DEADLY KILLING MACHINE
Our oceans are filled with dangerous marine life, including the scary Portuguese man-of-war...
Life in our open oceans is a challenge, and in this week’s Blue Planet Sir David Attenborough explores the fight for survival in remote waters.
‘The open ocean tests animals to the very limit because it’s the world’s greatest wilderness,’ says Sir David. ‘It covers over half the surface of our planet, but there’s nowhere to hide and little to eat.’
Powerful currents help marine life such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
‘It floats along with the help of a gas-filled bladder topped by a membrane that serves as a sail,’ says David. ‘Its long threads armed with thousands of stinging cells can kill a fish or a human, and it may collect over 100 fish a day.’
The biggest threat in the ocean may be man-made, and the episode examines the impact of plastic in scenes of a pilot whale carrying her dead baby.
‘As plastic breaks down, it combines with pollutants and is consumed by marine creatures, so the calf may have been poisoned by the mother’s contaminated milk,’ says David. ‘Whales experience emotion. The loss of that infant affected the entire family.’