0:00:02 > 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 > 0:00:15Whoa!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17..deadly places,
0:00:17 > 0:00:18deadly adventures
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27HE SCREAMS
0:00:27 > 0:00:28(Deadly.)
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Our odyssey across the planet has brought us to Baja, Mexico.
0:00:39 > 0:00:434,000 miles from the North Pole, it's the thin peninsula that breaks
0:00:43 > 0:00:46the Pacific ocean and the Sea of Cortez.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And this place is bursting with life.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52We'll be heading out into the ocean...
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Look at that! Look, look.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56..in search of an animal of mammoth proportions.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And I have a rather close encounter with a male sea lion.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Look at the size of him!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09But first we're heading inland in search of the largest
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and deadliest snake in Baja.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Oi, ya, ya, ya!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20For the next few days and nights, we're going to be staying
0:01:20 > 0:01:22in a remote base camp in those desert mountains.
0:01:22 > 0:01:28But to get there, we're not going by car - and certainly not by that car.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Instead, we're going to do things the local way.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37So I'm going to be heading up on this beautiful girl.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Right, let's saddle up.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The team and I journey into the desert.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Although it's anything but deserted.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Most of the year this is completely dry, there's no rain at all,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59but in the last few weeks they've had quite a lot and the whole desert has bloomed.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It's very, very green, there's loads of flowers around
0:02:01 > 0:02:05but also all of the desert life here is taking its chance to flourish.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And I'm really confident we're going to find more than our fair share
0:02:10 > 0:02:11of desert deadlies.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But with just two days, we're going to be up against it.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Fortunately, I know this area is a hot spot for rattlesnakes.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29So hopefully, luck will be on our side.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33What a breathtaking place!
0:02:35 > 0:02:37This looks like the perfect spot for our base camp.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Now all we have to do is find out who else is living here.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Our snake hunt begins as the light fades just before dusk.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50In the middle of the day, the heat here in the Baja desert
0:02:50 > 0:02:53can be punishing. There are very few animals that can endure it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Right now, though, it's not too hot, it's not too cold,
0:02:57 > 0:02:58in fact it's just right.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02This is the time when the majority of life gets out and about
0:03:02 > 0:03:03and so for us, it's perfect.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09'Although it's not the easiest environment to move around in.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It kind of seems like everything here is out to get you.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Particularly the plants.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15All of the cactus are covered in really nasty spines
0:03:15 > 0:03:17but this is even worse.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's almost like a stinging nettle but a turbo-charged one,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and it can sting right through your clothing
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and it's the gift that just keeps on giving.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28It's absolutely agonising.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32My entire crew are now itching and scratching and almost crying
0:03:32 > 0:03:34with pain. And they're everywhere.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39But Nick the sound man has found the perfect protection.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Black shin pads. Very nice, aren't they?
0:03:42 > 0:03:47'Yeah... Not sure that'll catch on. Anyway, back to our snake search.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:53They could be anywhere, so no stone is left unturned.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Yes! Fantastic, what a find.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06This is a speckled rattlesnake.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11- RATTLING - What a wonderful sound!
0:04:11 > 0:04:16That is perhaps the most classic warning mechanism
0:04:16 > 0:04:18in the entire natural world.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23The rattle of a rattlesnake. This serves no purpose whatsoever
0:04:23 > 0:04:25for catching its prey. It's only there
0:04:25 > 0:04:29so that this animal doesn't have to strike out at large creatures
0:04:29 > 0:04:32that could be a threat to it but are too big for it to eat.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36When it's born, the rattlesnake doesn't have a full rattle
0:04:36 > 0:04:39like this. It just has one tiny little button at the end
0:04:39 > 0:04:43of the tail. But as it grows and sheds its skin, it'll build up
0:04:43 > 0:04:47successive cusps of dry, brittle skin over the top.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Until it's formed a complete rattle like this,
0:04:51 > 0:04:57and this is vibrated with probably the fastest moving muscle
0:04:57 > 0:05:01in the whole vertebrate world, to create that wonderful buzzing sound.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And I reckon it wouldn't matter if you'd ever seen or heard of
0:05:05 > 0:05:08a rattlesnake before. You hear that sinister sound
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and you know it means a warning.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12You know it means "Leave me well alone,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16"because at my business end I've got some serious venom."
0:05:17 > 0:05:21This is the perfect start to our snake search.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But there's another rattlesnake round here that's even bigger
0:05:24 > 0:05:25and even more venomous.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And that's the one I'm really hoping to find.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It's the largest snake found in Baja.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It's called the red diamond rattlesnake.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Unfortunately, as it gets darker and darker, our chance of finding one
0:05:45 > 0:05:49is looking less likely. But we do find an eight-legged predator.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57This is a good find. This is the Baja tarantula.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01At the moment, this animal is out on the hunt.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05This is a male tarantula and they... Unlike the females, they don't
0:06:05 > 0:06:09tend to stay for many years in burrows. Instead, they'll go out
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and actively search for their prey.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So I'm just going to let him scamper off and carry on hunting.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'It looks like tonight isn't going to be our lucky night,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'so it's back to camp and our sleeping bags.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30'Hopefully, tomorrow we'll be able to find that elusive
0:06:30 > 0:06:31'desert giant.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:41After a quick breakfast,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44it's back out into the desert again,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48as during the day, some very different critters are up and about.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53This lovely looking scorpion.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01This is a classic scorpion that hunts on other scorpions
0:07:01 > 0:07:06and on hard-bodied invertebrates like millipedes and centipedes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09There's over 1,000 different species of scorpions found
0:07:09 > 0:07:11around the world and the venoms differ enormously,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15from some which are easily powerful enough to kill an adult human being
0:07:15 > 0:07:17to others that are no more than a wasp sting.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19This one here is somewhere in the middle.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23It'd really hurt for probably a couple of days, might make me sick
0:07:23 > 0:07:24but it isn't going to kill me.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26But to be on the safe side,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I'm going to put him back where I found him.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'And as we continue searching, I find another mini marvel.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:42This bizarre little bit of wandering fluff,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46which kind of looks like a clockwork toy, is a velvet ant.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50'But they aren't actually ants - they're flightless wasps
0:07:50 > 0:07:53'and this female has a deadly trait not to be messed with.'
0:07:56 > 0:07:59They actually have a surprisingly unpleasant sting.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04But at the moment it's not showing any signs of getting stuck into me.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Let's hope it doesn't change its mind.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I wouldn't want to get stung by one.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12They have the nickname The Cow Killer,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16because the sting is thought to be so painful, it could kill a cow.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22'As we get into golden hour again,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25'I'm hoping we're going to find our elusive rattler.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32'We have everyone out looking, and it pays off.'
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Here we go.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Sounds like one of our fellas has found something.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46We have a snake on the move hunting. It's a rattlesnake.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Let's get in and get a closer look.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Ah, perfect. Because this is exactly what I really hoped to find.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Yeah, ya!
0:09:01 > 0:09:05All of a sudden it's the last place you want to be handling
0:09:05 > 0:09:09a highly venomous snake. There's spines and prickles
0:09:09 > 0:09:14and stinging bushes everywhere, but none of them compare
0:09:14 > 0:09:17to what this snake is capable of doing.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22This is the red diamond rattlesnake.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It's an absolute beauty
0:09:25 > 0:09:30and a really good size as well. Oi, ya, ya, ya!
0:09:30 > 0:09:35It's quite warm because we are now at the end of the day,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39it's had the whole day to warm up and now...
0:09:41 > 0:09:45..it's thinking about heading out in search of food.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48'And their hunting technique is all about senses.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:51And it's got very big eyes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Its visual acuity is actually really, really good.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56That tongue that's flickering around at the moment,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59its sense of taste, is incredibly accurate.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03But it also has the heat-sensitive pits in its face.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06They are pit vipers and able to sense prey even in total darkness
0:10:06 > 0:10:10purely from the heat that their body gives off as they move.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Like all rattlesnakes,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16they can perceive the world like a thermal camera,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20forming an image of the animal using just heat.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Even in complete darkness, they can catch their prey
0:10:26 > 0:10:27with perfect accuracy.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The red diamond rattlesnake is actually quite unusual.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39What we saw earlier on as we came up to it is quite typical of this
0:10:39 > 0:10:40particular animal.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44They go out and they actively seek their prey. Most rattlesnakes
0:10:44 > 0:10:47will find themselves a good spot and sit and wait, but the red diamond
0:10:47 > 0:10:50is much more proactive in how it finds its prey.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54I have to say that I really wouldn't want to be a rat or a mouse
0:10:54 > 0:10:56out on a night like tonight with snakes like this
0:10:56 > 0:10:57just waiting to feed.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06If you look at the centre of this snake, it's got quite a decent bulge
0:11:06 > 0:11:07where the stomach is.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I reckon this one has had a meal of at least a couple of rodents
0:11:10 > 0:11:14in the last 24 hours. But it's still hungry for more.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17The red diamond rattler.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Fiercely toxic, active hunter
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and the largest rattlesnake in Baja.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Undeniably deadly.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30With fast-acting and fiery venom,
0:11:30 > 0:11:31actively seeking out its prey...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36..hunting with heat-detecting pits...
0:11:38 > 0:11:43..there's no doubt this Mexican rattler is... Deadly.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Next, we leave the desert behind and head to the Baja coast.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55To find an animal of mammoth proportions.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The crew and I are heading out into the Sea of Cortez for
0:12:03 > 0:12:08a mind-blowing encounter with a real serene, sublime, super-sized giant.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11This is the largest fish on the planet.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The biggest cold-blooded creature on earth.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17It's the whale shark.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21This huge fish can be up to 20m in length
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and an incredible 34 tonnes,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27which is as much as a passenger jet plane.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Even though they're big, they actually feed on
0:12:30 > 0:12:33the smallest animals of the ocean - plankton.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38So they need to eat huge amounts of them, and that means they need
0:12:38 > 0:12:39a mighty big mouth.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And they've got one. It's up to one-and-a-half metres wide.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Even though they're so big, they pose no danger to human beings,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55so this will be a truly magical experience.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59But before we've even left the harbour,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01we spot another ocean beauty.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Dolphin!
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Big pod of dolphin just ahead of us.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I think they're bottlenose dolphins.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17The Sea of Cortez is one of those places on Earth that just
0:13:17 > 0:13:19seems to be bursting with life.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22It doesn't matter what you go out looking for, you always find
0:13:22 > 0:13:23something else exciting
0:13:23 > 0:13:28and any day when you're surrounded by this many dolphins
0:13:28 > 0:13:30is going to be a good one.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And Johnny, the cameraman, and I can't resist getting in the water
0:13:35 > 0:13:36to take a closer look.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47'There are so many of them.'
0:13:56 > 0:13:58But unfortunately we can't stay long.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02We need to get back on the mission.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09That's a pretty good start to the day,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but this is nothing compared to the main event.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20And our luck is in.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24We have some friends further down the coast who have another boat
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and they've seen a whale shark. They've given us a call.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30So we're getting down there as fast as we possibly can to try and see
0:14:30 > 0:14:32if we can get there before it disappears.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Look at that! Look, look, look.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44See the mouth open coming straight towards us now, it's feeding.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48This great, cavernous black hole, look at that!
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Gulping right close to the surface.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I think we need to get in the water.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15It's hard to believe, but this whale shark is actually a small one.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They can be four times bigger.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Even the tail seems to be bigger than I am.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Despite the fact that they just seem to be cruising along with just
0:15:44 > 0:15:48a few lazy flicks of the tail, they're moving surprisingly fast.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Believe me, trying to keep up with them is really, really tough.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54But there are lots of other predators here that are much
0:15:54 > 0:15:57quicker than the whale shark and would choose to try
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and get stuck into them for a meal.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The way they get around that is by having the thickest skin
0:16:02 > 0:16:04of any animal on earth.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The skin itself can be that thick, it's like an incredible
0:16:08 > 0:16:11suit of armour that protects them as they're feeding.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16This may be a big, lumbering giant, but it's far from defenceless.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24The shark is motoring along, chowing down plankton.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27So we get back on the boat to keep up with it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Well, Johnny gets on the boat - I try a different method.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33There is an easier way to travel.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36You know, by sitting on the boat like a normal person.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Each to their own, I suppose.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43It seemed like a good way to travel but it really isn't!
0:16:45 > 0:16:47'No, it was a terrible idea,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'so I get back on the boat and we catch up
0:16:50 > 0:16:53'with our whale shark and get back in the water.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Now the whale shark's doing big circles while it's feeding,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06so hopefully it'll be easier to keep up.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11This huge fish feeds on such tiny organisms.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16The plankton float in the ocean currents and although microscopic,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19whale sharks gulp them down in their millions.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28As the whale shark's swimming along, it's not just passively opening
0:17:28 > 0:17:30its mouth and letting the plankton flow through,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33it's gulping down food. It can sense where it is,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and it snatches out with its mouth towards it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40This is actually, bizarrely as it seems, an active predator,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44and they have even been seen gulping down shoals of fish too.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49But these fish are taking the chance,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53hitching a ride on the pressure wave created by the whale shark.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Although it seems risky being so close to that giant mouth.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It is one of the great animals to be in the water with.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11They're so huge, they just make you feel very, very small.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16What an experience, swimming alongside this giant of the ocean.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The whale shark hoovering down millions of baby animals
0:18:39 > 0:18:42every single day. The largest fish on the planet
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and the largest shark. It's a true Deadly record breaker.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49The largest cold-blooded animal.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55With the thickest skin on Earth.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57And a huge mouth to gulp down prey.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02The whale shark - a Deadly record breaker.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Deadly.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12But before we head in for the day, there's one more Mexican predator
0:19:12 > 0:19:13I'd like to try and see.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16And there's an island here that's famous for them.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22The Sea of Cortez is truly stuffed full of fish
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and whenever you've got an ecosystem like that, you're bound to have
0:19:25 > 0:19:28top-of-the-line predators who are scoffing them down.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Right here it's Californian sea lions.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33One of the most playful but also the most potent predators
0:19:33 > 0:19:34you'll ever find.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Sea lions are the speed demons of the natural world.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Their manoeuvrability and acrobatic prowess
0:19:44 > 0:19:47means they can catch their prey with ease.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54And with sea lions all around, we don't waste any time.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57We kit up and get straight into the water.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00One, two, three, go!
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'We've met sea lions before on our Pole to Pole journey,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08'but I want to take this one stage further.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11'This time I'm hoping for an encounter with one of
0:20:11 > 0:20:12'the huge males.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:18This is like swimming in the most extraordinary aquarium!
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Literally hundreds of different species of brightly coloured fish
0:20:23 > 0:20:28all flying around my ears like little birds.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29It's exquisite.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- 'And- we seem to have found the young seals' playground.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Hello!
0:20:48 > 0:20:52These cracks and crevices in amongst the rocks are protected
0:20:52 > 0:20:54from the waves and the tides.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58It's the perfect place for the females and for the youngsters
0:20:58 > 0:21:00to relax and lounge around.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10This is wonderful!
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'But it's the males I really want to see,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'so we continue looking around the reef.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25'And in no time at all, the guest of honour arrives.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:32This is a male and he is enormous.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Look at the size of him!
0:21:38 > 0:21:41When you see a male and a female together, you might almost think
0:21:41 > 0:21:44they were different animals.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46He is so much bigger.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I mean, what you can see now is the reason why the male sea lions
0:21:52 > 0:21:53are so big.
0:21:54 > 0:22:00It's all about battling other males to gain the right to territory
0:22:00 > 0:22:01and to females.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07These battles can be terrifying.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09They draw blood and can even kill.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14I wouldn't want to be stuck in between a territorial battle
0:22:14 > 0:22:15of that nature.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23I'm trying very hard not to breathe out too much.
0:22:24 > 0:22:30Because quite often sea lions will blow bubbles underwater
0:22:30 > 0:22:34as a symbol of defiance, as a threat,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39and the last thing I want to do is to make this big fella think
0:22:39 > 0:22:42that I'm trying to challenge him!
0:22:43 > 0:22:46You see that? As he came round towards the camera there,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48blowing out bubbles.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54That, along with barking underwater and showing off the teeth,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57those are all big signs of dominance.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Always the sea lion letting us know that he is the most powerful kid
0:23:02 > 0:23:05on the block.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08These animals really have the potential to do great damage.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11A fearsome bite force...
0:23:14 > 0:23:19And a little nudge like that towards the camera or towards me
0:23:19 > 0:23:23is a way of letting us know what he is truly capable of.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37He's just kind of lying on the bottom as if he's having a snooze.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40But this is an air breathing mammal.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Oh, wow!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Well, that was definitely a threat.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56There's no doubt this big male wants to let me know who's boss.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59He's back again, to your left, Johnny!
0:23:59 > 0:24:04'This male is warning us off, so we back away and head for the surface.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:15Sea lions have an image as being comics of the underwater world,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and that is justified, they're very, very playful, but then when
0:24:18 > 0:24:22you come nose to nose with a big adult male, all of a sudden
0:24:22 > 0:24:25you feel very, very small and insignificant.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Oh, wow!
0:24:28 > 0:24:31They're so territorial, those big teeth
0:24:31 > 0:24:33and they let you know who's boss.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39'But as the male moves on, I've got one last thing I'd like to try
0:24:39 > 0:24:40'with these top predators.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I think it's the great curse of being a human being that
0:24:45 > 0:24:48the only way you can be in a seal's world is with all of this kit.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Scuba tanks and a mask and it makes you really cumbersome.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56What I'd really like to do is experience things as the seals do.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's called free diving.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It's probably the most liberating and exciting way of experiencing
0:25:02 > 0:25:06the sea, and when you've got seals around you as well, even better.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Before I enter the water, I'll need to take series of very deep
0:25:12 > 0:25:16breaths and saturate all my muscles with oxygen,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18then I'll dive down on a single breath.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34As I dive, I instantly find a playmate.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Being able to stay under the water for long periods of time
0:25:41 > 0:25:43is so important to the sea lions.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It means they can hunt continuously for up to 30 hours,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48doing hundreds of dives.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51They're one of the natural world's top free divers.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58They can hold their breath for up to 12 minutes on a single dive
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and they're hard to keep up with, even without my tanks.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Although this girl allows me to glide alongside.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'What an experience.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'I could stay down here all day - if I had the lungs for it.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33'But I haven't, so I head for the surface.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:45Well, it's one thing to be in the water with a sea lion on tanks,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48all cumbersome and heavy, but seriously, to do it
0:26:48 > 0:26:52on their terms is almost a life-changing experience.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58I think that sea lions are dazzling, dainty dancers of the deep,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and definitely deadly.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Staying underwater for 12 minutes on one breath.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Males will fight to the death for the best territories.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And they're the fastest seals on the planet.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17They're beautiful, but undeniably...
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Deadly.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Join me next time for more Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Oi, ya, ya!
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Look at the size of him!
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Oh, wow!
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Deadly.