EPISODE 3 Weather

Attenborough has traversed most of the globe, but one destination remains on his wish list: the Gobi Desert. “I’m not likely to be sent there, because there aren’t many animals, but there are fossils and I would love to go,” he muses. The crew managed to locate several of the world’s last 1,000 wild Bactrian camels, which find water by eating snow drifting from Siberia.

“We’d drive for days without seeing another living thing,” says episode producer Ed Charles. “It was a very odd sensation to be in an environment where there is literally no sound other than the whisper of the wind; no birds, not even the hum of an insect. I’ve never been anywhere that felt more like the surface of another planet.”

Discover the Gobi on a tailor-made, 16-day Insight trip with Responsible Travel (01273 823700; responsible travel.com), camping among dunes, following herders and learning about community conservation. From £1,780pp, excluding flights.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Australia

Every November, monsoon rains spur 43 million red crabs to make an epic migration from highland forests to the coast of Christmas Island, eventually spawning in the Indian Ocean on the highest tide. Pinpointing the right night and the best beach was tricky for camera operator Sophie Darlington.

“Trying not to step on them was another huge challenge,” she recalls. “It’s not a good idea to crush your main talent. We got very good at raking the ground to clear it of crabs.”

Beyond the spectacle of red waves flooding the land, the determination of these crustaceans is impressive. “Nothing is going to stop this inchhigh festival happening at the beach. I adored their wiggle and dance by the water,” Darlington says, laughing.

Dive Worldwide (01962 302086; diveworldwide.com) can tailor-make a 10-day dive trip from £2,145pp, including flights