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 > 0:00:17Deadly 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!
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Argh!
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Over the last year, our Pole to Pole journey
0:00:37 > 0:00:41has completely spanned the globe and we're at our final destination.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It is the land of extremes -
0:00:43 > 0:00:48the least inhabited, most remote, wildest, highest, driest,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52coldest and windiest continent on the planet - Antarctica.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Yeah!
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Antarctica lies over 10,000 miles from the Arctic,
0:01:03 > 0:01:04where our expedition began.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08We're now a long way from civilisation
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and very few people are lucky enough to get to this isolated continent.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We've now been at sea for three weeks,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20bouncing up and down on our boat home,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23travelling through some of the roughest seas on earth.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29At night we've been on iceberg watch.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32During the day we've been trying not to be sick.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Oh, this is like hell on earth.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39We even had to release our very own storm petrel stowaway
0:01:39 > 0:01:41back to its ocean home.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Wonderful!
0:01:45 > 0:01:48We've seen some extraordinary wildlife along the way,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51from the albatross courtship dance on Bird Island...
0:01:53 > 0:01:56..to the king penguin spectacle on South Georgia.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Wow.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01But our Antarctic mission is on a whole different level.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05I'm going to try and swim
0:02:05 > 0:02:08with one of the top predators in these waters.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15The animal we've come here to find
0:02:15 > 0:02:19is one of the most brutal predators of this frozen world.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24It's an animal that will literally shake a penguin out of its own skin.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The terrifying leopard seal.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34These are the most formidable hunters of all the seals,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37predating on warmblooded prey.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42They lie-in-wait, stalking unsuspecting penguins and seals...
0:02:47 > 0:02:51..before they propel themselves through the water and strike.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Their powerful jaws and long teeth latch on and there's no escape.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Every leopard seal has a different personality,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12so if I'm going to get in the water with one,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15we'll need a seal that's curious of us.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Our first challenge, though, will be finding one.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24On the flat rocks underneath that big rocky headland
0:03:24 > 0:03:26is a gentoo penguin colony.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29There's an awful lot of them there, and leopard seals tend to
0:03:29 > 0:03:32hang out around the outskirts of these colonies in the hope of food.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So we're going to do a bit of a scan around,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36through the icebergs up ahead of us -
0:03:36 > 0:03:38lots and lots of penguins in the water -
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and hope that we catch sight of our powerful polar predator.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58The team and I scan the seas, hoping for telltale sign of a leopard seal
0:03:58 > 0:04:00poking its head above the water.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05I think I heard breathing.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Ooh, ooh, ooh! What was that there? Did someone see that?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I saw a breath at the surface.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20There, there it is. There!
0:04:20 > 0:04:21Straight ahead of us.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Yes, yes - leopard seal. Leopard seal off the end of that iceberg.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Can you see it?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It's huge!
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I've never seen a seal taking that position before.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It was almost like the nostrils were more like a crocodile,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43just poking up out of the water sucking in air,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and it's just dropped down below us now.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52We scan the water as she could come up anywhere.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Suddenly she pops up right next to our boat.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00No way!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06It's so much bigger than I expected.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Just gone under the boat, gone right underneath the boat.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's our first leopard seal.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13Wow!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Steve, it's right there.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Steve, Steve, Steve, he's right, right, right here.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36This first sight of a leopard seal up close
0:05:36 > 0:05:39has made us all a little bit nervous.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I'm not sure I want to get in the water with that!
0:05:45 > 0:05:47That's a... That is a monster.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Luckily for now it seems this seal is on the move,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54so I'll have a bit more time to get prepared
0:05:54 > 0:05:57for the enormity of what I'm planning to do.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04While we wait, I decide to go and get a closer look
0:06:04 > 0:06:06at what brings them here -
0:06:06 > 0:06:08their penguin prey.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The penguins' whole life is dominated by the possible presence
0:06:14 > 0:06:17of a leopard seal. Out at sea they can be slow,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19on land they can just stand there,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22but when they're coming through this zone here, they move at great pace,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25because there could well be a leopard seal waiting.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32The crew and I head on land to get a closer look,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34but always keeping our eyes peeled
0:06:34 > 0:06:37in case a leopard seal appears in the shallows.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Since we've been down south we've already seen
0:06:45 > 0:06:47several breeding colonies of penguins -
0:06:47 > 0:06:52rockhoppers and, most spectacularly, King penguins.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Gentoos, though, are very different.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57They don't roost and nest together in big, dense colonies.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Instead they're much more spread out,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02but they still have that really heavy, fat layer
0:07:02 > 0:07:04below the surface of the skin which keeps them warm.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06But that's also their downfall
0:07:06 > 0:07:10because that's the calories that the leopard seal's looking for.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14At this time of year the penguins are here for two reasons -
0:07:14 > 0:07:18to bring up their young and also to go through their annual moult.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Looking around us, a lot of the snow looks like it's been painted,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24but that actually has great significance.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Just up there, there's an area that looks like it's been stained pink.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29That's from the droppings of penguins
0:07:29 > 0:07:33that have been feeding on krill, which is a shrimp-like crustacean.
0:07:33 > 0:07:40Down here, we've got some high-powered squirts of white
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and that's from penguins that have been feeding on fish and squid.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47But this here, this is kind of the important bit.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50This bright, bright green squirt
0:07:50 > 0:07:53is from penguins that have been fasting, that haven't eaten
0:07:53 > 0:07:57for at least three days, and all of these feathers are why.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59They're moulting.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02These penguins at the moment can't swim, they can't go into the water.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03But when they've finally got their new coat
0:08:03 > 0:08:06they're going to be desperate, really hungry and it doesn't matter
0:08:06 > 0:08:08if a leopard seal is just sitting right out there,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10they're going to have to go out to sea to feed.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And just down the beach I spot another group of penguins
0:08:15 > 0:08:19that are about to head out on that deadly journey.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's quite interesting watching the gentoos
0:08:24 > 0:08:27as they come in and out of the water.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29This little group here is about to try and make their commitment
0:08:29 > 0:08:32to go in. They've all clustered together and they're waiting
0:08:32 > 0:08:35for the first one to take the plunge.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39And, actually, look at that one.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42They're sticking their head under the water
0:08:42 > 0:08:44as if they're looking around. Possibly they are,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49possibly looking for the presence of a leopard seal.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51All of them have gone in heads down first.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53You don't see penguins with their bodies at the surface
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and the head underwater very often.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57And they should be worried,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00as we spot a familiar head just above the water.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This seal is definitely hunting.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17It's doing circuits, up and down the length of this beach, just waiting
0:09:17 > 0:09:19for penguins like this gentoo here, coming out of the water.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23He's had a very, very lucky escape.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Yeah. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34I don't believe it, we're just witnessing a leopard seal attack.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's come right into the shallows after the gentoos.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I mean, you could not ask for more dramatic evidence
0:09:44 > 0:09:48of why life for gentoo penguins is so, so tough.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51We've seen an attendant leopard seal just sitting there in the shallows
0:09:51 > 0:09:55waiting, waiting for one to run the gauntlet back to land.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57This time it was unsuccessful,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00but scientists have watched leopard seals that have been sitting
0:10:00 > 0:10:04alongside colonies, they've taken as many as eight penguins a day.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I don't believe we just saw that.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12The penguins here have plenty to fear,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16as we spot what could be another leopard seal in the area.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23There's a low, flat berg just offshore
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and lying on it is a long, thin shape.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29I think we should get into the boat and go and have a closer look.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It could well be a leopard seal.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It is a leopard seal, hauled out on the ice.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Very occasionally these animals will come up on to rocky shores
0:10:47 > 0:10:50but they seem to much prefer low-lying icebergs like this.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Looks like it's sleeping.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59The eyes are closed, it's almost snoring.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And while it's sleeping, it's the perfect opportunity
0:11:02 > 0:11:04to take a closer look.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08You can see where they get the leopard seal name from -
0:11:08 > 0:11:10they're covered in spots all over the body,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and also their method of hunting is very leopard-like,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16lying in ambush, waiting until the very last second
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and then pouncing with incredible, dynamic force and speed.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24There's something deeply sinister about leopard seals.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I'm not sure what it is.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's almost a reptilian, snake-like appearance to the body.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33It's not like any other kind of seal I've ever seen.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Leopard seals can sleep for hours,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38so I'm not going to be able to get in the water with this one.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43So we head back to the main boat,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and on the way I spot an old Deadly favourite.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Humpback whales!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Amazing!
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Popping up right alongside our boat.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19They're doing circuits around our boat.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30In all probability there is a big swarm of krill or something else
0:12:30 > 0:12:31below us that they're feeding on.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36You can see the white of the underside of the flippers,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40they are right below the surface just behind us.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42All of a sudden you can feel very small
0:12:42 > 0:12:45as these mighty whales swim alongside.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Oh, my goodness!
0:12:54 > 0:12:57The sound they make as they come to the surface,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01expelling air through their massive lungs.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04You can feel the reverberation coming across the water,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06it hits you right in your heart.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Humpback whales are, to me, incredibly special.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21They are the most social, the most vocal,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24the most playful of all of the great whales.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30But they're also very special for this Pole to Pole expedition.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33They've been with us for the entire trip.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35We saw them feeding,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38way up in the Arctic at the start of our expedition,
0:13:38 > 0:13:43saw them breaching and playing in Alaska, breeding in Hawaii,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and now they are swimming underneath me,
0:13:46 > 0:13:51here in Antarctica, after a year of journey.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Amazing!
0:14:02 > 0:14:05We still haven't found the perfect leopard seal to swim with.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09So we go in search of a very different Deadly force.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12One that's made up entirely of ice.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Icebergs.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19They're a beautiful but potentially lethal part of this
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Antarctic landscape.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28About 75% of the world's fresh water is bound up in Antarctic ice,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31much of it in icebergs like this one here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35And though this is incredibly impressive, towering over us,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37actually it is absolutely nothing.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40In the year 2000, a berg carved off the Ross Ice Shelf
0:14:40 > 0:14:43that was 185 miles long,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and actually about the same size as a small country.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50These bergs can circle around and around the southern ocean
0:14:50 > 0:14:54for as much as four years and become a deadly force of nature.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Antarctica is home to more icebergs than anywhere else on earth,
0:15:00 > 0:15:05and every single one of them has the power, size and unpredictability
0:15:05 > 0:15:07to destroy anything in their path.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14An iceberg was even the cause of one of the greatest
0:15:14 > 0:15:17boat disasters of all time, The Titanic,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20which killed more than 1,500 people.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26What makes them so dangerous is the fact that what we see at the surface
0:15:26 > 0:15:29is quite literally just the tip of the iceberg.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Perhaps 90% of an iceberg could be underwater,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and that's where we want to explore next.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43We're travelling down the Lemaire Channel to an iceberg graveyard.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50In the winter, this area would be completely impassable,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52as it would be solid ice,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56but luckily in the summer there's a clear route through the mountains
0:15:56 > 0:16:00and some of the most dramatic scenery in Antarctica.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05All around us are glorious blue bergs,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08in the most extraordinary shapes.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11They get driven in by the prevailing wind and waves
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and because it's comparatively shallow here,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18they become grounded and they just lie here for years and years.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Somewhere in here is going to be the perfect berg for us to dive
0:16:21 > 0:16:24but we have to be incredibly careful.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Huge chunks the size of office blocks can just carve off these,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30they can roll, they can topple, and if you were underwater
0:16:30 > 0:16:33when that happened, it would be truly catastrophic.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38We'll need to find an iceberg that's completely grounded
0:16:38 > 0:16:40to make it safe for us to get in the water.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47You can tell an enormous amount about an iceberg's history
0:16:47 > 0:16:48by looking at its shape.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52This one here is very neatly divided down the centre.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54The right half is very smooth and sculpted
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and the left is much more jagged and pointy,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00that's because this originally would have been sitting this way up.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02All of that stuff would have been above the surface
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and this would have been underwater.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08These things are continually moving and being shaped by the elements.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12An iceberg like this would not be safe to dive
0:17:12 > 0:17:16so we choose another that's grounded nearby.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18This is going to be our chilliest dive yet,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22so Johnny, the cameraman, and I get kitted up in our dry suits,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24ready to head beneath the ice.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53This is exquisite!
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I guess the thing that first plays with your mind
0:18:01 > 0:18:03when you're diving in Antarctic waters...
0:18:03 > 0:18:05is the cold.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The sea here doesn't freeze at zero.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Instead it can get down to be as low as minus 1.8
0:18:12 > 0:18:16because of all the salt in the water.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21But actually far more dangerous is the icebergs themselves.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25These things are very, very unstable.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28As you're swimming underwater, sometimes you hear
0:18:28 > 0:18:31tiny little cracks as the things are breaking apart.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36A big crack could signal that the whole thing is about to collapse
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and if it did, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46This berg has had a very, very long journey.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50It was originally compressed as snow and then became
0:18:50 > 0:18:55a part of a mighty glacier, before eventually carving off into the sea.
0:18:58 > 0:19:05You can see how the movement of the water
0:19:05 > 0:19:09has shaped and sculpted it,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13creating all of these scallop-shaped markings.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15It's incredibly beautiful.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20But you can never forget the power
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and unpredictability of an iceberg.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Ah.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Oh.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34That is a particularly chilly experience
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but what an extraordinary underwater world.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41The light is just like nothing you'll see anywhere else.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45No doubt icebergs are a Deadly force of nature.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52They can reach the size of a small country.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57They can flip and carve at any moment.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59And are an unpredictable force of nature.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Without question... Deadly.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The team and I make our way back to the penguin colony,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18in the hope we might be able to get in the water with a leopard seal.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Oh, I'm so excited.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25But knowing the predatory prowess of this seal,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28it could be our deadliest encounter yet.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42So that I'm ready when one appears, I get kitted up.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46And just as we're ready to move out in the rib,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49we spot a familiar shape in the distance.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Looks like it might finally happen.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The adrenaline is absolutely singing round my body.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04As we move closer, my heart is racing,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06knowing I'm about to get in the water
0:21:06 > 0:21:09with one of the most fearsome predators of Antarctica.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Right there, right there.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Right there, it's right behind you.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34You need to move forward. Move forward, Steven.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37OK, talk to me on the surface, tell me what you see.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Does anyone see anything?
0:21:42 > 0:21:43It's right behind you with its head up.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49We have got visual. He's coming towards you now.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Oh, I see him!
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I see him. He's massive!
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Look at the size of that!
0:22:05 > 0:22:09It seems we've found our perfect, curious leopard seal.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13And judging from its size, I think it's a female.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Coming up to the surface to breathe.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26That is the most extraordinary sight -
0:22:26 > 0:22:29a leopard seal just showing off her expertise.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Look at that, barrel-rolling around, pirouetting in front of us.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Something I have waited a lifetime to see.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45And she seems relatively playful.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53I can't think of an animal that looks more in control,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57more utterly at home in its environment than this.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01The leopard seal carving alongside an Antarctic iceberg.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It's one of the most chilling and exciting sights
0:23:03 > 0:23:08of my whole life. Unbelievable!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16We need to try and keep her in sight at all times
0:23:16 > 0:23:18as her behaviour could change in an instant.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Where is she? Does anyone see her?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28It's right under the boat, it's right under the boat.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Where's she gone? Has anyone got eyes on?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Come up a little bit, Johnny, come up.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48Coming up behind them.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Right behind you, guys. Look lively, look lively. It's behind you.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Oh, there she is, she is.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Wow.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02She's kind of getting bolder each time she approaches.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Each time it's just a little bit closer.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I am not taking my eyes off her for even a second.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Oh!
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Big show of teeth there, look at that.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22When an animal shows off its teeth like that and blows bubbles,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26it's not yawning, it's showing off what it can do.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32She's just letting us know that this is her world, not ours.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37There's no doubt this animal could do me an awful lot of damage.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Wow!
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I think it's time for us to head for the surface.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Oh, my goodness.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02That's one of the most exhilarating
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and frightening experiences of my entire life.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09I mean, penguins here just do not stand a chance.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12The animal's bigger than them, it's faster, it's more agile,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and the teeth are truly some of the most extraordinary
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I have ever seen in the animal kingdom.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22It was coming right up into my camera, just inches away,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and showing off those teeth.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30There's simply nothing here that can contend with it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33I have to say, I don't often get frightened with animals
0:25:33 > 0:25:36but that was...that was terrifying. It was absolutely terrifying.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40I've never felt quite so much like I've been in another animal's world
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and that it has totally been the boss of me.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's one of the greatest experiences I'll ever have.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I'm not sure it can be beaten.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Leopard seals - Deadly.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57CHEERING
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Amazing. Absolutely amazing, well done.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03These serpent-like animals are built for speed.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Stalking their warmblooded victims from beneath the ice.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And using powerful jaws to latch onto their prey.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15This sinister seal
0:26:15 > 0:26:17is undeniably Deadly.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24'This has been a phenomenal expedition.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Whoa!
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'The team and I have travelled over 10,000 miles
0:26:29 > 0:26:31'from the top of the world to the bottom.'
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Whoa!
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'We've seen the most intelligent, complex killers on the planet.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Oh, so close!
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'Had encounters with animals I've wanted to see my whole life.'
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It's kind of like all my dreams coming true all at once.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52'Investigated all kinds of lethal forces of nature.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54'Seen predatory behaviour in new ways.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00'And I've even faced our most primeval human fears.'
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Coming back towards us, Johnny.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06'And my loyal crew have been with me every step of the way.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I want to go home.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'It's been the globe-spanning journey of a lifetime.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19'But there's one last thing me and the team have to do.'
0:27:19 > 0:27:21One, two, three.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26THEY YELL AND SCREAM
0:27:26 > 0:27:30'This has been Deadly Pole To Pole.'
0:27:30 > 0:27:33CHEERING
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Deadly!