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Find out more about each episode of Blue Planet.
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Episode 1 - Ocean World
The blue whale is a perfect symbol for the oceans: the vast blue expanse that dominates our planet whilst still remaining largely unexplored and mysterious. Yet the oceans are an integral part of our lives. Their influence dominates the world's weather systems. They support an enormous range of life, from the largest whales to the smallest plankton, from hordes of seabirds to lonely deep-sea fish. All this is governed by a complex system of biological and physical forces. The first episode demonstrates the sheer scale, power and complexity of the "Blue Planet."
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Episode 2 - The Deep
A place of mountain ranges, perpetual night, pressure extremes and cold, all manner of primitive creatures crawl across the ooze on the floor of the ocean deep. A trip to the bottom of the sea is a true voyage into the unknown with constant surprises in store. Fish with grotesquely cavernous mouths and cruel teeth lurk more than half a mile below the surface. Any light is living light, but a glow in the dark may be meant to attract the opposite sex, unless it is a female deep-sea angler fish that already has its mate conveniently fused to the end of its nose.
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Episode 3 - The Open Ocean
A void. Endless blue stretches in every direction. The seabed is a staggering five miles (eight kilometers) deeper down and the nearest island is 311 miles (500 kilometers) away. There is nothing save the burning sun above and the blackened abyss below. How, then, does life exist? Finding the only shelter under floating matter, half-moon fish pick off parasites from the bizarre nearly 10-foot-long sun-fish; loggerhead turtles pause to nibble particles on a log; and huge schools of sardines, yellow-tails and trigger-fish bring the number sheltering under the flotsam to their thousands.
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Episode 4 - Frozen Seas
Life on the edge of a frozen sea is tough. Pack ice at both poles is constantly on the move, and in winter freezes solid with air temperatures 70 degrees Celsius below freezing. Only in spring, with the retreating ice and light reaching the water, does life begin again. Plankton blooms and feeds vast hordes of migrating fish, birds, whales, seals and polar bears. Walruses rake the seabed for clams. Minke and humpback whales gorge themselves on gigantic swarms of krill. But it is a brief indulgence, for the ice soon returns and pushes life back into the ocean.
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Episode 5 - The Seasonal Seas
Shafts of sunlight radiate through a green sea. This blazing light is the vital source of energy used by the countless billions of plankton, which grow every spring and summer in the world's temperate sea, the richest of all habitats. Forests of giant kelp, the fastest growing plant in the world, harbor thousands of animals. Sharks move in to pick off the vulnerable. Sea otters, brilliantly colored anemones, squid and exquisite leafy dragons are just a few of the other creatures that live in this cool, fertile water.
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Episode 6 - The Coral Seas
Bathed in warm, clear tropical water and brilliant sunlight, coral reefs are the rain forests of the sea. Surrounded by ocean deserts they are rich oases of life. Spectacular numbers make it necessary to stand out to survive. This competition is highly visible as brightly colored fish compete for food, territory and mates. But the corals themselves are also dynamic. Incredible time-lapse photography shows the dramatic formation of a coral reef, portraying its myriad inhabitants and its ultimate destruction.
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Episode 7 - Tidal Seas
Tides govern marine life. Tidal marshes are one of the most productive parts of the world. Numerous plants support numerous animals, yet life is not easy. Predators are attracted to these enormous quantities of food, forcing animals to seek constant protection from attack. Relief comes with the crashing waves, as the tides flow once more. Between the tides, when the sands become depleted of food and air, the worms, clams and shrimps just endure the expected pause.
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Episode 8 - Coasts
The boundary between land and sea is an exciting place, with animals constantly coming and going. From the open oceans, millions of seabirds are forced to come onto land to breed. Sea eagles steal kittiwake chicks from their nesting ledges. Turtles lay their eggs in the sand and marine mammals haul themselves out to fight on the beaches. Sea lions emerge from the kelp to give birth, while killer whales come crashing in on the surf to snatch the sea lions' young.
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Episode 9 - Making Of
Making Waves is the behind-the-scenes show of the Blue Planet series, concentrating on how the filmmakers worked together with scientific advisers from practically every field of marine science. In nearly 200 locations around the world, we follow the crews as they tackle some of the most difficult filming any have ever dared to undertake. Following the themes of the series, Making Waves journeys through eight different ocean habitats, from the frozen seas of the polar regions to the deepest depths and the widest stretches of open ocean.
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Pictures: DCI |
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