Sir David Attenborough says he finally understands what most important place on Earth is
Sir David Attenborough says he finally understands what the most important place on the planet is after extending his record-breaking TV career to 71 years.
The iconic British presenter, who celebrates his 99th birthday today (8 May), has the longest career as a television naturalist and the overall longest career as a TV presenter after marking 71 years 104 days in front of the camera in December 2024.
As he nears centenarian status, he explained how his new feature-length documentary Ocean could play an important role in saving the planet.
He said in a trailer for the doc: “After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.
Through the course of my life we have been on a voyage of ocean discovery. Only now are we understanding what it means for the future of our world.
“What we have found could change everything. For once you have truly seen the sea, you’ll never look at Earth in the same way again.”
He added: “The ocean is our planet’s life support system and our greatest ally against climate catastrophe.
“Yet it’s at a crossroads – we are draining the life from our ocean. Today it’s in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all…
“The ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined – it can bounce back to life.
“Put simply, we’ve been given a lifeline. It may not just recover, but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.”
He concluded: “If we save our sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure that nothing is more important.”
It really has been a lifetime.
A young David Attenborough in the jungles of Indonesia in search of wild life back in 1956 pic.twitter.com/N2UXr12MMk
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) February 13, 2024
Sir David made his on-screen debut on BBC Children’s Television show Animal Disguises on 2 September 1953.
And most recently, he’s hosted a new series of BBC’s Asia and a new episode of PBS series Nature, which he’s appeared on since 2002.
It’s difficult to think of another TV presenter who has made as much of an impact as Sir David has.
He’s had more than 50 newly discovered species named after him, including a type of plesiosaur named Attenborosaurus, an echidna named the Zaglossus attenboroughi, and a carnivorous plant named Nepenthes attenboroughii.
He once described it as the "biggest of compliments that you could ask from any scientific community”.
Ocean with David Attenborough is in cinemas from today.
Header image: Shutterstock