Planet Earth III

Editorial

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West HD

Documentaries

Factual: Science & Nature

David Attenborough shares amazing stories of the wonders of the planet.

Our home - thrilling, mind-blowing, and full of hope. David Attenborough shares amazing stories of the wonders of the planet. There's always more to discover.

Series 1

BBC Two

BBC One London

London

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East HD

BBC One North West HD

BBC One Channel Islands

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One Channel Islands HD

BBC One West Midlands HD

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East HD

BBC One East

BBC One Nightlight

BBC One Yorkshire HD

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region. Separated as BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One London HD

BBC One Oxfordshire

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria HD

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands HD

BBC One South

BBC One South East

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One South West

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Oxfordshire HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire HD

BBC One North West

BBC One East Midlands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One West HD

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

BBC One Wales

Wales

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two HD

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

Simulcast of BBC Two Northern Ireland in high definition

BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

Simulcast of BBC Two Wales in high definition

BBC Two Wales HD

David Attenborough

Bronwen Thomas

Michael Gunton

Matt Brandon

Jonny Keeling

Charlotte Bostock

Nick Easton

Planet Earth III: Series 1: Freshwater

Freshwater

BBC One - Planet Earth III, Series 1, Freshwater

The remarkable animal drama in fresh water, the lifeblood of the planet.

Fresh water is the lifeblood of planet Earth, where incredible animal dramas play out. From death-feigning fish to frogs that glide, each depends on fresh water for their survival.

Fresh water is the lifeblood of planet Earth and the stage for extraordinary animal dramas. 

In the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest, a little-known spectacle unfolds above a very special pond. Up to ten thousand gliding tree frogs – the world’s largest known gathering of its kind – descend from the canopy for the most important breeding event of the year. It will only last a day, and with males outnumbering females nine to one, competition is fierce. This is a party you don’t want to be late for.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, as the dry season reaches its peak, the last remaining waterhole for miles around becomes a magnet for a different animal: mugger crocodiles. Giants up to five metres long lurk beneath the surface, waiting patiently for thirsty chital deer to approach the waterhole for a drink. But catching their prey is no easy feat and requires them to do something extraordinary. Documented nowhere else, these crafty crocodiles have learned how to exploit their prey’s need for fresh water - by creating traps. 

Nestled amongst flowering water lilies, newly hatched ‘lily-trotter’ chicks learn a vital lesson – how to ‘walk on water’. Their oversized feet - almost double the length of their body – make for a wobbly start, but their dedicated father will do whatever it takes to keep them safe during the most vulnerable stage of their life. 

One of the biggest challenges of living in a freshwater world is its dynamic nature. It can appear, vanish or transform rapidly. Survival in these dynamic environments hinges on adaptation. In the Okavango Delta, the arrival of the great annual flood poses a significant challenge for a pack of five African wild dogs. On dry land, they are one of the continent’s most successful hunters, but as their hunting grounds turn to swamp, they must find an innovative way to master this water world. 

Meanwhile, millions of goby fish on the remote volcanic island of Bioko prepare for a perilous journey. After months feeding out at sea, they return to fresh water to breed. The safest place to lay their eggs is where ocean predators can’t follow – at the very top of a 30m waterfall. Surely an impossible journey for a fish only an inch long, and one that will require a bizarre physical transformation.

In a few rare places, like Lake Malawi, fresh water has remained a consistent presence for millions of years, resulting in a dazzling diversity of life. Here, over a thousand unique fish species thrive - more than any other lake on earth, but competition in these crowded waters is intense. To survive here takes ingenuity. Meet Nimbochromis livingstonii - a master of deception that tricks other fish into thinking it's dead. 

Fresh water is vital to life, yet it is a finite resource. Of all the water on earth, only 2.5 per cent is fresh and most of that is locked up as ice or hidden deep below ground. In fact, less than one per cent of fresh water is accessible. 

Humans rely on fresh water for drinking, agriculture, irrigation, industry and power. Throughout history, we have devised extraordinary means to ensure it is always available for every demand, fostering the dangerous illusion that it is infinitely abundant. Yet today, two-thirds of our world’s great rivers no longer reach the sea, and in the last 50 years, freshwater species have seen an 83 per cent decline globally – a faster decline than that of species in any other habitat. 

One animal suffering on the front line is the Indus river dolphin in Pakistan. This species is the most endangered freshwater dolphin globally, with only around two thousand individuals remaining. Every year, these dolphins get trapped in the network of irrigation canals which form part of the vast Indus Basin irrigation system – the largest such system on earth. These canals divert water from the Indus River to irrigate crops. As water levels drop due to agricultural demands, the dolphins become stranded in ever-shrinking pools, often hundreds of kilometres away from the main river. Their only hope for survival depends on the efforts of a dedicated rescue team, working to return them back to the river before it’s too late.

Planet Earth III: Series 1

BBC One

Sir David Attenborough tells amazing stories of the wonders and fragility of the planet.

Our home, our future. Sir David Attenborough tells amazing stories of the wonders and fragility of the planet – thrilling, moving, but full of hope. There's always more to discover.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Planet Earth III

Series 1

Freshwater

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC One South West HD

About BBC One