“David Attenborough’s ‘Ocean’ Highlights His Important Message, Inspiring Hope Amidst the Current Climate Emergency”

We are more connected to the ocean than you may realize, and naturalist Sir David Attenborough is set to unveil his observations in the new National Geographic documentary, “Ocean with David Attenborough.”

Attenborough opens the film by stating, “After spending nearly a century on this planet, I have come to realize that the most crucial place on Earth is not on land but at sea.”

At the age of 99, Attenborough’s lifetime has spanned a century of oceanic discoveries. The film delves into the ocean’s essential role in supporting life on Earth through breathtaking scenes, motivational stories, and scientific revelations.

On The Red Carpet spoke with filmmakers Toby Nowlan and Keith Scholey, who have worked on many Attenborough productions over the years.

“Nothing quite comes close to this highly authored and personal piece of David’s, this feature film about the ocean, this cinematic event of his. And it’s, you know, his greatest story, his greatest message,” Nowlan told us. Nowlan serves as both a producer and director on the film and has been working on “Attenborough films for the last 16 years or so,” saying Attenborough was “the great inspiration” to get into the business.

Scholey, also a director on the film, has been working with Attenborough “for over 40 years,” and notes that it was together that they wanted “to tell the story of really, why we need to protect the ocean now.”

“Ocean” highlights some of the greatest discoveries of the past century, showcasing the ocean’s importance in filtering the air we breathe, acting as a carbon sink, nourishing entire populations, and harboring millions of marine species.

The film is full of detailed looks at ocean life, but one of the biggest takeaways is this:

“We are demolishing the seabed in ways we had no idea about until you stick cameras down there and really have a look,” Nowlan said.

“Ocean” features never-before-seen destructive fishing techniques happening just out of sight, leading to the collapse of ocean ecosystems.

But hope is not lost.

“The more complex the natural world, the more resilient it is. And there’s no better example of that than in the ocean,” Scholey continued.

Nowlan elaborated, “This idea that if you protect areas of ocean, the process of recovery is very different to what happens on land. (…) There’s no one in the oceans, and you’re not competing with anyone. And the life flows outwards, it spills out into surrounding areas of ocean and fills the rest of the ocean with life again, and that if we just do that with a third of the ocean then we can potentially live in a world that is more thriving and more abundant than we had ever imagined.”

“We’ve come together with this film. And I think we all believe this is the one that could really make a difference,” Scholey remarked.

Attenborough says in the film, “This could be the moment of change. Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen.”

“Ocean with David Attenborough” marks the first collaboration between Attenborough and National Geographic.

The film airs Saturday, June 7 at 9/8c on National Geographic and streams Sunday, June 8, in celebration of World Ocean Day, on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.