Ocean Giants, Giant Lives - Whale watching tonight on the BBC

Tune in today at 21:00.

Ground-breaking documentary granting a unique and privileged access into the magical world of whales and dolphins, uncovering the secrets of their intimate lives as never before.

This episode explores the intimate details of the largest animals that have ever lived on our planet- the great whales. From the balmy waters of the Indian Ocean to the freezing seas of the Arctic, two daring underwater cameramen - Doug Allan, Planet Earth's polar specialist, and Didier Noirot, Cousteau's front-line cameraman - come face-to-face with fighting humpback whales and two-hundred-ton feeding blue whales.

Teaming up with top whale scientists, Giant Lives discovers why southern right whales possess a pair of one-ton testicles, why the arctic bowhead can live to over two hundred years old, and why size truly matters in the world of whales.

 

For your chance to see some of these Oceans Giants in real life, see our whale watching holidays. 

Don't miss "The Secrets of Scott's Hut", a fantastic documentary on BBC2 at 8pm this Sunday!

Ben Fogle's documentary entitled "The Secrets of Scott's Hut" is showing this Sunday (17th) at 8PM on BBC2.

“Ben Fogle joins an expedition across Antarctica to find Captain Scott's Hut, frozen in time for a century. The hut was built to support Scott's 1911 attempt to be first to the South Pole, and was later abandoned together with ten thousand personal, everyday and scientific items. Ben uncovers the hut and its contents, finding new information about his hero Scott and his famously tragic expedition. Scott's diaries are read by Kenneth Branagh."

If you are interested in discovering Antarctica, Oceans Worldwide currently offers a broad range of expedition voyages and wildlife cruises to see some of the most exciting wildlife in the world. 

For some this is a once in a lifetime experience, although we find that many return time and time again to this truly unique continent.

To see all of Oceans Worldwide's Antarctica itineraries, click here.

Snippet: Death of Knut the Polar Bear re-opens zoo debate

The death of Knut, the world’s most famous polar bear in Germany at the weekend has sparked the debate about the ethics of zoos in modern day society.

Knut was born in captivity in Berlin Zoo in December 2006 and, after being rejected by his mother, was placed in an incubator and raised by humans.  The story of his abandonment plus his good looks and close relationship with his keeper, Thomas Doerflein, turned him into something of a celebrity.

He was used by the German Government to campaign against the threat of global warning and even appeared, Photo-shopped in, with Leonardo DiCaprio for Vanity Fair's Green Issue in May 2007.

News of his premature death at the weekend (in the wild they live to 30, Knut was just 4) has raised questions about the way Knut was treated and the very fact polar bears are in zoos at all.

Comments Chris Breen, Company Director: “This is a very sad story but it raises legitimate questions about the future of zoos.  They have improved beyond all recognition from a few decades ago but Knut would almost certainly have lived a lot longer in the wild.  The same can be said about whales being used to entertain crowds in US theme parks; their lives are cut desperately short and the only place for them is in the ocean.    

“Zoos can play useful roles – breeding programmes for endangered animals for example – and not everyone is afforded the luxury of being able to travel vast distances to see them   But, ideally, the best place to witness these beautiful creatures is in their natural habitat.”

Oceans Worldwide offers a choice of Expedition Voyages to view polar bears including:

Arctic Dreams, Around Spitsbergen, The North Pole and Spitsbergen, Greenland & Iceland

Snippet: WildPhotos 2010

Join some of the world's top wildlife photographers for a two-day symposium at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on the 22nd & 23rd October. Learn about and discuss all aspects of wildlife and environmental photography from the likes of Mark Carwardine, Charlie Hamilton-James and many more top international photographers.
See www.wildphotos.org.uk for full details and cost.

Snippet: NEW! South East Asia Cruise - with FREE FLIGHTS!

Take to the South Asian seas in 2011 and explore a path less travelled by discovering the wonders of Borneo aboard the Orion II, a 100-passenger, all-suite luxury 5-star expedition cruise ship. Departures in August 2011 will take in several national parks including; Ulu Temburong, Similajau, Tanjung Datu and Baku - where you can spot some of the islands' 15,000 plant species, 222 species of mammal (including 76 species of primate), 420 resident bird species, 100 amphibians and 392 species of fish! To christen the arrival of Orion II to our Oceans portfolio, we are offering free return flights* to accompany the following sailings: 21-31 August 2011 and 31st August - 10th September 2011 (*excluding hotels and transfers). Reefs and Rainforests Cruise

Feedback: Orcas, Pilot Whales And Dolphins Of Southern Spain

“We both thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Our fellow travellers and the knowledge of the two guides combined to make it a trip of a lifetime. We would have no hesitation in recommending the Spanish trip to anyone”.

T.R. 2007

Feedback: Dolphins And Whales Of The Moray Firth And Mull

“Everybody went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. A really enjoyable trip – would love to do it again”.
J.S. 2007

Dolphins And Whales - Scotland Two Centre Holiday - Click here