15 Of The Best Science & Nature Documentaries To Watch During The Lockdown

This lockdown is boring, isn’t it? I know that is a statement of privilege and I understand that. But the fact of the matter is that it is boring and since all we are doing anyway is watching TV, how about we go on and watch some science stuff; from saving the lions of Serengeti to how the Big Bang kickstarted the universe to how black holes might have bee responsible for creating life on Earth.

So, here we go…

1. Virunga

The Virunga National Park, located in the depths of East Congo, is one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and is home to Earth’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Virunga is a powerful combination of investigative journalism and nature documentary, based on the true story of a group of courageous people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa, all while saving the last of an incredible species.

2. The Ivory Game

Ivory is one of the most profitable products in the black market as it is a prized status symbol for many. So, poachers in pursuit of the ‘white gold’ slaughter African Elephants in record numbers.

The Ivory Game is a 2016 American documentary film, directed by Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani. The filmmakers actually went undercover for 16 months to infiltrate and film the corruption at the heart of ivory trafficking.

3. Chasing Coral

The image you see below is a before and after picture of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the world’s largest coral reef system.

Coral reefs around the world are now dying at an unprecedented rate. So during the course of this documentary, divers, photographers and scientists set out on an ocean adventure to discover the reason for their deaths and to reveal the underwater ecosystem to the rest of the world.

4. Black Hole Apocalypse-I

Did you know that scientists believe there’s a black hole at the centre of every galaxy?

Black holes have always made for fascinating stories that easily capture the human imagination. In this space documentary, astrophysicists explain how these black holes could hold the answers to the evolution of the universe leading to life on Earth.

5. Journey to the Edge of the Universe

Did you know that the universe is 14 billion years old with an uncertainty of 59 million years, give or take?

Well, in this National Geographic special, narrated by Alec Baldwin (US) and Sean Pertwee (UK), we take a simulated journey from Earth to the very edge of the universe, as explained in the Big Bang Theory.

6. Hubble 3D

If you have 3D glasses, this is going to be the best experience of your life. In May 2009, NASA astronauts embarked on a mission to perform maintenance and repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope. As they go about their tasks, danger and beauty are never far away. The nature of space indicates that even the simplest routine can go fatally awry, while amazing photographs taken by the telescope celebrate the wonder of Earth’s celestial surroundings.

Strap in and witness them do their tasks in a space that’s remarkably beautiful and dangerous at the same time. The nature of space indicates that even the simplest routine can go fatally wrong.

7. The 11th Hour

The 11th Hour is basically the last moment before a big event happens, when we could do something to change it.

In this documentary, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Stephen Hawking and former CIA director R. James Woolsey along with more than 50 other scientists, scholars and leaders discuss the issues plaguing the world and how humans’ actions have impacted the Earth’s ecosystems and what must be done to reverse it and save the planet.

8. Blackfish

Blackfish is the story of Tilikum, a killer whale in captivity, that has taken the lives of several people. The documentary reveals the problems with the domestication of these creatures for water parks, and how little we actually know about this highly intelligent mammal.

9. Grizzly Man

Made from the actual footage of Timothy Treadwell, this documentary studies the calling the Grizzly Man had that drove him to live with a tribe of grizzly bears in Alaska, thus earning him the moniker.

Treadwell was a devoted conservationist and used to believe that he had bridged the gap between our species and bears when one of the bears turned on him. The video footage he shot gives us a little peek into our understanding of how nature works within its own dark realities.

10. The Last Lions

Forget The Lion King and the likes. This is what the story of a pride looks like. There’s blood and gore and then there’s love and the protection that comes with it.

When a rival pride of lions kills her mate, Ma di Tau faces a challenging task to preserve herself and the cubs. Knowing that the rival lions will murder her children if they are found, she takes them to Duba Island, where she and her three cubs face hungry crocodiles and hordes of fierce water buffaloes.

11. Africa: The Serengeti

Mufasa himself (James Earl Jones) narrates filmmaker George Casey’s spotlight on the Serengeti’s natural beauty and timeless cycles. See the varied wildlife of the Serengeti, from antelopes and wildebeests to zebras, crocodiles and cheetahs and of course, the king of them all, the African lion.

12. Colombia Magia Salvaje

When we think of Colombia, we think of Narcos, the Pablo Escobars and the drug trade.

But this documentary shows the country’s biodiversity, revealing the scenic vistas and native wildlife of Colombia’s beautiful but fragile ecosystem.

13. The Fathest

This is the story of a tiny spacecraft, the Voyager, one of our greatest achievements. More than 12 billion miles away, this spaceship is leaving our solar system and entering the void of interstellar space – the first human-made object ever to do so.

14. Hidden Universe

The story of how our universe began is a much-debated one. But in this documentary, using CGI and remastered images taken by our telescopes, scientists accurately explain the science that gave birth to our uiverse.

15. In Saturn’s Rings

First of all, this isn’t going to be CGI. It’s a large-format movie about Saturn made exclusively from real photographs taken by our spacecrafts. More than 7.5 million photographs and numerous film techniques were used to create the effect of flying through space around Saturn and among its rings.

So, go log out of whatever social media app you’re using. Watch these wonderful stories unfold, learn the mysteries of the universe and what keeps this planet kicking. You will be thanking me later.

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