Over the course of his nearly 100-year-long lifetime, David Attenborough has dedicated himself to displaying the wondrous phenomena that characterize Earth’s natural surroundings.
Now, on the eve of his 99th birthday, the celebrated host of Life and Our Planet is reflecting on his personal mortality, as well as his own thoughts when it comes to future environmental conservation efforts.
The 98-year-old Attenborough’s upcoming project — Ocean: With David Attenborough — is scheduled to be released on May 8, coinciding with the popular broadcaster’s birthday. According to The Daily Mail, Ocean comes chock full of poignant commentary from Attenborough, characterized by personal admissions surrounding the conservationist’s health.
“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,” Attenborough observes in his new film.
“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 broadcaster continues.
Attenborough carries in on a similarly contemplative tone, alluding to his own “poor health” while marveling at the achievements of deep-sea ocean explorers and industrious environmentalists.
“Today, it is in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all,” he goes on to say.
Though approaching his 100th year on our planet, Attenborough has hardly slowed down in his filmmaking endeavors. Remaining just as hard at work as he had throughout his previous decades, the 98-year-old TV personality has continuously reiterated the importance of preserving our surroundings — something he believes spells out hope for the continued survival of Earth and every species occupying the planet.
“If we save the sea, we save our world,” Attenborough remarks at one point in the documentary. “After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important.”
