Operation Iceberg, Tues 30th November, 9pm, BBC2
"This is the real death zone, where maelstroms churn in anticipation of millions of tonnes of merciless ice cracking free of its mother lode and smashing all before it. Not ideal in a fragile craft whose top speed is eight knots." - Chris Packham, BBC Nature
I'm currently boiling in the Australian outback but if I was in the UK I'd be looking forward to an evening chilling with the trendy team who front Operation Iceberg on BBC2. In the first programme, 'Birth of a 'Berg', the team uncover the hidden forces that explain why the Store Glacier of Greenland produces so many icebergs. The ever-cool Chris Packham joins scientists on a research yacht in the danger zone at the front of the glacier, whilst hot science chick Helen Czerski explores the inside of the glacier itself. During the expedition the team witnesses the creation of an iceberg as a multimillion-ton block of ice calves off the glacier. Find out more on the BBC programme page.
"There was a real risk that this newly created chunk of ice would flip over taking the ship with it. Quite frankly, there were many times during the expedition when I wished that someone else was making the series." - Andrew Thompson, Producer, TV Blogs
 |
| Chris Packham, Helen Czerski, Andy Torbet and Chris Van Tulleken |
"The ice edge towered over us, vertical, angular and utterly spectacular. We steamed around the berg until we found lower cliffs, and suddenly the icescape behind was revealed. It looked like a mini version of the South Downs, carved into ice. Gentle mounds were separated by valleys, and these led down to waterfalls of meltwater cascading into the ocean. The iceberg made its own fog, so we could only see a little way into the centre. We sailed round it, living life just on the wrong side of the edge, and peering hopefully over the top of the cliffs like a dog eyeing up a loaded dinner table." - Helen Czerski
Polar Bears on the 'berg
 |
| Polar Bear on the 'Berg, by Chris Packham |
"Slowly and surely its shape shifted from cosy cushion to robust predator, it rose gently without alarm and confidently padded to the top of the jagged crest that hung above our ships bow." - Chris Packham
"Curious polar bears peered back. We had thought we would be lucky to see one or two, but the iceberg turned out to have a healthy population of these huge carnivores. The summer is a lean time for them, as they wait for the sea ice to come back so that they can hunt. So they were snoozing away, not at all bothered that their chosen holiday home was moving, tilting, melting, breaking up and giving a TV production team and some scientists severe logistical headaches." - Helen Czerski
"It was soon very clear that the presence of all these polar bears would severely limit what we could do. They are the largest land predator on earth and have been known to attack and kill people." - Andrew Thompson
 |
| The glaciers front, by Chris Packham (see more spectacular images on the BBC series page) |
 |
| The science team download data on the 'berg, by Chris Packham |
 |
| View across the store glacier, by Chris Packham |
