National Geographic/Connor Stefanison
Wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory brings us on a blizzard-filled adventure to the edge of the Canadian Arctic, where a unique group of hard-core animals have figured out how to thrive. But our changing climate means their lives are changing faster here than anywhere else on the planet.
The third season of "Wild_Life: The Big Freeze" premieres Thursday, July 11. We’ll join Bertie Gregory in his digital series as he walks with polar bears, gets into the middle of a wolf pack, and dives under the sea ice with harp seals for incredible in-the-moment experiences.
This new season begins with the return of one of nature’s biggest annual events, when the conditions and animal behaviors are at their most epic. We start during the first snowfall of autumn, when Bertie attempts to track down the only wolf pack in the world known to hunt polar bears. As temperatures fall, we meet a pair of huge male polar bears assembling on the coastline as they wait for the ocean to freeze. This will allow them to end a summer long fast on land, as they travel out on the sea ice to hunt for seals.
In the dead of winter, when the bears are long gone, we meet the region’s unsung heroes. Smaller but no less charismatic, this incredible cast of animals has adapted to the barren and unforgiving landscape. As winter draws to a close, we meet a polar bear mother who has just emerged from her den with a new cub as it explores the world for the first time. As spring begins, we head out onto the sea ice to witness the arrival of thousands of baby harp seals. These pups desperately try to fatten up and learn to swim before the ice breaks up.
With a team of locals, the latest technology, and a big handful of luck in this fast-changing environment, we managed to capture events that may have never been filmed before.
Every year, the “big freeze” happens later and ends earlier, raising the stakes for all our animal characters. Ultimately, we’ll learn that despite most of the human population living miles from any sea ice, we are all connected to it, and we all depend on it. We’re all waiting for the big freeze.
Episode 1 premieres Thursday, July 11, 2019 on natgeo.com/wildlife.