"Take a deep breath."
Blue Planet II - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that. Surely we have a responsibility to care for our blue planet. The future of humanity, and indeed all life on Earth, now depends on us.
— David Attenborough
Context:
This quote is part of Attenborough's powerful closing monologue in the final episode, 'Our Blue Planet' (Season 1, Episode 7). He delivers it directly to the camera while standing on a beach, underscoring the personal and urgent nature of his message after showcasing the devastating impacts of human activity.
Meaning:
This is the thesis statement of the entire series. It moves beyond mere observation of nature to an explicit call to action, framing the current environmental crisis as a unique moment in human history defined by both unprecedented knowledge and unparalleled power. It is a profound appeal to our collective conscience.
A mother is holding her newborn young – it's dead. Pilot whales have big brains; they can certainly experience emotions. Judging from the behaviour of the adults, the loss of the infant has affected the entire family. Unless the flow of plastics and industrial pollution into the ocean is reduced, marine life will be poisoned by them for many centuries to come.
— David Attenborough
Context:
This narration occurs in the 'Big Blue' episode (Season 1, Episode 4) during one of the series' most heart-wrenching sequences: a pod of pilot whales, one of whom carries the body of her dead calf for days. The scene became a potent symbol of the plastic crisis.
Meaning:
This quote crystallizes the emotional cost of pollution. By attributing grief and emotion to the whales, the narration transforms an environmental statistic into a relatable tragedy. It directly links the death to human-made pollution, making the consequences of our actions painfully clear and unforgettable.
Some fish are much more clever than you might suppose.
— David Attenborough
Context:
This line is delivered in the first episode, 'One Ocean' (Season 1, Episode 1), while the camera follows an orange-dotted tusk fish. The fish repeatedly and deliberately uses a piece of coral as an anvil to smash open a clam, a clear demonstration of tool use that was captured on film for the series.
Meaning:
This simple statement encapsulates one of the series' key themes: revealing the surprising intelligence and complexity of marine life. It encourages viewers to reconsider their assumptions about these creatures and to develop a new level of respect for them.