Tune in to National Geographic this Saturday, June 7, at 9/8c for the captivating documentary 'Ocean with David Attenborough'
David Attenborough presents a new documentary, 'Ocean with David Attenborough,' focusing on the state of the world's oceans. The film is a co-production between Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios and premiered on National Geographic on June 7, 2022. It will be available to stream globally on World Oceans Day, June 8, on Disney+ and Hulu.
Filmed across various locations globally over two years, the documentary reveals that the ocean can recover quickly if action is taken now, offering an unprecedented opportunity for marine life to recover. Toby Nowlan directs the film, with Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios serving as producers.
One of the documentary's key features is never-before-seen footage of bottom trawling, a destructive fishing method that involves dragging weighted fishing nets along the ocean floor. This practice leaves trails of devastation that are visible from space and occurs globally daily. Dr. Sala, National Geographic Pristine Seas founder, describes the trawling footage in the documentary as showing the destruction of bottom trawling.
To investigate the impact of trawling, the filmmakers filmed trawling footage in early 2024 in partnership with scientific studies. This footage will be open-sourced on Open Planet for free access by educators and NGOs. Conservation and fisheries share the goal of increasing the abundance of fish, making the open-sourced data crucial for further research.
The documentary also emphasises the importance of ocean protection, as over 3 billion people worldwide depend on fish as a food source. The filmmakers, including Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey, and Colin Butfield, express excitement about collaborating with David Attenborough on 'Ocean with David Attenborough.'
'Ocean with David Attenborough' has been shown in Austria (Baden and Vienna) in September and October 2025, and also screened in Germany (City 46 cinema) in October 2025. No evidence of screenings in other countries was found in the current search results. The film is currently in cinemas in select countries outside the U.S.
All3Media International serves as the film's global TV distribution partner. Executive producers for the film include Louise Pedersen and Rachel Job, Tom McDonald and Janet Han Vissering, Jasper Smith and Rupert Rohan, Andrew Forrest and Nicola Forrest, Enric Sala, Kristin Rechberger, Rolly van Rappard and Francoise van Rappard, and Olivor Wenden.
Dr. Enric Sala emphasises the timeliness of the film's release, stating that the trawling footage in the film serves as a call to action for individuals and governments to take action to protect the oceans. The documentary offers a powerful message about the importance of ocean conservation and the potential for marine life to recover if action is taken now.
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