AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Attenborough's new film is being released in cinemas today

As Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday, the legendary broadcaster is marking the occasion not with reflection, but with a rallying cry: Ocean, his new feature-length documentary released in UK cinemas today, urges the world to confront the accelerating crisis beneath the waves.

Described by collaborators as one of Attenborough’s most urgent messages yet, Ocean is a sweeping chronicle of marine discovery and destruction over the last century. It mirrors not just the evolution of ocean science, but the arc of Attenborough’s own life’s work in environmental storytelling.

Filmed over two years and spanning coral reefs, polar waters, and the deep ocean, the documentary reveals how marine ecosystems, once thought endless and resilient, are under threat from climate change, overfishing and pollution. Yet it also highlights a growing wave of solutions: from protected marine areas to global cooperation on ocean policy.

Produced by Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios and the Minderoo Foundation, the film is set for a wider streaming release on Disney+ in June to coincide with World Oceans Day.

While Ocean does not shy away from the damage done, it ultimately delivers a message of hope, celebrating the resilience of nature and the potential for recovery if urgent action is taken.

As Attenborough nears a century of life, this latest work reinforces his legacy as not just a chronicler of the natural world, but as one of its fiercest defenders.