Arksen announces Ocean with David Attenborough film
Boatbuilder and adventure lifestyle brand Arksen, along with the 10% For The Ocean organisation, are co-producing a new feature film about ocean conservation, with the world premiere to be held in London in May.
Ocean with David Attenborough, produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios and co-produced by Arksen & 10% for the Ocean, takes viewers through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests, and the open ocean, to demonstrates why a healthy ocean is essential for a stable, flourishing planet.
The world premiere of Ocean with David Attenborough will take place at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London, on Tuesday 6 May, ahead of the film’s global cinema event in over 26 countries from 8 May. The film will be available globally on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu later this year.
According to the producers, the film exposes unprecedented realities and challenges facing our ocean, from destructive fishing practices to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet, the story remains optimistic, highlighting inspirational global examples that convey Attenborough’s greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever witnessed.
Sir David Attenborough says: “My lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Over the last hundred years, scientists and explorers have revealed remarkable new species, epic migrations and dazzling, complex ecosystems beyond anything I could have imagined as a young man. In this film, we share some of those wonderful discoveries, uncover why our ocean is in such poor health and, perhaps most importantly, show how it can be restored to health. This could be the moment of change. Nearly every country on Earth has just agreed, on paper, to achieve this bare minimum and protect a third of the ocean. Together, we now face the challenge of making it happen.”
Cinema locations and tickets are available online.
Why Arksen & 10% for the Ocean supported this film
Oceans cover 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface but receive less than 1 per cent of environmental funding. Supporting initiatives such as Ocean with David Attenborough ensures greater awareness.
Only 0.3 per cent of all philanthropic giving goes to ocean conservation ($0.9 billion) out of the $811 billion donated worldwide. Meanwhile, 90 per cent of fish stocks are overfished or exploited, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the ocean every minute and destructive bottom trawling destroys seabed ecosystems equivalent to the size of the UK each year. Chronic underfunding is driving marine conservation efforts towards collapse.
Arksen says in its release: ‘If just 10 per cent of all charitable giving were directed towards ocean conservation, it would unlock $80 billion annually – enough to end overfishing, restore vital ecosystems, and protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030.’
Jasper Smith, CEO and founder of Arksen and 10% for the Ocean, says: “Media projects like this play a crucial role in shifting global attention and momentum towards ocean conservation—bringing these urgent issues to life and inspiring action on a global scale. We hope that this film can be a catalyst for change and a powerful validation of the new philanthropic model 10% for the Ocean is pioneering and proof that purpose led brands such as Arksen can make a lasting difference.”
10% for the Ocean acts as a mutual fund for the sea, pooling donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to support impactful global conservation, research, and restoration initiatives. To date, 10% for the Ocean has assisted 70 organisations across 27 countries, funding projects that empower local champions, support community-led marine protected areas, and advocate stronger policies for lasting change. To drive its mission, the charity encourages all individuals and organisations to pledge 10 per cent of their annual charitable donations to ocean conservation, creating the world’s largest philanthropic fund for ocean recovery. This aligns with the ambitious goals of Ocean with David Attenborough.
Colin Butfield, film director at Open Planet Studios, says: “This film journeys through 100 years of incredible ocean discoveries. It reveals how the ocean has shaped our world and why our future is intertwined with the health of our ocean. Yet despite this realisation ocean protection and restoration is chronically underfunded. Indeed of all the UN sustainable development goals ocean receives some of the lowest levels of philanthropic and government funds. We hope the remarkable stories shared in this film will inspire the next generation to look beyond the shore and beneath the waves.”
The release of Ocean with David Attenborough is strategically timed ahead of World Ocean Day, June’s UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France, and midway through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). As world leaders determine the fate of our ocean, the film underscores why ocean recovery is essential for climate stability and securing a healthier future, showing how immediate marine protection can help turn the tide.
Facts on ocean funding
In the context of global spending, the ocean receives an astonishingly small amount of funding – as demonstrated by the following annual figures:
- Forests receive over 5x the conservation funding that oceans do.
- Governments spend 40x more on fisheries subsidies (which often promote overfishing) than they do protecting marine ecosystems. We hope that Ocean with David Attenborough will spotlight these disparities.
- Global fossil fuel subsidies are around $7 trillion — over 7,000x what we spend saving the ocean.
