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[######]

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NARRATOR:
There are few places harder
to get to in this world,

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but there aren't any
where it's harder to live.

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The average temperature
here at the bottom of the Earth

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is a balmy 58 degrees below.

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That's when the sun is out.

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It wasn't always like this.

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Antarctica used to be
a tropical place,

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densely forested
and teaming with life,

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but then the continent
started to drift south,

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and by the time
it was done drifting,

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the dense forests
had all been replaced

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with a new ground cover: ice.

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As for the former inhabitants,

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they'd all died or moved on
long ago.

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Well, almost all of them.

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Legend has it
that one tribe stayed behind.

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Perhaps they thought

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the change in weather
was only temporary,

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or maybe
they were just stubborn.

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But whatever their reasons,

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these stalwart souls
refused to leave.

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For millions of years,
they have made their home

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on the darkest, driest,
windiest and coldest continent

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on Earth,

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and they've done so
pretty much alone.

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So in some ways,
this is a story of survival,

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a tale of life over death.

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But it's more than that,
really.

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This is a story about love.

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[######]

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Like most love stories,

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it begins with an act
of utter foolishness.

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[CROAKS SOFTLY]

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The emperor penguin
is technically a bird,

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although one
that makes his home in the sea.

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[HONKS]

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So if you're wondering

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what he's doing
up here on the ice,

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well, that's part of our story.

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Each year,
at around the same time,

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he will leave the comfort
of his ocean home

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and embark
on a remarkable journey.

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He will travel
a great distance,

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and though he is a bird,
he won't fly.

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Though he lives in the sea,
he won't swim.

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Mostly, he will walk...

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but he won't walk alone.

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It is March.

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Summer is over,

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and another long polar winter
is about to begin.

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The birds have been feeding
in the ocean waters

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for three months.

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Now, their bellies full,

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it is time to find a mate.

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Their breeding ground
can be up to 70 miles away.

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To get there,

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they will walk day and night,
continuously,

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sometimes for a week.

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It is a long, dangerous

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and seemingly impossible
journey,

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and some of them
will not survive it.

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Nonetheless,
when the last of the clan

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has finally clambered
onto the ice,

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their long march will begin,

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just as it has
for thousands of years.

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[######]

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The destination
is always the same.

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Their path, however, is not.

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The ice
on which the birds travel

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never stops
shifting and changing.

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New roadblocks will appear
to baffle them every year.

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We're not exactly sure
how they find their way.

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Perhaps they were assisted
by the sun,

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or the stars.

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Or maybe,

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having taken this march
for thousands of generations,

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they are guided

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by some invisible compass
within them.

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They never stay stumped
for long.

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Eventually, one of them
will pick up the trail,

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and the journey continues.

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When they get tired of walking,
they'll give their feet a rest.

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They'll use their bellies
instead.

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Theirs is usually
a graceful parade...

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[CROAKS]

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but not always.

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[######]

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Each day,

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the temperature drops
a little further...

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and the sun will set earlier.

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The weather becomes
noticeably harsher

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almost by the hour.

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By now, similar caravans

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are approaching
from every direction.

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And finally,

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often on the same day,

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even around the same time,

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they will arrive

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at the place where
each and every one of them

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was born.

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[######]

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[SQUAWKING]

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Here, they will mate
in relative safety.

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They are now far
from the water's edge,

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where most predators lurk,

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and the large ice walls

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will offer some protection
from the harshest winds.

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But the real reason
they have chosen this place

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lies beneath their feet.

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The ice is thicker here.

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It will stay solid
until summer,

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keeping their young

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from accidentally
falling through

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into the freezing ocean.

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And so, having arrived,

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they begin to pursue
their journey's purpose:

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Finding a mate.

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We don't really know

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what they're looking for
in a partner.

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We only know that they are,
in fact, looking.

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We also know

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when they've found
what they're looking for.

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Emperor penguins
are monogamous...

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sort of.

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They mate
with only one partner per year,

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which means every new season,
all bets are off.

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Because there are fewer males
than females here,

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hostilities among the ladies
are inevitable.

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A taken male

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instantly becomes
an unavailable male,

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so occasionally,

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a female will attempt
to interrupt a courtship.

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The men don't seem to mind.

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They just wait
for the fight to end

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and take the opportunity
to preen.

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They're not that different
from us, really.

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They pout.

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They bellow.

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They strut.

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And occasionally,

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they will engage
in some contact sports.

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[######]

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[SQUAWKS]

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Within a few weeks,

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one way or the other,

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most of the animals have found
the one they're looking for.

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[######]

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For the next eight months,

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these two will participate

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in an ancient
and complicated affair.

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There will be tenderness,

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there will be separation,

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there will be reunion.

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And if their partnership
is successful,

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there will be new life.

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For now, they wait.

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For the egg,

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and for the brutal winter

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which will do everything
in its power

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to destroy that egg.

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[######]

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By May,

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the light will nearly
have disappeared from the sky

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and the temperature
continues to drop.

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And for those
who began their march too late

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or have fallen behind
because of weakness or hunger,

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hope of survival
is now remote.

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The lone penguin has no chance
against the winter's cold.

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He will simply fade away,

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absorbed by the great whiteness
all around him.

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[WIND HOWLING]

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As winter descends,

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the tribe's only defense
against the freezing cold

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is the group itself.

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It is almost as if they create
another organism altogether.

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The huddled animals
form a single moving mass,

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one designed
for the sole purpose

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of sustaining warmth.

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Winter's first storm
is upon them.

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[######]

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Within a few weeks,

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days begin to pass
with virtually no light at all.

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Moons come and go

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in the soon to be
endless night.

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And finally,
one day in early June,

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we remember why they came here.

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[CROWING]

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As soon as the egg appears,

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it is instantly hidden
from the cold.

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The tiny beating heart
within the shell

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cannot survive much more
than a moment's exposure

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to the freezing air.

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[######]

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From now on,

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the couple has
but a single goal:

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Keeping their egg alive.

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The hungry mother
must return at once to the sea

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to eat,

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but before she leaves,

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she must entrust the egg
to its father.

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[CAWS]

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Some,
young couples, perhaps,

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are too impulsive,
or rushed...

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and within moments,
their affair comes to an end.

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[BLEATING]

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They can only watch
as the ice claims their egg

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and the life within it.

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[CRACKLING]

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This couple's partnership
is now over,

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the long march in vain.

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00:23:05,481 --> 00:23:07,315
With no reason to stay,

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they will wander
back to the sea.

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00:23:13,454 --> 00:23:17,891
Other couples
have lost their egg as well.

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As for the others,

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the partnership
is about to change.

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With unending patience,

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the pair rehearses
the steps they will need

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to transfer the egg
from the mother to the father.

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They practice
this clumsy ballet

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dozens of times if need be.

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00:23:47,547 --> 00:23:52,017
And then, with great care,
they will dance it.

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00:23:58,389 --> 00:24:01,392
[######]

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00:24:19,572 --> 00:24:21,007
And now begins

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00:24:21,007 --> 00:24:24,510
one of nature's
most incredible and endearing

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00:24:24,510 --> 00:24:27,745
role reversals.

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00:24:27,745 --> 00:24:29,346
It is the penguin male

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00:24:29,346 --> 00:24:31,782
who will tend
the couple's single egg.

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While the mother feeds

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and gathers food
to bring back for the newborn,

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it is the father
who will shield the egg

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00:24:38,988 --> 00:24:42,357
from the violent winds
and cold.

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00:24:42,357 --> 00:24:45,225
He will make a nest for the egg
atop his own claws,

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keeping it safe and warm

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00:24:46,693 --> 00:24:49,695
beneath a flap of skin
on his belly.

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00:24:53,465 --> 00:24:57,668
And he will do this
for more than two months.

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00:25:28,059 --> 00:25:29,626
Having passed the egg,

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00:25:29,626 --> 00:25:31,995
the exhausted female
must depart quickly.

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00:25:35,098 --> 00:25:37,733
She must eat soon
or she will die.

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00:25:44,405 --> 00:25:45,940
As the winter progresses,

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00:25:45,940 --> 00:25:48,875
the father will be
severely tested.

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00:25:51,945 --> 00:25:55,414
The mother will be tested
as well.

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Her return trip to the sea
is considerably more difficult

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00:25:58,083 --> 00:26:02,486
than the original march
to the nesting ground.

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00:26:02,486 --> 00:26:04,186
It is colder now,

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00:26:04,186 --> 00:26:05,554
and she will have lost

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00:26:05,554 --> 00:26:06,957
almost a third
of her body weight

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00:26:06,957 --> 00:26:08,657
producing the egg.

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00:26:08,657 --> 00:26:11,026
She is literally starving.

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00:26:13,027 --> 00:26:16,030
Of course, the fathers
are nearly starving too,

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00:26:16,030 --> 00:26:17,464
but for them,

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00:26:17,464 --> 00:26:19,867
a meal is far off
in the distance.

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00:26:19,867 --> 00:26:22,001
By the time
their vigil atop the egg

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00:26:22,001 --> 00:26:23,268
is over,

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00:26:23,268 --> 00:26:24,536
the penguin fathers

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00:26:24,536 --> 00:26:26,204
will have gone without food
of any kind

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00:26:26,204 --> 00:26:28,974
for over 125 days,

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00:26:28,974 --> 00:26:30,574
and they will have endured

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00:26:30,574 --> 00:26:35,345
one of the most violent
and deadly winters on Earth,

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00:26:35,345 --> 00:26:37,513
all for the chick.

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00:27:55,607 --> 00:27:58,610
[######]

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00:28:17,992 --> 00:28:21,661
[PENGUINS SQUAWKING]

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00:28:39,976 --> 00:28:42,944
[WIND HOWLING]

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00:28:46,947 --> 00:28:48,816
As the fathers
settle into their long wait

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00:28:48,816 --> 00:28:50,316
at the breeding ground,

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00:28:50,316 --> 00:28:53,586
the winter's second storm
arrives.

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00:28:53,586 --> 00:28:56,488
The temperature
is now 80 degrees below zero.

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00:28:56,488 --> 00:28:59,457
That's without
taking into account the wind,

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00:28:59,457 --> 00:29:03,194
which can blow
a hundred miles an hour.

270
00:29:09,798 --> 00:29:13,401
Though they can be aggressive
during the rest of the year,

271
00:29:13,401 --> 00:29:16,537
at this time,
the males are totally docile,

272
00:29:16,537 --> 00:29:19,040
a united and cooperative team.

273
00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:20,774
They brace against the storm

274
00:29:20,774 --> 00:29:22,575
by merging
their thousand bodies

275
00:29:22,575 --> 00:29:23,976
into a single mass.

276
00:29:23,976 --> 00:29:25,711
They will take turns,

277
00:29:25,711 --> 00:29:27,746
each of them
getting to spend some time

278
00:29:27,746 --> 00:29:29,814
near the center
of their huddle,

279
00:29:29,814 --> 00:29:31,883
where it's warmer.

280
00:29:31,883 --> 00:29:35,986
[WIND HOWLING]

281
00:29:49,196 --> 00:29:51,631
[HONKING]

282
00:29:55,868 --> 00:29:57,736
As they move about,

283
00:29:57,736 --> 00:29:59,837
the fathers
will balance their eggs

284
00:29:59,837 --> 00:30:02,140
like tightrope walkers.

285
00:31:08,691 --> 00:31:11,693
[######]

286
00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,755
[BLEATING]

287
00:31:49,357 --> 00:31:52,926
The exhausted mothers
have marched 70 miles.

288
00:31:52,926 --> 00:31:54,560
They are now back

289
00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,263
where they started
three months ago,

290
00:31:57,263 --> 00:32:00,532
but they aren't anywhere near
the water's edge.

291
00:32:00,532 --> 00:32:03,335
New ice has formed
along the shore,

292
00:32:03,335 --> 00:32:05,336
forcing them to walk
several more miles

293
00:32:05,336 --> 00:32:07,670
before they reach the sea.

294
00:32:14,843 --> 00:32:17,745
Food is actually
only a few inches below them,

295
00:32:17,745 --> 00:32:21,448
but they have no way
of getting to it here.

296
00:32:31,022 --> 00:32:32,490
To survive,

297
00:32:32,490 --> 00:32:35,193
they must reach
the new ice edge

298
00:32:35,193 --> 00:32:39,163
or find some other opening.

299
00:32:39,163 --> 00:32:43,065
Sometimes,
this search will last for days.

300
00:32:46,601 --> 00:32:49,603
[######]

301
00:33:50,685 --> 00:33:51,853
[SQUAWKS]

302
00:33:51,853 --> 00:33:53,920
Naturally,
after their long walk,

303
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,423
they are eager
to get back in the water.

304
00:33:56,423 --> 00:33:59,325
Sometimes, a little too eager.

305
00:35:12,649 --> 00:35:15,351
They can hold their breath
for over 15 minutes

306
00:35:15,351 --> 00:35:19,221
and dive to a depth
of 1700 feet...

307
00:35:21,055 --> 00:35:23,990
approaching
the sea floor itself

308
00:35:23,990 --> 00:35:26,927
to feed on fish, krill
and squid.

309
00:35:36,534 --> 00:35:40,103
They will also
skim along the ice

310
00:35:40,103 --> 00:35:42,439
just below the ocean's surface,

311
00:35:42,439 --> 00:35:44,807
searching for any fish
that may have lodged there.

312
00:35:49,144 --> 00:35:53,113
While the mothers finally
fill their empty bellies,

313
00:35:53,113 --> 00:35:55,316
the fathers cling to life
on the surface,

314
00:35:55,316 --> 00:35:58,151
trying to keep the egg
safe and warm.

315
00:36:17,132 --> 00:36:18,933
The wind will occasionally
bring snow

316
00:36:18,933 --> 00:36:20,969
to quench the males' thirst.

317
00:36:23,438 --> 00:36:27,507
They have been without food now
for over three months.

318
00:36:27,507 --> 00:36:32,011
Each day brings them closer
to exhaustion and starvation.

319
00:36:36,814 --> 00:36:40,817
Eventually, some,
usually the older ones,

320
00:36:40,817 --> 00:36:44,988
will simply fall asleep
and disappear.

321
00:37:07,538 --> 00:37:09,840
[SQUAWKING]

322
00:37:36,561 --> 00:37:38,563
Now it is dark
almost all the time.

323
00:37:41,365 --> 00:37:44,334
And the mother of all blizzards
is about to arrive.

324
00:37:49,471 --> 00:37:51,507
The fathers
now make an extra effort

325
00:37:51,507 --> 00:37:54,775
to weld their bodies together
and resist the winter's rage.

326
00:37:59,646 --> 00:38:01,147
Above them,

327
00:38:01,147 --> 00:38:03,516
the southern lights dance
virtually around the clock,

328
00:38:03,516 --> 00:38:07,252
for now
there is almost only night.

329
00:38:28,436 --> 00:38:31,438
[######]

330
00:38:34,540 --> 00:38:36,341
The hungry mothers
aren't the only ones

331
00:38:36,341 --> 00:38:39,010
overjoyed
by their return to the sea.

332
00:38:39,010 --> 00:38:41,245
Their predators, unfortunately,

333
00:38:41,245 --> 00:38:44,147
are happy to have them back
as well.

334
00:39:46,829 --> 00:39:49,132
With a snap of its jaws,

335
00:39:49,132 --> 00:39:51,433
the leopard seal
actually takes two lives:

336
00:39:51,433 --> 00:39:53,435
That of the trapped mother,

337
00:39:53,435 --> 00:39:57,371
and that of her unborn chick,
who will never be fed.

338
00:40:06,211 --> 00:40:07,979
By July,

339
00:40:07,979 --> 00:40:11,815
the females know it is time
to return to their nest.

340
00:40:11,815 --> 00:40:14,484
And so,
for the third time this year,

341
00:40:14,484 --> 00:40:16,620
the mothers
take the long walk.

342
00:40:19,155 --> 00:40:21,990
Only this time,
they walk in the dark.

343
00:40:37,035 --> 00:40:38,869
[HONKS]

344
00:40:47,343 --> 00:40:50,579
[######]

345
00:40:50,579 --> 00:40:55,416
The ravenous
and freezing night lingers,

346
00:40:55,416 --> 00:40:57,485
seemingly without end,

347
00:40:57,485 --> 00:40:58,985
until finally

348
00:40:58,985 --> 00:41:02,888
the darkness begins
its slow retreat.

349
00:41:13,897 --> 00:41:16,899
[######]

350
00:42:11,376 --> 00:42:12,744
After many months,

351
00:42:12,744 --> 00:42:16,079
light returns in earnest
to the South Pole...

352
00:42:16,079 --> 00:42:17,914
but only momentarily.

353
00:42:19,782 --> 00:42:22,651
And yet it is enough.

354
00:42:26,822 --> 00:42:30,257
[FAINT CHIRPING]

355
00:42:36,228 --> 00:42:40,465
Their victory over winter
has begun.

356
00:42:40,465 --> 00:42:44,034
Their efforts
have not been in vain.

357
00:43:18,561 --> 00:43:20,697
Though the light is returning,

358
00:43:20,697 --> 00:43:23,165
the winter is far from over.

359
00:43:27,702 --> 00:43:31,638
The worst
is actually yet to come.

360
00:44:13,304 --> 00:44:18,141
No matter how cold it is
or how hungry they are,

361
00:44:18,141 --> 00:44:20,443
the fathers must keep moving.

362
00:44:20,443 --> 00:44:23,512
If they don't, they will die.

363
00:44:25,313 --> 00:44:27,349
But then...

364
00:44:28,717 --> 00:44:32,319
[PEEPING]

365
00:44:47,565 --> 00:44:49,299
[PEEPING]

366
00:45:04,211 --> 00:45:06,479
[PEEPING]

367
00:45:18,789 --> 00:45:20,924
Each day, more eggs will hatch.

368
00:45:20,924 --> 00:45:23,058
But this chick is hungry.

369
00:45:23,058 --> 00:45:26,194
He needs the food
in his mother's belly.

370
00:45:27,729 --> 00:45:29,865
But his father is hungry too.

371
00:45:29,865 --> 00:45:32,500
He hasn't eaten
in nearly four months now.

372
00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:34,567
[SQUAWKS]

373
00:45:37,169 --> 00:45:39,005
If his mate
doesn't arrive soon,

374
00:45:39,005 --> 00:45:41,205
he will be forced
to abandon his child

375
00:45:41,205 --> 00:45:43,942
and return to the sea
to feed himself.

376
00:45:45,343 --> 00:45:48,879
He will have no choice.

377
00:45:52,983 --> 00:45:55,017
[SQUAWKS]

378
00:45:58,686 --> 00:45:59,721
[SQUAWKS]

379
00:46:02,823 --> 00:46:06,659
But there is one secret weapon
against his newborn's hunger.

380
00:46:06,659 --> 00:46:09,562
The father coughs up
a milky substance.

381
00:46:11,963 --> 00:46:13,432
Despite his own hunger,

382
00:46:13,432 --> 00:46:14,866
this tiny meal

383
00:46:14,866 --> 00:46:17,067
has been relegated
to a small crease in his throat

384
00:46:17,067 --> 00:46:19,502
just for this moment.

385
00:46:24,807 --> 00:46:26,608
This little banquet

386
00:46:26,608 --> 00:46:29,777
will keep the chick alive
for a day, perhaps two.

387
00:46:31,779 --> 00:46:34,514
Hopefully, long enough
for the mother to arrive.

388
00:46:36,115 --> 00:46:39,518
For some,
it is already too late.

389
00:46:58,033 --> 00:47:01,036
[######]

390
00:47:08,441 --> 00:47:10,076
The mothers
step up their rhythm,

391
00:47:10,076 --> 00:47:12,277
as if sensing the urgency.

392
00:47:57,813 --> 00:47:59,681
They shuffle along
as quickly as possible,

393
00:47:59,681 --> 00:48:02,216
hauling
their over-stuffed bellies

394
00:48:02,216 --> 00:48:04,518
one last mile,

395
00:48:04,518 --> 00:48:08,420
and then, at last,
they are back.

396
00:48:08,420 --> 00:48:10,356
[TRUMPETING]

397
00:48:10,356 --> 00:48:13,458
[SQUAWKING LOUDLY]

398
00:48:24,233 --> 00:48:26,468
[CROWING AND HONKING]

399
00:48:53,023 --> 00:48:55,658
To find each other
in the enormous crowd,

400
00:48:55,658 --> 00:48:57,693
the penguins
must rely on sound,

401
00:48:57,693 --> 00:48:59,527
not sight.

402
00:48:59,527 --> 00:49:00,795
As they circle,

403
00:49:00,795 --> 00:49:02,964
the returning mothers
trumpet loudly,

404
00:49:02,964 --> 00:49:05,832
and wait for their mates
to call back.

405
00:49:05,832 --> 00:49:07,768
[SQUAWKING]

406
00:49:34,354 --> 00:49:36,957
The sound is deafening.

407
00:49:36,957 --> 00:49:38,491
And yet, somehow,

408
00:49:38,491 --> 00:49:41,227
each of them will hear
their mate's song.

409
00:50:21,791 --> 00:50:23,893
The couple
has found one another.

410
00:50:23,893 --> 00:50:28,130
The mother sees her chick
for the first time,

411
00:50:28,130 --> 00:50:32,967
and at last,
the family is together.

412
00:50:42,742 --> 00:50:44,542
[PEEPING]

413
00:51:01,957 --> 00:51:04,259
[PEEPING]

414
00:51:07,128 --> 00:51:09,062
And just as they did
with the egg,

415
00:51:09,062 --> 00:51:10,997
the parents now quickly
pass off the newborn

416
00:51:10,997 --> 00:51:13,266
from one to the other.

417
00:51:40,187 --> 00:51:42,588
Now it is the mother's turn

418
00:51:42,588 --> 00:51:45,691
to protect her chick
from the fierce cold.

419
00:51:51,028 --> 00:51:53,730
[CHIRPS]

420
00:51:55,865 --> 00:51:58,201
The father and his chick
sing to one another,

421
00:51:58,201 --> 00:52:02,104
making sure each knows
the other's voice.

422
00:52:02,104 --> 00:52:04,072
[SQUAWKING]

423
00:52:04,072 --> 00:52:05,539
It is the only way

424
00:52:05,539 --> 00:52:08,209
the two will find each other
when the father returns.

425
00:52:09,576 --> 00:52:12,978
[PEEPING]

426
00:52:18,917 --> 00:52:22,653
As the chick enjoys
his first real meal,

427
00:52:22,653 --> 00:52:24,454
the father prepares

428
00:52:24,454 --> 00:52:26,656
to sever the bond
between them.

429
00:52:31,660 --> 00:52:33,295
It's not easy to do.

430
00:52:40,066 --> 00:52:42,135
The fathers
have gone without food

431
00:52:42,135 --> 00:52:44,170
for over four months.

432
00:52:44,170 --> 00:52:48,006
They will have lost
as much as half their weight,

433
00:52:48,006 --> 00:52:51,976
but still, they must walk
for over 70 miles.

434
00:52:54,077 --> 00:52:55,512
This leg of the journey

435
00:52:55,512 --> 00:52:58,215
may be why there are
fewer males than females.

436
00:52:58,215 --> 00:53:00,916
Each year,
some of these new fathers

437
00:53:00,916 --> 00:53:03,785
will not make it back
to the sea.

438
00:53:06,121 --> 00:53:09,123
[######]

439
00:53:47,386 --> 00:53:50,789
[SQUAWKING AND PEEPING]

440
00:54:05,167 --> 00:54:06,500
Like the sun,

441
00:54:06,500 --> 00:54:09,669
the chicks grow stronger
every day.

442
00:54:09,669 --> 00:54:11,338
[PEEPING]

443
00:54:11,338 --> 00:54:14,007
But they are not yet ready
to leave their mothers.

444
00:54:20,045 --> 00:54:21,679
[PEEPING]

445
00:54:41,028 --> 00:54:44,330
[PEEPING]

446
00:55:16,522 --> 00:55:18,290
[HONKING]

447
00:55:26,663 --> 00:55:30,066
In time, after being perched
atop their mother's feet

448
00:55:30,066 --> 00:55:31,467
for a thousand paces,

449
00:55:31,467 --> 00:55:34,736
like a child learning to dance
on her mother's shoes,

450
00:55:34,736 --> 00:55:39,340
the chick takes
his first steps alone.

451
00:56:05,327 --> 00:56:08,129
[######]

452
00:57:15,148 --> 00:57:18,117
[WIND GUSTING]

453
00:57:19,618 --> 00:57:25,089
With the wind's return,
the temperature drops.

454
00:57:25,089 --> 00:57:29,159
This year, winter's
going out with a bang.

455
00:57:31,660 --> 00:57:34,662
[WIND HOWLING]

456
00:58:28,405 --> 00:58:31,274
This is the first storm
for the new chicks,

457
00:58:31,274 --> 00:58:33,776
and many of them
will not survive it.

458
00:58:33,776 --> 00:58:36,778
[######]

459
00:58:43,283 --> 00:58:46,587
[CHIRPING]

460
01:00:03,647 --> 01:00:05,981
When the winds stop,

461
01:00:05,981 --> 01:00:10,151
the search for lost chicks
begins.

462
01:00:10,151 --> 01:00:13,854
Some have kept warm
by huddling together.

463
01:00:13,854 --> 01:00:18,491
Others have not been so lucky.

464
01:00:30,234 --> 01:00:34,704
The loss is unbearable.

465
01:00:43,344 --> 01:00:47,147
[BLEATING]

466
01:01:25,209 --> 01:01:28,879
Every year, some bereft mother
will respond to her agony

467
01:01:28,879 --> 01:01:31,414
in an unimaginable way.

468
01:01:33,350 --> 01:01:35,351
Having lost her own chick,

469
01:01:35,351 --> 01:01:37,486
she will attempt
to steal another's.

470
01:01:37,486 --> 01:01:39,220
[CROAKING]

471
01:01:47,728 --> 01:01:50,229
But the group
will not allow it.

472
01:01:50,229 --> 01:01:52,265
[LOUD SQUAWKING]

473
01:02:25,323 --> 01:02:26,991
Back in its mother's care,

474
01:02:26,991 --> 01:02:30,795
the chick is not eager
to leave again.

475
01:02:30,795 --> 01:02:33,630
Despite having known each other
only a few days,

476
01:02:33,630 --> 01:02:35,732
the bond
between mother and child

477
01:02:35,732 --> 01:02:37,833
is surprisingly strong.

478
01:02:39,267 --> 01:02:43,170
In the next few weeks,
it will only grow stronger.

479
01:02:48,341 --> 01:02:49,676
[SQUAWKS]

480
01:03:12,894 --> 01:03:15,496
[CHIRPING]

481
01:03:19,098 --> 01:03:22,101
[######]

482
01:03:24,570 --> 01:03:26,504
Winter's grip slowly weakens,

483
01:03:26,504 --> 01:03:29,206
and the chicks
begin to run free.

484
01:03:49,956 --> 01:03:54,226
Some need
a little encouragement.

485
01:03:56,294 --> 01:03:59,564
But eventually,
they all find their way.

486
01:04:01,131 --> 01:04:05,502
[######]

487
01:05:41,477 --> 01:05:43,578
Winter may have ended...

488
01:05:43,578 --> 01:05:46,246
[SHRIEKS]

489
01:05:46,246 --> 01:05:49,483
but the dangers have not.

490
01:05:49,483 --> 01:05:51,217
[######]

491
01:05:56,221 --> 01:05:57,856
[PEEPING]

492
01:06:01,759 --> 01:06:03,994
[SHRIEKS]

493
01:06:24,744 --> 01:06:27,178
[PEEPING]

494
01:06:28,046 --> 01:06:29,981
[SQUAWKING]

495
01:06:31,215 --> 01:06:32,617
[PEEPING]

496
01:06:43,058 --> 01:06:44,626
[PEEPING]

497
01:06:57,669 --> 01:07:00,371
[PENGUINS SQUAWKING]

498
01:07:53,580 --> 01:07:56,049
It is late August now,

499
01:07:56,049 --> 01:07:58,316
and time for the mothers
to return

500
01:07:58,316 --> 01:08:00,552
and feed once more.

501
01:08:06,990 --> 01:08:08,591
For some,

502
01:08:08,591 --> 01:08:11,627
this development
is unacceptable.

503
01:08:14,563 --> 01:08:17,131
But it is also non-negotiable.

504
01:08:42,651 --> 01:08:45,855
Because they are
old enough now,

505
01:08:45,855 --> 01:08:49,156
the chicks are left alone
for the first time.

506
01:08:49,156 --> 01:08:52,426
[PEEPING]

507
01:09:02,366 --> 01:09:05,369
[######]

508
01:09:20,815 --> 01:09:22,382
As spring arrives,

509
01:09:22,382 --> 01:09:24,017
the ice packs
near the ocean's edge

510
01:09:24,017 --> 01:09:25,819
begin to melt,

511
01:09:25,819 --> 01:09:27,353
shortening the distance

512
01:09:27,353 --> 01:09:29,822
between the sea
and the breeding ground.

513
01:09:32,790 --> 01:09:35,026
It isn't long
before the fathers return,

514
01:09:35,026 --> 01:09:37,861
their bellies heavy with food.

515
01:09:40,796 --> 01:09:44,499
[SQUAWKING]

516
01:09:49,303 --> 01:09:51,872
The chicks will gather at once
to meet them...

517
01:09:51,872 --> 01:09:53,606
[CHIRPING]

518
01:09:53,606 --> 01:09:55,742
...and sound their calls.

519
01:10:03,015 --> 01:10:04,582
The returning fathers

520
01:10:04,582 --> 01:10:06,216
will circle
the excited newborns

521
01:10:06,216 --> 01:10:07,350
and listen...

522
01:10:07,350 --> 01:10:09,920
[CHICK CHIRPING]

523
01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:12,521
...until he hears
his chick's call.

524
01:10:15,457 --> 01:10:18,459
[######]

525
01:10:25,899 --> 01:10:28,401
Some will never
find their chick.

526
01:10:28,401 --> 01:10:30,468
The newborn will have died...

527
01:10:30,468 --> 01:10:33,505
from cold or hunger

528
01:10:33,505 --> 01:10:36,974
or at the hands
of some predator.

529
01:10:36,974 --> 01:10:40,944
But for those
that do find their young,

530
01:10:40,944 --> 01:10:43,947
the reunion is a joyful one.

531
01:10:47,683 --> 01:10:49,383
And very quickly,

532
01:10:49,383 --> 01:10:52,620
the young chick's belly
will be full again.

533
01:11:04,362 --> 01:11:07,364
For the next several months,
the parents will take turns

534
01:11:07,364 --> 01:11:09,800
shuttling
back and forth to the sea

535
01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:11,667
for food.

536
01:11:29,816 --> 01:11:32,551
And occasionally,

537
01:11:32,551 --> 01:11:37,488
the new family can actually
spend some time together.

538
01:11:48,763 --> 01:11:53,234
[CHIRPING]

539
01:12:04,743 --> 01:12:07,045
[######]

540
01:12:33,298 --> 01:12:34,632
By September,

541
01:12:34,632 --> 01:12:37,735
the ice has begun
to thin and crack.

542
01:12:37,735 --> 01:12:40,837
The sea gets closer,

543
01:12:40,837 --> 01:12:42,605
allowing the parents
to go back and forth

544
01:12:42,605 --> 01:12:44,473
more frequently.

545
01:12:48,343 --> 01:12:50,445
The chicks'
new coat of feathers

546
01:12:50,445 --> 01:12:52,880
is now thick and full,

547
01:12:52,880 --> 01:12:55,049
enough to protect them
on their own.

548
01:13:02,021 --> 01:13:03,388
And by November,

549
01:13:03,388 --> 01:13:05,556
the ocean is within
a few hundred yards

550
01:13:05,556 --> 01:13:06,857
of the breeding ground.

551
01:13:15,731 --> 01:13:17,266
As the ice melts,

552
01:13:17,266 --> 01:13:22,537
the brand-new family prepares
to go their separate ways.

553
01:13:33,345 --> 01:13:35,046
The couples,

554
01:13:35,046 --> 01:13:37,681
locked
for the past nine months

555
01:13:37,681 --> 01:13:40,617
in their ancient ritual
of coming and going,

556
01:13:40,617 --> 01:13:43,653
will now part
for the last time.

557
01:13:51,001 --> 01:13:53,993
And as their newest members look on...

558
01:13:54,171 --> 01:13:58,631
...the tribe returns to their home, at last.

559
01:13:58,009 --> 01:14:01,012
[######]

560
01:14:14,725 --> 01:14:16,556
For the next three months...

561
01:14:16,728 --> 01:14:20,459
...they will lavish in the rich and warmish
waters of their short summer.

562
01:14:20,631 --> 01:14:22,292
They will feed...

563
01:14:22,466 --> 01:14:23,956
...and they will play.

564
01:14:24,134 --> 01:14:26,193
And in all likelihood...

565
01:14:26,370 --> 01:14:29,203
...their chicks
will never see them again.

566
01:14:32,275 --> 01:14:37,303
They will remain here alone and
unsupervised for a few more weeks...

567
01:14:37,547 --> 01:14:39,071
...growing stronger.

568
01:14:39,050 --> 01:14:42,053
[WATER SPLASHING]

569
01:14:46,691 --> 01:14:48,886
The ice continues to melt...

570
01:14:49,059 --> 01:14:52,426
...returning the borrowed water
to the sea.

571
01:14:57,802 --> 01:14:59,565
And beckoning the young penguins...

572
01:14:59,736 --> 01:15:02,534
...into the ocean as well.

573
01:15:30,500 --> 01:15:32,331
It is now December...

574
01:15:32,502 --> 01:15:35,938
...and they are ready to leave the place
where they were born.

575
01:15:37,374 --> 01:15:39,968
And although they have
never known the ocean...

576
01:15:40,177 --> 01:15:41,735
...nor touched it...

577
01:15:41,913 --> 01:15:44,643
...they, like their parents...

578
01:15:44,816 --> 01:15:47,011
...are of the sea.

579
01:15:53,891 --> 01:15:56,860
And so one day...

580
01:15:57,327 --> 01:15:59,955
...they'll take the plunge...

581
01:16:01,098 --> 01:16:04,534
...and go home for the first time.

582
01:16:11,142 --> 01:16:14,145
[######]

583
01:16:36,000 --> 01:16:39,800
For four years.
the chicks will live at sea.

584
01:16:40,003 --> 01:16:43,996
But as the sunlight begins to disappear
at the end of their fifth year...

585
01:16:44,174 --> 01:16:46,699
...and the warm days begin to cool...

586
01:16:46,878 --> 01:16:49,813
...they, too, will climb out of the water.

587
01:16:49,981 --> 01:16:52,040
And they will march...

588
01:16:52,215 --> 01:16:54,615
...just as they have done for centuries...

589
01:16:54,784 --> 01:16:58,276
...ever since the emperor penguin
decided to stay...

590
01:16:58,455 --> 01:17:01,185
...to live and love...

591
01:17:01,358 --> 01:17:04,623
...in the harshest place on Earth.

592
01:17:05,196 --> 01:17:08,199
[######]