0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to my Nightmares of Nature.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05DOGS HOWL, SNAKE HISSES
0:00:07 > 0:00:09I'm Naomi Wilkinson, woohoo!
0:00:10 > 0:00:12'And I'm coming face to face'
0:00:12 > 0:00:14with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15BIRDS CAW
0:00:16 > 0:00:18The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25GROWLING, THEY GASP
0:00:25 > 0:00:26..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.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This time on Nightmares of Nature, I'm on a road trip.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But this is no holiday by the seaside, oh, no!
0:00:58 > 0:00:59Me and my trusty campervan, Daisy...
0:00:59 > 0:01:01HORN BEEPS ..we're on a mission to track down
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the very worst home-grown horrors of the UK coast.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The Pembrokeshire coast, to be precise,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13in the far, far west of Wales.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It's wild...
0:01:16 > 0:01:17..rugged...
0:01:17 > 0:01:18SQUAWKING
0:01:18 > 0:01:20..and full of formidable fiends.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25'My quest will see me searching high...'
0:01:25 > 0:01:26BIRDS CAW
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I don't want to do it!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30'..and low.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:31Argh!
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Oh, and doing a scientific experiment.'
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Ooh!
0:01:36 > 0:01:39But, before all that, I'm off to sea.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45My first nightmare contender is the UK's largest meat-eater.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48They can weigh twice as much as a red deer.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51They have teeth bigger than an Alsatian dog
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and the males will fight to the death to gain access to females.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'And you can find them right here.'
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Ramsey Island has this wild, rocky shoreline,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05isolated bays and, look,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08one of the fastest tidal flows in the whole of the UK.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'This torrent of water brings in the fish -
0:02:13 > 0:02:16'our nightmare contender's favourite food.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18'Local kayaker John...
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'..is going to take me into their world
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'on this TINY kayak.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Are we going to be meeting a nightmare of nature,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31that's the question?
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- Well, hopefully. - Not too nightmarish, I hope!
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Are they aggressive?
0:02:36 > 0:02:37If we really get in their way,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40but hopefully we're not going to do that. OK.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44'This is an animal you need to give some space.'
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Are we heading straight into this cave?
0:02:46 > 0:02:47I think we should, yeah.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- Woo!- Are you sure this is a good idea?
0:02:49 > 0:02:51- Woo! - NAOMI LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:02:51 > 0:02:54You're not replying, I'm getting scared.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It's quite creepy.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58- Ooh!- Woohoo!
0:02:58 > 0:03:00NAOMI LAUGHS
0:03:01 > 0:03:04This is going to really make me jump if one pops up now.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06JOHN LAUGHS
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Little bit on edge.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Oh! NAOMI GASPS
0:03:10 > 0:03:15- Yeah! OK, so that's an adult male. - NAOMI SIGHS HEAVILY
0:03:15 > 0:03:16SEAL SNORTS
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Is that him making that sort of snorting noise?
0:03:20 > 0:03:21It's like there's a dragon in there.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Shall we...shall we back out?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27'Guessed what it is yet? It's...
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'the grey seal!'
0:03:29 > 0:03:30SEAL HOWLS
0:03:31 > 0:03:32'They are, potentially,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'some of the most aggressive mammals
0:03:35 > 0:03:37'you'll ever face in the wilds of Britain.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41'Big fat bruisers of the boxing ring.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47'Just under half of all the grey seals in the world
0:03:47 > 0:03:49'can be found in the UK.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52'They can grow to be longer than my paddle.'
0:03:52 > 0:03:53They are huge, aren't they?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- They are massive. - Do they really need to be that big?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They do need to be that big, yeah, to fight against the other males.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Size is a dominant thing, so big males win over smaller males.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04SEALS GROWL
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So the bigger they are, the more the females like them?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Yeah, it shows that the male's strong enough
0:04:12 > 0:04:15to look after the female and the female's young.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18'Fighting also explains the teeth.' SEALS GROWL
0:04:18 > 0:04:21They use their teeth and quite often you'll see the males
0:04:21 > 0:04:24with scars down their chest and stuff,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- where they've been fighting. - Battle wounds.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- No way!- Yeah, so war wounds, really. - Yeah.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34'Those fangs are also to be avoided, if you're a fish.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The big teeth also come in really handy for chewing fish to pieces
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and probably even ripping them apart, you know?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45'Nasty! And it seems we've got one on our tail.'
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I guess they feel safer if they're behind you, don't they?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Yeah, quite often they'll follow the kayaks...- Don't feel threatened.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55..so they can keep a good eye on what we're doing
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- and our movements.- Yeah.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'Out in the daylight, though, they don't seem menacing at all.'
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Amazing. Hello.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Ah, they're gorgeous!
0:05:09 > 0:05:12She's right under our kayak right now.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14She's having a play around down there.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21'Despite all this talk of aggression, I think I'm starting to like them.'
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- Yep.- Hello, beautiful.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- I can see her whiskers and eyebrows. - Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32So all those whiskers just give them massive sensitivity in the water?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34That's it, yeah, so they can feel fish going past
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- and....- All the vibrations? - That's it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Ah! She just did a fantastic roll and dive.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Oh!
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'They're so agile. They can move faster in the water
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'than an Olympian, which they need to do
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'to catch a fish.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55'10 kilos of fish a day, that's the weight
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'of a small, over-stuffed suitcase.' SEAL HOWLS
0:06:00 > 0:06:02'All that fish is what builds the blubber
0:06:02 > 0:06:06'that keeps them warm in our chilly waters.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11'And their acrobatic antics mean you never know where one might pop up.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Hello.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- Hey, guys.- Awh!
0:06:15 > 0:06:18'Like with this inquisitive bunch that's come to check us out.'
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And it's this cheeky nature that has got them
0:06:22 > 0:06:26into some quite interesting situations.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27SNORING
0:06:27 > 0:06:29'On nearby Skomer Island,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33'this brazen bruiser hijacked a dinghy.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34'He must have been comfy,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37'because he refused to budge for four whole days.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40SNORING 'Cheeky chap.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:45'Kayaking these caves and coves today
0:06:45 > 0:06:48'and meeting their residents has left me feeling conflicted.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Well, they're undeniably huge creatures, they've got massive teeth.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Definitely not an animal you should get too close to,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02but, with their doe eyes, their cheeky disposition
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and that curious nature,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07could I really call the grey seal my worst nightmare?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10SEAL SNORTS Laters!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13JOHN LAUGHS I think he definitely just said goodbye.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14SHE MIMICS SEAL SNORT
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's time for me and Daisy to move on down the coast
0:07:19 > 0:07:21in search of a nice sandy beach.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22SEAGULLS CAW
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Ah, the great British seaside!
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Lapping waves, sandcastles, ice cream,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33what could possibly be a nightmare here?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Well, you might not think it, but rock pools
0:07:36 > 0:07:39are one of nature's most brutal battlegrounds.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Anything living here must fight, hide, or attack
0:07:43 > 0:07:44just to stay alive.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49As the tide retreats, the pools it leaves behind
0:07:49 > 0:07:53are small and overflowing with occupants.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Dinner is each other.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Marooned in puddles, there's nowhere to escape.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05So each must work out a strategy to outwit their opponents
0:08:05 > 0:08:07in the ultimate battle.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I want to show you what really goes on in our rock pools.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Far from peace and quiet, it's a riot in there!
0:08:16 > 0:08:20So may I present to you... Naomi's Nightmares Rock Pool Lab!
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Here in Tank One, we have limpets.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Now limpets, you might think, boring!
0:08:27 > 0:08:30An animal that just sits around all day and all night
0:08:30 > 0:08:32doing very little.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Haha! That is where you are wrong.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Limpets gets my vote as top fighter of our rock pools!
0:08:40 > 0:08:44And I give you the battle between the limpet and...
0:08:44 > 0:08:46the starfish!
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Remember, this is going on in these rock pools
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and in rock pools all around our coast all the time,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54it's just much easier to show you in here.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56There are our limpets minding their own business
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and I'm going to introduce a common starfish.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Let me just show you this.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04That's its mouth. It has eyes on the end of its legs
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and that's its bum.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Starfish eat limpets.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12They do it by expelling their stomach out through their mouth,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15digesting the limpet and then sucking it back down again.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17What a way to go!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But will our little heroes fight back?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Starfish use smell to hunt, so let's see
0:09:24 > 0:09:26if it gets a whiff of those limpets.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Yep. Yep, it's got a whiff.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32It's on its way.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It's moving towards the limpets
0:09:34 > 0:09:36using those hundreds of little tubed feet
0:09:36 > 0:09:38on its underside.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Wow!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Obviously hungry, this one.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Now watch for the really cool bit.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49So the limpet is trying to trap the tentacles of the starfish
0:09:49 > 0:09:50under its shell.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51SHE GASPS
0:09:51 > 0:09:53No way! It's totally got it!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's totally got it! Ooh, the poor starfish!
0:09:56 > 0:09:58SHE GASPS
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Ninja limpet!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Who would have thought it?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Tank Two and my second super strategy
0:10:04 > 0:10:06for surviving in a rock pool.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08It's...the hermit crab.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Hermit crabs don't have their own shells.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16They use empty snail shells as their homes,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20finding just the right size to protect their soft bottoms.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Look at these guys. Now, if I pick him up...
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Ooh! ..he'll retreat into his shell.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Not many predators are going to be able to get him in there.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But if I put him back in the water
0:10:34 > 0:10:37he'll relax, realising that he is not under attack,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and he'll come out.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Look at his little eyes!
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Very cute.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Now, you might look at a hermit crab and think, yeah, that's nice,
0:10:46 > 0:10:47but not much going on between their ears.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Hang on, do hermit crabs even have ears?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Anyway, their strategy for survival is very clever.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57They hide and they do it in a very cunning way.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00To demonstrate, I've got a whole lot of hermit crabs in this tank,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03in dark coloured shells, against light coloured sand,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06so, at the moment, they're about as camouflaged
0:11:06 > 0:11:07as a load of flamingos in the Arctic.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I'm going to pop in some shells that match the sand
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and let's see what they do.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Yes! Immediately, they are checking out the new shells
0:11:16 > 0:11:18that match the background.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22It's like a tenant investigating a new house.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Is it empty? Yes, it is.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25Can I move in? Yes, I can.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Will I be more camouflaged? Definitely.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Ooh, yeah, he's moving in.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35SHE GASPS Go on, in you go.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Shuffling into position.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Bum's going in!
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Yes! We have a new tenant.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Hurrah!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50'These clever crabs hide from predators
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'by blending with their background.'
0:11:53 > 0:11:56My third tank and final survival strategy,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59it's the top predators of our rock pools.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00'This guy's strategy
0:12:00 > 0:12:02'is to be downright nasty.'
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I'm going to try and get him out.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07IN FUNNY VOICE: Oh, no, no, no! I'm really nervous of you!
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Hoo-hoo!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12This is the velvet swimming crab.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Look at those red eyes, HUGE claws
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and flattened back legs, perfect for swimming.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Got little paddles on the back.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24If you live in a rock pool, this would be your worst nightmare.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28'Crabs like this and its other crabby counterparts
0:12:28 > 0:12:30'will use their razor sharp pincers
0:12:30 > 0:12:33'to tear at their victims,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35'ripping out the flesh.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:36CRUNCHING
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'You wouldn't want to end up marooned with these
0:12:39 > 0:12:42'or any other top predators of the pools.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45'It's a beastly battleground,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'which makes the rock pool a definite contender
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'for my worst nightmare.'
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Away from the rock pools, Britain's beautiful beaches
0:12:57 > 0:13:03are lovely relaxing spots to kick back and enjoy the sunshine.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Oh, except that my next nightmare
0:13:05 > 0:13:09may put you off ever sunbathing again.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This nightmare could be hiding under your beach towel,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15slithering through your sandcastle, lurking in the shallows.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18WARNING! If you are of a nervous disposition,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20you possibly shouldn't watch this,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21because I...
0:13:21 > 0:13:23am on the hunt for ragworm.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Squelchy squirmers that lurk beneath our sandy feet.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34They live underground on beaches all around our coast.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43These writhing wrigglers are no strangers to fishermen,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45who use them as bait.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47And that's why Neil here...
0:13:48 > 0:13:50..is digging them up today.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Oh, and they have a special feature
0:13:52 > 0:13:54that other worms don't -
0:13:54 > 0:13:56they bite!
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Great, let's go and find some.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03You can tell their whereabouts from tiny pinpricks in the ground,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05the entrance to their burrow.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Look here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Here's some small holes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Oh, I see.- Yeah.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- OK, so we better get digging.- Yep.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- And see if we can unearth one. - Give it a go.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Here, raggy, raggy, raggy!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Do they ever come up to the surface?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Like, do you ever see them just walking around on the sand?
0:14:26 > 0:14:28No, no, the birds would be having them.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- So they prefer to stay hidden? - Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- So we are safe, when we're sunbathing.- Yep.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34- Just paddling and stuff.- Yep.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36IN NERVOUS VOICE: Good.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Can you see one?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41A baby one.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43- Ooh, it's tiny!- Yep. - A little tiddler.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46That one shouldn't bite you.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- What shall I do with that? - Put him in with the rest of them.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50OK. All right, cheers, Neil.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52All right, no worries.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Quite tiny. Not too bad like that.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59SHE LAUGHS
0:14:59 > 0:15:01But we've got some here that we collected earlier
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that appear to be significantly bigger.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Oh, my word!
0:15:08 > 0:15:11The crew think it would be a really good idea if I pick one up,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13so we can have a very good look at it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16They're massive! No!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Hold on, I've got to psych myself up for this.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22SHE LAUGHS This is going to take a bit of nerve.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Oh!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I'm having hagfish flashbacks!
0:15:26 > 0:15:28SHE SHOUTS AND LAUGHS
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Right, get brave, get brave.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Eugh, I don't like the way they feel!
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Ooh, no. These are really soft.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Slimy.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41SHE LAUGHS Right, come here, you!
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Eugh!
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Bear with me, caller!
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Maybe I'll try a different one.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51No, come on. Come on, Naomi. Be brave.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52SHE WHISPERS TO HERSELF
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Right, I got it, I've got it. Got it.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Naomi, why are you shaking?
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Shh!
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Eugh, it's like an alien, isn't it?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07So that end is its mouth
0:16:07 > 0:16:11and in there it has teeth and two sets of big, large big pincers,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13which you might see every now and again.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18And it uses those to grab its prey, or to fend off any attacker
0:16:18 > 0:16:20that might try and get it while it's in its burrow.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21SHE GASPS
0:16:21 > 0:16:24There! Did you see that? BITING NOISE
0:16:24 > 0:16:26You can probably see those two...
0:16:26 > 0:16:28pincers that are trying to bite me right now.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Agh!
0:16:31 > 0:16:34That didn't really hurt, but I don't like it.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36WAILING
0:16:36 > 0:16:39'You can find these beasties at your local beach,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42'just in case you fancy holding one, too.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:44SHE SQUEALS
0:16:47 > 0:16:51So can you see they've got loads of tiny little pairs of legs
0:16:51 > 0:16:53all the way down its body?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And it uses those for walking on the sand,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59for pushing through the mud and even swimming.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Now, when it comes to feeding, the ragworm really does it all.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06They scavenge for anything dead they can find,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10they hunt down live prey and they filter the water
0:17:10 > 0:17:13to catch a meal too and the way they do that is pretty ingenious.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16They produce slime and then they'll use that slime
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and weave it into a net across their burrow,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22which will then filter out any smaller critters in the water.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25They'll then eat those animals and the net, too.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27BITING SOUND, SHE SHOUTS
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Oh! It scratched me with its pincers. Urgh!
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Ooh, I don't like you!
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Slimy, creepy, wriggly,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39downright disgusting ragworm -
0:17:39 > 0:17:41you could easily be my worst nightmare.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46SHE GASPS
0:17:50 > 0:17:52I've had enough of the seaside.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Time to speed away from the nightmares of British beaches
0:17:56 > 0:17:59in search of my final contender.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02My next animal lives in a nightmare place.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It's crowded, it's remote, battered by wind and rain,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08and surrounded by sheer drops and, well,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10just downright scary.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12That place is the dizzying...
0:18:12 > 0:18:16HORROR MUSIC ..craggy, coastal cliffs
0:18:16 > 0:18:17..of...
0:18:17 > 0:18:18GENTLE MUSIC ..Skomer Island.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25A lump of rock sitting off the west coast of Wales.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27BIRDS CAW
0:18:27 > 0:18:30In the spring and summer, it's sea bird central!
0:18:30 > 0:18:33BIRDS CAW
0:18:33 > 0:18:3812,000 puffins, the largest colony of shearwaters in the world,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and hundreds of black-backed gulls.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43But the super survivors of this island are...
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Thousands of these feisty fliers
0:18:50 > 0:18:54nestle on the island every year to breed.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56The trouble is, getting off the island again
0:18:56 > 0:18:59involves a feat of Olympian proportions!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03To help me understand these plucky birds,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05I'm meeting up with Elspeth Kenny...
0:19:06 > 0:19:08..a real life guillemot scientist.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- I'm Naomi.- Hi. - So this is where you live, is it?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- Pretty much, pretty much. - Hang out, yeah?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Yeah, just hang out here in the sun. - All the time.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16We've got a whole lot of birds on the cliff.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Which ones are the guillemots?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20So the guillemots are the ones in big clumps
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and they're sort of chocolaty brown and white.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Kind of like mini penguins? - That's exactly how I describe them.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- Do you? Oh, cool. - Yep, that I study mini penguins!
0:19:28 > 0:19:31'These brave birds choose to nest on cliffs,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35'often 100 metres above the sea.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38'It gets pretty crowded up there.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I think it's a bit like trying to have a baby on the Tube,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- because...trying to raise a kid and look after it.- Yeah!
0:19:44 > 0:19:45And they're all jam-packed in,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48with somebody's armpit in their face and...
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Why would they all hang out together?
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Why don't they find a space?
0:19:52 > 0:19:54They breed so densely to deter other predators,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58so, when a gull comes down and tries to get their egg
0:19:58 > 0:20:00or their chick or anything,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02they all just look at the gull and force their beaks up towards them
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and ward the gull away from each other.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Safety in numbers.- Exactly!
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'The pros of community bouncers does mean
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'putting up with the cons of badly-behaved neighbours.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Actually, I'm sure I saw one that looked like it had been pooed on.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Oh, yeah, all the time.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Eugh! If my neighbour pooed on me, I would move away.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25ELSPETH LAUGHS Wouldn't be a friend any more.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29'Even though they look like they're LITERALLY living
0:20:29 > 0:20:31'on top of each other,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35'each pair actually has its own personal territory.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'Just big enough for one single egg.'
0:20:38 > 0:20:42How come the eggs don't just roll off and fall into the water?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- I have some model eggs to show you. - Oh!- Here's some I made earlier!
0:20:45 > 0:20:48And, as you can see, the egg is a very unusual shape.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49If you compare to a chicken egg,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- this guillemot egg is much more pointed.- Yes.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57'It's thought this pointy shape stops it rolling off the cliff.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01'The rest is up to Mum and Dad.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Both the mother and father take turns in incubating the egg
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- and, when they swap, they're both very careful.- I was going to say,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- that's got to be a moment where they're worried.- Yeah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'Considering the care taken over the egg,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17'the fate of the chick is somewhat ironic.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:19So once the little chick hatches out of the egg,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21how does it get off the cliff?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Erm, it jumps...
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- or falls.- Really?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Yep.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31'That's right! When guillemot chicks reach around three weeks old,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'they simply hurl themselves into the void.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35CHICKS CAW
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'And they can't yet fly!
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'Move over, Tom Daley,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'this is how diving is done!
0:21:44 > 0:21:48'Gather some fans to cheer you on.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:49CHEERING
0:21:49 > 0:21:51So when the chick is ready to leave...
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- GUILLEMOT CALLS - ..the father goes down to the sea
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and starts calling it, so it's encouraging it to jump off
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- and the little chick sort of 60, 70, 80 metres above...- What?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03..can hear, among all those other birds, its father calling at it.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10'Steel yourself for the jump.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11CHICKS CALL
0:22:11 > 0:22:15'It takes the chicks a little while to psych themselves up.'
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- You see them sort of getting up the courage to do it.- Yeah.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- Nudged on by other adult guillemots around.- Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And eventually they just sort of fall off the cliff.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37'The guillemot dive is less than graceful.'
0:22:37 > 0:22:41They'll tumble down from their ledge and they might bash into other birds
0:22:41 > 0:22:43rolling down the cliff and they flap like mad,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45which might slow them down a bit
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and then they plop into the sea.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Does it not hurt itself?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Erm, no, they're pretty tough.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- They're really fluffy! - Bounce, yeah!
0:22:56 > 0:22:59They seem to land in the water absolutely fine.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04'Once in the water, there's one final stage left and that's...
0:23:04 > 0:23:05'to celebrate the victory.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Once they're on the water, their father is there waiting for them.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- GUILLEMOTS CALL - So there's all these young chicks
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and all these fathers in the water, calling and calling
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- and calling each other incessantly. - Awh!
0:23:17 > 0:23:21And once they've met up, they spend the next few weeks out at sea
0:23:21 > 0:23:23just with their father and their father teaches them
0:23:23 > 0:23:26how to forage and protects it.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- Yeah...- Right, hang on. Let me get this straight.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30So these little chicks, they've been out of the egg, what?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Two to three weeks.- Yep.- Nice warm egg. Then they're having to leap
0:23:33 > 0:23:3550 metres, or way higher, into the sea,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39they've never swum before and they've got no idea where they're going.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- Exactly.- That sounds like a seriously nightmarish thing to do.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Blimey, glad I'm not a guillemot chick.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48HORN BLARES, SHE SIGHS
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Spoke too soon.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51"Jump like a guillemot chick."
0:23:51 > 0:23:53SHE GASPS
0:23:54 > 0:23:59'Pembrokeshire's coastline is dotted with natural dive boards.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00'Lucky me!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04'Thankfully, I won't be alone.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08'Joining me for a spot of coasteering are outdoor enthusiasts...'
0:24:11 > 0:24:16'And an experienced guide, grey seal John again.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18'He's kitted us out in all our safety gear
0:24:18 > 0:24:23'and knows precisely which rocks are safe to sail from around here.'
0:24:23 > 0:24:26OK, so you're going to take a nice big leap, right the way out,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29aiming to get as far away from the rock as possible.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32In the air, you can wriggle around a little bit,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34as long as, when you're coming in to land,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36you make sure you've got your legs together.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39One other tip is don't look down at the water.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- So how do you stop it going up your nose?- Just breathe out your nose.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Out through your nose...like a seal.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'Time for a few practice jumps before the big one.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57'Our gutsy guillemots on Skomer jump from 60 metres.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01'That's like me jumping from five times the height of Big Ben!
0:25:01 > 0:25:02CHEERING
0:25:02 > 0:25:05'If I did that, I'd break my neck.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07'So our gigantic jump will be
0:25:07 > 0:25:10'from a more reasonable seven metres.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13'Time to gather some fans.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'While my dad might not be cheering me on from the water, the crew are.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24'Now for Stage 2 - preparing ourselves for the jump.'
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- Oh, my heart's suddenly started going like the clappers!- Woo!
0:25:28 > 0:25:32And a guillemot will jump from, what, 10 times or more the height of this?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34What do you think of what the guillemot does?
0:25:34 > 0:25:35It's amazing.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37How are you feeling about doing this?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Nervous, it's my first time, so...
0:25:39 > 0:25:41feeling like a guillemot, really.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- Are you?- Yeah.- A bit anxious?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'That's an understatement.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'I think I'll let my fellow guillemots go first.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51'Now for the descent.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52'Good luck, everyone.'
0:25:52 > 0:25:54MUSIC: Chariots of Fire by Vangelis
0:25:54 > 0:25:55Yoo-hoo-hoo!
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Ah! You made that look so easy. - Awesome!- Yes!
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Ah!
0:26:00 > 0:26:02- Woo!- Yeah! - CHEERING
0:26:03 > 0:26:06That means it's only me left. Oh!
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Oh! SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:26:08 > 0:26:09I don't want to do it!
0:26:11 > 0:26:13'Guillemots, I'm doing this for you.'
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Yoo-hoo-hoo!
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Oh! CHEERING
0:26:21 > 0:26:22'Let's see that again in...
0:26:22 > 0:26:25SLOW MOTION VOICE: '..slow-mo replay.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29'Oh, no! I forgot to flap!'
0:26:30 > 0:26:32SLOW MOTION CHEERING
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Oh! LAUGHTER
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Whoa! I tell you what...
0:26:39 > 0:26:43much respect, guillemot chick. I salute you!
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I can now say, with first-hand experience,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49your death-defying dive truly qualifies
0:26:49 > 0:26:51as a nightmare of nature.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Ugh!
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It's time for me to bid farewell to the fearsome UK coast.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00But, out of all my nightmare encounters,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02which one will top my list?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Will it be that cheeky chappy, the grey seal?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Oh, my goodness.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09She's right underneath our kayak right now.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Or is it the hostile world of the rock pool,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13with its feisty inhabitants?
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Hi-yah!
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Ninja limpet!
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Who would have thought it?
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Well, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you've figured out that it is...
0:27:21 > 0:27:25the subterranean, scissor mouthed, slimy British burrower...
0:27:25 > 0:27:26the ragworm.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27It probably got your vote, too.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29It might the fishermen's favourite
0:27:29 > 0:27:32but it's definitely my worst UK nightmare.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33BITING SOUND
0:27:34 > 0:27:37SHE SQUEALS
0:27:37 > 0:27:39No-one else will carry anything.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40- LAUGHTER - Every time someone...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43They just pass me stuff all the time, like, "Take this, take this."
0:27:43 > 0:27:44It's all I'm here for.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- LAUGHTER - I'm a pack horse.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Thanks, Rich. Do you want me...?
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- Something.- You all right? OK. Yeah, I've got it.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51I've had a great day.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52LAUGHTER