Few places on Earth remain largely untouched and uninhabited by humans, but such spots exist in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a vast 6,200 mile long chain of volcanic mountains that has surfaced as tiny, isolated islands thousands of miles from any mainland. The islands teem with life, from huge penguin colonies to species found nowhere else on Earth. These worlds serve as both playgrounds and sanctuaries, where some species struggle and others thrive.

In Islands Of Fire (Wednesday 27^th, 8pm Smithsonian), discover the secrets of these little-known oases as we explore eight islands, from Iceland in the north, with its erupting geysers and thermal pools, to the Falkland Islands in the south, home to the largest breeding colony of gentoo penguins in the world – more than 120,000 pairs. All the Atlantic Islands are special places. Born of fire, they hold some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet.