Antarctic Extremes

In the premiere episode of Antarctic Extremes, join hosts Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez as they follow in the footsteps of the brave scientists that have made McMurdo Station their research base and second home. 5 days, 12,000 miles, and 7 time zones with hundreds of pounds of camera gear in tow, Caitlin and Arlo temporarily leave their day jobs and go on a journey to the bottom of the world.

Giving birth and raising young is particularly challenging in Antarctica’s extreme conditions, forcing Weddell moms and pups to bear sub-zero temperatures and prevailing winds. How do they manage to do it so gracefully? To find out, Caitlin and Arlo travel to a seal colony during pupping season. Footage of seals was obtained under the authority of NMFS MMPA permit nos.1032-1917, 17236, & 21158

Five stories high and emerging from the Taylor Glacier in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, Blood Falls seeps into an ice-covered body of water called Lake Bonney. It’s one of the continent’s most enigmatic natural features and has fascinated scientists for decades. What makes it red? Does it always flow? And can anything actually survive near it?

People have been visiting Antarctica for over a century. Today, living in Antarctica is a bit different. Eclectic bands of scientists and support personnel are drawn to the continent and, every year, a crew makes their home on “the ice.” Will hosts Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez be able to discover what it is about this icy, seemingly inhospitable place that makes it so alluring?

Researchers hope they can better understand how climate change is affecting Antarctica’s vulnerable glaciers. Caitlin and Arlo meet with scientists & engineers at the 8-mile-long Erebus Glacier Tongue to discover how a 12-foot-long robot named Icefin might help save the world. Then, they head to the Florida-sized Thwaites glacier on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet - the front line of climate change.

Antarctica is home to a handful of research stations. These stations are occupied by scientists and other staffers, all of whom generate a whole lot of waste. Under the Antarctic Treaty System, an international agreement to protect the continent, waste of any kind—garbage, human poop, you name it—can’t be left on the continent. So what happens to it?

Arlo and Caitlin learn that the Antarctic marine realm is not only spectacular to see, but fascinating for scientists to study. The water is so cold that fish inhabiting it should freeze like an icicle. So how do Antarctica’s fish, which penguins and seals rely on for food, survive in waters below their freezing point?

In Antarctica, it’s so cold that the average person needs to consume between 3,200 and 5,000 calories a day. And because the continent is frozen, no food grows there naturally. So how does the population of scientists and support personnel, hundreds of whom every year visit Antarctica’s largest research base, McMurdo Station, stay fed?

Mount Erebus is one of Antarctica’s two active volcanoes and the southernmost active volcano on Earth. Conveniently, Erebus’ summit is a mere 25 miles from McMurdo Station. After a helicopter trip to its flank, at altitude in -30° F conditions Caitlin & Arlo embark on foot and see firsthand how breathtaking (literally) Erebus is — and why an active volcano in a land of ice is a scientific wonder.

To find Adélie penguins, Caitlin and Arlo set out on a quest to Cape Royds, home to the southernmost Adélie penguin colony in the world. There, they learn about why people love these black and white birds and how Antarctica’s penguin populations are indicators of climate change. But non-ideal conditions and gusting winds put a damper on their plans.