The Research Behind the Documentaries
“Like a fish out of water,” a saying meant to describe someone in a situation or position they are not comfortable in, highlights how fish are not comfortable on the land. But not all fish are “like a fish out of water” when they are on land, as is seen in season one, episode six... Continue Reading →
The vast ocean is home to millions of species that are yet to be discovered, each with several adaptations that are imperative to survival in the big blue. Eight minutes into the fourth episode of season 1 of Blue Planet II, David Attenborough and his colleagues set out to determine what traits the sperm whale... Continue Reading →
In the pilot of Blue Planet II, we are introduced to the dramatic scenery of Northern Japan, where life teems beneath the surface. Out of a patch of flora emerges the rather odd looking male Kobudai, a one meter long fish weighing around 15 kilos. His bulbous head and protruding chin give a sort of... Continue Reading →
One evolutionary misconception is, “because evolution is slow, humans cannot influence it.” In Episode 1 of Blue Planet II Season 1, David Attenborough states that over the past 30 years, the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean over the summer has reduced by 40%. This drastic decrease in ice is due to sudden warming... Continue Reading →
The first episode of Blue Planet II features an intriguing segment in which the Asian Sheepshead Wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) changes from a female to a male and then competes with other males for territory and mates. The fish has male and female organs, which enables it to change from a female to male during its... Continue Reading →
In Blue Planet II, Episode 1: One Ocean, we are introduced to the Kobudai fish, an example of the sexual fluidity of fish. After 10 years, a large female Kobudai fish undergoes a several month-long transformation into a large, bulbous and aggressive male. These are known as sequential hermaphrodites, and in the Kobudai fish case,... Continue Reading →
“When caught out in the open and vulnerable, this octopus does something truly extraordinary,” David Attenborough narrates. In Blue Planet II, Season 1 Episode 5, the camera captures a strange and fascinating sight: a common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) swiftly surrounds herself with a pile of shells, creating an impenetrable armor to shield herself from the... Continue Reading →
The Evolution of Planet Earth 