0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Nightmares of Nature.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12I'm Naomi Wilkinson and I'm coming face to face with the nightmares
0:00:12 > 0:00:14of the animal world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21SHE SCREAMS
0:00:21 > 0:00:23..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Whoo-hoo!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26..and your blood run cold.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27BEAR GROWLS
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 > 0:00:35SCREAMS AND NERVOUS LAUGHTER
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Come with me as I shine a light
0:00:37 > 0:00:40on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets...
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Ohh!
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare?
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We've travelled all around the world for this series, and I've found
0:00:52 > 0:00:56myself in a multitude of terrifying situations
0:00:56 > 0:00:58where I've had to overcome my fears.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00NAOMI SCREAMS
0:01:00 > 0:01:03ANIMALS GROWL AND ROAR
0:01:06 > 0:01:08From adrenaline-fuelled challenges,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10to encounters with spine chilling animals -
0:01:10 > 0:01:13it's been a fear-filled few months.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19But I'm not the only one who finds things frightening.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21We all have things that scare us,
0:01:21 > 0:01:26things that give us the heebie geebies and get our hearts racing.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And that's what this special programme is all about.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35I'm going to be exploring five of our very worst fears,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38all of which I've experienced over the last few months.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44And what better place to start than with one of the world's
0:01:44 > 0:01:48most feared creatures - yes, you've guessed it -
0:01:48 > 0:01:49it's our eight-legged friends.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I've always been petrified of spiders. They really have given me
0:02:02 > 0:02:04many a nightmare. I don't like the way they make me jump
0:02:04 > 0:02:07when I suddenly find one, the way they move creeps me out,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I've never been able to pick one up or really get near them.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14So confronting them for this series was a major challenge for me.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19In Australia, naturalist Deana and I
0:02:19 > 0:02:21went on a spider search in her back yard.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Ohh!
0:02:29 > 0:02:34This is a really good place to look for spiders, because there is a lot
0:02:34 > 0:02:39- of stuff lying around they like to hide behind.- Hidey-holes?- Yeah.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43And we found an absolute heart-stopper.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Ohhh-ho-ho!
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Eurghh!
0:02:51 > 0:02:55So was an arachnophobe like me able to confront that scuttling,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00scurrying, nightmare? Well luckily, my spider training started
0:03:00 > 0:03:05two months earlier in South Africa, when I met up with Donald Strydom,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08who has a reputation for helping people with spider phobias.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I've got the spider here for you.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Yay!- It's in a box.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- How big is this one, then? Let's have a look.- Let's open up here.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- Right.- Not going to jump out, is it? - Not going to pounce out at you, no.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Right, the Golden Brown Baboon spider.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Why does it have that name?
0:03:32 > 0:03:36That comes from the velvety black under its legs, there.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- Look at it carefully, you can see that black underneath.- Yes, yes.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43The velvety black there, looks just like them fingers of a baboon.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I am going to take it out. I'll hold it first, then you can have a look
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and see what this is all about. Very gentle spider, because it lives
0:03:49 > 0:03:53in a hole in the ground where it's well protected and doesn't need
0:03:53 > 0:03:57to be an aggressive animal, running around, defending itself.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58Beautiful, isn't it?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Don't know if I'd describe it as beautiful.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03But would you like to hold this?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Maybe in a minute. Let me watch you holding it first.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07'Although I don't like them,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11'I really wanted to know if I could overcome my fear.'
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- It's a very gentle spider. - So it's not going to hurt us?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16No, it's not going to bite or anything.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18If it did, what would it feel like?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Two pin pricks - that's it.- Really?
0:04:20 > 0:04:24The venom has no significance to humans. It's very mild.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27So it hardly ever uses its venom. It's a big spider.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30It uses its body to overpower its prey, so it will grab
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and crush things with its strength, rather than using its venom
0:04:33 > 0:04:36like the other little spiders.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- Shall I try? - Good, you're going to try!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Promise you're not going to flick it away!- It's started to go quicker.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49If you have any problems, I'll take it immediately. Have one hand,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- so you can move it hand-to-hand if it does move.- Ohh!- I'll let the leg
0:04:52 > 0:04:57- touch you and you tell me yes or no. - OK.- You feel the leg?- So light.- Yep.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- Is that yes or no?- Ohh! It's a bit grippy!- I was holding it,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- it's trying to move on. - OK, no, go on!- Try there?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06That's coming straight on.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Cover it for a second.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's coming straight on.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You're all right. There we go. Move it from hand-to-hand.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe it!
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- They're pretty gentle.- I'm getting braver. They are so light.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32'No-one really knows exactly why people are so afraid of spiders,
0:05:32 > 0:05:33'but they can be dangerous,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37'so it may be an inbuilt survival response.'
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- It's actually a little bit cute, that one!- It is very cute!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I'm surprising myself saying that out loud.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57I tell you what though, if I found that in my bedroom,
0:05:57 > 0:05:58I would freak out.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'So was that training enough to help me
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'with the Australian arachnid months later?'
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- Oh, my goodness, gracious me! - It's OK. Just a Huntsman spider.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Just a spider. I'm bigger than the spider.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Are you putting it on your hand?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21NAOMI SQUEALS MUTEDLY
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- Come and have a look.- Right!
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- This is...- Oh, that creeps me out!
0:06:31 > 0:06:32This is a male Huntsman
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and he's got a very big leg span.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Huntsman spiders are relatively harmless.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Have I got to try and hold it?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Would you like to? - No, I wouldn't like to, but...
0:06:49 > 0:06:50You going to be brave?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Oh, my goodness!
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- Sorry!- All right. You move your hand in front of mine, so I don't...
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Ooophh!
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Well done!
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Yeegh!
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Look at me, look at me holding a Huntsman spider. I can't believe it!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29You're doing really well.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33You take it, you take it, you take it! Ohhh!
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Yes, I held it. - Well done, that's great!- Ohh!
0:07:39 > 0:07:43'I am still nervous of spiders, but I'm really proud that I was able
0:07:43 > 0:07:47'to face my fear enough to hold a big, intimidating spider like that.'
0:07:58 > 0:08:02So, actually there is an important point to fear. It's basically
0:08:02 > 0:08:06an emotional response to danger and gives animals the ability to
0:08:06 > 0:08:07recognise a threat
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and decide whether to confront it or run away,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15in other words, fight or flight.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20So, being afraid can be useful,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and it's perfectly normal to be afraid of something we can see
0:08:23 > 0:08:26could harm us, but sometimes we're afraid of what we can't see
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and something almost all of us have been afraid of at some point
0:08:30 > 0:08:32in our lives, is the dark.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34FOX CRIES
0:08:34 > 0:08:38So, it's not actually the dark that's frightening.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42It's the possible horrors that could be concealed within it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45This might seem irrational when we're safe in our houses,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but in the wild, there are reasons to be afraid.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So, of course in true Nightmares style, when I was in America,
0:08:56 > 0:09:01the crew made me spend an hour, alone, in the dark.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02BRANCHES CRACKLE
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Ohh! I just hears some twigs snap,
0:09:05 > 0:09:06straight ahead of me.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11ANIMALS SQUAWK IN DISTANCE
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Oh my goodness. What's that?
0:09:13 > 0:09:17This is horrid. I tell you what, this is horrid.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20WOLVES HOWL DISTANTLY
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Humans rely heavily on eyesight,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27but our eyes aren't very well adapted to life in low light.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Unable to see, I felt vulnerable and exposed...
0:09:30 > 0:09:31TWIGS SNAP
0:09:31 > 0:09:34'..and had the distinct feeling that I was being watched.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Please be crew.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'And perhaps I was.'
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Plenty of predators can see in very low light, so take advantage of the
0:09:42 > 0:09:46cover of darkness when they want to hunt. Hidden by the night, they use
0:09:46 > 0:09:49their superb senses and incredible stealth
0:09:49 > 0:09:51to creep up on their prey unseen.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00So, big predators could hurt us, and so could some spiders, but there are
0:10:00 > 0:10:03animals that we fear because they're dangerous in other ways.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08Lots of people shy away from disgusting creatures and that's
0:10:08 > 0:10:12probably because of an inbuilt fear of disease. And it doesn't get much
0:10:12 > 0:10:15more grim than animals that feed on poo!
0:10:21 > 0:10:27Dung beetles must have the worst diet of any animal on Earth.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33On a cattle farm in Australia, I met beetle expert Dr Bernie Doube,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36who thinks they're fantastic and wanted to show me why.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- Hello, Bernard!- Naomi, how are you?
0:10:41 > 0:10:45I'm all right! Now, I'm convinced any animal that likes to eat poo
0:10:45 > 0:10:48has got to be a nightmare of nature, but you don't agree.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- No, I certainly don't.- Really?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54These are wonderful creatures, they are God's gift to nature.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- We got loads in there! - Want to have a look in there?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- Eeurghh!- My goodness, eh?
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- You think these are lovely? - Yes, they're great.- Right, ohh...
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Oh...let me get this straight. These beetles live in poo.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14Yes, they live in poo and love living in poo and what's more, eat it!
0:11:14 > 0:11:19- Ohhh!- They're nice, clean beetles, Naomi, don't you get too disturbed
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- about that.- Ohh, I don't like this feeling. Can I put them down?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Put them on top of the dung pat.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- OK. Just drop them on? - Yes, carefully.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- There we are, look at that. - Oh, straight in!- Straight in.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And these mucky munchers don't mess about!
0:11:33 > 0:11:39- Look at them, getting straight stuck in there.- That's right.- Look!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42They're already tunnelling in underneath the dung.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- What are they doing?- They feed on the juices, so they suck out
0:11:45 > 0:11:50the juices in the dung, if you can imagine a dinner like that!
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- So they can breathe in the poo, can they?- If it's sloppy, they won't
0:11:55 > 0:11:59crawl in, they'll just go around the edge and go underneath.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01What are they actually doing in the poo?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04The dig a tunnel down about that deep, about half a metre,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08then they bury the entire pat and so get rid of it from the surface
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and the young beetles will breed in the buried dung.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16So, the beetles basically bury the poo!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21See, we put about 100 beetles on there and almost all of them
0:12:21 > 0:12:26- have disappeared...- Yeah! - ..within the first few minutes.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Without these dung beetles, would there be poo everywhere?
0:12:30 > 0:12:31I don't know deep we would be,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- maybe...not shoulder deep, but you know...- Deep enough!
0:12:34 > 0:12:36We'd have a lot of it.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40So by eating and burying the poo, dung beetles actually help prevent
0:12:40 > 0:12:45'the spread of disease, but what about animals that feed on us?'
0:12:45 > 0:12:48If you see a bug, shout.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49'In the jungles of Australia,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'bug expert, Alan, regularly comes across'
0:12:52 > 0:12:56an animal with a taste for human blood, and this being a series
0:12:56 > 0:13:00about nightmares, I just had to go and see one.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Land leeches hang out on the leaves of bushes and plants,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05waiting for warm-blooded prey to pass by.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08When they detect their prey's movement, breath and body heat,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12then they reach out, latch on and start sucking.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- This one is in full hunting mode, by the look of it.- Yeah, that's right.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20That's the way they sit, with their tail sucker attached to a surface
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and the head up, ready and they're sensitive, looking for something
0:13:23 > 0:13:26that goes past them, so if something brushed against it or came close,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- they are ready to latch on. - They're fast, are they?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Reasonably fast, yeah. There you go, straight on.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Ohh, aren't they odd?
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Screams, or lack of, in a few moments will tell the tale.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- And it's the thin end that's the head?- The thin end, yes.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Ohh, strange, aren't they?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Thinking about...- Looks as if it's going to bite you.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51You can see him biting there, he's pulling.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55In the interest of science, I agreed to let a leech lunch on me.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Oh, he's going onto me!
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- So, it's got suckers at both ends? - Yeah.- Bends itself like a C shape.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07And it moves like that and the head, the slender end, has the jaw parts.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11You may feel the slightest itchiness,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13itchy sensation when it goes to bite.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19Interesting jaw, they've got three sharp parts to the jaw.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Ow! I felt that!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Lovely leech.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27First time I've ever had a leech on me, I think. That I know about.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And now it's going to get all fat as it gorges on my blood.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Urghh!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Now we've all got leeches on us, most important question,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- how do we get them off?- Two ways, actually - one is we wait and
0:14:40 > 0:14:43they drop off and the other, I've never had a problem picking them off.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Just grab them and flick them off and generally, they come off easily.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49They don't leave anything inside you so...
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- Oh no. He's stuck, on both ends. - Yeah!- Eugh, go away!
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- Ugh!- Oh, I don't like the way he feels all squidgy.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Get off, get off!
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Eugh! SHE SHUDDERS
0:15:06 > 0:15:08'So disgust is a universal emotion
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'that helps to protect us from disease.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14'And although I'm not really afraid of the horrible creatures
0:15:14 > 0:15:16'I've met on this series any more...'
0:15:16 > 0:15:17SHE SQUEALS
0:15:17 > 0:15:20'..I think I'll always be a bit grossed out by the slimy,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'the faeces-feeding and the blood-sucking.'
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Eugh!
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's not just animals that scare us.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Some places are terrifying, too.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'For some people, mountains, cliffs, even bridges,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'are out of the question, because they're petrified of heights.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I feel sick now.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- SHE LAUGHS:- Look! Look where we're going to run.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'Most people experience some fear when they're exposed to heights.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01'In fact, some scientists think it's something we're all born with.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'And as with all the fears we're exploding in this programme,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'a degree of care is probably helpful
0:16:07 > 0:16:09'when we're precariously placed.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11'But lots of animals are more than comfortable
0:16:11 > 0:16:14'hanging out in high places and I've had to try
0:16:14 > 0:16:16'and match some of them throughout this series.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'I've climbed cliffs like mountain goats,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23'soared above them like condors,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'and, in the ultimate test of my head for heights,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28'I jumped out of a plane
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'and hurtled towards the ground like a peregrine.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:33SHE SCREAMS
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Oh, my...!
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Woo-hoo!
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Oh, my word!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Agh! Agh! Aa-argh!
0:16:57 > 0:17:02It was very nerve-wracking doing some of those crazy challenges,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03but I had a lot of fun
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and, whilst I wouldn't necessarily rush to do them all again,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10particularly the skydive, I think it's safe to say that being up high
0:17:10 > 0:17:13isn't the situation I'm most afraid of.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17The environment that frightens me more than anything else in the world
0:17:17 > 0:17:18is deep water.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27'My emotional journey towards confronting this fear
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'began in California.'
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Now, my biggest nightmare is sharks. Absolutely terrified of them.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39So it often stops me going in open water, like this.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44So today, I'm going to go swimming in Monterey Bay. I must be mad.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- SHE WHIMPERS:- I feel really sick.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49SEALS CALL
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Seriously, I don't want to do this at all.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57I mean, after all, this is the Pacific Ocean.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01'The waters around Monterey Bay are hosts to some impressive predators.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04'There are killer whales, Humboldt squid,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07'sea lions and several species of shark,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'including the occasional great white.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Right...
0:18:13 > 0:18:16'I hardly ever go in deep water, out of my depth,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'even in warm, crystal clear waters,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21'so the kelp forests around Monterey Bay
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'were going to be a huge challenge.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:25NERVOUS LAUGHTER
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- Right...- Whenever you're ready.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Am I getting in the water now? Are we doing it?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- Are you ready, feeling brave?- No!
0:18:32 > 0:18:33SEALS CALL
0:18:43 > 0:18:45One, two, three.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52SHE GASPS AND SHOUTS, MUFFLED VOICES
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Ooh!
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I'm just looking everywhere, cos everything is freaking me out.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Let me just get used to this.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10SEALS CALL LOUDLY, SHE SIGHS
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Keep breathing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14OK...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16The problem is your mind sort of runs away with you
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and you start to imagine what might be beneath you,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22cos I can't see beyond my flippers.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28I'll just keep moving. That's what I'll do, a little swim around.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Ooh-oh! - NERVOUS GIGGLES
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- WOMAN:- Yeah, we should probably...
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- One, two... - SHE INHALES SHARPLY
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Oh! Seaweed!
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Oh, it's horrible!
0:19:46 > 0:19:50I literally can't see anything when I put my head under the water,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52it's so murky!
0:19:54 > 0:19:57It's so frightening, cos you just don't know
0:19:57 > 0:19:59what might come out of the water at you.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05I can tell I'm not breathing properly.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07SHE GASPS
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Because my heart is obviously racing
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and it's making me not really be able to catch my breath,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15so I'll try and calm down, slow my breathing down,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18stop thinking about what might be behind me.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Like I'm in... I'm in a completely alien territory,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24somewhere I don't really belong,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29and that's what frightens me is that so many marine animals could...
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- SHE YELPS - Oh...ho-ho!
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Don't scream, don't scream, don't scream. Calm.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37OK, it was just a sea lion being inquisitive.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Just quite a nice cute little animal.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44'After not very long, I was ready to get out.'
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Let me out.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Oh...
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Ooh!
0:21:01 > 0:21:02I'm so glad that's over.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I actually had nightmares about that last night.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09I'm surely not the only person with a fear of open water like this,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10so I'm sure there's a lot of you
0:21:10 > 0:21:12who are also quite nervous about swimming in the sea.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'I was pretty proud of myself for doing that,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'but it was only the very beginning.'
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'The next step towards confronting my aquatic anxiety involved
0:21:28 > 0:21:31'all my worst nightmares coming at once.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36'Not just deep water, but deep water that was teeming with sharks.'
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Ooh! Wow, it's very close to the boat here.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41There she is.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- SHE GASPS - This is quite frightening, isn't it?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50'But the fact that we were surrounded by two-metre sharks
0:21:50 > 0:21:53'didn't stop ten-year-old Ella and her mum taking a dip.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:56She's so brave!
0:21:56 > 0:21:58What a cool kid.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03There's a tiny little part of me
0:22:03 > 0:22:07that's a little bit envious about what they are seeing.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I kind of want to overcome this fear,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13I'm tired of being this afraid of sharks.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15'Inspired by Ella's bravery,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18'I decided to get into the water myself.'
0:22:18 > 0:22:21If Backshall can do it, I can do it!
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Ooh!
0:22:41 > 0:22:45'When I nervously embarked on this fear-facing mission,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48'I never imagined that I would end up swimming
0:22:48 > 0:22:50'in shark-infested waters.'
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Woo!
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Ooh!
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Quite simply, the most terrifying thing I've ever done.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10It was fantastic.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13It was, it was brilliant!
0:23:13 > 0:23:17That has been a fear all my life and, to be so close to a shark,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21I can't believe I've done it!
0:23:21 > 0:23:26They were just beautiful. So slowly swimming by.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30That was unbelievably scary, but brilliant.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42'So, had that helped me to overcome my fear of deep water?
0:23:42 > 0:23:46'The final test was at the end of my journey in Australia.'
0:23:46 > 0:23:51It's like a yearning in me to do it, but I'm resisting the urge.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- Oh, cool! - SHE GASPS
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- PEOPLE WHOOP - Oh, wow!
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'The world-famous Great Barrier Reef is brimming with life.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04'There are dolphins...
0:24:04 > 0:24:06'and turtles...
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'and over 30 species of shark.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18'And I was expected to go snorkelling there.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29'Despite my previous endeavours, this was still really daunting
0:24:29 > 0:24:33'and, as we prepared, I became increasingly nervous.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38'Then I found out that Scott the cameraman had seen some sharks.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- So the sharks aren't going to come up?- No.- No?
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- They're sleeping. - They are way more afraid of us.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- They're way, way down. - A long way away?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Probably 15 minutes. But I just wanted...
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- No, I want to know.- You need to know, if you see them,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- you'll see them way down. They won't even flinch.- OK.- But you'll be fine.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Naomi is friend, not food.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Let's go out to the turtle ridge
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and find your turtle before anyone else scares him away.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I started out quite tentatively, but before long,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26the beauty of the reef had got the better of me.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45It's stunning.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Absolutely stunning, isn't it, how much life there is, it's so busy.
0:25:50 > 0:25:56It's like the most fantastic tropical fish tank ever!
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I even found myself swimming on my own.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16This is amazing!
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It's so beautiful, I've totally forgotten about the sharks.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23It's just I've got too much other amazing things to look at,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I just keep forgetting that I could possibly be scared here.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36There's so much life, it's so busy, and it's anything but scary.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's just beautiful.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47I didn't want to leave.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51There's so many colourful fish!
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Oh, it's so sweet and they all look at you, like,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56"Leave me alone, I'm just in my house."
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Aw, that was really special.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06CHEERING
0:27:07 > 0:27:10'My experience with open water really made me realise
0:27:10 > 0:27:13'that fears are conquerable.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18'Overcoming my fears has led to some wonderful experiences,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22'including snorkelling on this pristine reef.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27'And if I can do it, then anybody can do it.'
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd