I vaguely remember starting to watch Planet Earth I a while ago on Netflix. The viewing duration was short-lived owing to some distraction that came in the way. I was planning to watch Planet Earth II because of a friend's recommendation exhortation. Quite synchronously, beloved sister cousin of mine also mentioned watching Planet Earth I's episodes (specifically on Forests and Mountains)... and being bowled over by the grandeur of shots and timelapse images taken over the course of years. The decision to watch this documentary series is now set!
Episode 1 of the second season is about habitat on "idyllic" islands, particularly the relationship between different species of wildlife. It covers a wide variety of islands ranging from the ones located in warm tropical waters to the ones borne out of volcanic activity, from islands the size of Central Park in New York to the ones as large as Madagascar which has enabled the evolution of wildlife for over 120 million years. As rightly mentioned in the beginning of this documentary, between the time Planet Earth I was released in 2006 and now (2017!), there have been tremendous advances in technology that has helped capture granular details of the lifestyle of wildlife. David Attenborough's narration is enrapturing, to say the least. The introduction segment to Komodo dragon made me take a few steps back from the screen! So life-like, even without using any augmented reality app (this experience will only be better with any of that)! Another hold-your-breath scene is where newly hatched iguanas are employing their innate survival instinct, right after they hatch, to save themselves from deadly racer snakes. Can't imagine a vulnerable human baby doing the same (unless it's science fiction, of course)! The trepidation faced in this and many such examples shown in this documentary, makes it more of an enthralling predator-vs-protagonist story. Although the entire 50-minute duration of this episode is captivating, if I had to pick one more example, it is that of the risky livelihood of a million and a half chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski island located off the coast of Antarctica. It's absolutely fascinating and frightening to see these penguins jumping off volcanic cliffs in the quest to feed their young.
Not giving the highlights away anymore, this is a must-watch episode (and hopefully the entire series) for nature enthusiasts! Can't wait to watch the rest.
Philosophy check: Life for every organism even on a seemingly "idlyllic" island is challenging. Lesson: Don't brood over your problems, move on.
Episode 1 of the second season is about habitat on "idyllic" islands, particularly the relationship between different species of wildlife. It covers a wide variety of islands ranging from the ones located in warm tropical waters to the ones borne out of volcanic activity, from islands the size of Central Park in New York to the ones as large as Madagascar which has enabled the evolution of wildlife for over 120 million years. As rightly mentioned in the beginning of this documentary, between the time Planet Earth I was released in 2006 and now (2017!), there have been tremendous advances in technology that has helped capture granular details of the lifestyle of wildlife. David Attenborough's narration is enrapturing, to say the least. The introduction segment to Komodo dragon made me take a few steps back from the screen! So life-like, even without using any augmented reality app (this experience will only be better with any of that)! Another hold-your-breath scene is where newly hatched iguanas are employing their innate survival instinct, right after they hatch, to save themselves from deadly racer snakes. Can't imagine a vulnerable human baby doing the same (unless it's science fiction, of course)! The trepidation faced in this and many such examples shown in this documentary, makes it more of an enthralling predator-vs-protagonist story. Although the entire 50-minute duration of this episode is captivating, if I had to pick one more example, it is that of the risky livelihood of a million and a half chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski island located off the coast of Antarctica. It's absolutely fascinating and frightening to see these penguins jumping off volcanic cliffs in the quest to feed their young.
Not giving the highlights away anymore, this is a must-watch episode (and hopefully the entire series) for nature enthusiasts! Can't wait to watch the rest.
Philosophy check: Life for every organism even on a seemingly "idlyllic" island is challenging. Lesson: Don't brood over your problems, move on.
