Creepy California Naomi's Nightmares of Nature


Creepy California

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Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.

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I'm Naomi Wilkinson.

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SHE SCREAMS Oh, my goodness!

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And I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world.

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SHE GASPS

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The ones that make your spine tingle...

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your heart beat faster...

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SHE GASPS

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There is! There it is!

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..and your blood run cold.

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Are they truly terrifying?

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Or is there a twist in the tale?

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Come with me, as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets

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and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.

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What's up! This time, I have come west side,

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to the coast of California, where the mighty Pacific Ocean

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meets the United States of America.

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The coast of California might be famous for its sunshine

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and laid-back lifestyle, but beneath the surface

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lurks some truly terrifying nightmares.

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From hideous horrors...

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Urgh!

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..to the unbelievable.

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This is the weirdest creature ever.

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And now, me and the crew are heading straight for them.

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Depending on where you live in California,

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if you take a nice little stroll on the beach,

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you might be in for a massive shock.

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Because here, just a few metres from the car park,

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is a nightmare of epic proportions, and I mean huge!

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This is an elephant seal.

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It can grow up to four metres long and weigh up to 2,000kg -

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that's longer and bigger than most cars.

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You'd be forgiven for thinking they are called elephant seals

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due to their whopping size,

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but it's actually because of their trunk-like inflatable snouts.

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'To make sure I don't get squashed like a pancake,

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'I've joined elephant seal researcher Patrick

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'for an early-morning stroll.'

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Patrick, how dangerous are elephant seals?

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In general, not super-dangerous,

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but it is definitely possible to get bitten by them,

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so we'll have to be careful out there.

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-Have you been bitten by one before?

-I have - twice, actually.

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Do they sneak up on you and get you on the back or something?

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One of them did and the other, while I was holding a boat,

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it came up underneath in the water and bit me on the leg.

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That was a bit surprising.

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We definitely want to be very careful about disturbing animals,

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so we'll want to stay as a group together

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and if we see any reaction with the animals,

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then we'll have to stop what we're doing and back up.

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And by staying together in a group, what does that do?

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That's basically for our own safety.

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If we splinter off, they might pick one of us off?

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Yeah, actually, yeah.

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Safety in numbers.

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'Armed with just my backpack,

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'we're about to step into a land of giants.'

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So, these aren't adults?

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No, most of these are going to be juveniles today.

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-So they're just sort of learning how to behave?

-Yeah, exactly.

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Elephant seals spend much of their life at sea,

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but it's when they come ashore to breed

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they earn their nightmare credentials.

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Males will jealously guard their territories.

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If anyone dares step on their patch,

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it all kicks off in nature's ultimate heavyweight face-off.

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At this time of the year, juveniles haul out onto the beach to rest.

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They might be youngsters, but they're still pretty beefy.

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And immediately, there's an argy-bargy on the beach.

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Hm, well, sort of.

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SHE GIGGLES

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So, are they a little bit amateurish at this fighting at the minute?

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Cos it looks like they are a bit like...

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Urgh!

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You know, just not quite knowing exactly what to do with themselves.

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Absolutely. They're by no means expert at this point.

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But once they become adults, the fighting becomes a lot more serious,

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-doesn't it?

-It does. It's really to the death,

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so it's mostly just to establish dominance between individuals,

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but, certainly, they produce some pretty scary wounds.

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'Patrick has special permission to be on the beach

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'to study the juvenile seals, but with so many of them,

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'it's hard to tell them apart.

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'Small flipper tags help identify each animal with a unique number.

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'But they're hard to spot.

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'So, to make them easier to read,

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'Patrick has a special trick up his sleeve.'

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So, what we're going to do now is walk around the colony here

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and look for those flipper tags and if we see one,

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we're going to put out a dye mark using this stamping tool here.

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We'll write backwards on the face of it and then stamp it on the side

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-of the seal to give them a nice mark.

-Do you use hair dye?

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We do, the same that your mother would use.

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No way! And how long will that last?

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Just shy of a year, actually, until they moult. So quite a long time.

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So we're going to have to get quite close to do that?

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We are, yeah. It's one of the excuses that we have

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-to work quite closely with these guys.

-What could possibly go wrong?

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Let's do it.

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This is very strange. I've got a lot of eyes on me.

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'I can't forget what Patrick said earlier.'

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It is definitely possible to get bit by them.

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Right, we've found one that we can mark.

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Just get the...

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SHE SPLUTTERS ..hair dye ready.

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'With the dye mixed, the number written on backwards

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'and my not-so-hi-tech marking device, we are ready to go.'

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9404, we're coming to get you.

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'With this many seals and the tide high,

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'there's not much room for manoeuvre.

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'One false move could land me in serious trouble.

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'Patrick will distract the seal and then it's up to me.

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'It's now or never.'

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SEAL GROANS

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-My heart.

-Nice work.

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That's really scary!

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I was more worried about this little one.

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I need a really strong, sweet cup of tea.

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If we jump out of here, we can get away from these guys.

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Yeah, let's get away.

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'It was time to give the elephant seals and those with a

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new hair colour some peace and quiet.

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'Mission accomplished.'

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I've done some odd things on this show, but I never thought I would

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end up applying hair dye to an elephant seal.

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Yeah, I have seen some sleeping beauties today,

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but after that little experience,

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there is no doubt in my mind that elephant seals,

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especially those adult males,

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are a force to be reckoned with, and finding yourself in their path -

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that is never going to end well.

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They are certainly in the running for my worst nightmare.

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It's time now to leave the beach

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and head along the Californian coast for yet another nightmare encounter.

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My next creature is the stuff of legend, a true ocean giant,

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some even say a sea monster.

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And today, I'm the lucky one who gets to meet one.

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It's got three hearts, nine brains, and can measure eight metres across.

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The giant Pacific octopus is a nightmare to behold.

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They are formidable predators who come out at night to hunt

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and have been known to eat birds and even sharks.

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They may look all arms and legs,

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but they ruthlessly dispatch prey with impressive skill -

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either pulling them apart,

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or biting them using their hard-beaked mouth.

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I've come to Monterey Bay Aquarium to meet octopus expert Alicia

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and one very special resident.

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So, who lives in here, Alicia?

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-I call this one Lady.

-Lady.

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-It's a lady.

-It is massive, isn't it?

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-Mm-hm.

-She looks a little bit mean.

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-Looking at her, she's a bit like...

-They're not mean,

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-they're actually very friendly.

-Are you sure?

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Let's see if she wants to come over and play with us.

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-Really? OK.

-I'm going to just tempt her over

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-with a little piece of shrimp, here.

-Is that her favourite food?

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Uh-huh.

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-Look at those suckers!

-The suckers are used both for gripping,

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-like a suction cup...

-She's got hold of you.

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It's like one of those mats you put in the bath.

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-Exactly.

-How many suckers have they got?

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-About 2,000.

-Whoa!

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There are nerves that run down each arm,

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and they're used to taste, just like our taste buds.

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Yes, you heard right.

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These super-sticky arms don't just grab you, they also taste you.

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Wow! Oh, it's a bit alarming how quickly they can capture you.

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So, they've got a mouth somewhere in there?

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The mouth is in the middle here.

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There goes the shrimp that we gave her.

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And is it quite dangerous?

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It's the only hard part that they have in their entire body,

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but it's used to open clams and crabs

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and so it could definitely cut through bone.

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NAOMI GASPS

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So you want to stay away from the beak.

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Yeah, I guess if it can eat a crab...

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-Yeah.

-That's a pretty strong mouth part.

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-Uh-huh.

-Uh-oh!

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Are you OK? Do you need any help?

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-No, I'm fine.

-I'm not sure I'd know what to do to help, to be honest.

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I'm offering to help, but I don't know how.

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-Now, watch out.

-Watch out?!

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This is where the water would come from if she was going to spray.

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She can spray us?

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-What do you mean?

-Sometimes they're being playful

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and they might spray a little water at you.

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So far, we're safe, but just a warning.

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What does that mean when it does a massive wide open...

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Whoa!

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That's what it means!

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It's taking in the water, is it?

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-Yeah.

-Oh!

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This is the weirdest creature ever.

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-Would you like to pet her?

-Erm...

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Yes?

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-Is it going to be safe?

-Yes, of course.

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-She's not going to drag me in there?

-Don't worry.

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I'm sort of nervous, but I also really want to try this.

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-Oh!

-There you go.

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Hold on. Right, go on.

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That is so strange.

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-It sucks on straightaway.

-Mm-hm.

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Look at this.

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It's an absolutely brilliant strategy, isn't it,

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to capture their prey? My goodness. Just to...

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SHE IMITATES OCTOPUS SUCKING ..and suck it in towards you.

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Mm-hm. I mean, imagine if all of these arms were on you.

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You can't... You wouldn't be able to get away.

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Imagine a small animal.

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Doesn't stand a chance.

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-It's really pulling me in.

-You're getting a little braver.

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-Yeah, I am.

-Let me know if you need my help.

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I'm OK while it's just one arm, I think...

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Oh, here we go.

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They wouldn't ever go for a human, would they?

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No. I mean...

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It's never happened.

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..Till today.

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I've heard that octopuses are not only voracious predators,

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but also some of the smartest creatures in the ocean.

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Would you say they're intelligent creatures?

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I would say so. In their own way.

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They're not intelligent in the same way that humans are...

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-No.

-..but in the wild, they definitely need to be smart

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in order to find their prey.

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The things that they feed on typically hide

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and so they have to find their prey and then they have to figure out how

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to get it open. So, like, a crab. How would you eat crab?

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You have to figure out how they get the shell off.

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Or a mussel, you have to get the shell open,

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so they're used to having to figure out those puzzles.

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And that's why we like to give them toys and things and interact with

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them, because they need that sensory input.

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Exactly like it would be for them in the wild?

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-Yeah, exactly.

-Yeah.

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We try to keep them occupied,

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because if they don't have anything to do,

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that's when they start getting up to mischief.

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I can believe it, as well.

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NAOMI SQUEALS

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OK, it's got me with two arms now.

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-I think I'd quite like to escape, if that's all right.

-All right.

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I mean, there's being friendly and then there's being very,

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very clingy. Let go.

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That's just a bit too close for comfort, thanks.

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Uh-oh!

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It's suggested that octopuses can sense subjects better by touch

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than by sight. Can you do the same?

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Yeah. Easy.

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My challenge is to identify as many objects as I can

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in one minute, using just my sense of touch.

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Be nice, guys.

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Rich, if I could see you, I would be looking at you.

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Go on, then. Do your worst.

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Who's going to count me in?

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Three, two, one.

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Go!

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Argh! Argh!

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Is it alive?! Oh, my gosh!

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-What is that? It's not alive?

-No.

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What on... I don't... Jelly?

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-Squeak-squeak. Is that a rubber ducky?

-Quack, quack!

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None of these things are alive or going to bite me, are they?

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-A lychee?

-Stop, stop!

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Oh, that's embarrassing.

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If Lady the octopus was here right now,

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I would give her many high-fives.

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It's not every day you get to meet an eight-limbed creature with the

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brains of Einstein, but a fondness for arm-wrestling.

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I mean, can you just imagine the horror for

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those unfortunate victims, seeing the sight of one of these giant

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Pacific octopuses coming at you from the gloom?

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So, the question still remains -

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will this formidable hunter grab hold

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and not let go of the title Worst Nightmare?

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Can I have my arm back now, please?

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I'm sticking around Monterey Bay for just a bit longer,

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as here lies another nightmare of a completely different kind.

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Here on Nightmares Of Nature, I have met animals that are scary,

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that are deadly and that, to be frank,

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are sometimes just downright gross.

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But I am happy to say - no, I am over the moon to say -

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that my next animal is none of those.

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In fact, it is quite the opposite.

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Get in!

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Not only are sea otters the cutest creatures on the planet,

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they're also the furriest.

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Sea otters in California spends most of their time around the coast,

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lying on their backs in the kelp, eating shellfish.

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It's a hard life being a sea otter(!)

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Erm, hang on - what are they doing on Nightmares Of Nature?

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Every year here in California, baby sea otters lose their mothers and,

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as you can imagine, for those orphaned or abandoned little pups,

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that can be a very real nightmare.

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Hey. But it's OK.

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All is not lost, because here at Monterey Bay Aquarium,

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they take in these vulnerable otters and help them return to the wild.

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To help me learn about the challenges these mega-fluff balls

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face, I've met up with all-round good guy and otter specialist Karl.

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He's got an orphaned sea otter that's only a few weeks old

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and it needs feeding.

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But it's not straightforward.

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Baby sea otters mustn't get used to humans,

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otherwise they'll find it harder to go back to the wild.

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So Karl has a novel solution.

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So before we go in there with 714,

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we're going to have to put on this disguise.

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And this is basically...

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It's silly, but it's, essentially,

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trying to mask our human form,

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so that she's not going to habituate to us over time.

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We need them to be a little bit afraid of people?

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Exactly. Yeah. So, we're going to cover our faces with a welder's mask

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and our form with these capes,

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and then we're going to cover our scent with these gloves.

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And do we have to be quiet?

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We can do hand signals and stuff, but she's not used to human voices.

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So, if we start talking, she is going to get scared by it.

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OK. I think I've done this wrong.

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Yeah, you might've done.

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'So, with my Darth Vader costume on,

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'it was time to see otter 714.'

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Sh-h-h!

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'That's me there, behind the mask.

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'And this is the cutest animal in the world.

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'First up, some nice, fresh clams.

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'Karl tells me it's the first time she's ever eaten clams like this.

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'And they seem to be going down very well.

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'For otters, it's a lot easier to eat on their back.

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'It's like having a ready-made table to eat from.

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'At this early age, everything is new.

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'So she's a little bit clumsy.

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'Karl says that's the deepest dive she's ever made.

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'Right, now for a bit of exercise.

0:18:320:18:34

'Normally in the wild, her mother would be helping her with this,

0:18:340:18:38

'so without her mum, we have to step in with a bit of water aerobics.

0:18:380:18:42

'Finally, it's time for some hair care.

0:18:500:18:53

'Sea otters don't have any blubber to keep them warm,

0:18:530:18:56

'so they have thick fur.

0:18:560:18:58

'And to make sure it keeps them warm,

0:18:580:18:59

'they have to groom it and keep it free from water.

0:18:590:19:02

'I am dying with cute overload.

0:19:030:19:06

'Don't mind if I do!

0:19:100:19:12

'Let's hope she graduates from her playpen

0:19:120:19:14

'and makes it back to the wild safely.

0:19:140:19:17

'With the cute factor already at a dangerous level,

0:19:220:19:25

'there is even more to come,

0:19:250:19:26

as I head out with Karl to check on sea otters in the wild.'

0:19:260:19:31

Ooh!

0:19:310:19:33

'Until recently, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction,

0:19:330:19:36

'and even though they've made a comeback,

0:19:360:19:38

'they are is still considered endangered species.

0:19:380:19:41

'So every orphaned sea otter that's saved and taken back to the wild is

0:19:410:19:45

'important. Out here, Karl can check up on the reintroduced otters

0:19:450:19:50

'and their friends.'

0:19:500:19:51

Look! Right here.

0:19:510:19:53

Oh, we're coming past two.

0:19:530:19:55

There's another one. Another one coming up, doing a little roly-poly.

0:19:550:19:58

Woohoo!

0:19:580:20:00

Oh! They just look so comfortable in the water, don't they?

0:20:010:20:05

-Yeah.

-Typically, how long are the otters with you

0:20:050:20:09

before you let them go?

0:20:090:20:11

The young pups, it's an average of between eight and ten months.

0:20:110:20:15

'Orphaned otters will have to get used to life

0:20:180:20:20

'back in the wild quickly, if they are to survive.

0:20:200:20:24

'They have to fend for themselves, finding food and avoiding danger.'

0:20:240:20:28

All these animals that we're releasing back to the wild

0:20:310:20:33

only get numbers, we don't do names.

0:20:330:20:35

And part of the reason we don't name them is just to

0:20:350:20:38

reduce the likelihood that everybody that's working with the animals

0:20:380:20:41

becomes too attached.

0:20:410:20:42

There is always a chance that they're not going to survive

0:20:420:20:45

-once they go back out.

-One's popped up right next to us.

0:20:450:20:48

'So, I've seen and felt how furry sea otters are,

0:20:480:20:52

'but how furry is furry?'

0:20:520:20:53

The fur in some areas can be up to a million or close to a million hairs

0:20:530:20:58

per square inch of body.

0:20:580:21:01

It's not uniformly that dense, but in some of the areas,

0:21:010:21:05

which is incredible.

0:21:050:21:06

'That's more hair on one otter than probably everyone

0:21:060:21:10

'sitting in your living room right now.

0:21:100:21:12

'And definitely more than on some of the crew!'

0:21:120:21:15

I've had my fair share of nightmares,

0:21:160:21:18

so this has been a complete treat.

0:21:180:21:20

It has been a joy and an honour to see the beneficial work

0:21:200:21:23

that Karl and his team are doing to help sea otter conservation.

0:21:230:21:27

As far as nightmares go,

0:21:270:21:28

I think the only damage a baby otter is ever going to do is break your

0:21:280:21:32

heart with cuteness.

0:21:320:21:33

So I'm probably not going to be putting them

0:21:330:21:36

at the top of my nightmare list.

0:21:360:21:38

Right, let's get this nightmare mission back on track.

0:21:400:21:43

From the adorable, we go to the abnormal.

0:21:430:21:46

It's time to meet some aliens.

0:21:460:21:49

Strange really to think that scientists

0:21:490:21:51

know more about the surface of the moon than they do

0:21:510:21:54

about parts of the ocean.

0:21:540:21:56

But here, just off the beach in central California,

0:21:560:21:58

is one of the deepest underwater canyons in the world.

0:21:580:22:02

And I'm told that lurking out there in the deep and in the dark

0:22:020:22:06

are weird alien-like creatures that could give you nightmares.

0:22:060:22:10

Out of sight, out of mind, I say!

0:22:100:22:12

-That way.

-Oh!

0:22:140:22:15

'If only it was that easy.

0:22:150:22:18

'To help me face my fears of the weird and unknown,

0:22:240:22:27

'I'm meeting up with underwater explorer Stephanie

0:22:270:22:30

'at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

0:22:300:22:34

'And she's offered to show me around.'

0:22:340:22:36

-Hi!

-Hi, come on aboard.

0:22:360:22:39

What is this?

0:22:390:22:41

This is our remotely operated vehicle, or RV.

0:22:480:22:52

This one's named Ventana, which means, "window" in Spanish.

0:22:520:22:54

-What does it do?

-This window used to be a window into the sea

0:22:540:22:58

and we take it down to about 2,000 metres

0:22:580:23:00

and just see what's living down there.

0:23:000:23:03

And you capture images using this lens, do you?

0:23:030:23:06

-This camera?

-Yes, exactly. That is our main camera,

0:23:060:23:09

that's sort of the focal point of the whole vehicle.

0:23:090:23:11

So what have you found?

0:23:110:23:14

There's all kinds of things that live down there, actually.

0:23:140:23:17

But instead of trying to describe them to you,

0:23:170:23:19

why don't we go take a look at some of them?

0:23:190:23:21

Yeah. OK. I'm up for that.

0:23:210:23:22

It may be a little bit creepy, but they're OK.

0:23:220:23:25

NAOMI LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

0:23:250:23:27

Stephanie's research centre lab is like a space station for the ocean.

0:23:290:23:33

Over the years, Stephanie and her fellow underwater explorers have

0:23:350:23:39

discovered all manner of creatures using their remotely operated

0:23:390:23:43

vehicles - or, to you and I, cool robotic submarines.

0:23:430:23:47

They've even managed to preserve some of these critters

0:23:520:23:55

in their deep sea storeroom.

0:23:550:23:58

It's an Aladdin's cave of big teeth and tentacles,

0:23:580:24:01

all in suspended animation.

0:24:010:24:04

Having this collection allows scientists

0:24:050:24:08

to figure out what actually lives in the deep ocean

0:24:080:24:11

and how they live.

0:24:110:24:13

'But what do they look like when they're alive?

0:24:150:24:18

'Stephanie's got some special footage captured by her submarines

0:24:180:24:21

'to show me.'

0:24:210:24:22

It's like watching a bit of a horror film, isn't it?

0:24:240:24:27

A bit of a sci-fi alien film.

0:24:270:24:30

'I present to you, the anglerfish.'

0:24:300:24:33

How big do you think this animal is?

0:24:340:24:36

Ah, that's a good question.

0:24:360:24:38

Like, that big.

0:24:410:24:43

It's about as big as my fist.

0:24:430:24:45

-Is it?!

-Yeah.

0:24:450:24:47

It's tiddly. Why is it tiny?

0:24:470:24:49

A lot of animals in the deep sea are much smaller than you'd think,

0:24:490:24:52

when you get to see footage like this.

0:24:520:24:55

What's the big beacon on the top of its head?

0:24:550:24:57

OK, so this is actually its lure. It's basically its fishing pole.

0:24:570:25:01

So they use that to attract other animals

0:25:010:25:04

that are searching in the deep sea.

0:25:040:25:06

This can come down in front of the mouth when it's using it.

0:25:060:25:11

So, the little fish will swim towards that and then it just...

0:25:120:25:16

And then... Chomp!

0:25:160:25:17

It's amazing that we were able to find this animal,

0:25:200:25:23

but we don't often get chances to see interactions between animals.

0:25:230:25:26

-Yeah.

-And so we don't know what it would look like when it's actually

0:25:260:25:31

caught a piece of...

0:25:310:25:33

So, that is something you would love to see, is it?

0:25:330:25:36

-It is something I would love to see.

-It's all part of your research,

0:25:360:25:38

-trying to find out more and more about these creatures.

-Yeah.

0:25:380:25:41

I mean, that's a bit of a tricky fish, because if it was swimming

0:25:410:25:43

away from you, you would think, "Oh, that's a pretty little one,"

0:25:430:25:46

and then it would turn around and it would be like...

0:25:460:25:48

-SHE HISSES

-Yeah. Terrifying.

0:25:480:25:51

And that's just the start of the freak show.

0:25:550:25:58

What?! What am I looking at?

0:26:020:26:04

'The fang tooth.'

0:26:040:26:06

Urgh!

0:26:060:26:09

It looks like a lightsaber.

0:26:090:26:11

'The vampire squid.'

0:26:110:26:14

Like a spaceship.

0:26:140:26:17

'The dragon fish.'

0:26:170:26:19

And the boggley-eyed...

0:26:210:26:23

one!

0:26:230:26:25

Being introduced to all those ocean oddballs makes you realise just how

0:26:280:26:32

many new exciting species are out there

0:26:320:26:35

still waiting to be discovered.

0:26:350:26:37

Yes, they might have googly eyes,

0:26:370:26:39

massive fangs and be made up of weird blobs,

0:26:390:26:42

but when you get to know these deep sea creatures, you find they really

0:26:420:26:45

aren't that bad. Nightmare?

0:26:450:26:49

Nah.

0:26:490:26:50

I quite fancy myself as an underwater explorer.

0:26:500:26:54

Hm.

0:26:540:26:56

Well, that's just about it for our California coastal trip.

0:26:580:27:01

I just need to decide which animal is going to get that top nightmare

0:27:010:27:04

spot. I've got it down to two.

0:27:040:27:07

Can you give me a hand? It's either giant Pacific octopus

0:27:070:27:09

-or elephant seal.

-Octopus!

-Octopus!

-Elephant seal!

0:27:090:27:14

Helpful.

0:27:140:27:15

OK, I have made up my mind.

0:27:150:27:17

Yeah. It's super-smart,

0:27:170:27:19

it has killer instinct and once it has a grip of you,

0:27:190:27:21

it is never letting go -

0:27:210:27:23

the giant Pacific octopus is my Worst Nightmare.

0:27:230:27:27

That's one mean sucker!

0:27:270:27:29

Argh! Argh! Is it alive?!

0:27:320:27:35

Quack-quack!

0:27:350:27:38

Tennis ball? Ping-pong ball?

0:27:380:27:40

Lychee?

0:27:400:27:43

What's that? What is it?

0:27:430:27:44

A little rubber bouncy ball?

0:27:460:27:48

Have you all gone? Hilarious.

0:27:490:27:52

SHE LAUGHS

0:27:520:27:54

Hey!

0:27:560:27:58

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