Spring
Three-part series examining the harsh elements and rich rewards of the Alaskan wilderness. A mother sea otter nurses her baby through the chilly days of early spring.
Alaska is one of the most iconic wildernesses on the planet - America's last frontier.
In this three-part series, we follow a year in Alaska and reveal the stories of pioneering Alaskans, both animal and human, as they battle the elements and reap the benefits of nature's seasonal gold rush.
Alaska is huge - by far the biggest US state - and still one of the wildest places on earth. It has deep forests and vast mountain ranges, and a third of it sits above the Arctic Circle.
The whole state goes through some of the most extreme seasonal changes: temperatures can reach over 90F in summer and can plummet to -80F in the winter.
Yet plenty survives here, and it is home to some of the hardiest animals on the planet. Each one has its own way of getting through the challenges of the seasons.
We meet black bear cubs faced with a daunting climb down from their tree-den and a mother sea otter nursing her baby through the chilly days of early spring. Stealthy 50-tonne sperm whales steal fish from the end of fishermen's lines, grizzly bears grow big on a sudden wealth of salmon and a huge male moose finds unlikely ways to impress a female. Thousands of bald eagles gather for a winter feast, and arctic foxes risk everything to find food in the alien world of an oil boomtown. People, too, must go with the flow of the extreme seasons, facing winter storms at sea to catch snow crabs, rushing across ice rivers with teams of huskies and taking advantage of Alaska's endless summer daylight to grow world-class giant vegetables.
As spring lights up the land, Alaska faces one of the greatest transformations on earth. Temperatures soar, and as the sun's rays hit the snow and ice, water, light and warmth return. Alaska's transition to spring may look magical, but for those animals emerging from a long winter's sleep, it's a time of intense competition, as everything is in a rush to cash in on Alaska's riches.
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Clips
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Web exclusive: Anan Creek bears
Duration: 03:56
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Sea otter pup
Duration: 01:11
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Alaskan black bear cubs
Duration: 02:27
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Web exclusive: A scourge of mosquitoes
Duration: 00:30
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Narrator | Dougray Scott |
Producer | Jane Atkins |
Director | Jane Atkins |
Series Producer | Mary Summerill |
Executive Producer | James Honeyborne |
Broadcasts
- Wed 4 Feb 2015 20:00
- Sun 8 Feb 2015 16:15麻豆官网首页入口 Two Scotland
- Sun 8 Feb 2015 17:15麻豆官网首页入口 Two except Scotland
- Fri 13 Mar 2015 09:00
- Mon 21 Dec 2015 16:15
- Mon 12 Dec 2016 15:30
- Mon 18 Dec 2017 16:00
- Sat 6 Jan 2018 20:00
- Sun 7 Jan 2018 02:00
- Mon 11 Feb 2019 15:15麻豆官网首页入口 Two except Wales
- Sat 27 Apr 2019 20:00
- Sun 28 Apr 2019 03:00
- Mon 6 Jan 2020 16:15
- Mon 23 Nov 2020 16:15麻豆官网首页入口 Two except Scotland
- Sat 13 Mar 2021 19:00
- Mon 15 Mar 2021 02:25
- Tue 1 Mar 2022 16:15麻豆官网首页入口 Two except Scotland & Wales
- Sat 3 Feb 2024 11:00麻豆官网首页入口 Two except Scotland
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