ARTE Distribution

The largest and best-guarded manta ray population in the world can be found off the island state in the Indian Ocean all year round. Manta rays are considered the "chimpanzees of the seas" because of their distinctive social behaviour, which is unusual for fish. With a wingspan of over four metres, they are menacingly large, but they are gentle and trusting. The "Manta Trust" has made it its mission to protect the giant rays and their paradise - with the support of the locals. Above all, many young Muslim women like Maeesha Mohamed are involved. Only 21 years old, she is already president of the "Maldives Manta Ray Project" and leads impressive expeditions. In 2023, a large expedition lasting several days is planned. The journey 

There is no standard picture that describes the largest and most varied country in Western Europe in terms of wildlife and landscapes. Discover a one-of-a-kind variety of natural wonders populated with  small creatures with stunning never-before-seen images.

The North-West: from Paris along the wild coast, the romantic Normandy and the picturesque Loire
The South-West: the garden of France along the Atlantic Ocean, the wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux
The South: where mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea and the blooming Provence
The East: mountain area
 
Anyone who looks closely will discover something unusual, something never seen before. Especially, some small creatures often show behaviors nobody knows about, like these bioluminescent worms or catfish that hunt pigeons. France is one of those countries you think you know, but when you explore it, it can still surprise you!

A stunning series that takes you along the most beautiful and vast corridor of life in the Rockies. Discover groundbreaking local conservation initiatives designed to preserve the ”iconic four”: bison, grizzly, caribou and wolf.

In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was created. It was the first natural park in the world. Today, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of this park in 2022, we must once again turn our eyes to this part of the world to observe the deployment of a revolutionary initiative, a new concept of nature conservation, the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor, which preserves the heritage of Yellowstone Park.
Through the success stories of four emblematic animals (bison, grizzly, woodland caribou, wolf), we follow this immense 2000 mile corridor of life through the four episodes of this series and discover how this corridor is working to preserve the Rocky Mountain  ecosystem, in close collaboration with Canadian Indian and First Nations tribes.

An immersion in the heart of the mountain wildlife. Each episode follows an animal living in a specific landscape’s altitude: the wild cat, the bear and the eagle, from the lowest to the top! 

Discover wildlife filming behind the scenes and find out that more often than not, animals are much more cunning than men. Unfortunately, this lush world is still not very accessible – the animals fear the presence of man in this emblematic massif. To discover them, you have to investigate, find clues, follow tracks and be very patient before you finally get the chance to see them.
Luckily, the journey proves to be just as exciting as the objective: chance upon a mountain-size game of hide-and-seek where man must understand nature and tame it in order to discover its secrets.
 
Also available : 3x43' and 52'

Out-of-competition Selection Green Screen Festival 2022, Official Selection Le Grand Bivouac Festival 2022, Wildlife Vaasa International Nature Film Festival 2022 & The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival 2022

A unique documentary on chameleons living on the island of Madagascar, the world’s largest chameleon concentration, revealing incredible never-before-seen images and behaviors. Discover their incredible abilities such as: sleeping techniques, dancing, camouflage, 340° peripheral vision, catapult tongue, seduction, fluorescence...

If you thought you knew everything about this strange reptile, certainly the most astonishing of all, you were wrong. If you take the time to observe chameleons in the wild and truly understand them, you will soon realize that their armed tongue and their independent and peripheral ocular system, although spectacular, are only a small part of their incredible capabilities. Actually, the chameleon’s ace in the hole is its evolution and its formidable faculties of adaptation...

The southern east French coastline’s ecosystem was one of the earliest to be affected by climate change. The Mediterranean is warming up at a rate that is 20% higher than the rest of the world and the effects are already strongly affecting this very special wildlife. How does this unique ecosystem, composed of native and rare species, deploy the utmost ingenuity to try and adapt to an increasingly extreme environment?

In this spectacular and fragile semi-desert environment, underwater heat waves have recently occurred. On land as well as in the sea, native organisms are strongly challenged by plants or fish coming from warmer or more arid latitudes. Terrible viruses and dormant bacteria found in the water are awakened and proliferate thanks to the heat. In this culture medium, some organisms have already been decimated. Others show an unsuspected capacity of adaptation... Let's discover these fighters of global warming, thanks to this 4K journey in a magnificent threatened site kown as the Massif des Callanques.

You have always thought that fish were mute, amnesiac, or insensitive to pain? Well you’re wrong. Scientists are discovering that fish have astonishing cognitive abilities, a hectic social life, and even emotions. What if, fish were not so stupid after all? An investigation that takes place in the heart of the sea…

There is the land and the sea, as there are men and fish. Two worlds, which seem unable to communicate and understand each other. We treat these animals in a way that would seem outrageous if they were cats, baby seals or pandas. However, in 2019, some fish have joined the VIP circle of species capable of passing an age-old intelligence test: recognizing themselves in a mirror. Thus, it is now known that fish have self-awareness like humans, chimpanzees or dolphins. Fish are full of surprises: we discover that they are melomaniacs, like tickling or can have depression.

Beneath the oceans’ surface, thousands of volcanoes have yet to be discovered or explored. Mount La Pérouse is one of these sleeping giants, off the coast of Reunion Island. It is a genuine oasis of life that could be sheltering sprawling coral reefs.

The scientific expedition “La Pérouse” has made it its goal to reveal the sunken haven's secrets. This geological anomaly is only known to a few    Réunionese longline fishers who regularly enjoy miraculous catches there. But as for oceanographers, they still consider the area to be a true “terra incognita”, a mystery to solve. To date, no diver has ever approached it.
What kind of species lives there and at what depth?  What predators feed there? Are there any rare, or even unknown, fish? To what birds and marine mammals is it home?
Underwater GPS, photogrammetry, environmental DNA, 3D cartography, with the help of the most modern scientific techniques, all will be revealed about one of the last virgin territories on Earth, located in the French economic zone. Embark on an unprecedented human and scientific adventure.

In the heart of the Amazon forest, hides a strange animal we do not expect to see thousands of kilometers from the ocean: the Amazon Pink River Dolphin. Is it a simple descendant of the marine species, or a distinct species that has survived through the ages and adapted to this lush environment?

Where does it come from? How has this animal come to acclimate to this tropical rainforest environment? What links do they have to marine dolphins?
Unknown for a long time, the pink dolphin remains a mystery to the scientists struggling to reconstruct its evolutionary course. Now thanks to a recent discovery, scientists are finally able to understand more about the mystery of the pink dolphin and its origins.
Join them on this remarkable scientific adventure...

Discover the heart and diversity of our living planet. With stunning images and unique stories of mankind's relationship with these natural wonders, Season 2 reveals never-before filmed volcanoes.
 

Together, for the scientific aspect of the episode, we explore the very diverse range of questions raised by volcanic phenomena in such varied fields as earth sciences, climatology, biodiversity, oceanography, geography, agronomics, and archaeology. The cultural part of the show delves into mythology, religion, philosophy, folk and artistic traditions, cooking, and ways of life. No two volcanoes are alike; each one has its own distinctive landscape, climate, and geological context. Just as unique are the people we meet along the way who help us comprehend how greatly our planet – and our lives – have been shaped by volcanic phenomena.

Arthur de Kersauson, a young city-dweller hooked on extreme sports, sets out in search of the winds of the world, collecting facts, fiction and amusing anecdotes.

The wind carves out the landscape of a country and shapes its inhabitants, customs and culture. These incisive, entertaining mini-road movies document our travellers' encounters with local people - moving, instructive, sometimes bizarre and always exotic. Wherever the wind blows,
 
 

In the heart of the Pacific, between the lagoon and the ocean, unrolls one of Nature’s greatest spectacles. This is the story of a little surgeon fish who will have to go through the greatest ordeals from the moment it is born.

He will survive the greatest dangers and cross paths with the ocean’s worst predators. Only one out of a million will make it to adulthood.
 
Filmed in UHD and extreme slow motion, this film captures exclusive wildlife behavior of sharks, whales, manta rays, groupers, and more.