0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09..and 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! Ha-ha!
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Deadly places, deadly adventures
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And you're coming with me,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25every step of the way!
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Argh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:33We're continuing our adventure into South America...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38..as we explore deeper into the jungles of Guiana.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Guiana lies just north of the equator.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Over 70% of it is covered in dense forests
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and much of it is totally unexplored.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Now, me and my crew are on an expedition
0:00:53 > 0:00:55into its most remote reaches.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The entire team is heading upriver for about four or five hours,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02way into the jungle.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04What we find there, we have no idea,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06but trust me, it's going to be deadly.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11'We're going fishing for a reptilian monster...'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13How did he get out of that?!
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Argh!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18'..coming eye to eye with a high-voltage horror...'
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Holy moly!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'..and living rough in the heart of darkness.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Wow! Look at that!
0:01:27 > 0:01:28We have liftoff!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32We're motoring up the Rupununi River.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Deep in the jungle, we're setting up a remote base camp.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46For the next five days, this is going to be home.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50This looks...
0:01:50 > 0:01:52like it doesn't get any better. This is perfect.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06As the sun goes down, we head back out onto the river.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18There is no doubt that the best time to be out and about
0:02:18 > 0:02:19in the rainforest is at night.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24This is when things really start to happen.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28All of a sudden, you see animals you simply would not see in the daytime.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32'And it's under the cover of darkness
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'when the largest predator in these rivers comes out to hunt.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41'We're on the search for the giant black caiman.'
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Black caiman can grow to be longer than a minibus.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48They're aquatic ambush hunters
0:02:48 > 0:02:52with one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56And I'm hoping to catch one.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10What we're looking out for with our torches is eye shine.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Crocodiles have a reflective layer of cells at the back
0:03:13 > 0:03:16of their eyeballs which enhances their night vision
0:03:16 > 0:03:18but it also glows under light.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It kind of looks like a burning, red-hot coal.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25So just flickering the torch around at the edge of the water
0:03:25 > 0:03:28quite often will give away the presence of a crocodile.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32'But the first blood-red pair of eyes
0:03:32 > 0:03:33'is a more precious find.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:43This...
0:03:43 > 0:03:48is an inhabitant of the river that we just haven't been seeing by day.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53But at night time, its wonderful eye shine gave it away.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It's a dwarf caiman
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and they are one of the smallest species of crocodilians
0:03:58 > 0:03:59found on the planet,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01but size isn't everything.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04They are real fighters and at the moment,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08the armoured scales - called scoots - behind the head
0:04:08 > 0:04:10are cutting right into my hand.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14They're really, really tough and fantastic at protecting the animal.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16They feed primarily on fish
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and they do it by sensing their vibration in the water.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Running all down the lips are scales
0:04:22 > 0:04:24which are packed full of nerve endings,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27which are incredibly sensitive to movement in the water,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31so if a fish gets too close to that spiky trap,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34it'll snap out at it, catch it and swallow it whole.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40And there's no doubt that this animal really does mean business. It took me quite a lot to restrain him.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46And...this one here, he's probably only just over a metre in length.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53On any other trip this would be the absolute prize of our search.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But round here we can go one better.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03But to catch a black caiman, I'm going to need some backup.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Out on the main river, I'm meeting up with a caiman capture team.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14This team of scientists is keeping a close eye on the caiman population.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Historically, caiman around here were hunted almost to extinction.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Now they are starting to make a real recovery, and that's thanks in no small part to surveys like this.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29It's really important to find out how many animals there are and how they're doing.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And to do that, you've got to catch them.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Black caimans get to be possibly 5m in length,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41which is really enormous.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45I mean, a croc of that size could probably turn our boat over, so we
0:05:45 > 0:05:49are going to have to have enormous amounts of respect for these animals if we do manage to catch one.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54We need to slip a noose over the caiman's head.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58But even with an expert capture team, this isn't going to be easy.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Caiman have highly tuned senses for hunting in the dark.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07They can see, feel and hear us coming.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They are also muscular powerhouses.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19How did it get out of that?!
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But lead scientist Fernando isn't giving up.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Right, this one looks like it might just work.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Yes, he's got it, he's got it!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I've got it, yeah, yeah.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Yeah, we have him.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Success. He's a good-sized animal as well.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48The noose is now behind the caiman's head.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49This isn't going to do it any harm.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56To examine the caiman, we have to get it to the river bank.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58Whoa!
0:06:58 > 0:07:01He is so strong.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Tossing our boat round all over the place.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07To keep the team safe, we need to keep those jaws shut.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Crocodilians have the strongest crushing bite in the animal kingdom.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16But the muscles that open the jaws are actually quite weak,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so they can be held shut with just a piece of electrical tape.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27We can now haul this monster on to dry land.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Caiman are in the alligator family,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and when you look at the snout it is classically alligator-like.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45That means that it is relatively short in this direction,
0:07:45 > 0:07:51quite broad here, which means it can exert really large bite forces.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Inside this mouth are 60-80 cone-shaped teeth.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Those can be replaced throughout its life,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00so if it breaks them it will grow new ones back.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04As we go down the body, you can see here behind the neck
0:08:04 > 0:08:07are these heavily armoured scoots,
0:08:07 > 0:08:13or scales, which protect the animal. That's why our noose is not going to do it any harm whatsoever.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19You see the front feet are not webbed, and these are mostly used for walking along the bottom.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25The back feet, though, do have webbing between the toes.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30They can be used for doing a sort of breast-stroke, although when they are travelling fast
0:08:30 > 0:08:33these legs will fold in flat alongside the body, like that,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and this thick, broad tail will be used
0:08:36 > 0:08:38to drive it forwards.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42You can see here that great pack of muscle
0:08:42 > 0:08:45is what's used to power this tail.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It's a phenomenal body plan,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52one that hasn't changed in tens of millions of years.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56And the reason for that is it's incredibly successful.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00it has the ability to change different prey sources depending on what's available.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04It can feed on birds, it can feed on mammals, it can feed on fish.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06That's what makes it so successful.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Before we release this magnificent beast
0:09:11 > 0:09:14we're taking measurements for the survey.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17This data will help ensure these black caiman
0:09:17 > 0:09:18continue to thrive here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31The black caiman - strong, powerful and supremely adaptable.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And the finest predator found in these waters.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Without doubt, deadly.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Ready, guys?- Yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49He's going to be hunting this river for a very long time yet.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54As long as a limousine.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57Huge, crushing jaws.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Hard, armour-plated bodies, packed with muscle.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The black caiman is a near-perfect predator.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Living in our remote jungle base camp
0:10:15 > 0:10:18means we're on the lookout 24 hours a day.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And some of the animals are a little too close for comfort.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28This is the bathroom.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30You call it a longdrop.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34So, essentially, it's just a big pit, then you park yourself on there
0:10:34 > 0:10:38and hope to goodness that the logs don't break and put you down inside.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43But that's not the most scary thing about our bathroom.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Just here...at the base of this tree...
0:10:47 > 0:10:49is a little hole.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53It's home to an insect with the world's most painful sting.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Local people call these 24-hour ants,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03because if you get stung by one
0:11:03 > 0:11:08then you can't think of anything else but the pain for 24 hours.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Around Latin America they are much more commonly known as bullet ants.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Because the pain of being stung by one
0:11:16 > 0:11:20is comparable to being shot.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23This is the largest species of ant on the planet
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and it's the main reason why both animals
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and people in this part of the world
0:11:28 > 0:11:34fear ants more than spiders, scorpions, snakes or anything else.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Though they have this formidable weapon in the form of their sting,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49when they are hunting they much more often use those massive mandibles.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54The sting is really kept for defence.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56And it's a very, very effective one.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Ants. The little things that make the world go round.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06They are absolutely fascinating.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09But treat them with immense respect.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Not surprisingly, the team and I choose to leave base camp
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and head out to see what else lives in the forest nearby.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Wow.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31You get some monster insects in these forests.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37And that grasshopper is an absolute beauty.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Whoa!
0:12:41 > 0:12:44We have lift-off!
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Everywhere I look there are bizarre beasts.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56That is going to grow into a very, very big moth.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02But in the jungle it is often the beauties that are the most deadly.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Look at that!
0:13:07 > 0:13:14This...is one of the most precious rainforest jewels.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's called a bumblebee dart frog. The bumblebee part of the name
0:13:17 > 0:13:18is kind of obvious
0:13:18 > 0:13:21it looks a little bit like it's wearing
0:13:21 > 0:13:25a big, shiny yellow and black bumblebee costume.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26The dart frog bit,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28that's the important part
0:13:28 > 0:13:29of its deadly function.
0:13:29 > 0:13:36Poison dart frogs have the strongest natural toxins on the planet.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39There are some species that have poisons that are strong enough
0:13:39 > 0:13:41that in one tiny frog this size,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44there's enough poison to kill ten men.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49They are called poison dart frogs because tribal hunters
0:13:49 > 0:13:52rub the tip of their blowpipe darts on the frogs,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55covering them in their toxic secretions.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01The poison is so lethal that any animal that is hit by a dart
0:14:01 > 0:14:03will be brought down in a matter of minutes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Isn't it wonderful?
0:14:15 > 0:14:19The forest floor has more than its fair share of miraculous wildlife.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21But it's the rivers I want to concentrate on.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25I've got a feeling they're loaded with lethal.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The rivers that thread their way through these trees
0:14:28 > 0:14:29are the lifeblood of the forest,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and they are absolutely bursting with life.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37Some of it is bizarre, beautiful and utterly fearsome.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40So to find it, we're going fishing.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44These pools are the hunting ground of a fiendish fish
0:14:44 > 0:14:48so ferocious it's rumoured to attack dogs,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50even people, that enter the water.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56To see it, first I have to catch it.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01The problem is, I am without doubt one of the world's worst fishermen.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'So I've brought Kevin, our local guide, along to give us a hand.'
0:15:05 > 0:15:07If that's what it's feeding on,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10what we're going to catch is going to be enormous.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17'Well, that doesn't look too hard. Let's have a go.'
0:15:22 > 0:15:24'Hmm. Let's try again.'
0:15:26 > 0:15:28STEVE LAUGHS
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Oh, dear.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Just as well I'm not trying to feed a family of ten, isn't it?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'And again...'
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Oh, no.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Now I'm stuck on a rock.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'And again.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Oh... Hang on. I've got something.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Yeah, I've got one. I've got one.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58'This is unheard of! I've actually caught a fish.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03'And it's exactly what we're after.'
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Yes, got it! Got it, got it.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Wow! Look at that.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15'It's a wicked-looking wolf fish.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19'Now, I need to be careful not to get bitten
0:16:19 > 0:16:21'getting it out of the net.'
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Agh! No, no, no, no...
0:16:26 > 0:16:27I don't believe it!
0:16:30 > 0:16:34That was my fault. That was totally my fault, I did that.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42'I think I'll let Kevin take over from here.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Nice throw.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'But even with his expertise, we're in for a long wait.'
0:16:59 > 0:17:04'After four hours, I'm beginning to give up hope.'
0:17:04 > 0:17:05I don't believe it...
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Yes, we have one!
0:17:09 > 0:17:11No way.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Right...
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Now, this time I'm going to keep it above the net.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28As you can see, they are real fighters.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39So... This is the wolf fish.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Also known in these waters as the aimara.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It is a wonderful-looking beast.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The mouth's laden with needle-like teeth which point back
0:17:50 > 0:17:54towards the gullet, so they work like fish hooks.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56It does look like the face full of teeth
0:17:56 > 0:17:58you'd expect to see in a wolf's mouth.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03This is one of THE most dynamic predators of these rivers,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and they get to be a real prodigious size,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09well over a metre in length, and so heavy that I would
0:18:09 > 0:18:11probably struggle to be holding one like this.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14They are ambush attackers,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so they'll lie in wait using this dark colouration
0:18:17 > 0:18:19to blend in with the murky waters,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22in those slow-moving ponds and pools at the side of the river.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It's...
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's built for explosive speed over short distances,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and you wouldn't want to be a small fish in these streams.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Because that mouth would be the most frightening thing out there.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40The wolf fish.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42A bulky, brutish predator,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44with explosive speed
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and a face full of teeth that would really make you wince.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49I think they're extraordinary,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and it took an awful lot of effort, but it's undeniably deadly.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59'Wolf fish can survive out of the water for long periods.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00'It'll be absolutely fine.'
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Wonderful!
0:19:08 > 0:19:10'Bullish bulk, to overpower prey.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14'Cryptic camouflage colours.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18'Rows of sharp teeth that rival a piranha's.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23'Another thing that makes these rivers so scary.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:35'There's still one animal in this river that I want to show you.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39'It's the most dangerous yet. Just touching it could stop my heart.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46'It's the electric executioner...
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'..the electric eel.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53'This supercharged shocker
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'has the incredible ability to make,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'store and discharge electricity.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'When it unleashes its 600-volt shock wave,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'it can instantly kill the fish it preys upon.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'I've experienced their shocking capabilities before,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13'when I caught one in Venezuela.'
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Oh, I can't tell you how spooky this is.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Yes!
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'Even through my protective clothing, I got quite a shock.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Eugh!
0:20:30 > 0:20:34'This time, I want to show you eels like you've never seen them before -
0:20:34 > 0:20:36'in their underwater world.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'But to do that, I'm going to have to get in the water WITH one.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:46The bigger the eel, the bigger the potential shock.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49So, ideally, I want to stay away from the big ones.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51OK... Here goes nothing.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56'The crew are kitting up in rubber waders.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'These should protect them from electric shocks.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'If I get stunned or knocked unconscious
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'by a blast of electricity, they'll drag me out of the river.'
0:21:14 > 0:21:16'This river is one of the only places in the world
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'I'd attempt to swim with an electric eel.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'They're normally found in muddy pools with zero visibility.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'At least here, I should be able to see them coming.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'But eels aren't the only frightening fish in this river.'
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Freshwater stingray!
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Absolutely beautiful.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45No bigger than a dinner plate,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49but they have at the base of the tail a stinger that they can
0:21:49 > 0:21:52thrash around, with a venom gland at the base of it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It's one of the creatures fishermen here fear most -
0:21:54 > 0:21:56in fact, when they're watching through the water
0:21:56 > 0:21:59they'll shuffle their feet to try and scare the stingray away
0:21:59 > 0:22:01because you do not want to get stung.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06'We're notching up the Deadly count - but still no electric eels.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:14'A dark shape under a rock catches my eye.'
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Oh, my goodness!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20No way! No way.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23I've got one!
0:22:23 > 0:22:27And it's big as well, it's probably as thick and round as my lower leg.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Maybe a metre and a half long.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38Just inches away from the glass - I can see it even above the water.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Right. I have to go very, very easy here.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The last thing I want to do is to make it feel cornered
0:22:46 > 0:22:47and make it give off a shock.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57That's one of the spookiest,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59most ghoulish sights I have ever seen.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03With that incredible, undulating fin running down the entire
0:23:03 > 0:23:07length of its body, it can swim just as well backwards as forwards.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11This is kind of exactly what I didn't want,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15it's a really big electric eel.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18The bigger the eel, the bigger the potential shock -
0:23:18 > 0:23:24this one here could without doubt stun an animal as large as me.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'I really don't want to push my luck.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30'I'm blocking his only escape route,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'and definitely don't want a defensive jolt.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36'Time to move on.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40'Some deep pools downriver
0:23:40 > 0:23:44'might be a better place to find eels out in the open.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47'First, I have to navigate the rapids.'
0:24:07 > 0:24:11'And then, I see the undulating form of a swimming eel.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16'He's sensed me - and is approaching.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20'It seems he wants to check me out.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:29'It probably can't see me well through the gloom.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34'Instead, it's sensing me and its environment
0:24:34 > 0:24:38'by sending out tiny electrical pulses - like an eel radar.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:45'The whole thing is incredibly unnerving.'
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Holy moly! Holy moly.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Oh, my goodness.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57I've just had an electric eel
0:24:57 > 0:24:59swimming alongside me.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Only a handful of people have ever seen an electric eel like this.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It's totally mesmerising.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But it's easy to forget just how dangerous it can be.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18ELECTRICAL BUZZ
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Oh! Just had my first shock.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27HE PANTS
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- You all right?- Yeah.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30I'm not sure what happened.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33I think I might have touched it by mistake. I put my hand down...
0:25:35 > 0:25:37..onto a log...
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and I think I touched the head of an electric eel.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44And it was just like grabbing a hold of a cow fence.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And the shock just buzzed right up my arm.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Ooh, ow!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55By electric eel standards, that was just a little warning.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I need to be more careful where I put my hands and my feet.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I'm heading down for one last encounter.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And the eels seem to be getting used to me.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22And now eels are emerging from everywhere.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26There must be four in this pool alone.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32This is, without doubt, the most ELECTRIFYING experience in nature.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Swimming alongside the most powerful electric animal on the planet
0:26:38 > 0:26:42in their natural habitat, like I've never seen them before.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55That was SO beautiful!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It came right up and investigated me!
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It came right up into the lens!
0:26:59 > 0:27:00HE SIGHS HAPPILY
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Wow!
0:27:02 > 0:27:06What an experience. It is one of the most
0:27:06 > 0:27:08ghoulish-looking animals you'll ever see.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Even if you didn't have that phenomenal electrical power,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14it would still be special.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17With it, it is one of the wonders in the natural world.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22The electric eel - shocking and deadly.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Reaching over 2m in length.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Eel radar to hunt in zero visibility.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Capable of creating 600 volts of electricity.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37The electric eel
0:27:37 > 0:27:40is a super-powered, high-voltage natural wonder.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Join me next time as I continue my journey on Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Yes!
0:27:49 > 0:27:51(First ever jaguar!)