The sequence, featured in an episode of the BBC series Planet Earth II, is already considered one of the most extraordinary scenes in the history of documentaries.
All the typical elements of a Hollywood action film — characterised by the conflict between a heroic, athletic protagonist and multiple antagonists — are present. We have a skilled and captivating lead, a very young marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), a host of unsympathetic antagonists, a large group of racer snakes (Pseudalsophis biserialis) and, naturally, a long, adrenaline-fuelled and spectacular chase sequence, the quintessence of the genre. This, however, is not a film — it is reality.
The documentary shows a small marine iguana on the beach, surrounded by dozens of racer snakes, a venomous species that feeds on birds, small reptiles and mammals. In June, iguana eggs hatch and the young reptiles emerge from the sand, many of them eaten by the snakes. That is not the fate of our little iguana, which, with its comical and ungainly run, evades its predators while displaying a surprising agility and an extraordinary instinct for self-preservation. The incredible footage was filmed on the island of Fernandina, in the Galápagos archipelago, and forms part of the second series of Planet Earth, a natural history documentary series broadcast on the BBC and narrated by the doyen of science communication, Sir David Attenborough. Planet Earth II was launched ten years after the first series and, thanks to the enormous technological advances of the past decade, allows us to observe wildlife as never before.