Ones to Watch
My Octopus Teacher, which won Best Documentary at the BAFTAs this year, is one of a number of documentaries we've been indulging in during lockdown. Whichever broadcaster or streaming service you use, there are some fascinating and educational series on offer. The Love Ocean team has picked a few of our favourites:
My Octopus Teacher is a heart-warming and surprisingly gripping story of one man's connection to an octopus in a South African kelp forest. Wildlife photographer Craig Foster, in search of a reconnection with nature, develops an unlikely friendship with an octopus as he swims and free dives in the unpredictable waters of Western Cape in his native South Africa.
The feature length documentary follows his connection with the octopus and reveals the intelligence, curiosity and physiology of this amazing creature. Craig's journey is both powerful and compelling, as he learns about his new underwater friend, he learns more about himself and his relationship to the world around him. Truly worthy of its win, My Octopus Teacher is unique in the telling of this life-changing underwater tale. Find on Netflix.
Sir David Attenborough has been educating us on the wonders of the natural world for almost 70 years as a producer, broadcaster and campaigner. His series Life on Earth and The Private Life of Plants introduced us to species with filming techniques that had never been used before. In later years, he's focussed his documentaries more on environmental causes and the threat of climate change.
Seven Worlds, One Planet, available on iPlayer, is a continent by continent look at planet Earth, examining animal behaviour and biodiversity. The series is a feast for the senses, with awe-inspiring videography and new footage of unseen wilderness. We can't recommend highly enough. There's also more Attenborough on iPlayer including Life in Colour and The Early Years, looking at the early part of Sir David's career.
Seaspiracy is a much debated documentary from the team behind the award-winning Cowspiracy. Streaming on Netflix, the documentary casts doubt on the truth behind sustainable fishing practises and unpacks the damage industrial fishing has on the oceans.
If you follow social media, you'll have seen a twitter storm around some of the content - and comments - used in the documentary, but we can't deny that the documentary as a whole packs a significant punch with some chilling statistics, for example, bottom trawling releases as much carbon as air travel.