Although the oceans comprise two-thirds of planet Earth, much of what goes on beneath their surface remains shrouded in mystery, and most certainly soaking wet. The BBC series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life dips into the briny deep, exploring an aquatic community teeming with life. Underwater cameras reveal a capricious world where seas shift seasonally, with ecosystems that thrive during long summer days and turn fiercely unforgiving as the weather changes.

Footage of coastal life boggles the mind: Killer whales attack sea lion pups as they play in the shallow surf; baby turtle hatchlings race to the sea, pursued by ravenous predators.

Narrated by David Attenborough, this four-part series was hailed by London’s Times “as awe-inspiring as anything you are ever likely to see on television.” It is visually spectacular. For anyone who has ever stumbled across an episode of Wild Discovery and become instantly hooked, Blue Planet is a must-see — a snapshot of the natural world in all its raw beauty. (Barnes & Noble)

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Extraordinary footage and eloquent narration by David Attenborough highlight the BBC’s remarkable wildlife series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. “Ocean World” begins with astonishing views of a gigantic blue whale–the elusive Holy Grail of undersea photography–and the marvels continue to demonstrate the power, diversity, and profound ecological influence of Earth’s oceans.

“Frozen Seas” examines whales, walruses, penguins, and other creatures under the extreme conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. The next two episodes are even better. “Open Ocean” travels thousands of miles into the vast “liquid desert,” where currents determine how the ocean’s diverse life forms will assume their places in the food chain.

More amazing, “The Deep” descends with a state-of-the-art submersible to the ocean’s abyssal plain and beyond, filming such bizarre creatures as the fangtooth, bioluminescent jellies, transparent squid, the giant-mouthed gulper eel, and the never-before-seen hairy angler fish. (Amazon)