From Pole to Pole • 2006 • episode "1/11" • Planet Earth

58:00

Sir David Attenborough chooses his favourite recordings from the natural world that have revolutionised our understanding of song. Each one - from the song of the largest lemur to the song of the humpback whale to the song of the lyrebird - was recorded in his lifetime. When Sir David was born, the science of song had already been transformed by Charles Darwin’s theory of sexual selection: singing is dangerous as it reveals the singer’s location to predators, but it also offers the male a huge reward, the chance to attract a female and pass on genes to the next generation. Hence males sing and females don't. Today, new science in the field of birdsong is transforming those long-held ideas. Scientists are discovering that, in fact, in the majority of all songbird species, females sing - and it is only now they are being properly heard. Through this revelation and others, we can understand that animal songs are marvelous examples of the spectacular survival strategies that species have developed in order to stay alive.

2021 • Nature

59:06

In a dramatic conclusion to the series, the travellers have a close encounter with grey whales and meet the deadly Humboldt squid in a search for the mighty blue whale, the biggest creature that has ever lived.

S1E6 • Last Chance to See • 2009 • Nature

22:04

David encounters two examples where Nature has tinkered with the aging process to alarmingly different effect – the first grows old while trapped in a young body while the second looks old from birth but might hold the key to a long life.

S1E3 • Natural Curiosities • Nature

50:00

Dolphins have been a source of curiosity to humans and have appeared in our stories and myths for thousands of years. What is the link between our two species? Why do we seem to be so interested and curious about each other?

S1E1 • Conversations with Dolphins • 2016 • Nature

58:47

Off the coast of Micronesia, Kate Humble and her scuba team continue to discover spectacular examples of underwater life. Meanwhile, the deep-sea divers search for previously unseen fish in depths that test the limits of human endurance, but their explorations are hindered by an unexpected equipment failure.

S1E2 • Pacific Abyss • 2008 • Nature

22:30

Zebra stripes vary subtly between the different species but there is one group of animals that has evolved colourful patterns of seemingly infinite variety, the butterflies. In this episode David looks at two examples of animal patterns that have bedazzled and baffled science for a long time, and uses modern tools to unlock their secrets.

S1E5 • Natural Curiosities • Nature