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Best Underwater Documentaries Everybody Should Watch 

Best Underwater Documentaries Everybody Should Watch 

Our ecosystem is home to millions of sea creatures— sharks, whales, octopus, dolphins, and more kinds of sea animals. And as time passes, more people get curious about the ocean’s depths and desire to learn what lies beneath its surface. Today, though, you don’t need to plunge into cold waters to witness it; documentaries suffice. Without ever having to leave the couch, underwater documentaries will take you to another world—to the underwater world. 

All sea creatures are worth protecting and deserve a lot of appreciation from humanity.  Hence, we listed some ocean documentaries that bound to change how you look at our water bodies and have an urge to protect them at all costs. You can watch these documentaries together with your family and friends and give you an idea how sea creatures live underwater and the damage they face due to pollution brought by humans and dangers every single day. 

5 of the Best Underwater Documentaries Everybody Should Watch

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

My Octopus Teacher is a Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed and stars Craig Foster. It is not just a typical underwater documentary, but it is a firsthand narrative of Craig Foster who spent nearly a year monitoring an octopus in the densely populated kelp forests off the coast of South Africa. 

Forster and the octopus became friends. They created a friendship in which she plays with Forster and lets him into her world to show how she sleeps, lives, and eats. Their created and reciprocated love is a beautiful example of how a meaningful bond can transcend almost any barrier. 

“My Octopus Teacher” made it very evident that people may develop attachments to a wide variety of things, including animals of all kinds. The documentary will make us realize that no matter how far we distance ourselves from the natural world, we are inextricably linked.

Blue Planet I & II (2001) 

BBC created and produced the nature documentary titled, “The Blue Planet”; narrated by David Attenborough. Each episode of this series deals with a distinct ocean scene/environment and theme.

Whether you believe me or not, this series has many beautiful scenes of the most remarkable aquatic ecosystems you may witness under the sea. Blue Planet I & II are really worth the watch as it also tackles the serious problems underwater. Just like the narrator David Attenborough said, “The health of our oceans is under threat.” And Blue Planet will make everyone aware of the tremendous harm, we as humans, have been causing to marine life.

Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2009)

The adventure of a little loggerhead turtle who goes on one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world is the subject of this underwater documentary. In this incredible documentary, we will witness the turtle’s journey as she crosses the mighty Atlantic. 

There were many impediments in her path, including strong storms that pushed her near dangerous rocks, fishing boats with their long hooks and nets, and floating piles of trash left behind by irresponsible people. I experienced a lot of nail-biting tension due to the obstacles that the turtle had faced. The melodramatic narration and the accompanying music created such a sense of tension that I found myself fervently rooting for her.

This turtle’s journey to the place where she genuinely belongs is truly one of the most extraordinary adventures. More to that, you will undoubtedly be awed by the ocean’s beauty because of its cinematography. You will also witness how she grows big enough to swim long distances. 

Chasing Coral (2017) 

Chasing Coral was produced by Exposure Labs and directed by Jeff Orlowski. The documentary focuses on the bleaching events and death of our coral reefs. The phenomenon called bleaching is when corals lose their vibrant hues and turn into a ghostly white, which ultimately causes them to die. 

In this documentary, marine biologists, photographers, and divers embark on an ocean adventure to uncover the undersea mystery and learn why the reefs are vanishing with their invented time-lapse camera. Through their effort, they observed the tragic transformation beneath the waters. They learned that the death spiral of the corals is a result of climatic change. 

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In addition, the documentary makes the point that the ocean absorbed the 93% of the global temperature increase. And no one seems to be aware of the long-term implications this will have on the sea, corals, and other marine life. The narrator stated that “without a healthy ocean, we do not have a healthy planet”. However, if we, humans, change our behavior, we may be able to restore coral life, as this documentary will show us where the problems start and how we may fix it.

Dolphin Reef (2018)

Dolphins are one of my favorite underwater creatures. I first became interested in them when I visited Ocean Adventure in Subic, Zambales, where I watched a dolphin show. And I became more interested in dolphins when I watched Disneynature’s underwater documentary, “Dolphin Reef”. 

Dolphin Reef presents the story of Echo, a three-year-old bottlenose dolphin who appears to be having difficulty separating from his mother. He is more interested in exploring his coral reef environment and its inhabitants than learning how to survive in it. He can’t decide whether it’s time to grow up and take on new responsibilities or to stay on his silly and playful side all the time. 

The documentary mostly follows Echo as he gets too attached to his mother Kumu, wanders away from his pod, then comes back, up until the crucial point where he must learn to forage for himself. When Echo made the leap and discovered how to live on the ocean floor, it was kind of emotional for me. 

Furthermore, this underwater documentary also opens images of bottlenose dolphins leaping and flying, riding the waves like surfers. And it’s a sight to witness for someone who loves dolphins like me. If you enjoy watching dolphins learn how to survive life on the waters, you will greatly love this documentary.

These documentaries will undoubtedly take you on a deep dive into the perspectives of the animals who live in exquisitely detailed underwater habitats. From our couches, underwater documentaries can deepen our understanding of the ocean by taking us into its most shallow to its deepest zones. I also highly recommend these documentaries for anyone who has a strong passion for nature and who wants to learn more about the ocean and protect marine life.

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