0:00:03 > 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.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Whoa!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Deadly places, deadly adventures,
0:00:19 > 0:00:20and deadly animals!
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And you're coming with me,
0:00:23 > 0:00:24every step of the way!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Argh!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34This is Patagonia, it's a land with a whole range of habitats,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36from scrubby grasslands like this
0:00:36 > 0:00:38to ice fields, glaciers and mountains.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40But we've come to the coast
0:00:40 > 0:00:42because somewhere out there is a beast
0:00:42 > 0:00:45that's going to make all of this travelling well worthwhile.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Right at the bottom of South America,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Patagonia is shared between
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Chile and Argentina.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53It's one of our last stops
0:00:53 > 0:00:56before we begin the long sail to Antarctica.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Patagonia's vast size is easily matched by
0:01:02 > 0:01:04its wild reputation.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07It's home to some stunning animals, including puma...
0:01:08 > 0:01:13..condors, penguins and whales.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But at the bottom of a continent and at the end of the world,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19we're focusing on a creature
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that could be the deadliest of all!
0:01:22 > 0:01:26We're hoping to witness a spectacle few have been lucky enough to see.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Oh, whoa!
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Orca come here to hunt sea lions.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Two top marine mammal predators going head-to-head.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44It's early morning and my first step is to meet one of the combatants.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48The seas off Patagonia's coast
0:01:48 > 0:01:51are some of the most bountiful in the world.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54There's an incredible amount of life here. And because of that,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56there are also some phenomenal predators.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We're here today to try and find one of the most dynamic,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02the Southern or Patagonian sea lion.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Out of the water, sea lions are cumbersome, lumbering,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10awkward animals.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But underwater, streamlined shape and ultra-sensitive whiskers
0:02:14 > 0:02:18make sea lions fantastic fish-finding torpedoes.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31They're submarine contortionists,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33able to twist and turn
0:02:33 > 0:02:34to outmanoeuvre fish prey.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But they certainly don't sound deadly.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46SEA LIONS BLEAT
0:02:48 > 0:02:49Listen to that!
0:02:52 > 0:02:55These sea lions are really vocal.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58At the moment, there's a cacophony of sounds coming our way.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01From the deep, rich bellows of the males, to all the young pups,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04which kind of sound like lambs.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07It's almost like listening to a spring meadow back home in England.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Our next task is to get into the water and swim in close to them.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Because they're very inquisitive animals,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19hopefully, they should come over and want to check us out.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Our only problem at the moment
0:03:21 > 0:03:23is that it's been raining quite heavily recently
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and the visibility in the water is very, very low.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28So, we're probably not going to see these sea lions
0:03:28 > 0:03:30until they're right up on us.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32They can be very, very big, they've got lots of
0:03:32 > 0:03:36sharp, long teeth. It can be quite an intimidating prospect.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58No sooner have we got in the water
0:03:58 > 0:04:00than all of these youngsters
0:04:00 > 0:04:02have come in to check us out.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06The secret to attracting the attention of a sea lion
0:04:06 > 0:04:08is to do something that looks fun,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that looks like it could be play.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Now, these animals could be with their mothers,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16taking milk for as much as a year.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19This means that they don't have to be so worried about hunting,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22about going out to catch fish, and they have lots and lots of time
0:04:22 > 0:04:25for just checking out the world around them.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28For just finding out what might be fun to eat,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31or what might be fun to play with.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But mammals can only afford to play when their bellies are full of food,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40which means they must have successful parent providers.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Right now, they can rely on mother's milk,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48but the swimming skills they learn now
0:04:48 > 0:04:50will be the killer moves of the future.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59And they're going to need to stay well ahead of the game
0:04:59 > 0:05:03if they're going to stay alive in seas stalked by killer whales.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13They're so graceful in the way they move, like ballet dancers.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Now, these are sea lions, they're very different from seals
0:05:17 > 0:05:19in their body plan, so they have long fore-flippers
0:05:19 > 0:05:22which they can use to swim through the water,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25but they also use twisting movements of their body as well.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Drive themselves along with their rear-flippers.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35For the fully grown adults up on the shoreline at the moment,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37it's a whole different story.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The males are much, much bigger than the females.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43That's not just about catching prey,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46but about being able to fight off other males,
0:05:46 > 0:05:47to give them the best chance of having
0:05:47 > 0:05:49lots and lots of girlfriends.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Sometimes, you can't see them,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03but you can feel them as they power past you.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06As they swim, they create a wake in the water
0:06:06 > 0:06:07and you can really feel it,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09they're so powerful.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13They do also, though, sense that very same wake made by fish
0:06:13 > 0:06:16as they swim past in very low light,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and the way they do that is using their whiskers.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So these youngsters behind us,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26you can see that moustache of whiskers
0:06:26 > 0:06:28pouring off the upper lip.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Every single one of those whiskers connects to nerve cells,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36as many as 1,500 nerve endings per whisker.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39That could be ten times more than a cat,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42which means they're much, much more sensitive.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Those whiskers can sense things
0:06:45 > 0:06:47that are moving around on the sea bed.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50They could even detect the wake that's left behind
0:06:50 > 0:06:52by a fish that's long since gone,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and those are its main means of hunting in dark waters,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59or waters with very low visibility.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10They have enormous, huge,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14big dark eyes that suck in the light,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17even in very low light conditions,
0:07:17 > 0:07:22at night, or very poor visibility, they can still see their prey.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27They're a sensory dream machine.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Nothing escapes their attention.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37With all of those senses on display,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40its sleek, streamlined,
0:07:40 > 0:07:41torpedo-like body,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and not to mention those teeth...
0:07:45 > 0:07:48..this is a true sea lion.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53There's no doubt that the Patagonian sea lion is definitely deadly!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Streamlined for sub-aquatic speed.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Sensitive whiskers detect prey
0:08:04 > 0:08:06even in murky conditions.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07And lion-like teeth
0:08:07 > 0:08:08for grabbing and tearing.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11The Patagonian sea lion.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Patagonia's seas are full of fish, endless food.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24They'd be a paradise for seals, if it wasn't for one thing.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26An eight-tonne predator that's prepared to do anything
0:08:26 > 0:08:30to hunt them down, even following them onto dry land.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34We have a two-hour drive each to our destination,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36on what's known as the Valdez Peninsula.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's an incredibly special place for wildlife.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41In fact, so special that it's been declared
0:08:41 > 0:08:42a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44At the moment, we're surrounded by
0:08:44 > 0:08:47scrubby vegetation, it's almost desert,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49but we're heading to the coast because there,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51catching its prey in a totally unique
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and completely unbelievable way, is a predator that is
0:08:55 > 0:08:58truly as deadly as it gets.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It is the orca, or killer whale.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Top of the table for intelligence, invention,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12communication and co-operation,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15orca have no equal in the world's waters.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Around the globe, they've shown they can improvise...
0:09:21 > 0:09:24..stunning fish with their tail flukes.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Washing seals off ice floes,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32using their bow waves.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And here, on the Peninsula Valdez,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42they've gone one better. They use the deep water channels
0:09:42 > 0:09:45between the shallow reefs to launch surprise attacks.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57We set up camp at one of those deep water hunting spots,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59known as the attack channel.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09All we need now is Deadly luck.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12We've given ourselves five days to film this spectacle,
0:10:12 > 0:10:13others have spent weeks here
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and seen nothing.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Nearby, a tough sign that this battle
0:10:19 > 0:10:22is already under way.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23There's no doubt that this animal
0:10:23 > 0:10:25was killed by an orca,
0:10:25 > 0:10:26probably last night.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28We had a full moon last night,
0:10:28 > 0:10:29so there would have been
0:10:29 > 0:10:31plenty enough light here.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And here, you see, there's a big hole there,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36where an orca's tooth has gone in,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and here, as well.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Yep, this sea lion met its end
0:10:43 > 0:10:46at the teeth of the orca of Patagonia.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54So, this place is absolutely perfect for us, as well as for the orca,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57because they're going to be channelled into this one area.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01There's no way they can hunt to either side of us.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03We can sit here, we can watch, and we can wait.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07This is very much going to be a waiting game.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11The orca need the tides to be just right to launch an attack.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13If the tide's too low,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17they risk stranding themselves up on the sands.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20We'll wait from early morning till last light.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54You can see that the sea lions on land
0:11:54 > 0:11:57are really cumbersome in the way that they move.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58They're not very fast, and even when
0:11:58 > 0:12:01they're right down there in the surf zone
0:12:01 > 0:12:04at the edge of the waves, they're very, very vulnerable.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07These are prime pickings for our orca.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Everyone's on tenterhooks. Just the idea that any second,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27that black shape could break the surface.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34Yes, I've got one!
0:12:34 > 0:12:35I've got one, I can see one.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I can see an orca coming in this direction.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41I don't believe it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43They're heading our way.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Wow!
0:12:49 > 0:12:51The time of day could not be better.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54The tide is exactly right.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58The depth in the water in the channel in front of us is perfect.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01There are several young sea lion pups
0:13:01 > 0:13:03right up at the water's edge.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Everything is in place.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09The orca make formation
0:13:09 > 0:13:11at the mouth of the attack channel.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Look, look at that!
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Right in the shallows.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23This is all about precision timing now.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25If the sea lions are too close to the shore
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and the orca charge in,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30they risk beaching themselves up on the sand,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and that could be the end for them.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38They have to decide whether they risk
0:13:38 > 0:13:40taking a meal, or risk their own lives.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49There are several young pups crossing over
0:13:49 > 0:13:50through the attack channel
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and the orca are in wait.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Then...
0:13:55 > 0:13:57they launch!
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Oh, that was so close!
0:14:06 > 0:14:09And the killer whale's almost beached itself completely
0:14:09 > 0:14:11up on the sands.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18That was a very lucky escape.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Life and death here is just balanced on a knife-edge.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29The sea lions need the water,
0:14:29 > 0:14:30they need to head out there
0:14:30 > 0:14:31to learn how to swim,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32learn how to hunt,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and the orca have to feed
0:14:34 > 0:14:35in order to feed themselves
0:14:35 > 0:14:37and their calves.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41That was perilously close.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46That was all we saw in three days
0:14:46 > 0:14:48sat in the damp sands.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Two days left to see the real deal.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57But right now, the tide's too low.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59The orcas have returned to the deep.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It's the perfect opportunity
0:15:01 > 0:15:03to explore the sand dunes behind the beach.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06While our main target here is definitely the orca,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08it would be crazy to come to Patagonia
0:15:08 > 0:15:09and not at least try and find
0:15:09 > 0:15:12some of the other fantastic wild animals that live here.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17I have one more in mind, it's a very curious little critter
0:15:17 > 0:15:20that is some way between a JCB and a Sherman tank,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22only much, much smaller.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36There's a curious set of tracks here.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41All down this sandy bank,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43there are lots of areas
0:15:43 > 0:15:46where something has been digging away.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47Something quite powerful,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and it's going right into this sand here.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Possibly in search for food.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02That's quite fresh, actually.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05All of the earth that has been tunnelled out from there
0:16:05 > 0:16:09is still damp, damper than the dry earth around it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So that's probably happened this afternoon.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19This is the car park
0:16:19 > 0:16:22around the main ranger station
0:16:22 > 0:16:24near to where the orca are often seen.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Tourists come through here
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and quite often, they'll leave their rubbish around,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30and that obviously attracts in animals,
0:16:30 > 0:16:31so this is actually a perfect place.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37And one of those is a little armoured machine.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Oh, wow!
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Just under that bush, look.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50It's a hairy armadillo.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You can see where the name comes from.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Great, long hairs
0:16:55 > 0:16:58bristling off its armoured body.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02That armour is composed of keratin,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04the same material
0:17:04 > 0:17:06that our fingernails are made of,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09but it forms a really tough coating that protects the body.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14You can see how much this animal
0:17:14 > 0:17:16is driven by its sense of smell.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19As it's moving along, it's snuffling away,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21drawing in smells
0:17:21 > 0:17:22from the world around it,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25just trying to find out if there's anything good here to eat.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28It's really strange to see one out
0:17:28 > 0:17:30in the middle of the day like this,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32and so bold as well.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Normally, armadillos are nocturnal
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and quite shy animals.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41This one here clearly is very used to people
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and has no problem with being out
0:17:43 > 0:17:44in the middle of the day.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Armadillos are predators,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52they mostly dig around using those powerful front claws...
0:17:54 > 0:17:57..to get a horde of beetle larvae and worms.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59It could be eggs or hatchlings
0:17:59 > 0:18:01of ground-nesting birds.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08But round here, the armadillos have been spotted going one further.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13They have been seen catching, killing and eating penguin chicks.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Certainly, with that stout body,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23they have ample force and power to become a killing machine.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And with that, this tiny tank is off.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39You see, once they get moving, they can really motor.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Kind of like a little clockwork toy,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43you just wind them up and off they go.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11One of the armadillo's greatest abilities is digging.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The claws are almost like spades.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And while some species of armadillo can lock themselves up in a ball,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23others can dig so fast
0:19:23 > 0:19:25that they can escape an enemy
0:19:25 > 0:19:26purely by digging down into the soil.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Not sure what he's looking for down here.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36If he's digging to try and find food,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38or if he's going down into a burrow,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41where he's going to stay until the evening.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43He's starting to dig.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45When they get going,
0:19:45 > 0:19:46nothing can stop them.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48They're really good at breathing
0:19:48 > 0:19:50when they're covered in soil.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52They can lower their heart rate,
0:19:52 > 0:19:53so they don't need much oxygen.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It means they can bury themselves and still stay alive.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01He has gone.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Look at that, my goodness,
0:20:06 > 0:20:07that's extraordinary.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14There was almost no hole there a few minutes ago.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18It was only about that deep.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And he's just gone...
0:20:21 > 0:20:22And he's gone.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Incredible.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32But not for long. They're an irrepressible bundle of energy.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45The large hairy armadillo,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47nature's tiny tank,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49earth-moving machine,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and around here,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53on this Patagonian peninsular,
0:20:53 > 0:20:54surprisingly deadly.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Oversized curved digging claws,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05a highly-specialised underground breathing system,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07and sensitive snuffling nose
0:21:07 > 0:21:09for sniffing out bugs and grubs.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It's an armour-plated mighty muncher.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21Next day, and after sunrise,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24we're back in position, cameras poised.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34The orca are so intelligent.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36They can be patient,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39they can bide their time, they can wait for the perfect opportunity.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45These animals have to eat about 4% of their body weight every day,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50but that's probably only one small sea lion pup.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Far better to wait until they have the perfect opportunity to pounce.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yes, yes, I see them. I see them!
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Ah, yes, amazing! Amazing!
0:22:08 > 0:22:10We see the orca coming in from a distance,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13given away by their scything black dorsal fins,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17with sea lion pups playing in the surf.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's a chilling sight.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25They're right in close to shore.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Very, very close to shore.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It looks as if they might make
0:22:29 > 0:22:31their first attack
0:22:31 > 0:22:32about 300 or 400 metres
0:22:32 > 0:22:34further down the beach from us.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37There are lots and lots of sea lion pups in close to the edge,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and I've seen one dorsal fin disappearing underwater.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It's a little bit too far away for us,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46but if it happens, it's still going to be out of this world.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55It's got one, it's got one.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57No! No, no, no, no.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Moved back.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Success.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08We thought we'd missed the action,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11but it turns out to be just beginning.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15All of a sudden, we have high drama.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17There's a sea lion that looks like
0:23:17 > 0:23:19it's been dragged out to sea.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20It's probably about 50 metres
0:23:20 > 0:23:22off from the shore, and it's leaping
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and jumping to try and get away from the orca.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28But its chances are very, very slim.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31There are at least four animals around it now.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Coming up to the surface,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40just leaping, bobbing and weaving
0:23:40 > 0:23:42to try and evade its larger,
0:23:42 > 0:23:43less movable captors.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47But they just won't let it get back to shore.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51You see all of the orca coursing around it,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54with their dorsal fins breaking the surface.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59It looks like the largest female
0:23:59 > 0:24:01is slapping it with its tail flukes,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04just trying to knock the sea lion unconscious.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's the dark side of nature.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But the orca young have to feed too,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and this is a chance for them to learn the skills
0:24:14 > 0:24:15that will allow them to become
0:24:15 > 0:24:17the ocean's top predator.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Oh!
0:24:23 > 0:24:29This is why orca are one of the deadliest predators on the planet.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30They are so ruthless,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32they just will not give up.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Oh, whoa!
0:24:38 > 0:24:39An orca just caught it with its tail,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41threw it completely out of the water.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52That must surely be it now.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55The orca are not done.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They slip below the surface and move to stage two.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The next place, the only place that they could attack
0:25:03 > 0:25:06is right in front of us.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They're heading straight for
0:25:08 > 0:25:10our beach and the attack channel.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11The stage is set.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13This could not be more perfect
0:25:13 > 0:25:14for them.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16OK, everyone is switched on.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18If this happens,
0:25:18 > 0:25:19it will happen really quickly.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28It's the most extraordinary experience, watching
0:25:28 > 0:25:30this epic, life-and-death battle
0:25:30 > 0:25:32play itself out in front of us.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Kind of puts the hairs up on the back of your neck.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46The orca turn off all their communication,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49going into silent stealth mode.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56So close, so close!
0:26:00 > 0:26:01The orca beached itself
0:26:01 > 0:26:02right up on the sands.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05But it was going for an adult sea lion
0:26:05 > 0:26:06and it just managed to escape.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12That was it, that was the moment we've been waiting for.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15The incredible surge
0:26:15 > 0:26:17of force and power...
0:26:18 > 0:26:20..driving an animal that's many,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22many tonnes right up onto the beach.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But also, I guess it's all the more thrilling
0:26:27 > 0:26:28for the fact that that sea lion
0:26:28 > 0:26:30managed to hold its own,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32it managed to escape with its life.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42As the young sea lion pups scamper up the beach,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44having escaped with their lives
0:26:44 > 0:26:46by a matter of millimetres,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I have to say that that was worth
0:26:48 > 0:26:50travelling halfway around the world for.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54And despite the fact that this time, the orca came up empty-handed
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and didn't manage to find a meal,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59there is surely nobody on the planet
0:26:59 > 0:27:01who can doubt that the killer whale is deadly.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04And those are some seriously lucky
0:27:04 > 0:27:06sea lions.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13These highly intelligent...
0:27:14 > 0:27:15..enormously powerful...
0:27:17 > 0:27:20..pack-hunting wolves of the sea...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23..have to be one of the most
0:27:23 > 0:27:24deadly animals on the planet.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Join me next time for some more
0:27:30 > 0:27:33decidedly devilish deadly delights.