Top 10 Favorite Nature Documentaries

By: Kate Abderholden

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May 11, 2020 | Adventure Experts

We’ve collected a list of our Top 10 favorite nature documentaries that highlight both the beauty of the natural world and the challenges it is facing. Learn about how a seemingly small insect’s population decline can affect the entire globe or journey into the eye of a spycam and see polar bears like never before. Whether it is the ocean’s deep or an aquarium in Florida, mankind’s impact on the environment is increasingly apparent. These documentaries show how extraordinary and fragile our ecosystems are and the lasting impact we have on our flora and fauna. Please share with us what you’re watching!

1. Our Planet, Netflix

“Starring David Attenborough, experience our planet’s natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.”

2. The Ivory Game, Netflix

“Filmmakers went undercover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.”

3. Blue Planet II, BBC

“Chronicling the mysteries of the deep, coastline populations, sea mammals, tidal and climatic influences and the complete biological system that revolves around the world’s oceans, Blue Planet is the definitive exploration of the marine world.”

4. Virunga

“Virunga is the incredible true story of a group of brave people risking their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas and a gripping expose of the realities of life in the Congo.”

5. Racing Extinction

“Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, along with activists, scientists, and others, draws attention to mankind’s role in a potential loss of at least half of the world’s species.”

6. Frozen Planet, BBC

“Frozen Plant chronicles the ecosystems and animals of the Arctic and Antarctic, where the filmmakers spent more than 2,300 days in the field and 18 months at sea to record unprecedented footage.”

7. Dynasties, BBC

“Follow the true stories of five of the world’s most celebrated, yet endangered animals; penguins, chimpanzees, lions, painted wolves and tigers. Each in a heroic struggle against rivals and against the forces of nature, these families fight for their own survival and for the future of their dynasties.”

8. More Than Honey

“Beekeepers, scientists, and others discuss the world’s declining bee population and what it may mean for modern society.”

9. Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice, BBC

“Spycams sneak within a paw’s swipe of the world’s largest land predators – Polar bears. Polar Bear Spy on the Ice gets closer than ever before to these charismatic bears and reveals their astonishing intelligence and curiosity.”

10. Blackfish

“The story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the sea-park industry, man’s relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intelligent mammals.”

Want to see an abundance of wildlife off-screen? Check out some of our favorites here.