Video collections
Sophisticated songsters
How do canaries sing continuously for minutes on end?
How do canaries sing continuously for minutes on end?
Penguins can fly
Female emperor penguins returning from a summer at sea are sleek and fat.
Female emperor penguins returning from a summer at sea are sleek and fat.
Air control
The versatility of bird wings in flight illustrated in slow motion.
The versatility of bird wings in flight illustrated in slow motion.
Leadership challenge
Ultra-slow motion captures mighty male hippos in a dangerous challenge.
If he is to stand any chance of breeding, a wandering hippo must challenge the one male that controls all the females on that stretch of the Luangwe river. But the harem-owner isn't about to relinquish control without a very big fight. But will it be a fight to the finish?
Running on water
Ultra-slow motion shows the Jesus Christ lizard's novel escape technique.
The basilisk lizard isn’t also called the Jesus Christ lizard for nothing. When threatened, this unique reptile takes to the waters of Belize and moves its long-toed feet so fast that it can – quite literally – run on water. Miracle of nature? You decide...
Floating lizard
Unsinkable pygmy geckos avoid drowning in water droplets.
At a million times smaller than T-Rex, the tiny Brazilian pygmy gecko could easily drown in the smallest of puddles… if its skin wasn’t water repellent, that is. Incredibly it doesn’t even break the surface.
Mental maps
The sengi creates and maps intricate foraging and escape routes.
Sengi were once called elephant shrews, but there’s nothing slow and lumbering about these tiny mammals. With their legs positioned directly under their bodies, the agile rufous sengi can easily outrun the lumbering savannah monitor lizard.
Self-sacrificing fish
Flying fish risk all to lay their eggs in a choice spot.
Flying fish are so desperate to lay their eggs deep in the centre of a floating palm frond that many of them become stuck. Unable to escape, these dead weights sink the life raft and down they all go, to Davy Jones' locker.
Partners for life
Clark's grebes reaffirm their commitment through dance.
On the lakes of Oregon, USA, a pair of Clark's grebes dance a watery waltz in perfect synchonicity. Only stopping so that the female can have a quick fish supper, the two bring their stunning routine to an end with a gravity-defying move that sees them lifting their bodies out of the water, and strutting along on the surface.
Winging it
Wings hold the key to success in the brief adult life of the damselfly.
A damselfly's adult life is so short that a newly mature female must mate and lay her eggs in the same day that she becomes an adult. Not only will her wings help her to secure a mate, but they will also be crucial when it comes to laying her eggs… underwater.
Fantastic fishing
Greater bulldog bats exhibit their skills in slow motion.
Greater bulldog bats justify the comparative in their name by catching fish. In the dark. While flying at 40 miles per hour. Against oncoming traffic.
Playing for keeps
Stoats play wild games to hone their hunting skills.
The manic games of young stoats help them develop the killer skills they need to catch their prey. As rabbits are fast-moving, quick-turning, and ten times larger than the slim-lined stoats, the young kits must hone their skills early if they are to stand any chance of catching these relative giants.
Piling on pounds
Coastal brown bears get first stab at the annual salmon run.
Alaskan brown bears take to the sea to get first bite at the annual salmon run. Luckily it's a good year, with the bears getting much more than just the bare necessities...
Fastest fish in slow motion
Slow motion enhances the grace and agility of hunting sailfish.
As Atlantic sailfish can swim at more than 60 miles per hour, trying to capture their grace and agility on film is easier said than done. Up for the challenge, the Life team used an ultra-high speed camera to film the fastest fish on Earth making quick work of a huge ball of sardines.
Testing to the limit
Chris Packham puts a northern goshawk through its paces in the lab.
Chris Packham puts a northern goshawk through its paces in the lab.
Birdfeeder fights
Slow motion photography puts a new perspective on garden birds.
Slow motion photography puts a new perspective on garden birds.
Fighting flat lizards
Salt pan lizards set to over harsh salt lake territory.
Salt pan lizards set to over harsh salt lake territory.
Butterfly bounty
Slow motion of Britain's beautiful fluttering butterflies.
Slow motion of Britain's beautiful fluttering butterflies.
Smell of success
Male ring-tailed lemurs use scent to defend their patch and entice a mate.
Male ring-tailed lemurs use scent to defend their patch and entice a mate.
Madagascar mystery
How Verreaux's sifakas leap around their spiny habitat with such wild abandon remains a mystery.
How Verreaux's sifakas leap around their spiny habitat with such wild abandon remains a mystery.
Snake bite mechanics
Slow motion reconstruction reveals how a snake bites its victim, or flees.
Slow motion reconstruction reveals how a snake bites its victim, or flees.
Swimming star
Dolphins have special skin that makes them speedy swimmers.
Dolphins have special skin that makes them speedy swimmers.
Impossible flight
By all accounts large, fat bumblebees shouldn't be able to get off the ground.
When a French entomologist declared that it was impossible for bumblebees to fly - when quite clearly they did - it set scientists on a mission to find out how this aerodynamic mystery occurred. Here, super slow motion photography, and some smoke (but no mirrors) illuminates the extraordinary technique that allows these 'blimps' to remain airborne.
Expanding time
Slow motion transforms a moment into minutes and simple actions into incredible events.
Slow motion transforms a moment into minutes and simple actions into incredible events.
Kingfisher strike
The skill and beauty of kingfishers in action captured in slow motion close ups.
The skill and beauty of kingfishers in action captured in slow motion close ups.
South Pacific giants
Slow motion shots from inside a giant ocean wave.
This super slow-motion clip from South Pacific shows big wave surfer Dylan Longbottom in a 12-foot monster barrel. Capturing the action at 20 times slower than normal speed, the film also shows the awesome power of the waves from underwater, the first shots of their kind ever recorded.
Vertical torpedo
Gannets plummet into the sea like darts reaching speeds up to 60mph.
Gannets plummet into the sea like darts reaching speeds up to 60mph.
Hands on flying
Fingertip control allows bats to fly with amazing agility.
Fingertip control allows bats to fly with amazing agility.
Crash test dinosaurs
Dinosaur dummies show the force of a Triceratops charge as it hits a mighty T-rex.
Dinosaur dummies show the force of a Triceratops charge as it hits a mighty T-rex.
Whirling wings
Slow motion shows the extraordinary figure of eight beat of hummingbird wings.
Slow motion shows the extraordinary figure of eight beat of hummingbird wings.
Lemur locomotion
Slow motion analysis of the sifaka's leaping gait shows its prowess over the nimble fossa.
Slow motion analysis of the sifaka's leaping gait shows its prowess over the nimble fossa.
In-flight movie
Slow motion filming captures bird flight techniques in fantastic detail.
Slow motion filming captures bird flight techniques in fantastic detail.
Slow Motion Viper Strike
Watch the powerful strike of an eyelash viper in spectacular slow motion.
Watch the powerful strike of an eyelash viper in spectacular slow motion.
Bat boffin bonanaza
Specialist cameras help capture bats in infra-red and ultra-slow motion.
Specialist cameras help capture bats in infra-red and ultra-slow motion.
Red kite flight
A slow-motion musical montage shows the red kite's aerial grace.
A slow-motion musical montage shows the red kite's aerial grace.
Hobby hunters
Simon King reveals how the hobby and dragonfly play their parts as predator and prey.
Simon King reveals how the hobby and dragonfly play their parts as predator and prey.
Poetry of motion
Ultra slow-motion footage lends hunting ospreys new grace.
Ultra slow-motion footage lends hunting ospreys new grace.
Goshawk of the gaps
The goshawk's extraordinary agility is captured in ultra-slow motion.
The goshawk's extraordinary agility is captured in ultra-slow motion.
Pheasant wars
Slow motion shows just how violently pheasants fight over territory.
Slow motion shows just how violently pheasants fight over territory.
Graceful dippers
Slow motion underwater shots of a dipper diving for food.
Slow motion underwater shots of a dipper diving for food.
Cheetah hunt
A masterclass of hunting for some young cubs.
A masterclass of hunting for some young cubs.
Flamingo hunters
In just five years a baboon troop has learned to exploit a new food source.
In just five years a baboon troop has learned to exploit a new food source.
Learning to fish
Kingfisher fledglings hone their fishing skills.
On the river banks of secluded streams, kingfishers are busy feeding their young. The parents have to deliver the fish head first, as if they were to do it the wrong way round they could choke the young birds. The fledglings need to learn to dive, judge distance and get their timing right to become expert fishers.
Hammerblow
A woodpecker drums against a tree trunk.
A woodpecker drums against a tree trunk.
Swallowing swallow
This bird uses its skill in flight to take a drink on the wing.
This bird uses its skill in flight to take a drink on the wing.
Great white predator
Slow motion cameras capture the immense power and agility of a breaching great white.
Extraordinary footage from an ultra-high speed camera captures and illuminates shark behaviour in a wholly new way. As the great white shoots vertically out of the water a Photron camera films at 1,000 frames per second. Slowed down 40 times, this single second of action reveals the immense power and agility of the ocean's master predator. Every nuance of its behaviour becomes evident as the shark toys with its prey. This was the favourite Planet Earth clip when the series was first broadcast.
Crocodile strike
The ultimate ambush predator - striking images in ultra slow motion.
Nile crocodiles strike their targets suddenly from murky water just 30cm deep. A Tornado camera filmed 1,000 frames per second to give this sequence its excruciating detail. The action is slowed down 40 times and the resulting few seconds-worth of film (around 16Gb) has to be downloaded straight on to a laptop before anything else can be filmed.
Fishing bats
Forensic investigation leads to a discovery for China's fish-eating bats.
Forensic investigation leads to a discovery for China's fish-eating bats.
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