EPISODE 2 The Sun

Morocco

A ball of fire so powerful it can generate more energy in an hour than humanity consumes in a year, the sun fuels growth and crafts seasons – but it can also incinerate life. In Morocco’s Western Sahara desert, only hardy creatures can withstand the intense heat, adapting to a fiercely beautiful environment of shifting shadows and dunes.

One surprisingly toughened survivalist is the silver ant, whose glasslike hairs reflect light, allowing them to zip across 70C (158F) sands at 855 millimetres per second. “They are like astronauts in silver space suits here on earth,” says episode producer Nick Jordan. “I walked with one ant travelling at an incredible pace, following it back to its near-invisible hole. Witnessing this navigational feat was truly incredible.”

The Travelling Naturalist (01305 267994; naturalist.co.uk) offers an 11-day High Atlas, Sahara & Atlantic Coast group trip from £1,775pp full-board, including flights. Departs March 7.

Rotating on a tilted axis, our polar regions are plunged into extremes of light and dark, creating habitats inhospitable to humans. Although chilling to the core, the beauty of these untouched spaces is heart-warming.

“Having worked with wolves around the northern hemisphere and experiencing them as a skittish and elusive species, it was fascinating to see how they behave if nobody has hunted them,” says cameraman Rolf Steinmann, who claims to have unofficially broken the world record for the coldest drone flight in history on Canada’s Ellesmere Island, 500 miles from the North Pole. More accessible – but still remote – Ennadai Lake also has excellent Arctic wolf sightings.

Windows on the Wild (020 8742 1556; windowsonthewild.com) offers a nine-night group trip to see pups emerge from dens and packs hunting caribou, from £10,500pp, full-board, including flights. Departures in August and September 2021.

Spot Arctic wolves on a wildlife trip to Ennadai Lake in the Canadian Arctic