Life in the Freezer

Sir David Attenborough looks at the natural history of the Antarctic continent

en
Documentary
Created By

First Aired on

Nov 18, 1993

1 seaons till Dec 23, 1993

Popularity: 4.909
22 votes
Networks
(GB)
Production

BBC (GB)

Status: Ended

Show Ended

Last episode: Footsteps in the Snow

Seasons & episodes

Total 1 seasons, 6 episodes

Miniseries

Aired

6 Episodes
  • Episode 1The Bountiful Sea min

    With winter temperatures of minus 70 degrees centigrade and winds of 100mph, only a few hundred people live in this inhospitable continent that is one and a half times the size of Europe. The wildlife, however, is abundant - millions of penguins, thousands of whales and half the world's seals somehow survive hardest conditions on the planet.

  • Episode 2The Ice Retreats min

    In the spring, the thaw begins and animals like the humpback whale and the crabeater seal follow the retreating ice.

  • Episode 3The Race to Breed min

    It's summer in Antarctica, and with 24-hour daylight the race to breed is on as two million fur seals crowd the beaches of South Georgia. When the pups are born, ferocious bulls attack any intruders who challenge their females. Meanwhile, Chinstrap penguins cross glacial streams and climb near vertical cliffs to feed their chicks as formidable leopard seals lurk.

  • Episode 4The Door Closes min

    Autumn has stirred up harsh seas which batter the islands of Antarctica, leaving penguins to struggle ashore to feed their young. Amid the wildness of the landscape, leopard seals pounce at unsuspecting fledglings, fur seal pups take their first swim, and young wandering albatrosses rehearse their amazing courtship dance.

  • Episode 5The Big Freeze min

    During the Antarctic winter, conditions are so extreme that most animal life deserts the region. The few exceptions include emperor penguins, which huddle together as storms rage, and Weddell seals, which maintain holes in the ice for access to an underwater world in which fish survive by having natural antifreeze in their blood.

Crew & Team

Alastair Fothergill

Producer

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