BBC Studios Natural History Unit
THE final series in the Planet Earth trilogy, the BBC’s smash-hit nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough, reaches UK screens this month.
From coasts to deserts to cities, Planet Earth III explores the diversity, drama and vulnerability of the natural world through eight gripping episodes shot over the course of five years.
During this tense scene off the Robberg peninsula on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, a great white shark prowls the waters for vulnerable Cape fur seal pups, which are making their first tentative dips into the water. The shark is seeking out their fatty, energy-rich blubber, which will sustain it for days, or even weeks, on end.
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But while this iconic predator initially appears to have the upper hand (the slow, clumsy pups are an ideal target), its cover is soon blown.
As the image shows, adult seals have spotted the shark. Instead of fleeing, they turn on it and mob it, rallying more seals to the shark’s location and eventually chasing it away from the area. The pups, meanwhile, learn a valuable lesson about the dangers lurking in the ocean.
It is an “engaging, if not outright dangerous, version of ‘early years learning'”, write Matt Brandon, Michael Gunton and Jonny Keeling in Planet Earth III: Our world at the dawn of a new age, a book accompanying the series that features more epic shots and descriptions from the show.
BBC Books (Penguin Random House)
Planet Earth III airs in the UK on 22 October.
New Scientist video
Watch David Attenborough talk about his “hold your breath” moments from Planet Earth III at youtube.com/newscientist
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