The voice of Sir David Attenborough defined my youth. And in the Galápagos, I heard him even louder

British television in the ‘80s and ‘90s was a different type of beast. We only had four channels, until 1997 when Channel 5 joined the gang, which meant everyone watched a lot of the same stuff. Unmistakable sounds defined ‘the telly’ in a far more universal and cohesive way than now: The Dallas theme tune, the Only Fools and Horses song, the Milky Bar Kid jingle, the voice of John Motson doing the football commentary.

But one sound has gone the distance: The serious yet soothing, calming yet wondrous voice of Sir David Attenborough. I can still hear his smart, softly whispered observations—about a rare plant or a creature I’d never heard of—wafting around our living room in an east London suburb on a Sunday eve. It’s one thing to be passionate and an expert in your field; to be able to communicate that knowledge across multiple generations over multiple decades is next-level.

Like many of my peers back then, I hadn’t traveled overseas much as a child, but these BBC Natural History Unit wildlife programs transported us around the world. The first series I remember is The Living Planet, when I was around eight, enthralled by the Himalayas, the Sahara desert, the Amazon. In later years, as a teenager, I recall the adorable penguins and seals filmed in Life in the Freezer which explored the remote reaches of Antarctica—aged 17, facing exams and teenage angst, that’s probably where I wanted to be too.

We learnt so much through Sir David’s documentaries, perhaps more than we realized, and above all, how we are part of this natural world; it’s not ‘over there’. While I’ve not made it to Antarctica, a recent trip to the Galápagos Islands, 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) off mainland Ecuador, that turned out to be the most transformative nature experience I’ve had, has really put this into perspective.

That life has adapted, evolved and survived on what seem like uninhabitable volcanic islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is testament to the power of nature, when we don’t mess it up. It’s a place where Darwin’s theory of evolution came about

Later in his career, when Sir David began to talk increasingly more on issues such as climate change, pollution, and ocean conservation, he said: “The truth is: The natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water, and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.”

In the Galápagos, this warning is abundantly clear—every single day. I spent four nights on a 16-[passenger motor yacht of 16 passengers, crew and naturalist guide with Intrepid Travel, and four nights land-based on San Cristóbal island, one of the oldest islands in the archipelago. It was particularly humid—I was told a number of times that April was both wetter and hotter than usual—the result of rising sea temperatures. But higher temperatures are a threat to many marine species who rely on nutrient-rich cold waters for food; and in turn, it’s a threat to the food chain.

The islands also have very little freshwater—only San Cristóbal has a permanent freshwater lake—which brings its own challenges. It’s also galling when you consider how many industries take our own freshwater for granted, treating rivers as sewage drains. And at the same time, it’s a lesson in adaptation. Many islands have escaped disturbance from human activity and feral animals as a result of no freshwater, and are home to thriving communities of land iguanas, sea lions, and rare birds who are unfazed by human visitors. This lack of a permanent human presence (only four islands are inhabited) is a lesson in what happens when nature looks after itself. Hint: It does just fine.

Conversely, the Galápagos also demonstrate what a comfortable co-existence between wildlife and humans looks like, when it’s managed. On San Cristóbal, sea lions freely frolic on the beach at night, they take their spot on on benches in town and lie in the middle of the road without fear; on the uninhabited island of Santa Fe, land iguanas eyeball us, as we wander about their turf; we see how giant tortoises have evolved depending on the topography and vegetation of each island, observations which formed part of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution; and we stop to admire dancing blue-footed boobies. I’d like to say “as if we are not there” but at times, it does seem like they are posing.

Of course, tourism is a mixed blessing when it comes to resources, plastic pollution, footfall, but as Sir David himself wrote following his own visits, “If there was not tourism to the islands and the local people did not get any income from it, there would be nothing left there now. It would all be gone. It is the lesson of conservation around the world that unless the people who live in such places, whose land they feel belongs to them, are on the side of conservation, you’re doomed. So tourism, if it’s evil, is a necessary evil and one that in this instance can be controlled.”

It’s overwhelming to contemplate such a rich life that spans eight decades and counting—he’s currently narrating the BBC’s Secret Garden which explores the wild world of Britain’s backyards. Of course, this work isn’t undertaken without a community—of wildlife cinematographers, producers, researchers, scientific experts, composers— as I discovered when I recently spoke with people who had worked with Sir David during this career to share their memories.

For decades, so many of us have ‘traveled’ with him, through his words and broadcasts. My time in the Galápagos was a reminder that we can all be custodians of this Earth, a message that underpins so much of Sir David’s message and one which goes far beyond his wildlife documentaries. A message that’s inspired us to support conservation charities, respect the communities who live in close proximity to wildlife, and yes, take trips that further our knowledge and passion for nature. For that alone, we owe him. And guaranteed, there are kids out there now watching Sir David’s more recent work, mesmerized by what’s on their doorstep through Secret Garden, besotted by Zambia’s leopards and wild dogs in Kingdom, or inspired by Planet Earth III, some 20 years after the first series, as he inspires another generation of nature-lovers.

Whether you have the fortune to visit these places or not, powerful, erudite, emotive communicators like Sir David keep us connected to and inspired by our natural world. Even when we feel despondent about the issues we face, we need to keep learning, exploring and questioning.  Through his programs, he made me care about plants and creatures I didn’t even know existed. As he himself says, “No-one will protect what they don’t care about, and no-one will care about what they have never experienced.”

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