It might feel odd to say you’re happy to see a shark, but that was the case for three divers for an environmental charity. The team was clearing lost fishing nets from a wreck (What? That’s not on your chores list?) when they spotted a great white shark swimming right past them. The group was far offshore between Sicily and the Tunisian coast, so there was no reason to alarm beachgoers splashing around at the beach, but the sighting was still a big deal.
Due to factors like heavy fishing and nets that accidentally catch sharks, great white sharks in the Mediterranean are critically endangered, and sightings like this one may be the push that governments need to create marine protected areas.
In Great White Sharks vs. Cape Fur Seals, seals head out to sea. As they swim, they must get past great white sharks, apex predators that are waiting to throw their weight around to capture a seal snack. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
When it comes to gathering water data, the “employee of the month” may look a little on the “green and cubical” side. Alongside Yorkshire rivers, there are multiple green boxes working hard to gather data on river quality that should, in a couple years, be available for river users and potential swimmers to access through an app that tracks pollution.
Though there are currently apps that show pollution data, that information is old and outdated. This upcoming app is special, because it will use live data from an on-site sensor to provide real-time pollution levels in the water. It’s not meant to tell people “safe” or “not safe” or “swim” or “don’t swim,” but it can give people what they need to make an informed decision... mostly.
The green boxes have a big shortcoming: they’re unable to detect some really nasty bacteria like E.coli, which can only be measured in a lab. But don’t worry, old-school scientists are on the case, manually taking samples to send away for analysis. These findings will be used to build a data set that will be combined with green box data, and AI learning will infer when E.coli (and other bugs) are present in the river.
So, today, we celebrate a beautiful marriage — one of traditional testing, new technology, and AI. It may not be the pairing you’re rooting for on Love Island, but it shows great promise for water safety!
In Sobek the Swimmer, Sobek is in his element in the water. He is guarding his babies. What will happen when Dad's back is turned? This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Sarah and Duck Visit the Penguins, Sarah and Duck go to the zoo. Duck has his penguin suit on and wants to swim, eat, and dive like a penguin. But will he like being a penguin more than a duck? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Sarah & Duck, a kids' show about the adventures of 7-year-old Sarah and her quacky, flappy best friend, Duck.
It’s chutes and ladders... but not as you know it, kiddo! This is a game for two or more players. Here's how to play:
- Find a die and use pennies as counters.
- Move around the board doing the tasks as you go. Too easy.
- Bounce up when you land on an inflatable and slide down the pool noodles (just like Chutes & Ladders). The first player to 100 is the winner!
Bartlebee's enjoying his first Heeler Christmas in the pool with a game of classic catches. Draw yourself in the pool next to Dad!
Inspired by Season 2, Episode 51 "Christmas Swim": The Heelers gather for a classic Aussie Christmas, Bluey gets a new doll and introduces him to the whole family. But the family play too rough with him and now he wants to go home.
In Ducklings’ Day Out, host Andy Day follows day-old ducklings who already have to take a leap, literally. As their mother duck encourages them, the ducklings fling themselves from the tree where they were born and waddle to the pond, where they will swim for the first time. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In Splash! Polar Bear Cubs Take to the Water, host Andy Day follows two polar bear cubs have been walking on ice all winter. Now the ice is melting and it’s time for their first swim! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In The Crystal Clear Waters of Bonito, explore the many types of fish that swim in the crystal clear waters of Bonito, a region in Brazil. The fish can see the monkeys above, feeding on berries, and wait for them to accidentally drop them into the water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Nocturnal Migration of Plankton, narrator David Attenborough explains how plankton retreats into the ocean depths as the Sun rises. To follow them, we descend in a submarine where pressure increases, and temperatures drop. At 500 meters (1,640 feet) below, strange creatures emerge. Organic particles, known as marine snow, drift down, serving as food for many animals like the sea spider, which uses feathered leg-like appendages to capture it. Meanwhile, the sawtooth eel waits motionless, ready to strike at silhouetted prey swimming near the faint glow from the surface. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
It might feel odd to say you’re happy to see a shark, but that was the case for three divers for an environmental charity. The team was clearing lost fishing nets from a wreck (What? That’s not on your chores list?) when they spotted a great white shark swimming right past them. The group was far offshore between Sicily and the Tunisian coast, so there was no reason to alarm beachgoers splashing around at the beach, but the sighting was still a big deal.
Due to factors like heavy fishing and nets that accidentally catch sharks, great white sharks in the Mediterranean are critically endangered, and sightings like this one may be the push that governments need to create marine protected areas.
In Great White Sharks vs. Cape Fur Seals, seals head out to sea. As they swim, they must get past great white sharks, apex predators that are waiting to throw their weight around to capture a seal snack. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
When it comes to gathering water data, the “employee of the month” may look a little on the “green and cubical” side. Alongside Yorkshire rivers, there are multiple green boxes working hard to gather data on river quality that should, in a couple years, be available for river users and potential swimmers to access through an app that tracks pollution.
Though there are currently apps that show pollution data, that information is old and outdated. This upcoming app is special, because it will use live data from an on-site sensor to provide real-time pollution levels in the water. It’s not meant to tell people “safe” or “not safe” or “swim” or “don’t swim,” but it can give people what they need to make an informed decision... mostly.
The green boxes have a big shortcoming: they’re unable to detect some really nasty bacteria like E.coli, which can only be measured in a lab. But don’t worry, old-school scientists are on the case, manually taking samples to send away for analysis. These findings will be used to build a data set that will be combined with green box data, and AI learning will infer when E.coli (and other bugs) are present in the river.
So, today, we celebrate a beautiful marriage — one of traditional testing, new technology, and AI. It may not be the pairing you’re rooting for on Love Island, but it shows great promise for water safety!
In Sobek the Swimmer, Sobek is in his element in the water. He is guarding his babies. What will happen when Dad's back is turned? This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Sarah and Duck Visit the Penguins, Sarah and Duck go to the zoo. Duck has his penguin suit on and wants to swim, eat, and dive like a penguin. But will he like being a penguin more than a duck? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Sarah & Duck, a kids' show about the adventures of 7-year-old Sarah and her quacky, flappy best friend, Duck.
It’s chutes and ladders... but not as you know it, kiddo! This is a game for two or more players. Here's how to play:
- Find a die and use pennies as counters.
- Move around the board doing the tasks as you go. Too easy.
- Bounce up when you land on an inflatable and slide down the pool noodles (just like Chutes & Ladders). The first player to 100 is the winner!
Bartlebee's enjoying his first Heeler Christmas in the pool with a game of classic catches. Draw yourself in the pool next to Dad!
Inspired by Season 2, Episode 51 "Christmas Swim": The Heelers gather for a classic Aussie Christmas, Bluey gets a new doll and introduces him to the whole family. But the family play too rough with him and now he wants to go home.
In Ducklings’ Day Out, host Andy Day follows day-old ducklings who already have to take a leap, literally. As their mother duck encourages them, the ducklings fling themselves from the tree where they were born and waddle to the pond, where they will swim for the first time. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In Splash! Polar Bear Cubs Take to the Water, host Andy Day follows two polar bear cubs have been walking on ice all winter. Now the ice is melting and it’s time for their first swim! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In The Crystal Clear Waters of Bonito, explore the many types of fish that swim in the crystal clear waters of Bonito, a region in Brazil. The fish can see the monkeys above, feeding on berries, and wait for them to accidentally drop them into the water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Nocturnal Migration of Plankton, narrator David Attenborough explains how plankton retreats into the ocean depths as the Sun rises. To follow them, we descend in a submarine where pressure increases, and temperatures drop. At 500 meters (1,640 feet) below, strange creatures emerge. Organic particles, known as marine snow, drift down, serving as food for many animals like the sea spider, which uses feathered leg-like appendages to capture it. Meanwhile, the sawtooth eel waits motionless, ready to strike at silhouetted prey swimming near the faint glow from the surface. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.