0:00:03 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And this is Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Oh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13From the top of the world to the bottom.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Whoa!
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Deadly places.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Deadly adventures.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20And deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Argh!
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Deadly!
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Hola, hola!
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This time on Deadly Pole to Pole we're in Cuba
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and kicking off in style.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's the largest island in the Caribbean
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and a place that's legendary for its music,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49its culture, its salsa dancing
0:00:49 > 0:00:51and its classic cars,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54but we're here to show you a completely different side to Cuba -
0:00:54 > 0:00:55the deadly side!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I'll be calling out for a prehistoric predator.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02HE CALLS OUT
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Wah!
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And going in search of subterranean snakes.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Plus meeting the mightiest mouth on the reef.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And it's going to be really cool if I manage to keep all my fingers!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Ah, ow!
0:01:24 > 0:01:26From the start of our journey in Svalbard in the Arctic circle,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29we travelled nearly 5,000 miles to reach
0:01:29 > 0:01:33the Caribbean island of Cuba. We're pretty much halfway down.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Off the Cuban coast is an uninhabited island chain.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Somewhere in these coral seas hunts a vast reptile.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48The American crocodile.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53The biggest are longer than a minibus,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and more than half as heavy.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And the bite is bad!
0:02:01 > 0:02:03All crocodiles tend to be most active at night,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05so that's when our search begins.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10After a few hours, we get contact.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14We've had a call on the radio for a boat that's moored up
0:02:14 > 0:02:16about five minutes away from here.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18They reckon they've got a large crocodile that's come in to
0:02:18 > 0:02:20the back of the boat looking for scraps.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I have no idea quite how big this is going to be
0:02:23 > 0:02:26but this could be our chance to see the American crocodile at its best.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31This looks like it.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Right, let's go see what we've got.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Hola.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- Hey, guys.- Como esta?- Hi.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Right. Yes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55That is a proper American crocodile.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59At this size it's almost certainly a male,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02the females don't get to be as large as the guys do
0:03:02 > 0:03:06and I'm guessing that he's got a pretty potent bite force.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Crocodilians have the highest recorded bite force
0:03:09 > 0:03:11of any creatures on the planet.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17This pressure gauge tests bite force,
0:03:17 > 0:03:18and to get a decent chomp,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21the croc needs to sense there's food to be had.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28And when pressure's applied to it...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31the force is recorded on this meter here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35All we've gotta do is get this guy to pay us some attention.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36OK.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42Crocodiles have completely individual personalities,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46so I really can't predict how this animal's going to react,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and this one looks like he's paying us some interest.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I'll just get my feet out the way.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Right. Here he comes.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04OK, that's just a little nibble with the front part of the jaw,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08it's now going to use the whole body to try and wrench that.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Oh, wow! Just the slightest squeeze of the jaws
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and the gauge goes zipping up.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Yes!
0:04:27 > 0:04:29That's a big croc.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35He's gone over 1,000lbs per square inch.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40That's one of the strongest bites we've ever recorded on Deadly.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Only outdone by its cousin, the saltwater croc.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49But from the surface, you see only a hint of the croc's powers.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52We want to see one underwater.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57It's too dangerous to attempt at night so we're waiting for daybreak.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05In the sunlight, we'll be able to see,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09so there's less chance of a croc springing a surprise attack.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11So all we need now is to find one.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16These islands are dotted with loads of paradise beaches.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And it's a perfect place to start looking for crocodile signs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Are you all right there, mate?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29The beach is covered with animal tracks,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32but none look like crocodile, so what are they?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- Look! - There's lots of them.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Look at that.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39This is absolutely remarkable.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41There are wild animals scurrying towards me
0:05:41 > 0:05:44from all over the place.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I feel like I've landed on Dr Doolittle's island.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And one of them has to be one of the most curious looking critters
0:05:52 > 0:05:54I have ever seen.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Look at this!
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I can't believe it, he really is just going to wander up
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and take this out of my hand.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04This is a Cuban hutia.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's a kind of rodent. Oh, oops.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Essentially a massive hamster and they only occur in Cuba.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It's like someone rang the dinner bell
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and all of a sudden all of the bushes
0:06:22 > 0:06:24have just erupted with life.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28We've got a hermit crab coming towards us as well.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Look at that, it really is coming into the food.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Surely the hermit crabs aren't going to come
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and take things out of my hand, that would be too bizarre for words.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Nope.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Looks like the iguana might be about to dart in. No?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Look at that.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56You are the most curious looking creature. It's like someone's taken
0:06:56 > 0:06:59the head of a beaver and stuck it onto a wallaby.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I was expecting Cuba's wildlife to be special...
0:07:06 > 0:07:08..but not quite this special.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Unfortunately though, we're on the hunt for deadly animals,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and I'm not sure that any of this lot qualify.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20But an American croc definitely will.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Noel, our Cuban biologist, is taking us to a lagoon
0:07:23 > 0:07:25where crocs are often seen
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and apparently there's a good chance they might even come and find us.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35HE CALLS OUT
0:07:35 > 0:07:38The wild crocodiles here are sometimes fed by the locals.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41HE CALLS OUT
0:07:41 > 0:07:43When they hear these calls
0:07:43 > 0:07:46they know there's opportunity for a free feed.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52I know this seems ludicrous that we could be calling in
0:07:52 > 0:07:56an ancient reptile merely by shouting out its name,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59but these animals are surprisingly intelligent and they're very,
0:07:59 > 0:08:00very driven by sound,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and there is already a crocodile heading straight towards us.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16- So this is extremely... - Everyone nice and quiet for a second.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20I can't even begin to tell you how unusual this is.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22There are certainly not many places in the world
0:08:22 > 0:08:27where you can have a wild crocodile deliberately come this close to you
0:08:27 > 0:08:30without any sign whatsoever of aggression.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It's not fully grown, but its senses are fully formed.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And this one here, you can see how much it's driven by vibrations,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42if I just thrash the water slightly with my hand.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The sound mimics the splashing of an injured fish or other animal
0:08:47 > 0:08:49in the water.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52They're detected by sensory bumps in the lip scales.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's going to come straight towards me,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58and I'm going to take my fingers out of the water cos otherwise
0:08:58 > 0:08:59I think I'd probably lose them.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03If you think I'm being over-dramatic,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05a few years ago in Argentina...
0:09:07 > 0:09:09..I accidentally stepped on a croc this size.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Whah!
0:09:17 > 0:09:22That was a cayman and I've just been given a really nasty bite.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26A lucky escape, but I still needed ten stitches in my leg.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34So, youngster or not, he gets my full respect and attention.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42There aren't many rules for diving with crocodiles,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45mostly because not many people have been dumb enough to do it.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50So I'm going to stick to the rules I use for swimming with sharks.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Be confident and big in the water.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Don't flail hands and feet around that could look like fishy food.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04OK, here goes nothing.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08And the last rule,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12keep your eyes on the animal, so they can't take you by surprise.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17But as the visibility disappears in a puff of sediment,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21the croc is suddenly invisible. Where have they gone?
0:10:21 > 0:10:25You've got one at your ten o'clock, about ten metres away, just gone under.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Be careful, fellas. It's right ahead of you now.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Yeah, I see him.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's such a chilling sight...
0:10:35 > 0:10:39..having a crocodile head straight towards you like this...
0:10:41 > 0:10:45..particularly when they're capable of just dropping out of sight...
0:10:45 > 0:10:49and becoming invisible when they're just metres away from you.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57But this, after all, is the entire hunting strategy of every crocodile.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Steve, there's another one here on the right. Bigger.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Another croc, as long as I am tall.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09A much more menacing beast to share the water with.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16He's walking along the ground, using the broad paddle-shaped tail.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22There's certainly not many places in the world you could do this,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26where you can be that close to this set of teeth.
0:11:27 > 0:11:33I mean, I know this isn't a monster croc but it's still enough.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39But when you lose sight of it...
0:11:41 > 0:11:43..it sends a chill up your spine. Where's it gone?
0:11:53 > 0:11:56His head is this far from my leg.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I don't want to move because
0:12:01 > 0:12:03any movement might make me look like food.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Hold your nerve.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13No sudden movements, and somehow
0:12:13 > 0:12:16keep an eye on two separate circling crocodiles.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24But they're not trying to munch me.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26They think there's easy food around,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28we just need to make sure we are not it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Such a magnificent creature.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35When he's on the surface like this,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40the eyes have a fabulous green dinosaur quality to them.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46But when he's underwater, like now...
0:12:49 > 0:12:51..its eyes almost seem milky.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56That's because he has an extra eyelid called a nictitating membrane
0:12:56 > 0:12:58which closes over the eyes, protects them,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01functions almost like a pair of swimmer's goggles.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09So underwater, they can see, but probably not that well.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Instead they focus on vibrations,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and the wake left behind by swimming fish.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Fully grown males might hunt at the surface for birds,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19or decent sized mammals.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25They can lie perfectly still under the water for 30 minutes or more
0:13:25 > 0:13:26on a single breath.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The body's covered with bony scales -
0:13:31 > 0:13:36armour that protects them from prey and sneaky attacks from other crocs.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41All that and 60 to 80 cone-shaped pointy teeth.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45The American crocodile,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48one of the largest reptiles in the world and this is one of
0:13:48 > 0:13:51the only places where you're able to get into the water with one.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53There is no doubt they're deadly,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and I feel very lucky to have kept all my fingers.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Phew!
0:14:00 > 0:14:02A bulky beast with a bone-breaking bite.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Explosive speed.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Sneaky ambush hunting.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Another crocodile,
0:14:14 > 0:14:15that is delightfully...
0:14:16 > 0:14:17Deadly!
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Back on Cuba's mainland, we're seeking a slippery assassin
0:14:23 > 0:14:26in a spooky horror-show hideaway.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Everything about this mission is deadly.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Beneath Cuba's countryside are cave systems stretching miles.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37In years of caving, I've been scared, squeezed
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and just plain stuck, so I'm not wild about this!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Well, it doesn't look like much yet,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49just like a kind of big slash in the ground,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53but there's something very, very special inside this cave.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57There's at least half a million bats roosting inside
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and many, many other predators that have come here
0:14:59 > 0:15:00to take advantage of that.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And one that can only be found here.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10It senses the bats as they fly by, and snatches them in total darkness.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13The Cuban boa.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16To show them to you,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I'm going to have to take a journey into the underworld.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24These animals choose to live here in darkness for a reason.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27So as not to disturb them and cause a flying stampede,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29we're switching to infrared light.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35We can't see it, the bats can't see it, but our special cameras can.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39So from now on we'll be working almost in complete darkness.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And when you can't see very well,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46all of a sudden you start to feel uneasy
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and particularly here in this cave
0:15:48 > 0:15:51where there are the kind of sounds of things moving around you
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and occasionally you'll see something scuttling off into
0:15:54 > 0:15:57the darkness but you're not quite sure what it is.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59It really, really gives you the fear.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08The very floor seems to be moving, crawling with cockroaches.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12They're feasting on guano,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15the droppings of thousands of bats roosting on the ceiling above.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Look at that.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Heavily armoured cockroach.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28I guess, for many people, this would probably be the reason why
0:16:28 > 0:16:30this cave is an absolute nightmare,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32but actually they're totally harmless to us.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36But they can turn their tastes to flesh.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Any bat that falls from the ceiling won't last long.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46A little deeper into this nightmarish world
0:16:46 > 0:16:49stalks the classic cave predator.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Oh, oh, wow.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54This is a whip spider.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Ah, here we go, here we go.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Yeah, perfect, there you go, look at that.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07So this is an arachnid, but they're not a true spider.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10They have eight legs but they also have two highly developed,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13they're called pedipalps, here at the front of the head
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and those are used for snatching out at their prey.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20They're armed with incredible barbed spikes
0:17:20 > 0:17:25and any cave cricket that wanders too close is going to be history.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Right, let's get him back on the wall.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31But where are those bats?
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Our mission to find the cave boa has now taken over two hours
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and we've travelled nearly half a mile into the cave.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45If we can find the main concentration of bats,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47the boas hunting them won't be far away.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Unbelievable.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Now that is what I call a bat cave!
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of animals,
0:18:05 > 0:18:10and I can feel this wall of heat coming off from them,
0:18:10 > 0:18:11from all of their bodies.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19Caves like this are an absolute hell for human beings.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21They are hot, they're humid,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24we are ankle deep in poo, creepy crawlies everywhere,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28but for bats they're a kind of paradise.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The temperature in here is constant,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32they're safe from the elements, from the weather,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36and this is a place where they can come and they can roost during
0:18:36 > 0:18:38the day and be pretty much safe.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43Safe, that is, apart from one rather terrifying predator
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and that's what I've come in here to try and find.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52But we don't just find one, instead we find a whole bundle of snakes.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Ah, I've got one, I've got one! I've got several in fact.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Oh my, there's loads of them! No way!
0:19:05 > 0:19:07So...
0:19:07 > 0:19:11this is why we've come to this cave,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16Cuban boas, and they are pretty much everywhere.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23And there's one reason why this snake is here, and one reason alone,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and that's to feast on bats.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I'm just trying to keep my eyes on this snake
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but I can't really see it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35This is a really substantial snake
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and I wasn't really expecting to find anything this big,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41but I guess when there's this much food around...
0:19:41 > 0:19:45you can grow to be a really good size and this snake is really fat.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I can feel inside him several bats that he's feasted on,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50probably this evening.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00In pitch darkness, boas can't rely on eyesight to catch bats.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07But they do have several senses that enable them to find their prey,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11the first of those, as with all snakes, is their tongue.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15You can see this one here now, its tongue's flickering out on the air
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and it's drawing in smells from the world around it.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21That'll help it to zone in on bats that are roosting in the walls
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and in the ceiling,
0:20:23 > 0:20:28but also it has special scales on the lip which can see heat.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32For us to see in the dark like a snake
0:20:32 > 0:20:35we have to use a hi tech bit of kit that detects heat,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37it's called a thermal imaging camera.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Warm blooded bats glow red against the cooler background.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48This may be how the cave and its bats seem to a hunting cave boa.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Then it'll snatch it on the air as it fly's past,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57grab a hold of it with their sharp curbed teeth
0:20:57 > 0:20:59so that it's not going to get away,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02then throw coils of their body around it
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08For something as small as a bat,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11it'll probably simply crush all the internal organs.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The Cuban boa, it may make its home in a nightmare of a place,
0:21:20 > 0:21:26but for me this is a dream of a snake and undoubtedly deadly.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Thermal senses to hunt in the dark.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Vice-like coils to crush prey.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37A mouthful of sharp teeth.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41A hanging, dangling,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43bat-catching snake.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Deadly!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Last, but not least,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53is the mighty mouth of the Goliath of legend.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And the Cuban reefs are its stalking and hunting grounds.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13These Caribbean reef sharks would be a more obvious choice.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Ah, yeah, I see.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21But even they show respect, and give way to a huge-headed hunter.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31The water is filled with predators.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Caribbean reef sharks, Nassau grouper, Black grouper
0:22:35 > 0:22:38but there's one animal that is totally ruling,
0:22:38 > 0:22:39it's the Goliath grouper.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Oh, here we go!
0:22:44 > 0:22:45That is the big mamma!
0:22:47 > 0:22:49This is the magnificent,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53massive fish we've come all this way to find.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's so big and bulky, the mouth could swallow my head whole!
0:23:01 > 0:23:04All the other animals give it a wide berth
0:23:04 > 0:23:05and a lot of respect.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11This is a pretty good size for live grouper,
0:23:11 > 0:23:18it probably weighs twice as much as me, but they get to be even bigger.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21The record size was 363kg.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Which is as much as a small horse.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Those enormous, great big trouty lips give them a really weird comedy
0:23:33 > 0:23:38appearance, but there's nothing comedy about the way they hunt.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The Goliath has one of the biggest bites on the reef.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50They can gobble up fish, octopus,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54even spiny crabs and lobsters in a single bite.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59To see this mega mouth in action
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I'm going to try and handfeed a Goliath grouper.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08And it's going to be really cool if I manage to keep all my fingers!
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Here he comes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15He's coming in.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Holy moley!
0:24:21 > 0:24:23That is out of this world.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29You can see all along...
0:24:29 > 0:24:35the bottom jaw are rows of tiny sharp teeth,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39those are fantastic for hanging on to larger fish.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46Once it's inside that huge trap, the prey simply stands no chance.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Three rows of tiny teeth,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51spines that can be erected on their back for protection
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and they're a super sucker.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I've got my eye on you!
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Ah, geez! Ow!
0:24:59 > 0:25:01OK, I was a little bit too slow...
0:25:04 > 0:25:06..and took in my hand as well as the fish.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09It's all right though, no harm done.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Wow, he is such an ominous presence,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17just hanging over the top of the reef...
0:25:17 > 0:25:19SONIC BOOM
0:25:19 > 0:25:20Did you hear that!
0:25:22 > 0:25:23SONIC BOOM
0:25:25 > 0:25:29These fish have the ability to twang their swim bladder,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32it's an organ that regulates buoyancy...
0:25:32 > 0:25:37and it sends a sharp sound out into the water...
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Whoa, crikey.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42..which is very much a warning,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46a threat to other fish, or to me,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and you can feel it, it hits you right in the chest.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55For a beast this bulky, the final impact is dazzling quick.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01To figure out what's going on, we need to slow time down a bit,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and our underwater camera can do just that.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Here he comes.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16He's coming in.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20That is out of this world.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25The jaws, moving outwards,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28to create a pocket-sized cavern
0:26:28 > 0:26:30that suck the fish in.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34The fish I've been feeding this Goliath
0:26:34 > 0:26:36have barely touched the sides.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I've heard at this size they can eat whole lobsters.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45The ship's cook was planning on serving us this for supper!
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Coming in.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Amazing!
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It makes a vacuum, almost like a hoover,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and the lobster was dragged out of my fingers
0:26:58 > 0:27:00into that cavernous mouth.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06The Goliath grouper, a fish with incredible presence
0:27:06 > 0:27:11and character that could probably swallow my whole head.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16It's the biggest mouth on the reef and I reckon they're deadly!
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Their sonic boom can scare off sharks.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Munching lobsters in one go.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29The size and weight of a swimming horse.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31The Goliath grouper, a big fish
0:27:31 > 0:27:33with an even bigger personality.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Deadly!
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Hola.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Join me next time as I continue my journey.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Deadly!