1 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,940 There are few places harder to get to in this world. 2 00:02:29,110 --> 00:02:32,210 But there aren't any where it's harder to live. 3 00:02:32,910 --> 00:02:35,580 The average temperature here at the bottom of the Earth... 4 00:02:35,780 --> 00:02:38,080 ...is a balmy 58 degrees below. 5 00:02:38,250 --> 00:02:40,550 That's when the sun is out. 6 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,420 It wasn't always like this. 7 00:02:43,330 --> 00:02:45,850 Antarctica used to be a tropical place... 8 00:02:46,060 --> 00:02:49,090 ...densely forested and teeming with life. 9 00:02:49,260 --> 00:02:52,260 But then the continent started to drift south. 10 00:02:52,430 --> 00:02:54,400 And by the time it was done drifting... 11 00:02:54,570 --> 00:02:58,300 ...the dense forests had all been replaced with a new ground cover: 12 00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:00,100 Ice. 13 00:03:03,010 --> 00:03:07,510 As for the former inhabitants, they had all died or moved on long ago. 14 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,240 Well, almost all of them. 15 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,360 Legend has it that one tribe stayed behind. 16 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,030 Perhaps they thought the change in weather was only temporary. 17 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,470 or maybe they were just stubborn. 18 00:03:32,810 --> 00:03:38,270 But whatever their reasons, these stalwart souls refused to leave. 19 00:03:39,210 --> 00:03:41,580 For millions of years they have made their home... 20 00:03:41,780 --> 00:03:46,310 ...on the darkest, driest, windiest and coldest continent on Earth. 21 00:03:47,790 --> 00:03:50,920 And they've done so pretty much alone. 22 00:03:51,090 --> 00:03:54,260 So in some ways this is a story of survival. 23 00:03:54,430 --> 00:03:56,660 A tale of life over death. 24 00:03:56,830 --> 00:03:59,100 But it's more than that, really. 25 00:03:59,270 --> 00:04:01,460 This is a story about love. 26 00:04:09,810 --> 00:04:14,080 Like most love stories, it begins with an act of utter foolishness. 27 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,550 The emperor penguin is technically a bird. 28 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,990 Although one that makes his home in the sea. 29 00:04:27,660 --> 00:04:30,460 So if you're wondering what he's doing up here on the ice... 30 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:33,690 ...well, that's part of our story. 31 00:04:33,870 --> 00:04:35,890 Each year at around the same time... 32 00:04:36,070 --> 00:04:38,300 ...he will leave the comfort of his ocean home... 33 00:04:38,470 --> 00:04:40,770 ...and embark on a remarkable journey. 34 00:04:40,940 --> 00:04:43,410 He will travel a great distance... 35 00:04:43,580 --> 00:04:46,100 ...and though he is a bird, he won't fly. 36 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:49,510 Though he lives in the sea, he won't swim. 37 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,240 Mostly, he will walk. 38 00:04:52,450 --> 00:04:53,940 But he won't walk alone. 39 00:05:07,270 --> 00:05:10,070 It is March. Summer is over. 40 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,040 And another long polar winter is about to begin. 41 00:05:14,710 --> 00:05:18,870 The birds have been feeding in the ocean waters for three months. 42 00:05:19,050 --> 00:05:21,450 Now, their bellies full... 43 00:05:21,650 --> 00:05:24,680 ...it is time to find a mate. 44 00:05:29,690 --> 00:05:33,180 Their breeding ground can be up to 70 miles away. 45 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,860 To get there they will walk day and night continuously. 46 00:05:38,030 --> 00:05:40,730 Sometimes for a week. 47 00:05:41,300 --> 00:05:46,260 It is a long, dangerous and seemingly impossible journey. 48 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,240 And some of them will not survive it. 49 00:05:52,850 --> 00:05:57,290 Nonetheless, when the last of the clan has finally clamored onto the ice... 50 00:05:57,450 --> 00:05:59,580 ...their long march will begin... 51 00:05:59,790 --> 00:06:03,220 ...just as it has for thousands of years. 52 00:07:32,380 --> 00:07:35,140 The destination is always the same. 53 00:07:35,350 --> 00:07:37,320 Their path, however, is not. 54 00:07:39,020 --> 00:07:42,960 The ice on which the birds travel never stops shifting and changing. 55 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,150 New roadblocks will appear to baffle them every year. 56 00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:52,760 We're not exactly sure how they find their way. 57 00:07:52,930 --> 00:07:55,460 Perhaps they were assisted by the sun. 58 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,160 or the stars. 59 00:07:57,340 --> 00:08:00,870 or maybe having taken this march for thousands of generations... 60 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,840 ...they are guided by some invisible compass within them. 61 00:08:05,550 --> 00:08:07,310 They never stay stumped for long. 62 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,950 Eventually, one of them will pick up the trail. 63 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,590 And the journey continues. 64 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,080 When they get tired of walking, they'll give their feet a rest. 65 00:08:41,250 --> 00:08:44,080 They'll use their bellies instead. 66 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,870 Theirs is usually a graceful parade. 67 00:09:43,650 --> 00:09:45,640 But not always. 68 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,590 Each day the temperature drops a little further. 69 00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:08,270 And the sun will set earlier. 70 00:10:10,170 --> 00:10:14,800 The weather becomes noticeably harsher almost by the hour. 71 00:10:19,610 --> 00:10:24,180 By now similar caravans are approaching from every direction. 72 00:10:24,390 --> 00:10:28,790 And finally, often on the same day... 73 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,120 ...even around the same time... 74 00:10:31,290 --> 00:10:36,730 ...they will arrive at the place where each and every one of them was born. 75 00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:45,090 Here they will mate in relative safety. 76 00:11:45,270 --> 00:11:48,630 They are now far from the water's edge where most predators lurk. 77 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,300 And the large ice walls will offer some protection from the harshest winds. 78 00:11:53,470 --> 00:11:55,840 But the real reason they have chosen this place... 79 00:11:56,010 --> 00:11:57,530 ...lies beneath their feet. 80 00:11:57,710 --> 00:11:59,370 The ice is thicker here. 81 00:11:59,550 --> 00:12:01,570 It will stay solid until summer... 82 00:12:01,780 --> 00:12:04,620 ...keeping their young from accidentally falling through... 83 00:12:04,790 --> 00:12:07,250 ...into the freezing ocean. 84 00:12:10,020 --> 00:12:12,720 And so, having arrived... 85 00:12:12,890 --> 00:12:15,590 ...they begin to pursue their journey's purpose: 86 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,160 Finding a mate. 87 00:12:18,330 --> 00:12:21,030 We don't really know what they're looking for in a partner. 88 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,930 We only know that they are, in fact, looking. 89 00:12:25,540 --> 00:12:29,940 We also know when they've found what they're looking for. 90 00:12:38,850 --> 00:12:42,350 Emperor penguins are monogamous. Sort of. 91 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,290 They mate with only one partner per year. 92 00:12:45,460 --> 00:12:49,990 Which means every new season, all bets are off. 93 00:12:52,700 --> 00:12:55,600 Because there are fewer males than females here... 94 00:12:55,770 --> 00:12:59,100 ...hostilities among the ladies are inevitable. 95 00:12:59,270 --> 00:13:02,680 A taken male instantly becomes an unavailable male. 96 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:08,010 So occasionally, a female will attempt to interrupt a courtship. 97 00:13:15,190 --> 00:13:17,380 The men don't seem to mind. 98 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:22,500 They just wait for the fight to end and take the opportunity to preen. 99 00:13:26,130 --> 00:13:29,070 They're not that different from us, really. 100 00:13:31,140 --> 00:13:32,900 They pout. 101 00:13:33,070 --> 00:13:34,770 They bellow. 102 00:13:35,010 --> 00:13:36,700 They strut. 103 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:43,040 And occasionally, they will engage in some contact sports. 104 00:14:39,110 --> 00:14:42,170 Within a few weeks, one way or the other... 105 00:14:42,340 --> 00:14:46,210 ...most of the animals have found the one they are looking for. 106 00:17:38,820 --> 00:17:40,150 For the next eight months... 107 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,590 ...these two will participate in an ancient and complicated affair. 108 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,750 There will be tenderness. 109 00:17:46,930 --> 00:17:48,760 There will be separation. 110 00:17:48,930 --> 00:17:50,490 There will be reunion. 111 00:17:50,670 --> 00:17:55,260 And if their partnership is successful, there will be new life. 112 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:58,300 For now, they wait... 113 00:17:58,470 --> 00:18:00,840 ...for the egg and for the brutal winter... 114 00:18:01,010 --> 00:18:04,640 ...which will do everything in its power to destroy that egg. 115 00:18:34,310 --> 00:18:38,270 By May the light will nearly have disappeared from the sky... 116 00:18:38,450 --> 00:18:41,310 ...and the temperature continues to drop. 117 00:18:43,650 --> 00:18:46,880 And for those who began their march too late... 118 00:18:47,050 --> 00:18:50,920 ...or have fallen behind because of weakness or hunger... 119 00:18:51,090 --> 00:18:54,720 ...hope of survival is now remote. 120 00:19:02,540 --> 00:19:05,990 The lone penguin has no chance against the winter's cold. 121 00:19:06,170 --> 00:19:07,830 He will simply fade away... 122 00:19:08,010 --> 00:19:11,950 ...absorbed by the great whiteness all around him. 123 00:19:41,410 --> 00:19:43,100 As winter descends... 124 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,340 ...the tribe's only defense against the freezing cold... 125 00:19:46,510 --> 00:19:48,350 ...is the group itself. 126 00:19:48,550 --> 00:19:52,750 It is almost as if they create another organism altogether. 127 00:19:53,950 --> 00:19:57,320 The huddled animals form a single moving mass... 128 00:19:57,490 --> 00:20:01,830 ...one designed for the sole purpose of sustaining warmth. 129 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:07,930 Winter's first storm is upon them. 130 00:20:25,020 --> 00:20:30,460 Within a few weeks, days begin to pass with virtually no light at all. 131 00:20:32,530 --> 00:20:37,120 Moons come and go in the soon-to-be-endless night. 132 00:20:39,630 --> 00:20:42,470 And finally, one day in early June... 133 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,700 ...we remember why they came here. 134 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:06,660 As soon as the egg appears, it is instantly hidden from the cold. 135 00:21:06,830 --> 00:21:09,760 The tiny beating heart within the shell cannot survive... 136 00:21:09,930 --> 00:21:13,630 ...much more than a moment's exposure to the freezing air. 137 00:21:44,530 --> 00:21:48,020 From now on, the couple has but a single goal: 138 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,800 Keeping their egg alive. 139 00:21:50,970 --> 00:21:54,500 The hungry mother must return at once to the sea to eat. 140 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,740 But before she leaves, she must entrust the egg to its father. 141 00:22:11,730 --> 00:22:17,390 Some, young couples, perhaps, are too impulsive or rushed. 142 00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:25,630 And within moments, their affair comes to an end. 143 00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:36,550 They can only watch... 144 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,690 ...as the ice claims their egg... 145 00:22:39,850 --> 00:22:42,080 ...and the life within it. 146 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,040 This couple's partnership is now over. 147 00:23:05,410 --> 00:23:08,380 The long march in vain. 148 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,880 With no reason to stay... 149 00:23:11,090 --> 00:23:13,710 ...they will wander back to the sea. 150 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:20,380 other couples have lost their egg as well. 151 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:24,760 As for the others... 152 00:23:24,930 --> 00:23:27,730 ...their partnership is about to change. 153 00:23:28,170 --> 00:23:30,030 With unending patience... 154 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,640 ...the pair rehearses the steps they will need to transfer the egg... 155 00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:36,900 ...from the mother to the father. 156 00:23:43,380 --> 00:23:47,910 They practice this clumsy ballet dozens of times if need be. 157 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,350 And then, with great care... 158 00:23:53,530 --> 00:23:55,590 ...they will dance it. 159 00:24:22,620 --> 00:24:25,720 And now begins one of nature's most incredible... 160 00:24:25,890 --> 00:24:29,230 ...and endearing role reversals. 161 00:24:30,430 --> 00:24:34,730 It is the penguin male who will tend the couple's single egg. 162 00:24:35,170 --> 00:24:39,500 While the mother feeds and gathers food to bring back for the newborn... 163 00:24:39,670 --> 00:24:44,740 ...it is the father who will shield the egg from the violent winds and cold. 164 00:24:44,950 --> 00:24:48,210 He will make a nest for the egg atop his own claws... 165 00:24:48,380 --> 00:24:53,120 ...keeping it safe and warm beneath a flap of skin on his belly. 166 00:24:56,420 --> 00:25:00,620 And he will do this for more than two months. 167 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:31,950 Having passed the egg... 168 00:25:32,130 --> 00:25:34,990 ...the exhausted female must depart quickly. 169 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,660 She must eat soon or she will die. 170 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,000 As the winter progresses... 171 00:25:49,180 --> 00:25:51,910 ...the father will be severely tested. 172 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,280 The mother will be tested as well. 173 00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:01,720 Her return trip to the sea is considerably more difficult... 174 00:26:01,890 --> 00:26:04,790 ...than the original march to the nesting ground. 175 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:06,550 It is colder now. 176 00:26:06,730 --> 00:26:11,160 And she will have lost almost a third of her body weight producing the egg. 177 00:26:11,330 --> 00:26:14,600 She is literally starving. 178 00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:18,300 of course, the fathers are nearly starving too. 179 00:26:18,470 --> 00:26:22,700 But for them, a meal is far off in the distance. 180 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,970 By the time their vigil atop the egg is over... 181 00:26:26,150 --> 00:26:29,380 ...the penguin fathers will have gone without food of any kind... 182 00:26:29,580 --> 00:26:31,950 ...for over 125 days. 183 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:34,920 And they will have endured one of the most violent... 184 00:26:35,090 --> 00:26:37,350 ...and deadly winters on Earth. 185 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,460 All for the chick. 186 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:53,080 As the fathers settle into their long wait at the breeding ground... 187 00:28:53,260 --> 00:28:55,850 ...the winter's second storm arrives. 188 00:28:56,030 --> 00:28:59,590 The temperature is now 80 degrees below zero. 189 00:28:59,770 --> 00:29:02,330 That's without taking into account the wind... 190 00:29:02,470 --> 00:29:06,200 ...which can blow 100 miles an hour. 191 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,940 Though they can be aggressive during the rest of the year... 192 00:29:16,150 --> 00:29:18,880 ...at this time the males are totally docile. 193 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:21,750 A united and cooperative team... 194 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:26,920 ...they brace against the storm by merging their thousand bodies into a single mass. 195 00:29:27,090 --> 00:29:28,620 They will take turns... 196 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,360 ...each of them getting to spend some time near the center of their huddle... 197 00:29:32,530 --> 00:29:34,860 ...where it's warmer. 198 00:29:59,730 --> 00:30:01,090 As they move about... 199 00:30:01,260 --> 00:30:05,220 ...the fathers will balance their eggs like tightrope walkers. 200 00:31:51,970 --> 00:31:56,240 The exhausted mothers have marched 70 miles. 201 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:00,180 They are now back where they started three months ago. 202 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,510 But they aren't anywhere near the water's edge. 203 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,350 New ice is formed along the shore... 204 00:32:06,550 --> 00:32:11,250 ...forcing them to walk several more miles before they reach the sea. 205 00:32:17,830 --> 00:32:20,770 Food is actually only a few inches below them. 206 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,500 But they have no way of getting to it here. 207 00:32:34,250 --> 00:32:38,050 To survive they must reach the new ice edge... 208 00:32:38,290 --> 00:32:40,980 ...or find some other opening. 209 00:32:42,420 --> 00:32:46,880 Sometimes this search will last for days. 210 00:33:54,330 --> 00:33:58,960 Naturally, after their long walk, they are eager to get back in the water. 211 00:33:59,130 --> 00:34:02,500 Sometimes a little too eager. 212 00:35:15,010 --> 00:35:18,440 They can hold their breath for over 15 minutes... 213 00:35:19,350 --> 00:35:23,370 ...and dive to a depth of 1700 feet... 214 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:30,050 ...approaching the sea floor itself to feed on fish, krill and squid. 215 00:35:40,100 --> 00:35:44,370 They will also skim along the ice just below the ocean's surface... 216 00:35:44,540 --> 00:35:47,940 ...searching for any fish that may have lodged there. 217 00:35:52,380 --> 00:35:55,640 While the mothers finally fill their empty bellies... 218 00:35:55,820 --> 00:35:58,510 ...the fathers cling to life on the surface... 219 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:02,050 ...trying to keep the eggs safe and warm. 220 00:36:19,110 --> 00:36:24,010 The wind will occasionally bring snow to quench the males' thirst. 221 00:36:26,010 --> 00:36:29,640 They have been without food now for over three months. 222 00:36:30,750 --> 00:36:35,150 Each day brings them closer to exhaustion and starvation. 223 00:36:39,930 --> 00:36:43,920 Eventually some, usually the older ones... 224 00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:45,860 ...will simply fall asleep... 225 00:36:46,030 --> 00:36:48,130 ...and disappear. 226 00:37:39,150 --> 00:37:41,680 Now it is dark almost all the time. 227 00:37:44,090 --> 00:37:47,690 And the mother of all blizzards is about to arrive. 228 00:37:52,270 --> 00:37:54,100 The fathers now make an extra effort... 229 00:37:54,270 --> 00:37:57,760 ...to weld their bodies together and resist the winter's rage. 230 00:38:02,740 --> 00:38:06,540 Above them, the southern lights dance virtually around the clock. 231 00:38:06,710 --> 00:38:10,440 For now there is almost only night. 232 00:38:37,140 --> 00:38:42,080 The hungry mothers aren't the only ones overjoyed by their return to the sea. 233 00:38:42,250 --> 00:38:47,310 Their predators, unfortunately, are happy to have them back as well. 234 00:39:49,550 --> 00:39:51,310 With a snap of its jaws... 235 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,850 ...the leopard seal actually takes two lives. 236 00:39:55,090 --> 00:39:56,750 That of the trapped mother... 237 00:39:56,920 --> 00:40:00,590 ...and that of her unborn chick who will never be fed. 238 00:40:09,740 --> 00:40:14,900 By July the females know it is time to return to their nest. 239 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:19,800 And so, for the third time this year, the mothers take the long walk. 240 00:40:21,950 --> 00:40:23,540 only this time... 241 00:40:23,750 --> 00:40:25,880 ...they walk in the dark. 242 00:40:54,450 --> 00:40:57,970 The ravenous and freezing night lingers... 243 00:40:58,180 --> 00:41:00,520 ...seemingly without end. 244 00:41:00,850 --> 00:41:02,620 Until finally... 245 00:41:02,790 --> 00:41:06,230 ...the darkness begins its slow retreat. 246 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:18,890 After many months, light returns in earnest to the South Pole. 247 00:42:19,070 --> 00:42:21,120 But only momentarily. 248 00:42:22,500 --> 00:42:24,090 And yet... 249 00:42:24,270 --> 00:42:26,070 ...it is enough. 250 00:42:38,790 --> 00:42:42,720 Their victory over winter has begun. 251 00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:47,520 Their efforts have not been in vain. 252 00:43:21,090 --> 00:43:23,530 Though the light is returning... 253 00:43:23,700 --> 00:43:26,670 ...the winter is far from over. 254 00:43:31,070 --> 00:43:35,470 The worst is, actually, yet to come. 255 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,520 No matter how cold it is, or how hungry they are... 256 00:44:21,690 --> 00:44:23,660 ...the fathers must keep moving. 257 00:44:24,420 --> 00:44:27,590 If they don't, they will die. 258 00:44:28,330 --> 00:44:30,060 But then... 259 00:45:21,180 --> 00:45:24,310 Each day more eggs will hatch. 260 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:26,780 But this chick is hungry. 261 00:45:26,990 --> 00:45:30,180 He needs the food in his mother's belly. 262 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,490 But his father is hungry too. 263 00:45:32,660 --> 00:45:36,150 He hasn't eaten in nearly four months now. 264 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:43,900 If his mate doesn't arrive soon, he will be forced to abandon his child... 265 00:45:44,070 --> 00:45:47,200 ...and return to the sea to feed himself. 266 00:45:49,340 --> 00:45:51,540 He will have no choice. 267 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:10,260 But there is one secret weapon against his newborn's hunger. 268 00:46:10,660 --> 00:46:14,060 The father coughs up a milky substance. 269 00:46:14,630 --> 00:46:18,040 Despite his own hunger, this tiny meal has been relegated... 270 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,430 ...to a small crease in his throat... 271 00:46:20,610 --> 00:46:22,870 ...just for this moment. 272 00:46:28,180 --> 00:46:33,050 This little banquet will keep the chick alive for a day, perhaps two. 273 00:46:34,690 --> 00:46:38,180 Hopefully, long enough for the mother to arrive. 274 00:46:39,260 --> 00:46:43,060 For some it is already too late. 275 00:47:11,090 --> 00:47:13,420 The mothers step up their rhythm... 276 00:47:13,590 --> 00:47:15,530 ...as if sensing the urgency. 277 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:03,800 They shuffle along as quickly as possible... 278 00:48:03,980 --> 00:48:08,040 ...hauling their overstuffed bellies one last mile. 279 00:48:08,210 --> 00:48:11,450 And then, at last, they are back. 280 00:48:56,660 --> 00:48:58,990 To find each other in the enormous crowd... 281 00:48:59,170 --> 00:49:02,430 ...the penguins must rely on sound, not sight. 282 00:49:02,540 --> 00:49:06,160 As they circle, the returning mothers trumpet loudly... 283 00:49:06,340 --> 00:49:09,100 ...and wait for their mates to call back. 284 00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:40,030 The sound is deafening. 285 00:49:40,210 --> 00:49:44,340 And yet, somehow, each of them will hear their mate's song. 286 00:50:24,150 --> 00:50:26,780 The couple has found one another. 287 00:50:27,490 --> 00:50:30,820 The mother sees her chick for the first time. 288 00:50:31,390 --> 00:50:33,150 And at last... 289 00:50:33,330 --> 00:50:35,490 ...the family is together. 290 00:51:09,660 --> 00:51:11,890 And just as they did with the egg... 291 00:51:12,060 --> 00:51:16,500 ...the parents now quickly pass off the newborn from one to the other. 292 00:51:43,260 --> 00:51:48,290 Now it is the mother's turn to protect her chick from the fierce cold. 293 00:51:58,910 --> 00:52:01,210 The father and his chick sing to one another... 294 00:52:01,380 --> 00:52:04,780 ...making sure each knows the other's voice. 295 00:52:06,720 --> 00:52:11,210 It is the only way the two will find each other when the father returns. 296 00:52:21,730 --> 00:52:25,830 As the chick enjoys his first real meal... 297 00:52:26,570 --> 00:52:30,370 ...the father prepares to sever the bond between them. 298 00:52:34,680 --> 00:52:37,050 It's not easy to do. 299 00:52:43,260 --> 00:52:46,350 The fathers have gone without food for over four months. 300 00:52:47,490 --> 00:52:50,430 They will have lost as much as half their weight. 301 00:52:50,600 --> 00:52:52,660 But still they must walk... 302 00:52:52,830 --> 00:52:55,770 ...for over 70 miles. 303 00:52:57,070 --> 00:53:01,170 This leg of the journey may be why they are fewer males than females. 304 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:06,670 Each year some of these new fathers will not make it back to the sea. 305 00:54:07,770 --> 00:54:12,270 Like the sun, the chicks grow stronger every day. 306 00:54:14,150 --> 00:54:17,670 But they are not yet ready to leave their mothers. 307 00:55:29,520 --> 00:55:34,580 In time, after being perched atop their mother's feet for a thousand paces... 308 00:55:34,790 --> 00:55:38,390 ...like a child learning to dance on her mother's shoes... 309 00:55:38,730 --> 00:55:42,190 ...the chick takes his first steps alone. 310 00:57:23,070 --> 00:57:25,200 With the wind's return... 311 00:57:25,370 --> 00:57:27,770 ...the temperature drops. 312 00:57:28,210 --> 00:57:32,230 This year, winter's going out with a bang. 313 00:58:31,540 --> 00:58:34,330 This is the first storm for the new chicks... 314 00:58:34,510 --> 00:58:37,000 ...and many of them will not survive it. 315 01:00:07,030 --> 01:00:09,000 When the winds stop... 316 01:00:09,200 --> 01:00:12,230 ...the search for lost chicks begins. 317 01:00:14,010 --> 01:00:17,200 Some have kept warm by huddling together. 318 01:00:17,810 --> 01:00:21,440 others have not been so lucky. 319 01:00:34,430 --> 01:00:37,950 The loss is unbearable. 320 01:01:27,950 --> 01:01:31,810 Every year some bereft mother will respond to her agony... 321 01:01:31,980 --> 01:01:34,650 ...in an unimaginable way. 322 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:38,750 Having lost her own chick... 323 01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:41,550 ...she will attempt to steal another's. 324 01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:53,530 But the group will not allow it. 325 01:02:28,140 --> 01:02:33,100 Back in its mother's care, the chick is not eager to leave again. 326 01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:37,040 Despite having known each other only a few days... 327 01:02:37,220 --> 01:02:41,710 ...the bond between mother and child is surprisingly strong. 328 01:02:42,320 --> 01:02:44,150 In the next few weeks... 329 01:02:44,320 --> 01:02:46,790 ...it will only grow stronger. 330 01:03:26,930 --> 01:03:29,160 Winter's grip slowly weakens... 331 01:03:29,330 --> 01:03:32,530 ...and the chicks begin to run free. 332 01:03:54,830 --> 01:03:57,620 Some need a little encouragement. 333 01:03:59,060 --> 01:04:01,030 But eventually... 334 01:04:01,200 --> 01:04:03,500 ...they all find their way. 335 01:05:44,900 --> 01:05:47,430 Winter may have ended... 336 01:05:49,140 --> 01:05:51,840 ...but the dangers have not. 337 01:07:56,870 --> 01:07:59,060 It is late August now. 338 01:07:59,240 --> 01:08:03,440 And time for the mothers to return and feed once more. 339 01:08:10,320 --> 01:08:11,710 For some... 340 01:08:11,880 --> 01:08:14,650 ...this development is unacceptable. 341 01:08:17,590 --> 01:08:21,180 But it is also non-negotiable. 342 01:08:45,780 --> 01:08:48,840 Because they are old enough now... 343 01:08:49,690 --> 01:08:52,490 ...the chicks are left alone for the first time. 344 01:09:24,220 --> 01:09:25,550 As spring arrives... 345 01:09:25,760 --> 01:09:29,160 ...the ice packs near the ocean's edge begin to melt... 346 01:09:29,330 --> 01:09:32,890 ...shortening the distance between the sea and the breeding ground. 347 01:09:35,430 --> 01:09:38,630 It isn't long before the fathers return... 348 01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:41,240 ...their bellies heavy with food. 349 01:09:53,050 --> 01:09:55,210 The chicks will gather at once to meet them... 350 01:09:56,990 --> 01:09:58,980 ...and sound their calls. 351 01:10:06,500 --> 01:10:10,730 The returning fathers will circle the excited newborns and listen... 352 01:10:13,370 --> 01:10:16,240 ...until he hears his chick's call. 353 01:10:28,920 --> 01:10:31,350 Some will never find their chick. 354 01:10:31,560 --> 01:10:34,180 The newborn will have died... 355 01:10:34,390 --> 01:10:37,420 ...from cold or hunger... 356 01:10:37,630 --> 01:10:39,620 ...or at the hands of some predator. 357 01:10:41,400 --> 01:10:43,800 But for those that do find their young... 358 01:10:43,970 --> 01:10:47,500 ...the reunion is a joyful one. 359 01:10:51,080 --> 01:10:55,910 And, very quickly, the young chick's belly will be full again. 360 01:11:07,260 --> 01:11:11,190 For the next several months, the parents will take turns... 361 01:11:11,360 --> 01:11:15,320 ...shuttling back and forth to the sea for food. 362 01:11:34,020 --> 01:11:35,990 And occasionally... 363 01:11:36,320 --> 01:11:40,520 ...the new family can actually spend some time together. 364 01:12:36,210 --> 01:12:41,150 By September the ice has begun to thin and crack. 365 01:12:42,120 --> 01:12:47,890 The sea gets closer, allowing the parents to go back and forth more frequently. 366 01:12:53,130 --> 01:12:56,360 The chicks' new coat of feathers is now thick and full... 367 01:12:56,530 --> 01:12:59,060 ...enough to protect them on their own. 368 01:13:04,910 --> 01:13:08,710 And by November the ocean is within a few hundred yards... 369 01:13:08,880 --> 01:13:10,280 ...of the breeding ground. 370 01:13:18,990 --> 01:13:20,650 As the ice melts... 371 01:13:21,260 --> 01:13:25,630 ...the brand-new family prepares to go their separate ways. 372 01:13:36,610 --> 01:13:40,940 The couples, locked for the past nine months... 373 01:13:41,110 --> 01:13:44,100 ...in their ancient ritual of coming and going... 374 01:13:44,280 --> 01:13:47,880 ...will now part for the last time. 375 01:13:53,490 --> 01:13:56,460 And as their newest members look on... 376 01:13:56,660 --> 01:14:01,100 ...the tribe returns to their home, at last. 377 01:14:17,150 --> 01:14:18,980 For the next three months... 378 01:14:19,150 --> 01:14:22,880 ...they will lavish in the rich and warmish waters of their short summer. 379 01:14:23,050 --> 01:14:24,720 They will feed... 380 01:14:24,890 --> 01:14:26,380 ...and they will play. 381 01:14:26,590 --> 01:14:28,620 And in all likelihood... 382 01:14:28,830 --> 01:14:31,660 ...their chicks will never see them again. 383 01:14:34,730 --> 01:14:39,760 They will remain here alone and unsupervised for a few more weeks... 384 01:14:40,000 --> 01:14:41,530 ...growing stronger. 385 01:14:49,150 --> 01:14:51,340 The ice continues to melt... 386 01:14:51,520 --> 01:14:54,880 ...returning the borrowed water to the sea. 387 01:15:00,290 --> 01:15:02,020 And beckoning the young penguins... 388 01:15:02,230 --> 01:15:04,960 ...into the ocean as well. 389 01:15:32,960 --> 01:15:34,750 It is now December... 390 01:15:34,960 --> 01:15:38,400 ...and they are ready to leave the place where they were born. 391 01:15:39,830 --> 01:15:42,420 And although they have never known the ocean... 392 01:15:42,630 --> 01:15:44,190 ...nor touched it... 393 01:15:44,370 --> 01:15:47,100 ...they, like their parents... 394 01:15:47,270 --> 01:15:49,470 ...are of the sea. 395 01:15:56,350 --> 01:15:59,320 And so one day... 396 01:15:59,780 --> 01:16:02,410 ...they'll take the plunge... 397 01:16:03,490 --> 01:16:06,950 ...and go home for the first time. 398 01:16:38,460 --> 01:16:42,220 For four years, the chicks will live at sea. 399 01:16:42,460 --> 01:16:46,420 But as the sunlight begins to disappear at the end of their fifth year... 400 01:16:46,630 --> 01:16:49,120 ...and the warm days begin to cool... 401 01:16:49,330 --> 01:16:52,270 ...they, too, will climb out of the water. 402 01:16:52,440 --> 01:16:54,500 And they will march... 403 01:16:54,670 --> 01:16:57,070 ...just as they have done for centuries... 404 01:16:57,240 --> 01:17:00,730 ...ever since the emperor penguin decided to stay... 405 01:17:00,910 --> 01:17:03,570 ...to live and love... 406 01:17:03,750 --> 01:17:07,010 ...in the harshest place on Earth.