Sir David Attenborough has issued an update and confessed he won't get to see the ocean's recovery and restoration, in a new heartbreaking admission.

The national treasure addressed his mortality this week as he reflected on his life in a powerful new documentary about the world's oceans. The broadcaster turns 99 on May 9, and as he prepares to celebrate the milestone birthday, he admitted he is "nearing the end of his life." Animal enthusiast Sir David has been on TV screens for eight decades and spoke about his future while filming a new show about the ocean, which comes out on Disney+ later this year.

A page from his new book, shared in The Sunday Times, detailed a heartfelt tribute to nature and revealed how he fell in love with it as a young boy exploring the old limestone quarry near his childhood home in Leicester.

The BBC star said he had been "fortunate" to live for nearly 100 years and reflected on the strides technology and research had made into knowing more about the ocean.

He noted that young children playing on the beach today will get to witness "perhaps the most consequential time for the human species in the past 10,000 years". As they get to see how the story ends, and how the results of our choices play out, he reflected that he "will not see how that story ends but".

The TV presenter shared his fears for the future in the new film Ocean with David Attenborough, stating: "When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true. After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.”

He added: "Today, it is in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all."

He did say that the sea can "bounce back to life", saying: "If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important."

The 98-year-old shared: "The world would be in a far, far worse situation now had there been no broadcasting of natural history. People have found it a source of fascination, beauty, and interest, which has become key to looking after the world."

Sir David told the Telegraph a few years back that he was “coming to terms” with the idea that when finding the right words takes longer, you can “run into problems" as he forgot the name of a plant in front of him.

Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield is released on Thursday.

Ocean with David Attenborough is releasing as a Global Cinema Event from May 8. It will also be made available on National Geographic, Disney Plus, and Hulu later this year.