0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11I'm Naomi Wilkinson, and I'm coming face to face
0:00:11 > 0:00:13with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24..your heart beat faster...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27..and your blood run cold!
0:00:27 > 0:00:28What's that noise?
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Are they truly terrifying, or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Ooh!
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Come with me, as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Ooh!
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52This time, my search for nature's nightmares has brought me
0:00:52 > 0:00:55to the tropical coastline of Australia.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56There's sand, sea, sun!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It's the perfect place for a little rest and relaxation.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04In fact, it's hard to imagine that anything around here could be a nightmare of nature!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09My wet and wonderful Aussie outing will take me from the waterways
0:01:09 > 0:01:13of the far north, across to the coast of Queensland and beyond.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Along the way, I'll be paddling with a very prickly customer...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- Is that him, that brown?- Yeah.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23- That's going to kill. - That could definitely kill you, yeah.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Hitting the beach in search of some muddy monsters...
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Get him, get him, get him!
0:01:29 > 0:01:34And plunging into the big blue on the trail of a creeping menace.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40But I'm starting with a spot of sightseeing.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44We're in Kakadu National Park right at the northern tip of Australia,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48and if I'm looking a little edgy it's because we're on a search
0:01:48 > 0:01:51for one of the scariest animals on the planet.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Saltwater crocodiles have a fearsome reputation, and it's well-deserved.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08These giant predatory reptiles can grow to over six metres in length.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Their massive jaws deliver the most powerful bite force ever recorded
0:02:12 > 0:02:16and they are masters of the ambush attack.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23But can I learn to love these cold-blooded killers,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26or are they just a total nightmare?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31My guide today is croc expert Adam Britton.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I've never been searching for crocodiles before.
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Can you give me some spotting tips?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42You've come to the best place to start with.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44There's plenty of crocodiles here.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Because it's getting really hot, they'll sit in the water,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49so keep your eyes on the water itself.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Sometimes you'll see two little bumps -
0:02:51 > 0:02:55the first bump is their nostrils and the one behind it is the eyes.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56OK.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Look at him. Look at him!
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Straight up ahead?
0:03:17 > 0:03:18- What have you seen?- In the water.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Whoa! Do we need to be quiet?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25No, no - he's good.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32I never thought I was going to get this close in the boat.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42Oh! This one is enormous! What prey do they go after?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Most of the things these crocs eat are small.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47They eat lots and lots of small things.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Occasionally, they get lucky,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and they'll be in just the right place when something like a wallaby
0:03:53 > 0:03:56will come down to the water, then they'll get a lot more food.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03They've got these incredibly powerful jaws, as we all know,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and the reason they've got these powerful jaws is so they can
0:04:06 > 0:04:09clamp on to something, and then they use the rest of their body,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13which is basically pure muscle, to then rip it apart.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22One of the things that crocs do, which is really cool,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24is they can jump out of the water.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29So for example, if you happened to be a bird sitting in that branch,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32the crocodile will come underneath, and he'll tilt his tail down
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and then swim upwards and his tail is so powerful,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38he can push all that body weight up out of the water
0:04:38 > 0:04:40to get his jaws around the bird.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50A lot of people get grabbed with their back to crocodiles.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Oh! I'll just ask you all the questions like this!
0:04:58 > 0:05:01It's hard to imagine what it would feel like to be in the water
0:05:01 > 0:05:02and see an animal this big
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and this ferocious lunging at you out of the darkness.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Unfortunately, I don't have to imagine, because I'm going to do it.
0:05:09 > 0:05:15I'm going to get into the water with a fully-grown, hungry, saltwater crocodile.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16Gulp! Nightmare!
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Obviously it's not a great idea to just jump into the water
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and go for a swim with a saltie!
0:05:25 > 0:05:26But Adam reckons he knows a way
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I can enter the watery world of the crocodile without being eaten.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35On this side of the fence, there's a 4.8 metre croc called Smaug.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And on this side of the fence, we have an underwater viewing platform,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40and that's where I'm going - in there.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Adam is going to lure Smaug in with a meaty morsel.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54I'm about to go face to face with a predator the size of a small car.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56My heart is racing.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Oh! I don't like underwater stuff.
0:06:01 > 0:06:07- He's actually looking at you.- He is. He's looking straight at me, I can see his teeth from up here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Right, Naomi, deep breath. One, two, three.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Flipping heck! This is taking every bit of courage I have got.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Oh. He's really intimidating.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47So intimidating.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51I wish I could put into words how small I feel next to him!
0:06:56 > 0:07:02Just as I'm getting used to the idea of being in the water with such a massive predator,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Adam drops in a little surprise!
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Whoa!
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I didn't realise that was going to happen and all of a sudden,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21he just opened his mouth and whooo!
0:07:24 > 0:07:29You know what, I think the scariest thing about a crocodile is that they are motionless,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33and as if they're just a statue, and then from nowhere,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37lightning reaction kicks in, reflexes and...
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Good grief! I am going to take a lot of persuading
0:07:43 > 0:07:46that this is not a total nightmare of nature!
0:07:48 > 0:07:52I'm not done with crocs yet - I'll be back later
0:07:52 > 0:07:55for a spooky encounter with a true monster of the night.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58You can feel the power of this animal.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01The whole boat is just being pulled around.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03But first, I'm heading over to the Queensland coast
0:08:03 > 0:08:07in search of some more nightmare contenders.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Imagine a hidden horror, one that lies in plain sight,
0:08:12 > 0:08:13but you can't see it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15One that delivers a toxin so powerful
0:08:15 > 0:08:18it will kill you within hours.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22A terror that lurks even in the heart of a busy resort like this.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Well, the nightmare of nature I'm on the trail of now
0:08:24 > 0:08:27is all of those things!
0:08:27 > 0:08:32The seldom-seen stonefish is a hide-and-seek champion.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Disguising itself as a harmless lump of rock,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39it waits on the seabed and snaps up unsuspecting prey
0:08:39 > 0:08:44with rapid-fire strikes - almost too fast for the human eye to see.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51But it's defence, not attack, that makes this fish a nightmare to us.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55For protection, stonefish are armed with a set of hidden toxic spines
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that inject a painful, potentially lethal venom
0:08:59 > 0:09:02into anyone unlucky enough to stand on one.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13To find out more about these super-stealthy stingers,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I've come to meet marine biologist Jenna.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Jenna, how can we see a stonefish?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Well, stonefish are very, very difficult to find in the wild.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I've spent a lot of hours looking for stonefish underwater
0:09:28 > 0:09:32to no avail, so what I've done today is borrow one from a local aquarium
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and I've brought him here to the beach today.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Where is it?- Well, we're going to have some fun actually.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43I have hidden him somewhere in the ocean around us,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45and your challenge is going to be to uncover him.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50- Right. But you're not going let me tread on him though, are you? - No. I'll look after you!
0:09:55 > 0:09:58The problem is, there are lots of rocks here.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- You can see him now? - I can see him right now.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10He's in this vicinity here, if that helps.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I don't want to move anywhere!
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Warmer.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Is that him? That brown, the dark brown?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Yep, that is him. That big thing right there.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- It's really big!- Huge, isn't he? - He looks just like a rock!
0:10:30 > 0:10:33If I was paddling along here, there is no way I would see him.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37So what does happen when you stand on one?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40OK, so if you look closely you can see here
0:10:40 > 0:10:43the spines along the back - there's 13 spines.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47If we went a bit closer, or he was threatened, he'd erect those spines
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and they'd stand up really high and straight, and each spine
0:10:51 > 0:10:55works like a syringe, so it pumps the venom up and into the needle.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It's very interesting because the amount of poison that goes in
0:10:58 > 0:11:01is actually directly related to the amount of pressure
0:11:01 > 0:11:05that's put on the fish. So it's not like the fish really attacks you,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09it's like the victim stumbles into the fish.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12If you were to have a terrible incident and stand on all 13 spines,
0:11:12 > 0:11:17with full force, that's going to kill?
0:11:17 > 0:11:18That could definitely kill you.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Mostly, it's just an extremely painful experience.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26I've heard the pain is so bad, people beg to have their limb amputated!
0:11:26 > 0:11:27No way!
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- So we probably don't want to get much closer!- Let's leave him alone!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42The thought of accidentally treading on a practically invisible fish
0:11:42 > 0:11:45with a back bristling with poisonous spines
0:11:45 > 0:11:48is certainly enough to make me think twice about going for a paddle.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53The stonefish is definitely a strong contender for my worst nightmare.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57My next nightmare of nature is a little bit different.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It's not a ferocious predator, it's not a venomous insect.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It's not even an animal. It's this stuff!
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Mud.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I'm in the mangroves, where the sea meets the land.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18It's hot, humid, filled with mosquitoes,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and there's plenty of thick, sticky mud.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24To me, it sounds like a nightmarish place to set up home,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27but I'm off to find lots of animals that love to live in it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Spotting anything in all this muck won't be easy.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Luckily, local guide Linc is on hand to assist.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So what's the best way to walk around on all this sludgy mud?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49No shoes out here - get your shoes off.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52If you wear shoes, sometimes you'll sink down and lose your shoes
0:12:52 > 0:12:55You won't get them back. So we leave them on the beach.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57It's a bit creepy. The minute you have bare feet,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00you feel like things are starting to move round your toes
0:13:00 > 0:13:01and nibble your feet.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I won't tell you what's in the mud until we get back on the beach!
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Then I'll let you know what's down there.- OK!
0:13:10 > 0:13:14These mangroves provide a haven for all sorts of mud-lovers.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Periwinkles - edible snails.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21Wow!
0:13:23 > 0:13:25That's one of the mud whelks.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29That's a little fiddler crab.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Aw, I like him.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39But there's one animal leaping around in all these muddy forests
0:13:39 > 0:13:41that has to be seen to be believed -
0:13:41 > 0:13:45and that's because it's a fish!
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Mudskippers are a mini marvel of the mangroves.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They love the mud so much that when the tide goes out,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54they simply stay put, burrowing, hunting, and even climbing trees
0:13:54 > 0:13:57right here in the mangroves.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But to get a really good look at this fish out of water,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03we've got to catch one!
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Oh, oh, oh!- You see him jumping? - I saw something jumping over here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- Just in there.- That's the one.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Now, how to catch him in amongst all these roots?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Oh, he's fast!- Never going to be able to catch you.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18Ridiculously fast!
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Mudskippers are quick for a reason.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26They're on the menu for birds, lizards and even crocodiles.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Get him, get him, get him - come back!
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I don't really like it!
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Oh, they even sense my shadow!
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I don't think humans are cut out to spend their time in mangroves.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Oh! Argh!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58If you can't catch them by hand, use a net.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Come here, mudskippers!
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Going to get the whole crew looking.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Hooray! We have one in the net.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- You can come over to it.- I'll just come over there to show you.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Just give me half an hour!
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Oh, he's so sweet!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26As you can see, the mudskipper is a fish that is as happy
0:15:26 > 0:15:28out of the water as in the water.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31In fact, they can stay out of the water for a few days.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33The way they do that is to store a supply of water
0:15:33 > 0:15:36in a special chamber inside their bodies,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40much the same way as a scuba diver would store air in a tank.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Those two bulging, protruding eyes stick upwards above the mud or water
0:15:44 > 0:15:47so it can look out for prey or predators.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Then when the tide comes in,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52he'll just disappear, burrowing down into the mud.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Oh! Where's he gone?
0:15:55 > 0:16:00So the mudskipper can breathe both in and out of the water,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02has high-speed evasion techniques,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and is fitted with bulging eyes
0:16:04 > 0:16:05for a panoramic view.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10All making it perfectly adapted for mucking around in the mud!
0:16:12 > 0:16:16It's been a real surprise to discover just how many creatures
0:16:16 > 0:16:18are living in this,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21but I don't think I'd fancy spending all my time
0:16:21 > 0:16:23up to my eyeballs in mud.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So this really could be my worst nightmare.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33The coast of Queensland is home to one of our planet's greatest wonders.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34It's one of the largest,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38most impressive spectacles found anywhere in the natural world.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And one of the best ways to appreciate its sheer scale
0:16:41 > 0:16:43is to view it from the air!
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Ah! Look at the view!
0:17:02 > 0:17:05What a sensational view!
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's beautiful down there, isn't it?
0:17:13 > 0:17:18What you can see down there is the Great Barrier Reef.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22It stretches over 1,000 miles along the Australian coast.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26In fact, it's so big, it can be seen from space.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28The reef itself is actually alive,
0:17:28 > 0:17:33because it's made up of billions upon billions of tiny organisms
0:17:33 > 0:17:34called coral polyps.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40The polyps' hard exoskeletons create the beautiful shapes
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and colours of the reef, and the vast communities they form
0:17:43 > 0:17:48provide shelter and food sources for all the other life around them,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50from tiny crustaceans
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to giant manta rays.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56You beauty! That's magic.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I can't get over how far it goes on!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Just as far as your eye can see.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Now you might think anything this size would be impervious to attack,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19but there is a hostile takeover underway down there of nightmarish proportions.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21So I need to go in for a closer look.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The coral is under attack from a creeping terror -
0:18:30 > 0:18:33the crown-of-thorns starfish.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39These multi-pronged monsters make their home on the reef,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42but in recent years their numbers have swelled,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44creating an army of starfish so big,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48they are destroying huge portions of this natural wonder.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02I'm heading offshore with marine biologist Chris.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09He's going to introduce me to this marauding menace.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11So here we have the culprit.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Indeed we do.- You can see why it's called the crown-of-thorns.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But it's not the spikes that do the damage to the reef?
0:19:17 > 0:19:22No, this guy is eating the reef. It's eating coral. It is a corallivore.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23How is it doing it?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26This particular guy can invert his stomach.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- Oh!- Yes! - So he turns himself inside out?
0:19:29 > 0:19:33He turns himself inside out and envelops his prey, the coral,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34with his stomach...
0:19:37 > 0:19:39..sucks the animal out of its skeleton,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and withdraws its stomach back into its body,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45marches off, and does that again.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Ugh! But how much damage can starfish really cause to the reef?
0:19:50 > 0:19:52It's really a numbers game.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55If you're talking about millions upon millions of these guys
0:19:55 > 0:20:00eating coral, they can quickly eat themselves out of house and home.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I want to see this damage for myself,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05so it's time to take the plunge.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15At first, we're surrounded by vibrant, healthy coral.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16So beautiful!
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Stunning!
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Absolutely stunning how much life there is. It's so busy.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36It's like the most fantastic tropical fish tank ever!
0:20:40 > 0:20:43But it's not long before we come across the trail of destruction
0:20:43 > 0:20:46left by our marauding starfish army.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51It just looks like a ghost town, doesn't it?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- Yeah.- Like a spooky ghost town.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And everywhere you look,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59in the healthy coral it's like a really busy city,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01all the fish just going about their business,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04but then you get to the dead coral, and it's just...
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- There's no life around it, is there? - It's truly lifeless.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09It's really sad to see, actually.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- Look what's right in the middle of us, right down in front of us.- Yeah.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- A massive one. - A huge crown-of-thorns.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28It's so evident where you've just got those white patches
0:21:28 > 0:21:31right next to a crown-of-thorns starfish -
0:21:31 > 0:21:33you can see it's exactly where it's just been.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37You can see the pattern quite clearly.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And as the population increases, as it is on the Great Barrier Reef,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43it is a true nightmare.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The reason for the huge rise in crown-of-thorns numbers
0:21:46 > 0:21:50is linked to nutrients being washed into the sea by deforestation
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and development along the coast.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56These nutrients create food for infant crown-of-thorns,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59meaning more and more are surviving to adulthood
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and a life of coral chomping.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Chris and others are working hard to tackle these problems,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14but for now, the future of the reef remains in doubt.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20An animal that can eject its guts out of its mouth
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and slowly digest you is surely enough to turn anyone's stomach,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27but for me, the potential damage and destruction
0:22:27 > 0:22:30of these beautiful, stunning coral reefs
0:22:30 > 0:22:33has got to be the real nightmare of nature.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40My Australian adventure is almost over, but before I head for home,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45I have some unfinished business with the saltwater crocodile.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Expert Adam is trying to convince me that these ravenous reptiles
0:22:49 > 0:22:53aren't a total nightmare. He's even had me in the water with one!
0:22:55 > 0:22:59And now he's aiming to get me close enough
0:22:59 > 0:23:00to actually touch a wild croc!
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We're launching our boat out onto the river
0:23:03 > 0:23:06because we're heading out on a night-time nightmare mission.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11We're going to try and find, catch and tag a saltwater crocodile.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14If there's one thing scarier than trying to catch a crocodile,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17it is trying to catch a crocodile in the dark!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Thank you.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22In order to learn more about the local crocodile population,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Adam has been fitting them with satellite tags,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28which allow him to track their movements.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31But attaching anything to a predator several metres long
0:23:31 > 0:23:33is always a risky business.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Thankfully we have a team of park rangers with us
0:23:36 > 0:23:38who are crocodile-catching experts.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Whoa! He's a big one!
0:23:55 > 0:23:58We seem to have gone for one of the biggest crocodiles
0:23:58 > 0:24:00in the whole of Australia tonight!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Stay well out of the way!
0:24:10 > 0:24:13All this thrashing will help to tire out the croc,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15making it easier to work with.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18You can feel the power of this animal, though.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The whole boat is just being pulled around.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But it's not until the croc is fully out of the water
0:24:25 > 0:24:29that I can appreciate the terrifying scale of this living dinosaur!
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Once the exhausted croc is properly secured, it's finally safe
0:24:41 > 0:24:46for me to touch my first-ever wild crocodile.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- I'm OK to touch him? - You're perfectly OK to touch him.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Oh! So soft!
0:24:52 > 0:24:53But feel that.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- And that is like rock.- Yeah.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01I thought he was going to be really hard! He's really squidgy!
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- It's a big one.- 3.85 metres.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Nearly 3.9 metres.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Cor!
0:25:09 > 0:25:14While the park rangers take measurements, Adam gets on with fitting the tag.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20The data it provides will help to ensure that crocs and people don't come into conflict.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24We'll be able to tell so much about what this crocodile is doing,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27it will give us a huge amount of really useful information,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29so he's a really good ambassador.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Naomi, we're going to call him Naomi!
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- Are you really?- Yeah. That's what he's called.- Aw! I feel honoured.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40Do you think crocodiles and people can live safely together?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Given the number of crocodiles here and the number of people,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and the number of people who go out on the water fishing
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and recreating around the water,
0:25:48 > 0:25:54on average you get one person a year who gets killed by a crocodile.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- That's so few really, isn't it?- It's a pretty good statistic.- Yeah.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01The fact is, we have this amazing creature here, which is a huge asset.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I think it's much better to have this animal here,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07with the tiny risk that someone is going to get attacked.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's just incredibly important.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Just cutting loose that duct tape around his mouth.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20When everybody's ready, they'll release it,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and, hopefully, he'll head straight for the water
0:26:23 > 0:26:24and not back towards us!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35And off he goes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I've got to say, getting that close to a saltwater crocodile
0:26:39 > 0:26:41has got to rank up there as one of the scariest,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45but most exhilarating animal encounters of my life.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48The more you get to know about them, the more you have to respect them -
0:26:48 > 0:26:52the power, the size, how well they are adapted for life in the water.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Am I really getting to like crocodiles,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57or are they still the stuff of nightmares?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01So it turns out the Australian coast isn't quite
0:27:01 > 0:27:04the perfect paradise I thought it was.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Yes, it has the sun, it has the beautiful beaches,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but it also has some surprisingly scary wildlife!
0:27:09 > 0:27:12But which is my worst nightmare here?
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Was it the stomach-ejecting, coral-chomping crown-of-thorns?
0:27:19 > 0:27:23The muddy mangroves - hot, humid and plenty of thick, sticky mud?
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Or the camouflaged toxic terror, the stonefish?
0:27:30 > 0:27:34But because of its size, power and ferocity,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37the coastal crown for my worst nightmare here
0:27:37 > 0:27:41is going to go to the giant prehistoric monster, the saltwater crocodile!
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Second time lucky!
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Thank you! Oh, dear.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Very gracefully done!
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd