Great Barrier Reef [Blu-ray]

Great Barrier Reef is most famous for its underwater world and of course, Monty Hall is not Attenborough. But Attenborough's projects are unique and cannot be compared to any others. I'm not forgetting Cousteau's legacy, but Attenborough whom I consider a man of Science was the pioneer of these subjects with no competitors for at least two decades. Though, fortunately he has today excellent followers doing excellent works (I'm thinking about the stunning Docs. South Pacific, Wild China, Yellowstone, Galápagos and Wild Rift that I own and highly recommend), and now Hall's project, another example to consider, that completes our Knowledge and delights our senses. A great job done underwater and on land very well documented and narrated, (congratulations to BBC Director James Brikell and Team) showing us the most important aspects of the monumental environment inside and beyond the Reef.To complete the scenery, one more case of stunning Photography!I think the essencial has been said about this series, by ACB(Swansea)on 16th Jan 2012 review. Although I should like to reinforce some aspects of this excellent work that caught my attention as no other documentary had done before.I've seen several Docs about these magnificent Creatures, but none of them was so complete, realist and wonderfully pictured as this one as far as I can remember. I'm speaking about the impressive odyssey arrival of the over 26000 green turtles Migration in Raine Island! Their exhausting journey to find a place to lay eggs, their terrible struggle to reach the Ocean before sunrise in way to avoid to be literally "cooked" by an unmerciful Sun, (if you're attentive you can listen to their hard breath when they push those heavy bodies over sand and rocks), the spectacular miracle of those baby turtles silmultaneous birth, a painful run for Life, a breathtaking example of Natures's cruelty and power, that hurts and gives no place for indifference!Some examples of other great moments are those with the magestic and dangerous Tiger Shark looking for surviving turtles, the view of the amazing and apparently gentle Queensland giant Grouper, the impressive parasite removal of a great Grouper's mouth done by a specific little fish, the astonishing moment of White Tip Sharks hunting at night sleeping Parrotfishes, a great Hammerhead Shark killing a huge prey, the sympathetic and gentle Dugong or Manatee (also called sea cow) feeding on sea grass, the glimpse of a Goana jumping to catch its prey on Lizard Island, the aerial views of those spectacular Rainforests, Tropical forests with Rivers and Waterfalls, the no less important Mangrove forest for reasons very well explained, and that incredible Lagoon, a kind of private ecosystem protecting a great variety of Life.Of course nothing of this would be possible without high technology! High Definition cameras, mini cameras, remote cameras and the well known ROV, are no doubt a fantastic help to all these enthusiastic People who work hard, and most times in the worst conditions, to make possible these Home Journeys through the Superb Mysteries of Nature!I hope you don't miss This! You will not regret!

This 3 hour documentary focusing on the Great Barrier reef off the coast of Australia is the best I have seen. The three parts of the film cover the reef itself as a biological entity, the other types of communities linked to the reef (e.g. mangroves and tropical forest) as well as the migrants (birds, whales turtles) that visit the reef as a resource. The overall impression is that the film makers provide a powerful image of the reef as an evolutionary and ecological entity connected with the surrounding biological communities. The photography is OUTSTANDING and the biological content is quite good. I must agree with another reviewer that the narrator speaking under water (bubbly narration indeed) was a bit annoying, but that is just a minor glitch in the overall work. These films deserves to get a wide distribution as the state of our reefs are dire indeed, and most biologists seem to think that we have reached the end of the road. This will have grave repercussions for other biological systems and the overall biodiversity on our planet. Sadly, I sense that a film like this one will be a postcard to future generations of what life was like on the reefs in the early 20th century before the algae and the jellyfish took over. Regardless, this is an outstanding documentary that everybody interested in natural history should enjoy and share with others. Bravo BBC Earth!!!

My wife and I enjoyed watching this 3-episode Blu-ray. It's remarkably well filmed and visually stunning. The footage of sharks eating turtles was really interesting - they appear to have mounted a camera on the unfortunate turtle (which as already dead, it seems). My only criticism would be that it lacks a developing narrative to tie the episodes together and to differentiate them from each other. The episodes become "more of the same" after a while. Still, I am glad I bought it and I recommend it to others. I don't know if it's available in 3D but that would be really something.

I am a massive Attenborough fan and as a rule only purchase his dvds - this dvd came up as a recommendation for me so I brought it and I must say Monty Halls is now a favourite too ! I loved this dvd from start to finish it was an eye opener for me I didn't realise just how large and fascinating the barrier reef is , and how it is connected by so many other eco systems this dvd kept my full attention throughout and I have watched it over and over.Highly recommend to all ( I was bit disappointed to read this had been given a low review by anyone ! )

This wonderful DVD captures the majesty and kaleidoscopic colours of the Great Barrier Reef . The photography is spectacular and the viewer is treated to everything from extreme close-ups to wonderful aerial shots of this natural phenomenon .We get to see how coral forms, lives, reproduces and dies . Monty Halls, the presenter of this, is enthralled and conveys that to the armchair viewer. The sheer scale of the reef almost beggars belief .At the end of the 3 hour spectacular the viewer will be left enriched .A must see DVD for anyone interested in the natural World. Buy it and be captivated .

Ordered 19.9.14 and received by 22.9.14. One Disc for this three-part series featuring nature in all its colour and splender on Australia's Great Barriet Reefs together with other locations which contribute to the Reefs well being. Spoilt only by the host of the series fequently believeing he can talk through a mask under water expecting the viewer to be able to understand what the hell he is talking about and quoteing facts at that, which he could so easily have said out of the water.