins. 120 00:11:52,467 --> 00:11:55,270 Their digestive juices are so powerful 121 00:11:55,270 --> 00:12:00,142 that they can eat the mussels, shells and all. 122 00:12:09,284 --> 00:12:12,520 They can dive a long way on a single breath, 123 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,025 knowing the way back up only takes seconds. 124 00:12:19,427 --> 00:12:20,495 In the deep winter, 125 00:12:20,495 --> 00:12:24,332 with a wind chill that makes it feel like -70, 126 00:12:24,332 --> 00:12:31,239 the opening in the sea ice is starting to close. 127 00:12:31,239 --> 00:12:32,974 Without open water, 128 00:12:32,974 --> 00:12:38,413 the birds have slim chances of survival. 129 00:12:38,413 --> 00:12:41,149 The stronger birds sense what's happening 130 00:12:41,149 --> 00:12:44,185 and fly off to find new water, 131 00:12:44,185 --> 00:12:48,356 even though they have no idea how far that might be, 132 00:12:48,356 --> 00:12:49,958 or if they'll make it. 133 00:12:54,529 --> 00:12:58,933 But to stay is also risky. 134 00:12:58,933 --> 00:13:04,038 The temperature needs to warm up to keep the water open. 135 00:13:10,312 --> 00:13:12,480 At some indefinable point, 136 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:17,986 the ducks' options are gone. 137 00:13:17,986 --> 00:13:20,488 Their energy is fading, 138 00:13:20,488 --> 00:13:25,560 and they can't dive to get more food. 139 00:13:34,436 --> 00:13:36,371 Sadly for the ducks, 140 00:13:36,371 --> 00:13:42,277 the march of the ice here is unstoppable. 141 00:14:08,303 --> 00:14:09,337 By april, 142 00:14:09,337 --> 00:14:12,974 the sun is back for a good 12 hours each day, 143 00:14:12,974 --> 00:14:16,478 and the land gradually warms. 144 00:14:37,132 --> 00:14:40,668 The rise in temperatures triggers the spring melt, 145 00:14:40,668 --> 00:14:45,907 a period of frenetic change and activity in the Arctic... 146 00:14:49,244 --> 00:14:51,980 Which is focused at the floe edge, 147 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:55,650 the boundary between the open water and sea ice. 148 00:14:57,352 --> 00:14:59,187 It's the ice that is the key 149 00:14:59,187 --> 00:15:02,924 to the blooming of life here at this time of year. 150 00:15:04,259 --> 00:15:06,661 Long strands of algae grow, 151 00:15:06,661 --> 00:15:10,965 which feed vast blooms of microscopic plankton, 152 00:15:10,965 --> 00:15:16,103 the food for the explosion of life here each spring. 153 00:15:18,573 --> 00:15:19,974 Under the ice, 154 00:15:19,974 --> 00:15:21,676 there is twice the productivity 155 00:15:21,676 --> 00:15:25,980 that would occur in the open ocean. 156 00:15:42,363 --> 00:15:46,434 Fish, like the Arctic cod... 157 00:15:46,434 --> 00:15:48,169 Seabirds... 158 00:15:48,169 --> 00:15:50,338 And large mammals, like the seal, 159 00:15:50,338 --> 00:15:53,208 are all drawn in. 160 00:15:53,208 --> 00:15:55,410 In a matter of weeks, 161 00:15:55,410 --> 00:15:58,446 this seemingly desolate frozen sea 162 00:15:58,446 --> 00:16:04,419 has become a hotspot for life... 163 00:16:04,419 --> 00:16:07,689 And that means it's the perfect time 164 00:16:07,689 --> 00:16:11,726 for the Arctic's top predator to show up. 165 00:16:16,214 --> 00:16:18,383 It's springtime at the floe edge, 166 00:16:18,383 --> 00:16:21,820 and Polar bears are here to hunt ringed seals. 167 00:16:26,457 --> 00:16:30,628 Seals are most vulnerable when basking on the sea ice, 168 00:16:30,628 --> 00:16:32,730 so they choose open areas 169 00:16:32,730 --> 00:16:37,702 where they can see and smell approaching predators. 170 00:16:58,923 --> 00:17:00,892 The Polar bear goes hungry... 171 00:17:00,892 --> 00:17:03,561 Again. 172 00:17:03,561 --> 00:17:09,500 Nine out of every ten hunts end in failure. 173 00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:12,837 The Polar bear rarely stops looking for food, 174 00:17:12,837 --> 00:17:16,407 and there's plenty around here. 175 00:17:19,077 --> 00:17:21,713 Polar bears are not the only big predators 176 00:17:21,713 --> 00:17:24,916 who have come to the floe edge to find seals. 177 00:17:24,916 --> 00:17:27,585 [Wind whistles and blows] 178 00:17:30,588 --> 00:17:32,323 With harpoon ready, 179 00:17:32,323 --> 00:17:38,563 the Inuit hunter patiently waits perfectly still by a seal hole. 180 00:17:52,710 --> 00:17:55,046 The approach is so similar to the bear's 181 00:17:55,046 --> 00:17:56,948 that it's hard not to suppose 182 00:17:56,948 --> 00:17:59,951 that the Polar bear inspired the Inuit 183 00:17:59,951 --> 00:18:02,620 thousands of years ago. 184 00:18:25,443 --> 00:18:28,046 [Dogs bay and bark] 185 00:18:33,785 --> 00:18:37,121 Today, this seal isn't for the humans. 186 00:18:37,121 --> 00:18:39,890 It's destined for the hunter's pack of dogs 187 00:18:39,891 --> 00:18:43,128 that brought him out to the floe edge. 188 00:18:53,104 --> 00:18:55,540 The meat is so rich and nutritious 189 00:18:55,540 --> 00:18:59,811 that it will keep the dogs fed for days. 190 00:19:24,569 --> 00:19:28,973 Finally, the Polar bear has succeeded in getting a seal. 191 00:19:28,973 --> 00:19:34,178 But he's gone about it in a most unusual way. 192 00:19:34,178 --> 00:19:37,882 He's found the leftovers of the dogs' dinner... 193 00:19:37,882 --> 00:19:39,751 [Dogs whine, bark] 194 00:19:39,751 --> 00:19:42,420 Much to their distress. 195 00:19:44,655 --> 00:19:47,158 [Dogs howl and bark] 196 00:19:52,597 --> 00:19:55,700 He has to build up enough fat reserves 197 00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:58,036 to last throughout the summer, 198 00:19:58,036 --> 00:20:00,104 as hunting will become much harder 199 00:20:00,104 --> 00:20:02,640 when the sea ice melts. 200 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:04,008 [Dogs barking] 201 00:20:22,894 --> 00:20:25,163 A mother and two yearling cubs 202 00:20:25,163 --> 00:20:28,867 arrive at the foot of cliffs near the floe edge. 203 00:20:31,836 --> 00:20:35,973 She's skinny and desperately needs food. 204 00:20:42,046 --> 00:20:43,281 The thousands of murres 205 00:20:43,281 --> 00:20:46,250 who are starting to nest on narrow cliff ledges 206 00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:49,587 have caught her attention. 207 00:20:57,061 --> 00:21:00,565 The hungry mother heads up the cliff to investigate, 208 00:21:00,565 --> 00:21:03,802 taking one cub with her. 209 00:21:12,844 --> 00:21:14,112 Later in the year, 210 00:21:14,112 --> 00:21:17,715 the bears will feast on murre eggs and chicks, 211 00:21:17,715 --> 00:21:18,983 but right now, 212 00:21:18,983 --> 00:21:23,554 the adult birds are just too hard to reach. 213 00:21:28,025 --> 00:21:30,294 The second cub, still on the ice, 214 00:21:30,294 --> 00:21:33,564 gets lucky when it finds an injured murre. 215 00:21:33,564 --> 00:21:37,868 This makes for a small but much-needed meal. 216 00:21:40,671 --> 00:21:43,841 Up at the top of the cliff, 217 00:21:43,841 --> 00:21:49,013 the mother and cub aren't getting anywhere. 218 00:21:49,013 --> 00:21:52,316 The cub resorts to eating moss. 219 00:22:00,825 --> 00:22:04,962 The lone cub catches up with the rest of the family... 220 00:22:15,740 --> 00:22:19,076 And they are happily reunited. 221 00:22:19,076 --> 00:22:22,680 [♪] 222 00:22:39,330 --> 00:22:44,735 And on snow, what goes up must slide down. 223 00:23:06,791 --> 00:23:12,863 At the bottom, their interest in the murres finally pays off. 224 00:23:12,863 --> 00:23:17,034 The mother is able to feed as well. 225 00:23:20,938 --> 00:23:22,206 She needs to eat 226 00:23:22,206 --> 00:23:26,911 as she is still providing milk for the cubs. 227 00:23:50,901 --> 00:23:53,270 This tight family unit will stay together 228 00:23:53,271 --> 00:23:56,040 until next year, 229 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,278 and then the cubs will head off and fend for themselves. 230 00:24:09,954 --> 00:24:11,889 As spring continues, 231 00:24:11,889 --> 00:24:17,194 the sea ice starts to break up. 232 00:24:17,194 --> 00:24:18,762 Even for the Inuit, 233 00:24:18,763 --> 00:24:20,998 who know this ice better than anyone, 234 00:24:20,998 --> 00:24:23,767 the ice is much more unpredictable now 235 00:24:23,768 --> 00:24:26,104 than in years past. 236 00:24:33,210 --> 00:24:37,981 The dogs can sense the thickness and stability of the ice 237 00:24:37,982 --> 00:24:39,517 through their paws, 238 00:24:39,517 --> 00:24:44,355 and so offer more protection than riding on a snowmobile. 239 00:25:17,388 --> 00:25:21,125 Gradually, the speed of the break-up accelerates. 240 00:25:21,125 --> 00:25:23,194 Life for those who depend on the ice 241 00:25:23,194 --> 00:25:26,130 becomes more precarious. 242 00:25:26,130 --> 00:25:28,366 [Splashing] 243 00:25:46,417 --> 00:25:50,454 With rising temperatures, the fragmentation continues 244 00:25:50,454 --> 00:25:53,958 and creates long passages between ice sheets 245 00:25:53,958 --> 00:25:56,060 called leads. 246 00:26:03,534 --> 00:26:05,236 The magical narwhal, 247 00:26:05,236 --> 00:26:08,038 with its spiralled elongated tooth, 248 00:26:08,038 --> 00:26:11,942 have been waiting for this moment. 249 00:26:17,448 --> 00:26:19,250 With no dorsal fin, 250 00:26:19,250 --> 00:26:24,889 they are perfectly adapted to the Arctic. 251 00:26:24,889 --> 00:26:28,159 They can dive under and between the ice 252 00:26:28,159 --> 00:26:33,397 the moment it begins to break up. 253 00:26:33,397 --> 00:26:35,866 They are heading up long inlets 254 00:26:35,866 --> 00:26:40,304 to find a safe place to raise their calves. 255 00:26:45,376 --> 00:26:47,111 This break-up signals 256 00:26:47,111 --> 00:26:51,582 the start of the short but intense Arctic summer. 257 00:27:13,454 --> 00:27:14,989 Each summer, 258 00:27:14,989 --> 00:27:18,893 the Arctic landscape is transformed. 259 00:27:18,893 --> 00:27:23,097 More than half of all the Arctic sea ice melts. 260 00:27:28,936 --> 00:27:32,206 And now it's disappearing at a faster rate 261 00:27:32,206 --> 00:27:36,343 than anyone could imagine. 262 00:27:36,343 --> 00:27:37,911 We still don't know 263 00:27:37,912 --> 00:27:42,016 how these changes will affect the life here. 264 00:27:44,185 --> 00:27:47,054 Although walrus use ice to rest on, 265 00:27:47,054 --> 00:27:51,392 they also love to bask on rocks in the summer sun. 266 00:27:55,196 --> 00:27:57,998 Walrus are bottom feeders. 267 00:27:57,998 --> 00:27:59,900 They shoot water from their mouths 268 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:02,136 to excavate clams. 269 00:28:02,136 --> 00:28:03,804 Sensitive bristles 270 00:28:03,804 --> 00:28:06,440 help find them in the muddy seabed, 271 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,145 then they suck them out with their huge rubbery lips. 272 00:28:24,258 --> 00:28:28,462 The summer's heat also triggers a massive change inland, 273 00:28:28,462 --> 00:28:31,198 on the tundra. 274 00:28:38,105 --> 00:28:39,840 As the snow melts, 275 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,277 female caribou migrate hundreds of kilometres 276 00:28:43,277 --> 00:28:46,514 to their calving grounds in the far north. 277 00:28:51,051 --> 00:28:53,186 More than half of all the females 278 00:28:53,187 --> 00:28:56,524 will give birth within a few days of each other. 279 00:29:00,494 --> 00:29:04,198 It's called "predator swamping." 280 00:29:22,182 --> 00:29:25,485 This year, the summer melt has come early, 281 00:29:25,486 --> 00:29:31,191 so the river current is strong. 282 00:29:31,191 --> 00:29:33,226 The soft snow makes it hard 283 00:29:33,227 --> 00:29:37,198 for the pregnant caribou to get out. 284 00:29:50,077 --> 00:29:53,314 But caribou are some of the most resilient animals 285 00:29:53,314 --> 00:29:56,050 on earth. 286 00:30:10,297 --> 00:30:13,000 On one of the longest days of the year, 287 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,003 the mothers start to give birth. 288 00:30:16,003 --> 00:30:17,872 [Caribou snorts] 289 00:30:19,606 --> 00:30:24,177 Within minutes, the newborn calf is up on its feet. 290 00:30:32,252 --> 00:30:36,556 Within hours, he can walk well. 291 00:30:44,331 --> 00:30:47,267 And within days, he can keep up with his mother 292 00:30:47,267 --> 00:30:50,937 over long distances. 293 00:31:21,101 --> 00:31:24,004 Fresh green vegetation grows vigorously 294 00:31:24,004 --> 00:31:27,541 with the 24-hour sunlight, 295 00:31:27,541 --> 00:31:29,510 and gives the mother the energy 296 00:31:29,510 --> 00:31:33,047 to produce rich milk. 297 00:31:37,317 --> 00:31:39,286 Today, across the Arctic, 298 00:31:39,286 --> 00:31:43,056 caribou numbers are falling dramatically. 299 00:31:43,056 --> 00:31:46,526 Their finely tuned body clocks are out of sync 300 00:31:46,527 --> 00:31:51,298 with the variability of the seasons now. 301 00:31:54,201 --> 00:31:57,037 At the height of this most productive time, 302 00:31:57,037 --> 00:32:02,976 they share the tundra with many other species. 303 00:32:02,976 --> 00:32:04,511 But with no trees, 304 00:32:04,511 --> 00:32:06,546 nesting birds are vulnerable 305 00:32:06,547 --> 00:32:10,951 to predators like the Arctic fox. 306 00:32:36,410 --> 00:32:40,047 Canada geese make themselves big and threatening. 307 00:32:51,258 --> 00:32:55,429 But the fox is not actually after the birds. 308 00:33:09,643 --> 00:33:11,311 The fox buries the egg, 309 00:33:11,311 --> 00:33:16,583 knowing that harder times lie ahead. 310 00:33:16,583 --> 00:33:21,021 It can return to the exact spot at any time for a ready meal 311 00:33:21,021 --> 00:33:26,193 when there's less easy prey about. 312 00:33:26,193 --> 00:33:27,594 In the Arctic, 313 00:33:27,594 --> 00:33:30,063 it's all about reaping the rewards 314 00:33:30,063 --> 00:33:33,767 when they are on offer. 315 00:33:33,767 --> 00:33:36,103 It's harder for some Arctic animals 316 00:33:36,103 --> 00:33:38,272 to adapt to their changing world 317 00:33:38,272 --> 00:33:41,408 than others. 318 00:33:41,408 --> 00:33:43,577 As the ice season gets shorter, 319 00:33:43,577 --> 00:33:48,715 Polar bears have less time to hunt. 320 00:33:48,715 --> 00:33:51,117 During the longer, warmer summers, 321 00:33:51,118 --> 00:33:56,657 their metabolism slows right down to conserve energy. 322 00:34:01,728 --> 00:34:04,531 Some bears that didn't catch enough seals 323 00:34:04,531 --> 00:34:08,602 eat seaweed to fill their stomachs. 324 00:34:12,339 --> 00:34:19,346 Others pluck individual berries off thorny bushes... 325 00:34:19,346 --> 00:34:21,214 But these are slim pickings 326 00:34:21,214 --> 00:34:23,483 and provide nowhere near enough calories 327 00:34:23,483 --> 00:34:25,752 for the bears. 328 00:34:30,457 --> 00:34:33,627 What they need is fat and protein, 329 00:34:33,627 --> 00:34:36,130 and that means they must hunt. 330 00:34:40,133 --> 00:34:42,736 A few ingenious bears in Northern Québec 331 00:34:42,736 --> 00:34:46,139 have learned that Arctic char can be found here 332 00:34:46,139 --> 00:34:49,142 at this time of the year. 333 00:34:51,211 --> 00:34:54,414 The fish can't survive in the icy winter ocean, 334 00:34:54,414 --> 00:34:57,884 so they all return inland before it gets too cold. 335 00:35:27,214 --> 00:35:29,616 And this gives the waiting Polar bears 336 00:35:29,616 --> 00:35:32,586 a chance to catch them. 337 00:35:37,224 --> 00:35:41,261 Polar bears hunt best in and around ice. 338 00:35:41,261 --> 00:35:44,297 They need a new strategy here. 339 00:35:44,297 --> 00:35:46,466 And unlike grizzly bears, 340 00:35:46,466 --> 00:35:51,204 this kind of chase doesn't seem to come easy to them. 341 00:36:36,283 --> 00:36:41,622 At last, this bear gets a meal with some protein. 342 00:36:46,626 --> 00:36:49,762 But for the Polar bears that stayed at the coast, 343 00:36:49,763 --> 00:36:53,667 the ice can't return fast enough. 344 00:37:07,932 --> 00:37:09,499 At the height of summer 345 00:37:09,499 --> 00:37:11,034 in the Canadian Arctic, 346 00:37:11,034 --> 00:37:14,738 thousands of beluga whales head to somerset island 347 00:37:14,738 --> 00:37:17,841 for a seasonal get-together. 348 00:37:23,413 --> 00:37:24,514 Like the narwhal, 349 00:37:24,514 --> 00:37:27,984 they're adapted for a life in the Arctic. 350 00:37:27,984 --> 00:37:31,354 They don't have a dorsal fin, 351 00:37:31,354 --> 00:37:33,857 and they have a huge amount of blubber, 352 00:37:33,857 --> 00:37:37,427 up to 50% of their body weight. 353 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:45,703 But they haven't come here to feed. 354 00:37:45,802 --> 00:37:49,806 They are here for the equivalent of a health spa. 355 00:37:49,806 --> 00:37:53,977 This shallow estuary contains a mix of fresh and sea water 356 00:37:53,977 --> 00:37:56,079 which is warmer than the open ocean. 357 00:37:56,079 --> 00:38:00,550 The water and gravel allow them to have a body scrub, 358 00:38:00,550 --> 00:38:04,721 which helps get rid of their old skin. 359 00:38:33,350 --> 00:38:36,119 They appear to love it. 360 00:39:21,064 --> 00:39:25,869 But beluga can't relax too much. 361 00:39:27,904 --> 00:39:29,439 They face new threats 362 00:39:29,439 --> 00:39:33,610 caused by the changing summer conditions. 363 00:39:33,610 --> 00:39:36,813 [Blowing] 364 00:39:36,813 --> 00:39:39,649 Killer whales have traditionally found it hard 365 00:39:39,649 --> 00:39:41,518 to hunt in the Arctic 366 00:39:41,518 --> 00:39:44,087 because of their massive dorsal fin, 367 00:39:44,087 --> 00:39:47,857 which can be taller than an adult human. 368 00:39:47,857 --> 00:39:50,860 They aren't able to travel far under the sea ice 369 00:39:50,860 --> 00:39:53,496 because of their dorsal fin, 370 00:39:53,496 --> 00:39:55,098 which interferes with their ability 371 00:39:55,098 --> 00:39:57,734 to surface and breathe. 372 00:39:57,734 --> 00:40:00,103 But as more of the sea ice is melting, 373 00:40:00,103 --> 00:40:04,541 they appear to be increasing in number, 374 00:40:04,541 --> 00:40:06,109 coming in from the atlantic 375 00:40:06,109 --> 00:40:11,681 to hunt large marine mammals like beluga and narwhal. 376 00:40:11,681 --> 00:40:13,583 [Blowing] 377 00:40:17,954 --> 00:40:19,989 Many feel they are fast becoming 378 00:40:19,990 --> 00:40:24,194 the Polar region's top new predator. 379 00:40:33,236 --> 00:40:37,040 Although Polar bears can swim vast distances, 380 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:42,178 hunting in an ice-free ocean is virtually impossible. 381 00:40:52,822 --> 00:40:56,159 We now know that the sea ice will be gone in the summer 382 00:40:56,159 --> 00:40:59,562 within a few decades. 383 00:41:11,107 --> 00:41:12,175 For so long, 384 00:41:12,175 --> 00:41:16,713 the far north of Canada was a stable haven 385 00:41:16,713 --> 00:41:18,581 for the animals that were adapted 386 00:41:18,581 --> 00:41:21,818 to life in the extreme cold. 387 00:41:33,163 --> 00:41:37,133 And it seemed to be a place too vast and too extreme 388 00:41:37,133 --> 00:41:41,671 to be affected dramatically by people. 389 00:41:47,877 --> 00:41:54,684 But that didn't turn out to be the case. 390 00:41:54,684 --> 00:41:57,887 From a distance, and unintentionally, 391 00:41:57,887 --> 00:42:00,757 humans have triggered the massive changes 392 00:42:00,757 --> 00:42:04,060 now underway here. 393 00:42:14,237 --> 00:42:18,141 The future is uncertain in an Arctic landscape 394 00:42:18,141 --> 00:42:19,642 that is undergoing 395 00:42:19,642 --> 00:42:23,045 some of the most intense and rapid fluctuations 396 00:42:23,046 --> 00:42:27,083 in the history of the planet. 397 00:42:28,852 --> 00:42:31,287 Ever since the melting of the continental ice sheet 398 00:42:31,287 --> 00:42:34,791 began 15,000 years ago, 399 00:42:34,791 --> 00:42:36,960 animals and humans alike 400 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:42,699 have shaped the landscapes of Canada. 401 00:42:42,699 --> 00:42:46,069 And humans continue to play a defining role, 402 00:42:46,069 --> 00:42:49,072 although the speed and scale of our influence 403 00:42:49,072 --> 00:42:52,309 is accelerating. 404 00:42:55,278 --> 00:42:58,815 Canada's unique natural history has created 405 00:42:58,815 --> 00:43:03,119 one of the richest and most beautiful countries on earth... 406 00:43:06,089 --> 00:43:12,095 And one that, at least for now, remains surprisingly wild. 407 00:43:18,968 --> 00:43:22,004 [♪]