Sir David Attenborough says cameramen don’t come much more special than Doug Allan.

The multi-BAFTA and Emmy-winning wildlife cameraman has filmed some of the most spectacular sequences for landmark programmes like Blue Planet. Orcas attacking gray whales off California; polar bears trying to catch belugas in a frozen hole in Arctic Canada and killer whales washing seals off ice floes in Antarctica. All on-screen firsts.

In part one of our two-part special, Doug recounts wonderful stories and adventures from his 60+ trips to the poles over the last five decades, filming underwater and on land. 

He also recalls how he managed to escape the terrifying clutches of a determined walrus who mistook him for a seal!