Synopsis
The wildlife documentary series narrated by David Attenborough reveals the ingenious ways life exists in the undersea cities of tropical reefs.
- Programme: Blue Planet II
- Episode: 3: Coral Reefs
- Channel: BBC One
- Broadcast year: 2017
- Biology | Ecology
Licence: ERA Licence required
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from Blue Planet II
1: One Ocean | Blue Planet II
1: One Ocean | Blue Planet II
Wildlife documentary series presented by David Attenborough, revealing new worlds and animal behaviours throughout the planet's oceans.
2: The Deep | Blue Planet II
2: The Deep | Blue Planet II
The wildlife documentary series narrated by David Attenborough goes on groundbreaking journey to the deepest parts of the oceans.
4: Big Blue | Blue Planet II
4: Big Blue | Blue Planet II
The wildlife documentary series narrated by David Attenborough explores a vast ocean desert where sperm whales must dive 1,000 metres just to feed.
5: Green Seas | Blue Planet II
5: Green Seas | Blue Planet II
The wildlife series narrated by David Attenborough explores the planet's green seas. From enchanted forests to undersea prairies, they teem wi...
6: Coasts | Blue Planet II
6: Coasts | Blue Planet II
The wildlife series narrated by David Attenborough explores the planet's coasts. They are the most changeable of the ocean worlds, but they offer ...
7: Our Blue Planet | Blue Planet II
7: Our Blue Planet | Blue Planet II
David Attenborough explores the issues behind the series' most spectacular stories and examines the future of the planet.
Eels and octopuses ambush Sally Lightfoot crabs | Blue Planet II
Eels and octopuses ambush Sally Lightfoot crabs | Blue Planet II
The moray eel is this crab's deadliest enemy.
March of the spider crabs | Blue Planet II
March of the spider crabs | Blue Planet II
Like all crabs, the spider crabs have to emerge from their shells in order to grow.
Octopus shell suit | Blue Planet II
Octopus shell suit | Blue Planet II
When an octopus is caught out in the open water, it attaches shells to its body to camouflage itself.
Orca | Blue Planet II
Orca | Blue Planet II
Working as a team, these orcas deploy their special weapon, using their tails to hit fish.
Protecting leatherback turtles | Blue Planet II
Protecting leatherback turtles | Blue Planet II
Len Peters has fought cultural tradition in order to protect the world's largest turtle.
The boiling sea | Blue Planet II
The boiling sea | Blue Planet II
Lantern fish provide a rare banquet for some of the ocean’s top predators.
The deadly tentacles of the Portuguese man o'war | Blue Planet II
The deadly tentacles of the Portuguese man o'war | Blue Planet II
The Portuguese man o'war is armed with tentacles, up to 30 metres long. Each is armed with thousands of sti...
The fish that uses tools | Blue Planet II
The fish that uses tools | Blue Planet II
A fish uses rocks to crack open shells and eat the insides.
The hypnotising cuttlefish | Blue Planet II
The hypnotising cuttlefish | Blue Planet II
This master of disguise has an unorthodox approach for hunting crabs.
The love story of Venus' flower basket | Blue Planet II
The love story of Venus' flower basket | Blue Planet II
Two shrimps use this deep sea sponge for shelter, for the rest of their lives.
The mystery of the whale shark nursery | Blue Planet II
The mystery of the whale shark nursery | Blue Planet II
Nutrients from the deep provide sustenance for a large gathering of sea life.
Trying not to wake the sleeping giants | Blue Planet II
Trying not to wake the sleeping giants | Blue Planet II
King penguins need to get past a natural barrier of elephant seals to reach their colony.
More resources about Living Things and Their Habitats
Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change: The Facts
Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change: The Facts
A discussion of the devastating impact of burning fossil fuels.
4: Big Blue | Blue Planet II
4: Big Blue | Blue Planet II
The wildlife documentary series narrated by David Attenborough explores a vast ocean desert where sperm whales must dive 1,000 metres just to feed.
Cattle feedyard | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?
Cattle feedyard | Meat: A Threat to Our Planet?
Liz Bonnin visits a cattle feedyard, a mass factory farm, that contains about 50,000 cows.
1: One Ocean | Blue Planet II
1: One Ocean | Blue Planet II
Wildlife documentary series presented by David Attenborough, revealing new worlds and animal behaviours throughout the planet's oceans.
6: Coasts | Blue Planet II
6: Coasts | Blue Planet II
The wildlife series narrated by David Attenborough explores the planet's coasts. They are the most changeable of the ocean worlds, but they offer ...
9: The Rise Of The Mammals | Life On Earth
9: The Rise Of The Mammals | Life On Earth
Mammals have proved to be one of the most adaptable products of evolution. David Attenborough looks at their evolution from reptil...
Biodiversity | Our World
Biodiversity | Our World
A team of botanists from Kew discuss the importance of protecting biodiversity.
Climate injustice | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Climate injustice | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The people and areas that are being most affected by climate change are often those which contribute the least.
Episode 2 | The Great American Buffalo
Episode 2 | The Great American Buffalo
By the late 1880s, the buffalo teeter on the brink of extinction, but an unlikely collection of Americans have started a few private h...
Piling on pounds | Life
Piling on pounds | Life
Brown bears take advantage of a salmon run to fatten up for the winter.
Plastic in the sea | My Life
Plastic in the sea | My Life
Isabel searches for plastic in the ocean around Bali, and explains that not all plastics in the sea are visible.
Return of the Emperors | Dynasties
Return of the Emperors | Dynasties
Emperor penguins return to the newly-frozen sea ice to breed.
Searching for sunlight | Life
Searching for sunlight | Life
Different species of plants adopt a variety of ingenius techniques to secure much needed sunlight.
Synchronised hunting | The Hunt
Synchronised hunting | The Hunt
Working in perfect unison the dolphins charge to the shore, creating a bow wave that carries their prey onto the muddy banks where the dolphi...
The pollination process | The Private Life of Plants
The pollination process | The Private Life of Plants
David Attenborough describes the process of pollination and how this helps plants reproduce.
The smallest fox with the biggest ears! | Super Cute Animals (video)
The smallest fox with the biggest ears! | Super Cute Animals (video)
The fennec's ears help it to survive in the heat of the desert dunes.
1: Cauldron of Life | Galapagos
1: Cauldron of Life | Galapagos
Liz Bonnin joins a scientific team aboard the research vessel the Alucia on an expedition across the Galapagos Islands.
1: Island of Marvels | Madagascar
1: Island of Marvels | Madagascar
Series exploring Madagascar and its unique wildlife. David Attenborough reveals the most bizarre places and their inhabitants on this ecolo...
1: The Cold Blooded Truth | Life in Cold Blood
1: The Cold Blooded Truth | Life in Cold Blood
David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians.
1: The Infinite Variety | Life On Earth
1: The Infinite Variety | Life On Earth
The first ever episode of the landmark natural history series Life on Earth. David Attenborough explores the wildlife and landscape t...
More from Sir David Attenborough
2: Ocean | Planet Earth III
2: Ocean | Planet Earth III
A groundbreaking journey from tropical shallow seas to the mysterious depths. Sir David Attenborough reveals extraordinary new worlds and unique ...
The mystery of the whale shark nursery | Blue Planet II
The mystery of the whale shark nursery | Blue Planet II
Nutrients from the deep provide sustenance for a large gathering of sea life.
Ants vs Cows | Natural World
Ants vs Cows | Natural World
The super colony unites in a spectacular attack to defend their nest from curious cows.
3: Jungles | Planet Earth II
3: Jungles | Planet Earth II
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
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
Naturalist Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world faces a population crisis and if it is the duty of indiv...
7: Great Plains | Planet Earth
7: Great Plains | Planet Earth
Documentary series which celebrates Earth in its natural glory. A look at the great plains - wildernesses which support the greatest gathering...
Weighty wanderers | Life in the Freezer
Weighty wanderers | Life in the Freezer
With a wingspan of over 3m, the wandering albatross has the biggest feeding range of any bird. Throughout the winter they remain in n...
Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles
Our Precious Isles | Wild Isles
David Attenborough celebrates the rich variety of habitats in our wild isles, the existence of which is critical for the survival of species ...
David Attenborough | The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
David Attenborough | The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
David Attenborough speaks about the environment. Also, includes footage of the drones that turn into animals.
2: Water Worlds | The Green Planet
2: Water Worlds | The Green Planet
A look at the beautiful, bizarre worlds created by water plants. Flowers smother rivers and lakes. Plants fight and hunt. A river bubbles ...
Greta meets David Attenborough | Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World
Greta meets David Attenborough | Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World
Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough discuss their hopes for the future of the planet.
COP26 delegates and climate scientists | Climate Change: The Facts
COP26 delegates and climate scientists | Climate Change: The Facts
COP26 delegates and climate scientist Hannah Cloke discuss their hopes for the COP26 conference.
The People v Climate Change
The People v Climate Change
Meet the 108 ordinary Brits who Sir David Attenborough says we should listen to. This warm and honest documentary reveals how everyday people fee...
Leopard seal vs penguin | Seven Worlds, One Planet
Leopard seal vs penguin | Seven Worlds, One Planet
Glaciers crumbling more quickly, due to climate change, give the advantage to leopard seals hunting penguins.
Poison dart frogs battle it out | Attenborough's Life in Colour
Poison dart frogs battle it out | Attenborough's Life in Colour
A poison dart frog fights off a contender until he's sufficiently warned off.
The Weddell seal's adaptations | Life
The Weddell seal's adaptations | Life
The Weddell seal is perfectly adapted to survive in the environment it must endure.
Biodiversity loss | Extinction: The Facts
Biodiversity loss | Extinction: The Facts
An exploration of the devastating impacts of the loss of insect and plant biodiversity.
David, The Ruler | Dynasties
David, The Ruler | Dynasties
One strong and determined leader, David, rules the land, but can trust no one.
Marine predators and scavengers | The Blue Planet
Marine predators and scavengers | The Blue Planet
The scavengers of the deep ocean rely on predators at the surface to provide their nutrition.