Documentary Films

Bearing witness to change the ocean’s fate.

The ocean is changing faster than ever. It’s crucial that we bear witness to these changes and illuminate the awe and wonder that’s increasingly at risk. Since our inception, documentary filmmaking has been central to OceanX’s mission to redefine humanity’s relationship with the ocean. Through films grounded in science and driven by discovery, we help global audiences vividly experience the ocean’s depths and understand why its health matters to us all.

Created in partnership with leading filmmakers, broadcasters, and scientists, OceanX produces and contributes to documentaries that transform exploration into shared understanding. Our films amplify the voices of those working on the front lines of ocean science and conservation, expand awareness of ocean-connected careers, and inspire curiosity, care, and action. Reaching audiences in classrooms, big screens, and on digital platforms around the world, our pathbreaking documentaries invite people everywhere to see the ocean as part of their own story.

OceanXplorers (2024)

This series follows a pioneering team of scientists, filmmakers, and technologists aboard the OceanXplorer, the most advanced ocean exploration vessel ever built. Created in partnership with James Cameron, National Geographic, and BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the series brings audiences inside real-time expeditions to some of the most inaccessible parts of the ocean. The result is a front-row seat to science in action—where discovery fuels understanding and protection. Now streaming on Hulu, Disney+, and other platforms.

A Life Illuminated (2025)

This film chronicles the life and work of pioneering marine biologist Edie Widder, whose discoveries have transformed our understanding of bioluminescence in the deep sea. OceanX facilitated deep-submergence dives in the Azores, enabling filmmakers to capture rare footage from one of the Atlantic’s most biologically rich regions. Through Edie’s inspiring story, the film illustrates the obstacles she overcame to become a leader in her male-dominated field and highlights how curiosity-driven science can illuminate new paths for ocean discovery and conservation.

Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth (2025)

The team that filmed the first-ever footage of the giant squid in 2012 reunited to capture footage of the coelacanth, one of the ocean’s most ancient and elusive species. In this film, Dr. Iwata Masamitsu and Dr. Kelly Sink venture aboard the OceanXplorer to dive deep off the coast of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia to find this creature that has lived unchanged in the deep for 400 million years. Narrated by David Attenborough, the film blends evolutionary science with cinematic storytelling to reveal how studying ancient life forms can deepen our understanding of the ocean—and why protecting deep-sea ecosystems matters for the future.

#OurBluePlanet

#OurBluePlanet is a global digital initiative created by BBC Earth and OceanX to spark conversation and curiosity about the ocean. Designed for online audiences, the project shares astonishing videos, photography, and stories from across the blue planet—from familiar coastlines to alien deep-sea worlds. By bringing science-driven media directly to social and digital platforms, #OurBluePlanet expands ocean literacy and invites people everywhere to engage with the ocean as a living, dynamic system worth understanding and protecting.

Welcome to Earth (2021)

This six-part National Geographic and Disney+ series follows Will Smith as he explores some of Earth’s most extreme environments alongside leading scientists and explorers. OceanX supported episodes featuring National Geographic Explorer and Edinburgh Ocean Leader Dr. Diva Amon, including a deep-sea submersible dive to nearly 1,000 meters below the surface of the Caribbean to explore the bioluminescent displays of creatures living in complete darkness. Through immersive storytelling and scientific insight, the series reveals how much of the ocean remains unseen—and why it is essential to understanding and protecting our planet.

Our Planet (2019)

This landmark Netflix documentary series brought global attention to the beauty and fragility of Earth’s ecosystems. OceanX supported production efforts on ocean-focused episodes by providing access to advanced marine exploration technology and scientific expertise, enabling filmmakers to document ocean environments at unprecedented depth. The series reinforces the link between scientific discovery and conservation, showing how understanding the ocean is essential to protecting it.

Oceans: Our Blue Planet (2018)

Narrated by Kate Winslet, Oceans: Our Blue Planet is an immersive, feature-length documentary produced in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre, BBC Earth, OceanX, and Giant Screen Films. The film takes audiences on a global odyssey—from tropical shallows to the ice-crusted Arctic—revealing the intimate lives of the ocean’s most extraordinary creatures. Featuring OceanX’s first research and exploration vessel, the MV Alucia, the film offers rare access to the deep ocean, combining spectacular underwater cinematography with scientific discovery to inspire curiosity, understanding, and environmental stewardship.

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef (2018)

Created in partnership with Sir David Attenborough and the BBC, David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef is a journey through one of the world’s most biodiverse—and vulnerable—marine ecosystems. Filmed aboard the MV Alucia, OceanX’s first research and exploration vessel, the series reveals new dimensions of reef structure and surrounding deep-ocean habitats. This project combines authoritative storytelling with frontline science to deepen public understanding of coral reef conservation.

Planet Earth: Blue Planet II (2017)

This landmark BBC series, presented by Sir David Attenborough and scored by Hans Zimmer, explores the ocean’s most extraordinary environments using cutting-edge science and technology. OceanX-supported research played a role in the series through scientific advising by Dr. Samantha “Mandy” Joye and Dr. Sylvia Earle, who joined BBC teams aboard the MV Alucia to study brine pool ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. Their work helped inform footage and storytelling that revealed these otherworldly habitats — offering new insights into ocean chemistry, biodiversity, and the origins of life itself.

Years of Living Dangerously (2016)

This Emmy-winning documentary series examines the human and scientific dimensions of climate change around the world. OceanX supported a featured episode in which the film crew came aboard the MV Alucia, OceanX’s first research and exploration vessel, to learn how scientists study blue holes, which are some of the ocean’s most extreme and least understood environments. The episode highlights how research on blue holes helps scientists reconstruct past climate conditions and better understand the impacts of climate change today.

Legends of the Deep (2012)

Produced in partnership with NHK and Discovery, Legends of the Deep marked a milestone in deep-sea exploration and ocean storytelling. OceanX-supported expeditions enabled unprecedented access to the deep ocean, including the first-ever footage of a giant squid in its natural habitat. The series demonstrated the power of combining advanced technology, scientific discovery, and global media to bring the mysteries of the deep sea into public view.