Beneath Antarctica’s frozen seas lies one of Earth’s most stable and vibrant ecosystems — and one of its most enchanting realms. Visit a fantastic world hidden “Under Antarctic Ice.”

On the surface, it’s the bleakest of lands, with ferocious winds, flightless birds, and enough ice to flood half the planet’s population if it were to melt. But below that frozen mass, a fantastic environment of indescribable beauty teems with life. NATURE takes viewers into the world that is “Under Antarctic Ice.”

This beautiful film was shot in high definition format over a period of two years by renowned underwater photographer Norbert Wu, who has been exploring the waters beneath the Antarctic ice cap for some time.

To prepare for this adventurous exploration, Wu and two oceanographic researchers set up base at the famed frontier outpost of McMurdo Station, within sight of volcanic Mount Erebus. From there, with the help of a dive coordinator at McMurdo, they carefully searched for places where the ice was thin enough to dig access holes and where the environment below was suitable and reasonably safe for a descent. Throughout the film, Wu and his companions find ingenious ways to bring us a world that only a small fraction of humanity will ever witness firsthand.

Online content for Under Antarctic Ice was originally posted Summer of 2002.