Attenborough and the Sea Dragon (2019) produced and directed by Sally Thomson
David Attenborough hosts this Nature documentary (sponsored by PBS and BBC) where a fossil is discovered on Britain's Jurassic coast (on the English Channel). A fossil hunter found the remains of an ichthyosaur of incredible size. "Ichthyosaur" translates literally as "fish-lizard," a short step to the titular term "sea dragon." The immense size of the skeleton is more fascinating because a large section of the ribs and spine have been smashed, presumably by an even bigger predator. So in addition to documenting the painstaking process of removing the fossil from the cliffside and slowly revealing the remains, Attenborough goes on a quest to find out about the predators of the ancient seas.
The whole package makes for nice storytelling and fascinating science. The documentary is less than an hour long and goes by quickly. Some photo-realistic animations of what they think the "sea dragon" looked like are added in. No actual dragons were harmed in the making of this documentary.
Recommended.
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