0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my Nightmares of Nature... WOLF HOWLS
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm Naomi Wilkinson! Whoohoo!
0:00:10 > 0:00:14And I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15BIRDS SCREECH
0:00:15 > 0:00:16BUZZING
0:00:16 > 0:00:19The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21ROPE CREAKS
0:00:21 > 0:00:23ECHOING: ..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25IT GROWLS, SHE SCREAMS AND LAUGHS
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..and your blood run cold!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Come with me as I shine a light on 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 paradise!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This time I'm on the tropical island of Borneo,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57blessed with mile after mile of beautiful sandy beaches,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00spectacular coral reefs and magnificent rainforests.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Borneo is the largest island in Asia,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08sitting smack-bang on the equator.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11First impressions -
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I think the crew might have made a mistake with this one.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This show is all about me coming face-to-face with the nightmares
0:01:17 > 0:01:19of the natural world, but look at it!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22You are going to have to work so hard to find anything
0:01:22 > 0:01:24that will scare me here.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26What was that?! Aaaah!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Aah! Oh, no, what's that?
0:01:29 > 0:01:33This time, I get hands-on with a tail-thwacking lethal lizard,
0:01:33 > 0:01:34who likes to bite.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Wow.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39'I meet a monkey with a nightmare nose
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'who would come bottom of any beauty contest.'
0:01:42 > 0:01:44That's a strange-looking animal!
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'And I face one of my biggest fears,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'swimming in shark-infested sea at night.'
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Do people really do this for fun?
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But first, time to relax.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Ah, I'm in heaven.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Tropical sun, crystal clear seas, pure white sand!
0:02:03 > 0:02:05I could stay here all day.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06What a way to relax.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Oh, what now?
0:02:10 > 0:02:12"Just thought you might like to know you're lying in poo!"
0:02:12 > 0:02:18Eugh. Fish poo? That's disgusting. Eugh.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22PFFRRRT!
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Borneo is home to one of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32and off the island of Sipadan, I team up with marine biologist Simon.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37He's going to help me to get to the bottom of this fishy mystery.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I can't quite believe it, Simon. That stunning beach is made of poo?
0:02:42 > 0:02:43Yup. Bizarre, isn't it?
0:02:43 > 0:02:46It looks gorgeous but, no, it's actually made mostly
0:02:46 > 0:02:49from one of the largest family of fishes you find here.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52We're going to go out, have a look around and hopefully we'll find
0:02:52 > 0:02:54a large school of them.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57But, you've guessed it, if I'm going to see them,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I have to get in the water
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and I'm concerned about exactly what else we might encounter.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07OK, so what else are we likely to see while we're in the water?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Well, as this is one of the top dive sights of the world,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12we get to see jackfish, barracudas,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- angelfish, turtles - lots of turtles...- Oh, amazing!
0:03:16 > 0:03:17- ..which are beautiful.- Yeah.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- And lots of sharks, if we're lucky. - Lots of sharks too?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Yup.- Cool.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24If you've watched Nightmares before, you'll probably know
0:03:24 > 0:03:29I'm not overly keen on swimming anywhere where there might be sharks.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31If I'm going to see the culprit in action,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'I HAVE to face one of my worst fears.' Oh.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37SHE GROANS 'Time to take the plunge.'
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Remember, Naomi is friend, not food.- No worries.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46- Beautiful visibility down here. - Is there?
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Oh, my goodness!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'My heart is beating like a big bass drum
0:04:02 > 0:04:06'and it nearly explodes when I see that oh-so-familiar shape.'
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Argh. Whoa! Shark, shark, shark, shark!
0:04:11 > 0:04:13That's OK, that's OK. It's a whitetip reef shark.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Puppy dogs. They're puppy dogs. - SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Ooooh!
0:04:21 > 0:04:24For once, sharks aren't the nightmare we're looking for
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and the longer I stay in,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30the more I become mesmerised by this spectacular place.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I can't believe. I honestly cannot believe it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36I've never been surrounded by this much life.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46It's amazing!
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'And it soon gets even more astonishing.'
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We're suddenly surrounded by the fish that's responsible
0:04:55 > 0:04:57for beaches... SHE SQUEALS
0:04:57 > 0:04:59..being made of poo.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09They're enormous!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- MUFFLED: They're huge!- Look at that!
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- They're so huge! - Amazing, isn't it?
0:05:21 > 0:05:22So, these are bumphead parrotfish,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and you can see that obviously from the large head that they have.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- Yeah big, bulbous forehead, haven't they?- Yeah.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- You can see the big beaks as well, like parrots...- Yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34..which is why they get the rest of their name.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Bumphead parrotfish are gigantic,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41by far the largest species of parrotfish.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Adults can grow to 1.3 metres long
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and more impressively, these giants gather in enormous schools,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53scouring the reefs in groups of up to 100 individuals.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- They have got the weirdest teeth I've ever seen.- Yeah.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Well, that's what they're using to scrape the coral.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We can see they're scraping the coral. They're taking chunks off.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'You wouldn't think they'd get much goodness from eating rock'
0:06:06 > 0:06:10but coral is made up of tiny little animals like anemones
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and algae grows on its surface too.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15But it's not the richest source of food,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20so the parrotfish have to eat a LOT to get enough goodness from it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And what goes in, must come out.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Just constantly pooing, all the time!
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Everywhere you look there's just these clouds of sand
0:06:31 > 0:06:34coming out of the back of them! Gross. Gross.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The bumpheads reduce the hard coral into a paste,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42digesting the algae and the animal part of the coral.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46The indigestible rock is passed out the other end.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Euughh!
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Everywhere they go, they leave a trail of smelly sand
0:06:51 > 0:06:54in their wake and that can play havoc with your hair.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00When you dive with bumphead parrotfish like this though,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03you end up getting sand and....
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Poo in your hair! - Poo all in your hair.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09But a beach made almost entirely of fish poo
0:07:09 > 0:07:12still seems a bit far-fetched.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I don't quite understand how one species of fish can produce
0:07:15 > 0:07:18not just one beach worth of poo, but hundreds of beaches.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Well, it's been estimated that an adult bumphead parrotfish
0:07:21 > 0:07:25can produce five tonnes of sand a year.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Five tonnes a year from one fish?!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30From one fish and they live up to 40 years,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32so if you imagine that over the course of a lifetime.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- Yeah, makes sense now. - That's some big beaches.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Mystery solved and a memory I will never forget.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41That was so fantastic.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Initially, seeing them, pretty shocking.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48They are massive, massive fish,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52but once I overcame that fear, just relaxed and watched them
0:07:52 > 0:07:55I just kept seeing them go to the toilet all the time.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58As poo goes, it's not exactly nasty, but I suppose the idea
0:07:58 > 0:08:02of a whole beach being made of fish poo is utterly revolting.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05So that is why the coral-chomping, beach-making, bumphead parrotfish
0:08:05 > 0:08:08could just swim into the lead as my worst nightmare.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17Time to leave the sea behind and head upstream.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The rivers that snake through these rainforests in Borneo
0:08:23 > 0:08:26offer some of the best opportunities to see wildlife here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28The animals head down to the river bank to drink or feed
0:08:28 > 0:08:31on the fruiting trees and there is one animal in particular
0:08:31 > 0:08:34that is never very far away from this river,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and I've been told it has looks that could give anyone nightmares.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48I joined primatologist Danica from the Danau Girang Field Centre
0:08:48 > 0:08:50to track them down.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53But spotting anything in the dense vegetation is tricky,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55to say the least.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Oh, oh, oh. There's some rustling in the trees over there.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Oh, yeah, we've got some definite rustling in trees up here.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- We've got some jumping. - Let's have a look.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05See a little orange head poking out?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Yes, I saw some orange just disappear into the leaves.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Oi!
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Look at him jumping around! There, there,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- sitting on the top of the tree! - There she is. A few of them.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Oh, I can see her tail! Yes, long tail!
0:09:17 > 0:09:21We've found a family of proboscis monkeys,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25aptly named because "proboscis" is another word for "nose".
0:09:25 > 0:09:30And in the afternoon, these large family groups head to the river bank
0:09:30 > 0:09:32as it's a safe place to spend the night.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Slightly unusual noses. Aren't they?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Whrrrr...
0:09:40 > 0:09:43They're actually the biggest monkey in Borneo.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- 25 kilos is the male. - That's big, isn't it?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Really big.- That's bigger than my suitcase was when I came here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Initially, all we can see are female proboscis monkeys
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and if I think THEY have a slightly odd appearance,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58the male is a whole different ballgame.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- Is that the male there? - Oh, yeah that's him!
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- He's big! He's a lot bigger than the others.- Massive, yup.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08GIGGLING: I can instantly see why they're called proboscis monkeys.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10He's got such a big nose!
0:10:10 > 0:10:12HE SCREECHES
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'Everything about them looks bizarre but, as I'm about to learn,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20'each and every funny feature has a very important reason,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22'including that enormous nose.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:24That's a strange-looking animal.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Why do they have such big noses?
0:10:29 > 0:10:30The females like it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32SHE LAUGHS
0:10:32 > 0:10:35The male with the biggest nose gets the most females.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- So that male's a real looker to the females.- He is.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The bigger the nose, the more females, the more babies,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44the more proboscis monkeys.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'And from the amount of females he was surrounded by,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'this male is the Harry Styles of proboscis monkeys.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'But with a...slightly more unusual dress sense.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It looks like he's got an orange jumper on.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01And white Y-fronts.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03SHE LAUGHS
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Oh, look at your funny face.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10If I were a judge in a beauty contest,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I don't think he'd be in first place.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18'Everything about these monkeys looks out of place.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:21They have quite, um, round bellies too, don't they?
0:11:21 > 0:11:22DANICA CHUCKLES
0:11:22 > 0:11:26They actually have a specialised diet.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29So the leaves that they eat are very hard to digest
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and so it causes their stomachs to be big like that.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33- They're full of gas.- Aw.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36They really don't have a lot going in their favour, do they?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But you'll never forget one after you've seen one.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You'll never forget that face.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42I think they're very endearing.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45There's nothing else like them in the world.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46That's true.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I think the nose just gives them a lot of character
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and they're just goofy and they're fun.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Have you ever felt a proboscis monkey's nose?
0:11:54 > 0:11:55I have.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59When we collar them, we have them down with us
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and so it's the first thing that you kind of need to experience
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- when you've got a proboscis.... - What does it feel like?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It's very soft and squishy.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- That's what it looks like.- Yeah.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15They really are completely bizarre to look at, aren't they?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Windy, big noses, pot bellies.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Oh and another thing - they have black teeth.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25From all of the tannins in the leaves that they eat.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Oh. Yeah, that doesn't really surprise me at all.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33'These monstrous monkeys really do have the most frightful features.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Never-ending noses,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37balloon-like bellies,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38and black gnashers.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Thankfully, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45To the female monkeys, those comical conks
0:12:45 > 0:12:47give the males superstar looks.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50But I think it might be a bit harsh to call them my worst nightmare
0:12:50 > 0:12:53just because of their odd noses and their pot bellies.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- Don't you think, guys? - Absolutely.- Yeah.- Yes, definitely.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Everything about these rainforests is on a vast scale.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Towering trees are home to humongous insects, giant spiders and snakes,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13leeches as long as your forearm.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But one of the biggest and baddest is a lethal lizard with a brutal bite
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and a tail like a battering ram.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The water monitor lizard is an aquatic monster
0:13:23 > 0:13:27who stalks the rivers and wetlands right across Asia,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30one of the largest lizards in the world.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32It's got a flesh-ripping mouth,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34stabbing claws
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and a whole lot of angry attitude.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I'm on the hunt for this cold-blooded killer with Dr Sergio.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Sergio regularly lays baited traps along the river bank
0:13:52 > 0:13:55to try and catch them as part of his research.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58But have any of the traps been sprung?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- We have one. - We have one? We have one.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Come quietly.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08And it is not happy with its predicament.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Are they very dangerous?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Not dangerous, but tricky to handling.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- Tricky to handle.- To handle.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It's... If we are not careful,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21they can bite us and then the bite can be quite harmful.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- OK. - We don't want to go to the hospital.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26We don't want to go to the hospital. Correct.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Water monitors have mouths full of razor-sharp teeth,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32but that's only part of the problem.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Their saliva is laced with nasty bacteria which can cause
0:14:35 > 0:14:37a debilitating infection.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40This isn't going to be easy.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45'To do this safely, Sergio needs help, and not from a novice like me.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So, these are tough lizards to handle.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52As you can see, it takes not one person but three to hold one lizard.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56One to hold that deadly bite, one to hold that whipping tail,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and the other one to be making sure those claws
0:14:58 > 0:15:00don't do anyone any damage.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Sergio has done this countless times before.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Cor, that's a strong animal.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It might look like a bit of a wrestling match
0:15:19 > 0:15:22but this tough lizard isn't harmed in the process,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and with a little careful manoeuvring,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27the lizard is finally brought under control.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Well done, Sergio.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32'Only when the lizard is fully restrained,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34'can Sergio start his work.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:36So why do you do these checks?
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Why do you try and trap them?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- We can estimate how big is the population.- Mm-hm.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Also we are taking samples.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47What sort of things?
0:15:49 > 0:15:55Blood, scales for genetics and also to look for diseases, parasites.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- Just a general health check, really. - Kind of general, yeah.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- See what condition they're in.- Yeah.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04And it gives me a chance to see its weapons at close quarters.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- Look at those claws! - Yeah, they are big.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- They're super-sharp. Can I feel it? - Yeah, sure.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Whoaaa, mega-sharp. A set of knives.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21'And the bigger they grow, the more intimidating they become.'
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- 168.- Is that as long as you find them?
0:16:25 > 0:16:26No. No, no, no.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I would say this is the average, but the longest could be
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- more than 2.5 metres.- Whoa!
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Around 2.5 metres.- 2.5 metres?- Yeah.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'So what draws someone to want to study such an angry
0:16:39 > 0:16:41'and potentially dangerous animal?'
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- I love this animal so much.- Why?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46I have a kind of passion with dragons
0:16:46 > 0:16:50and they seem like small dragons.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- It's like a real-life dragon. Yeah. Time to let you go.- OK.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Thanks for letting us do all those checks.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Are you just going to take that off and then we just let it go?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00- Yeah.- Do we just stand back?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We'll move it over there. Yeah, take it.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05SHE LAUGHS ANXIOUSLY
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Did you see that go?! Wow.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Water monitors really need people like Sergio to champion them
0:17:22 > 0:17:24because, to be quite honest, they are pretty terrifying.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27With that flesh-ripping bite and angry attitude,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30that prehistorical predator has all the attributes
0:17:30 > 0:17:32to take it straight to the top of the leaderboard.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Throughout this series, the crew have introduced me to a kaleidoscope
0:17:38 > 0:17:41of creepy creatures and chilling challenges, and I have faced them all
0:17:41 > 0:17:45with strength, courage and a bucket-load of determination!
0:17:45 > 0:17:47There is nothing that you lot can come up with
0:17:47 > 0:17:49that Wilkinson here won't try.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56"You've got to go for a dip in the ocean, but this time in the dark."
0:17:56 > 0:17:57SHE GASPS
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It's at night when many marine predators are at their most active.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09All along this pier, lights illuminate the water,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12which attracts all sorts of small fish.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And where there are small fish, the big fish aren't far behind.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21I'm going to need all the help I can get for this one.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Joining me again is marine biologist Simon, who wants to show me
0:18:24 > 0:18:29what he says is one of the most astonishing marine predators,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31with looks that can kill.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You might be a bit wary about it
0:18:33 > 0:18:38because it's got loads of beautiful fins all over,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40feathery, feathery fins like this underwater,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42but on the top of each one
0:18:42 > 0:18:45is like a hypodermic needle with poison, venom.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So, if I touched it what would happen to me?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51You would get a burning sensation. If you did it too much,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54you might get a little bit of heart trouble or so on.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01This nocturnal nightmare regularly hunts around the likes of this pier,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and Simon is keen for us to get in the water
0:19:04 > 0:19:09so that I can see for myself how impressive this marine predator is.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12If only I was as keen as him.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15And he's in.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Everything about this fish sounds like it's saying,
0:19:18 > 0:19:19"Don't go in the water."
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's surrounded by venomous spines.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Wish me luck.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30This is so creepy.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36The mind boggles as to what monsters are lurking out there in the dark.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43SHE SQUEALS
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Do people really do this for fun?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48SHE LAUGHS
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I hate it! Euggh.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'I want this challenge to be over...
0:19:58 > 0:20:01'..but finding something in the dark is never easy.'
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Oh, there it is, there it is!
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Eugh!
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Finally, I'm face-to-face with this marine monster.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17'It's a lionfish...
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'..and at first glance, it doesn't appear to be as big and bad
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'as I imagined.'
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It's quite small.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30If I hadn't heard it was a bit deadly,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I would just think it was a very pretty fish.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It's like it's covered in frills and fans
0:20:35 > 0:20:38like it's going to a carnival.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'But its luscious looks are a masterful deceit.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:44With a skirt of venomous fins,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47lionfish are not only protected from attack,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50it's also a cunning disguise.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52They resemble a piece of drifting seaweed,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56allowing them to close in on any unsuspecting fish,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and then...
0:20:58 > 0:20:59WHAM!
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Using the most astonishing reflexes, dinner is served.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10'This ornate ogre might terrorise the smaller fish along the pier,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'but it soon became apparent that if I keep my distance,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'it's no threat to me at all.'
0:21:16 > 0:21:20It's currently clamped itself up against a stone.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22So, I think it might be more scared of us than we are of it,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24which is always good to know.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28So, considering it's so dangerous, it's pretty timid.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32And the mesmerising show it's putting on
0:21:32 > 0:21:35soon has me forgetting about my fears.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Well, most of them.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41I really like looking at this fish.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44I don't like looking behind me. SHE LAUGHS
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Oh-ho-ho... Eugh.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The idea of doing this was absolutely terrifying
0:21:53 > 0:21:55but, in fact, it turned out to be pretty cool.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I was just transfixed by the lionfish.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And actually what makes it lethal, surprisingly,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04is what makes it so beautiful. Isn't that funny?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06So, maybe not too much of a nightmare for me
0:22:06 > 0:22:09but for a little fish in there, minding its own business,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12that lightning-fast, venom-finned fish of fury,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14is the worst of nightmares.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Nerve-racking night dive over, I'm soon back in the water,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but this time I don't need any persuading.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The spectacular coral reefs that thrive off Malaysian Borneo
0:22:30 > 0:22:32are astounding.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Seeing all this life, it comes to no surprise to discover
0:22:36 > 0:22:40this is one of the richest and most diverse habitats on earth.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Snorkelling off the island of Sipadan is an experience you never forget.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Ooh, there's a turtle!
0:22:51 > 0:22:55There's a turtle! It's absolutely beautiful!
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Oh, this is amazing!
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Humans have been around for just a few hundred thousand years,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03but turtles are ancient.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Swimming in our oceans for over two hundred million years,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10they've outlived the dinosaurs.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But alongside so many marine animals, in recent years,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17they've been facing a nightmare of their own.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26And the problem is this - plastic and rubbish.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29More and more of this is ending up in our oceans
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and it is having a HUGE impact on the health of our seas.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35'On the island of Mabul...' I'm Naomi.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'..I meet up with diver and marine conservationist Dave.'
0:23:39 > 0:23:41He's trying to inspire the locals
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and turn the tide on this wave of waste.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Dave's organised a big beach clean-up,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and some of the children from the local village
0:23:50 > 0:23:52are keen to get involved.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54THEY SHOUT EXCITEDLY
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Dave, we're on such a remote offshore island here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Where is all this rubbish coming from?
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Well, unfortunately, most of the oceans around the world are polluted
0:24:07 > 0:24:09with our plastic and you've got the ocean currents
0:24:09 > 0:24:13that are normally responsible for transporting nutrients
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and regulating the oceans and the world's temperatures,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19but now, unfortunately, they're transporting our waste.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'And these currents can carry it an awful long way.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Somebody discarding plastic out of New York,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28that rubbish will actually travel along an ocean current
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and possibly end up polluting the west coast of Europe.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37'It's pollution that sticks around for a very long time.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:43So, Naomi, this plastic bottle will take over 450 years to break down.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44SHE GASPS One plastic bottle?
0:24:44 > 0:24:49One plastic bottle. Plastic bags can take up to 20 years.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I think if people knew that it took this long to break down,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54they maybe would think twice about discarding it.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Oh, we've got to do something about it. This is awful.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04- I just can't get over how much rubbish there is here.- Yeah.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Plastic is now a problem everywhere.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Even the most remote islands on earth have been polluted.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16It's not just unsightly, it's devastating to wildlife.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Over 600 species have been affected by plastics.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22What do they do, do they eat it?
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Some of them eat it, so you'll get whales and turtles that mistake it,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29especially with plastic bags, they'll mistake it for jellyfish.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Once it's within their system they can't digest it
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and it causes blockages, internal damage,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and inevitably they die a very slow and painful death.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The consequences are heartbreaking.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44It feels like a fight we're struggling to win.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It does feel like this is quite a small solution
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- to an ocean-sized problem. - It certainly is.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Is there anything else we can do apart from these beach clean-ups?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I would say, with these beach clean-ups and reef clean-ups,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59it does help in the short-term,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02but in the long-term, we really need to change our ways.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04We need to change our behaviours.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06We need to stop using plastics,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10start refusing throwaway plastic bags that we get in the supermarket.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Re-use plastics that can be reused. Recycle if you can recycle.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18So, someone watching at home, they could persuade their parents
0:26:18 > 0:26:21to not buy so much plastic at the supermarket, something like that?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23I think that would make a huge difference.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Take a material bag with you shopping?- Yes. A bag for life.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Things like that?- Yeah.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Anything you can think of to stop using plastic at home - do it!
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Phew!
0:26:36 > 0:26:39So, we've been collecting for just over half an hour
0:26:39 > 0:26:40and look at all of this.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I mean, having the chance to snorkel here was truly unforgettable,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47but the thought that we are slowly choking our oceans of life
0:26:47 > 0:26:50because of this is heartbreaking,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and that is why the problems that plastic are causing
0:26:52 > 0:26:56for marine life, could well take the Nightmares of Nature crown.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's time for me to pull the plug on my watery adventures
0:27:01 > 0:27:03on the island of Borneo.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I have faced a feast of my very worst fears
0:27:06 > 0:27:08and met more than a few curious-looking critters.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10But which has been the biggest nightmare of all?
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Was it my dip in the dark with the lethal lionfish?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17I hate it!
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Eugh!
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Maybe the revolting revelation that Borneo's beaches
0:27:22 > 0:27:23are actually made of fish poo?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28They're constantly pooing all the time!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Was it the prehistoric predator with vicious claws,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33jaws and attitude, the monitor lizard?
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Wow.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39No, it was none of those.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I may have had a dream-like experience swimming with turtles,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but the problems these animals are facing because of plastic
0:27:45 > 0:27:46and rubbish choking our oceans
0:27:46 > 0:27:49just has to be my biggest nightmare of all.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57My nightmares have been coming thick and fast, and yet I have faced
0:27:57 > 0:28:00them all with strength, courage and a bucket-load of determination.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02There is nothing that you lot can ask me to do
0:28:02 > 0:28:04that Wilkinson won't try!
0:28:05 > 0:28:08That's the wrong way round. LAUGHTER
0:28:08 > 0:28:09- Sorry, I'm so sorry!- Oh!