The INSIDER Summary: The nature docuseries "Planet Earth II" just premiered in the US. In the "Islands" episode, the crew filmed a penguin colony that liveson a remote active volcano. INSIDER spoke with producer Liz White to learn about the treacherous journey to the island.The BBC's breathtaking nature docuseries "Planet Earth II" a new and improved reboot of the 2006 original premieres February 18 in the US. The first episode is all about islandsand not just the idyllic tropical kind.Episode producer Dr. Elizabeth White, a former research biologist who works with the BBC Natural History Unit, brought her crew all across the globe to film animals on some of the world's most remote outposts. Their efforts proved fruitful: The 50-minute episode featuresstunning footage of pygmy sloths swimming in turquoise waters, 50 million cherry-red crabs carpeting the ground during an annual migration, and ten-foot long komodo dragons engaging in brutal reptile-on-reptile combat.But White toldINSIDER that there's one island experience she'll never forget: Filmingthe world's largest penguin colony on Zavodovski Island. It's located deep in the south Atlantic Ocean off the coast ofAntarctica, and is surrounded on all sides by some of the world's stormiest seas. It's also an active volcano where few humans have ever set foot. And yet, it's a happy home forabout 1.5 million chinstrap penguins."Our filming on Zavodovski island is the achievement that will stick with me forever," White said. "I had heard of the island several years ago and dreamed of visiting. When the 'Islands' episodecame up then it seemed the ideal chance it was the perfect story of island heaven and hell."For the penguins, at least, it's a kind of heaven. The island is surrounded by plenty of food and the volcano's warmth helps melt the snow.But for White and her crew, getting to Zavodovski was more likehell."Planning the trip wasn't easy," she said. "Firstly I had to convince Antarctic skipper Jerome Poncet to come out of retirement and take us there. He knows the island better than anyone [...] I'm not convinced there's anyone else on earth who could have landed us and a tonof gearon the island safely."With Poncet's help (and afterabout a year of planning) the crew set out on a seven-day voyage over rough seas in a smallyacht. Luckily, they arrived on a calm day and got themselves ashoreno easy feat considering the island's edges are steep 30-foot cliffs. They spent the next six weeks camping onthe island, observing and filming the penguins in their volcanic habitat. But they had to be totally self-sufficient: Ifanything went wrong, there would beno one around to rescuethem."I had months of sleepless nights worrying my way through the risk assessment," White said. "What if someone broke a leg [or] slipped and fell' What if we couldn't actually land on the island' It was a bit of a gamble, but a calculated risk and amazingly everything went exceptionally smoothly."There was only onetinyhitch. Three days into the journey, a huge wave crashed over the island's cliff and doused one of the cameras in sea water. There was no chance of getting a new one, so the crew tried to dry it out using heat packs. One personeven sleptwith the camera in his sleeping bag in an attempt to reviveits electronic innards. Heating it up over astove eventually did the trick, and the camera sprang to life in time for the crew to keep filming.Luckily, the penguins didn't seem perturbed by their presence. In fact, many penguinswere so comfortable among humans that they often relieved themselves all over the crew's tents and gear."Many remote island animals are quite naive," White said. "They have not evolved in close contact with humans and are often unafraid of them. This is certainly true of animals like penguins."You can see them up close in the"Islands" episode of "Planet Earth II." It airs February 18at 9 p.m. on BBC America.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: You can hang out with penguins at this South African beach
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