8.3/1055 votes#1 - The Grey Whale
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 4/21/2023
Embarking on an epic journey for food, a mother whale leads her calf on the longest migration of any mammal.
Director: David John
Writer: N/A
8.1/1043 votes#2 - The Elephant Seal
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 4/21/2023
A four-ton elephant seal returns to his breeding beach on the cusp of summer—and quickly learns the competition for females is fierce.
Director: David Johnson, Eva Spielvogel
Writer: N/A
8.3/1039 votes#3 - The Giant Otter
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 4/28/2023
In the Brazilian Pantanal—a wetland larger than England—a six-foot otter attempts to raise her cubs in the shadow of hungry jaguars.
Director: Alice Clarke
Writer: N/A
8.3/1040 votes#4 - The Gorilla
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 5/5/2023
Makumba is one of the best studied gorillas in the world. Now past his prime, he must find new ways to maintain his status as king of the jungle.
Director: Robert Wilcox
Writer: N/A
8.7/1036 votes#5 - The Hippo
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 5/5/2023
In Earth's largest inland delta, Africa's deadliest mammal fights to keep his family afloat as the dry season approaches.
Director: Emma Houghton-Brown
Writer: N/A
8.2/1034 votes#6 - The Brown Bear
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 5/5/2023
Rocky Mountain summers are fleeting, leading local bears to gain weight, sharpen defenses, and engage in a dynamic fight for domination.
Director: Alice Clarke
Writer: N/A
8.2/1031 votes#7 - The Ostrich
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 5/12/2023
A blazing sun scorches the African savanna, where the planet's biggest bird protects his eggs and giraffes struggle to fuel their towering bodies.
Director: Ed Watkins
Writer: N/A
7.9/1032 votes#8 - The Orangutan
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 5/12/2023
In Borneo, apes and monkeys train their babies in the treetops, but with gravity against them, the stakes are high—and crocodiles lurk below.
Director: Emma Houghton-Brown
Writer: N/A
8.0/1031 votes#9 - The Tiger
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 5/19/2023
Monsoon season drives giants toward higher ground, and big cats battle it out to claim dwindling territory in an Indian valley.
Director: David Johnson
Writer: N/A
7.9/1030 votes#10 - The Polar Bear
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 5/19/2023
Subzero temperatures force polar bears to bulk up—but as summer returns and the planet grows warmer, they find themselves on thin ice.
Director: Ed Watkins
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Big Beasts Season 1
Every episode of Big Beasts Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Big Beasts Season 1!
Travel from freezing poles to tropical rainforests to meet nature’s most captivating giants, who prove being big comes with enormous challenges.
Genre:Documentary
Network:Apple TV+
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"The Grey Whale" is the best rated episode of "Big Beasts" season 1. It scored 8.3/10 based on 55 votes. Directed by David John and written by N/A, it aired on 4/21/2023. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "The Elephant Seal".