Prince William shares a charming exchange with naturalist Sir David Attenborough. We got to sit down for a great, productive chat centered primarily around prioritizing marine conservation efforts. The panel was a fitting way to celebrate World Ocean Day, June 8th. Even more brilliant was the humor and wisdom of the 99-year-old David Attenborough, who has been an advocate for the planet for more than 60 years.
Prince William commended Attenborough for his transformative work in the field of nature documentaries. He noted the significant role these movies have played in raising awareness around environmental justice issues. The two discussed the early days of underwater exploration, reflecting on how much humanity has learned about the ocean in recent decades.
Attenborough’s comedic but unsuccessful attempt to fit into a vintage diving helmet brought a bit of levity to the discussion. Prince William quipped, “Don’t! You won’t be able to get it off David!” This light-hearted back-and-forth highlighted the spirit in which this conversation was shared—these two figures are both passionate advocates for our oceans.
Attenborough elaborated on the advancements in underwater exploration, stating, “Oh yes. Once Cousteau invented the Aqua-Lung and the face mask, that was the moment when, suddenly, you moved into a new world.” This comment underscored the groundbreaking shifts occurring in the way people perceive and engage with marine environments.
We took a deep-dive into this year’s World Ocean Day theme. It is intended to help galvanize international action toward a more sustainable future. Both Prince William and Attenborough emphasized the importance of protecting marine life and ensuring that future generations inherit a thriving ocean ecosystem.
You can check out their full discussion on YouTube here. It allows audiences to get a meaningful glimpse into the one thing that unites us all, our love for our environment. Prince William shared clips from the discussion on his official X account. Since then, he’s been raising awareness in his own unique way of the value of ocean conservation.
