0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And this...is Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Ohhh! From the top of the world to the bottom.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- Whoa! - HE LAUGHS
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Deadly places. Deadly adventures. And deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me...every step of the way!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Argh!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34This is Vancouver Island, way over on Canada's Pacific west coast.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37It's a mystical, magical place that's saturated with wildlife
0:00:37 > 0:00:41and much of it is found beneath these mirror-flat seas.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45We're here to find a little-known deep sea shark.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Look at the size of it!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49And bizarre alien-like oddities.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Wonderful stuff!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And using new Deadly technology to see raptors like never before.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Vancouver Island lies off Canada's mainland.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02It's a wild, rugged landscape
0:01:02 > 0:01:06where high mountains meet the cold North Pacific.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12I've been here with Deadly before
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and it's provided some of our most memorable moments.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Like this.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22But this time we're in search of an animal
0:01:22 > 0:01:25that's going to be a true challenge.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29The main reason we've come here
0:01:29 > 0:01:32is to search for a shark that has outlived the dinosaurs.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I've never seen one before and for very good reason.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37They live in deep, deep seas
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and only fleetingly come into shallower waters.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43It's called...the sixgill shark.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46They inhabit the darkest depths of our oceans,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48over a mile below the surface.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52We know little about their secret lives.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55They certainly scavenge carcases like dead whales
0:01:55 > 0:01:57that sink down from above.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59They even eat each other.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The seas here are one of the only places in the world
0:02:02 > 0:02:04where sixgills visit shallower waters.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08No-one knows what attracts them and very few people ever see one.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But we've got a plan.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13When we're working with sharks we have one thing that's thing
0:02:13 > 0:02:16always on our side which is their exquisite sense of smell.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19If you add some nice fish heads and blood to the water,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22then any sharks that are within a couple of miles,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25will scent that and come in to investigate.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28The only problem is that sixgills don't swim on the surface,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32they swim at the bottom, so we won't be able to see them.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But we've got this remarkable bit of Deadly technology.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Effectively what this is is an underwater CCTV camera.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It's going to sit on the bottom right next to our bait
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and we can see what's going on at the surface using this tablet.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50We can switch on the lights,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53so even in the dead of night we'll still be able to film
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and hopefully this will be triggered by a shark
0:02:55 > 0:02:57coming in to check out our bait.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The sooner we get our CCTV in position the better.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Time to get wet.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15These coldwater reefs are fed by nutrients
0:03:15 > 0:03:17that well up from the deep ocean.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's as colourful and diverse as any tropical reef.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Look at all these fish!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35This abundance of prey could be one thing
0:03:35 > 0:03:39that's tempting sixgills out of the depths.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42My Deadly divers and I are installing the CCTV camera
0:03:42 > 0:03:45at around 18 metres below the surface.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51This is about as shallow as sixgills have been seen,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53but with luck they'll be drawn in by our bait.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57This is our bait here.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00These crates are filled with old fish heads
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and lots of blood is floating off into the water.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07You can't see it, but the sharks can smell it.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12Hopefully, this camera here is going to see them as they come in.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19For the rest of the dive we decide to do a bit of exploring.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And you don't have to peer into too many holes
0:04:28 > 0:04:31before something peers back at you.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35This is the den of a giant Pacific octopus.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39For most of the day they'll stay crammed into tiny cracks
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and even an enormous animal can completely disappear.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47What I need to do is try and entice it out into the open.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52And the best way of doing that is using their favourite food - crab.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Oh!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- HE LAUGHS - Well, that's what you call an attack strike.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03It came out much, much quicker than I was expecting.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The suckers on the arms
0:05:05 > 0:05:08have extended already to envelop the crab.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12The largest giant Pacific octopus,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16they can have 2,000 of those sucker cups.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Each one is lined with special cells which can taste items in the water.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's an extraordinarily strong animal.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Wow! It's tearing the crab apart!
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The record size giant Pacific octopus measured nine metres
0:05:37 > 0:05:41from arm tip to arm tip. That's as long as a London bus.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45They leave the safety of their den at night to go in search of crab,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48which are digested with a venom-injecting beak
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and literally torn apart.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Let's face it, crabs simply have no chance against the octopus.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Sadly, this one is showing no signs of coming out into the open
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and I'm just about out of air.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08But our CCTV camera is staying down here
0:06:08 > 0:06:13to keep a 24-hour watch for sixgills.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14RESPIRATOR NOISE
0:06:14 > 0:06:17There's so much life down there.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Unbelievable colours, real animal oddities,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24but, as yet, not quite the one we're looking for.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28We dig in for a long wait.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We can monitor the camera on the surface,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but we'll need a dose of Deadly luck.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40At the moment, all our bait's attracting are some small rockfish.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46The crew and I came up with this method for finding sixgills,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49including building the camera from scratch,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and have no idea if it'll work.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54After five hours staring,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57sleeping and snoring without any sign of sixgill,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00we decide to leave the camera monitoring the sea floor
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and check out a new location.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05As sharks of the deep, dark parts of the ocean,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08they're more likely to venture shallow at night,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11so we'll be scouring the inky blackness for a shark-y shape.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Obviously, our primary aim on this dive
0:07:16 > 0:07:18is to try and find a sixgill shark.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20We're all hoping we'll get down there
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and one will be cruising around,
0:07:22 > 0:07:27but so much comes to life here on the sea bed after the lights go out.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31I guess whatever happens, we're bound to see a few surprises.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45This certainly gets the pulse racing.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Diving into darkness in search
0:07:47 > 0:07:50of one of the world's largest predatory sharks.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I think the first thing to do is just swim around
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and see if there's a shark around paying us some interest.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02At night, the reefs have a totally different feel.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06This is when the weird and bizarre come out to play.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Like these crazy-looking sea stars.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15I guess most people think of starfish
0:08:15 > 0:08:18as being almost like a fixture on the reef,
0:08:18 > 0:08:23something that doesn't move very much, but that's far from the truth.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Certainly not when you look at a sunflower star like this.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31They can have as many as 26 arms...
0:08:32 > 0:08:34..and they can move at quite a pace.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Look at the size of it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43It is huge and on the underneath...
0:08:45 > 0:08:50..are these thousands and thousands of tube feet.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53They'll use these to pull its prey apart.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55They'll eat almost anything in their path.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Sea stars detect prey by touch,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03using sensitive tube feet on the underside of each arm.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Each of the tube feet is tipped with a suction cup
0:09:06 > 0:09:10that's like the plunger you use to unblock your sink,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12except they could have 15,000 of them.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17They can tear apart the hard shells of clams, snails and urchins,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20then they expel their stomachs out of their mouths
0:09:20 > 0:09:23to digest the flesh before sucking it back up.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26They may only move three metres a minute,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30but sped up like this you can see them blaze a trail of destruction.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37This reef is like a crazy nocturnal nightclub
0:09:37 > 0:09:39where wild weirdoes come out to dance,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42but although we're willing the dark shape
0:09:42 > 0:09:44of a sixgill to loom into view,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I'm out of air and we're out of luck.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Well, we gave it a good go.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01We searched as much as we could, but no sign of our sharks.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05So for now, sixgills will have to remain unfinished business.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09But this denizen of the deep, deep sea,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12incredibly creepy looking, truly prehistoric,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16there's no doubt that sixgill sharks are deadly.
0:10:16 > 0:10:22I just haven't seen one, but one day, one day I will.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23But before we admit defeat,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28we still have to check the footage from our underwater CCTV camera.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Maybe it's beaten all the odds and struck sixgill gold.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39So, let's have look and see what we've got.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Wow! There's so much activity.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Wow! Look at that!
0:10:47 > 0:10:50It's a giant nudibranch, a kind of sea slug.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54They usually shuffle around on the sea floor but this one is swimming.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57This is something they do as a defence mechanism.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01They do it to escape predators that are down on the sea bed.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04That is beautiful!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07This camera is set to automatically record
0:11:07 > 0:11:09every time something swims by,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12but it's being triggered almost constantly.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16The whole place is buzzing with life, day and night.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19The sunflower stars are out in force,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22one using its tubed feet to taste our camera.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28Rockfish by the dozen...all coming in to check out the bait box.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It really goes to show quite what's going on
0:11:31 > 0:11:35in the darkness below us that we just don't see.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38What was that?!
0:11:38 > 0:11:41That was definitely a shark tail!
0:11:43 > 0:11:47It's a sixgill! We've got a sixgill shark!
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Fantastic!
0:11:52 > 0:11:55It looks like quite a long animal, actually.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00This is a really privileged glimpse into the life of an animal
0:12:00 > 0:12:04that normally we would never have the opportunity to see.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08This awesome animal that's been around since before the dinosaurs
0:12:08 > 0:12:11is for me one of the most sinister, creepy,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13but exciting animals on Earth.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And, I reckon, sixgills are deadly.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21One of the largest predatory sharks on the planet
0:12:21 > 0:12:24lives a mile down in the deep oceans.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27A predator so perfect it outlived the dinosaurs.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35This beast from the deep definitely gets my Deadly stamp of approval.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41For my next mission we're moving inland
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and looking up to Canada's big skies.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47This part of the world is paradise for birds
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and this being Deadly, we're going for birds of prey.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54We'll show you them in a way you will have never seen before.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It's a raptor-off,
0:12:56 > 0:13:01as I pit the fastest creature that is ever known to have lived
0:13:01 > 0:13:05against a fish-grabbing, predatory powerhouse
0:13:05 > 0:13:09in a contest of pace, punch and brute force.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Everything about this creature says pace,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19from these long, thin, whippy wings
0:13:19 > 0:13:22to the tail which is thin and streamlined,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26to the fact that it's always ready for action, as you can see.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28These birds fly, depending on who you believe,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31as much as 200 mph when they're stooping
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and that's way too fast for the human eye to see.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36So it's time to switch to Deadly technology.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41We're using a super-slow-motion camera
0:13:41 > 0:13:44to slow down the action 60 times.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Peregrines gain elevation till they're well above other birds,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52then they plummet towards them in a death strike known as a stoop.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56To get Jet to perform a mid-air strike,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I'm using a lure shaped like a pigeon.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02OK, Jet.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05So at the moment he's really working hard to get up high,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09but once he is high, that's when he can use momentum and gravity
0:14:09 > 0:14:11to bring him down towards me at speed.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Fantastic!
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Banked right away at the last second and...
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Ooh, he nearly caught it there! Ever so close!
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Launching an attack, Jet scorches past me
0:14:31 > 0:14:33with just millimetres to spare.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Tiny adjustments in the wing and tail feathers give trim,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40just like a fighter jet adjusting its rudders.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Quite often peregrines will use the sun to their advantage.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52So they'll get up high, they'll get the sun behind them,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55so that food like pigeons are totally blinded
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and can't see them coming in.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Look at that, coming straight in from the sun.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04So fast! Just coming searing past me!
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Eyes, five times sharper than our own,
0:15:07 > 0:15:12allow for split-second adjustments, even when travelling at 200 mph.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16OK, Jet. Jet.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21We are witnessing one of the greatest animal icons in action.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Finally, Jet stops toying with me
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and, in the ultimate demonstration of skill and timing,
0:15:35 > 0:15:36moves in for the kill.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Surely the peregrine falcon is Canada's top gun.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Well, the vote's not in yet,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49because my next contender is the iconic North American heavyweight,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50the bald eagle.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54With a wing span longer than me,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58they may not match the peregrine for pace,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01but their strength is legendary.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It's the eagle with the heavyweight hit.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08It is one of the most spectacular birds you'll see in the whole world
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and one of the most powerful birds of prey.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13And most of the power is down here, in the talons.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16They're strong, curved and perfect
0:16:16 > 0:16:19for catching a hold of things like fish.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22He also has... I'll come in quite carefully,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25cos he's not entirely used to me yet.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Now he's showing off one of his primary weapons, that beak,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and I'm trying to keep it as far away from my face as possible.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And the cutting edge of the beak
0:16:34 > 0:16:36is seriously as sharp as a carving knife.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Now these birds can kill prey as large as geese,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42but far more often they'll just steal food,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44even off other bald eagles.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Now, I could... Now, I could talk about this bird all day long,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53but I think it'd be much better if we showed you him in action.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57So, to see a bald eagle at their best,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00we've got a bit of Deadly technology.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02This, it's a paddling pool,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05but a paddling pool with a very special addition.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Running all the way round the outside
0:17:07 > 0:17:09we've got a circle of very small cameras
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and they're focused on a sweet spot around about here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17We're going to put in this, it kind of looks like a little flip-flop,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20but this is a lure and it has here some salmon.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26When our bald eagle takes the lure, all our cameras will fire off
0:17:26 > 0:17:30and we'll be able to analyse its strike from every angle.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36OK, so the lure has gone in, it's right slap bang in the sweet spot.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37HANDLER WHISTLES
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Yes, he's gone! Look at that! No, he's really gone.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45HE LAUGHS
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Erm... Let's try again.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49HANDLER WHISTLES
0:17:52 > 0:17:55There he goes!
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Yes!
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The eagle snatched the lure,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03but it wasn't quite in the sweet spot for the time-slice cameras.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Right, we've got pretty good results so far,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09but I am absolutely convinced we can go even better.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12So...man away.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Just going to wait until I can see I've got his attention.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Right, he's seen it.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Yes!
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Fantastic! That could not have been more perfect.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33That was exactly the pounce I was hoping for.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Our slow-motion camera shows the eagle hit the lure bang on.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44So, let's view back the time slice.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It's been a long day, but we've got all the results finished here,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52downloaded and we can start to watch them properly.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57So this is our bald eagle skimming just over the top of those cameras.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Absolutely incredible!
0:19:00 > 0:19:06For the first time ever, we can see an eagle striking from 360 degrees.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11It arches its wings upwards like a parachute to slow its approach.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16The legs thrust forward, talons as long as my thumbs extend,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18aimed like daggers into the fish.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And if that was a fish, even a really big fish like a salmon,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30it would all be over in a millisecond.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32This is happening so quickly.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41In slow motion you can see that as the eagle approaches,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44its head steadies, eyes lock on to the target
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and never leave it until the talons are engaged.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53Once the target's caught, the eagle needs to get airborne immediately
0:19:53 > 0:19:55to avoid crashing into the water.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57And it's carrying extra weight.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The broad wings drive down, giving instant lift.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Front talons grip the prize, rear talons stab in for the kill.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I've never seen anything like this before.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17This is just out of this world.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22This is a true first for Deadly,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25showing the bald eagle's attack from every angle.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30It's breathtaking and demonstrates great precision for such a big bird.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35The bald eagle takes today's raptor-off in style.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The bald eagle, one of the most iconic animals
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and one of the most powerful birds in the whole world.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Dazzling, dramatic, deadly.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Beak like a carving knife.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Long, stabbing talons.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Massively powerful strike.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00The bald eagle is an all-round deadly raptor.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10We're not yet done with Vancouver Island's cold, rich seas.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13These chilly reefs have some truly bizarre animals
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and we're going to encourage one to make an appearance.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Our target animal is a real mighty mouth with a face full of teeth
0:21:21 > 0:21:26that have to be seen to be believed and it's called...the wolf eel.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Wolf eels are actually fish and can grow over two metres long.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36They're a fearsome predator because, well, that would be telling.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Let's try and see one in action.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Down here it's a totally unfamiliar world,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46festooned with the weirdest wonders.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Like this garden of white shapes.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59These white palm trees...are plumose anemones.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05They're sucking tiny organisms out of the water column.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07But they just look so bizarre,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11they make everything look like the surface of an alien world.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18But what I spot next is even stranger still.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Oh, this is brilliant! Come over and look at this!
0:22:23 > 0:22:30In front of me now is a magical example of murder in miniature.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's a giant nudibranch.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It's actually a kind of sea snail or sea slug.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It's quite closely related to the slugs and snails
0:22:41 > 0:22:46you find in your back garden, but could not be more different.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50It's absolutely dazzling, incredibly flamboyant!
0:22:53 > 0:22:57There are more than 3,000 different species of nudibranch
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and they come in every colour and shape imaginable.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06But there's even more to the giant nudibranch
0:23:06 > 0:23:08we found than meets the eye.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12They move quite slowly, but they are actually predatory.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20These nudibranch hunt sea anemones on the sea floor.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24It's as if a flame-haired dragon rises up...
0:23:24 > 0:23:27then nose dives into the sea bed.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Predators really don't get any stranger than this.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It's so easy to get distracted down here, but the next strange creature
0:24:01 > 0:24:06is a strong sign because it's the wolf eels' favourite food.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09These are slightly crazy looking animals.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12They just look like big hedgehogs.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16They're sea urchins and these spines
0:24:16 > 0:24:21are one of the best defences you'll find anywhere underwater.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27One of the best defences that is, except against wolf eels.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Oh, wow! Yes, yes, yes! I see it!
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Underneath this ledge
0:24:38 > 0:24:43is the massive, imposing head of a wolf eel,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46the animal we've come here to try and find.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And in this bag, I've got some nice stinky chicken
0:24:49 > 0:24:51to try and entice it out into the open.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Ideally, I'd have some kind of tongs or tweezers or something,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02because...I really don't want to be having my fingers snapped.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06OK, it's interested.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Come on out, big fella.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12No! It's been stolen!
0:25:13 > 0:25:17But, hopefully, that's got his attention enough
0:25:17 > 0:25:19to come out into the open,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22because this is one of the most magnificent creatures
0:25:22 > 0:25:24of these Pacific seas.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28There he is! Oh, fantastic!
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Completely out in the open!
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Wonderful stuff!
0:25:33 > 0:25:36OK, he's not going too fast,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38so hopefully I can keep up with him
0:25:38 > 0:25:41without making him feel like I'm chasing him.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45With its bulbous face and forehead,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48attached to a long, flowing streamer of a body,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50it's yet another marine weirdo.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54But the deadly part is in the mouth.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58The wolf eel's huge jaws work like nutcrackers,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02crunching straight through a sea urchin's spiny shell
0:26:02 > 0:26:04to unlock the gooey goodness inside.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I'm going to have one last try
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to get a wolf eel to show me its monster munch.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Look at the size of its head!
0:26:17 > 0:26:23The wolf eel really is one of the mightiest mouths on the reef.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25They have teeth at the front of the mouth
0:26:25 > 0:26:30that are long, thin and pointed for grabbing hold of sea urchins,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32but on the roof of the mouth and at the back
0:26:32 > 0:26:34it's much more like human molars.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Big, flat-ended teeth for crunching up hard-bodied animals.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And with that incredible face,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45they look like a kind of weird evil troll.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Go on! Yes!
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The wolf eel...feasting on some of the spikiest
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and hardest-bodied creatures on the sea bed.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02They're kind of grumpy looking and they've got massive heads,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05therefore I reckon they're deadly.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Sturdy, crunching jaws.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Can grow to over two metres long.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Two types of teeth to rip through spiny sea urchin shells.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The wolf eel is a bizarre, big-headed beast and...
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Join me next time on Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Look at the size of it!
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Wonderful stuff!
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd