Pearls of the Planet: Brown Bears

The American Southwest is a complex region where cultures transcend political borders. Join Charlie and the Explore team as they meet people pursuing a life in the United States while struggling to maintain their cultural heritage and longstanding traditions.

"Explore" takes you to the Northern reaches of the planet, through live high definition webcams and expeditions deep into the Arctic. On the shores of Hudson Bay, polar bears wait for the ice to harden so they can move out miles from shore to hunt for the seals that feed them over the winter.  Beluga whales gather in large pods, while the Aurora Borealis swirls overhead. Without narration or music, Explore’s “Pearls of the Planet” presents the natural sights and sounds of the Arctic in a way never before presented on broadcast television.

Follow Charlie and the explore.org team on a journey to seek out new adventure sports and talk to the heroes that rescue thrill seekers when the action goes awry. On their way, they explore what makes humans push the boundaries of physics in the never-ending pursuit of adrenaline.

On a philanthropic, fact finding mission to the Arctic, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and the explore.org team dive into the unique culture of the Inuit people of Greenland and learn about their traditional cuisine, which includes raw seal meat, whale, caribou, walrus, and fish. Charles also visits the Qimaavik Women's Shelter for abused women and children, and learns about the high crime rate of Nunavut territory being tackled by extraordinary individuals in the area.

Craig Sholley of the African Wildlife Foundation describes his organization's efforts to preserve the 720 gorillas that remain in Rwanda. Learn about the species that is 98.6 percent similar to human beings in one of the most popular episodes of "Explore."

explore.org is a philanthropic media organization and a multi-media division of the Annenberg Foundation. Created by filmmaker and philanthropist Charles Annenberg Weingarten to champion the selfless acts of others, inspire lifelong learning and help people fall in love with the world again, explore.org is home to more than 300 original films and a massive library of world-class photography from all over the globe.

Meet John Singh, Rajisthani Maverick, who is single handedly trying to save traditional Indian music from going extinct.

Take a journey around the world with Charlie and the Explore team on their quest to capture the essence of mother nature. Hike through Rwanda's rainforests to explore the lives of wild mountain gorillas; sail through the Bahamas and witness dolphins at play; and watch endangered pandas melt hearts at the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve in China.