1 00:00:27,485 --> 00:00:29,612 NARRATOR: Svalbard, 2 00:00:29,988 --> 00:00:35,035 a remote group of islands, deep in the Arctic Circle. 3 00:00:40,874 --> 00:00:43,126 A paradise for polar bears, 4 00:00:44,085 --> 00:00:50,175 and the location for one of the most ambitious polar bear films ever made. 5 00:00:52,469 --> 00:00:54,512 Disneynature has assembled 6 00:00:54,596 --> 00:00:58,308 some of the world's best cinematographers and guides 7 00:00:58,641 --> 00:01:03,563 to capture the life of this enigmatic and iconic animal. 8 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,654 Filmed over three years, 9 00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:15,909 the team will cover thousands of kilometers in search of bears... 10 00:01:15,992 --> 00:01:17,285 (WIND WHOOSHING) 11 00:01:17,368 --> 00:01:21,831 ...cope with temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius... 12 00:01:21,915 --> 00:01:24,250 People who haven't worked in these conditions, 13 00:01:24,334 --> 00:01:27,128 it's not really imaginable how difficult it is. 14 00:01:27,921 --> 00:01:32,550 NARRATOR: ...and be tested to the absolute limit of their endurance. 15 00:01:33,802 --> 00:01:37,806 But the challenges of working here are greater every year. 16 00:01:39,349 --> 00:01:42,894 This is the fastest warming place on the planet. 17 00:01:45,939 --> 00:01:51,402 As Svalbard's landscape melts, how will the bears and the crew 18 00:01:51,486 --> 00:01:54,614 adapt to a world that's losing its ice? 19 00:01:55,406 --> 00:01:57,075 (EXCLAIMS) 20 00:02:19,222 --> 00:02:23,226 Svalbard's islands are an untouched wilderness. 21 00:02:23,351 --> 00:02:24,477 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 22 00:02:25,854 --> 00:02:28,940 And a vital breeding ground for Arctic wildlife. 23 00:02:33,611 --> 00:02:37,448 ROLF STEINMANN: When I was a teenager, I was dreaming of Svalbard. 24 00:02:37,532 --> 00:02:40,535 Because, or me, it's the most poetic environment on Earth. 25 00:02:43,163 --> 00:02:46,833 It's so different from anything else you can experience. 26 00:02:46,916 --> 00:02:49,335 You have these gigantic glaciers, 27 00:02:49,419 --> 00:02:52,338 vast spaces of snow and ice. 28 00:02:52,422 --> 00:02:54,465 It's like a fairy-tale world. 29 00:02:55,133 --> 00:02:58,595 What you feel is, this is the realm of the polar bear. 30 00:03:05,977 --> 00:03:08,354 NARRATOR: Found in the far north of our planet, 31 00:03:08,438 --> 00:03:13,860 Svalbard sits in the Arctic Ocean, midway between Norway and the North Pole. 32 00:03:16,988 --> 00:03:19,949 The ocean around Svalbard freezes every winter, 33 00:03:20,033 --> 00:03:22,702 forming vast sheets of sea ice. 34 00:03:25,914 --> 00:03:31,294 It's the perfect hunting platform for the 300 polar bears that live here. 35 00:03:35,006 --> 00:03:37,759 OSKAR STROM: There are many challenges with filming bears. 36 00:03:38,384 --> 00:03:40,428 You have the fact that you need to find bears 37 00:03:40,553 --> 00:03:44,140 in a massive environment, you need to do it safely. 38 00:03:44,265 --> 00:03:48,436 So what we are looking for is sea ice that is thick enough to work safely on. 39 00:03:49,229 --> 00:03:52,190 We are completely dependent on good sea ice 40 00:03:52,273 --> 00:03:54,275 to find and film the bears. 41 00:04:02,784 --> 00:04:05,662 NARRATOR: In the most northerly town on the planet, 42 00:04:05,745 --> 00:04:10,458 the team has spent two years designing the perfect Arctic filming camp. 43 00:04:10,875 --> 00:04:12,502 Yep. We're good. 44 00:04:12,627 --> 00:04:13,795 STROM: This is a bit special 45 00:04:13,878 --> 00:04:17,173 because nobody's really ever tried anything like this before. 46 00:04:17,799 --> 00:04:20,176 We're trying to be out for the entire season. 47 00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:22,679 We're gonna be out for three, four months at least. 48 00:04:22,762 --> 00:04:26,933 And to do so, we have to construct this massive camp 49 00:04:27,016 --> 00:04:29,602 that we have been building and planning for the last year. 50 00:04:30,770 --> 00:04:32,188 You need everything out there. 51 00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:35,316 We need all equipment, we need accommodation for 10 people. 52 00:04:35,608 --> 00:04:37,819 We need showers, toilets, we need everything. 53 00:04:38,069 --> 00:04:40,863 So, once we're out there, we don't need to come back to town, 54 00:04:40,947 --> 00:04:45,535 we don't need to resupply, either people, or food, or fuel, or water, or anything. 55 00:04:45,702 --> 00:04:48,746 That also means that there's less impact on the environment. 56 00:04:48,830 --> 00:04:50,331 So, hopefully we can stay out there 57 00:04:50,415 --> 00:04:52,333 and just be out there for the whole season. 58 00:04:56,087 --> 00:04:58,548 NARRATOR: The camp is perfectly designed, 59 00:04:58,673 --> 00:05:03,678 but getting it into the bears' habitat is a huge logistical operation. 60 00:05:05,847 --> 00:05:08,558 So to get there, we've got these heavy, heavy sleds. 61 00:05:08,683 --> 00:05:12,979 They are pulled behind either a bulldozer or a PistenBully. 62 00:05:13,479 --> 00:05:16,482 And on top of that, we can sit very insulated. 63 00:05:16,566 --> 00:05:18,651 I'd call 'em environmentally-friendly barracks, 64 00:05:18,735 --> 00:05:22,405 because when we're using tent, we use so much fuel 65 00:05:22,488 --> 00:05:26,701 just to keep warm because the insulation properties are so bad. 66 00:05:26,784 --> 00:05:31,998 So these will allow us to stay warm, stay relatively comfortable and safe. 67 00:05:32,081 --> 00:05:33,458 And safe from the polar bears. 68 00:05:33,791 --> 00:05:35,126 Keep going. Keep going. 69 00:05:37,462 --> 00:05:40,465 (VEHICLE BEEPING) 70 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:49,766 NARRATOR: After years of planning, the moment of departure finally arrives. 71 00:06:08,117 --> 00:06:09,744 In all of Svalbard, 72 00:06:09,827 --> 00:06:15,708 there are just 40 kilometers of road, so the tarmac soon runs out. 73 00:06:24,050 --> 00:06:29,639 Out in the wilderness, the ice train must cover over 100 kilometers 74 00:06:29,722 --> 00:06:32,433 across incredibly challenging terrain. 75 00:06:56,124 --> 00:07:01,963 It seems like we're getting towards the more tricky part of the route, 76 00:07:02,964 --> 00:07:06,717 where it's starting to get a little bit wetter. 77 00:07:07,385 --> 00:07:09,637 We still have a lot of water coming from the glacier, 78 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,222 so this is gonna be one of the areas 79 00:07:11,305 --> 00:07:13,850 that are a little bit trickier than the other parts. 80 00:07:15,476 --> 00:07:17,270 So we'll see. 81 00:07:23,526 --> 00:07:26,529 NARRATOR: And it's not long before the worst happens. 82 00:07:28,448 --> 00:07:31,451 ROBERTS: This is not a small problem, it's actually a major problem. 83 00:07:33,578 --> 00:07:39,125 We have 50 ton of equipment stuck in the water, up to half a meter deep. 84 00:07:40,334 --> 00:07:43,963 So I must admit it's probably been the worst night of my life. 85 00:07:44,046 --> 00:07:46,340 I don't think I've ever had such a bad night. 86 00:07:47,091 --> 00:07:50,386 NARRATOR: It's minus 25 degrees Celsius. 87 00:07:50,511 --> 00:07:53,264 So the longer the sleds stay in slush, 88 00:07:53,347 --> 00:07:56,392 the more chance they'll become frozen into the ice. 89 00:07:57,643 --> 00:08:00,938 ROBERTS: This could take weeks to get this out, literally. 90 00:08:01,022 --> 00:08:06,402 Let it freeze, get a chain saw, start chain-sawing blocks, and yeah. 91 00:08:07,403 --> 00:08:09,071 Nothing's meant to be easy in life. 92 00:08:10,281 --> 00:08:13,659 Definitely not making a polar bear film. 93 00:08:14,327 --> 00:08:18,331 NARRATOR: The freeze is beginning, and the clock is ticking. 94 00:08:20,583 --> 00:08:24,045 Since we got stuck, one inch of ice. 95 00:08:25,087 --> 00:08:27,215 NARRATOR: With the towing vehicle on dry ground, 96 00:08:27,298 --> 00:08:31,385 an extra-long rope is attached back to the sled. 97 00:08:32,303 --> 00:08:35,264 It's now or never. 98 00:08:39,936 --> 00:08:44,190 (VEHICLE REVVING) 99 00:08:45,983 --> 00:08:48,694 ROBERTS: Yeah. Yeah, there it goes. 100 00:08:58,079 --> 00:09:01,332 That was a miracle. I did not expect that. 101 00:09:07,171 --> 00:09:09,215 That's the last sled pulled out of the ice. 102 00:09:15,763 --> 00:09:20,893 NARRATOR: Back on track, the ice train continues through another polar night. 103 00:09:26,691 --> 00:09:29,068 And after ten long days, 104 00:09:29,777 --> 00:09:32,238 they finally reach their destination. 105 00:09:35,074 --> 00:09:36,158 Finally here. 106 00:09:37,535 --> 00:09:39,996 What a day, huh? What a day. 107 00:09:41,455 --> 00:09:45,167 NARRATOR: This is the crew's home for the next three months. 108 00:09:46,127 --> 00:09:49,505 And Oskar has made sure they have all the essentials. 109 00:09:52,717 --> 00:09:54,969 This looks good. 110 00:09:55,761 --> 00:09:57,138 It's a lot of cookies. 111 00:09:57,513 --> 00:09:59,140 A lot of cookies. 112 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:05,062 The cabins will protect the crew from any hungry bears roaming the ice 113 00:10:06,397 --> 00:10:09,066 and give the team everything they need. 114 00:10:09,859 --> 00:10:13,446 Well, this is my little castle here. 115 00:10:14,363 --> 00:10:15,448 So... 116 00:10:17,325 --> 00:10:19,660 For some people, it might be not a lot of space, 117 00:10:19,744 --> 00:10:21,162 but for me, it's plenty. 118 00:10:21,245 --> 00:10:22,913 It's a comfortable bed. 119 00:10:23,372 --> 00:10:26,292 For me, very important, my book collection here, 120 00:10:26,375 --> 00:10:28,544 and then just the stuff that you need to survive. 121 00:10:29,754 --> 00:10:31,964 I think it's warm, which is the most important thing 122 00:10:32,048 --> 00:10:36,260 after the cold days in the field, and everything else is luxury. 123 00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:40,139 So, yeah, I'm super happy with what I have here. 124 00:10:43,309 --> 00:10:45,936 So, this is our bathroom. 125 00:10:46,228 --> 00:10:51,067 It's allowed to take a short shower for everyone once a week. 126 00:10:51,150 --> 00:10:54,945 And this is our magic toilet. It actually burns everything. 127 00:10:55,029 --> 00:10:56,614 So, all what we leave is ash. 128 00:10:57,239 --> 00:11:00,534 It's, I would say, quite environmentally friendly. 129 00:11:00,618 --> 00:11:06,540 So, yeah, again, all what you need to be clean and happy, I guess. 130 00:11:08,834 --> 00:11:11,253 NARRATOR: The cabins provide the perfect base. 131 00:11:12,963 --> 00:11:16,592 But polar bears cover hundreds of kilometers. 132 00:11:16,717 --> 00:11:20,304 So the crew will have to do the same. 133 00:11:23,015 --> 00:11:24,141 STROM: Ready? 134 00:11:29,313 --> 00:11:33,275 NARRATOR: Team guide Oskar has worked in this environment for 15 years, 135 00:11:33,359 --> 00:11:36,612 and his experience is key to keeping the crew safe. 136 00:11:45,663 --> 00:11:50,793 While they venture into one of the most remote landscapes on the planet. 137 00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:19,447 STROM: So now we're gonna drive up about 600, 700 meters, 138 00:12:20,281 --> 00:12:23,409 up to what we call a tabletop mountain, 139 00:12:23,492 --> 00:12:26,871 and see if we can find the polar bear. 140 00:12:28,706 --> 00:12:32,251 NARRATOR: They head for high ground for a better view. 141 00:12:34,086 --> 00:12:38,299 But as they climb, the snow gets deeper and deeper. 142 00:12:40,009 --> 00:12:42,970 Until eventually, they're stuck. 143 00:12:49,018 --> 00:12:50,853 -One, two, three. -(MEN GRUNTING) 144 00:12:51,353 --> 00:12:53,355 (LAUGHTER) 145 00:12:57,777 --> 00:12:59,570 (SNOWMOBILE BEEPING) 146 00:12:59,653 --> 00:13:03,574 NARRATOR: But Oskar's still convinced they can get through. 147 00:13:11,123 --> 00:13:12,625 (LAUGHS) Well... 148 00:13:12,792 --> 00:13:13,959 Our second guide got stuck, 149 00:13:14,043 --> 00:13:17,338 so I think we will not get through this snow. 150 00:13:17,421 --> 00:13:18,839 We have to find another route. 151 00:13:19,298 --> 00:13:22,218 -How does it feel to fail? -No, I haven't failed yet. 152 00:13:22,301 --> 00:13:23,969 (LAUGHS) I'm gonna give it another go. 153 00:13:37,608 --> 00:13:39,568 -STROM: Victory! -(STEINMANN LAUGHS) 154 00:13:42,321 --> 00:13:45,241 NARRATOR: With a path cleared and Oskar's pride intact... 155 00:13:45,324 --> 00:13:46,700 Oh, yes! 156 00:13:46,826 --> 00:13:48,911 NARRATOR: ...the team is back on track. 157 00:13:54,875 --> 00:13:56,961 But with no bears in sight, 158 00:13:57,044 --> 00:14:00,840 Oskar checks in with the team of scouts out on the sea ice. 159 00:14:01,507 --> 00:14:02,633 Jonathan. Jonathan, Oskar. 160 00:14:03,384 --> 00:14:05,177 Where are you located? 161 00:14:06,637 --> 00:14:09,515 JONATHAN ON RADIO: We are on the lookout on Deeperstein 162 00:14:09,598 --> 00:14:11,851 and we have found a polar bear. 163 00:14:11,934 --> 00:14:14,395 Okay. Is it a single polar bear? 164 00:14:14,895 --> 00:14:19,024 JONATHAN: Yeah, so it is a single polar bear from our perspective at least. 165 00:14:19,149 --> 00:14:21,902 Copy that. Okay, let's go. 166 00:14:48,762 --> 00:14:53,017 STEINMANN: Spotting for polar bears is like nothing else 167 00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:55,811 because most of the time you have 168 00:14:55,895 --> 00:14:58,230 a vast ice landscape in front of you. 169 00:14:58,981 --> 00:15:01,191 And what you're looking for 170 00:15:01,275 --> 00:15:05,946 are these tiny little yellowish dots in this landscape. 171 00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:10,117 Because polar bears are slightly yellowish, 172 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,787 and that makes them spottable in this landscape. 173 00:15:16,248 --> 00:15:18,334 I don't see a bear. 174 00:15:24,256 --> 00:15:27,426 There's nothing like encountering a polar bear. 175 00:15:28,344 --> 00:15:31,472 You feel it. It's magical. 176 00:15:34,183 --> 00:15:38,228 I feel like I have a pretty deep connection to polar bears. 177 00:15:38,312 --> 00:15:42,066 And, I mean, I'm pretentious enough to say the polar bear's my spirit animal. 178 00:15:45,152 --> 00:15:46,654 They are unique. 179 00:15:46,737 --> 00:15:49,573 They're out in this wilderness, on the ice, 180 00:15:49,657 --> 00:15:51,492 and they can survive out there. 181 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:58,916 RAGNHEID SOKGSETH: Looking at polar bears on sea ice, 182 00:15:58,999 --> 00:16:02,586 you just know that this is their right environment. 183 00:16:02,670 --> 00:16:05,089 They are adapted so perfectly 184 00:16:05,172 --> 00:16:08,717 for sea ice, living in sea ice, hunting on sea ice. 185 00:16:08,801 --> 00:16:11,720 And it's just amazing to watch them. 186 00:16:23,524 --> 00:16:26,777 NARRATOR: To tell the full story, the team has set their sights 187 00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:31,073 on capturing the holy grail of polar bear filmmaking. 188 00:16:32,449 --> 00:16:35,744 The most difficult thing when it comes to polar bear filmmaking 189 00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:37,830 is to film a mom with COYs. 190 00:16:37,913 --> 00:16:39,915 And COY stands for "Cubs of the Year." 191 00:16:40,249 --> 00:16:43,961 It means they have been born in the winter in a little den. 192 00:16:44,044 --> 00:16:48,590 And, of course, these tiny bears are incredibly vulnerable. 193 00:16:48,757 --> 00:16:53,637 So, approaching a mom with COYs is almost impossible. 194 00:17:01,562 --> 00:17:02,980 NARRATOR: Now it's spring. 195 00:17:03,147 --> 00:17:07,568 Moms and cubs of the year are emerging from their dens in the mountains 196 00:17:07,651 --> 00:17:09,528 for the first time. 197 00:17:10,654 --> 00:17:13,866 And the team's chance to film them begins. 198 00:17:14,825 --> 00:17:17,161 But they have to find a den first. 199 00:17:20,664 --> 00:17:22,082 STROM: When we look up the mountain, 200 00:17:22,166 --> 00:17:25,753 we're looking for either a very tiny little hole, 201 00:17:25,836 --> 00:17:28,630 or we could find, when the den is open, 202 00:17:28,714 --> 00:17:31,258 that there is a lot of tracks around the little hole. 203 00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:34,011 Because when the mother pushes out the opening, 204 00:17:34,344 --> 00:17:38,766 she has to have the cubs learning how to move and balance 205 00:17:38,849 --> 00:17:41,560 outside the den before she can take them down on the sea ice. 206 00:17:41,852 --> 00:17:45,189 So, it's just about being in the right place at the right time. 207 00:17:47,107 --> 00:17:50,944 NARRATOR: Finding a den is like looking for a needle in a haystack. 208 00:17:52,237 --> 00:17:54,490 So the team calls in some help. 209 00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:04,708 Onboard the helicopter is a state-of-the-art camera system. 210 00:18:09,797 --> 00:18:12,508 TIREN: Keep this elevation for a while, and then we can 211 00:18:12,591 --> 00:18:17,137 gradually rise over the mountain as we get closer to it. 212 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:20,933 STROM: Really nice, Erika. TIREN: Yeah. 213 00:18:23,268 --> 00:18:27,189 We're gonna go along the coastline, looking for polar bear dens. 214 00:18:27,439 --> 00:18:30,818 So our crew on the ground is camped up over here. 215 00:18:31,527 --> 00:18:33,779 -There it is there, Erika. -TIREN: Yep. 216 00:18:33,904 --> 00:18:36,240 Looks very nice and comfy. 217 00:18:36,990 --> 00:18:42,162 NARRATOR: From the air, they can search a vast area of inhospitable wilderness. 218 00:18:42,246 --> 00:18:46,208 ROBERTS: Guys, I'm looking at these ridges for any den activities. 219 00:18:49,211 --> 00:18:51,380 NARRATOR: The technique quickly pays off. 220 00:18:54,591 --> 00:18:57,302 Bear tracks emerging from a den. 221 00:19:01,807 --> 00:19:06,520 When the female bear first puts her head out and breaks surface, 222 00:19:06,603 --> 00:19:09,022 it's only just a black hole, it's very hard to see. 223 00:19:09,439 --> 00:19:11,483 But once she starts going out with the cubs, 224 00:19:11,567 --> 00:19:13,777 it becomes like a spider web in the snow. 225 00:19:16,238 --> 00:19:20,492 NARRATOR: The tracks leading away from the den suggest this mother and her cubs 226 00:19:20,576 --> 00:19:22,703 have already left. 227 00:19:24,037 --> 00:19:26,790 JON AARS: Most important time of year for polar bears 228 00:19:26,874 --> 00:19:28,333 is spring or early summer 229 00:19:28,417 --> 00:19:32,129 because that's when they build up most of the fat reserves. 230 00:19:32,254 --> 00:19:33,881 A female might be in a den 231 00:19:33,964 --> 00:19:36,884 for more than half a year without eating at all, 232 00:19:36,967 --> 00:19:39,303 at the same time nursing small cubs. 233 00:19:40,679 --> 00:19:44,099 It's very important for her when they leave the den in March, April, 234 00:19:44,183 --> 00:19:47,019 that they find something to eat soon 235 00:19:47,102 --> 00:19:52,024 because she need to be able to produce milk for those cubs for them to survive. 236 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,322 NARRATOR: All the dens they find are already empty. 237 00:20:02,201 --> 00:20:06,330 But the team soon discovers a family on the move. 238 00:20:09,374 --> 00:20:12,085 STROM: When a mom comes out of the den with her cubs, 239 00:20:12,169 --> 00:20:14,046 she's super hungry. 240 00:20:15,839 --> 00:20:19,301 So the first thing she will do is to walk straight down to the sea ice 241 00:20:19,384 --> 00:20:21,011 and try to find food. 242 00:20:22,596 --> 00:20:25,682 If we miss this opportunity to film them in the mountains, 243 00:20:25,766 --> 00:20:28,435 where they have the dens, we have to change tactics. 244 00:20:29,228 --> 00:20:33,857 We quickly have to get down to the sea ice and see if we can find any families 245 00:20:33,941 --> 00:20:35,901 that has come down to the ice already. 246 00:20:41,573 --> 00:20:45,661 NARRATOR: The mom and cubs are quickly lost in the vast landscape. 247 00:20:45,744 --> 00:20:48,580 But it doesn't faze Rolf. 248 00:20:50,290 --> 00:20:53,210 STEINMANN: I'm a polar type of guy. 249 00:20:53,293 --> 00:20:57,714 I love the cold. I love the aesthetics of snow and ice. 250 00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:01,843 But the sea ice, as an environment to work on, 251 00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:05,097 is a place where you can't make mistakes 252 00:21:05,180 --> 00:21:08,934 because every mistake can be deadly there. 253 00:21:09,017 --> 00:21:13,021 That's why this job can't be done by everybody. 254 00:21:13,105 --> 00:21:18,443 You have to be kind of the type who can handle that. 255 00:21:21,822 --> 00:21:26,743 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, Oskar is keen to make the most of a new bit of kit. 256 00:21:28,453 --> 00:21:31,331 Okay. Are we good to go? 257 00:21:33,125 --> 00:21:37,504 NARRATOR: This custom-made filming vehicle is known as the side-by-side. 258 00:21:39,172 --> 00:21:44,761 Fitted with a special camera system, it allows Erika to film moving images 259 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:47,556 without any lumps and bumps. 260 00:21:47,639 --> 00:21:52,436 And cover great distances while filming at the same time. 261 00:22:04,197 --> 00:22:06,408 There are lots of seals around. 262 00:22:06,491 --> 00:22:09,202 A good sign for finding bears. 263 00:22:10,704 --> 00:22:13,123 Seals are the best food polar bears can get, 264 00:22:13,206 --> 00:22:16,376 particularly the fat, the outer layer on the seals. 265 00:22:17,210 --> 00:22:19,963 The next few months, late spring, early summer, 266 00:22:20,047 --> 00:22:22,424 polar bears, they have good access to seals, 267 00:22:22,507 --> 00:22:24,676 and they build up fat reserves. 268 00:22:25,469 --> 00:22:28,180 Their ability to use blubber 269 00:22:28,263 --> 00:22:32,851 to make their own body fat is incredible, so that's the best food they can get. 270 00:22:34,436 --> 00:22:37,272 STROM: They need to eat a seal a week, basically. 271 00:22:38,023 --> 00:22:41,401 All seals have to come up through the sea ice to breathe air, 272 00:22:41,485 --> 00:22:43,904 and that's why they have breathing holes in the ice. 273 00:22:43,987 --> 00:22:46,156 And one of the techniques from the bear 274 00:22:46,239 --> 00:22:48,241 is to just go and find those breathing holes. 275 00:22:48,950 --> 00:22:50,911 Then they will stay at that breathing hole, 276 00:22:50,994 --> 00:22:54,373 be completely still, not make a sound, and just wait. 277 00:22:56,875 --> 00:22:59,878 And a bear can stand there for 15 hours straight, 278 00:22:59,961 --> 00:23:03,090 not moving a single limb of their body. 279 00:23:03,632 --> 00:23:05,467 Because the seal will not come out 280 00:23:05,550 --> 00:23:08,929 if it can hear any movement on top of the ice. 281 00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,183 It's more effective to just sit still and wait for the seal to come to you, 282 00:23:13,683 --> 00:23:16,603 not using any energy whatsoever. 283 00:23:25,195 --> 00:23:27,739 They can basically lie at a hole and sleep, 284 00:23:27,823 --> 00:23:30,033 and hope that the seal will pop up that hole, 285 00:23:30,117 --> 00:23:32,536 and that they will wake up quickly enough to... 286 00:23:32,619 --> 00:23:33,662 To catch it. 287 00:23:38,166 --> 00:23:42,671 But the sea ice is a very changeable environment to work on. 288 00:23:42,754 --> 00:23:44,172 It's a platform where we stay 289 00:23:44,256 --> 00:23:46,216 and where we work every day with the bears. 290 00:23:46,758 --> 00:23:49,719 But it doesn't necessarily mean that the ice is the same every day. 291 00:23:55,350 --> 00:23:58,812 Our lovely vehicle, the side-by-side, is, um, 292 00:23:58,895 --> 00:24:02,566 deep in snow and water, and we can't get out. 293 00:24:04,484 --> 00:24:07,112 (PANTING) Um... 294 00:24:07,529 --> 00:24:11,116 I think it's something called overwater that we're stuck in right now. 295 00:24:11,199 --> 00:24:16,705 So, there's thick ice below this again, and right here is loads of water. 296 00:24:16,788 --> 00:24:20,500 And then another good chunk of snow on top of that. 297 00:24:20,584 --> 00:24:23,253 So, I'm keen to see how we're gonna get out of here. 298 00:24:29,342 --> 00:24:33,180 NARRATOR: It's 1:00 a.m. before help finally arrives. 299 00:24:45,233 --> 00:24:47,777 The speed that conditions can change here 300 00:24:47,861 --> 00:24:51,490 has always made it a difficult place to work. 301 00:24:51,573 --> 00:24:55,869 But the changes are becoming more drastic than ever before. 302 00:25:00,373 --> 00:25:04,961 Svalbard's average temperature is now four degrees Celsius warmer 303 00:25:05,045 --> 00:25:06,671 than 50 years ago. 304 00:25:09,674 --> 00:25:11,676 SOKGSETH: Here in Svalbard, we have seen that 305 00:25:11,801 --> 00:25:17,307 the wind patterns or weather systems, they have kind of changed a bit. 306 00:25:18,475 --> 00:25:21,478 This has a huge effect on what kind of air masses 307 00:25:21,561 --> 00:25:23,939 that are brought over Svalbard. 308 00:25:24,022 --> 00:25:29,778 So, this will change the temperature up here completely or very dramatically 309 00:25:29,861 --> 00:25:31,738 in very short time. 310 00:25:31,821 --> 00:25:35,575 So it can change with 30 degrees in just a few days. 311 00:25:41,623 --> 00:25:44,918 I actually feel a little bit stupid today because 312 00:25:46,545 --> 00:25:52,425 I asked the office to send out all this super warm Canada Goose clothing, 313 00:25:53,176 --> 00:25:54,511 and it's just super warm. 314 00:25:54,594 --> 00:25:58,056 And it's the warmest day we've had since we came here. 315 00:25:58,682 --> 00:26:03,853 It went from being minus 35 degrees last week, 316 00:26:03,937 --> 00:26:07,232 and I don't know what we have here now, but it's probably 317 00:26:09,150 --> 00:26:10,860 just below zero. 318 00:26:13,697 --> 00:26:17,200 It's completely flat light. You can hardly see where you're going. 319 00:26:17,867 --> 00:26:19,869 NARRATOR: And as the snow comes in, 320 00:26:19,953 --> 00:26:23,081 the low visibility becomes a problem for Rolf. 321 00:26:25,792 --> 00:26:28,878 STEINMANN: I just don't know really what we can film. 322 00:26:29,963 --> 00:26:32,090 We have these constant whiteout conditions. 323 00:26:32,799 --> 00:26:34,801 We have no access to bears. 324 00:26:35,510 --> 00:26:37,971 The environment is completely inconsistent, 325 00:26:38,054 --> 00:26:40,682 it's changing all the time and it doesn't change to the better. 326 00:26:41,266 --> 00:26:45,395 What we really need is some colder temperatures. 327 00:26:46,688 --> 00:26:49,441 With colder temperatures, we'll have more blue, clear skies 328 00:26:49,524 --> 00:26:51,860 and better, stable weather. 329 00:26:53,903 --> 00:26:59,159 Working with polar bears is a complete rollercoaster of emotions 330 00:26:59,242 --> 00:27:00,368 because it is so difficult. 331 00:27:01,369 --> 00:27:04,581 But what I think allows you to cope with that 332 00:27:04,664 --> 00:27:07,167 is that when you work with polar bears, 333 00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:10,170 you always know magic can happen. 334 00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:21,640 We had some reports about a couple of bears not too far away from us. 335 00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:24,934 And we actually found them now. 336 00:27:28,688 --> 00:27:31,775 The issue really is that they sleep so much. 337 00:27:34,319 --> 00:27:39,032 See, that's the truth, that polar bears are not always that much fun. 338 00:27:42,327 --> 00:27:44,621 Filmmaking can be pretty slow. 339 00:27:46,748 --> 00:27:49,250 Wow. She changed position. 340 00:27:49,709 --> 00:27:52,796 Did you get that, when she moved her head, 341 00:27:52,879 --> 00:27:55,840 from that position to that position? 342 00:27:57,592 --> 00:27:59,594 Rolf never gets bored. 343 00:28:03,723 --> 00:28:06,518 This is him at his very most excitement. 344 00:28:07,477 --> 00:28:12,482 (BOTH LAUGHING) 345 00:28:15,568 --> 00:28:18,780 NARRATOR: Finally, their patience pays off. 346 00:28:19,698 --> 00:28:21,533 (STROM EXCLAIMING) 347 00:28:32,419 --> 00:28:35,213 NARRATOR: Aerial cinematographer Florian Ledoux 348 00:28:35,296 --> 00:28:39,134 sends the drone up for a unique extra view. 349 00:28:40,635 --> 00:28:42,929 Wow. The light is amazing. 350 00:28:44,764 --> 00:28:48,727 We've got now the midnight sun, and it's just all red all night. 351 00:28:49,060 --> 00:28:50,937 It's quite impressive. 352 00:28:51,354 --> 00:28:53,648 That's what I love in the Arctic. 353 00:28:55,024 --> 00:28:59,404 NARRATOR: From now until the end of summer, the sun never sets. 354 00:29:00,238 --> 00:29:04,868 And with this 24-hour daylight the crew can film around the clock. 355 00:29:05,535 --> 00:29:07,996 STEINMANN: Every polar bear is a individual. 356 00:29:08,747 --> 00:29:10,707 You never know what's going to happen. 357 00:29:11,249 --> 00:29:14,711 But if you have two bears, it's total excitement. 358 00:29:21,676 --> 00:29:22,802 Look at that. 359 00:29:26,848 --> 00:29:28,850 These two guys, they love each other. 360 00:29:34,898 --> 00:29:39,819 They've found this perfect pool, and they're just running around sliding. 361 00:29:53,166 --> 00:29:54,667 They are having so much fun. 362 00:29:56,961 --> 00:30:00,131 They're just playing. They're just punching through the ice. 363 00:30:00,215 --> 00:30:01,883 This looks stunning. 364 00:30:05,595 --> 00:30:08,056 One bear is actually swimming under the ice, 365 00:30:08,139 --> 00:30:10,183 the other bear is running on top of the ice, 366 00:30:10,266 --> 00:30:12,769 trying to punch through where he is under the ice. 367 00:30:14,062 --> 00:30:15,814 It's just ridiculous. 368 00:30:16,314 --> 00:30:20,485 To be here, to be able to witness this, we're the luckiest people on the planet. 369 00:30:26,074 --> 00:30:28,868 I don't think I've ever seen two bears so happy together. 370 00:30:41,464 --> 00:30:43,675 -STROM: Here we go. -(MEN CHUCKLE) 371 00:30:43,758 --> 00:30:48,513 They're trying to stand up on their hind legs and wrestle, 372 00:30:48,596 --> 00:30:53,268 but their back legs just goes under them, and they just fall. 373 00:31:02,318 --> 00:31:04,153 NARRATOR: In the beauty of the moment, 374 00:31:04,237 --> 00:31:08,575 it would be easy to forget that these are dangerous predators. 375 00:31:10,952 --> 00:31:14,831 STEINMANN: When you're filming polar bears, you have to stay safe. 376 00:31:19,335 --> 00:31:24,173 So, while you as a cameraman want to be as close as possible, 377 00:31:24,257 --> 00:31:30,179 sometimes you realize this bear looks at us as prey. 378 00:31:31,472 --> 00:31:34,809 STROM: Rolf. Rolf, come back. 379 00:31:42,233 --> 00:31:44,277 A bear is always faster than us. 380 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,745 The only way to safely work with the bears 381 00:31:53,828 --> 00:31:56,456 is to have a way of escaping the bears quickly 382 00:31:56,539 --> 00:31:58,458 if they decide to come too close to you. 383 00:32:02,503 --> 00:32:05,298 NARRATOR: Luckily, a quick exit isn't needed. 384 00:32:05,924 --> 00:32:10,178 These bears are more interested in each other than the film crew. 385 00:32:16,851 --> 00:32:21,773 For the next two weeks, Rolf and Oskar watch the female bear. 386 00:32:26,194 --> 00:32:30,782 And soon she's formed a special bond with an older, bigger male. 387 00:32:35,286 --> 00:32:39,666 STEINMANN: I have to admit, I think polar bears are really romantic. 388 00:32:39,749 --> 00:32:42,335 They take their time, they're slow, 389 00:32:42,418 --> 00:32:45,672 they seem to get to know each other, step by step. 390 00:32:46,297 --> 00:32:49,300 I think it's a beautiful thing to observe. 391 00:33:14,951 --> 00:33:20,707 (PANTING) So, what we actually just observed is 392 00:33:20,790 --> 00:33:25,003 that a new generation of polar bears is in the making, 393 00:33:26,421 --> 00:33:29,507 which is beautiful news, I think. 394 00:33:34,053 --> 00:33:37,098 NARRATOR: It's an incredible scene to have in the bag. 395 00:33:40,143 --> 00:33:43,354 And now, it's time for the team to renew their efforts 396 00:33:43,438 --> 00:33:47,316 to find the mother and young cubs back on the sea ice. 397 00:34:18,681 --> 00:34:20,558 STROM: It's been going really well. 398 00:34:20,933 --> 00:34:23,061 We are one kilometer away from the sea ice. 399 00:34:23,144 --> 00:34:25,396 There is a polar bear in front of the glacier. 400 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:26,981 Beautiful conditions. 401 00:34:27,065 --> 00:34:29,901 But, unfortunately, our vehicle has broken down. 402 00:34:30,693 --> 00:34:36,199 NARRATOR: Without parts, this feat of modern engineering is useless. 403 00:34:38,576 --> 00:34:42,121 Fortunately, Oskar has yet another bit of kit at the ready. 404 00:34:44,874 --> 00:34:50,213 An '80s military vehicle known as the Bandvagn, or BV. 405 00:34:53,716 --> 00:34:55,218 STROM: Every day, just problems. 406 00:34:55,676 --> 00:34:57,011 Nothing else than problems. 407 00:35:01,516 --> 00:35:06,437 NARRATOR: With the side-by-side towed back to camp, the Bandvagn returns, 408 00:35:06,521 --> 00:35:10,024 promoted as the new filming vehicle. 409 00:35:18,616 --> 00:35:20,368 Okay. Moment of truth. 410 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,704 So let's see now if this works. 411 00:35:24,872 --> 00:35:26,249 And it does. 412 00:35:26,833 --> 00:35:28,876 NARRATOR: The cameras are back in action. 413 00:35:29,585 --> 00:35:33,714 But the BV weighs over five tons when fully loaded. 414 00:35:35,424 --> 00:35:36,634 We are taking a chance. 415 00:35:37,343 --> 00:35:39,137 We are driving this thing out on the ice. 416 00:35:39,220 --> 00:35:41,973 -It is a heavy vehicle. Yeah. -There is always a risk involved. 417 00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:45,101 -Just take it easy, we just relax. -I'll just jump straight off. 418 00:35:45,184 --> 00:35:47,603 -(LAUGHING) -Remember that you have this stress thing. 419 00:35:48,646 --> 00:35:51,315 Side-by-side on the ice, Bandvagn on the ice. 420 00:35:51,399 --> 00:35:52,733 (TIREN LAUGHS) 421 00:35:52,817 --> 00:35:56,529 -You can always use the stress ball. -Thanks. 422 00:36:05,371 --> 00:36:07,874 STROM: This machine doesn't have much leg room. 423 00:36:08,749 --> 00:36:11,794 It's like flying a low-fare airline. 424 00:36:12,545 --> 00:36:15,798 The coffee's no good, and the leg room is no good, 425 00:36:16,549 --> 00:36:19,844 and you're not sure if you'll arrive at your destination safely. 426 00:36:20,678 --> 00:36:22,388 (TIREN LAUGHS) 427 00:36:22,889 --> 00:36:27,185 NARRATOR: The warm temperatures are beginning to melt the sea ice, 428 00:36:27,268 --> 00:36:30,688 so the team are having to carefully monitor its thickness. 429 00:36:30,771 --> 00:36:33,232 So the ice here is a little bit thinner than earlier. 430 00:36:33,316 --> 00:36:37,445 We are now at between 60 and 70 centimeters of ice. 431 00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:39,238 It looks still quite safe. 432 00:36:40,406 --> 00:36:43,159 NARRATOR: But the crew is still feeling nervous. 433 00:36:45,703 --> 00:36:49,457 It's a little bit interesting feeling because if we would go into overwater, 434 00:36:49,999 --> 00:36:53,169 we get this movement of going down in the front. 435 00:36:53,544 --> 00:36:56,339 -Do you like it, Erika? -No, (LAUGHS) I really don't like it. 436 00:37:09,769 --> 00:37:13,689 NARRATOR: Their risk-taking pays off when they spot a family. 437 00:37:25,159 --> 00:37:27,620 STROM: Just gonna stop here a little bit, Erika, 438 00:37:27,703 --> 00:37:29,789 to let them get used to us a little bit. 439 00:37:30,831 --> 00:37:35,670 So we have a bear family here. We have a mother and two cubs. 440 00:37:37,255 --> 00:37:40,758 NARRATOR: Their size shows these are last year's cubs, 441 00:37:41,342 --> 00:37:43,469 about 16 months old. 442 00:37:48,099 --> 00:37:52,270 STROM: So they have decided to come up to us and check us out. 443 00:37:57,692 --> 00:38:00,444 NARRATOR: Being older, they're much more confident. 444 00:38:00,528 --> 00:38:02,488 than the cubs born this year would be. 445 00:38:07,243 --> 00:38:09,954 The cubs are still dependent on their mom 446 00:38:10,037 --> 00:38:13,791 as there's so much for them to learn to survive out here. 447 00:38:24,927 --> 00:38:28,681 STROM: I'm really worried that they will head in the wrong direction. 448 00:38:29,265 --> 00:38:32,977 This is basically because we can't go where we want with this machine. 449 00:38:33,060 --> 00:38:34,895 We have to be on solid ice 450 00:38:34,979 --> 00:38:41,068 and we have to have good ice conditions, snow conditions. 451 00:38:48,701 --> 00:38:51,912 TIREN: Stop doing that. You freak me out. 452 00:38:52,913 --> 00:38:55,875 You told me not to be nervous because it makes you nervous, 453 00:38:55,958 --> 00:38:58,127 so now I'm doing my best not to be nervous, 454 00:38:58,210 --> 00:39:00,296 -so stop being... -Nervous. 455 00:39:00,379 --> 00:39:01,380 TIREN: ...nervous. 456 00:39:05,676 --> 00:39:08,137 STROM: As it's getting wetter and wetter and wetter, 457 00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:10,806 I don't think we should go any further out. 458 00:39:10,890 --> 00:39:14,185 And I think we might as well call it a day. 459 00:39:17,563 --> 00:39:19,940 We are spending a lot of time out here. 460 00:39:20,024 --> 00:39:22,777 So, over time, you see how the ice is changing. 461 00:39:23,569 --> 00:39:28,157 And as you're sitting here, you can see big chunks of ice just leaving, 462 00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:30,534 and they are disappearing out in the open ocean. 463 00:39:30,951 --> 00:39:34,622 And we see that our working area has decreased 464 00:39:34,705 --> 00:39:38,876 with maybe 60-70% already. 465 00:39:39,627 --> 00:39:42,546 That we are much more restricted, and we have much smaller areas 466 00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:44,965 where we can work with the bears. 467 00:39:45,049 --> 00:39:51,680 The change that we have noticed in the cycle of sea ice cover in Svalbard 468 00:39:51,764 --> 00:39:56,268 is that the sea ice cover is coming later in the winter, 469 00:39:56,644 --> 00:40:00,189 and it also disappears earlier in the spring. 470 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,860 So the summer season has kind of extended 471 00:40:04,944 --> 00:40:09,782 with no sea ice, and the sea ice season has shortened. 472 00:40:12,493 --> 00:40:16,664 STEINMANN: You're working already with a difficult species. 473 00:40:16,747 --> 00:40:20,751 And now, every year, it will get even more difficult 474 00:40:20,918 --> 00:40:26,257 just because the world up there in the polar regions is changing so fast. 475 00:40:26,424 --> 00:40:29,635 (WIND WHOOSHING) 476 00:40:29,718 --> 00:40:32,346 STROM: I just downloaded the latest weather forecast, 477 00:40:32,430 --> 00:40:37,309 and it looks like we're getting hit by 20 meters per second winds. 478 00:40:38,727 --> 00:40:41,188 It's gonna be really, really bad. 479 00:40:52,741 --> 00:40:57,037 NARRATOR: The crew wake to gale force winds and visibility of almost zero. 480 00:41:00,791 --> 00:41:03,669 It's extremely frustrating because all we wanna do 481 00:41:03,752 --> 00:41:08,340 is be down on the ice, and work, and continue making a film. 482 00:41:08,424 --> 00:41:12,052 But at the moment, it's too windy, it's too stormy to do work. 483 00:41:12,136 --> 00:41:16,724 And to find the mothers with the cubs that is extremely important for our story. 484 00:41:16,807 --> 00:41:18,893 We have to be able to search a huge area, 485 00:41:18,976 --> 00:41:21,896 and we have to be able to scout the mountains and the sea ice. 486 00:41:21,979 --> 00:41:25,608 And it's just a very, very bad timing to have this weather at the moment. 487 00:41:28,652 --> 00:41:31,947 NARRATOR: The crew work hard to keep the doorways clear of snow, 488 00:41:32,531 --> 00:41:35,201 and paths open between the cabins. 489 00:41:35,409 --> 00:41:40,164 It's a never-ending story. Snow, snow, snow. 490 00:41:43,459 --> 00:41:47,463 NARRATOR: They also still have to collect snow to melt for use in camp. 491 00:41:48,923 --> 00:41:51,717 Forty sledfuls a day. 492 00:41:58,807 --> 00:42:00,976 So the snow is melted here in this electrical box, 493 00:42:01,060 --> 00:42:04,230 and then the water will go through a couple of water filters 494 00:42:04,313 --> 00:42:06,398 down to a freshwater tank, 495 00:42:06,482 --> 00:42:10,110 and then we have sinks and dishwashers, 496 00:42:10,194 --> 00:42:12,613 and showers and everything. 497 00:42:13,822 --> 00:42:16,033 Living in camp, it's nice and comfortable, 498 00:42:16,116 --> 00:42:18,244 but there is not much to do here. 499 00:42:20,704 --> 00:42:22,790 STEINMANN: When you're out there for months, 500 00:42:22,873 --> 00:42:26,168 sometimes you need a way to release the pressure. 501 00:42:26,877 --> 00:42:29,505 And I think there are a variety of ways to get there. 502 00:42:30,506 --> 00:42:33,425 -Showdown. -Head down. 503 00:42:33,509 --> 00:42:36,178 -Am I allowed to use my hands? -MAN: You cannot use your hands. 504 00:42:36,845 --> 00:42:39,181 (ALL CHEERING) 505 00:42:41,225 --> 00:42:43,894 And a new world record! 506 00:42:43,978 --> 00:42:45,187 (ALL APPLAUDING) 507 00:42:48,315 --> 00:42:49,733 NARRATOR: Fed up with waiting, 508 00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,281 the crew heads out to look for bears. 509 00:42:59,743 --> 00:43:03,038 But it's still incredibly hard to see anything. 510 00:43:05,374 --> 00:43:08,294 And just as difficult to get around. 511 00:43:18,429 --> 00:43:24,226 Once the crew reaches high ground, their worst fears are realized. 512 00:43:32,693 --> 00:43:38,532 STEINMANN: We got the view of the coast, and it's a little bit disastrous. 513 00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:43,662 After one week of storms, the ice has completely broke off. 514 00:43:44,622 --> 00:43:49,877 To be honest, we don't even know how to operate on that ice anymore. 515 00:43:52,254 --> 00:43:55,716 NARRATOR: Warm temperatures had thinned and weakened the sea ice, 516 00:43:55,799 --> 00:44:00,429 so the wind and waves of the storm were able to completely destroy it. 517 00:44:02,765 --> 00:44:07,728 If we compare today to 50, 100 years ago, when the trappers lived here, 518 00:44:07,811 --> 00:44:10,522 the ice conditions are completely different. 519 00:44:11,649 --> 00:44:14,693 Maybe they had a meter and a half, two meters of ice out there 520 00:44:14,777 --> 00:44:15,903 in this same fjord, 521 00:44:16,403 --> 00:44:20,449 but the ice would not be affected as it is now by these storms. 522 00:44:21,950 --> 00:44:26,330 I think what we are doing here is really, we are witnessing 523 00:44:26,413 --> 00:44:28,624 the massive change in environment. 524 00:44:32,711 --> 00:44:34,630 NARRATOR: It's still only April. 525 00:44:35,047 --> 00:44:39,218 But with the sea ice gone, the crew is having to leave winter camp 526 00:44:39,301 --> 00:44:41,261 six weeks earlier than planned. 527 00:44:45,683 --> 00:44:49,645 STEINMANN: If I'm honest, I hate to leave this place. I love this location. 528 00:44:50,562 --> 00:44:55,484 But we couldn't find cubs of the year, and we have to move on, 529 00:44:55,567 --> 00:44:57,027 and we have to find... 530 00:44:57,111 --> 00:44:59,154 Try to find cubs of the year in another location. 531 00:44:59,238 --> 00:45:00,447 So it's time to go. 532 00:45:01,490 --> 00:45:02,825 Let's go. 533 00:45:04,076 --> 00:45:06,453 NARRATOR: The team is heading west, 534 00:45:06,537 --> 00:45:09,998 towards a possible sighting of cubs of the year. 535 00:45:37,985 --> 00:45:42,448 It's a 10-hour journey across Svalbard's challenging terrain. 536 00:45:47,911 --> 00:45:51,206 But leaving the safety of their camp far behind, 537 00:45:51,290 --> 00:45:54,626 the first thing they need to find is shelter. 538 00:45:59,965 --> 00:46:04,470 An old coal mining town once owned by the Soviet Union, 539 00:46:04,553 --> 00:46:07,931 Pyramiden was home to more than 1,000 people, 540 00:46:09,767 --> 00:46:14,772 but in the '90s, mining stopped and everyone left. 541 00:46:17,357 --> 00:46:19,485 The crew finds a new base, 542 00:46:19,735 --> 00:46:22,237 but they're not impressed with their new neighbors, 543 00:46:22,321 --> 00:46:23,947 the kittiwakes. 544 00:46:25,824 --> 00:46:27,785 At least we've got plenty birds here. 545 00:46:28,702 --> 00:46:30,204 STROM: Yeah, I love the kittiwakes. 546 00:46:30,370 --> 00:46:33,665 Waking up in your five-hour sleep. Kittiwake, kittiwake, kittiwake. 547 00:46:34,792 --> 00:46:37,336 Keep me awake, keep me awake, keep me awake. 548 00:46:37,503 --> 00:46:39,171 (ALL LAUGHING) 549 00:46:39,254 --> 00:46:42,382 -STEINMANN: New name, keep me awake. -Keep me awake, keep me awake. 550 00:46:46,845 --> 00:46:48,555 So we finally got a report 551 00:46:48,639 --> 00:46:53,685 that a bear family's been spotted in the fjord system to the east. 552 00:46:54,228 --> 00:46:57,981 So we have some time to scout and maybe find the family, 553 00:46:58,106 --> 00:47:00,818 but there is a lot of indication that tells us 554 00:47:00,901 --> 00:47:02,569 that it's worth going there. 555 00:47:02,653 --> 00:47:05,405 NARRATOR: The area is only accessible by boat, 556 00:47:05,489 --> 00:47:08,575 so the team loads up and ships out. 557 00:47:19,753 --> 00:47:21,421 MAN: There's a bear. STROM: What? 558 00:47:21,505 --> 00:47:23,549 MAN: There's a bear. 559 00:47:23,632 --> 00:47:25,008 STROM: Where is the bear? 560 00:47:29,096 --> 00:47:31,765 Yeah, I see it. I see it. 561 00:47:31,849 --> 00:47:33,684 You see the cubs on the right? 562 00:47:33,976 --> 00:47:37,062 MAN: It's the one. STROM: Yeah, two cubs. 563 00:47:38,313 --> 00:47:41,400 NARRATOR: Finally, the tiny cubs born this year, 564 00:47:41,483 --> 00:47:43,777 the crew have worked so hard to find. 565 00:47:43,944 --> 00:47:46,029 -MAN: Yep, I see it. -There they are. 566 00:47:48,323 --> 00:47:50,075 -It's the ones? -Yeah. 567 00:47:50,909 --> 00:47:53,829 STROM: You see the cubs, yeah? MAN: Yeah. There. 568 00:47:53,912 --> 00:47:55,539 STROM: And they look happy. 569 00:47:56,498 --> 00:47:58,500 NARRATOR: The bear's huge padded feet 570 00:47:58,584 --> 00:48:01,420 allow them to walk on the thin, fragile ice. 571 00:48:03,714 --> 00:48:06,842 But the ice isn't strong enough to hold the crew. 572 00:48:07,509 --> 00:48:11,138 So it falls to Florian to get the shots using the drone. 573 00:48:16,602 --> 00:48:17,603 AARS: Both cubs. 574 00:48:17,936 --> 00:48:20,397 Yeah, I got them. Okay. 575 00:48:21,189 --> 00:48:23,400 It's quite exciting. Whoo! 576 00:48:24,735 --> 00:48:28,947 Oh, she's on an ice floe. Wow, that's super cool. 577 00:48:30,866 --> 00:48:33,952 I've got the reflection of her body in the water. 578 00:48:44,004 --> 00:48:47,257 AARS: Their ability to swim is better than we thought. 579 00:48:48,216 --> 00:48:51,803 At the Polar Institute, we have data that have showed us 580 00:48:51,887 --> 00:48:55,349 that they swim several hundred kilometers without resting. 581 00:48:55,432 --> 00:48:59,269 But it's much, much more costly, energetically, to make a long swim 582 00:48:59,353 --> 00:49:01,271 than to walk. 583 00:49:02,898 --> 00:49:05,901 Polar bears only swim with their front paws, 584 00:49:05,984 --> 00:49:08,987 so their hind legs will always be stretched straight out. 585 00:49:09,947 --> 00:49:13,200 And the cubs of the year, obviously they don't have the energy 586 00:49:13,283 --> 00:49:17,955 to swim as far as an adult bear, so they will ride on these hind legs 587 00:49:18,038 --> 00:49:20,165 and just sit and claw themselves to the fur 588 00:49:20,248 --> 00:49:22,167 and keep in the wake of the mother. 589 00:49:24,169 --> 00:49:26,546 But the longer they're in the water, the colder they get, 590 00:49:26,630 --> 00:49:28,882 and they can't spend too much time in the water. 591 00:49:28,966 --> 00:49:30,509 But, of course, with lesser ice, 592 00:49:30,592 --> 00:49:34,096 the distances between different ice floes will be larger, 593 00:49:34,179 --> 00:49:37,099 and the cubs will have to stay in the water much longer time. 594 00:49:39,810 --> 00:49:41,770 STEINMANN: That mother must be such a good hunter, 595 00:49:41,853 --> 00:49:46,274 she is well-fed, and her cubs are just so active. 596 00:49:46,358 --> 00:49:47,943 It's really impressive. 597 00:49:48,193 --> 00:49:54,491 They seem to be in super good shape, which is, I think, really nice to observe. 598 00:49:59,162 --> 00:50:04,876 NARRATOR: It's an amazing first encounter, but getting the ground shots they need 599 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:06,795 is not going to be easy. 600 00:50:06,878 --> 00:50:10,507 STEINMANN: Now the question is simply how do we get to them 601 00:50:10,590 --> 00:50:13,844 because the ice is so rotten here. 602 00:50:14,386 --> 00:50:16,179 That's another challenge ahead. 603 00:50:20,726 --> 00:50:23,562 NARRATOR: The team needs to find thicker ice. 604 00:50:29,860 --> 00:50:35,240 Keen to scout the area, Rolf and Oskar set off on skis. 605 00:51:00,474 --> 00:51:04,728 But while they're out, the mother and cubs arrive back in Pyramiden, 606 00:51:04,811 --> 00:51:07,773 where they're picked up by the drone crew. 607 00:51:17,157 --> 00:51:21,161 The cubs are already brimming with confidence and curiosity, 608 00:51:23,997 --> 00:51:27,250 essential qualities for an animal that must investigate 609 00:51:27,334 --> 00:51:30,504 every possible food source if they're to survive. 610 00:51:38,386 --> 00:51:40,680 And it's food they're here for, 611 00:51:42,307 --> 00:51:44,142 an old seal carcass. 612 00:51:47,187 --> 00:51:49,106 There are only scraps left. 613 00:51:51,441 --> 00:51:56,363 But mom would've been able to smell this up to 30 kilometers away. 614 00:52:16,091 --> 00:52:20,762 It's incredible luck to get such unique and intimate shots. 615 00:52:23,014 --> 00:52:26,351 But it's still a cruel discovery for Rolf and Oskar 616 00:52:26,434 --> 00:52:28,436 that they've missed the cubs. 617 00:52:30,438 --> 00:52:33,692 And finding them again is going to be a challenge. 618 00:52:34,985 --> 00:52:39,447 Our bears decided to move out and away from this fjord. 619 00:52:39,531 --> 00:52:43,243 So now they are in an area where we can't really follow them by snowmobiles 620 00:52:43,326 --> 00:52:45,036 and skis anymore, 621 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:48,039 and we don't really know where they're going. 622 00:52:49,499 --> 00:52:52,711 So this might actually be the... 623 00:52:52,794 --> 00:52:56,840 The end of our spring snowmobile shoot. 624 00:53:02,304 --> 00:53:05,682 NARRATOR: Now, the only way to access the workable patches of ice 625 00:53:05,765 --> 00:53:07,684 is via a bigger boat. 626 00:53:09,269 --> 00:53:12,314 Significantly strengthened to withstand the ice. 627 00:53:12,397 --> 00:53:15,066 It's crewed by a much larger team. 628 00:53:19,571 --> 00:53:22,991 And ably steered by a specialized ice captain. 629 00:53:31,541 --> 00:53:35,045 STEINMANN: Well, to film bears, you have to find them first, 630 00:53:35,128 --> 00:53:37,923 and up here in the crow's nest, in my opinion, 631 00:53:38,006 --> 00:53:42,636 it's the best place to find them, because you have 360-degree view. 632 00:53:43,595 --> 00:53:47,599 And considering we're in the middle of the ocean, 633 00:53:47,682 --> 00:53:52,604 and we find the bears on the drift ice in the absolute middle of nowhere 634 00:53:52,687 --> 00:53:54,231 is kind of incredible. 635 00:53:54,314 --> 00:53:58,777 I don't know how they can survive out here, but they do. 636 00:54:19,798 --> 00:54:22,801 NARRATOR: It may be the best place to spot bears, 637 00:54:23,009 --> 00:54:26,388 but there's a very good reason why no one else is up there. 638 00:54:30,141 --> 00:54:34,854 (GROANS) For a potentially seasick person, it's not nice work. 639 00:54:36,356 --> 00:54:37,691 I'm so sick. 640 00:54:37,774 --> 00:54:41,361 I was actually not sick before I went into the crow's nest. 641 00:54:42,404 --> 00:54:45,198 And now I'm completely sick again. (GROANS) 642 00:54:45,282 --> 00:54:47,867 (CREW CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY) 643 00:54:47,951 --> 00:54:51,663 This is... It's brutal. It's absolutely brutal. 644 00:54:53,498 --> 00:54:57,460 NARRATOR: And now summer's here, the team can add another problem to the list. 645 00:54:59,045 --> 00:55:01,673 The fog's just done a typical Svalbard. 646 00:55:01,756 --> 00:55:05,719 It's down on us, we've got about 50 meters visibility. 647 00:55:06,428 --> 00:55:09,180 But the positive thing is, is that in the last 24 hours, 648 00:55:09,264 --> 00:55:11,099 we've seen four bears. 649 00:55:11,182 --> 00:55:14,811 So, two days in, and things are looking good, 650 00:55:15,061 --> 00:55:16,646 apart from the fog. 651 00:55:19,816 --> 00:55:23,153 It comes and goes. (CHUCKLES) 652 00:55:23,236 --> 00:55:27,282 -MAN: When's it gonna go? -I don't know. If you go to bed. 653 00:55:27,365 --> 00:55:29,409 (BOTH LAUGHING) 654 00:55:32,912 --> 00:55:37,792 NARRATOR: Cold air above warm water is the perfect recipe for fog. 655 00:55:37,876 --> 00:55:40,545 And while fog has always been a problem here, 656 00:55:40,628 --> 00:55:44,132 warming temperatures are making things worse. 657 00:55:45,759 --> 00:55:48,595 TOM FORMAN: So, we've just recorded, two days ago, 658 00:55:48,678 --> 00:55:51,056 the highest temperatures ever recorded on Svalbard, 659 00:55:51,139 --> 00:55:53,933 21.7 degrees in Longyearbyen. 660 00:55:54,059 --> 00:55:58,605 We are seeing more and more filming days in the summer lost to fog 661 00:55:58,688 --> 00:56:01,441 compared to 10 years ago or so 662 00:56:01,524 --> 00:56:03,860 because we are getting much warmer temperatures, 663 00:56:03,943 --> 00:56:06,654 which is just giving us extremely foggy days. 664 00:56:06,738 --> 00:56:11,034 Much foggier conditions in the last few years than we've really been used to. 665 00:56:14,079 --> 00:56:18,083 NARRATOR: This reduced visibility makes spotting bears much harder, 666 00:56:18,833 --> 00:56:21,711 and traveling more dangerous. 667 00:56:25,965 --> 00:56:28,843 (CHUCKLES) 668 00:56:30,678 --> 00:56:34,140 -Cor, look at that iceberg. Look at that. -Cool. 669 00:56:35,183 --> 00:56:36,810 WILSON: That's not the sort of thing 670 00:56:36,893 --> 00:56:39,938 that we want to be heading towards at nine knots, is it? 671 00:56:41,773 --> 00:56:46,820 The one member of our team who's completely indispensable is our captain, 672 00:56:46,903 --> 00:56:50,865 because sailing around in sea ice in dense fog 673 00:56:50,949 --> 00:56:53,368 is a skill that none of us have. 674 00:56:54,411 --> 00:56:57,997 You need to have seen it all before to get us through this safely. 675 00:56:58,081 --> 00:57:01,960 You can get this lovely kind of thin first-year ice, 676 00:57:02,043 --> 00:57:04,504 which is easy to bash through with a ship like this, 677 00:57:04,629 --> 00:57:09,342 but if you get into the chunkier multiyear ice, which is really dense, 678 00:57:09,426 --> 00:57:12,720 that could stop this ship dead, which wouldn't be good. 679 00:57:15,265 --> 00:57:19,185 NARRATOR: The crew head north in search of colder water. 680 00:57:20,854 --> 00:57:23,314 And after three long weeks, 681 00:57:23,398 --> 00:57:26,192 they finally manage to leave the fog behind. 682 00:57:34,742 --> 00:57:39,497 Oskar knows where to head for solid ice at this time of year, 683 00:57:39,581 --> 00:57:41,875 but he's in for a shock. 684 00:57:43,251 --> 00:57:46,838 So this fjord is one of the northernmost fjords on the eastern coast 685 00:57:46,921 --> 00:57:48,339 of Spitsbergen Island. 686 00:57:48,423 --> 00:57:52,719 I would expect this ice to be good for much longer than now. 687 00:57:52,802 --> 00:57:54,304 We are in the beginning of June, 688 00:57:54,387 --> 00:57:57,557 and we see that the ice are completely rotten. 689 00:57:57,682 --> 00:58:00,435 It's a place where over the 20 years I've been up here, 690 00:58:00,518 --> 00:58:04,189 I would come to because it's normally good ice conditions, 691 00:58:04,272 --> 00:58:09,861 and to see it completely rotten in the early start of June is quite scary. 692 00:58:16,993 --> 00:58:18,995 AARS: Svalbard has lost sea ice 693 00:58:19,078 --> 00:58:22,874 more than twice as fast as anywhere else in the Arctic. 694 00:58:24,459 --> 00:58:30,340 Now we have several months less sea ice than we had 30, 40 years ago. 695 00:58:36,554 --> 00:58:39,766 STROM: Forty years ago, we had sea ice most of the year in Svalbard. 696 00:58:39,849 --> 00:58:42,936 Today, we're down to less than six months a year. 697 00:58:45,438 --> 00:58:49,108 The scale of that thought is pretty hard to get your head around. 698 00:58:55,740 --> 00:59:00,495 NARRATOR: Following the retreating ice, the crew is pushing ever northwards. 699 00:59:06,209 --> 00:59:09,837 Finding solid ice has forced them 300 kilometers 700 00:59:09,921 --> 00:59:13,508 further north than they'd have to travel 40 years ago. 701 00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:17,929 It took about 30 hours to come here, 702 00:59:18,388 --> 00:59:22,183 but we managed to reach this little last piece of fast ice 703 00:59:22,267 --> 00:59:24,852 in one of the northern fjords that we were hoping for. 704 00:59:24,936 --> 00:59:27,730 We know that the ice will be better further in the fjord, 705 00:59:27,814 --> 00:59:30,233 but we also need to find a family, we need to find 706 00:59:30,316 --> 00:59:33,653 a family with two cubs here. Otherwise there's no point being here. 707 00:59:36,155 --> 00:59:38,741 Time to break out the snowmobiles 708 00:59:39,867 --> 00:59:42,495 while Oskar checks the thickness of the ice. 709 00:59:44,497 --> 00:59:47,083 STROM: We might break through this first layer of water, 710 00:59:47,166 --> 00:59:49,877 -but it's gonna be completely fine. -MAN: Yeah. 711 00:59:49,961 --> 00:59:54,132 So there is a lot to think about when we're out on this summer ice. 712 00:59:54,215 --> 00:59:56,509 First of all, the ice is not consistent. 713 00:59:56,593 --> 01:00:00,930 Some places the ice is 60 centimeters, sometimes the ice is 20 centimeters, 714 01:00:01,014 --> 01:00:02,807 some areas is only 10 centimeters. 715 01:00:03,016 --> 01:00:05,059 And the air temperature is plus degrees. 716 01:00:05,435 --> 01:00:09,397 So with these strong winds, it's like putting a hairdryer to the ice. 717 01:00:09,480 --> 01:00:12,984 The changes on this summer ice is happening so rapidly. 718 01:00:13,067 --> 01:00:15,403 If something happens to us when we're out here, 719 01:00:15,486 --> 01:00:17,488 there is nothing they can do from the ship. 720 01:00:17,572 --> 01:00:20,617 The ship can't break the ice in here and come to our rescue. 721 01:00:20,700 --> 01:00:24,037 We have to be able to get back to the ship by our own means. 722 01:00:32,337 --> 01:00:34,756 NARRATOR: Despite the risks, the team knows 723 01:00:34,839 --> 01:00:39,886 this is one of the last patches of sea ice where they can use their snowmobiles. 724 01:00:54,233 --> 01:00:58,738 STEINMANN: We always look in front of the glaciers for the bear families. 725 01:00:59,364 --> 01:01:03,201 But on the maps, the glacier should be right here, 726 01:01:03,576 --> 01:01:06,496 and it's one or two kilometers in the distance already. 727 01:01:06,579 --> 01:01:08,790 So it's just... 728 01:01:08,873 --> 01:01:12,919 Yeah, it's pretty obvious how fast the glaciers are receding here. 729 01:01:19,133 --> 01:01:20,927 Hey, over there, Rolf, look. 730 01:01:21,010 --> 01:01:22,512 There's like two yellow things. 731 01:01:22,845 --> 01:01:24,597 -Yes. -One is bigger, one is smaller. 732 01:01:30,687 --> 01:01:34,273 NARRATOR: Finally, a family with cubs of the year. 733 01:01:36,150 --> 01:01:37,443 STEINMANN: We found the family. 734 01:01:38,444 --> 01:01:42,490 Family's up there in the moraine. It's the tiny cubs from this winter, 735 01:01:42,615 --> 01:01:45,284 and we are actually really excited 736 01:01:45,368 --> 01:01:49,163 that we have the chance now to work with them. 737 01:01:49,247 --> 01:01:51,666 Normally, these families are very skittish, 738 01:01:51,749 --> 01:01:55,795 so we will have to be very patient now. 739 01:02:00,049 --> 01:02:05,221 It's the most difficult thing to film a mom with COYs. 740 01:02:06,681 --> 01:02:09,392 There's no place to hide on the ice from a polar bear mom, 741 01:02:09,475 --> 01:02:11,185 she will always see you. 742 01:02:12,854 --> 01:02:14,981 But if you get it right, 743 01:02:15,064 --> 01:02:18,693 if you are in the right place at the right time, 744 01:02:18,776 --> 01:02:22,029 it's indescribable what you can experience. 745 01:02:33,708 --> 01:02:37,920 NARRATOR: Just as Rolf is getting the shots they've all worked so hard for, 746 01:02:38,004 --> 01:02:40,256 everything changes. 747 01:02:42,300 --> 01:02:46,596 We have some fog coming in. It's coming fast. 748 01:02:48,848 --> 01:02:53,478 It's very frustrating because we know that our family's out there, 749 01:02:53,561 --> 01:02:56,939 and now, the fog is coming in instead. 750 01:03:00,026 --> 01:03:01,903 And when the fog comes, it's not good, 751 01:03:01,986 --> 01:03:04,489 because then we can't see the holes in the ice. 752 01:03:07,617 --> 01:03:10,995 NARRATOR: They have no choice but to head back to the boat 753 01:03:11,078 --> 01:03:14,749 before the fog thickens and they can't travel safely. 754 01:03:28,054 --> 01:03:31,265 The weather goes from bad to worse. 755 01:03:34,852 --> 01:03:39,982 STROM: The rain's started, and we have had a pretty heavy rainfall 756 01:03:40,066 --> 01:03:42,860 that has completely changed the condition on the ice. 757 01:03:42,944 --> 01:03:46,656 We're driving around on 30 centimeters of water on the ice. 758 01:03:47,114 --> 01:03:49,534 I've never seen changes happening so fast. 759 01:03:52,995 --> 01:03:56,833 What happens is that all this water is making the ice rot, 760 01:03:56,916 --> 01:04:00,670 and we basically decided that it's not safe to be out on the ice anymore. 761 01:04:02,755 --> 01:04:06,467 This is not normal rain for the Arctic, it's kind of scary. 762 01:04:11,055 --> 01:04:13,850 NARRATOR: Snowmobiles are now useless, 763 01:04:14,016 --> 01:04:17,520 and the sea ice is breaking apart completely. 764 01:04:26,112 --> 01:04:28,447 Time to change the plan again. 765 01:04:29,574 --> 01:04:31,993 WILSON: We've got three bears, it turns out. 766 01:04:32,785 --> 01:04:37,248 So, hopefully, today will be a good, fog-free day. 767 01:04:39,375 --> 01:04:40,543 Okay, mate. 768 01:04:41,294 --> 01:04:44,130 NARRATOR: They launch a small boat called a tender, 769 01:04:44,213 --> 01:04:47,592 perfect for navigating the broken pieces of ice. 770 01:04:47,884 --> 01:04:49,260 WILSON: It's exciting. 771 01:04:49,343 --> 01:04:52,430 You get a different perspective from the tender, being lower to the ocean 772 01:04:52,513 --> 01:04:54,599 and closer to the bears. 773 01:04:54,932 --> 01:04:56,559 And off we go. 774 01:05:01,522 --> 01:05:05,610 NARRATOR: The stabilized camera system is mounted onto the tender. 775 01:05:16,996 --> 01:05:19,206 With so many seals around, 776 01:05:19,290 --> 01:05:23,711 the crew begins to hope this bear might be on the hunt. 777 01:05:28,883 --> 01:05:33,137 But while the bear can move quickly and easily through the broken ice, 778 01:05:33,220 --> 01:05:37,016 the team can't, and they're soon left behind. 779 01:05:40,019 --> 01:05:42,772 FORMAN: The ice is starting to get a bit thicker in here, 780 01:05:42,855 --> 01:05:47,443 and we're starting to have trouble just tracking the bear. Over. 781 01:05:50,112 --> 01:05:53,783 Tom, don't be too close. You will come up a piece of ice 782 01:05:53,866 --> 01:05:55,576 under the boat. 783 01:05:59,622 --> 01:06:00,998 No, no, no! 784 01:06:01,999 --> 01:06:03,876 If they stop, they're in trouble. 785 01:06:04,669 --> 01:06:07,254 We're finally making Jamie do some hard work. 786 01:06:08,798 --> 01:06:11,384 (LAUGHS) 787 01:06:12,385 --> 01:06:14,512 Seriously, they are completely stuck. 788 01:06:15,554 --> 01:06:17,098 Yeah, just keep on pushing. 789 01:06:17,181 --> 01:06:20,476 Really works. Yeah, you're doing a great job. 790 01:06:20,559 --> 01:06:21,936 (LAUGHING) 791 01:06:27,900 --> 01:06:31,112 NARRATOR: The team eventually manages to break free 792 01:06:31,195 --> 01:06:34,031 and catches up with the bear again. 793 01:06:34,323 --> 01:06:37,451 WILSON: Okay. I've got the bear. I've got the bear. I've got the bear. 794 01:06:39,078 --> 01:06:41,455 (ON RADIO) Vida. 795 01:06:41,539 --> 01:06:42,915 Go ahead, Vida. 796 01:06:43,582 --> 01:06:45,793 VIDA: Do you have eyes on the bear at the moment? 797 01:06:45,876 --> 01:06:48,379 WILSON: Yeah, it's on a floe just in front of us. 798 01:06:48,796 --> 01:06:50,464 So we're just gonna hang back a bit 799 01:06:50,548 --> 01:06:53,718 and we're gonna leave the bear a good distance 800 01:06:53,801 --> 01:06:55,845 until we think maybe it's hunting. 801 01:06:57,096 --> 01:06:59,473 She's seen something or smelt something. 802 01:07:05,730 --> 01:07:07,732 NARRATOR: With the ice broken apart, 803 01:07:07,815 --> 01:07:11,485 a bear can no longer just sit at an ice hole and wait. 804 01:07:12,319 --> 01:07:15,406 She needs a different hunting technique. 805 01:07:24,123 --> 01:07:27,585 AARS: Polar bears, they frequently swim in between ice floes, 806 01:07:27,752 --> 01:07:30,504 where it's like broken sea ice, and jump out of the water 807 01:07:30,588 --> 01:07:32,798 and take the seals, 808 01:07:32,882 --> 01:07:34,467 but it's hard for polar bears. 809 01:07:37,845 --> 01:07:42,099 Of course, conditions have changed, so it's now often less sea ice, 810 01:07:42,183 --> 01:07:44,226 more open areas. 811 01:07:44,310 --> 01:07:48,564 So this aquatic stalking is more important. 812 01:07:57,782 --> 01:08:02,286 NARRATOR: Once spotted, the bear has no hope of outswimming a seal. 813 01:08:05,372 --> 01:08:06,707 WILSON: The seal got away. 814 01:08:07,124 --> 01:08:09,043 Oh, bear. 815 01:08:10,044 --> 01:08:14,131 NARRATOR: This technique relies on pure stealth. 816 01:08:16,050 --> 01:08:18,677 WILSON: Go super slow. It's nice. 817 01:08:35,111 --> 01:08:37,905 It's really hard to pick where he's gonna come up. 818 01:08:53,796 --> 01:08:55,965 NARRATOR: It's thought that only some polar bears 819 01:08:56,048 --> 01:08:58,092 know how to hunt like this. 820 01:08:58,425 --> 01:09:03,597 But mastering this technique may become a crucial skill for survival. 821 01:09:19,905 --> 01:09:25,911 SOKGSETH: The sea ice prediction is not so good. I think it will disappear. 822 01:09:28,956 --> 01:09:33,836 It is already disappeared on the western side of Svalbard in many fjords, 823 01:09:34,086 --> 01:09:37,506 but with the continuing rising of the temperature, 824 01:09:37,590 --> 01:09:40,384 the sea ice will be reduced more and more, 825 01:09:40,467 --> 01:09:44,471 and in the end, it will not be cold enough to produce sea ice. 826 01:09:46,098 --> 01:09:52,688 In 30 years, it can be a reality that sea ice, in Svalbard, at least, 827 01:09:52,771 --> 01:09:54,315 is just history. 828 01:09:56,984 --> 01:10:01,071 AARS: If sea ice continues to disappear, 829 01:10:01,197 --> 01:10:05,659 it's likely that the polar bears will decline quite significant in numbers. 830 01:10:19,048 --> 01:10:23,302 NARRATOR: Polar bears are being forced on to land earlier and earlier. 831 01:10:24,595 --> 01:10:27,640 And there, these remarkable animals 832 01:10:27,723 --> 01:10:30,643 are learning to find other sources of food. 833 01:10:31,936 --> 01:10:35,189 AARS: Polar bears change behavior, they can do that quite fast. 834 01:10:36,148 --> 01:10:38,817 They're curious, they try to look for other opportunities 835 01:10:38,901 --> 01:10:41,237 to find food if conditions change. 836 01:10:42,071 --> 01:10:45,491 So, what we see is they use more time on land. 837 01:10:46,742 --> 01:10:49,411 We see they plunder more bird nests. 838 01:10:50,871 --> 01:10:54,291 We have seen that much more often polar bears 839 01:10:54,375 --> 01:10:56,418 hunt and take reindeer. 840 01:10:57,836 --> 01:11:01,715 I have a lot of respect for the bears and how able they are to survive, 841 01:11:01,840 --> 01:11:05,052 and it's very nice to see their ability to adapt. 842 01:11:06,929 --> 01:11:11,517 NARRATOR: This adaptability is likely to be the polar bear's greatest strength 843 01:11:11,600 --> 01:11:14,728 in coping with our changing climate. 844 01:11:16,063 --> 01:11:20,067 So when the Disneynature team discovers a buffet of blubber, 845 01:11:20,567 --> 01:11:23,529 they know it's worth getting ready to film. 846 01:11:26,740 --> 01:11:30,327 Because polar bears will come from far and wide 847 01:11:30,494 --> 01:11:32,913 to take advantage of the feast. 848 01:11:44,300 --> 01:11:50,055 With over 100 million calories on offer, there's plenty to go around. 849 01:11:51,724 --> 01:11:56,103 There's this massive, what we now know is a sperm whale carcass, 850 01:11:56,854 --> 01:11:59,773 that I think at the most so far it's had five bears on it 851 01:11:59,857 --> 01:12:05,529 at the same time, just chowing down on lovely, yummy, rotting whale flesh. 852 01:12:06,739 --> 01:12:09,199 It's pretty cool until you get downwind of the whale. 853 01:12:09,283 --> 01:12:11,577 But, yeah, it's been an amazing morning. 854 01:12:14,705 --> 01:12:18,459 One of things that you have with bears when you have a whale carcass 855 01:12:19,084 --> 01:12:21,503 is that because they're so well-fed, 856 01:12:21,587 --> 01:12:24,840 and they don't need to keep searching for their food, 857 01:12:24,923 --> 01:12:27,968 they get a chance to actually interact with other bears in a manner 858 01:12:28,052 --> 01:12:29,970 which is non-aggressive. 859 01:12:30,387 --> 01:12:34,558 Most of the bigger, older males will just sleep and tolerate each other, 860 01:12:34,641 --> 01:12:39,104 but the younger bears will interact and they sort of learn off each other, 861 01:12:39,605 --> 01:12:42,566 which leads to some great interactions for us to film. 862 01:12:45,444 --> 01:12:47,571 They've all had a feed, and now we're watching 863 01:12:47,654 --> 01:12:53,786 three young adults sort of sparring, chasing each other, sizing each other up. 864 01:12:53,869 --> 01:12:55,913 There's no malice in what they're doing. 865 01:12:56,497 --> 01:12:59,583 I think they're just learning how to be adult bears. 866 01:13:05,089 --> 01:13:09,385 WILSON: There's a set of cubs that have been on the island since we got here, 867 01:13:10,052 --> 01:13:12,221 and they're really our stars. 868 01:13:12,304 --> 01:13:14,681 They play, they have a big fight in the water, 869 01:13:14,765 --> 01:13:18,477 they have a big fight on land, and their mom's really good at... 870 01:13:18,560 --> 01:13:20,813 I think she's training them, kind of Rocky style, 871 01:13:20,979 --> 01:13:24,733 in how to be fighting bears because she joins in. 872 01:13:24,817 --> 01:13:27,778 But, yeah, she's really putting them through their paces. 873 01:13:29,029 --> 01:13:32,074 They play more than any other animal I've ever come across 874 01:13:32,157 --> 01:13:34,076 in 20 years of making wildlife films. 875 01:13:34,159 --> 01:13:37,371 These bears probably play six or seven hours a day. 876 01:13:59,017 --> 01:14:02,646 NARRATOR: Even more bears arrive, keen to join in. 877 01:14:03,355 --> 01:14:06,775 STROM: (WHISPERING) These two guys just came straight up to our two cubs. 878 01:14:08,652 --> 01:14:10,279 They don't seem hostile. 879 01:14:10,988 --> 01:14:14,491 So we might see that they start playing with each other. 880 01:14:14,825 --> 01:14:17,035 Here we go. 881 01:14:24,251 --> 01:14:27,671 Unbelievably, they've decided to hook up and play 882 01:14:27,754 --> 01:14:29,965 with the other two pairs of cubs. 883 01:14:34,636 --> 01:14:38,390 I've never seen anything like this before, up close. 884 01:14:38,474 --> 01:14:41,894 There's four bears that are super relaxed with us. 885 01:14:47,149 --> 01:14:50,360 This is super cool, it's very unusual. 886 01:14:56,950 --> 01:14:58,619 Yeah! 887 01:14:58,702 --> 01:15:02,623 NARRATOR: Capturing such a unique moment is a high point for the crew. 888 01:15:02,706 --> 01:15:06,126 But with the story of young cubs still incomplete, 889 01:15:06,210 --> 01:15:08,795 they're desperate for one more chance. 890 01:15:10,422 --> 01:15:12,883 WILSON: We've got sun and we've got seals, 891 01:15:12,966 --> 01:15:18,096 but that elusive mother and cubs, though, still no sign. 892 01:15:19,264 --> 01:15:23,560 NARRATOR: Finally, all their resilience and hard work pay off. 893 01:15:25,229 --> 01:15:29,274 The crew spots a mother with a cub born this year. 894 01:15:31,777 --> 01:15:33,779 NARRATOR: They immediately launch the tender, 895 01:15:34,071 --> 01:15:36,532 hoping this is their moment. 896 01:15:42,204 --> 01:15:45,332 (ON RADIO) Am I heading straight for it, or is it on our starboard side? 897 01:15:46,917 --> 01:15:50,003 FORMAN: It's on your starboard side. STROM: Perfect. Thank you. 898 01:16:03,225 --> 01:16:06,353 STROM: We've been trying to find a family with cubs of the year, 899 01:16:06,645 --> 01:16:09,565 and we've been trying to find them with snowmobiles, 900 01:16:09,731 --> 01:16:13,193 we've been out scouting 24 hours, we have been unlucky with fog, 901 01:16:13,277 --> 01:16:16,238 we have been unlucky with too much wind, storms, everything. 902 01:16:16,697 --> 01:16:18,282 Today, everything comes together, 903 01:16:18,365 --> 01:16:20,951 and we found a family with one cub of the year. 904 01:16:21,034 --> 01:16:23,870 We just spent about two hours with her in beautiful light, 905 01:16:23,954 --> 01:16:26,623 in beautiful ice, perfect conditions. 906 01:16:26,707 --> 01:16:29,710 And that's just the way wildlife filming works, you know? 907 01:16:30,002 --> 01:16:31,920 You have a lot of things against you, 908 01:16:32,004 --> 01:16:34,590 and, one day, everything just happens to come together. 909 01:16:35,340 --> 01:16:39,553 NARRATOR: It's a perfect end to filming for the Disneynature team. 910 01:16:44,891 --> 01:16:50,564 STEINMANN: The experience of filming the bears have changed my life, 911 01:16:50,814 --> 01:16:54,234 and they have changed my life to the better. 912 01:16:55,527 --> 01:17:01,491 What is so magical about it is you get the opportunity at this day and age 913 01:17:01,575 --> 01:17:04,411 to capture something that people have never seen before. 914 01:17:20,677 --> 01:17:24,931 NARRATOR: But having seen and experienced Svalbard's changes, 915 01:17:25,015 --> 01:17:30,145 it's impossible not to wonder what the future holds for this young family. 916 01:17:31,355 --> 01:17:34,107 SOKGSETH: My biggest concern for Arctic species, 917 01:17:34,232 --> 01:17:36,902 in the future, in Svalbard, 918 01:17:36,985 --> 01:17:42,532 is that they will not manage to adapt fast enough to the climate changes, 919 01:17:42,616 --> 01:17:44,201 which are very rapid. 920 01:17:48,622 --> 01:17:51,625 STEINMANN: When you see this, you really ask yourself, 921 01:17:51,708 --> 01:17:58,173 "How can we allow this to happen, that we lose this indescribable beauty?" 922 01:18:04,888 --> 01:18:08,141 If there is a time coming where these bears 923 01:18:08,225 --> 01:18:13,188 don't roam the Arctic anymore, I think we lose so much. 924 01:18:18,193 --> 01:18:22,823 All it needs now is a commitment, and we can turn it around. 925 01:18:24,366 --> 01:18:27,661 And the time for that commitment is right now.