ALASTAIR Fothergill told the remarkable story of the groundbreaking documentary series about our planet's oceans with great wit, charm and insight yet it was the breathtaking imagery captured for the BBC's TV epic which enthralled the festival crowd.

Photographs of coral reefs, giant whales and creatures which resemble monsters off Star Wars were brought to life with the vivid colour which only slides can reproduce, eliciting gasps and ahs from the spellbound audience.

The talk was as much a story of the oceans as it was of man's determination to catalogue and understand the natural world. The patience, determination and spirit of adventure which drove the massive shoot was as fascinating as what was filmed, often for the first time.

This included tales of the crew hastily chartering a plane from England to Antarctica to watch a polar bear attack whales trapped in the ice and Mr Fothergill descending thousands of feet in a pressurised submarine - all in the name of science.

Video excerpts complimented the talk and a Q and A session gave the audience a glimpse to Mr Fothergill's ambition which created one of the BBC's most popular and influential documentaries.

If you didn't know - the whole series cost about a million more than a single Premiership football game and sequel Planet Earth is coming to your screens in 2006. OE