Logo
Quotes by

David Attenborough

I can mention many moments that were unforgettable and revelatory. But the most single revelatory three minutes was the first time I put on scuba gear and dived on a coral reef. Its just the unbelievable fact that you can move in three dimensions. – David Attenborough

Dealing with global warming doesnt mean we have all got to suddenly stop breathing. Dealing with global warming means that we have to stop waste, and if you travel for no reason whatsoever, that is a waste. – David Attenborough

Steve Irwin did wonderful conservation work but I was uncomfortable about some of his stunts. Even if animals arent aware that you are not treating them with respect, the viewers are. – David Attenborough

The whole of science, and one is tempted to think the whole of the life of any thinking man, is trying to come to terms with the relationship between yourself and the natural world. Why are you here, and how do you fit in, and whats it all about. – David Attenborough

Im not in politics. – David Attenborough

Nature isnt positive in that way. It doesnt aim itself at you. Its not being unkind to you. – David Attenborough

I had a huge advantage when I started 50 years ago – my job was secure. I didnt have to promote myself. These days theres far more pressure to make a mark, so the temptation is to make adventure television or personality shows. I hope the more didactic approach wont be lost. – David Attenborough

In the old days… it was a basic, cardinal fact that producers didnt have opinions. When I was producing natural history programmes, I didnt use them as vehicles for my own opinion. They were factual programmes. – David Attenborough

You can only get really unpopular decisions through if the electorate is convinced of the value of the environment. Thats what natural history programmes should be for. – David Attenborough

People talk about doom-laden scenarios happening in the future: they are happening in Africa now. You can see it perfectly clearly. Periodic famines are due to too many people living on land that cant sustain them. – David Attenborough

You can cry about death and very properly so, your own as well as anybody elses. But its inevitable, so youd better grapple with it and cope and be aware that not only is it inevitable, but it has always been inevitable, if you see what I mean. – David Attenborough

Its coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. Its not just climate change its sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now. – David Attenborough

I dont run a car, have never run a car. I could say that this is because I have this extremely tender environmentalist conscience, but the fact is I hate driving. – David Attenborough

Before the BBC, I joined the Navy in order to travel. – David Attenborough

I often get letters, quite frequently, from people who say how they like the programmes a lot, but I never give credit to the almighty power that created nature. – David Attenborough

The climate, the economic situation, rising birth rates none of these things give me a lot of hope or reason to be optimistic. – David Attenborough

I think a major element of jetlag is psychological. Nobody ever tells me what time it is at home. – David Attenborough

I like animals. I like natural history. The travel bit is not the important bit. The travel bit is what you have to do in order to go and look at animals. – David Attenborough

Cameramen are among the most extraordinarily able and competent people I know. They have to have an insight into natural history that gives them a sixth sense of what the creature is going to do, so they can be ready to follow. – David Attenborough

The process of making natural history films is to try to prevent the animal knowing you are there, so you get glimpses of a non-human world, and that is a transporting thing. – David Attenborough