‘Blue Planet II’ Is on Netflix for Your Nature-Loving Pleasure

The end of the year is always a stressful time. Not only do you have to worry about the holidays, last-minute gift giving, and the inevitable dread that comes with realizing that this year is around the corner but you have to add all that nonsense to the regular drama of everyday life. It’s all a lot, but this December Netflix has your back. Why? Because one of the most gorgeous documentaries ever created, Blue Planet II, is now on the platform.

Many think that Planet Earth was the first installment in BBC’s truly specular planet-verse, but people are sometimes wrong. The original Blue Planet premiered in the UK in 2001, a full five years before Planet Earth introduced us all to the glory of a long docu-series about polar bears and tree frogs. 2016 saw the highly-anticipated return of Planet Earth with the premiere of Planet Earth II. And now it’s the ocean’s time to shine.

Originally airing on BBC America in January of 2018, Blue Planet II takes viewers through the breath-taking universe happening right beneath our wet feet. Each 60-minute episode of the seven part series focuses on another environment, allowing the series to jump between exploring octopi and sea otters co-existing on the coast and great white sharks lurking in the depth. Naturally Sir David Attenborough is our guide to this undersea world. Would it even be a BBC nature docu-series without him?

There are many truly excellent ocean-themed documentaries on television; Discovery devotes close to a month to them every summer. But even in this competitive realm The Blue Planet and Blue Planet II are something extraordinary. Filmed over the course of four years, Blue Planet II is the result of 125 expeditions across 39 different countries, all of which use the highest caliber of film equipment possible. Without a diver’s license and a lot of travel time you’ll probably never see many of these undersea wonders, but Blue Planet II is a gloriously high definition backup option.

At this point in history wondering what’s beneath the ocean’s depth is just part of human nature. Blue Planet II peels back a bit of that mystery, giving us a glimpse into the gorgeous ecosystems and fearsome predators lurking beneath our boats. If you’re craving a portable relaxation zone, Blue Planet II is it. And hey, while you’re gushing over how blue the water is and how magnificent whales clearly are, you just may learn something too.

Watch Blue Planet II on Netflix