Spear Mantis Shrimp Deadly 60 Bites

On Deadly 60, I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.

Here's just one of my many favourites.

This is Deadly 60...Bites!

This time on Deadly 60 we're with the sea gypsies of Borneo.

It's here!

Some of the happiest, smiliest, friendliest people on the planet.

I have absolutely no idea what we're going to find on this programme.

But trust me - we're going to get wet!

Argh!

'The waters around these tropical islands are berserk with wildlife.

'But to give myself the best chance of finding the deadly ones,

'we're cutting through the waves bound for the coral reef.'

Most of the places we go to on the Deadly 60

we're going out with a good idea of the sort of animals

we're likely to find,

but it just isn't like that when you're diving.

Especially on a coral reef, where anything can turn up.

Really, the next dive I could find a tiny brightly-coloured fish

I've never seen before the size of my finger,

or I could get chased by a shark the size of the boat.

You just never know what you're going to find

and that's what makes it so much fun.

A coral reef is a living thing.

Well, actually several billion living things.

All clustered together like some undersea city.

The building blocks of the city are the shell-like skeletons

of millions of microscopic animals

that have built up over thousands of years.

The lumps of coral provide shelter and some surprising animals.

Wow! This is something you don't see very often,

a turtle, properly sleeping.

Look at that!

Sea turtles can sleep under water

because they can stay submerged for three hours!

The reef's not just about shelter.

Because it's a living thing, there are animals that will eat it.

Look at this.

These are...

As you can see, they're feeding on the coral,

munching it down with their hard beaks.

These bumphead parrotfish are about half as big as me.

They graze on the reef like cows graze on a field

and poo out a fine powder that ends up as sand on tropical beaches.

But some reef fish eat even stranger things for dinner.

These plate-shaped fish are called batfish.

They're well known for hanging around

where there's lots of turtles, feeding...

Well, there's no nice way of putting this,

they eat turtle poo.

It seems like a weird way to make a living.

Speaking of turtles, it seems our sleepy friend has woken up.

What a wonderful creature.

It doesn't get much more beautiful than that.

There are so many beautiful animals here,

I just don't know where to look. But the reef has a dark side.

Already, I can see clues that there are deadly predators about.

See what happens.

As a large fish gets close,

they all disappear into the coral.

The tiny fish duck into the shelter of the reef as I pass.

I'd never be able to catch them,

but there are plenty of fish around here that could.

These are...

They're a very fast moving fish,

sticking together and hunting in huge silvery schools like this.

It's an amazing sensation to be totally immersed in fish like this.

Nothing wants to get caught in the open by these guys.

And then another silent hunter, a white-tip reef shark.

How about that! I tell you what, I've not seen that before.

It's almost as if the trevally are mobbing him.

The trevally mob the shark like a small bird will mob a bird of prey,

driving it from their territory.

The powerful shark gives way to the greater number of trevally.

The coral city is buzzing with life,

and a fair few candidates for my Deadly 60 list.

Before I decide, I want to dive when it's dark

and check out the night life.

At night, the sea changes character completely.

Plant-feeding animals hide away and the predators start to hunt

which means more deadly animals.

Loads of creatures with teeth, stings and tentacles,

all out looking for food.

I'm approaching very slowly.

Very purposely,

because what lives in this hole here

is an animal I've been trying to find

for many years.

One of the most remarkable creatures

you'll find anywhere around here

and possibly THE most amazing hunter.

It's called the mantis shrimp.

Let's see if we can get it out to play.

Shrimp by name, but certainly not by nature, this is a lethal assassin.

Oh!

That was absolutely remarkable!

The mantis shrimp strikes!

It's back in its hole.

Wow!

Ha-ha!

When they come out and they catch that shrimp

just like a preying mantis would.

In fact, this stunning killer is neither mantis

nor even a true shrimp.

Some species are known as thumb splitters

for the damage they've done to divers.

Ouch!

Any small fish that gets too close to the burrow is going to be history!

But today, my thumbs are not on the menu!

It's the king of ambush predators,

waiting patiently for its prey...

..then bang, the mantis shrimp uses its claws like some medieval weapon

to stun, then impale its victim before dismantling and devouring it.

Ah!

That...was so fast!

I've heard it said that that strike

can be as fast and have as much power as a small-calibre bullet.

I can't say I disagree.

It has to be one of the most stunning animals you'll find around here.

The mantis shrimp -

absolutely awe-inspiring!

With some species punching with the power of a bullet,

the mantis shrimp is one awesome animal -

wicked weapons, scintillating speed.

One of my favourite Deadly 60 stars.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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