Self
2009-11-11
0
From space, our planet appears as a tiny blue dot in the vastness of space. Blue, because 99% of all living space on Earth occurs in the Ocean. But the seas are under threat. The industrialization that has occurred in the oceans over the last century mirrors the events that triggered mass extinctions on land. As we learn of the ecological crimes occurring worldwide, we also uncover the shocking truths happening on our own shorelines.
Great herds of Asian elephants once roamed from Baghdad to Beijing. Now only remnants of these once mighty herds survive, protected today by the Indian government. It is here that filmmaker Naresh Bedi turns his camera, capturing an intimate portrait of thee largest of land mammals. An adult elephant eats 300 pounds of green fodder and drinks 40 gallons of water a day. This film follows these gentle giants as they forage and feed, wallow in watering holes, dust their skin with dirt, and care for their young.
Take A Spectacular Journey. It Starts Right Here... Arabia: Sand, Sea & Sky Take a stunning tour of Arabia's natural world- a land of vivid contrast and splendor. Your journey begins in the magnificent coral reefs of the Red Sea where barracuda, giant mantra rays, and sharks comb the fertile waters. Then, high in the cliffs of the great mountain barrier, you will be fascinated by the complex social behavior of a troop of baboons. As you descend into the foothills, thousands of migrating birds converge, including the flamboyant Abyssinian Roller which will dazzle you with its brilliant feathers and swooping aerobatic dives. Finally, travel by camel across the immense sculptured desert, as the Bedouins have for more than thirty-five hundred years on an expedition you will never forget in ARABIA: SAND, SEA, & SKY.
Shot on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and in the Bahamas, Ocean Wonderland brings to you the amazing beauty of the many varieties of coral and the immense diversity of the marine life thriving there.
In the first half of the 19th century, the French ornithologist Jean-Jacques Audubon travelled to America to depict birdlife along the Mississippi River. Audubon was also a gifted painter. His life’s work in the form of the classic book ‘Birds of America’ is an invaluable documentation of both extinct species and an entire world of imagination. During the same period, early industrialisation and the expulsion of indigenous peoples was in full swing. The gorgeous film traces Audubon’s path around the South today. The displaced people’s descendants welcome us and retell history, while the deserted vistas of heavy industry stretch across the horizon. The magnificent, broad images in Jacques Loeuille’s atmospheric, modern adventure reminds us at the same time how little - and yet how much - is left of the nature that Audubon travelled around in. His paintings of the colourful birdlife of the South still belong to the most beautiful things you can imagine.
Of Maine’s more than 5000 commercial lobstermen only 4% are female. The Captain celebrates that fearless minority through the lens of Sadie Samuels. At 27 years old, she is the youngest and only female lobster boat captain in the Rockport, Maine harbor. Despite the long hours and manual labor of hauling traps, Samuels is in love — obsessed even — with what she calls the most beautiful, magical place on the planet. Her love for lobster fishing was imparted early in her childhood by her dad Matt, who has been her mentor and inspiration since she was a little girl in yellow fishing boots.
Dark green, impenetrable forests cover a landscape with secluded valleys and rugged mountain ridges. 2.000 rivers and streams dig deep into the underground and transport their water into reservoirs or "Germany's Wild Amazon", the Wupper. These forests and rivers, together with heath-lands and moors, are home to a diverse fauna. Martens, badgers, wild boars, hares, roe deer, red deer and wild boars, even black grouse and hazel deer find shelter in these parts. Wolves have also have a dominant presence, not to mention those who live underground, such as lizards, bats, and snakes. Accompany us on a journey where we explore every corner of this rugged land. Climb underground into the Bergisches Land, through the vast hidden cave systems that sprawl far beneath the forests. There is also much to be discovered in the water, dive with us in crystal clear streams and rivers with their diverse flora and fauna.
Squirrels are among the most widely known and recognized mammals. In many parts of the world they gladly join us for our lunches in city parks, amaze us with their acrobatics and entertain our children as cartoons on TV. Squirrels live in an extraordinarily diverse range of habitats. Some can fly, some can swim, some live in trees or underground, others love icy wastelands or burning hot deserts. But don’t let their cuteness fool you! They may be small, but squirrels are one of the most successful species on the planet. And they have big families. This blue-chip documentary explores some of the most fascinating squirrel species and shows how they became so successful dealing with extreme environments and curious (human) neighbors. 'Going Nuts' unveils the enchanting world of one of the “most watched” mammals on the planet.
Florida is home to beaches, coral reefs, pine forests and the famous Everglades wetland, but a growing human population and abandoned exotic pets like pythons are threatening this wild paradise. Can Florida’s ecosystems continue to weather the storm?
For two-thirds of the year, the Little Rann is a desert. Suddenly, in August, monsoon winds whip up the Arabian Sea and carry it 100 km inland. The desert and these mounds soon become islands and homes to high concentrations of rarely-seen, endangered and spectacular wildlife.
The Film follows Indian biologist Dr. Sunita Pradhan who at that time had been studying red pandas for over 10 years.
See the world's first MRI scan of a great white shark as Ultimate Shark reveals the extreme engineering and predatory abilities of one of nature's most near perfect predators. Hear firsthand accounts of people who survived harrowing encounters, including a surfer who was bitten on the arm and leg, towed by the surfboard ankle strap and miraculously escaped only with minor injuries. National Geographic demystifies the true motives and power behind their behavior.
Peter Gimbel and a team of photographers set out on an expedition to find and film, for the very first time, Carcharodon carcharias—the Great White Shark. The expedition lasted over nine months and took the team from Durban, South Africa, across the Indian Ocean, and finally to southern Australia.
Greenland is the largest island in the world and the landmass closest to the North Pole. 80% of the country is covered by a layer of ice up to 3000 meters thick. Through the eyes of locals we get to know the authentic Greenland.
In the company of zoologist Patrick Aryee, a discovery of the 37 species of felines that inhabit the planet, some little known, others threatened.
David Attenborough narrates this close up look at these tiny pollinators captured in flight as never before. Acrobats of the air - flying jewels - iridescent partners of countless plants: hummingbirds are amongst the most remarkable creatures on our planet.
As the largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba is host to spectacular wildlife found nowhere else on the planet: from the jumping crocodiles of the Zapata swamp to the world's tiniest hummingbird, from thousands of migrating crabs to giant, bat-eating boas that lie in wait for easy prey. Decades of a socialist, conservation-minded government, American embargoes and minimal development have left the island virtually unchanged for 50 years. As international relations ease, what will become of this wildlife sanctuary?