August 31, 2010

from WatchDocumentary Website

Although the oceans comprise two-thirds of planet Earth, much of what goes on beneath their surface remains shrouded in mystery, and most certainly soaking wet.

The BBC series The Blue Planet - Seas of Life dips into the briny deep, exploring an aquatic community teeming with life. Underwater cameras reveal a capricious world where seas shift seasonally, with ecosystems that thrive during long summer days and turn fiercely unforgiving as the weather changes.

Footage of coastal life boggles the mind: Killer whales attack sea lion pups as they play in the shallow surf; baby turtle hatchlings race to the sea, pursued by ravenous predators. Narrated by David Attenborough, this four-part series was hailed by London’s Times “as awe-inspiring as anything you are ever likely to see on television.”

It is visually spectacular. For anyone who has ever stumbled across an episode of Wild Discovery and become instantly hooked, Blue Planet is a must-see - a snapshot of the natural world in all its raw beauty.

 

Episode 01 - The Blue Planet
Broadcast 12 September 2001, the first episode looks at how ocean life is regulated around the globe by currents and the varying position of the sun.

Near a Pacific seamount, there is a large concentration of marine animals because when the current makes contact with the submerged rock, it forces upwards plankton and other organisms.

This in turn attracts other fish to the area that are higher up the food chain, like tuna, and those that are higher still, such as silky sharks.

Off South Africa, a similar situation occurs every June when sardines migrate and are pursued by a caravan of various predators. The South Atlantic waters are the roughest, and storms also churn up nutrients to the surface. These feeding grounds have led to the world's largest albatross breeding colony, on Steeple Jason Island, west of the Falklands.

Phytoplankton forms the basis of all sea life, and every night some 1,000 million tonnes of creatures ascend from the deep to search for food. Lunar phases can also have a bearing on events and the mass arrival of Ridley sea turtles on a Costa Rican beach is shown.

Herring initiate the most productive food chain, providing sustenance for humpback whales, and Steller's and California sea lions. In addition, their eggs are nutrition for many, both above and in the sea.
 

For other Episodes of the Series: http://watchdocumentary.com/search.php?keywords=The+Blue+Planet+-+Episode+03&btn=