0:00:03 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10..and this is Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Oh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:14From the top of the world to the bottom...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Whoa!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17..deadly places...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19deadly adventures...
0:00:19 > 0:00:20and deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25And you're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28HE YELPS
0:00:31 > 0:00:33In this very special Deadly programme,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36we're featuring an old favourite, a really old favourite.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40They've been around on the planet for perhaps 500 million years
0:00:40 > 0:00:41and they are still the lords of the sea...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43the sharks.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49But for so many people, these perfect predators
0:00:49 > 0:00:51are the thing of nightmares
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and they've become one of the most feared creatures on earth.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01But I want to convince you that sharks are majestic,
0:01:01 > 0:01:02fascinating,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04thrilling.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Whoa!
0:01:07 > 0:01:10What a wonderful, beautiful giant.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15HE LAUGHS
0:01:15 > 0:01:19And they have far more to fear from us humans than we do from them.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28To understand why people are so scared of sharks,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30you need to appreciate their business end...
0:01:32 > 0:01:33..their mighty mouth.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39In the Bahamas, I used some new Deadly technology
0:01:39 > 0:01:42to see a shark's bite like never before.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I'm going to try something a little bit new and very special now.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52We're using this. It's called a timeslice rig.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It has 20 small cameras,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58all aligned around this semicircle of metal,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and they'll all fire off simultaneously,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05allowing us to freeze in time the exact moment of a shark's bite.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08It'll mean that we can see it in three dimensions,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12understand it in super-slow speed, and it should give us
0:02:12 > 0:02:15a better understanding of the anatomy of a shark bite.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20I've done hundreds of dives with sharks,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22but this is a new one for me.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30To lure the sharks into the sweet spot,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I've got a bait box filled with fish.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39OK, so this is the plan.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44We have our timeslice rig lined up here
0:02:44 > 0:02:48with Johnny and Duncan holding on to it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I'm going to try and bring a shark in
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and get it to bite right dead in the centre
0:02:53 > 0:02:56so the cameras can fire off all around it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59And then, hopefully,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02we should be able to break down the bite into its constituent parts.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It might sound easy, but trust me,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08it's not going to be.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12'I need a clean, clear bite,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15'right in the epicentre of the cameras...'
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Oi!
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I haven't opened it yet. Don't be so impatient!
0:03:21 > 0:03:23'..while taking care not to get bitten
0:03:23 > 0:03:25'by an over-enthusiastic shark.'
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Here's a likely customer.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'Despite being super-keen to feed,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'there's no mindless frenzy here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'The sharks clearly want to eat the fish...'
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Wow.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36'..but not us.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:46This is absolute craziness.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53There are sharks everywhere.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I'm getting absolutely beaten up here.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59'Getting a single shark to bite,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01'so our camera can get a really good view,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03'is proving almost impossible.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10'Finally, a patch of calm in our shark-fuelled storm
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'and a chance to get some shots.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Yes!
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Perfect.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'Now that we've got the hang of it, our plan is coming together.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29'But with this many excited sharks,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31'you need eyes in the back of your head.'
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Oh!
0:04:35 > 0:04:37HE SCREAMS
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'It was after the fish in my hand, and I didn't let go in time.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'Good job I had protective chainmail under my wetsuit.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Well...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I got pretty hammered there.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Got a hold of my hand and dragged me off.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I don't think it meant to bite me.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I just didn't get my hand out of the way in time.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I'm pretty sure, though, that we've got our shot now,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07and actually the sharks are feeling a little close for comfort,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09so I think it's time to head up.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14The crew have downloaded the timeslice footage,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18so let's see what it reveals.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19So...
0:05:19 > 0:05:23you can see the lemon shark coming in here.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Wow. Oh, wow!
0:05:27 > 0:05:29That is incredible.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32Fantastic.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The timeslice has captured the exact moment of a strike
0:05:39 > 0:05:41which allows us to analyse the bite
0:05:41 > 0:05:43from every angle.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Now, because the mouth is on the underside of the head,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49it needs to lift the nose up quite considerably
0:05:49 > 0:05:52to be able to stand any chance of getting a bite.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57But the jaws are very, very different
0:05:57 > 0:05:59to the jaws that you'd see in a mammal.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02We have our upper jaw fused to our skull,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and only our lower jaw can move free.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08In a shark, it's completely different.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And you can see that at this moment of the strike.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14There.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Both the shark's upper and lower jaw can be thrust forward,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22exposing rows of sharp, serrated teeth for slicing and stabbing.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28From this angle, it's clear to see quite how big
0:06:28 > 0:06:30this lemon shark's mouth is.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It looks big enough to swallow my whole head.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39A bucket-sized gulp that vacuum-sucks fish inside.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46We've just got time for one last slice of lemon shark action.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14It's a spectacle that's utterly overwhelming...
0:07:14 > 0:07:16quite literally.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20HE SCREAMS
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Sharks are often perceived as primitive killers,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28but that couldn't be further from the truth.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32In fact, a shark's senses are far superior to our own.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38From a sense of smell that can detect a single drop of blood
0:07:38 > 0:07:40in a million drops of water,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to hearing prey from over 250m away.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But there's also an almost supernatural strategy
0:07:48 > 0:07:49for finding prey.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Sharks are able to pick up the electrical signals
0:07:53 > 0:07:56given off by every living creature.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's known as electroreception,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and one distinctive kind of shark is the true master.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Simon! Simon! Simon!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11This is one of the most awesome creatures in the sea.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13It's a great hammerhead.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15'The hammerhead has that distinctive head shape
0:08:15 > 0:08:18'to maximise the spread of its electrical receptors,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'allowing it to sense prey from all angles.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26'It's a sense that seems to defy science.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I find out more in the vaults of Manchester Museum.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I don't know if you noticed, but as that shark got in close to us
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and came right up near to the camera,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40it actually shook its head towards the camera.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Now, I don't know if that was a threat display of some kind
0:08:43 > 0:08:46or if it was trying to sort out what was going on
0:08:46 > 0:08:48with the electrical impulses coming off from the camera itself,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but there's no doubt that hammerheads use that super sense
0:08:52 > 0:08:53to find their prey,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and it works in a very similar way to a metal detector.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Now, metal detectors can detect the very, very tiny
0:08:59 > 0:09:03electro-magnetic signals that are given off by conductive metals.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Somewhere in this sand is a coin, and I'm going to try and find it
0:09:07 > 0:09:11in the same way that a hammerhead would try and find prey
0:09:11 > 0:09:12buried beneath the sand.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16So, the hammerhead would move along the bottom...
0:09:17 > 0:09:19..doing circuits...
0:09:21 > 0:09:24..until it picks up a very, very weak field.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28The animals that it's feeding on
0:09:28 > 0:09:30can't help but give off those fields,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32even if they're lying perfectly still.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Just the beating of their heart...
0:09:36 > 0:09:40..is enough to create a field that the hammerhead can sense,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and when it does sense that,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46its senses will fire off...
0:09:48 > 0:09:51..telling it to target in on its food.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57The hammerhead's electroreception is kind of like us
0:09:57 > 0:09:59being able to detect a household battery
0:09:59 > 0:10:01from half a mile away.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's right there. OK. I've got a beep.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12So, once the hammerhead has had one signal...
0:10:12 > 0:10:14BEEPING There it is.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It'll usually circle around and around,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22using its flexible neck...
0:10:22 > 0:10:24to find the epicentre...
0:10:24 > 0:10:25of the signal.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29It's right there.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And then it'll go in for the kill.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38And there it is.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43In this case, a two pence piece. In the shark's case, lunch.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48But despite all these skills, senses and weapons,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51sharks pose little threat to human beings.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58In fact, some species of shark are so shy,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00they're almost impossible to find.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07In the Philippines, I went looking for a shark
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I've waited my entire life to see.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15That animal is a thresher shark.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16They're extremely elusive,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19often solitary, animals and spend most of their time
0:11:19 > 0:11:21prowling the abyss of the deep oceans.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Certainly no threat to us humans.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28The animal we're looking for is a hunter that
0:11:28 > 0:11:32usually either is active at night or in the deep, deep sea.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35This is the only time when it's going to be up here at our level,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and we stand a chance of seeing them,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39so we need to get in as soon as possible.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You ready? Ready to go.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43OK. Let's rock.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Did I just say let's rock on camera?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Yeah. Let's rock! Let's lock and load.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'Right. Time to get serious
0:11:52 > 0:11:54'and get in the water to look for them.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:02We're dropping down into the gloom.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03This is really exciting.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'We're heading for one very special place.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10'It's known as a cleaning station,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12'kind of like a salon for sharks,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'where small fish, known as cleaner wrasse,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18'do their job of giving bigger fish a wash and brush up.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22'The team and I wait in position in the hope that
0:12:22 > 0:12:26'this magnificent shark will appear.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'And then suddenly, out of nowhere...'
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Look!
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Coming towards us.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34No way!
0:12:34 > 0:12:35It's a thresher shark.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Oh, my life.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44It has an incredible silvery sheen to the body.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48It's almost like the entire body has been covered in titanium or silver.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54You can see him just hovering there to allow the cleaner fish to come in
0:12:54 > 0:12:58and pick off parasites, dead scales and scabs.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'I can hardly believe my eyes.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05'It's like nothing I've ever seen before.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:07If you look at the thresher shark's body,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10it's completely different to any other type of shark.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13The eyes are very big and dark...
0:13:15 > 0:13:19..so it can see down in the deep waters or at night.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22It has a small mouth
0:13:22 > 0:13:25because it only feeds on fish
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and doesn't need a massive mouth like a great white
0:13:27 > 0:13:29that feed on mammals.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33'Instead, the thresher shark's magnificent tail
0:13:33 > 0:13:35'is its killing tool.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37'They sweep it through the water, hitting and stunning fish
0:13:37 > 0:13:39'which they then polish off.'
0:13:42 > 0:13:47I've waited my entire life to see one of these things...
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and it's still utterly, utterly awe inspiring.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I don't want to even breathe in case I scare him off.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I can't believe this.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05This is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'Looking like it's shrouded in silver foil,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11'moving with easy majesty
0:14:11 > 0:14:13'and possessing one of the most dramatic physiques
0:14:13 > 0:14:18'of any animal, this is surely a shark that could charm anyone.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'But even the sharks that have on very rare occasions attacked
0:14:21 > 0:14:25'human beings are not the crazed killers they're made out to be.'
0:14:28 > 0:14:32To me, the sharks are the most exciting, the most dramatic,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35but perhaps the most misunderstood group of animals
0:14:35 > 0:14:37on the whole planet. I think what we have to do is convince people
0:14:37 > 0:14:39they have nothing to fear.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Fewer than ten people a year are killed by sharks in the whole world,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47which means you're hundreds of times more likely to be killed
0:14:47 > 0:14:49by a bolt of lightning.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The few freak cases are usually thought to be
0:14:53 > 0:14:54a case of mistaken identity.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58In Hawaii, we went in search of a shark
0:14:58 > 0:15:00with one of the worst reputations.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11The oceanic whitetip is a cousin of the great white
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and is an endless rover of the big blue.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18They're known for being the first on the scene of a sinking ship.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20This is a shark that lives in the open ocean
0:15:20 > 0:15:22where there isn't an enormous amount of food.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25They have to test out every single thing
0:15:25 > 0:15:28that they see as a potential meal to find out if it's good to eat.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Food is so scarce out here that they need to be curious
0:15:32 > 0:15:35about everything they come across in order to survive.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42But even these pugnacious, inquisitive sharks
0:15:42 > 0:15:44are not a true threat to human beings,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and I hope to prove that.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49This was once one of the world's most numerous
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and widespread predators,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54but it takes us three days to find our first.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Shark on the other side! On the other side.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Shark on the other side.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Spotted a shark, I think, but...
0:16:03 > 0:16:06'The crew have spotted a shark-like shadow by the boat,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09'but it's hard to tell if it's the creature we're looking for.'
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We have a shark!
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Our first oceanic whitetip.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25'It's unmistakable.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28'With its white-ended, wing-like fins,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'this is our oceanic whitetip.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Two! There's two of them.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47'True to form, both sharks sail straight over to check us out.'
0:16:54 > 0:16:56She seems really interested in the cameras.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57But she's just testing them out,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59seeing if they might be something good to eat.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02If they want to test something, feel what it's like,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04they have to do it with their teeth and with their snout.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'This is exactly what gets them into trouble.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'But those bumps and nibbles aren't part of any frenzied attack.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15'Instead, their bold and curious nature
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'is part of a survival strategy that enables them to live
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'in such a tough environment.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27'If sharks were the cruel, menacing man-eaters
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'the media makes them out to be,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'I would probably have been eaten years ago.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'Instead, I honestly believe that these animals know
0:17:36 > 0:17:39'we're not prey. To prove that, I'm heading to Mexico
0:17:39 > 0:17:42'and the most feared animal on earth.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I've developed a fascination, bordering on obsession,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52with the true icon of Deadly...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the great white shark.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I've been lucky enough to bounce up against one
0:18:00 > 0:18:02in a tiny inflatable boat...
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Wow! Next to me. Look at this!
0:18:04 > 0:18:09..to see one from the safety of a shark-diving cage...
0:18:09 > 0:18:10Oh!
0:18:10 > 0:18:13..even to see them leaping, breaching out of the water
0:18:13 > 0:18:17in one of the world's most impressive attacks...
0:18:17 > 0:18:20No way! Just one big smack.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22But this time we're going one better.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25We're going to dive with a shark out in the big blue,
0:18:25 > 0:18:26outside of the cage.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30This is quite simply the greatest shark encounter on the planet.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36This is a truly mighty challenge
0:18:36 > 0:18:39with the most notorious sea creature on earth.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43With over 300 serrated sharp teeth,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46they can grip and slice prey.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49People's fear of this shark is off the scale.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52They're the animal that many people love to hate.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02A lot of people might ask why I would even consider
0:19:02 > 0:19:04going outside of the cage with a great white shark,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07but for me, it's very simple. I've spent a lot of my life
0:19:07 > 0:19:10trying to convince people that sharks are not
0:19:10 > 0:19:12the misunderstood man-eating monsters
0:19:12 > 0:19:13that a lot of people think they are,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and this is kind of the best way of proving that.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19These animals have so much to fear from us,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and we have next to nothing to fear from them.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25I hope that swimming with the greatest shark of them all
0:19:25 > 0:19:28can help others to share my love for sharks.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38So that we're ready when they do appear,
0:19:38 > 0:19:39we start kitting up.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45It's all starting to become very real,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47the enormity of what I'm about to do.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It's really tricky. You've got to force yourself to go through
0:19:56 > 0:19:59all of your checks, but all the time, in the back of your mind,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02is the fact that you're about to swim out into the open ocean
0:20:02 > 0:20:05with one of the most epic predators on the planet.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08'And I can't let nerves get the better of me
0:20:08 > 0:20:10'as animals can sense fear.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15'I can't wait any longer.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Are we ready?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23'It's time to enter the shark's world.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33'This shark is known to our safety divers,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36'so we open the cage door.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39'But before I head out into the deep blue,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43'we want to be absolutely sure this shark is on its best behaviour.'
0:20:51 > 0:20:56So, I think it's time to head out through the open cage door.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'My heart is racing.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'Leaving the cage, I suddenly feel very small.'
0:21:21 > 0:21:24They are so completely transfixing,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26almost hypnotising,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29but the fact is, it's not the shark you can see
0:21:29 > 0:21:30that you have to be worried about.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34It's the shark that you don't see.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'So I'm very glad I have so many eyes in the water,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40'but even then, they can appear from nowhere.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Watch behind you, Jose. Watch behind you.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50'Sharks may not be the mindless killers people believe them to be,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'but this is their world, and they demand respect
0:21:54 > 0:21:55'and constant attention.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Coming back towards us, Johnny. Straight at us.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'The great whites focus solely on the bait.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16'They ignore us completely.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29'This shark's body language speaks volumes.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'He is relaxed with me,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34'and, unbelievably, I'm starting to feel the same way.'
0:22:51 > 0:22:54This is quite simply wonderful.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58'So many people believe that sharks are out to get us,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'hard-wired to kill anything in their path.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03'You can see this is just not true.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:13Extraordinary.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I will never, ever forget this moment.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'Having shared the seas with so many sharks,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22'and particularly the mighty great white,
0:23:22 > 0:23:27'I've felt humbled, clumsy, vulnerable and small.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'They have an aura of invincibility.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'But with the lords of the sea, nothing is as it seems.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Sharks are in serious trouble.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Every single second of every single day,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50around three sharks are killed by us.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52We're destroying their homes,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54polluting their seas
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and catching them by the million.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59And there's one practice
0:23:59 > 0:24:02that could empty our oceans of sharks for good.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08And in much of the world, the cause is plain to see.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Over the years, I've got to spend hundreds of hours in the water
0:24:15 > 0:24:18with sharks and experience their wonder and beauty
0:24:18 > 0:24:19and majesty for myself.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Unfortunately, this, what you see around me now,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26is a much more common example of how human beings
0:24:26 > 0:24:28interact with sharks.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Fish markets like this exist all over the world,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and sharks have become the number-one catch.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42But it's not just their meat people are after.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45It's their fins.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Now, this one has had its fins removed,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53the tail removed,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and these are sold for something called shark fin soup.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01It an Asian delicacy particularly common at weddings.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Shark fin soup is a status symbol in some cultures,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and there are millions of people that want to eat it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The shark fins themselves don't add any taste whatsoever.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19The fins are simply added for texture.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Because of the practice of shark finning,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28it is possible that within the next four or five years,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32as many as 20 species of shark could go completely extinct.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36In fact, every single year, between 75 and 100 million sharks
0:25:36 > 0:25:40are taken from the world's seas purely for their fins.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44To put that into context,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47by the time you've watched this programme,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50over 5,000 sharks will have been killed,
0:25:50 > 0:25:51all for the sake of a soup.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56But why should we care?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Well, the natural world is all about balance.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Sharks are top of the marine food chain
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and, like all apex predators, they're especially important.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10We don't know what the impact would be if we lost them,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13but the effects could be catastrophic.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Without a healthy ocean, the world as we know it
0:26:19 > 0:26:20would cease to function,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and the horror of a world without sharks
0:26:23 > 0:26:24is a very real one.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But it's not all bad news.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Filming Deadly over the years has brought the team and I
0:26:31 > 0:26:34into contact with many people that have dedicated
0:26:34 > 0:26:38their entire lives to researching and conserving sharks.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Their knowledge and understanding can give us the power
0:26:41 > 0:26:44to make people in charge do something.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45Over 500 million years,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49sharks have evolved to become complex, sophisticated
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and utterly magnificent.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54To lose them in the age of man would be truly unthinkable.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We need to tame our fear and learn to love
0:26:57 > 0:26:59the lords of the sea.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Oh, my life!
0:27:02 > 0:27:03No way!
0:27:10 > 0:27:15That is one of THE great wildlife encounters.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Unbelievable.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Join me next time for more Deadly Pole To Pole.