David Attenborough's new documentary film offers a hopeful solution amid climate crisis bleakness

Of course, any reminder that Attenborough will not be with us forever is liable to send his millions of fans into a state of pre-emptive mourning and denial, but focusing too much on this admission would be to miss the point of his new film entirely.

The far more pertinent part of Attenborough’s statement is what he says immediately afterwards: that almost 100 years into his life, it is only now he and the scientific community at large have been truly able to uncover and understand an undeniable truth: "The most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea."

What follows is an endlessly compelling and captivating documentary that takes us below the depths of our oceans and outlines their importance for the general health of the planet, before forensically detailing the ways in which they have been exploited and – in some places – completely ruined.

Unfolding over little more than 90 minutes, it’s by turns awe-inspiring, informative, deeply angering and cautiously hopeful.

Of course, many viewers will be so accustomed to Attenborough’s programmes by now that it’s perhaps tempting to take the remarkable sights captured by his crews for granted. But to see some of this astonishing underwater footage projected on the big screen really is a marvel.

Using the latest technology, audiences are presented with a magical, diverse, strange, enchanting world that at times feels more like something out of a big-budget sci-fi film than a genuine image of real life.

But despite this breathtaking feast of incredible natural sights, perhaps the footage that is most likely to live with audiences longest after leaving the cinema is something much less wondrous: the harrowing, indescribably bleak scenes of that habitat being systematically and completely needlessly destroyed.

While the soothing nature of Attenborough’s voice has become iconic, something which has become increasingly prevalent in his late career work is genuine, righteous anger at the powers who have allowed our natural world to fall into such a state of disrepair.

In this instance, the most damning condemnation is reserved for industrial bottom trawling, a highly wasteful and destructive practice that sees large swathes of the seabed turned into a desolate desert devoid of all life – often with the intention of catching just one species.

The film includes several scenes of these trawlers at work, and if the earlier footage was like a magical sci-fi, this is pure, unvarnished horror.

It’s impossible not to be moved and – as Attenborough himself attests – feel a sense of helplessness at seeing such stark and overwhelming evidence of natural destruction in the name of corporate greed.

But the reassuring news is that Attenborough isn’t just here with a message of doom and gloom: he also offers a clear, simple, proven solution that could still undo the worst of the damage.

The crux of the film is that ocean life has shown signs of recovery greater than even the most optimistic scientists might have imagined.

Indeed, in places that have adopted "no-take zones” – areas of the ocean where fishing and the removal of natural resources are strictly prohibited – underwater landscapes previously reduced to rubble by the aforementioned overfishing have begun to thrive again at a remarkable rate.

The knock-on-effect is that this life then spills out into other areas of the ocean, reviving its health at great speed.

Attenborough also makes clear that countries have made assurances to protect 30 per cent of the ocean with no-take zones by 2030 – compared to the current 8% – and begs leaders to take action that ensures these targets can still be met. The positive effects for the planet as a whole, he explains, could be vast.

Much like his extraordinary 2020 film A Life on Our Planet, Ocean is a film that is equal parts a sobering, concerning overview of the current state of play but also a mission statement for some seemingly simple steps that can be taken to mitigate a rapidly mounting crisis.

As ever, Attenborough does a stellar job of not minimising the threats while offering a clear and hopeful solution. We can only hope that world leaders sit up and take note ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in June.

• Revive Our Ocean, which served as a co-producer on Ocean, is an initiative supporting coastal communities to protect and restore their ocean backyards – find out more and how to support its work on its official website.
• National Geographic Pristine Seas, also a co-producer on Ocean, is an exploration, research and filmmaking project that inspires the creation of marine protected areas around the world – find out more and how to support its work on its official website.

Ocean with David Attenborough is released in UK cinemas on Thursday 8th May 2025.

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