A ‘whalecam’, seals v sharks and fish that play dead: it’s Planet Earth III

A southern right whale filmed in the shallow waters of Península Valdés, Argentina in a shot from the series. Photograph: BBC Studios

A detachable “whalecam”, remote underwater cameras operated from a director’s bedroom and a “drone ballet” are among the innovations that will be featured for the first time on David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III.

Following the global success of 2016’s BBC’s Planet Earth II and its famous “snakes v iguanas” scene, the corporation’s natural history unit has spent five years pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver an equally jaw-dropping series.