Sir David Attenborough speaks out about 'nearing the end of his life' in powerful statement

Sir David Attenborough has given a powerful statement on the world as part of his upcoming new documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough.

In the show, which is due to release on his 99th birthday, he reflects on 'nearing the end of his life' and how his views on the world and the seas have changed over the years.

This is not the first time Attenborough has reflected on approaching the end of his life, having said at the end of Frozen Planet 2 how important it was for the world to stick to targets on climate change.

His recent work has often acknowledged that Attenborough expects not to have much longer to live, and he has been trying to tell people that it is not too late to set things right even if he won't be around to see the results.

Ocean with David Attenborough will delve into the ways we've damaged our seas and the wonderful ecosystems which call it home through practices such as destructive fishing and the bleaching of coral reefs.

Attenborough himself made a powerful statement reflecting on how his own views had changed as he grows near 'the end of my life', saying: "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.

"Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true. After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea."

The legendary broadcaster also spoke about the damage we've done to our oceans and how they might recover.

Attenborough said that the oceans 'were in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope', but praised 'the most remarkable discovery of all', telling viewers 'the ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined'.

He said: "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.

We won't always have the wonderful man that is Sir David Attenborough, but we can do right by him (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

"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."

In the documentary, Attenborough laid out how the ocean can 'thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen', and said that saving the seas would help save the world.

"After a lifetime of filming our planet, I'm sure that nothing is more important," Attenborough said.

Ocean with David Attenborough releases as a cinematic event on 8 May, it will be available to stream on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu later in the year.