Blue Planet II: A New World of Hidden Depths

by James Honeyborne, Mark Brownlow, Sir David Attenborough (Foreword by)

Overview

Our understanding of ocean life has changed dramatically in the last decade, with new species, new behaviors, and new habitats being discovered at a rapid rate. Blue Planet II, which accompanies an epic 7-part series, is a ground-breaking new look at the richness and variety of underwater life across our planet. With 300 breathtaking photographs and stills from the BBC Natural History Unit's spectacular footage, each chapter brings to life a different habitat of the oceanic world. Voyages of migration show how each of the oceans on our planet are connected; coral reefs and arctic ice communities are revealed as thriving underwater cities; while shorelines throw up continual challenges to those living there or passing through. A final chapter explores the science and technology of the Ocean enterprise—not only how they were able to capture these amazing stories on film, but what the future holds for marine life based on these discoveries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849909679
Publisher:	B B C Worldwide Americas
Publication date:	01/01/2018
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	1,095,562
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

James Honeyborne, executive producer of Blue Planet II, was series producer on the BBC’s Africa, and his other television credits include Wildlife on One and The Natural World. He is also director of feature-length wildlife drama Meerkats: The Movie. Mark Brownlow is the series producer of Blue Planet II. He was a producer on Planet Earth and has produced many natural history documentaries for the BBC, including Hidden Kingdoms and Ocean Giants. David Attenborough is a naturalist who is best known for writing and presenting the LIfe series, as well as narrating The Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, and Planet Earth. 

Editorial Reviews

11/27/2017
BBC producers Honeyborne and Brownlow share a substantial and awe-inspiring behind-the-scenes look at their popular 2017 documentary series. They thoroughly record the great diversity in marine life that team members encountered while filming around the world. The Blue Planet II project, the authors explain, was ambitious in scope and access: over the course of several years, production teams undertook “125 expeditions and spent 1,500 days at sea, including more than 1,000 hours in the deep.” Teams filmed “in every ocean, at many depths, off every continent, visiting coral reefs, coasts, undersea forests and meadows, the deep sea, and the vast open ocean.” A section on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, for example, shows various whale species and scores of seabirds jostling for space with polar bears and walruses, the latter in constant search of ice floes on which to rest alongside their calves. Similarly appealing passages feature Galápagos sea lions feasting on yellowfin tuna and penguins on South Georgia Island confronted by thousands of elephant seals—“a wall of blubber.” The book also examines ongoing threats to marine life, including the bleaching of coral reefs and the discarding of plastics. Honeyborne and Brownlow’s gorgeous volume should please fans of the series and lovers of the oceans alike. Color photos. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] substantial and awe-inspiring behind-the-scenes look . . . Honeyborne and Brownlow’s gorgeous volume should please fans of the series and lovers of the oceans alike.” —Publisher's Weekly


“Blue Planet II is the greatest nature series of all time” —The Atlantic


“. . . what a spectacle to observe!” “Despite the high production values, there’s a sense of primal delight, evident in an early scene featuring a pod of dolphins as they ride the waves in the Red Sea.” —New York Times


“Nature documentary filmmaking at its finest.” “The Planet series remain some of the very few programs that can legitimately be called ‘event television.’” “It’s a visually astonishing and riveting seven-part collection of images so surreal they almost feel like science fiction.” “Something like this doesn’t happen overnight or come around very often.” —Hollywood Reporter


“But even if you are braced for a glorious production, “Blue Planet II” is likely to take your breath away.” “‘Blue Planet II’ is jaw-dropping.” —Variety


“. . . Blue Planet II will be one of your favorite TV events of the year, and its deep dive beneath the waves of the world’s oceans will prove both soothing and engaging. Find the highest-definition television you can and some good snacks and settle in. You’ve got seven whole episodes of jaw-dropping documentary footage to enjoy.” —Vox

From the Publisher