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00:00Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth.
00:13That creature is us.
00:18All over the world, we still use our ingenuity to survive in the wild places, far from the
00:25city lights, face to face with raw nature.
00:31This is the human planet.
00:48At the top of our planet lies one of the most remote places on Earth, the Arctic.
01:03In winter, the region is frozen and dark for months on end.
01:15There are no trees, and there are no plants to eat.
01:23We humans weren't built to withstand a landscape as hostile as this, and yet, four million
01:32people live here.
01:37Their survival relies upon an intimate knowledge of this, the most hostile habitat on Earth.
01:55The
02:19beginning of a new Arctic year.
02:25After months of winter darkness, the sun finally returns to this frozen land.
02:38For the Inuit of Sattut, Greenland, the sun's return marks the beginning of their hunting
02:43calendar.
02:53Now that the residents have enough daylight, a world of opportunity opens up.
03:04They can embark on expeditions far from town, traveling across the thousands of kilometers
03:14of sea ice that lead to their hunting grounds.
03:34Today Amos Jensen and his son, Carl Friere, have to feed their dogs.
03:43Their dogs are essential.
03:45At this time of year, the dog sled is their only means of transportation.
04:01Because their hunting trip could take some time, father and son will need a few comforts
04:06of home, or even home itself.
04:22To find the most nutritious dog food, Amos and Carl Friere need to travel many kilometers
04:28across the sea ice.
04:35What they're after is a real-life Arctic sea monster, a Greenland shark.
04:59To support their weight, the ice only needs to be five centimeters thick, about two inches.
05:10This ice is nearly a meter thick, and it could support a jumbo jet.
05:26Amos knows that Greenland sharks are partial to whale meat, and he also knows they live
05:34in the deepest waters.
05:45Now both men and dogs have to wait for something to take the bait.
06:14As temperatures plummet to minus 35 degrees Celsius, the dog's thick fur keeps them warm.
06:27Without their hut, Amos and Carl Friere would freeze to death.
06:47It's time to check if the dogs will eat today.
06:57From the vibrations he feels on the fishing line, he knows they've hooked something.
07:06But he won't know if it's a shark until they pull it up.
07:17It's down so deep, they have to stretch their fishing line along the ice in hundred-meter lengths.
07:31They pull their catch up a staggering 800 meters, nearly twice the height of the Empire State Building.
08:01They've caught the Greenland shark they were hoping for.
08:32The Greenland shark is the only native Arctic shark.
08:39It's one of the largest predators in these seas.
08:48Researchers have found caribou and even polar bears in its stomach.
09:00The shark has accidentally wrapped the fishing line around its tail.
09:07It's not the normal way to land a shark, but a catch is a catch.
09:30Amos and Carl can't lift the shark by themselves, so they enlist the help of the dogs.
09:50This shark is four meters long, weighs over half a ton and is the largest they've ever caught.
10:17But it will only feed their 20 dogs for two weeks.
10:32For Greenlanders, it is essential to have well-fed dogs if they're to continue hunting and fishing.
11:02Here in the Arctic, the bond between man and dog is so important, it's unlikely we would have colonized this habitat without our best friends.
11:15As the year moves on, so does the quest for survival.
11:23Even though it's March, the Arctic Ocean is still dominated by sea ice.
11:30An area four times the size of the United States is frozen over.
11:39The ice connects Europe to Russia, and Russia to North America.
11:47And here, in the Canadian Arctic, people have a unique insight into what lies beneath the ice.
11:56In Kangijusuaq, northeast Canada, Lukasi Napolu is watching the tides.
12:04Tomorrow, the spring equinox will create the most extreme tides of the year, and a spectacular opportunity for a meal.
12:27The Neap tide literally opens a door for a garden of seafood just below the ice.
12:35You just need to know where to find it.
12:42Lukasi and his friends prefer snowmobiles to dog sleds.
12:51And they don't bother to bring along a shelter, either.
13:02Everything they need to protect themselves from the elements is right beneath their feet.
13:21Even if it's minus 45 degrees Celsius outside, body warmth can heat an igloo to a balmy plus 16.
13:31A full 60 degrees warmer.
13:51Cozy inside their igloo, Lukasi and his friends must now wait.
13:59Before they can hunt, something extraordinary has to happen.
14:06Underneath the sea ice, the tide is going out.
14:12And out.
14:16The floating ice drops a staggering 12 meters, nearly 40 feet, exposing the seabed, and hopefully, the ocean.
14:27The floating ice drops a staggering 12 meters, nearly 40 feet, exposing the seabed, and hopefully, the bounty thereafter.
14:41Lukasi and his friends try to get under the ice as quickly as possible.
14:47They have just half an hour before the tide comes back in.
14:57The world beneath their feet is unstable.
15:03The giant blocks of ice are no longer supported by water, and could collapse at any moment.
15:27This is the only place on Earth where the tides are extreme enough to allow people to dare venture under the sea ice.
15:40And in a chamber that moments ago was underwater, they find what they're looking for.
15:46Mussels.
15:50All they could hope for.
15:55Now they have just minutes to gather all they can carry.
16:04The returning tide is an unstoppable force.
16:25As the sea steadily flows back, it lifts the huge blocks of ice over their heads.
16:39Even as they escape, the ice shifts around them.
16:46The ocean reclaims its secret garden.
17:01Lukasi can only harvest mussels for the few days of extreme tides.
17:08Mussels are a delicious way to break up a diet that during winter has been mainly seal meat and fish.
17:19But summer is on the way, and everything is about to change.
17:26By June, the sun finally pushes temperatures above zero.
17:32The sea ice begins to melt.
17:36It's the perfect time to go diving.
17:40It's the perfect time to go diving.
17:44It's the perfect time to go diving.
17:48It's the perfect time to go diving.
17:53The sea ice begins to melt.
17:57And as it breaks apart, it triggers an annual summer migration.
18:08Animals that have spent the winter far offshore follow the melting ice into the bays and fjords.
18:17For Arctic hunters, this creates a unique opportunity.
18:34Mamaruk Kristiansen and his brothers Mikkole and Gedje are Thule Inuit from northern Greenland.
18:43They're rushing to keep the most important appointment in their hunting calendar.
18:49They must be punctual.
18:52In just a few weeks, the sea ice they're traveling on will melt away.
18:58Their goal is the most precious food in the Arctic.
19:07Narwhal.
19:13Whale.
19:17These legendary whales are looking for a way into the bay.
19:23This is a mythic creature.
19:31But it is also a source of the rarest vitamin in the Arctic.
19:37Vitamin C.
19:43Vitamin C.
19:47In a landscape with so few edible fruits or plants, the Inuit don't have alternatives.
20:12Spotting narwhal is hard enough.
20:15Even scientists who study them rarely see them.
20:19But if Mikkole is going to catch one, the narwhal will have to swim a great deal closer than this.
20:28I need a pretty hot kicker there.
20:32Oh no, not that one.
20:35A bucky heme.
20:41It could be weeks before the three brothers see narwhal again.
20:47But they have to stay alert, and there's plenty to prepare.
20:53In this region, the law states that hunters can only use traditional methods.
20:59This means traveling in kayaks, a craft the Inuit invented thousands of years ago.
21:06And using the abatak, a buoy made from the skin of a ring seal.
21:24Yep.
21:29Even though it's midnight, the sun still shines.
21:34In June, the sun simply circles the sky, never dipping below the horizon.
21:54It's vital that one of them stands guard at all times.
21:58But Gedeon isn't just looking for narwhal.
22:05He's watching the ice.
22:13Already, it's thinning and breaking apart.
22:17If they're not careful, the brothers could find themselves adrift on a melting piece of ice.
22:48It's been a long time since I've been here.
22:52It's been ten years.
23:18TEN YEARS LATER
23:38Mammoroot and Gedeon know not to panic.
23:42Narwhal are extremely skittish.
23:46So the hunters enter the water with care.
24:03The three brothers work as a team.
24:07They're after just one whale.
24:12It's an ambush.
24:22The narwhal pass within 50 feet of Micolet.
24:28But still, all three hunters wait.
24:34If he strikes too soon, the whole pod will die.
24:42MICOLET
24:51His eye is on the stragglers bringing up the rear.
24:56MICOLET
25:08Especially in the final approach, Micolet must be silent.
25:15And directly behind his prey.
25:26MICOLET
25:39MICOLET
25:43MICOLET
25:52MICOLET
25:56MICOLET
26:05MICOLET
26:11MICOLET
26:17MICOLET
26:26Their success will benefit the whole community.
26:31The single narwhal will feed their families for weeks, if not months.
26:47The most prized part of the narwhal is the skin.
26:51They call it maktak.
26:53It's their primary source of vitamin C.
26:57Ounce for ounce, narwhal skin contains almost as much vitamin C as oranges.
27:10Without narwhal, it's doubtful that the Inuit would ever have survived in this part of the Arctic.
27:17JULY
27:21It's now July and the sun finally wins its battle.
27:28The sea ice melts into open ocean.
27:35To find food, man turns his attention to the land.
27:46Sirapalook, Greenland, is the northernmost native settlement on Earth.
27:53Every year, Mahinka Oshima is treated to a spectacle.
27:59Millions of little orcs on migration.
28:04They come here to breed on the cliffs.
28:10And for predators, there's a mouth-watering supply of protein whizzing overhead.
28:16If you can reach it.
28:47JULY
29:05Thousands of years ago, Mahinka's ancestors worked out how to make nets out of sinew and driftwood.
29:12And they created the same hiding spots he uses today.
29:28On a good day, Mahinka can gather up to 500 birds.
29:37But he won't eat them now.
29:42He'll take his cue from a fellow hunter.
29:46Arctic foxes often stuff a few birds underground so that when times are lean, they'll have food to fall back on.
29:54The birds can be used to make kiviak, a dish that you save for a rainy day.
30:03The recipe is thousands of years old, and it goes like this.
30:10The bird's head is cut in half.
30:15The bird's tail is cut in half.
30:18The recipe is thousands of years old, and it goes like this.
30:24Take one seal skin.
30:30Stuff as many little orcs inside it as you can.
30:35At least 500.
30:39Sew it up.
30:42Make sure you press all the air out.
30:49Seal fat repels flies, so be generous when coating the seams.
30:55And finally, use a big rock to make sure no more air gets in.
31:08Mahinka's kiviak won't be ready for three months, but the frozen ground is a natural refrigerator.
31:14Come winter, he and his family will have a vital supply of food.
31:29It's now September.
31:33Days are getting shorter and temperatures are plummeting.
31:37The few plants that have managed to grow over the short Arctic summer are dying back.
31:45This is exactly what is happening on Arnoi Island, northern Norway.
31:573,000 reindeer have been grazing here all summer.
32:02But now they have to move, because their winter food source, lichen, can only be found 450 kilometers away.
32:11And to get to it, they'll have to cross this, the Arnoi Strait.
32:21Ella Helena Siri is in charge of leading these reindeer across the water.
32:32She belongs to a family of Sami reindeer herders.
32:45Before the migration begins, Ella helps split the deer into smaller groups, so they can give them vital medicine.
33:02On the day she was born, Ella was given a portion of this herd.
33:10Now aged 20 and a recent graduate of Norway's Reindeer College,
33:15it's up to her to make sure they all survive the perilous journey ahead.
33:21It will take nearly a month for these deer to migrate to their winter pastures.
33:30But today is the toughest day of all, because the deer have to swim two and a half kilometers across the channel.
33:38These chilly arctic waters are only just above freezing.
33:45Even for adult reindeer, it's a bit of a challenge.
33:50They can't swim in the cold.
33:54They can't swim in the cold.
33:58They can't swim in the cold.
34:02They can't swim in the cold.
34:07For a reindeer, this is a long swim.
34:15But for this year's calves, which have never been in the water before, it's a marathon.
34:37As the young calves approach the halfway point, exhaustion sets in.
34:41Still sitting?
35:03Still sitting?...
35:04Still sitting?
35:06Still sitting?...
35:07Still sitting?..
35:11For Ella it's a tense moment, because if one calf turns around and swims back, the
35:20rest can follow.
35:21A baby female is in trouble and suddenly she turns back.
35:49Someone must stop her or the whole migration could derail.
36:16She's done it.
36:18The migration remains on track.
36:44After an hour of hard swimming, Ella and her reindeer reach the mainland.
37:05It won't be long before Ella's deer will be grazing on the lichen they need to get
37:10them through the winter.
37:16And it's not just animals looking for a meal at this time of year.
37:24In Greenland, Mahinka and his father are already breaking into the caches of little orcs they
37:29stored up in the summer.
37:35The birds have now fermented and have become the Inuit delicacy known as kiviak.
37:44It's easy to tell if your kiviak is ready by the aroma.
37:49It should sting the nostrils.
37:54This is why it's polite always to serve kiviak outdoors.
38:05The flavour should resemble extremely intense gorgonzola cheese.
38:13Nothing is wasted, everything is edible.
38:23The Inuit of northern Greenland love kiviak so much that it's the dish of choice for birthdays
38:28and weddings.
38:31And it's nutritious, full of vitamins and minerals that will sustain people over the
38:35winter months ahead.
38:44As September gives way to October, winter returns to the Arctic.
38:54The ocean ices over once again.
39:00One of the first places to freeze lies along Hudson's Bay near the town of Churchill, Manitoba.
39:11Every year, the thousand human residents must share their town with one of the few predators
39:16on earth that actively hunts human beings.
39:29From September to November, as many as 300 ravenous polar bears descend on Churchill
39:35on their way back to hunt on the sea ice.
39:42Bob Windsor is in charge of protecting the residents.
39:45He belongs to a special task force, the Polar Bear Alert Team.
39:52Polar bears are pure predators, so they kill other animals to eat, that's how they survive.
39:58Knowing that, you have to give them a little more respect because you could also be a potential
40:02meal for them.
40:03This is 1-9-0.
40:04I just want everybody to know that there's a bear coming towards town.
40:21As a first line of defense, Bob tries to frighten the bear back into the wilderness.
40:35But this skirmish isn't necessarily over.
40:39Desperate for something to eat, bears often return under cover of darkness.
40:52Which is bad news for Bob, because tonight, more than any other night, fills him with
40:58dread.
41:00Halloween is probably the busiest night of the year that we work, just by the sheer number
41:05of people that are out and about that evening.
41:14So the potential for something bad to happen is definitely there.
41:28At the same time as the trick-or-treaters hit the streets, people at the Royal Legion
41:32gather for their weekly meat raffle.
41:36The prize for winning is prime Canadian beef.
42:00This may seem cavalier, but the residents of Churchill refuse to live in fear.
42:08And the protection of the Polar Bear Patrol makes them feel safe.
42:13However, in the past, bears have mauled and killed people right here on Main Street.
42:21And Bob is all too aware of the risks.
42:26You always hope and pray that nothing bad is going to happen.
42:31Keep your eyes open.
42:35Be aware of your surroundings and always be thinking that there could be a bear nearby.
42:43They'll move around, you won't hear them.
42:46I kind of refer to them sometimes as ghosts, because they'll just disappear on you.
42:54They'll be there, and then where did it go?
42:57A little spooky that way.
43:02They're amazingly fast, amazingly agile, and amazingly stealthful.
43:08Hi guys, how are you doing?
43:19Trick or treat!
43:20Have you seen any bears this evening?
43:21No, it's been really good tonight.
43:23There was a bear in town earlier today, but there's been nothing tonight at all.
43:27Oh good, do you hear that girls?
43:28Okay, you have a good night tonight, okay?
43:30And keep your eyes open for polar bears too, okay?
43:33Thank you guys.
43:34Bye bye!
43:35Happy Halloween!
43:36Happy Halloween!
43:37See you little bear!
43:38Happy Halloween-y!
43:39Tonight the residents of Churchill are safe, but it was a closer call than many of them
43:52realised.
43:55Inside this bear trap is proof.
43:58Trick or treaters weren't the only ones stalking the streets last night.
44:02Lured into the cage by seal meat, this male weighs over half a ton.
44:15This bear is sedated and will be flown at least 60 kilometres outside of town.
44:28In the past, an average of 75 bears per year have been transported out of Churchill.
44:39But in recent years, the number of invading bears has halved, because in this part of
44:44the Arctic, polar bears are in decline.
44:58They have timed the sedatives so that it wears off soon after they land.
45:04This is done so that bears can protect themselves from other bears in the area.
45:10For Officer Windsor, it means working fast before this bear fully wakes up.
45:18A single swipe from a male this size could be fatal.
45:27It's a great feeling, because here it is, you're letting him go.
45:31You can't help but wonder where is it going to be going, how is it going to make out?
45:38It's very satisfying to see a bear actually get up and go on his way.
45:43Wish him well and hope for the best and hope to never see him again in town.
46:03With the sea ice forming fast, it won't be long before this polar bear can roam far and
46:09wide in search of food.
46:14But for people, moving around the Arctic is about to get a lot more treacherous, because
46:19the sun is deserting them.
46:23It's November in Ilulissat, Greenland, and the sun no longer rises above the horizon.
46:31The residents won't see daylight for another 54 days.
46:38They try to live their lives as normal.
46:40They still hunt and fish.
46:44Adults go to work.
46:49Children go to school.
46:53But it's all under the cover of darkness.
47:02As the dark days drag on, everybody yearns for the sun to come back.
47:13Finally, on January the 13th, they get their wish.
47:26The entire community comes out to celebrate the first sunrise of the new year.
47:44With every new sunrise, the Arctic is warming up, and the seasonal opportunities that have
47:53made life possible may not be here in years to come.
47:59However, the people of the Arctic are born survivors.
48:05If there's anyone who can adapt to the changes on the horizon, surely it's them.
48:22For the Arctic team, the Narwhal hunt was always going to be a challenge.
48:28The hunt happens in the spring, when the sea ice is at its most fragile and dangerous.
48:45Even knowing the risks, no one could have foreseen quite how much drama they would face
48:50in this treacherous place.
49:02Day one on the ice, and the experienced crew, including polar cameraman Doug Allen, are
49:06busy loading the sleds.
49:08Believe it or not, this is what you need to take six people out onto the ice for about
49:13a fortnight.
49:14It's a hell of a lot of stuff, isn't it?
49:17We've probably got about 400 kilos between six people, so to say we're travelling light
49:23is possibly a little understatement.
49:26With the kit and the person on board, each dog sled is having to carry about 100 kilos
49:32of freight, which is quite a lot, really, between 12 dogs.
49:40But this is what these dogs are bred for, and they're in their element.
49:45They set off across 27 kilometres of sea ice to open water.
49:50Three brothers, Mamaruk, Gedeon and Micolay, lead the crew on their quest for Narwhal.
50:04After only a couple of hours, the expedition encounters their first sign of danger.
50:10You can quite distinctly see the movement here.
50:14The swell's coming in from the open ocean, and it's just breaking it up, and this little
50:17crack here, which you can put your finger down, maybe 15 minutes from now it's going
50:22to be this wide.
50:23Half an hour, it'll be too wide to cross, so you really have to be careful.
50:28This ice is on the move all the time.
50:31The Inuit hunters decide the ice is too unstable, and the expedition is forced back to the safety
50:37of land.
50:38After five and a half hours of travelling, we've come all the way across the inlet.
50:45The ice edge is still unstable, so I think we'll wait the night out here and then maybe
50:49have a look-see tomorrow.
50:53The next morning, they pick their way across broken tidal ice to the sleds to check out
50:58the situation.
51:00I'm pleased that the hunters made the decision they did, because overnight we've lost three
51:05or four kilometres of the ice shelf, which is now disappearing rapidly in that direction.
51:12As we were coming into the fjord just now, we actually crossed our tracks and they disappeared
51:19off into the water, which was quite a sobering thought.
51:25When they do reach the edge, they can't believe their luck, as Mamarut quickly spots some
51:30narwhal.
51:32I've just seen some narwhal fumbling along the ice edge, so the guys are getting the
51:38kayaks ready, because if the narwhals come close, they might try to hunt them.
51:46Dogs ready to capture the action.
51:51But just when Gedian is in position to harpoon, the narwhal dies.
52:00They wait and hope for the whales to resurface.
52:06It's now one o'clock in the morning.
52:08We've been here for about 12 hours.
52:11The narwhal have gone, but the hunters are still pretty sure that they're going to come
52:15back and we're still waiting, and we're all getting very tired.
52:25The 24-hour daylight melts the ice from above, and ocean swells stress the ice from beneath.
52:33It's not the safest place to camp, but they must wait at the edge for the narwhal's return.
52:41The days start to run into weeks, and the crew have to extend their shoot.
52:48It's almost three weeks now that we've been on location, and this, this is the problem.
52:54There's no ice, and somewhere under here are the narwhals.
53:00It's really frustrating.
53:05Next, it's the weather that turns against them.
53:12It's just one thing after another, isn't it?
53:22I'll tell you how bored I am.
53:24I moved my tent this morning, and that was the most exciting thing I've done in three days.
53:29And I moved it six feet, but it kind of gave me a sense of satisfaction because I'd done something.
53:38As the days pass, the temperature rises and the ice thins, increasing the chance of something going wrong.
53:47Oh my God, yeah.
53:48Good, isn't it?
53:49Yeah.
53:50Oh my God, look at that.
53:53It's gorgeous.
53:56Did you hear it?
53:57Did you hear it?
53:58Oh, listen, listen.
54:00It's cracking, it's cracking right underneath us right now.
54:04You can't see it because there's snow on top, but there was like a...
54:11It's perfect narwhal conditions.
54:13Perfect light, perfect everything.
54:16And what's happening?
54:17We've got a swell.
54:18The swell can fracture the sea ice literally anywhere.
54:22That's no good news.
54:23So it's time to leave here and head to Seaford Green.
54:28They're normally laid back into it, up their pace, and the crew realise the situation is serious.
54:38We've got to go.
54:43Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up.
54:49Perfect.
54:50Doesn't look so good.
54:51Between us and Canach, there's a reed maybe 100 yards wide, it's opened up in the last 20 minutes, probably half an hour.
54:59They're all now cast adrift on an ice flow.
55:03I don't know how the hell I'm going to get off this now.
55:07They're facing an emergency and everyone's focus turns to survival.
55:14Stop this, please.
55:18The whole expedition is now floating away at an alarming rate.
55:26There are 13 people, 54 dogs and six sleds of kit to get to safety.
55:36Gideon has got into his canoe and is paddling furiously across the lead with a very fine trace wire
55:42onto which, by the looks of it, they're going to put a much thicker rope to physically haul from the other side the sleds across,
55:48which is very clever because they float.
55:50Amazing.
55:53Speed is of the essence as the wind blows the team further and further from land.
56:01The sea temperature here can kill in minutes.
56:05The only thing they pay is not to rock the boat.
56:11Get the important stuff on.
56:15The guys have done great, very impressed.
56:18No flat, knew what to do.
56:22After four hours ferrying, the kit and crew reach the other side safely.
56:29That still leaves 54 water-shy dogs.
56:47On the other side, they're still far from home and on ice that's breaking up around them.
56:56It's a race against time as there's more than 10 kilometres before they reach the safety of the village.
57:03Within sight of home, an inexperienced dog team makes a serious error.
57:19An unseen crack has opened up just metres from the village.
57:25The sea wider and the fully laden sledge would sink to the bottom, dragging the dogs under.
57:33There's a dog trapped under the sledge, but miraculously, even this one emerges unharmed.
57:42Doug and the rest of the crew spot the problem and find a better route home.
57:50It was another week before the ice was safe enough for the crew to film the full Narwhal hunt sequence.
57:57This shoot, more than any other, highlights the importance of the complete trust between the Human Planet crew and the local Inuit
58:06in a place where knowing your environment is the key to survival.
58:20For more information visit www.nrnl.org