British broadcaster and biologist, David Attenborough, has been the undisputed voice of conservation in the UK and across the world for decades. He’s narrated over 100 documentaries about the natural world, including blockbuster series like Life on Earth, The Blue Planet, and Planet Earth, which all revealed never-before-seen footage of our environment and the secret lives of the wildlife we share it with.
This year, the presenter celebrated his 99th birthday and marked the milestone with the release of new feature-length documentary Ocean with David Attenborough, co-produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios. Pitched as his most important message to decision-makers yet, the documentary uncovers the human destruction of the ocean while exploring the ways in which we can heal it. Released ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8, and the United Nations Ocean Conference that takes place from June 9 to 13 in Nice, France, the film is a message of hope that the team behind it believes highlights the oceans’ plight through groundbreaking cinematography and Attenborough’s voice of authority.
“It’s David Attenborough’s story of the ocean for the world and, ultimately, its capabilities of recovery, which is the most exciting take home of the whole thing,” says director Toby Nowlan, who has worked with Attenborough for the past 16 years. “This is a hopeful message that if we protect a third of the ocean, then the rest of it will fill up with life again, which will be a win for every living thing on earth—for a stable climate, a breathable atmosphere, for our fisheries, conservationists, all marine life, and for the three billion people that rely on the ocean to eat.”
