On Blue Planet II, David Attenborough blew a lot of minds with the revelation that there are lakes at the bottom of the ocean.


That’s right: lakes, underwater.

According to the show, brine pools full of super salty water created by erupting methane gas can collect in the depths of the sea. The water is so salty that when an eel dives in to prey on some of the lifeforms that gestate around it – as seen below – it goes through toxic shock, and must rise out of the pool in order to survive.

The toxic lake at the bottom of the ocean.#BluePlanet2 pic.twitter.com/2CaDxIWIkc — BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) November 3, 2017

If this is the first time you’re hearing about these deep sea pools, you’re not alone; lots of viewers took to Twitter during the show to share their incredulity at the news:

When David Attenborough just casually throws it out there that there are LAKES UNDER THE SEA???!!!!! #BluePlanet2 — Ella (@EllaCunningham6) November 5, 2017

There are lakes at the bottom of the ocean ???‍♀️ #BluePlanet2 — Heather Bowie (@heatherbowiex) November 5, 2017

When #BluePlanet2 starts showing lakes with in the ocean pic.twitter.com/jdANLyTQnr — Ellen Mitchell (@ellenmitchellxo) November 5, 2017

Lakes?? At the bottom of the ocean?? That episode has got to be one of the greatest pieces of television I've ever seen ? #BluePlanet2 — Eleanor Hamilton (@ellehamilton_) November 5, 2017

Eels emerging from lakes of brine at the bottom of the ocean & then convulsing in toxic shock…#BluePlanet2 #BluePlanet pic.twitter.com/04ryIAfa0h — Andy (@andylapworth) November 5, 2017

#BluePlanet2 has it all. Lakes at the bottom of the sea. The snail fish. This is like science fiction and it is absolutely bloody brilliant! — Emma Greenwood (@emlougreen) November 5, 2017

The fact that there are lakes under the sea has blown my mind #BluePlanet2 pic.twitter.com/MFNVhdWX5U — Katy (@Luna23x) November 5, 2017

It’s also gone a way to prove that Spongebob Squarepants is more realistic than we had realised:

Brine lakes prove a beach and sea on spongebob is possible. #BluePlanet2 — Sarah (@TheJuicyCheese) November 5, 2017

David Attenborough has proved there are lakes under the sea and you all said Spongebob was unrealistic. #BluePlanet2 — Alice Hearing (@Alicetotheskies) November 5, 2017

When David Attenborough was talking about brine lakes under the sea, this was all I was thinking about #blueplanet2 z pic.twitter.com/b2JVx57t0o — Ellen Bruton (@LNBruton) November 5, 2017

#BluePlanet2 just proved that the underwater lakes in Spongebob Squarepants were, in fact, not as ridiculous as we first thought — Fi (@fionam0rris) November 5, 2017


Decades in the game, and Attenborough is still well able to blow our minds. Bravo.