SBS - Wildest Arctic (2013)

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SBS - Wildest Arctic (2013)

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Wildest Arctic explores four extraordinary areas of the arctic giving a unique insight into what life is like for animals trying to survive in these incredible habitats. The cameras capture life over the course of 12 months in the frozen forests of the Taiga, which contain one third of the world's trees. They also explore the arctic tundra, one of the coldest, driest places on the planet and home to hundreds of thousands of caribou. In later episodes, footage shows what life is like in the Arctic circle for the ‘Ice Bears' and ‘Ice Whales' and explores the country of Iceland; following the seasons and discovering the natural beauty of this country's rugged landscapes and hardy wildlife.

Part 1: The Arctic Ocean: The Frozen Sea
The Arctic Circle is one of the last great wildernesses on earth, where the ocean turns to ice, and land and sea merge into one. This is a place where animals inspire myths and legends, and the species that survive here have evolved to live above and beneath the ice. This is the land of the midnight sun.
This episode follows a year in the High Arctic where life is exceptionally entwined with the seasons. In the winter months the Arctic Circle truly is the Kingdom of the Ice Bear, as they roam the Sea Ice. As summer approaches, the great melt begins, heralding a time of great change. The “Ice Whales” (Narwhal, Beluga and Bowhead Whales) return to the Arctic to feed in the rich fishing waters, and millions of birds flock to breed on Greenland’s cliffs bathed in sunlight.

Part 2: Taiga: The Frozen Forests
Containing one third of the world’s trees, the frozen forests of the Taiga truly are the “lungs of the planet”. This great forest spans right around the globe: across North America, Scandinavia, and extending across Siberia to the shores of the Pacific, sheltering some of the Earth’s most majestic animals, and some of its most secretive.
This episode follows a year in the Taiga Forest. Our journey starts in the depths of winter. In the bitter cold and silence of the frozen forest, it is hard to believe that life can survive. All the animals that live in the frozen forests are specialists in dealing with the ice and cold. Wolverines roam far and wide in search of food, using circling crows and ravens to locate food. Lynx silently creep up on agile snowshoe hares and an Amur Leopard and her cub - the world’s rarest big cat – face an uncertain future.

Part 3: Tundra: Desert of Ice
Covering 1/5th of the earth’s surface, the arctic tundra is one of the coldest and driest places on the planet. The piercing sub-zero temperatures and powerful winds of the arctic tundra challenges even the hardiest of creatures. Life here must adapt or perish.We discover the delicate balance of the seasons that allows life to thrive in this extreme environment. The short arctic summer thaws the permafrost surface layer triggering an explosion of life, attracting animals from far and wide including one particular visitor all the way from the Antarctic, the Arctic Tern.

Part 4: Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice
Iceland is a land born out of fire, sculpted by ice. This unique island is home to some of the planet’s rarest and most spectacular creatures and it harbours some of the most extreme environments on Earth. On the highly volcanic Mid Atlantic Ridge, new land is forged every day in Iceland’s heart of fire.
In this episode we follow the seasons and discover the natural beauty of Iceland’s rugged landscapes. We reveal the remarkable wildlife of this unique island from the hardy Arctic Fox to the largest breeding colony in the world of the charismatic Atlantic Puffin.

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SBS - Wildest Arctic (2013)

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SBS - Wildest Arctic (2013)

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SBS - Wildest Arctic (2013)

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