"Nothing like some cute animals and the soothing dulcet tones of David Attenborough to calm the Sunday night fear" we all thought last night as we sat down to watch the final installment of 'Planet Earth II'. How very, very wrong we were.
Last night's series finale of BBC's stunning nature series took us all around the globe as it visited cities that have found themselves home to many savvy and adaptive animal species, but none of them made as much of an impact on viewers as the baby turtles who wandered not towards the sea but inland towards the artificial lights of man and almost certainly death.
I think I might want to be a turtle warden, or a turtle shepherd. Just a general protector of turtles #planetearth2
— Rick Bebbington (@rickbebbington) December 11, 2016
YouGov is asking me my views on #PlanetEarth2 and I'm basically just emitting a high pitched shriek of glee at my laptop.
— Nathan Sinclair (@TwisTurtle) December 12, 2016
Well that's it. Selling up, moving abroad to turn turtles ðŸÂ?¢ around so they make it to the sea #PlanetEarth #TURTLE #attenborough
— Terence McCracken (@TMcCracken1965) December 11, 2016
The turtle scene broke my heart😠humanity has much to answer for with its abuse of #PlanetEarth
— Ryan C (@Clarkiee) December 11, 2016
The confused young turtle hatchling travelling in the wrong direction is a metaphor of me/my life #PlanetEarth ðŸŒÂ?
— Vanessa Murphy (@vanessamurphy) December 11, 2016
That image of a turtle floundering in a plastic cup & storm drain is probably the most heartbreaking thing I have seen on TV. #PlanetEarth
— Peter Hess (@peterhessuk) December 11, 2016
Legit gonna go find that turtle beach on #PlanetEarth & wait until the babies hatch so I can make sure they reach the sea
— Anissa Berry (@AnissaGSBerry) December 11, 2016
Those poor turtle hatchlings. If I lived there I'd be helping them all the time #PlanetEarth
— Sarah Jane (@PatsyPunk) December 11, 2016
Jesus christ dave just pick the baby turtle up and chuck it in the sea #PlanetEarth
— Josh Williams (@Josh_BWilliams) December 11, 2016
I never knew what true sadness felt like until that baby turtle looked up out of the drain #PlanetEarth
— Liz Buckley (@MissLizBuckley) December 11, 2016
Why is that camera man not helping that turtle. #cunt #PlanetEarth ðŸÂ?¢
— Andy Francis (@Andrew_Francis1) December 11, 2016
Watching #planetearth2 on catch up & finding the baby turtle footage really distressing. Important we understand our impact on wildlife 😯
— Lindsey Chapman ðŸÂ?Â?ðŸÅ½¥ (@Lindsey_Chapman) December 11, 2016
Concerned about the welfare of the sea turtles in tonight's #PlanetEarth2? Donate to the Barbados Sea Turtle Project https://t.co/NjpwvIzP4G
— Thomas Winward (@ThomasWinward) December 11, 2016
Dave no. This turtle story is too heartbreaking. #planetearth2
— Patrick Grant (@paddygrant) December 11, 2016
Wow this turtle hatchling drama is heartbreaking #planetearth2
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) December 11, 2016
Thankfully, the 'Planet Earth II' team stepped in alongside 'The Barbados Sea Turtle Project' to help the baby turtles, and released this behind-the-scenes video of their rescue efforts as the show aired last night.
Every turtle that was seen or filmed by the #PlanetEarth2 crew was collected and put back into the sea.
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) December 11, 2016
âÂ?¤ï¸Â? ðŸÂ?¢ Thanks to the The Barbados Sea Turtle Project, a few more turtles will stand a chance #PlanetEarth2 https://t.co/Yu34sRsS6v pic.twitter.com/rZ0U4rirMi
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) December 11, 2016