Intrepid Iceland Naomi's Nightmares of Nature

Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.

I'm Naomi Wilkinson!

Oh, my goodness!

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

Oh!

The ones that make your spine tingle...

SHE WHIMPERS

..your heart beat faster...

NAOMI GASPS

There it is! There it is!

..and your blood run cold.

Are they truly terrifying...

..or is there a twist in the tale?

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

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

Hello, down there!

Yes, I have only gone and got myself a helicopter, haven't I?!

This time, I've come to the edge of the Arctic Circle.

Welcome to Iceland!

Aaah!

Stuck out on the edge of the Arctic Circle,

Iceland is a country of fire...

..and ice...

..Vikings...

and ancient legends.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Perfect territory to hunt down some terrifying terrors,

from a ticking time bomb...

Did you just say this is an active volcano?

-Yes.

-Are we landing here?

-Yes.

-We're landing?

..to a legend unmasked.

-Is it right near the boat?

-Yep.

There it is! There it is!

First, we start with a bang.

When you think of nightmares of nature,

you might think of something that can bite you or sting you,

maybe even kill you,

but what about a sleeping giant so powerful

it can wipe out entire cities?

Well, guess what.

I'm going to go and find one.

Volcanoes - a titanic force of nature.

Erupting out of the earth with a deadly blast.

Spewing lava that devours everything in their path.

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth,

where the people live with the constant threat

of a volcano going off at any moment.

Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

Thankfully, I'm not alone,

as I've got Rikki with me,

who knows all there is to know

about volcanoes.

OK, guys, ready to start up?

Yeah, ready.

And up here is the perfect place to spot how Iceland has been torn apart

by these immense volcanic forces.

Look at that epic scenery!

It's amazing!

You can tell we're on the edge of the Arctic Circle, can't you?

So, up ahead, these look like big craters in the mountain.

This is just one big volcano.

-This is a volcano?

-That's a volcano.

So, what exactly is a volcano?

A volcano is simply the centre

where all the molten rock comes out of the earth.

When it melts, it creates a high pressure inside the earth

and at some point it can't withstand the pressure any more on the surface

and it breaks apart and it creates an eruption.

Like a balloon that's got too much air in it,

-it just has to go somewhere and so it...

-Exactly.

-..explodes.

-Yeah.

And the only way to go is up.

So, really, they could go off at any time?

Some of them have very short warning.

We've got steam coming out of the ground here!

Yeah. This is the active volcano.

Did you just say this is an active volcano?

Yes. Actually, it's three active volcanoes in one area.

So...is it a safe place to be?

-We'll be perfectly fine.

-OK. I trust you.

-Are we landing here?

-Yes.

-We're landing?

-I'm just going to show you something down here.

That...that doesn't sound like a very good idea.

I'm not liking this. That's... No.

Whoa! It stinks out here!

That's all the sulphur.

Sulphur? It smells like rotten eggs, doesn't it?

-Eurgh!

-It does.

-And are we safe to stand on this ground?

As long as you walk only where there's grass, you're safe.

-Why is that?

-Don't step off it,

because here you can have unstable ground,

you can step a foot through it, and it will boil your feet.

NAOMI GASPS

So, please just stay on all the grass here.

I will! I will!

Phwoar!

Staying on the grass at all times.

Do not want to put my foot through and boil my feet.

We're surrounded by ominous-looking volcanic pools.

This looks a little bit less grassy.

-Is this safe?

-OK, you take big steps here.

-This is fine.

-Just take big steps.

Ooh!

Oh, wow!

-Ooh...

-Be careful!

I'm going to stand right next to you! Whoops.

So, is this really dangerous?

Well, if you jump in there, yes.

What would happen if I were to jump in there?

Well, you would get boiled.

-Oh, just...

-You can see, it is boiling.

-..boiled?

But there is also... Some of them are very acidic,

so some of it is like boiling acid.

So it would dissolve me?

Yes. In some places.

That would be a bad way to go, wouldn't it?

I'm not going anywhere near that.

Do you actually like volcanoes, Rikki?

Do you think there's anything good about them?

-I love them.

-Do you?

Yeah, of course. I study them, I love them,

but they also make Iceland liveable,

because if we didn't have the energy from the volcanoes,

or the heat and the electricity we produce,

we wouldn't be able to live here.

Incredibly, Iceland gets a whopping 25% of its electricity

from the heat coming out of the earth.

Yeah, so, they are pretty amazing.

They are.

Well, I think we should get out of here, before anything erupts

or we step in a boiling hot pool.

How about that?

Living under the constant shadow of a ticking time bomb -

that has got to be a serious concern, cos it's not just that

huge, catastrophic volcanoes HAVE gone off,

it's that they're going to happen again.

It is going to take a lot to prevent Iceland's volcanoes

from erupting into first place.

OK, safely back on the ground,

my Icelandic adventure continues in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik.

Ever since the Vikings lived here, Iceland has always had tales

of weird animals and ferocious monsters,

and these stories have terrified Icelanders for centuries.

Have a look at this.

We have got a 400-year-old map of Iceland

and it is filled with monsters.

GROWLING Here, here, here...

But do these monsters exist today?

It's time to go monster hunting.

With the map as my guide,

I'm going to find some of these beasts for myself.

The map shows the bizarre creatures in the sea surrounding Iceland.

So, it's down to the harbour to find some clues.

Excuse me. Could I bother you a moment?

-Yeah.

-Have you ever seen anything like that here?

-Does that exist?!

-Well, I'm trying to find out!

Do you recognise any of these animals?

We have a...like this, in lake in the east coast,

who comes up...

People have seen it come up out of the lake.

-Like Loch Ness.

-Yes.

So, people here have heard about these?

They're actually here?!

I kind of thought this was all made up.

The plot thickens...

and I have a tip-off about a biologist

who might be able to help me.

-Hi!

-Hi.

-Hi, I'm Naomi.

-Are you Johannes?

-Yeah.

-Good to meet you!

-Same here.

-So, you've lived here a long time.

-Surely.

-Is that right?

So, I was wondering whether you might have any idea...

-Have you ever seen any creatures...

-Whoa!

-..like this?

Let me show you something.

-OK.

-It might be...

-A monster?!

-You might be interested in this I have here.

You haven't got one of these in the back of your car, have you?

Yeah, it's a fish that I would like to show you.

Whoa!

-We call it an Icelandic steinbitur. It's...

-That is ugly.

-Look at its teeth!

-Yeah.

-They're like fangs!

-Agh!

-And the molar, here, crushing the molluscs.

It's got all teeth all down the back of it's throat.

Yeah. It's...

Look, that could be this one, couldn't it?

That looks like that.

Yeah, it's... It has a similar charm, in fact.

They got the same sort of teeth.

OK, so, what about these ones, down here?

Yeah, they are much bigger.

Yeah!

And to find those, you have to go out there.

Oh...

So, with this new lead, it was anchors aweigh

and into the freezing, dark waters of the Atlantic

to find the monsters of the map.

But I'm not on my own,

as I am in the company of Gardar,

who knows these waters

like the back of his hand.

Hey, Gardar, where are we headed?

We're going to head out there.

That's where the creatures live.

So, you do think we might see some creatures like these.

I mean, this one, it says it's

"an horrible sea monster, swallowing the seal at one bite."

Well, we do have some large creatures called hvalur

that eat seals.

-Do you?

-Yes.

-Oh, no!

What could they be?

Were these creatures real?

Is there one around? Is there one right here?

Yes, it's on the starboard side of the ship here in front of us

-at our one o'clock.

-How big is it?

It's, like, 15 to 17 metres.

WHAT?!

You come with me, cos I need your support.

And then, a real-life monster appears right in front of us.

NAOMI GASPS There it is! There it is!

I don't believe it! It's real!

But hang on a minute - that, to me, looked very much like a whale.

Yes, hvalur is a whale.

Oh! So, it's not going to hurt us.

-No, they're harmless.

-Oh...

Oh, phew, that's such a relief.

We found some humpback whales...

NAOMI GASPS There it is, look!

..and it started to make sense.

Hvalur is Icelandic for whale,

and it looks like the monsters on the map aren't from someone's

imagination but are actually based on the animals that live here.

So, why are the whales here in these waters?

Well, these waters are very rich,

so they come here to feed in the summertime.

Lots of food for them. What sort of food they like?

Well, it's mainly krill - tiny crustaceans -

and sometimes small fish.

So, they're not going to be eating us?

No, never happened.

And they're not going to be, like, landing on top of the boat?

I hope not.

I've seen one ocean giant today

so what are the other beasts on the map?

Could the monster that swallows seals be a killer whale?

This top predator is found in Iceland

and is known to munch seals for breakfast.

Or the one that's described as being the size of an island.

Could it be the biggest creature on the planet, the blue whale?

30 metres of moving mammal that also swims in these food-packed waters.

It looks like this mystery is finally solved.

I came, I saw, and I found a real-life monster.

OK, they won't hurt you or eat you, that much is make-believe,

but can you imagine how it would have felt 400 years ago

to see a creature of that size rising up out of the ocean?

No smartphone to quickly look it up and check what it is.

In that moment, that would have felt like a very real nightmare so,

for that reason, the monsters on this map are right in the running.

Now it's off into the snowy wilds of Iceland,

as the crew and I head for a meeting with a very special animal.

There's a creature here that has survived ferocious storms...

sub-zero temperatures...

..even earthquakes.

It is the toughest animal in Iceland.

NAOMI LAUGHS

Yep, it's a horse!

Let me introduce you to the hardest horse in the world, ever.

OK, just bear with me.

The Icelandic horse might look like a toy pony,

but it is hard as nails.

Iceland's brutal weather and super challenging landscape

make it one of the harshest places to live

and, ever since Vikings brought them here,

these horses have had to survive the nightmare

of living outside in the wild.

I've met up with Ruth,

who's going to show me what

these four-legged wonder horses

are made of.

Ruth, these are amazing looking horses, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-I love the hairdo!

Just fantastic.

So, are they outside all the time?

Yeah, they are outside all the time.

It's pretty cold in winter in Iceland.

-Yeah.

-How do they survive that?

They have really good hair.

You can see here, it's, like, really thick.

They lose some when...

'In fact, not just one but two layers.'

So, this gives them an extra layer of insulation?

-Yeah.

-And how do they cope with the snow?

Does that not get them cold and wet?

No, the snow actually don't melt.

The snow is just on the horse,

but it doesn't get into the fur so it doesn't get cold.

-So, it that thick...

-Yeah.

-..their skin doesn't

-get touched by the snow at all?

-Yeah.

-Ah!

So these super-insulated horses can tough it out in the extreme cold,

but what about overcoming Iceland's rocky, icy and treacherous terrain?

Well, they can do something that no other horse can do.

So, where are we going now?

Now I'm going to show you something really fun.

-OK.

-The Icelandic horse is the only one in the world

-that has two extra gaits.

-Gate...

Like a metal gate you go through to enter your garden?

No, it's like the way they move, or run.

-Ah! And you're going to show me that?

-Yeah.

-Great.

And, before I know it,

the horses with these super big hairdos are strutting their stuff.

First up, the Icelandic tolt.

You can see the horse in tolt.

-Tolt?

-Yeah. That's the really...

really comfortable gait.

Yeah. It's legs look like it's speeded up!

Yeah, it's like speed walk.

Yeah, yeah! Power walker.

It's really funny! It's funny.

It looks like these guys have considered a silly walk contest

but this way of moving allows them to run over rough ground...

..and gives the rider a bounce-free ride -

perfect for Iceland's rocky roads.

RUTH SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

Next up is the superfast version.

You can see the horse in flying pace.

Flying pace.

Look how fast it's going.

Whoa!

That's amazing! Stop!

That's incredible, isn't it?!

Well, rather him than me on the horse.

Oh... Famous last words.

I'm going on a horse and...

Oh, dear.

..I can't ride horses.

It can't be THAT hard...

..can it?

Like, yeah, exactly.

Quick lesson from Ruth.

Reins... Left, right - check.

She's a really expert horse, yeah?

-Yeah, really expert.

-Cos I'm not a expert rider.

Right, shall we try this, then?

Hope Sylvie the horse doesn't like playing Buckaroo.

Yes! Ooh...

Ooh!

-Rein!

-Let's not go into a canter just yet.

Left rein!

MUSIC: William Tell Overture by Rossini

Yeah, that's good!

Holy Moley...

Ooh! Well done!

Shall we stop there? Let's stop there.

I think she's finished!

OK, I might need to scrub up on my riding skills.

Apparently, the ride on one of these horses is so smooth that if

the rider is doing it correctly,

they should be able to hold a jug of water without spilling a drop.

Yeah, right(!)

You are having a laugh.

This is just going to go everywhere, isn't it?

-Are you ready?

-I'm ready! Let's go.

-Keep contact on the reins.

Contact on the reins. Good girl, Sylvie.

Off we go.

But, with Sylvie's sure-footed skills, I'm in safe hands...

or safe hooves...

or... Well, you get my drift.

Oh... OK, let's not canter...

Whoa... Whoa, whoa, whoa!

And... Ooh!

I think I've built up the few new muscles in my bicep but...

..that is pretty impressive.

I thought the whole lot was just going to go all over me.

I did spill a few drops but, then, I'm no pro rider.

I can't honestly believe that!

That's incredible.

Well done. Good girl.

Smooth rider!

So, they may look like small, funny-haired horses,

but when the going gets tough, they get going.

The Icelandic horse has certainly found ways

to cope with the brutal and nightmarish conditions here.

But will they gallop to glory and be the odds-on favourite

to take my Worst Nightmare title? HORSE WHINNIES

Was that a yes? I think that might have been a yes.

Get ready, folks, because our next wild thing lives off-road

but, in this bad boy...

..we don't need roads.

Whoa, whoa... You all right, you OK?

SHE LAUGHS

The creature I'm heading for is the Arctic fox.

These mini meat-eaters look too cute to be nightmares, to me.

So, I'm off to investigate.

To help me, I've teamed up with biologist and fox-follower Ester.

You've got to hand it to the foxes -

they've chosen a rather gnarly and cold place to live.

Foxes have recently been seen in the area but they're shy and elusive.

So, time for a stakeout.

Stu has his monster lens on, I have my binoculars - we're all set.

And so the waiting begins.

How long could we be waiting?

-It could take hours.

-Could it?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

Get comfy then, everybody.

This could be a long wait.

What do they normally eat?

Everything. They're not very picky.

-No?

-No. They can't afford it.

If they find something, they will, you know, try to eat it.

-Anything?

-Anything.

Old, dead sheep or old, dead bird.

-Ugh!

-Yeah.

Even... Yeah.

-Whatever they find.

-Go on, what were you going to say?

-Even what?

-Well...

I've...I've seen them eat droppings from a bird.

-Like...

-Poo? They eat poo?

-Yeah, just like...

-Yeah.

-That is desperate.

-Yeah.

-You must be desperate, mustn't you, out there,

to start eating other creatures' poo?

Yeah, I think that's the limit, I think.

-Yeah.

-And they look kind of funny in the face when they're chewing on it,

so it probably doesn't taste good.

I bet it doesn't!

Eurgh!

When they're not eating poo,

the Arctic fox is a predator not to be sniffed at.

In the empty wilderness of the Arctic,

they use their highly tuned sense of hearing

to find rodents under the snow.

But how do you catch what you can't see?

Like this.

Faced with these ninja skills, the rodents doesn't stand chance.

I've heard that they save their food for a rainy - well, a snowy day.

-Is that true?

-Yeah.

It's because the food is really...

-Scarce?

-..scarce in the winter, but plenty in the summer.

Mm. So, how do they then find it again?

Cos there's a lot of snow out there.

How do they find the spot where they buried their food?

They've sometimes marked it with their own scent.

-So, they pee on it.

-They wee on their food?

Oh, yeah.

I know it's...

-Mmm(!)

-..horrible, but it's better to find it again, you know?

-Is it?!

-Well, than to lose it and starve.

Oh, and then they eat it, all covered in their own wee?

Mm. Yummy.

Unfortunately for us, our foxes were keeping a low profile

but, like all great stakeouts, we had a backup plan.

Come on, fox!

The night before, we'd put out some camera traps

that would film anything sneaking past.

But would they come up trumps?

OK, let's see what we've got!

Fingers crossed.

OK...

..somebody going to the toilet, I think,

on their way to the toilet block.

-Snow.

-Yeah, lots of snow.

Just snow. Just lots and lots of snow.

Oh!

-We've got one!

-There's our fox.

Oh!

So white!

We've got one!

So, we may not have seen it in the daytime,

but at least our camera traps caught it.

They thought they outfoxed us, but they didn't!

These furry, little foxes may look picture-postcard cute,

but they are no pushover.

Under that fur, there is a crafty, fearless, tenacious carnivore

that it's sure to be scrapping for

a place at the top table of my Worst Nightmares.

I still can't get over that weeing thing.

Well, that is it for Iceland. Time to relax.

But before you do, just the small matter of my Ultimate Nightmare.

Was it the real-life monsters?

Well, they turned out to be whales, so, no.

Or the super-hard horses?

Not with that hair.

To be honest, a nightmare that can to destroy whole cities

and kill thousands of people at any moment -

how can you ignore it?

Volcanoes - my Worst Nightmare.

Get ready, folks, cos our next wild thing lives off-road

but in this bad boy...

we don't need roads.

LAUGHTER