nature documentary
930 movies and shows
White Winter
Tue, 27 Dec 2022
In southern Germany, winter can still be admired in all its glory every year. With its white coat of snow and icicles and myriads of small crystals that look like geometric works of art. In the valleys and on the slopes the snow is still so thick every year that the alpine huts are snowed in up to the windows. Cows and dairymen are safe in their farms at lower altitudes. But not the wild creatures of the mountains! They need strategies to survive the cold season and to defy snow masses, cold and ice. And some seem to do it so easily that they even raise their young in the middle of winter. But how do animals, plants and fungi cope with the annually recurring ice age, which from our perspective is a time of need? The many adaptations in nature prove that winter is an integral part of the natural cycle of the year and the living environment of species. They are adapted to cold and frost. That is why the animals and plants at the edge of the Alps suffer particularly from climate change!
Attenborough's Paradise Birds
Thu, 29 Jan 2015
David Attenborough tells the remarkable story of how these " birds of paradise " have captivated explorers , naturalists, artists, filmmakers and even royalty.
The Biggest Little Farm
Wed, 05 Jun 2019
The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary.
Jacques Cousteau: The First 75 Years
Sun, 23 Jun 1985
Documentary about the life of explorer Jacques Cousteau.
The Vanishing Prairie
Mon, 16 Aug 1954
Story of the American Prairie as it was when vast herds of bison and elk grazed.
Voyage to the Edge of the World
Wed, 01 Sep 1976
On his ship "Calypso," as well as in a submarine, Jacques Cousteau and his crew sail from South America and travel to Antarctica. They explore islands, reefs, icebergs, fossils, active volcanic craters, and creatures of the ocean never before seen. This voyage took place in 1975, and Captain Cousteau became one of the first explorers ever to dive beneath the waters of the frozen South Pole.
The Himalayas
Sun, 13 Mar 2011
The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayan range is far reaching, spanning thousands of miles, and holds within it an exceptionally diverse ecology. Coniferous and subtropical forests, wetlands, and montane grasslands are as much a part of this world as the inhospitable, frozen mountaintops that tower above. The word Himalaya is Sanskrit for abode of snow, fitting for a stretch of land that houses the world’s largest non polar ice masses. Extensive glacial networks feed Asia's major rivers including the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra. More than a billion people rely on these glacier-fed water sources for drinking water and agriculture. The Himalayas are not only a remarkable expanse of natural beauty. They're also crucial for our survival.
Electric Amazon
Wed, 01 Jul 2015
The Amazon is one of the wildest and least explored parts of the planet. Encompassing 6 countries and 2 million square miles of forest, river and floodplain, it has the highest diversity of life on the planet, but what lies below it is truly shocking. In its deep muddy rivers, clear streams and expansive floodplains a freak-show of fish life has exploded, with some of the strangest shapes and weirdest adaptations on Earth. Hiding in the vast rivers and streams is an electric grid, a bizarre community of fish with a highly sophisticated electric sixth sense. Using electricity, these "Super" fish can communicate wirelessly, control each other remotely and emit shocks that can stop a human heart. This cryptic world has mystified scientists throughout the ages. Now an intrepid scientist, Will Crampton ventures back into the dark jungles where the inspiration for our technology driven world first emerged, in an attempt to unravel their secrets and unlock the electric code.
Deepsea Challenge 3D
Fri, 08 Aug 2014
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
National Geographic - Arctic Kingdom: Life at the Edge
Sun, 01 Jan 1995
Stalk the Arctic ice with the fiercest predator, the polar bear, as it prowls one of the most forbidding places on the planet: a hidden kingdom of magnificent creatures. Armed with a keen sense of smell and backed up by 1,700 pounds, fur and fangs, the polar bear stands alone at the top of the food chain. Yet many other hunters manage to survive in and around harsh arctic waters from the savvy arctic fox to the massive, whiskered walrus. The Arctic ice is revealed as a place of danger and drama as animals are stranded on frozen waters, trapped between moving sheets of ice, and caught in the struggle to survive. Brave the worst that nature has to offer.
Survival Island
Mon, 01 Jan 1996
Standing almost alone in the great Southern Ocean, South Georgia island plays host to some of the largest concentrations of animals anywhere on Earth during the spring and summer months. This is the story of these vast animal cities, and of the order that lies beneath their seeming chaos.
Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas
Wed, 10 Feb 2021
Roam the Wild West frontier land of the Rio Grande’s Big Bend alongside its iconic animals, including black bears, rattlesnakes and scorpions.
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Thu, 03 Apr 2014
The incredible true story of nature’s greatest explorers—lemurs. Through footage captured with IMAX 3D, audiences go on a spectacular journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar. Join trailblazing scientist Patricia Wright on her lifelong mission to help these strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world.
Deep Ocean: Descent into the Mariana Trench
Fri, 13 Jul 2018
Exploring an unknown world 10,000 m beneath the waves. After capturing a giant squid on film, NHK's deep-sea film crew explores our planet's deepest point The Mariana Trench is nearly 7 miles deep. The water pressure is immense, and it's a world that's long been out of our reach. What creatures could survive such hostile conditions? This is an expedition to explore the earth's deepest frontier. Narrated By David Attenborough.
Aliens From Inner Space
Thu, 17 Nov 1983
An incredible look at cephalopods – squids, octopi, and cuttlefish, from the Wildlife on One series. Filmed from Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico, and using computers, scientists study the shape and color-changing abilities of these bizarre animals. Narrated by David Attenborough. (This film was shown on BBC as Season 12, Episode 2 of Wildlife on One. This listing is for the 16mm film release.)
After All
Sat, 01 Jan 1994
A darkly humorous black and white tale of a young boy, unable to fit in, finally realizing his calling while watching animals killing each other on nature documentaries. Raw non-sync early effort, interesting as an early and funny example of Buck's forays into continuing themes of painful isolation, suburban disassociation and the inherent violence that can follow.
Honeyland
Fri, 26 Jul 2019
When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland’s basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.
The Meadow
Sun, 06 May 2007
The flower meadow is home to countless species of animals. Some live underground, some among the blades of grass and others populate the colorful canopy. It's a genuine paradise, but one that is increasingly rare. This award-winning documentary is a technical tour de force that uses time-lapse photography, special effects and CGI to track the development of one meadow back to the ice age.
When Elephants Were Young
Fri, 12 Aug 2016
A young man and his young elephant street beg in gritty Bangkok amid the controversial elephant business that threatens their survival, until the opportunity comes to release the elephant to the wild.
Wild Australia: The Edge
Fri, 26 Jan 1996
From beautiful but dangerous waterfalls to canyons and underground rivers carved into stone millions of years ago, Wild Australia is a stunning look at our fragile world and how it relates to Earth of ninety million years ago