The Blue Planet - Seas of Life

I spent this past weekend completely mesmerized by this series.

This is an incredible journey through the oceans of the world. From the freezing poles to the warm water tropics, you meet numerous species and observe them and their habits in incredible detail. There are times when you can't tell if what you're looking at is full size or microscopic, were it not for the narrative. You learn about breeding, defense, hunting tactics, feeding, and migration. From majestic giants like whales, to the tiny plankton so many ocean species live on, there's a lot to learn, and many surprises.

It's an 8-part series:
"Ocean World," "Frozen Seas," "Open Ocean," "The Deep," "Seasonal Seas," "Coral Seas," "Tidal Seas," and "Coasts"
Each episode stands alone, concentrating most on details pertaining to its title. Where Frozen Seas concentrates more on severe weather conditions and the amazing species that can tolerate it, and how they do it, the Tidal Seas episode offers insight to the moons effect on our oceans, and the species that rely on tidal conditions to survive. In The Deep episode, you go to incredible depths, where no sunlight can penetrate and see footage of entire ecosystems that have somehow evolved and survived without the sun. Some of the species in The Deep could easily have been inspiration for many horror film monsters.

Clear, spectacularly vivid imagery, and an excellent narrative by David Attenborough make this series a must see.

I love the ocean, and being at the beach, and have always been curious and cautious about it's inhabitants. Some things I've learned here will not be forgotten. For instance, even the most likable species has to eat, which means it has to hunt and kill. All survival tactics are clever, and necessary, but some are rather cruel. And we certainly can't do more than speculate as to the reasons.

The more we learn about our oceans, the better able we are to respect and appreciate its riches. (and beware it's predators)!