David Attenborough says one part of Earth can ‘save the world’ as he approaches ‘end of his life’

Sir David Attenborough reckons there’s one part of Earth that can ‘save the world’.

Due to release this Thursday (8 May) to mark his 99^th birthday, in the national treasure’s upcoming documentary he reflects on approaching the ‘end of his life’.

It’s not the first time the legend has reminded us of his mortality, with much of his recent work featuring him telling us that it’s not too late to make things right – even if he won’t be knocking about to experience the results.

Releasing in cinemas this week on the impressive birthday, Ocean: With David Attenborough is set to take us on ‘a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean’.

And that’s how he says the key to saving Earth ‘is not on land, but at sea’.

“When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity,” the biologist and natural historian says.

“Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true.”

During the new doc, Attenborough discusses how his lifetime ‘has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery’ and shares just why a healthy ocean keeps our whole planet ‘stable and flourishing’.

The broadcaster expresses his dismay over the current state of the Earth’s ecosystems but is now pleased to have pinpointed the ocean as the ‘most importance place’ after now ‘living nearly a hundred years on this planet’.

Attenborough's new doc is about the ocean. (Silverback Films/Open Planet Studios/Altitude/National Geographic)

He’s not downplaying things though, Attenborough says our planet ‘is in such poor health’ and that if it wasn’t for the ocean, he ‘would find it hard not to lose hope’.

“If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important,” he says.

Praising ‘the most remarkable discovery of all’, he gives us some reassurance for the fate of our planet as he says ‘the ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined’.

Speaking about the doc, Attenborough says: “My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man.

He explains why a healthy ocean is important for the entire planet. (Silverback Films/Open Planet Studios/Altitude/National Geographic)

“In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health, and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health. This could be the moment of change.

“Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen."

Ocean: With David Attenborough premieres with a special cinema release on 8 May before landing on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu later this year.