'Planet Earth: Blue Planet II' Recap - 'Coral Reefs'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​If there’s one big lesson that Planet Earth: Blue Planet II is teaching me on a consistent basis, it’s that…the ocean really isn’t that much different than land in some ways. After all, there are parts of man’s world that are inhospitable to human life and desolate in their appearance and despite our inability to spend time there, life most certainly thrives in those rough places. Those parts of the planet are of course counterbalanced by the places of extreme beauty that we rave about and visit as often as possible, and wouldn’t you know it, after showing us a part of the ocean that is not pleasing to our eyes but teeming with life, the series quickly changed gears in its third episode by taking us to a place of incredible beauty.
 
Because ‘Coral Reefs’ was a true feast for the eyes through and through, filled to the brim with wonder and majestic beauty unrivaled by any other part of our world and well, what caught me off guard about this episode, is the other reason that I say that the ocean sometimes resembles man’s domain, because these Reefs very much resemble our cities. There are towering ‘skyscrapers’ in this place, and the various citizens of these watery metropoles each have a role in keeping their proud reef going and well, it was simply incredible to see how connected the coral reefs are and it was equally as amazing to learn that some of the species in this magnificent place, work together on a regular basis to survive.
 
Yet in keeping with the theme of the water world resembling man’s domain, this episode also put some incredible behaviors on display from the creatures of the sea, like the fact that they too need a little bit of pampering from time to time since the Green Sea Turtle has been known to find a particular spot in the Great Barrier Reef where they can have parasites and particulates from removed from their body to keep them healthy and it turns out that the experience may also reduce stress in their species as well. Plus, it was also fascinating to learn that these places serve as a peaceful learning ground for some species since we were able to bear witness to dolphins teaching their young how to hunt in a secure and safe environment far away from the hustle and bustle of the regular ocean.
 
However, while it was magnificent to see the intelligence of marine life on display and learn as always, the show did end on a touch of a somber note, and with good reason. Because this episode didn’t shy away from the fact that coral reefs are facing an uncertain future thanks to the warming oceans and well, it was heartbreaking to know that swaths of these majestic and beautiful structures are fading away, but while this was indeed a sobering moment to endure for this particular tale, it was not without hope. Because once again, this series is here to teach and in the closing moments of the episode, I came to learn that coral reefs can indeed reproduce and as long as they can send their seed out into the sea, there’s always a fighting chance that they will survive and endure.  
 
When all is said and done however, this was simply another fantastic chapter in this storied saga and it is quite frankly, my favorite one to date. I love the fact that this episode really dug deep on the fact that marine life is far more intelligent than we give it credit and that it was able to provide us visual evidence of that in crystal clear fashion. It simply added an incredible depth to this episode that I wasn’t expecting to see and well, if this what we are getting a mere three episodes in, I can only wonder as to what other fascinating tales and breathtaking discoveries await us as we continue our journey through the depths of the ocean. Until next time.  

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