Oceans Week on BBC Earth

BBC Earth marks World Oceans Day later this month with hosts Oceans Week, showcasing documentary specials.

Screening evenings at 7.20pm from Monday June 20, titles will include Oceans, Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve, Mission Galapagos and Blue Planet.

Hidden within the depths of our oceans are secrets about our past, our planet and life itself. At last, an international crack team of underwater explorers is ready to dive in – and discover them! This spectacular, surprising series combines archaeology, geology, marine biology and anthropology with all the energy and excitement of a good thriller. Astonishing footage captures the full beauty of this alien world and video diaries vividly reflect the team’s stresses, successes, disappointments and dangers. Oceans ventures fearlessly into some of the planet’s most challenging environments providing a vital and timely understanding of our waters.

On Monday to Friday from 9.40pm we travel with Simon Reeve in his most exotic and extreme adventure yet across the sun-bleached shores and stunning Islands of the Indian Ocean. Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve explores some of the most beautiful and exotic locations on the planet: Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Tasman Sea. But the world’s third largest body of water is also crucial to its future – politically, economically and environmentally. From pirates plaguing ships off the coast of Somalia, to the Tamils of Sri Lanka and the rise of militant Islam in Yemen and Sumatra, the region touches places of extreme volatility. It is also increasingly the hub of global trade and competition, and industrial activity is having a huge impact. Simon Reeve brings his unique brand of adventure journalism to this portrait of a fascinating and increasingly important area, as he engages in the lives and struggles of its varied coastal peoples.

On Wednesday to Friday at 8.30pm the team behind Sir David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef explore the hidden volcanoes, evolutionary secrets and remarkable creatures of the Galapagos Islands. Presented by Liz Bonnin, Mission Galapagos journeys through the rocky and beautiful islands that is home to giant tortoises, equatorial penguins, pink iguanas, and dandelion trees. Mission Galapagos uses state-of-the-art research vessel – with floating labs, helicopters, and sonar scanners to capture rare animals and submerged worlds. Expert presenters abseil into volcanoes and free-dive off shore to tag hammerheads and film baby sea lions at play. From sunbathing penguins to iguanas that have learned to swim, Mission Galapagos reveals how far a species will stretch itself in order to survive.

Sir David Attenborough wraps up Oceans Week with Blue Planet, a critically acclaimed series that dives deep into the marine environment of Planet Earth. Although two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered with water, scientists know less about the oceans than they do about the surface of the moon. This limited series travels from various coasts to the poles to examine watery denizens ranging from the gigantic blue whale to microscopic coral polyps. Blue Planet airs on Saturday and Sunday at 8.30pm.

Oceans Week premieres all week at 7.20pm from Monday June 20.