0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Welcome to my nightmares of nature. - HOWLING
0:00:07 > 0:00:09I'm Naomi Wilkinson. Argh!
0:00:09 > 0:00:14And I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Argh! Ha-ha!
0:00:25 > 0:00:26..and your blood run cold.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Or is there a twist in the tail?
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Come with me as I shine a light
0:00:37 > 0:00:40on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Welcome to Florida in the USA.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Known around the world as the Sunshine State.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Every year, millions visit to enjoy the tropical weather,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01the beaches, the theme parks and the...nightmares of nature?
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I'll be touring this southern state from top to bottom
0:01:05 > 0:01:09in search of another batch of nightmare contenders.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I'll meet the mysterious mammal behind a maritime myth.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's absolutely enormous!
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Catch a whiff of Florida's smelliest resident.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Eurgh!
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And witness the power of a prehistoric predator.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29It's broken your pole.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31LAUGHTER
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Just snapped the end off!
0:01:35 > 0:01:38The first animal I'm hoping to see on my Florida odyssey
0:01:38 > 0:01:40is much-loved around the world.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42One which conjures up images
0:01:42 > 0:01:45of a peaceful and placid aquatic wanderer.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49So, what exactly is it doing on a show about nature's nightmares?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I've always thought of turtles as graceful,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54gentle ocean drifters.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57But the majority of these reptilian water specialists
0:01:57 > 0:02:00actually live inland in our rivers and lakes.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03And apparently, there's a species here in central Florida
0:02:03 > 0:02:08that may not be quite as graceful and gentle as I expected.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I'm heading into turtle territory with wildlife expert
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Jerry Johnstone.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Right, Jerry, just before we get into the water,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27turtles aren't dangerous, are they?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- I don't think they're dangerous. - Good!
0:02:29 > 0:02:30LAUGHTER
0:02:30 > 0:02:33No, actually, we've got 11 different types of turtles here
0:02:33 > 0:02:36and each one has its own way of living.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And there's one in particular that's really cool.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42It won't mess with you unless you harass it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45So therefore, we probably shouldn't harass it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49- I won't be harassing any turtles. - Perfect.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Jerry is talking about the charmingly named
0:02:52 > 0:02:54alligator snapping turtle.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58And he's left some traps out to tempt them in.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Ooh!
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Oh, my gosh! Oh, perfect, perfect, perfect!
0:03:03 > 0:03:05What is that?
0:03:05 > 0:03:07A juvenile alligator snapping turtle.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- I could have trodden on one of those.- Yeah!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Or his big brother.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Yeah, yeah! Oh, check this out, check this out.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Look at his tongue, look at his tongue!
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Look at its mouth!
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Do you see his tongue?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It looks like a worm right there. See that?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27So, what's he doing?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30That's a lure. Like it's his fishing lure.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33So, the little pink thing in his mouth is part of his tongue?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Yeah. And that's what they're famous for.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39This is like the only reptile that has a tongue that is a fishing lure.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42These turtles are definitely not gentle.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45They're top predators with this devious tongue trick
0:03:45 > 0:03:48to lure prey into those lethal jaws.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So because they're a reptile, they have to come up for breath.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57How often do they need to do that?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59They can stay down for hours.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But they do get a lot bigger than this.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04They get a lot bigger. This is just a tiny one.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Jerry has already tracked down the biggest turtle in this river,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12so he knows exactly where to look.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16But nothing can prepare me for the shock of seeing my first
0:04:16 > 0:04:18fully-grown alligator snapper.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I thought that was a turtle, but that's its head!
0:04:21 > 0:04:23This is what we were talking about.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Oh!
0:04:26 > 0:04:28His head is as big as mine!
0:04:28 > 0:04:31This is at least 50kg.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33So that's...that's nearly as much as me.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Yep!- Good grief!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Look at that!- Goodness me!
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Oh, my gosh! - Wow! He is so prehistoric!
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And like a big dinosaur.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Angry one who's looking at me quite meanly.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55I'm going to back off a bit.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00So, do you have any guesses how old one this size might be?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03This? He's definitely older than us. Yeah.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I've never seen anything like him before.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12There are very few turtles this big left.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15I can't get over the size of his head. It's like a football!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So big!
0:05:18 > 0:05:20What would his typical diet be?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Everything. There's, like, nothing they can't eat.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- The head is huge.- I'm not surprised. Look at the size of that mouth!
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- I think he wants to eat our cameraman.- Look at that!
0:05:28 > 0:05:31These turtles will snap at anything that moves.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Fish, birds, reptiles, mammals.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37There's really nothing they won't get stuck into.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39We caught one of these a couple of years ago
0:05:39 > 0:05:44and he pooped out a whole armadillo skeleton.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47We could put together the whole armadillo.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- He has no enemies. - I'm not surprised.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- He's the king. He is the king. - I am not surprised.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- What damage can he do with this beak?- He could take your hand off.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- Are you serious!- I'm dead serious.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- Wow!- But here's what's awesome. Here's what's so cool.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Where we are,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12there's thousands of people who go swimming all around here.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15These turtles are all around, people don't know it.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18There's never been anybody attacked by one.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- They're not looking for people? - Never.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22They just mind their own business.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Whenever people come to a place, they leave.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- He's great, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30He's prehistoric!
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Wow!
0:06:34 > 0:06:35LAUGHTER
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Your heart's doing the same as mine, Rich.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41That's exactly how I feel.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Well, when I said I was coming to find turtles,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I never thought I'd leave checking to see
0:06:47 > 0:06:49if I still have my fingers and toes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But after coming face to face with this big brute,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I'd definitely say that turtles have real nightmare potential.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The next stop on my tour couldn't be more different than the last.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I'm here in the suburbs of Miami,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15where I've heard reports of mysterious, marauding monsters
0:07:15 > 0:07:19known locally as GALS, rampaging through the city.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22In fact, the situation is so bad
0:07:22 > 0:07:25that the government has set up a special taskforce,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28led by scientist Richard Gaskalla.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Right, Richard, we're here on the trail
0:07:33 > 0:07:38of a destructive alien invader. What exactly are GALS?
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Well, GALS stands for Giant African Land Snails, which is...
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Snail? It's a snail?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Yeah, it's a snail.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48It doesn't sound like much, but it's a giant snail.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It gets up to 20cm and can do a lot of damage.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Yes, it might sound like a science-fiction B movie,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58but these super-sized African snails are escaped pets,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02leaving a slimy trail of destruction wherever they go.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06They can spread deadly diseases, devour entire fields of farm crops,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10they'll even munch the plaster right off your walls!
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- Safe, let's do this.- Let's do it.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Richard and his team
0:08:18 > 0:08:22have been battling these unwanted foreign invaders
0:08:22 > 0:08:26for over two years and I'm joining them on the front line.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29When you move around like that, it kind of disturbs them
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and they become more active, so they're easy to see.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35So, moving around on the grass is quite good?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Yeah. You can shuffle around or dance around a little bit
0:08:37 > 0:08:41and the snails will, er...maybe become more evident.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Not hearing any crunching at the minute.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Here, here, here, here, here!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Here, here, here, here, here.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Snail! My first...find.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Ooh, and there's another one!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Tiny little one hiding in there.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14So I've just found my first few snails.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18They don't look giant to me, they look tiny.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Those are probably weeks to maybe a month old at best.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25But in six months, it can become this.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28But it can get to be three or four times as big as that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- So, they'd be bigger than my hand? - Yes.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33No.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Oh, look, look, look! Big one here. Big, big, big one.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Ooh!
0:09:40 > 0:09:44If they were just left alone, how much damage could these snails do?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47One snail can lay up to 1,200 eggs.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50If you figure half of those make it to maturity
0:09:50 > 0:09:54and they lay 1,200 eggs, you can do the math and it becomes...
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I don't think I could do the maths. That's a lot of snails.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Got one!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02So it seems that one hungry snail can quickly become thousands,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05stripping plaster off walls, spreading disease
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and devouring every plant in sight.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Which explains why Richard and his team are taking this so seriously.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14If we can collect this many on one property
0:10:14 > 0:10:16in a very short space of time,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19it's easy to see how this problem can get out of hand.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22But what I want to see is one of the giants.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36I'm heading back to snail defence HQ to meet this mammoth monster.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Richard, is this as big as they get?
0:10:42 > 0:10:46No, that's an adult snail, but they get about twice that size,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- so they get very large.- Double that?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I am very glad to be wearing these gloves because,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53he/she is making a lot of slime.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55They are definitely slimy
0:10:55 > 0:11:00and leave a trail of slime and excrement wherever they go.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Oh, so it's not just slime,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04it's also their poo that's getting everywhere?
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- Yes. And, um...nobody likes snail poo.- No.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Question is, are you winning the battle against this giant invader?
0:11:13 > 0:11:18We have collected over 133,000 snails
0:11:18 > 0:11:23on 600 properties in two years.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26We are winning the battle, but it'll take us probably
0:11:26 > 0:11:29three to four years to ultimately be successful.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36A slow-moving vegetarian might not be your obvious nightmare of nature,
0:11:36 > 0:11:41but try to imagine 10,000 of these super-slimy giant snails
0:11:41 > 0:11:44invading your town and eating your house.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Sounds like stuff of nightmares to me.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54My next destination is the Everglades,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58a massive expanse of swamps and wetlands in southern Florida.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03And around here, there's really only one way to travel.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22These airboats are ideal for the Everglades.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24You can see they have a flat base
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and the fan is up here, out of the water,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30which makes them perfect for moving across shallow water like this.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33But I'm glad I've got these because they don't half make a racket.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Listen!
0:12:35 > 0:12:36WHIRRING
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It may look like we're just having fun,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43but I'm riding with local scientist Raf,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47who is here to solve a very serious problem.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51And it's all to do with water.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Essentially, the Everglades is a large flowing river
0:12:54 > 0:12:57of fresh water from central Florida
0:12:57 > 0:13:00down to the southern part of the peninsula.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And since human population has grown,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05they've tried to divert the water out of the Everglades
0:13:05 > 0:13:07into neighbouring cities.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And essentially, it became a plumbing disaster here.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13And that plumbing disaster
0:13:13 > 0:13:17has had a devastating effect on the local wildlife.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18To help put things right,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Raf needs to give the Everglades a regular health check.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26But how on earth do you measure the condition of a giant swamp
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and all the animals that live in it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Well, surprisingly, the solution to that puzzle
0:13:32 > 0:13:37may be one of Florida's most notorious nightmare inhabitants.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43American alligators have been around for 150 million years.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45They're right at the top of the food chain
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and will eat just about anything
0:13:47 > 0:13:50they can get their massive pointy teeth stuck into.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53So it's hard to see how these ravenous reptiles
0:13:53 > 0:13:56could ever help us to save the Everglades.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Despite their fearsome reputation, Raf assures me
0:14:05 > 0:14:07alligators are his number-one ally.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09So we're off to catch one.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13And just to make it even more spooky, we're hunting in the dark
0:14:13 > 0:14:16because alligator eyes reflect torchlight,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18making them easy to spot at night.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22So it doesn't take us long to find what we're looking for.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Oh! Got him!
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Look at the size of its jaws!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Cor!
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Its head is completely out of the water
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and that jaw looks so powerful.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Oh! Look at it just looking at us!
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Oh! It's got your pole.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's broken your pole.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07LAUGHTER
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Just snapped the end off!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Handling the alligator in this way doesn't hurt it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22And getting it out of the water for a health check
0:15:22 > 0:15:24will aid Raf in his research.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Basically, why we're doing this is
0:15:26 > 0:15:28a lot of money is being put into Everglades restoration.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It's the biggest restoration project in the world.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34So when you say restoration, you mean you're trying to
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- return the Everglades back to what it was.- Correct.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Unfortunately, it's impossible to get it
0:15:39 > 0:15:43exactly how Mother Nature had it before humans were involved,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but we're trying to get it as close as possible.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And we're looking at these guys as indicators.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52If they're healthy, everything under them should be relatively healthy.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Alligators need all the animals below them in the food chain
0:15:57 > 0:15:59to have strong, healthy populations
0:15:59 > 0:16:01because any break in that chain
0:16:01 > 0:16:04means the gators at the top won't get enough grub.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06If this guy is a bit skinny,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09is that showing that this part of the Everglades, you know,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12that he's struggling to find enough food and things?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Essentially, right. You can see this guy is a little skinny for his size.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The whole productivity of the area is not healthy.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Hence this guy is not healthy, since he's sitting at the top.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25By collecting this data from a single species,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Raf can tell how healthy the whole area is,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31helping to guide efforts to save both the Everglades
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and all the animals that live here.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36So me sitting on him is not hurting him,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39it's just helping him feel maybe a bit more relaxed?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Yeah, exactly. He's not going to feel hurt at all.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44These guys are pretty tough.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Didn't think I'd be sitting on a 2.5m alligator
0:16:48 > 0:16:50when I woke up this morning.
0:16:50 > 0:16:56So the data it offers makes the gator friend, not foe after all.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59But looking at those jaws, I wouldn't want to get too friendly.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Time for you to go back into the water.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Yes!
0:17:09 > 0:17:10And he's gone.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14It would seem there is more to the alligator than first meets the eye.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17They may be giant armoured reptiles,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19but they're actually quite sensitive
0:17:19 > 0:17:21to everything going on around them in the swamp.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And because of that, they can help us to understand
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and protect this incredible area.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Still pretty scary, though.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31So I think meeting an alligator in the dark
0:17:31 > 0:17:35could still be in with a chance of being my worst nightmare.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40After the jaws of the gator, I think it's time
0:17:40 > 0:17:43for something a little more soft and cuddly.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But this being nightmares of nature, there's a twist in the tale.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50If you ask anyone what they know about the skunk,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53you will almost certainly get one answer.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55That they stink!
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Skunks are legendary for their powerful pong.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02But surely there must be more to this animal than just a bad smell?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08To find out, I've come to meet animal carer Janye Hendricks.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19She has not one, but five rescued skunks living with her in her home.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So let's hope she's got plenty of air freshener.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33What is it like, Janye, living with five skunks in your house?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Well, it's not bad at all.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39You know, you don't have to walk them like you would a dog
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and they use a litter box, they're pretty easy to take care of.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45They spend so much time sleeping. Look at this! Ha-ha!
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- They're very easy to take care of. - Aw!
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Everyone knows skunks have got a reputation for being smelly,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- but your house smells lovely! - Yes. Thank you.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55What is the truth about skunks?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Well, pet skunks have been de-scented
0:18:58 > 0:19:00and they're very clean, by the way.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04I only give mine a bath about once a year.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The skunks' famous pong is actually a smelly spray
0:19:07 > 0:19:10from a gland in their bottom, used as a form of defence.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's so strong, it can cause temporary blindness
0:19:13 > 0:19:18and the stench is enough to see off almost any predator, even a big cat.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Because Janye's skunks are rescued pets,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26they've had their smelly glands removed.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It doesn't hurt them and with no predators to worry about,
0:19:29 > 0:19:30they've no need to spray.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35So if you were to live with wild skunks that hadn't been de-scented,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- your house would smell really different?- Yes, yes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- Have you ever smelt skunk spray? - Yeah, it's pretty awful.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44What does it smell like?
0:19:44 > 0:19:48It's, um... It's a whole lot worse than rotten eggs.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's hard to describe, but once you've smelt it,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53you'll say, "I'll never forget that smell!"
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- You'll remember it forever. - I'll never forget that smell!
0:19:56 > 0:19:58So it's starting to look like skunks
0:19:58 > 0:20:00aren't as stinky as everyone first thinks
0:20:00 > 0:20:04because they will only use that smelly spray in an emergency.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07So I reckon I can tick this one off my nightmare list and move on.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Spoke too soon!
0:20:10 > 0:20:13"Before you decide whether the skunk is a nightmare of nature,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16"you need to experience their pongy powers first-hand.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18"To do this, you'll need to find a large open space
0:20:18 > 0:20:20"a long way from any houses or people."
0:20:20 > 0:20:22That doesn't sound good!
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I certainly don't want to make a wild skunk angry,
0:20:32 > 0:20:37so my ever-thoughtful crew have come up with an alternative.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39OK, so I've done what I was told.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I've come to a wide-open space away from everyone.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Here, I have a skunk, I'm going to call him Steve.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48And in this bottle, I have some artificial skunk scent. Eurgh!
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I'm going to apply a bit of this onto Steve the skunk
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and we're going to see what happens.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Where are you going?
0:20:55 > 0:20:56Um...I left something.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- I need a wee.- Sorry.- Wimps!
0:21:02 > 0:21:04SIGHS
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Right, deep breath before we start this.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Oh! Oh-ho-ho-ho!
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Oh, that is like rotten eggs and bad feet
0:21:23 > 0:21:27and imagine all your rubbish after three weeks,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30sticking your head in the rubbish bag. Eurgh! It's like that.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Really over-poweringly strong.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I'm going to have to back off, that is too strong. You guys smell it.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Get in there, smell it. Hee-hee!
0:21:40 > 0:21:42THEY RETCH
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Smells like dog poo.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Sewage. Like sewage.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Just putrid.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Eurgh!
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Sorry, Steve, going to have to leave you there.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Have a nice life.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04So, is the skunk a nightmare of nature?
0:22:04 > 0:22:08On one hand, they are inquisitive, really rather cute creatures,
0:22:08 > 0:22:09but on the other hand,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13that is one of the worst things I've ever smelt in my entire life.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16The only thing I know is I need a shower.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I can still smell it, can you?
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Oh, it's disgusting. Come on, let's go.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Guys? Guys? - ENGINE PURRS
0:22:24 > 0:22:26No, wait, don't go without...! Don't go without me!
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Oh, please, no! No, I mean it, it smells so bad!
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Oh, come back! Don't leave me with the pong!
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Oh, it's rank!
0:22:37 > 0:22:39My Florida adventure is almost over,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41but before I leave, I'm setting sail
0:22:41 > 0:22:44in search of a mysterious maritime myth.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47The mermaid.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Sailors believed mermaids were a nightmarish combination,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52half woman and half fish,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55who used their beauty to lure ships to their doom.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58And I'm off to meet the real-life animal
0:22:58 > 0:23:01who may have inspired these terrible myths.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12We're in Kings Bay, west Florida, where the sea meets the land
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and possibly where fantasy meets reality.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Oh! It's massive!
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I'm going to keep my fingers crossed
0:23:23 > 0:23:25that these terrible tales aren't true.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I'm going to grab my snorkel and go in for a closer look.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34With all the talk of sea monsters and doomed sailors,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I can't help but feel a little trepidation
0:23:37 > 0:23:41as I enter the watery world of these giant beasts.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Can you see it at all?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Oh, there it is, there it is!
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Oh, it's massive!
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Whoa!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05It's absolutely enormous!
0:24:05 > 0:24:07I can't quite get over the size of the thing!
0:24:11 > 0:24:15These mysterious mammals are West Indian manatee.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17They're air-breathers, just like you or me,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20but they spend their entire life in the seas
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and estuaries around Florida and the Caribbean.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It may look a like a seal or a walrus,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29but it's actually more closely related to the elephant
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and the scale of the animal under the water,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I'm not really surprised. They are so huge!
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Now, you may wonder how on earth
0:24:40 > 0:24:43somebody could mistake that creature for a mermaid.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But that massive tail, which it uses to propel itself through the water,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48does bear a resemblance
0:24:48 > 0:24:50to the traditional image of a mermaid tail,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53so I guess if you were passing on a ship,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56you may, just may think it was a mermaid.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01But unlike mermaids, manatee prefer sea plants to doomed sailors,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05chomping down up to 50 kilos of greens every day.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It's hard to see anything nightmarish about them at all.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13After eating all of those plants, they do produce an awful lot of gas,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16but I can't really call them a nightmare for breaking wind, can I?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24LAUGHTER
0:25:24 > 0:25:26In fact, these gentle giants
0:25:26 > 0:25:30are about as far from a nightmare of nature as I can imagine.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And sharing the water with them is quickly becoming
0:25:33 > 0:25:36one of the most enchanting experiences of my life.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39It's rolled over for me to stroke its belly!
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Oh!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04This is such an honour and a privilege
0:26:04 > 0:26:06to just share the water with it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's taken my breath away, that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14It just came up to me and rolled over and let me stroke its belly.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Oh!
0:26:17 > 0:26:20That's a moment I'm not going to forget in a hurry.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Wow!
0:26:36 > 0:26:40It's the perfect end to this fabulous Florida adventure.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Oh! What an incredible experience!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Such a magical animal encounter.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53One I am not going to forget in a hurry.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I'm going to be talking about it for ages!
0:26:55 > 0:26:58They are certainly not the malevolent mermaids of myth.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02There is no way I am going to call the manatee my worst nightmare.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Nuh-huh!
0:27:06 > 0:27:09It's time to pack up and leave the Sunshine State,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but which contender is going to walk or swim away
0:27:12 > 0:27:15with the title of Florida's worst nightmare?
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Is it sharing a boat with an angry alligator?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Getting a whiff of some seriously smelly skunk scent?
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Just putrid!
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Or dipping a toe into snapping-turtle-infested waters?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Look at that!- Goodness me!
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Well, it's none of those.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39My worst nightmare, because of all the damage they do,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41is the creeping, slimy,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44house-chomping giant African land snail.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Which just goes to show that nature's nightmares
0:27:46 > 0:27:49really do come in all shapes and sizes.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59I've heard reports that there are some mysterious marauding monsters,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02know locally as GALS, rampaging through the city.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04SAT NAV: 'Right turn...'
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- Ssh! - LAUGHTER