We’re thrilled to have captured a special conversation between Prince William and Sir David Attenborough about our new film ahead of its release on World Ocean Day (May 8), and the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Nice.
In the conversation, the natural historian reflected on the state of the ocean and the damage we’ve inflicted beneath the surface – much of it, he said, invisible to the public eye. “The awful thing is that it’s hidden from most people,” Attenborough said. “What we have done to the deep ocean floor is just unspeakably awful. If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms.”
The video has been posted to Kensington Palace’s social media channels, sharing how Ocean with David Attenborough, is “such an important documentary and a rallying cry for one of our planet’s most precious resources”.
Ocean with David Attenborough, co-produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, is Attenborough’s greatest message of hope. It exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to reveal the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.
As world leaders decide the fate of our ocean, our film shows why ocean recovery is vital for stabilising our climate and securing a healthier future for us all, and how marine protection – if immediately implemented – can help to turn the tide. Speaking to Prince William, Attenborough says “If this film does anything, if it just shifts public awareness, it’ll be very, very important, and I can only hope that people who see it will recognise that something must be done before we destroy this great treasure.”
The film was made at the Royal Festival Hall in early May ahead of the Future Generation’s premiere of Ocean with David Attenborough – film credit: Silverback Films / Open Planet Studios / Kensington Palace