0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hola, mis amigos!
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Bienvenidos a Barney's America Latina!
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Arriba! Arriba! It's show time.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Let me introduce you to a crazy carnival of creatures
0:00:11 > 0:00:14from fabulously freaky frogs to hollering howler monkeys
0:00:14 > 0:00:16to manic meat-eating plants.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Es magnifico!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20What's more, they're all connected to each other
0:00:20 > 0:00:22in this wonderful world of wildlife
0:00:22 > 0:00:24by funny, fabulous and fantastic facts.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- Get on with it!- Oh, sorry.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Tres, dos, uno, es la hora de Barney's Latin America!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- Hello and welcome to Barney's Latin America...- Wahoo!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- Hey, high five, sweet cheeks! - Barney?
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Yeah, that's right. Barney. Barney Grylls.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- Ha! Barney Grylls?- Yeah.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56The original and the one and only adrenalin beast. Huh!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Why are you pretending to be some big macho man
0:00:59 > 0:01:02when you're quite obviously not.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Let me get one thing straight.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- You're looking for extreme animals, am I not correct?- Well, yeah.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Look no further than Barney Grylls.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Ha! Barney Grylls?
0:01:10 > 0:01:16Uh-huh. The one and only adrenalin extreme! Huh! Yeah!
0:01:16 > 0:01:19You get a headache bouncing up and down on a trampoline!
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Very funny. OK, prepare to be amazed.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I will start the show with some super-speed swimming.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Er, no. Can't do that. It's already in the show.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Er...then prepare to be amazed as I do the ultra high dive!
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Er...already in the show!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Er...hold my breath for a whole hour?
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Already in the show. It's jam-packed!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Well, I'm not going to need all this stuff, then, am I?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51No. I'll tell you what you can do, though.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Go and make us an extremely nice cup of tea.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- I will, and I'll do it extremely fast.- OK.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Wow! That was extremely fast. Thank you very much.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Oh, yeah! Ha ha! I forgot to mention! It's extremely hot!
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Shall we just get on with the show?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Yeah, all right.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Ow! Gem, something bit me.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23OK, so how about we start the show with some jet-propelled speedsters?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Ah, some super-cool speedy marine machines.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33They certainly look the part with those David Beckham mohicans.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Named after that distinctive dorsal fin
0:02:36 > 0:02:39which looks like a massive sail. I love a massive "sale"!
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Mention a sale, you're there like a flash.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45But I'm not as fast as these guys. Off the South American coast,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48these sailfish are the masters of extreme speed sailing.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- No way, Jose.- They are the fastest fish in the sea,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54having been clocked leaping out of the water
0:02:54 > 0:02:58at a record-breaking 110 kilometres per hour.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01That would nearly get it a speeding ticket on one of our motorways.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Except, it would need a car.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Or maybe it drives a Corvette Stingray! Ha!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Yeah, or maybe an Aston Marlin!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Yeah, that was my joke.- Sorry.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Anyway, this awesome speed makes them
0:03:14 > 0:03:16one of the ocean's most feared predators.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- Surely nothing can escape?- Hunting requires more than just speed,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and these guys are designed to perfection.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Up to 3m long, their fins maintain stability
0:03:26 > 0:03:29to ensure the tightest turns, and the powerful tail thrusts them forward
0:03:29 > 0:03:32while the sail fin helps intimidate prey.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Now, that is what I call grabbing a bit of fast food.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38How do they manage to avoid each other?
0:03:38 > 0:03:42When hunting, their colour continually changes
0:03:42 > 0:03:44from blue to striped to black.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47This not only warns other sailfish of its intentions,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49but it also confuses their prey.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Those bills are as sharp as a carving knife, so they
0:03:52 > 0:03:56must be careful they don't hurt themselves when swishing about.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59A totally unbelievable display of speed, power and precision,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and all from a fish!
0:04:02 > 0:04:04A great way to open the show, hey?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Yeah. You could say we're off to a flying start.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09You could, but we won't. So, who's up next?
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Time to get ashore and hit some dry land.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Ooh! Where are we? This looks a bit like the land that time forgot.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21We're 1,000km off the western coast of Ecuador
0:04:21 > 0:04:24on some of the most famous islands in the world -
0:04:24 > 0:04:26the Galapagos Islands.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Made famous by Mr Evolution himself, Charles Darwin
0:04:29 > 0:04:31on the good ship Beagle.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And are home to some amazing animals
0:04:34 > 0:04:36not found anywhere else in the world.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39And the most famous resident is a giant.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Ooh, it's awesome!
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It's terrifying! It's huge!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It's...
0:04:47 > 0:04:50a tortoise?
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Ooh. Ah! Oh, me lumbago!
0:04:54 > 0:04:57This is the giant tortoise.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Not the sort you'd find in your back garden, then?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I don't know if there's room for one of these beauties.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05They can be as heavy as four grown men.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Wow, that's going to need some larger lettuce leaves.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Oh, that looks nice!
0:05:10 > 0:05:12They actually eat cactus flowers.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16See how the shell allows the tortoise to stretch its neck
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and eat the higher, luscious vegetation.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Ooh...me neck!
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I just can't reach.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Ooh! Got it!
0:05:25 > 0:05:27And if they can't find any, there's no rush,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30as they have the unbelievable ability to store
0:05:30 > 0:05:33enough fat to go without food or water for a year.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Amazing! Hey - that shell looks a bit like a horse saddle, don't you think?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The islands are actually named after the tortoise shell,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43because the Spanish word for saddle is galapago,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and it's very useful.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It's the perfect home for Mr Tortoise,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50being rock hard for protection,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54offering shade from the excessive heat
0:05:54 > 0:05:56and providing a nice, warm place at night.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Best of all, it's a mobile home.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- It's a mobile phone?- You'll have to excuse him. He's getting on a bit.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08In fact, one of the most amazing things about these wrinkly giants
0:06:08 > 0:06:11is that they can live to 170 years old.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I'm an old git, but I'm fightin' fit!
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So in a nutshell, they are totally extreme.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- Er, I think you'll find that's tortoise shell.- Oh, yeah.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So, the forever-living giant tortoise
0:06:23 > 0:06:25and speedy speedster sailfish
0:06:25 > 0:06:28are both totally bonkers extreme record-breakers.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Time to glide down to the southern tip of Latin America.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Cool. What we looking for?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The albatross, an extreme flying machine
0:06:39 > 0:06:41with the largest wingspan of any bird.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I'm sorry, did you say "bird" together with "extreme"?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Huh! Yeah!
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Er, I don't think so.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Then prepare to be amazed.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55This winged wonder can have a wingspan measuring up to 3.5m.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Wow! That's like me stood on top of me.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Yeah, and just like you,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03it spends a lot of its time with its head in the clouds.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Sorry? What was that?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Pay attention! Those large wings... - All 3.5m of them.- Yeah.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11They help it stay in the air for long periods of time,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14just like a feathery hang-glider.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Isn't that what birds do anyway?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I'm not talking about a few measly hours of flapping about.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Oh, no. I'm talking days.- Days?!
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Yep. Endurance is this long-distance lover's favourite word.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- That's impossible! - Not to the albatross.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29But what is nearly impossible
0:07:29 > 0:07:31is getting off the ground in the first place.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Trying to get the wind beneath those wings
0:07:34 > 0:07:37can sometimes see them in a bit of a flap.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- Right, come on, Arthur.- Arthur?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Well, he looks like an Arthur.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Um, it's Artie, actually, and anyway,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48er...I'm just choosing my direction, and I'm going to go any minute.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Might go over there. Looks...ooh! Actually, maybe over there.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Um...anyway...ooh! Ah...oh!
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I think I'll do it tomorrow, actually.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Yeah, well, I'm going to show you how it's done!
0:08:01 > 0:08:03OK, you've got to take a run-up. Take your time.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Have a look. OK, here we go. Run, run!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09You've just got to run. Keep running.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Keep running, running, running, and then, as soon as you get to
0:08:13 > 0:08:16the kind of, you know, the speed, just take off!
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Easy!
0:08:20 > 0:08:22# I've travelled far
0:08:22 > 0:08:24# I've travelled wide
0:08:24 > 0:08:27# So many miles I'm bleary-eyed... #
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Once it's in the air, it can look for a fish in the vast ocean below,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34but it's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39- Ah, so their long-distance flying ability ensures their survival?- Yep.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Wind currents enable it to glide around for hours on end
0:08:42 > 0:08:47without as much as a flap. It can fly up to 900km a day
0:08:47 > 0:08:48just to feed its family.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Which is like me driving from London to Inverness just to get a pizza.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Now, that is extreme.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Oh, you know I said their take-off wasn't much good?- Yeah.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Well, their landing isn't exactly clever either.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Now, where is that runway? Oh, it's over there.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Oh, no, that's the A463.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Oh, over there... No, B2788.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Oh, ah...ooh! No, I'm coming in too fast!
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Look out!
0:09:17 > 0:09:22But you can't deny it is an extreme wonder of the skies.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Oh, well, better luck next time, as my old mum used to say.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29So the forever-airborne albatross and the OAP giant tortoise
0:09:29 > 0:09:33are not only massive, but they're also capable of extreme endurance.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Yeah. So, what's next?
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Ah. Prepare to be afraid.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Very afraid.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It's a quarter-tonne tough guy.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45The bull shark.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Oi! Watch it, mate!
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It's the bully of the waters.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Wow! Look at those extremely sharp teeth.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00This brawler knows how to use its head when tracking down a treat,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03but despite being highly dangerous, it's often ignored.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06How could you ignore that huge lump of menacing meat?
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Just look at its ugly face.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09What was that?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I was just saying, "Look at that lovely face!"
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Wise move, Gem.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Bull sharks get their name from their short, blunt snout.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Despite being as long as a car
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and as heavy as three grown men in wet woollen cardigans,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27they are lightning-fast and extremely agile predators.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Holy fishing nets, Barney! You can't get much more extreme that that.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Great, what's next?
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Oh, no, Gem. The reason the bull shark is totally extreme
0:10:36 > 0:10:38is one which has baffled scientists.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Ooh! Tell me.- It has an extreme ability to not only cruise
0:10:41 > 0:10:43the shallow waters of the salty sea,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46but can also survive just as well in the freshwater rivers.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Saltwater and freshwater?! Are you serious?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51No, I'm Barney. Nice to meet you.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56The bull shark has an in-built water filter
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- just like you might have at home. - Huh?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I think we need Professor Piranha.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03When the shark swims from saltwater into a freshwater river,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07its gills and kidneys work like an extreme filtering machine.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10They hold onto any salts in the body while flushing out
0:11:10 > 0:11:14the incoming freshwater by going to the toilet lots and lots.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Ew! But now I get it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21In fact, bull sharks have been known to travel thousands of kilometres
0:11:21 > 0:11:23up the Amazon river in search of food.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Thousands of kilometres up the Amazon river?
0:11:26 > 0:11:27That is one wandering shark.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- And I think I know how it ended up there.- How?
0:11:30 > 0:11:34It took a shark left and then a shark bite. Get it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:36No.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Definitely not funny. And nor is coming face-to-face with one,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43because it will eat just about anything it sees.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- Then it won't be seeing me. Goodbye, Mr Bull Shark!- Nor me!
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Argh!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50So the bull shark and the albatross are connected
0:11:50 > 0:11:53because they both have the extreme ability
0:11:53 > 0:11:55to travel thousands of kilometres in search of food.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Next, it's time to turn up the heat.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Whoa, that looks very hot.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06This is the Atacama Desert in Chile.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09That's ironic, because it's certainly not "chilly".
0:12:09 > 0:12:10It's boiling hot!
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And at 4,000m above sea level, high up in the Andes mountains,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18it's also very dry. In fact, this is the driest desert in the world
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and some parts are thought to have never seen rain.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So it's drier than a wallaby's pouch.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Oi, leave my pouch out of this.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Surely no animals live here? They'd be left high and dry! Literally.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Can we move on and cool down a bit?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I'm starting to get sweaty pits. Look.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Ugh!
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Hang on, what are they? - They are guanacos.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Guanaco! - He's a bit touchy, isn't he?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Guanacos are a grumpy-looking type of camel.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52They look happier than a camel, because they haven't got the hump!
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Ha ha!
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But unlike a camel, they have loads more red blood cells in their bodies.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00In fact, four times as many as us,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04which basically means they can store loads more oxygen in their blood.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Ah! Which makes them capable of living in the thin air
0:13:07 > 0:13:08high up in the Andes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16Exactly! But despite being able to tolerate extremes of heat and cold,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19the Atacama desert is a real challenge even for them.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21In the day, temperatures can soar.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Wow! Even hotter than the hottest jalapeno that's been pickled
0:13:25 > 0:13:27for two years in particularly hot chilli dipping sauce?
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Er...yeah. Quite possibly.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Oh, look, that one's fainted.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35No, it's having a dust bath to help it cool down.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40Oh! But how to they survive such extreme heat without any water?
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Well, guanacos, like camels, are masters of conserving moisture.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47But you said it's the driest desert in the world.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Yeah, but the guanacos have found that scrummy cactus flowers
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and lichen hold lots of moisture,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and using their tactile, soft lips,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59they're able to pick them off spiky cactus.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Brilliant. How do the plants get water?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- GUANACO NATTERS SPEEDILY - What was that?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06He said, the secret is a cold air current
0:14:06 > 0:14:08which runs parallel to the land.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Cold air cools the warm moist air above it
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and this forms lots of fluffy clouds or nice damp fog.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17This fog is then swept inland by the wind
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and in no time, the cacti are dripping
0:14:20 > 0:14:22with water droplets from the fog.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Ah! So those cacti flowers are like water-filled sponges.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Yep. Without the fog, the land would be totally empty of life.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31So the thick fog has made it all clear.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Brilliant. Thanks, Mr Guanaco.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37GUANACO NATTERS
0:14:37 > 0:14:39- What did he say?- He said he's hot.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So, the guanaco and the bull shark are connected by
0:14:42 > 0:14:45the way their bodies have adapted to survive their extreme environments.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Well, this is certainly turning into an extreme fest, isn't it?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53I've got to say, I'm learning a thing or two from these crazy guys.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57So, how did we get from those speedy sailors to those cool camel things?
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Recap, I think.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03OK, we set sail with those marine speedsters, the sailfish,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05almost capable of getting a speeding ticket.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09They connected to the forever-living giant tortoise
0:15:09 > 0:15:12because they are both extreme record-breakers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Next up, it was the albatross, who, like the giant tortoise,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17is a master of endurance
0:15:17 > 0:15:20by being able to fly for over nine million years non-stop.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Not quite, but it could cover a huge distance,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25like the marathon-swimming bull shark,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28who was equally at home in freshwater as salty seawater.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Totally bizarre, but that's thanks to some of the freaky things going on
0:15:32 > 0:15:35in its blood, a trick it shares with the guanaco,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39making it capable of surviving extreme temperatures up the mountain.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42OK, so what's next in our extreme dream team?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Right, well...hang on to that.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47What do we need a mask for?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Trust me.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54OK, time to head to the northern tip of Latin America.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Ooh! More forests.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Ah, but below these forests lies an underworld.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Sounds like something out of the movies!
0:16:00 > 0:16:02A labyrinth of flooded caves.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08Wow! Are those pools of water entrances to the underground world?
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Yep. Down here, you'll find caves stretching for hundreds of miles,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16forming a darkened world of mystery and intrigue.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Aw, this is brilliant, Gem! Looks a bit spooky, though.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Glad we're not down there.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Ah. Hang on!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Time to put your mask on!
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Somehow I knew that was coming.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- THEY SPEAK IN TINNY VOICES: - Cor! Talk about being a bit nippy.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42It certainly is. The water has been trapped here since the Ice Age.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Wow! That's when my grandpa was born.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Welcome to the underworld, Barney. - The dark world, more like.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Uh, oh, what's going on?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Ha! You wuss!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Stop it! You're scaring the viewers.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Scaring you, more like.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- Hang on. We're not actually diving, are we?- Na, it's Bazza and Dazza,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02two very brave, extreme cave-divers.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- So we can drop the silly voices then?- Yep.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06So what are we looking for?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Well, if we look hard enough, we'll find some ghostly creatures
0:17:10 > 0:17:12that live here in the eerie darkness.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Most cave animals are white because,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19in a world without light, colour is useless. Look.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This is the blind cavefish.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It's a bit bland, isn't it?
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Well, it doesn't need any colour to hide or protect itself from anything,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33and because there's nothing to see, it's lost its eyes too.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Oh, yeah. Now, that is one extremely boring creature.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Wait, what's that?!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I could ask you the same thing, mate!
0:17:42 > 0:17:43This is the remipede.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46More like upside-down-pede. It's all over the place.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50- Well, in the pitch black, no way is the right way up.- Sounds freaky.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Tell Bazza and Dazza to come back up
0:17:52 > 0:17:55before they turn pale, lose their peepers and start
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- swimming about all over the place!- Good idea.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- How do they know which way is up? - Follow your bubbles.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03FARTING Ugh! Not those bubbles!
0:18:05 > 0:18:08So, these underwater cave-dwellers are connected to guanaco
0:18:08 > 0:18:12because they've both adapted to their extreme environment.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16SCREAMING Eh! What's up with them?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Oh! It's a submarine. Why are they scared of a submarine?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Er, more importantly, what's a submarine doing in the show?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Aren't we looking for extreme animals?
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Gem, this IS an extreme animal.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31- In fact, lots of extremely big animals.- Eh?
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Yep, this is a pod of sperm whales off the shores off South America.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- Ah! They look like they're having a "whale" of a time!- Ha! Nice.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41If it's size you want, look no further,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44for these are true giants of the sea.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Oh, I "sea"!
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The most recognisable feature of a sperm whale
0:18:49 > 0:18:51is the shape of its head.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Yeah! Looks like it's just run into the back of a bus.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57CRASHING AND CAR ALARMS Oops!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Well, these mammals ARE the size of a bus.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Sperm whales can measure up to 18m long
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and have the most enormous heads!
0:19:03 > 0:19:07You said it! That one looks like a right big head.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Well, they need those big heads to squeeze in the largest brain
0:19:10 > 0:19:13of any creature on Earth. It's also the heaviest,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15with the male's brain weighing up to nine kilos!
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Wow! That is a heavy brain.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Yeah, and it goes with a heavy body.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26These marine monsters weigh up to 45 tonnes.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Whoa! What a bloater!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30I'm surprised it doesn't sink.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Well, the actual reason why these whales are extreme
0:19:33 > 0:19:36is because they can dive to unbelievable depths.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40SIREN SOUNDS AND SHIP'S HORN BLOWS
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Here we go!
0:19:41 > 0:19:43How deep, exactly?
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Try 3,000m.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47No. Way.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50At that depth, the pressure of the water pushing on the whale
0:19:50 > 0:19:54weighs the same as two jumbo jets.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Uh! It's all right. I can take the pressure.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02They are one of the deepest-diving mammals in the world.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Why so deep anyway?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05They're looking for a fish supper.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07SCREAMING
0:20:07 > 0:20:10They will eat a tonne of squid and fish a day.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12No way! I'm out of here!
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Me too!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I'm surprised it's not the size of a house, eating all that food.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Oh...I suppose it IS the size of a house.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And they can be down there for well over an hour
0:20:22 > 0:20:24without coming back up for breath.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Wow! They must take a really deep breath.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28DEEP INHALATION
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Well, sperm whales have the incredible ability
0:20:31 > 0:20:34to lower their metabolic rate and slow down their heartbeat
0:20:34 > 0:20:37whilst moving blood mainly to their vital organs.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39This helps conserve precious oxygen.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Ah! Like their own built-in scuba diving gear.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Yeah. Just really big scuba diving gear.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Whoa! That is one deep-breathing, deep-diving and deeply-deceiving
0:20:49 > 0:20:50totally huge monster of the deep!
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It is indeed an extreme marine machine
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and connects nicely to the barmy Mexican cave critters,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58because they're both deep dwellers.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02And from deep divers to high divers.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Time to check out the blue-footed boobies.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08These guys are some of the ultimate risk takers.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12There's no clowning about when it comes to catching their food.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Blue-footed boobies are acrobatic hunters
0:21:15 > 0:21:18who have perfected the art of diving for dinner
0:21:18 > 0:21:21OK, chaps, listen up. The whole squadron's here.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22No, Bertie's not.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Where's Bertie?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Ooohh....
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Oh, my...- Aghhh...!
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Flaps up, Bertie, flaps up!
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Uh...ah...
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Bertie, flaps up, you're coming in too fast!
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Oh, for Pete's sake, Bertie, get in line.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40We're trying to have a briefing on the mission! Is everyone here?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Yes, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here! Sorry.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Right, no more time to waste. Let's go.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Wow! Look at them all go!
0:21:50 > 0:21:54These guys dive to survive and can do it from up to 30m.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Now, that's what I call a high diver.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57This isn't just any diving.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00How about diving at 100 kilometres per hour?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03You don't want to belly flop at that speed.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Ow!
0:22:07 > 0:22:11They plunge in unison, like a finely tuned aerial display team
0:22:11 > 0:22:13in order to overwhelm their prey,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15and at the last minute, neatly tuck in their wings
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to enter the water like a torpedo.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24They even have an airbag system in their skulls to help protect them.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25Like an internal crash helmet.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28But some will still pay the price.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Broken wings and some bad birdy headaches are not uncommon.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34OK, I think these boobies
0:22:34 > 0:22:37have definitely earned their extreme wings. Welcome to the gang, guys.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40So the precision dive-bombing blue-footed boobies
0:22:40 > 0:22:44connect to the sperm whale because they are both extreme divers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45So, what's next?
0:22:45 > 0:22:47A super-fly guy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Now, we're talking about a daredevil
0:22:49 > 0:22:51who dices with death on a daily basis.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Oh! A waterfall! This looks totally extreme. Don't tell me...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Is it a hippo in a straitjacket with loads of padlocks
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and not a key in sight,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03set to escape from a barrel about to go over a waterfall?
0:23:03 > 0:23:04No.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Oh.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07It's better than that.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- Ah, there he is. - What are you looking at?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12The cascade damselfly.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18Here I am, flapping about really close to a dangerous waterfall!
0:23:18 > 0:23:21An incy-wincy fly? I thought you said a daredevil dicing with death.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Cascade damselflies are very rare
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and live around just a few Central American waterfalls,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30like this one in the Costa Rican mountains.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Well, I think he's about to become extinct,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36because let me tell you, fragile wings and water don't mix.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Ooh! The water looks inviting today.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Don't worry, Gem. This male cascade damselfly is a little winged wonder
0:23:43 > 0:23:47who has mastered the art of flying THROUGH waterfalls.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48Hold it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Did you say fly THROUGH waterfalls?!
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Yep, and all because the lady loves a super-wet fly guy.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Typical bloke. What a show-off.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00This is showing off pushed to the max.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This death-defying display of water-dodging
0:24:03 > 0:24:04displays how fit he is.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Oh, yes! Love is definitely in the air.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I think we'd better leave them to it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11So, the Casanova cascade damselfly
0:24:11 > 0:24:13is connected to the high-diving booby
0:24:13 > 0:24:17because they are both billy-bonkers and totally extreme daredevils.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And from super-fly to super-sly.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Our last extreme star is a super-sly, state of the art, trained hunter.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Er...it's a plant.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Well, this is actually a harmless bromeliad,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35but look closer and you'll find a little killer.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Ah, now you're talking.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Er, that's just a poxy flower, isn't it?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42No! This is the bladderwort -
0:24:42 > 0:24:46an extreme killer which survives here on Mount Roraima.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Wow, that looks cool! Where is it?
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Well, it's actually in three countries -
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, supported by 400m-high cliffs.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58But hang on,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01there's no soil, just plenty of water.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Yeah, and it rains here a lot, which is why nothing can survive here
0:25:04 > 0:25:08because all the nutrients and minerals which plants need
0:25:08 > 0:25:09are washed away.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11So, how does the bladderwort survive?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Ah, remember this is a killer and it eats meat.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Gem, I think the thin air of Mount Roraima...
0:25:18 > 0:25:20has gone to your head.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Look, the bladderwort sends out little roots into pools of water
0:25:23 > 0:25:27which form little bladders containing trap doors lined with bristles.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Ah, bladders, bladderwort...
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Yep and those pools are full of tiny fishy things
0:25:31 > 0:25:33attracted to the bladders.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34Ooh, what's that?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Is it a shiny ball? Or perhaps a...
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Ahh!
0:25:38 > 0:25:39Ooh!
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And there you go, time for lunch.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44A totally cunning and sly bladder -
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and pretty extreme, I must say, Especially for a plant.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Yep, and these bladder-traps are even considered
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- one of the smartest structures in plants.- Brilliant!
0:25:52 > 0:25:53Oh, not again!
0:25:54 > 0:25:56So, the highly-dangerous bladderwort
0:25:56 > 0:25:59is connected to the daredevil damselfly
0:25:59 > 0:26:02because their extreme tricks both rely on falling water.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05So, how was that for an extreme animal line-up?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Pretty cool, or should I say EXTREMELY cool,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12but how did we get from the speedy sailor to the sly bladderwort?
0:26:12 > 0:26:13OK, well we dived into action
0:26:13 > 0:26:16with the record-breaking high-speed sailfish.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Who connected to the giant tortoise as it too was a record-breaker,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23hanging around longer on the planet than one of your bad smells.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27No idea what you're talking about, but endurance linked the tortoise
0:26:27 > 0:26:30to the albatross who spends a lot of time with its head in the clouds.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Yep, and travel a long way
0:26:32 > 0:26:35which is exactly what the bull shark loves to do,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36in salt and fresh water.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Next up was the guanaco who was never going to be left high and dry
0:26:39 > 0:26:42because of its clever blood cells helping it to adapt
0:26:42 > 0:26:44to the extreme environment.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Talking of extreme environments, you won't get much more extreme
0:26:49 > 0:26:52than where those Mexican cave-dwellers call home.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Hello?
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Well, at least they seem to be having a whale of a time
0:26:57 > 0:27:01which is exactly what our next extreme animal was doing too -
0:27:01 > 0:27:04namely because it was the sperm whale and, boy, could it dive.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Oh, yes, just like the boobies who also loved diving,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13only their speciality was high diving.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And from high diving to highly bonkers.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19The cascade damselfly diced with death,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21dodging the waterfalls for love.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And we ended with the super sly bladderwort
0:27:26 > 0:27:30which also performed a deadly stunt with falling water.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Which connects us right back to the sailfish
0:27:32 > 0:27:34because they are both highly-skilled hunters.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36You know, I've got to say,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39just watching these extreme animals is exhausting, isn't it?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42There are some pretty extreme animals here in Latin America.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44There is one extreme stunt
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- that I can teach all these animals you know.- Yeah, what's that?
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Extreme sleeping.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Night, night.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Hey, Barney!
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk