Sir David Attenborough has revealed he almost drowned during a scuba diving expedition in the 1950s, after water began flooding into his helmet while filming on the Great Barrier Reef.
The broadccaster, 99, recalled the near-death experience during a conversation with Prince William ahead of the June 8 launch of his latest documentary.
Sir David recalled the experience while holding an original Jacques-Yves Cousteau scuba helmet, similar to the one he used in 1957.
“It’s certainly a strange thing to do,” he said, fitting the helmet over his head as the Prince of Wales looked on.
“Don’t do that, David,” William laughed. “You won’t get it off.”
After removing the helmet, Sir David described memories of water rising up his chin and over his mouth during the original dive.
“I thought, ‘This can’t be right’. And by the time (the water rose to my nose), I thought, ‘I’m sure this is not right’.”
“But then, of course, if you got this thing screwed on top of you, you can’t breathe. You can’t even make yourself heard, you know: ‘Get it off me!’”
He recalled how a skeptical operations director refused to believe the equipment was faulty until he tried it himself.
“So he put it on and I’m happy to say he went under the water and came up even quicker than I did,” Sir David said.
Their conversation is part of the promotional launch of Ocean, a film exposing the rapid degradation of marine life and habitats.
Sir David, a lifelong advocate for nature, described his first dive as a “sensory overload” and remarked that the reefs he once visited have since been devastated by warming seas.
“The awful thing is that it’s hidden from you and from me and most people,” he said.
“The thing which I was appalled by when I first saw the shots taken for this film, is that what we have done to the deep ocean floor is just unspeakably awful.”
“I mean, if you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms. If this film does anything, if it just shifts public awareness, it’ll be very, very important, and I only hope that people who see it will recognise that something must be done before we destroy this great treasure.”
Attenborough said he hoped the documentary would inspire young people to act, urging audiences to appreciate the urgency of ocean conservation.
“What is heartening, really, is that we have the entrée to people’s front rooms – whole families, sitting at home in comfort can actually suddenly see this coming up. Films like this can expose something new.”
Prince William agreed we must remain hopeful about ocean restoration, describing it as crucial for climate stability and a healthier future.
“I wonder whether this should be a moment for optimistic excitement for the next generation,” he said. “They can become bigger explorers and find more data. The next 50 years will be incredible.”
“Yes. Very much so,” Sir David replied.
