Theres the calf, yeah. Nice. We know that the Pregnancy Rates are high, the population is increasing, and were also seeing more calves in the water. Woo im taking the chilliest dip of my life. Woohoo . And camping out on the ice. Were going to be here, like, i tomorrow morning still putting a tent up at this rate. As more and more people embark on these adventures, what can we learn about this, the most pristine place on the planet . Were sailing into an area famous for Humpback Whale sightings wilhelmina bay. Onboard ourship, the fridtjof nansen, theres a complement of independent scientists. Theyre getting the opportunity to perform Genuine Research in antarctic waters. 0k, blakey . 0k, green light from down here. Today, im heading out with Arianna Torello and blake marin from the university of california, santa cruz. Theyre on board studying whales equipped with some unusual kit. Blake, what are you guys going to be doing out on the boat today . So were heading out to collect some data on whales. Weve got a drone were going to be using to measure their body condition. Uhhuh. And then weve also got a crossbow up here, which were going to be using to collect some skin and blubber some remote biopsy samples from them. Well catch you out on the water. Thank you. Well see you. Well see you in a bit. It isnt long before blakes drone spots its first signs of whales spouting air. Coming up. 0h, theres a calf. Because blake and arianna are going to be using a crossbow and a drone, were Riding Parallel to them on a separate boat. Were going to have to keep a distance of about 100 or so metres when they spot a whale, just to ensure that we dont agitate the animal and they keep it as calm as possible. Yeah, i can see one over there. Theyre going to be really careful not to injure the whales. They dont shoot anywhere near the animals head, around its face or eyes. How many� s that . Yeah, thats four theres four whales over there were right on top of it. Were right on top of them. It looks like ariannas going to take a shot. 0k, ive got a shot. I think. Nice. That was mom right there. And theyre reeling it back in. 0k, skin and blubber. Yeah, just holding here. No reaction. Yeah, no response. No response. That means there isnt any sign that the whale felt the crossbow� s bolt. Filming from above reveals these whales performing an ingenious Feeding Strategy bubble net feeding. Theres bubbles. More bubbles on the other side over there. The whales dive deep, blowing out air. This confuses and traps fish swimming above. The whales then rise from the depths, mouths open, and feast. Those are the bubbles. Like, little bubbles coming up. So there could be an animal. There was some on the further side. Well see. They might� ve split as well. This is behaviour theyve learned from one another. Its exclusive to humpback and bryde� s whale species. Hi, guys how did it go . Hey hey, marc all good. What sort of whales did you manage to get samples from there . So that sighting was with two Humpback Whales. It was actually a mom and a calf. A lot of our Tissue Samples are actually telling us some information on the Pregnancy Rates of humpbacks. We know that the Pregnancy Rates are high, the population is increasing, and were also seeing more calves in the water. Using the crossbow to collect those samples, it looks like its pretty vicious. Does it injure or upset the animals at all . No, absolutely not. So, in terms of injury, you know, we can immediately say no. Weve been using this type of Sampling Method as a lab group for about two decades. But its been used scientifically even longer than that. The way we like to describe it is maybe like a flick or more of a shock factor, but frequently we dont see any response at all. How important is it that you get those samples back and into the freezer quite quickly . Its actually pretty important, so we should probably head out now. 0k. Well see you guys back at ship. Were basicallyjust storing all of the samples right now for analysis later. We can open this up and see. How many samples did you manage to get today . So we got 17 today, which is by far the most weve gotten all season. It was a really good day for us, yeah. So these are blubber samples . Yeah, so itll probably be easier to show you once we start pulling them out of the tips. But its basically got a little bit of skin and then a little bit of blubber down beneath it. Trying not to touch it too much while im doing it. So you dont contaminate the sample . Yes. But. There we go. That bit of skin and blubber, you can see its at a bit of an angle from when it entered the animal. Yeah. But about half skin, half blubber there. Blake, what do you hope this research will achieve . Yeah, so i think its going to give us a lot of information on how these animals eat, how they are able to reproduce. Just really understanding this population of particularly Humpback Whales in general, and being able to start to look for changes when we consider things like Climate Change, krill fishing, you know, increasing tourism in antarctica. The ships next destination is deception island. Its blackened and charred landscape shaped by an active volcano. Formerly home to whaling, and later research stations, this island was abandoned after a volcanic eruption in 1969. This feels like the surface of the moon if the surface of the moon had driving snow. Totally different from the glaciers, totally different from the icebergs. Ready to go hiking . Yeah, lets do it ok, lets ascend this mountain really excited for the view up there its a great workout for the calves as well as hiking across this volcanic landscape, ill be catching up with my fellow passengers, kath and keith, and natasha and lena. How was that . It was tougher than it looked but its well worth the view. Every level you get up, the views changing and youre getting to see the full kind of volcanic crater. Its really beautiful. All right, well, lets keep. Lets keep ourselves warm. Lets keep the pace up. Lets keep moving. Lets keep going. The snow and ice might not be settling, but pretty harsh Weather Conditions make progress really difficult. The weather in antarctica is incredibly changeable. You get sleet and snow one minute, sunshine the next. In really, really high winds, im not sure whether this is sleet, snow, sleet, snow and ice, sleet, snow and ice with rocks in it. A combination of all of those. I am being absolutely battered by ice. It is not snow. Are you happy here . And were definitely going to need a cup of tea at the end of this, arent we . As some head for higher ground, the weather takes a turn for the worse. We decide to descend. Another challenge awaits, though the islands ice cold waters. Are you all going in . Everyone. Are you . The enthusiasm of the group has persuaded me that im going tojoin them on the polar plunge as well. Im not entirely confident that im going to enjoy it perhaps as much as some of our group here. Yeah that was some weak sauce there. Woohoo im not doing it. Im fartoo sensible. Here we go, dad. Ready. Here we go. Father and son terry and luke have no problem taking the plunge, though. Go on. Weve got to go. Once in a lifetime experience. The Water Temperature is one degree. If were going to plunge, its now or never. Woo ah cheering that isnt long enough 0k you did it oh, that was just as unpleasant as i thought it was going to be 0h wahey i think we should all give ourselves a big round of applause. Cheering go, guys oh, my god laughter woo returning to the ship provides an opportunity to warm up. A daily ritual making sure that we clean and disinfect our boots when we get onto and off the ship. Its all part of an effort to try and make sure that we keep antarctica as clean as possible and dont introduce bacteria or dirt from somewhere else. The fridtjof nansen� s operators, hx expeditions, are keen to highlight efforts to protect the local environment and sustainability, bolstered in part by things like the ships hybrid electric propulsion system. They claim it uses less fuel. But back on deck, our ship isnt alone in these waters. Ive noticed other cruise vessels. Here in deception island, in the bay, we can see quite a few other cruise ships, quite large vessels. And when we think about sustainability, Climate Change, issues around the environment, does it make sense to have so many of us so many human beings in this region . Are we part of the problem . The Antarctic Environment is massively important to the whole world. This vast continent covered in ice helps keep the planet cool, reflecting the suns rays away from the earths surface. Sea ice that forms in winter and then slowly melts helps regulate heat and drive currents that affect the rest of the world. Studying the environment here is vital to get a clear picture of the effect of Climate Change on the region. To find out more, i caught up with some of the passengers taking part in a Citizen Science project. We will take some samples, do some measurements. Led by one of the ships science team, nadia. And we try to catch some of the things that are in the water with this net. One of the major areas of study is the bottom of the food chain, something called phytoplankton. The phytoplankton gets eaten by, like, for example, little krill. What eats krill . We all know. Penguins. Penguins and whales. So thats why we monitor this really small part of the food chain. All right, so what we will do now is putting the plankton net in the water. Yeah, you canjust let it go. Perfect. Now it starts to actually roll out. Good. So now its collecting a surface sample. 0k. This is great. So now we have the whole bottle full of sample. Its time to head back to the ship and examine what weve found. Can you see anything in yours . Yes. Yeah, ive got. Little wiggly bits. I can see lots of what look like hairs floating around. Yeah, i even see it already on your sample. So these are bigger cells. So probably some plant remainings. And sometimes we even find microplastic in the samples. We dont want to see microplastic, though, do we . No, we dont want to see it. But we unfortunately find it. Thats really scary. Its right down here . Exactly. Nadia, what can we discover from finding lots of these in a particular area . We want to look how diverse is it here . How many different species of phytoplankton do we have . And with warming waters, we can see that the diversity is decreasing. While studies continue around diversity in the local ecosystem, there are conservation success stories. Hey, good morning good morning im going to see one of them now. Terry and luke join me aboard a rib. The father and son from surrey didnt expect to be making this trip together. And i was supposed to be here with my wife, actually. It was four years in the making. First two years cancelled due to covid. Third year, we had our daughter. And now shes one, so you cant bring a one year old to antarctica. So dad had to step in for my. Number 12 on my back. Substitute. Laughterl and getting to see these animals in their natural habitat, does it give you a different perspective on the Natural World . Theres nowhere else like this, and i think itjust has to be a priority to try and protect it. Weve got something behind us. What can i see . What is it . Whats over there . Is it a whale . Oh, yeah. Just there, look. You see this little one thats, like, in a v shape . Yeah. Just there. Were going in. We have to be quiet not to disturb them. Going in very, very slowly. This is incredible theres its tail again look at that our small boat encounters 15 metre long Humpback Whales feeding on tiny shrimp like krill that fill these waters. That is beautiful. My word the penguin. Gasping look at that this really has a feel of once in a lifetime experience about it, to see whales this close, feeding. Mind blowing. Since an International Whaling ban was introduced in the � 80s, Humpback Whale numbers have slowly increased. Scientists estimate theyre now at pre whale hunting levels. While its good news for humpbacks, not all species are so lucky. Work continues to protect the habitats and welfare of the worlds whales. Its absolutely incredible. If i wasnt sitting here and witness what just happened, i was watching this on the tv, id think, well, that was pretty much planned and choreographed to happen. Whale watching done, i want to find out if our time on this unique continent has had an effect on our tourists. It does make you want to go back and actually pass the message on more. And there is that thing about behaviour change, which is difficult. But i think a lot of people who have come here are very aware of all this stuff anyway, but weve got to go back with, like, renewed energy. Now, going back to a family and having a child, theres an agenda for me to push and. Absolutely. To educate. Yeah, for the next generation. Because if we dont slow down or we dont all collectively make a bigger, better effort, half these species probably wont be here. Ive gotjust enough time to grab my gear and head out for my final excursion. Tonight, i wont be sleeping in my cabin aboard the ship. Instead, ill be camping here on an ice island in leith cove off the antarctic peninsula. Do you see kind of the bluish gap there . Welcome to leith cove. This feels like a mini expedition, seeing Everybody Traipsing up the hill, carrying all their kit, deploying from our rib. Theres a real spirit of adventure. Welcome ashore im extremely excited have fun. Thank you very much. Now, please. There wont be any barbecues or songs around the campfire. In order to protect the local environment, we cant bring any food ashore only water. Wonderful location. All were allowed to leave behind are footprints in the snow. Base camp. Do you know where youre going, by the way . No, imjust going. You cantjust pitch up anywhere. Youve got to, like, pitch up somewhere sensible. I dont want to fall offl the edge of it at night. Who needs sensible . Im at the Ends Of The Earth here we go. First order of Business Get The Tent built. I am not a natural camper. 0k, could you just hold. . Without an Instruction Manual handy. First part up. Were going to be here, like, i tomorrow morning still putting a tent up at this rate. Ill most likely be sleeping in my thermal undies. Ill keep them on all night. And ill keep my boots handy, just in case i need to pay a visit to the very, very rudimentary toilet. Do you want to dig a hole, and then we pull it. . We dont need to dig a hole. Well, i dont think we dug deep enough. Let me dig in. I know toddlers who are more helpful than you cracking 0h wow the sound of ice carving. Right now, you wouldnt know it, but its11pm, and we can hear the cracking of the icebergs. Itsjust stunning. Is it nice sharing this together . Ithink. This is quite silly. Theres no one else id want to share it with. You know, weve travelled lots of places, and the idea that we get to go to the Ends Of The Earth together. And it also really makes you think about what youve been doing with your life, who youve been spending it with. And its probably good to have someone you like with you. Tash, you getting comfortable . Yeah, trying. It was a bit of hard work trying to get the tent up, wasnt it . Laughter so, guess what . Were going to sleep on your seventh continent. Laughter night night. Night, tash. Its the early hours of the morning. If wejust look outside there. It� s still light. Stripping everything away, stripping all the things away that you might normally do when you get outdoors, gives you time to reflect and think. And, you know, pay attention, be in the moment. Soak up everything thats going on around me. Glaciers. Penguins. Icebergs. Cool stuff. Its been an amazing journey to the Ends Of The Earth. A frozen continent almost untouched by human hands. Home to incredible wildlife. And breathtaking landscapes. Its a place that isnt just beautiful its vital to the survival of all life on earth. And i have to conclude, after spending time so close to the wildlife here, that its really deepened my sense of how beautiful and how fragile this environment is, and that protecting it and preserving it will benefit all of us in ways that we can barely imagine. Hello there. Settled and warm again on friday, with plenty of late spring sunshine around and temperatures rising across the four nations into the low 20s in celsius. The warmth is set to last as we head through the weekend. Temperatures will remain above the seasonal average, warmest towards the east. And its still dry for the vast majority of us on saturday, a scattering of showers, with the real breakdown happening on sunday heavy, thundery showers out towards the western half of the uk. Further east, should stay largely dry. And here is the area of High Pressure thats keeping these dry, settled conditions for the time being. It will eventually push further eastwards into scandinavia, but weve got a bit of an easterly breeze, and thats been dragging some mist and low cloud in from the north sea. But that will lift and clear across the South East Of England and east anglia through saturday morning. Still maybe a hang back of cloud towards parts of the yorkshire lincolnshire coast, though. Lots of sunshine to start the day and well keep the sunny skies for most through the afternoon. But a scattering of showers across scotland pushing northwards, perhaps some heavy and thundery, but theyll be fairly isolated. Its still very warm 2a degrees celsius in glasgow. Chance of a shower, too, across Northern Areas of Northern Ireland and north wales. A little cooler towards these north sea facing coasts, with some of the cloud possibly lapping onshore again at times. 25 or 26 degrees celsius in london and south east england. So the High Pressure starts to push further eastwards as we head through sunday. That allows for these low Pressure Systems to roll in from the west. And this Weather Front will bring a thickening cloud across the south west of england, western wales on sunday morning. Some showers across the Western Isles and western scotland, pushing into Northern Ireland, and the chance of some thunderstorms developing all across the western half of the uk. But it should stay drier further east. Again, there will be a lot of sunshine here, and once again, we could see temperatures in the low to the mid 20s in celsius. But cooler out towards the west, of course, underneath the cloud and with the eventual rain. And here comes that low Pressure System swinging in as we head through monday. Its going to give us quite widespread rain on monday, especially through the afternoon, so expect it to turn a lot more showery as we head through it next week. And therell be a drop in temperature, too, so unsettled and cooler as we head through next week. Bye bye for now. Live from washington, this is bbc news Special Report. Billions head to the polls around the world this year, as concerns grow about the impact of deceptive Artificial Intelligence on elections. Us officials warn foreign adversaries could use the technology to influence elections, as the deep fakes become more convincing and sophisticated. Hello, im caitriona perry. Youre very welcome to this bbc Special Report. This is a bbc Special Report on the influence of Artificial Intelligence on global elections. More than 60 countries and the eu will head to the polls in 2024 and many already have