07: The Sky Above | The Living Planet

Duration: 54'03''

Synopsis

David Attenborough shows that without gravity the world would be a chaotic place. But some species like spiders, birds and bats have overcome the force of gravity.

Further Information

More clips from The Living Planet

01: The Building of the Earth | The Living Planet

01: The Building of the Earth | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'30''

David Attenborough examines the colossal forces that shape the earth's surface. He visits the deepest gorge in the world - ...

02: The Frozen World | The Living Planet

02: The Frozen World | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'35''

From the mountains of Africa to the glaciers of Antarctica and the Arctic, David Attenborough explores the ways animals adapt to sur...

03: The Northern Forests | The Living Planet

03: The Northern Forests | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'29''

From the Arctic to the southern USA stretches the largest forest in the world. David Attenborough roams from north to south thro...

04: Jungle | The Living Planet

04: Jungle | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'49''

David Attenborough explores the Amazon jungle, from the tops of the huge trees to the undergrowth which lies at their roots.

05: Seas of Grass | The Living Planet

05: Seas of Grass | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'05''

David Attenborough explores the grasslands of the Americas, Eurasia and Africa, and encounters the rare maned wolf, a giant anteater, b...

06: The Baking Deserts | The Living Planet

06: The Baking Deserts | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'41''

David Attenborough visits the hottest and driest places on earth. In the Mojave desert he finds a plant that has been growing ther...

08: Sweet Fresh Water | The Living Planet

08: Sweet Fresh Water | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'09''

David Attenborough follows the river Amazon from the Andes to the sea, exploring the life in and around it as it changes from cold ...

09: The Margins of the Land | The Living Planet

09: The Margins of the Land | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'21''

David Attenborough examines the borders between land and water and the life that thrives there, from an English estuary to tr...

10: Worlds Apart | The Living Planet

10: Worlds Apart | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'13''

David Attenborough explores the isolated islands which are a haven for ancient species as well as the cradle of new ones.

11: The Open Ocean | The Living Planet

11: The Open Ocean | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 52'37''

David Attenborough explores the ocean, which covers 70 per cent of the Earth's surface. It contains creatures like the leafy sea drago...

12: New Worlds | The Living Planet

12: New Worlds | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 54'01''

David Attenborough looks at the damage we are causing far away from our centres of population - to the oceans, the atmosphere and the trop...

Heights of diversity | The Living Planet

Heights of diversity | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 2'36''

David Attenborough discusses the rainforest climate and explains where earth's rainforests are located.

Hidden in plain sight | The Living Planet

Hidden in plain sight | The Living Planet

BBC Two | 1984 | 2'03''

In the seaweed forest of southern Australia, the leafy sea dragon is so well camouflaged that other fish swim amongst its finery as...

More resources about Ecosystems and Biomes

S01E01: Amazon | Earth's Great Rivers

S01E01: Amazon | Earth's Great Rivers

BBC Two | 2019 | 59'02''

Documentary revealing the animals, landscapes and people of the greatest river on earth. From transparent lagoons to pink dolphins, the...

04: Jungles - People of the Trees | Human Planet

04: Jungles - People of the Trees | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 58'58''

Series examining man's survival in extreme environments. A look at life in the rainforest, which requires great skill, ingen...

02: Deserts - Life in the Furnace | Human Planet

02: Deserts - Life in the Furnace | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 59'01''

A look at how the eternal quest for water brings huge challenges - and ingenious solutions - for millions of people in the d...

Episode 1 | Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough

Episode 1 | Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough

BBC One | 2015 | 58'06''

David Attenborough descends beneath the waves at night to meet some of the tiny coral animals that built the reef.

Dying for a Biscuit | Panorama

Dying for a Biscuit | Panorama

BBC One | 2010 | 29'06''

Reporter Raphael Rowe journeys into the rainforest of Borneo, where he uncovers evidence of palm oil companies developing plantations on prote...

03: Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze | Human Planet

03: Arctic - Life in the Deep Freeze | Human Planet

BBC One | 2011 | 58'48''

The remarkable stories of some of the extraordinary people who make their homes in the Arctic, the harshest environment o...

Episode 2 | Simon Reeve's South America

Episode 2 | Simon Reeve's South America

BBC Two | 2022 | 59'05''

Simon travels through Brazil, from the heart of the Amazon rainforest to the coast and the glamorous-but-troubled city of Rio de Jane...

Borneo | Panorama

Borneo | Panorama

BBC One | 2021 | 28'37''

Coca-Cola sells more than 100 billion throwaway plastic bottles each year. Panorama investigates Coca-Cola's promises to crack down on plastic waste.

Saving the Orangutan | Natural World

Saving the Orangutan | Natural World

BBC Two | 2018 | 58'51''

Red Ape uses footage filmed by teams fighting to save critically endangered orangutans of Borneo, to reveal the reasons for their declin...

02: Greenland | Arctic with Bruce Parry

02: Greenland | Arctic with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'07''

Bruce Parry journeys to the far north of Greenland, home to the last traditional Inuit hunters, and learns how climate change is thre...

03: Alaska | Arctic with Bruce Parry

03: Alaska | Arctic with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'26''

Bruce travels to Alaska, America's last great wilderness, where modern-day pioneers are harvesting the vast natural wealth of the seas.

01: Antarctica | Seven Worlds, One Planet

01: Antarctica | Seven Worlds, One Planet

BBC One | 2019 | 59'05''

Antarctica - the coldest, windiest, most hostile continent. Only the toughest can survive here. But the ocean here is warming and w...

Antarctica - Ice Station Rescue | Horizon

Antarctica - Ice Station Rescue | Horizon

BBC Two | 2017 | 59'10''

Documentary which follows the everyday people battling in the most extreme environment on earth to move Halley VI, a vital polar re...

S01E03: Mississippi | Earth's Great Rivers

S01E03: Mississippi | Earth's Great Rivers

BBC Two | 2019 | 59'07''

The surprising story of the Mississippi, a river that unites the USA. From frozen waterfalls to time-travelling barges, the Missis...

02: Savannah | Africa

02: Savannah | Africa

BBC One | 2013 | 58'39''

David Attenborough takes a breathtaking journey through Africa, looking at the constantly changing landscape of east Africa and creatures found nowhere...

S01E02: Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador | Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

S01E02: Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador | Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

BBC Two | 2017 | 59'06''

Giles Coren and Monica Galetti head to the Andean Cloud Forest of Ecuador to work at Mashpi Lodge, a $1...

01: Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles

01: Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles

BBC One | 2023 | 57'14''

David Attenborough celebrates the rich variety of habitats in our wild isles, the existence of which is critical for the survival of spec...

Episode 6 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

Episode 6 | Amazon with Bruce Parry

BBC Two | 2008 | 58'55''

Bruce Parry reaches the end of his Amazon adventure in Brazil's Para state where huge areas of forest are being cut down for cattle farming.

05: Patagonia: The Ends of the Earth | Eden: Untamed Planet

05: Patagonia: The Ends of the Earth | Eden: Untamed Planet

BBC Two | 2022 | 48'07''

At the far tip of South America lies a magical realm that seems frozen in time: Patagonia, known as 'the end of t...

Episode 1 | Scandinavia with Simon Reeve

Episode 1 | Scandinavia with Simon Reeve

BBC Two | 2025 | 58'48''

The first leg of Simon's Scandinavian journey takes him from the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to the frozen wilderness of Lapland ...

More from Sir David Attenborough

04: Freshwater | Planet Earth III

04: Freshwater | Planet Earth III

BBC One | 2023 | 58'26''

Fresh water is the lifeblood of planet Earth, where incredible animal dramas play out. From death-feigning fish to frogs that glide, each d...

The mystery of the whale shark nursery | Blue Planet II

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BBC One | 2017 | 3'08''

Nutrients from the deep provide sustenance for a large gathering of sea life.

Ants vs Cows | Natural World

Ants vs Cows | Natural World

BBC Two | 2017 | 2'09''

The super colony unites in a spectacular attack to defend their nest from curious cows.

03: Jungles | Planet Earth II

03: Jungles | Planet Earth II

BBC One | 2016 | 58'00'''

Jungles provide the richest habitats on the planet - mysterious worlds of high drama where extraordinary animals attempt to survive in the most...

Lizard Heaters | Life in Cold Blood

Lizard Heaters | Life in Cold Blood

BBC Two | 2014 | 3'53''

Wall lizards take advantage of foul-smelling dead-horse arums.

How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? | Horizon

How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? | Horizon

BBC Two | 2009 | 58'22''

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world faces a population crisis and if it is the duty of indiv...

10: Seasonal Forests | Planet Earth

10: Seasonal Forests | Planet Earth

BBC One | 2006 | 58'44''

Documentary series which celebrates our planet in all its glory. David Attenborough reveals the greatest woodlands on earth, from the nor...

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

BBC One | 2026 | 1'31'15''

A 90-minute special, broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall, London, celebrating Sir David Attenborough's groundbreaking career ...

01: Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles

01: Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles

BBC One | 2023 | 57'14''

David Attenborough celebrates the rich variety of habitats in our wild isles, the existence of which is critical for the survival of spec...

07: Worlds of Wonder | Frozen Planet II

07: Worlds of Wonder | Frozen Planet II

BBC One | 2023 | 58'06''

A journey through the world’s coldest realms with the most-loved animals from the series, including emperor penguins and one of the l...

David Attenborough | The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

David Attenborough | The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

BBC One | 2022 | 1'32''

David Attenborough speaks about the environment. Also, includes footage of the drones that turn into animals.

01: Tropical Worlds | The Green Planet

01: Tropical Worlds | The Green Planet

BBC One | 2022 | 58'43''

Tropical rainforests are plant battlegrounds. New filming techniques allow us to enter the world of plants to see it from their perspe...

Greta meets David Attenborough | Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World

Greta meets David Attenborough | Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World

BBC One | 2021 | 3'39''

Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough discuss their hopes for the future of the planet.

The People v Climate Change

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BBC Two | 2021 | 1'03'06''

Meet the 108 ordinary Brits who Sir David Attenborough says we should listen to. This warm and honest documentary reveals how everyday people fee...

Views on COP26 | Climate Change: The Facts

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BBC One | 2021 | 3'06''

COP26 delegates and climate scientist Hannah Cloke discuss their hopes for the COP26 conference.

Poison dart frogs battle it out | Attenborough's Life in Colour

Poison dart frogs battle it out | Attenborough's Life in Colour

BBC One | 2021 | 1'15''

A poison dart frog fights off a contender until he's sufficiently warned off.

Self-sacrificing fish | Life

Self-sacrificing fish | Life

BBC Two | 2021 | 3'32''

Flying fish can leave the water and soar great distances on their elongated fins to escape from predators below the waves. But finding a place t...

How human impact on the environment is increasing the emergence of new diseases | Extinction: The Facts

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An explanation as to why pandemic diseases are becoming more common d...

06: North America | Seven Worlds, One Planet

06: North America | Seven Worlds, One Planet

BBC One | 2019 | 58'05''

North America - a land of change where pioneering animals make the most of surprising opportunities.

David, The Ruler | Dynasties

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BBC One | 2018 | 1'37''

One strong and determined leader, David, rules the land, but can trust no one.