Sea Monsters (2003) Accuracy Review | Dino Documentaries RANKED #7

We follow Nigel once again in Sea Monsters as he dives to find the most dangerous aquatic predators. How well does this documentary hold up? Will it sink or float? #dinosaurs #sharkweek #shark
Chased by Dinos: • Chased by Dinosaurs (2...
WWD: WWD: • Walking With Dinosaurs...
Valley of Rex: • Valley of the T. rex (...
JFC: • Jurassic Fight Club RA...
Sources
Coloration: www.nature.com/articles/natur...
Dunk Body: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Plants: www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/...
Tail Fluke: phys.org/news/2013-09-mosasau...
Tany- Renesto: riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RI...
Tany- Witton: markwitton-com.blogspot.com/20...
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[@badgergaming7086]

This is by far one of the best dino docs in my opinion because I feel like I'm actually watching a real life zoology documentary. Nigel also makes it 3x better.

[@glenriches4779]

Loved walking with dinosaur, can't stand the fake safari aspect of this. Personal preference I know but its a shame cos the creatures were cool.

[@HarryTheEustreptospondylus]

Nigel makes everything better.

[@toothandclaw4347]

No he doesnt

[@dinosdude1355]

meh, I didn't really enjoy Nigel Marvin, don't get me wrong the WW... specials we're good, but he annoyed me soo much!

[@Braint-lr6uf]

@@dinosdude1355 Are you human?

[@MBRSims]

I'm surprised you didn't mention Nigel ripping off the Tanystropheus's tail and saying it will regrow like a lizard. That was a major WTF even at the time it was made

[@juanjoyaborja.3054]

Tanystropheus was an archosauromorph too, it shouldn’t have been able to regrow its tail

[@christhe2dprotogen511]

@@juanjoyaborja.3054 so Nigel’s just ripped off the tail of a tanystropheus and so it probably died of blood loss?

[@juanjoyaborja.3054]

@@christhe2dprotogen511 Well, the show implied that Tannystropheus had adapted to cutting of its tail as a defence mechanism, so it likely wouldn't have bled to death in the show itself. But of course, an actual Tannystrophid would die by blood loss, and if it somehow did clot, it'd still die from a bad infection.

[@ratillecebrasquedubitantiu4451]

I despised that aspect of the video. It showed little respect to it. It doesn't make sense for such a large quadruped to drop it's tail, the blood vessels would be too large

[@russman3787]

@@ratillecebrasquedubitantiu4451 and even if it could, it would still be massively disrespectful to the animal itself. No respectable scientist would do something like that; it's more akin to what some dumb high schooler would do.

[@ZzbulletheadzZ]

I don't mind reused models to extent, it keeps consistency within the cinematic universes & induces a sense of nostalgia, for me at least.

[@Ozraptor4]

Nigel Marvin's interview with GamingBeaver states that the Tanystropheus tail-shedding is based on direct fossil evidence of suture-lines in the caudal series. A couple of popular books from the 1970s-80s seem to corroborate this.

[@trilobite3120]

I do believe that is considered inaccurate now, but at least it shows that the conclusion was based on something.

[@jehooft8569]

There's actually an official book that collects the animals seen in all of the Walking With series (Dinosaurs, Monsters, Beasts, spinoffs) and the sea scorpion is called Megalograptus while the orthocone is called Cameroceras, so that's probably what they are meant to be.

[@andrewgollaher173]

Man, dunkleo sure aged well

[@blackwing2da445]

The beauty of Paleontology is that's it's always shifting and changing the more we know. At one time, we believed that the Spino was basically an elongated, sailed T.Rex, but as we know it NOW, it's basically the ultimate Crocodile, so i'd be fine with losing the amazing 'Armor Skull' look of the Dunk, it doesn't change the fact that the Dunk was a giant predator with sheers for teeth. :)

[@gwyn0121]

Fun Fact: In the German dub of the show, the 'orthocone' is exclusively referred to as Cameoceras, which I always thought was neat since they thus made it a bit more accurate.

[@speedracer2008]

In the German dubs of the Walking with series, many animals that are unnamed in English are identified with a name. For example, the brontotheres in Walking with Beasts are identified as Embolotherium.

[@gwyn0121]

@@speedracer2008 true!

[@user7516]

For being 20 years old this still looks absolutely incredible

[@jdmj707]

It’s good to see dunkleosteus was depicted accurately for what we knew at the time, although I do hope we get to see a new depiction of it now that we understand it was much shorter in length than previously thought

[@maximaldinotrap]

At least they got the most dangerous sea right. Holy hell, the more I keep reading about the Western Interior Seaway the more I am glad that I don't have to swim with the denizens.

[@maxvt7258]

Western Interior Sea is the coolest sea ever! Because of my boy Tylosaurus

[@MysteriouslyMoon]

I am learning alot now, and now learning from my mistakes about paleontology so thanks to: Red Raptor Writes Paleo Nerd Scanova the Carnotaurus etc.

[@stevenelbert8989]

So am I also from animal origins

[@SomeRandomPangolin]

what about Klayton Fioriti? (yes he does teach about paleontology in a lot of his videos)

[@TheWererapter92]

Paleo nerd, doesnt take much to be one of those, I've been one for 25 years give or take the first year I learned what a dinosaur was

[@tyrannotherium7873]

you should watch ak rex then

[@Ozraptor4]

Most recent anatomical analysis (Spiekman et al. 2020) considers Tanystropheus as an aquatic ambush predator that hunted underwater so Sea Monsters is not necessarily incorrect (aside from the tail shedding). Note that no primary research has ever suggested that Dunkleosteus had extensive lips.

[@kairyu9207]

I adore this documentary, I think the Leedsichthys may have been a little oversized in the documentary as well, if I'm not not mistaken. Now there's only two left from BBC's Walking with series, Walking with Monsters and Cavemen (if you are planning on covering Walking with Cavemen). Oh boy, I look forward to seeing you tackle Monsters Resurrected and Animal Armageddon. Of course I'm looking to seeing you talk about some of the other good ones too like Sea Monsters A Prehistoric Adventure, Prehistoric Park and Dinosaur Planet, keep it up and good on ya for getting over 1K subscribers, here's hope that you get to 5K or even better 10K someday.

[@suchomimustenerensis]

Glad your feeling better, and Sea Monsters was amazing Edit:I believe Recent estimates put Dunkelosteus at 20-25 Feet Another Edit:I believe new studies from 2021 put Spino and Baryonyx as generalists instead of specialized Fish Eaters

[@redraptorwrites6778]

I heard the same thing too but I couldn't find a good study that said that. The most recent I found was a 2017 study that put the length at nearly 9 meters or just under 30ft

[@miquelescribanoivars5049]

@@redraptorwrites6778 There's at least one described fragmentary specimen that would had been around that size, afaik.

[@suchomimustenerensis]

@@redraptorwrites6778 actually it was 8.79 Meters max

[@xpertrex5991]

Do u have a link to these studies regarding spinosaurus and baryonyx? Late response Ik.

[@AwesomeArtaveus101]

@@suchomimustenerensis 8.79 is nearly 9

[@lordroger2342]

When Nigel grabs the Orthoceras by its shell, it swims in the opposite direction because it is like a squid I assume. WTF. I love this documentary btw, I've watched it a hundred times and it is one of the reasons I love paleontology that much. What a great video, love your content mate.

[@trevorbirdingtierlist]

I can maybe provide some help here? So Tim Haines and Paul Chambers, who helped make the Walking With… stuff, released a book a while back that detailed every creature covered in these shows, for the most part. It helps with identifying what is what. The orthocone is confirmed as Cameroceras and the sea scorpion is Megalograptus.

[@Abominatrix650]

I wouldn't say this show is very awesomebro as much as it is an attempt to show the audience how wondrous the prehistoric worlds can be. Like if The Crocodile Hunter were going after the marine predators of those times. I really like this one more than the other Nigel Marven specials as it has a sense of adventure, the aquatic environment and sea crew makes it seem more believable than just watching them plod about on land and there are some obscure ones here that get a chance for some attention and spotlighting. Also it feels less sombre and more lively than the Kenneth Branagh narrated documentaries. But B+ isn't bad

[@jackwalters5506]

As far as Mosasaurs caring for their young, something that might weigh in favor of that is that Mosasaurs would typically have far fewer young since those young had to be carried in the womb. Mostly likely one at a time was normally the max, so it would make the most sense for them to put effort into protecting their young more then their terrestrial egg laying relatives

[@apersondoingthings5689]

Damn if we had only known that dunks wasn’t strange looking as was. Now it’s derpy looking

[@alextheloserable]

Hell yah! I remember being 9 years old and watching this on TV.. thought it was the coolest thing. I don’t see why they haven’t done something similar. It’s been almost 20 years..

[@marinanguish9928]

Great review as usual, but you forgot to mention that they left tail flukes off the plesiosaurs as well, even though we now know that they possessed them.

[@polopena3337]

I have a book about all of the BBC prehistoric series animals and you were right the sea scorpion is Megaloraptus. And the mystery orthocone creature was Cameraceras im just confirming that you are 100%. The books name is the complete guide to prehistoric life so you can look it up if you want to its a really cool book.

[@mike2tuff380]

i watched that documentary so many times since i was like 5 and it’s what inspired my love for aquatic dinosaurs. holds a special place in my heart 💯

[@Dylan-Hooton]

11:07 "Li-li-lip-li-li-lip-li-li-lips-lips-lips-lips-lips-lips-lips!" LOL XD

[@_thoughtcriminal_9102]

I only disagree with tylosaurus not group hunting because they attacked one another, wolf skulls can be found with bite marks all over them from other wolves yet they are still social It could be evidence that tylosaurus had some other reason to fight than predation, perhaps a battle for mates or over territory, even for dominance it could be something that indicates a social hierarchy of some kind not a lifetime in isolation Just a different perspective I guess other than that great video👍

[@Kumo-Yume]

I grew up on these but couldn't remember there name until you posted this!!

[@benlobner7070]

Ah, yes. The grey heron and spinosuarus. Two quite comparable figures.

[@dubbingsync]

The heron… the Spinosaurus of the Sky

[@DSLego3]

As with Chased By Dinosaurs, an enjoyable documentary to watch. Not the best, but still good. Nigel continues to be a good host despite being a threat to change the future. But all good content for sure. Good review again Red Raptor Writes, keep up your informative content, stay safe and have a great day.

[@zillastudios8430]

Steve irwin knockoff goes back in time to see magical lioplerodon

[@dinohunter8676]

I like his videos bc he’s not biased when he looks at these documentaries and looks at the good and the bad things about them

[@redraptorwrites6778]

Thank you! I do my best to separate the entertainment value from the pure science. If not then Prehistoric Park would've been S tier XD

[@speedracer2008]

The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life confirms that the orthocone depicted in Sea Monsters is, indeed, Cameroceras.

[@thelittleal1212]

This is vor me one of my favorite Docu Specials, and it doesn’t upset me that you Rate them for Accuracy because it’s also something I notice, and hay, I’m learning more 👍

[@thatonewolfguy]

lipped dunkleosteus looks so incredibly cursed

[@thatonewolfguy]

i was about to comment on how cursed lipped dunkleo looks, only to find I have already done so

[@oliverogden4999]

Been waiting for this already liked the video thank you for your review

[@sa1hara.]

I was so obsessed with it as a child it Is kinda hard for me to accept that it’s not actually that accurate now I’m older. and shoutout to the MUSIC TRACK, THE MUSIC IN THIS IS GODLY

[@landoftheninja]

Okay so martial arts nerd here. Yes that fish would've DEMOLISHED chainmail no questions asked. Also your memes are 10/10

[@Wobbegong32]

3:04 Hahahah Imagine Getting Nerfed Dunk

[@PencilSketch_TariniPNayak]

tanystropheus couldn't regrow its tail. It was an archosaur not a lepidosaur ( lizard in particular).

[@pranavvenugopal8987]

I know it’s a bit awesome bro, but I simply can’t resist to watch It. It’s just so entertaining

[@Lenny-by8qs]

They shrunk the dunk

[@chucknorris6640]

I would give everything for a remastered version with accurate models and updated info

[@BallTypeStuff]

I just got hit with an upper cut of nostalgia

[@chrischrisdaman]

Damn, 22k subs in around a year and a half. Nice job

[@whittywhitmore4541]

Yeah this was honestly my favorite doc and always will be.

[@temugebagira6592]

Just subbed love ur stuff dude

[@NobodysCivilAnymore]

I used to watch this show as a little kid and I loved it

[@MichaelParthum]

Love the use of JAWS clips

[@redraptorwrites6778]

It's my favorite movie. I couldn't resist.

[@turtlefan3971]

I did not know I needed this video

[@GojiraFan-in9oo]

This is easily the best of the bbc docs.

[@LarsTonguesInAspix]

I thought Nigel Marven actually went back in time as a kid lol

[@valentinmitterbauer4196]

I thought Nigel Marven was actually his real name and not just a character.

[@LarsTonguesInAspix]

@@valentinmitterbauer4196 that is his real name lmao

[@Hewylewis]

Nothing about the outdated Arsinoitherium design?

[@daniellewillis2767]

Chased by Sea Monsters is my absolute favourite Nigel Marvin special, especially the nighttime Liopluerodon footage...my second favourite is Prehistoric Park, which is corny as hell but it's a guilty pleasure...

[@GoGojiraGo]

Don't get lippy with me, Dunkle!

[@NeilDegrasseTysonWithAKatana]

In the french version, nigel calls the "orthocone" nautiloid orthoceras

[@kavehaghayazdi2576]

I love how you always use Jaws scenes for sea creatures doc videos, I'm a big Jaws fan too.

[@thelittleal1212]

One of my favorite animals of the show where the sea scorpion, I remember what reaction I had wenn Seeing this😱😱😱

[@SomeRandomPangolin]

along with Klayton Fioriti you are one of my favorite paleontologically based KZbin channels

[@redraptorwrites6778]

Thank you very much!

[@WoopersDad]

In the German version of the documentary the giant orthocone is actually called Cameroceras so your guess is most likely to be true, I've noticed a lot of those instances where the German version states information that you have speculated about in the English original

[@WoopersDad]

PS. although the Tylosaurus is just called Mosasaurus in the german version

[@maxvt7258]

I LOVE Walking With Sea Monsters! My favorite thing to watch. My favorite animals are the Mosasaurs

[@GoGojiraGo]

You didn't mention the silliest thing CbSM shows about Tanystrophus, that it could drop its tail like a lizard.

[@TheWererapter92]

Nigel Marvin is awesome, in this he's travelling back in time to 7 of the deadliest seas of all time, who gives a Rats a55 how realistic it is, Time travel already isn't.

[@maxrichards3881]

Yeah. Time travel doesn’t have explicit rules, so he doesn’t have to avoid interference unless the lore explicitly states that he shouldn’t, like Prehistoric Park. I’m upset about the ranking that the sea got. I’m perfectly fine with #5-7 (Devonian, Triassic, Ordovician), but I’d put the Jurassic lower than the Miocene and the Eocene, since the Liopleurodon was NEVER that big. I’ll take early predatory whales and giant sharks over Pliosaurs any day, but even then, all oceanic hunters must bow down to the Mosasaurs.

[@TheWhoamaters]

Will you be doing the IMAX Sea Monsters?

[@speedracer2008]

5:37 The DVD fact files confirm the genus as Megalograptus.

[@doragonsureia7288]

In the german translation they actually say that the cephalopod is a Cameroceras.

[@bustanut5501]

13:04 Funnily enough, Nigel actually calls it a Camerocercas in the German dub.

[@DarkWallay]

That intro is the biggest fcking troll ever. My ears hurt so god damn much

[@safirpewdiepie1262]

12:53 the Norwegian word for rhino (nesehorn) directly translates to nosehorn

[@alicewilloughby4318]

5:45 - Would sea scorpions have been good to eat? Like shrimp or lobsters?

[@derekmitchell1738]

Your comments may be accurate, but I did not care for your attitude. I feel you were a little harsh with your criticisms of the "Sea Monsters" documentary. You snub your nose at its supposed inaccuracies, but it was a very well-made documentary and put forth the best depiction of those sea creatures as possible based on the information known at the time the documentary was made.

[@Sharkman4569]

My Favorite Paleo Doc of all time

[@user-hr6wb8rn5e]

What’s the difference between Eurypterids and Arachnids?.

[@Bak1922]

Finally a mossa/tylo/pliosaurid that has lips and looks accurate (most pliosaurids had no lips if im sure but the mossa is well sized)

[@Fede_99]

13:20 about the 9 m long Cameroceras, in reality its most likely a Paleo meme. It grow much smaller and there are no photos or infos about a giant fossil that could suggest such size. I read that if this fossil is real is now lost or destroyed (maybe it never existed?). Instead, one genus of nautiloid which could grow to 5 or 6 m was Endoceras. Of you want to know more about it, you can check an article made by Tyler Greenfield on its blog Incertae sedis

[@j-rexentertainment7246]

Tiger fish a really infamous predatory fish has large razor sharp teeth that are exposed so who knows about dunkleosteus.

[@Vasher-The-Destroyer]

bruhhh I loved this series

[@silurianking716]

I feel like I've heard of Eurypterids before... Hmm... I wonder...

[@unumwetwetwe]

new Red Raptor Writes video ? I must be dreaming 0_0

[@TheTNTMuffin]

Great video, nice to know about the inaccuracies of the documentary! What would you say is the best documentary to learn about prehistoric sea creatures?

[@redraptorwrites6778]

Thank you! The best are probably Walking With Beasts, Dinosaur Revolution, and Planet Dinosaur. At least from the ones I've seen so far.

[@TheTNTMuffin]

@@redraptorwrites6778 alright thanks I’ll be checking those out

[@the_gaming_hyena]

Yeah! I love this series

[@TheStygian]

What do you mean? I love lips. They make so much more sense. Like giant Comodo dragon theropods instead of crusty dry and brittle teeth constantly.

[@Synthose1]

You could say this documentary doesn’t hold water.

[@jwhazze]

Ashame the shark didn't pop its head in the cage and say "nigel".

[@DINO_X65]

Imagine seeing this and thinking that prehistoric beasts didn't exist.

[@CoffeeBeaversEditz]

Did you know we are all up at 10:00

[@alfalfabillenjoyer4878]

I enjoyed Nigel Marvin's documentaries.

[@Mr.W.Megalodon.]

When i seen this documentary for the first time, i didn't belived that dunkleosteus is a fish, and thought that he is marine reptile, because he didn't had "right form of tail fin"

[@Blackclaw1000]

11:04 Have you watched a Skull of a Lungfish ? these Animals are often also looking this Creepy as skeletal and almost like Dunkleosteus

[@luani4591]

Can confirm, in the german version, he says cameroceras :D

[@dkk8858]

this is my childhood!

[@brett1381]

Creatures you missed: Bothreolepis, Arsinoitherium (despite being a paenungulate mammal), Leedsichthys, Hybodus, Metriorynchus, Xiphactinus, Hesperornis, Pteramodon, Elasmosaurus and Archelon.

[@chadgorosaurus4898]

The hesperornis literally moves the wrong way. They walk upright and don't drag themselves.

[@mikeweaver8495]

I didn’t know homestar runner was doing dinosaur reviews

[@maclanekeller8308]

I like the fictional Liopleurodon the most. 25 meters of awesomeness.

[@Dino17000]

just asking you, will you make a jwe 2 vid

[@redraptorwrites6778]

I actually did record one when it was officially announced but something went really wrong with my audio. It was a very hopeful video and I'll probably come back to it before it comes out.

[@IkeReviews]

You should do animal Armageddon a documentary about the 5 mass extinctions

[@dubbingsync]

My god. That name is just barely clinging on to my brain to get any recognition.

[@egeerenrecber4181]

i love the whalerus. whalerus is my fav animal now.

[@silurianking716]

Hold up? I'm an impostor?

[@kingshark9057]

This is definitely my favourite prehistoric documentary ever

[@kingparker42]

2:51 yeah, that’s no longer the case unfortunately

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Yeah I know something landing on you like that with the force essentially of a car falling on you I’m pretty sure that would break straight through chain mail if it had a sharp blade attached but yeah the chain mail he was using was not good stuff it didn’t have rivets and also given that he was keeping it under water it’s most likely made of either aluminum or stainless steel which is weaker than the carbon steel that you can use all those some shark suits are made of titanium but if it’s butted mail it’s not very good