Paul's new series, Britain's Secrets Seas

Paul's new BBC series reveals the stunning marine life, mysterious wrecks and undersea adventures in Britain's seas!

Watch these updates and Paul's news for information. Paul will be including 'behind the scenes' stories about the series on his 2011 UK lecture tour.

In the North Atlantic Ocean there’s an island boasting an abundance of stunning marine life and thousands of incredible shipwrecks. With giant sharks, glowing animals and arches as dramatic as any cathedral. Where is this island? You live on it!

There’s no denying it, most people really don’t know how fabulous our waters are; With my co-presenters Frank Pope and Tooni Mahto I spent most of last year on the ultimate British waters diving expedition and I’m delighted to report that I still have the same enthusiasm for our waters as I did when I made my first sea dive off Chesil Beach in1969.

Back then I was wearing a home made wet suit from a kit (black with yellow stripes of course) and was trying to keep up with old hands carrying the boat, engine and gear across those round beach stones. It would have been a fantasy to me that one day I would be wearing the best equipment, been on the best dive sites and had the finest support to make a BBC diving series about British waters.

And yet – that’s exactly what happened; I dived with the Royal Navy Clearance Divers to find and explode 1,000lb bombs, dived with countless basking sharks, fluorescing beasties, jellyfish, conger eels, seals, caught and ate lovely scallops, made the best wreck dives of my life and even performed a complete autopsy on a dolphin.

I interviewed fishermen and scientists to shed light on current ocean conservation issues and spent a few days being pooped on by sea birds to reveal important changes in marine life in our waters. And that’s not the half of it!

Britain’s Secret Seas is four, one-hour episodes and without a doubt is the most satisfying television project that I have worked on. It took me a year of ideas generation, research, writing, meetings and corridor crusades to get the series commissioned. Without a doubt I could not have done it without the support, encouragement and hard work of the UK diving and marine science community. You made it happen. Thank you!

Watch these updates and Paul's news for information. Paul will be including 'behind the scenes' stories of the series on his 2011 UK lecture tour.

BBC Britain's Secret Seas

BBC TV Blog - log your comments here

iTunes Download

Paul's BBC News Reports;

Torrey Canyon Dive

Dolphin Autopsy

Bombs in Scotland

17th Century Swash Channel Wreck

Fluorescent sea squirts

BSAC;

BSAC Britain's Secret Seas

Paul's BSAC Interview

Submitted by paul on Tue, 22/03/2011 - 17:22

Comments

Submitted by Guest on Mon, 15/08/2011 - 21:26.

Hi Paul, fantastic watching you on TV brilliant programmes. Any suggestions on having a trip for diving with congers in the UK?
Cheers, Adrian Redgate, Nottingham

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 11:11.

Hi Paul

Really great series. Great to see more about our own waters on TV. What was the wreck with the Congers, was it the Egan Layne? Shame you didn't do the Mulberry off Selsey, I've meet a couple of large Congers there. Also loved the 3rd one at the Farnes, want to try to get there some time myself.
I would like to see some more shows about UK diving, it needs the publicity to keep the industry going.
Once again great shows, looking forward to your next.

Steve

Submitted by Guest on Thu, 19/05/2011 - 14:40.

Hi Paul

I'm enjoying the new series so much. A fascinating insight into the marine life and treasures of our seas. However, since watching the show I've been bugged to the point of losing sleep by a question that arose when I was watching the dive with basking sharks...

What happens if a basking shark accidentally swallows a jellyfish?

I mean its got to happen occasionally, surely.

Thanks again to you and the team at Britain's Secret Seas. Looking forward to the rest of the episodes!

Tom

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 10/05/2011 - 20:04.

Hi Paul

Just caught some of the episode transmitted tonight - looks absolutely fantastic, will re-watch on the iPlayer.

Hope you're keeping well - it's hard to believe it's almost two years ago that we met in Cowes.

Would be great to catch up!

All the best

Paul

paul_cullen@rnli.org.uk

Submitted by Guest on Fri, 06/05/2011 - 22:47.

You were on the radio today & said you could see basking sharks just 100 metres offshore, but I did not catch where. And more to the point when is the time when we could do this?
Trevor

Submitted by paul on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 16:14.

Hi Trevor; Yes - it was at Porthcurno in Cornwall and they typically arrive around June. It's also worth checking the various basking shark websites and also our skipper, Charles Hood, to get information on where they are this season. I hope you get to snorkel with them - it's marvellous! Paul.

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 16:07.

Hi Paul
Looking forward to the new series and hope to catch up with you sometime later in the year

Nick

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 16:07.

Hi Paul
Looking forward to the new series and hope to catch up with you sometime later in the year

Nick

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 26/04/2011 - 11:27.

Hello there
I am sure that the divers, yachties and fishermen of Barrow-in-Furness will find this thrillling, as will the Irish Sea whale watchers, members of Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Morecambe Bay Partnership. With around 50 miles of coast in the Borough and several islands, we have a rich sea life which for some residents is literally all around their communities. Can't wait.

Submitted by Guest on Wed, 30/03/2011 - 19:50.

Hi Paul,

This sounds like another fantastic achievement for you. I can't wait to see the finished product.
The UK waters are incredible and so few people are lucky enough to see just what is out there. No doubt you have made friends with a few gannets, seals and dolphins. Did you meet any sharks?
A local fisherman from Newcastle recently caught an 8ft portbeagle shark along the Northumberland coast! Thought you might have bumped into the big brother!
Roll on May8th...

Mark (The Polar Front)