0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is Hawaii, an isolated island chain battered by Pacific waves
0:00:04 > 0:00:08where even the land and the sea itself seem to be deadly!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Whoa!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22'And I'm on a mission, searching for...'
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Deadly places, deadly adventures,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26and deadly animals.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Oy...!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32And you're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Arghhhh!
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'As our pole-to-pole quest heads south,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'we dance with a devil in dark night seas.'
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Look at that!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'Find a near-invisible high-speed hunter.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Yes...!
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'And feel the burn of the planet's most lethal force.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Aaaagh!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'From Mexico, the expedition has tacked west,
0:01:12 > 0:01:17'to islands forged in the furnace of volcanism. Hawaii.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'This is the most isolated island chain on Earth.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31'It's a place of big waves, big animals...
0:01:32 > 0:01:34'..and mighty forces of nature.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36'It really is a lethal version of paradise.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42'Hawaii is dominated and shaped by the sea -
0:01:42 > 0:01:43'so that's where our adventure begins.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48'We're in search of a species of shark that has, so far,
0:01:48 > 0:01:49'managed to elude me.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53'A true open-sea wanderer.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56'The oceanic white tip.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The oceanic white tip is a deep-sea shark.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10It's what's known as a pelagic fish, one that sticks to the open ocean.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'But Hawaii has some of the biggest waves on Earth.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19'So, it's sunscreen and seasickness tablets all round.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It's a very, very big ocean.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Well, the Pacific's the largest ocean in the world,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and we're looking for one, just one, solitary shark.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36This is going to be so hard.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40'To find the oceanic white tips,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'first we have to find pilot whales,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45'as the sharks are known to follow them.'
0:02:56 > 0:02:59They're moving in this direction, and if there is a shark
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's going to be behind them, tailing them over in that direction.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Steve, go!- Yeah, OK.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15'To find prey like squid,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'the pilots dive down into the eternally dark depths
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'on a single breath.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23'Oceanic white tip sharks often tail them,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26'hoping to pick up bits of squid the whales leave behind.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'They also prize pilot whale poo.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'Diving in with them is our best chance -
0:03:33 > 0:03:37'but as we search the blue behind them, there's no sign of a shark.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:43So we got our first glimpse of pilot whales.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47They are absolutely gunning it, they're moving at tremendous speed.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'This is going to be really hard work.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58'Over the next two days we drop in alongside dozens of pilot whales,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'without any sign of a shark.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03'At least a part of the problem
0:04:03 > 0:04:06'is that numbers of these sharks are in serious decline.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Sharks all over the world are in trouble,
0:04:10 > 0:04:15but oceanic white tips are probably the species that's most vulnerable.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18In this part of the ocean, as much as 70% of their numbers
0:04:18 > 0:04:22have disappeared, due entirely to human fishing and hunting.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27So much sea to search, so few sharks,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and with weather like this,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32really our chances are very, very slim.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36'Maybe this was a challenge too far.'
0:04:38 > 0:04:42It's our final day, and we've got our weather window.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The sea is much flatter, much more calm.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I think everyone's feeling very optimistic.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50We are not giving up until we absolutely have to.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Fingers crossed!
0:04:55 > 0:04:56'With the sea flat calm,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00'it's much easier to see fins breaking the water.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Pilot whales, we have a pod of pilot whales.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06'One last chance.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09'If there is an oceanic white tip here,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11'we need to be very careful.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13'Sharks very rarely attack humans -
0:05:13 > 0:05:16'but this species is considered to be one of the few
0:05:16 > 0:05:18'that can be genuinely dangerous.'
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'Behind them, nothing. And the last day's near done.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37'But then, suddenly...'
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Round the other side! On the other side!
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Shark on the other side.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Well, I've spotted a shark, I think, but...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53'It's a dark silhouette that isn't a pilot whale.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:03We have a shark!
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Our first oceanic white tip!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'We're buzzing with excitement, but need to keep our cool.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21'The huge white-tipped pectoral fins are like wings,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24'helping it soar through the water.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Two! There's two of them!
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'The pilot whales are long gone.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40'They're now hanging around to see if we could be food.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'These sharks are cousins of the great white shark.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'In fact, they used to be known as the lesser white shark.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'They're much more inquisitive than their notorious cousins.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'We can't afford to take our eyes off them for even a second.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'In the open ocean, food is scarce.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'These sharks may have to fast for many weeks.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14'So, whenever they find something that might be edible,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'they're hard-wired to give it a try.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22She seems really interested in the cameras,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26and she's just testing them out, seeing if they might be good to eat.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29They have to do it with their teeth and with their snout.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39'This shark has taken time out of hunting to interact with us,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42'so I want to make sure she doesn't leave hungry.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48'And those are some of the sharpest, most serrated teeth
0:07:48 > 0:07:50'in any shark's mighty mouth.'
0:07:59 > 0:08:01This has been an absolutely extraordinary experience.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04We really had to work for it.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08This critically endangered, unbelievably beautiful animal
0:08:08 > 0:08:10of the deep open sea
0:08:10 > 0:08:13is, without doubt, deadly.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26'After sunset, we prepare our kit for a dive with a devil of the deep.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33'These giants come together to feed in the black night waters.'
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It's a very sinister thing, getting into the water when it's dark
0:08:40 > 0:08:42and moody and spooky.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It feels like something you shouldn't be doing,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46jumping into the sea at night.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08Well, I'm down in the darkness, and I can't see anything as yet.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Though the water's quite clear,
0:09:24 > 0:09:29you can see that it's filled with what looks like snow.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34And most of this is actually tiny, tiny animals - plankton.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'Zooplankton is made up of tiny swimming creatures,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'and the young of much larger marine animals.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'Our target feeds on hundreds of thousands of these every day.'
0:09:48 > 0:09:52I can already make out some strange shapes in the darkness!
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Oh, my goodness!
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Look at THAT!
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I am utterly speechless!
0:10:21 > 0:10:24These are manta rays.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26What a phenomenal beast.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And they're everywhere!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I thought we might see...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36..four or five...
0:10:37 > 0:10:39..but there must be 30!
0:10:45 > 0:10:50'Mantas are also known as devil fish, or sea devils.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'They get this name from their horn-shaped head fins,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'which they use to funnel plankton into their cavernous gullets.'
0:11:01 > 0:11:03The mantas are feasting!
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And as they swim towards you,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12you're gazing down into this vast open mouth...
0:11:12 > 0:11:14as it sucks up food.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Oh, my goodness... It nearly took my head off!
0:11:20 > 0:11:22'Thousands of litres of sea water
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'are driven through each manta's mouth each day.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28'The plankton's then filtered through sponge-like tissues
0:11:28 > 0:11:30'called gill rakers.'
0:11:32 > 0:11:37And this isn't phytoplankton, it's not plants.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39It is zooplankton.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40Tiny baby animals.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It's extraordinary to think that an animal of this size
0:11:49 > 0:11:52can feast on something this tiny.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Ohhh.. Ha-ha-ha!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I'm being clouted a few times.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Though I have to admit I don't really mind. This is brilliant!
0:12:08 > 0:12:09HE LAUGHS
0:12:13 > 0:12:15They are sucking up plankton,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20in extraordinary amounts - maybe 30 kilos a day.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22If that isn't a display of predatory behaviour
0:12:22 > 0:12:24then I don't know what is.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26And I think that makes them deadly.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Deadly and very, very beautiful.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It'd be very tempting for me to spend
0:12:43 > 0:12:45all of my time in Hawaii out at sea,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49but there's one extraordinary inland predator that's so unique
0:12:49 > 0:12:50I simply couldn't miss it.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'To find it, we're leaving Kona Island
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'and heading north to the smaller island of Maui.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'After big waves and sharks,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'Hawaii's damp forests might look a little tame.'
0:13:10 > 0:13:15But don't be fooled. There is a hidden killer lurking here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17But it's so fast and so good at not being seen,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20that I probably won't even be able to see it with my naked eye.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'It's cryptic, camouflaged -
0:13:25 > 0:13:29'I could be staring at one right now and not know it.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I could be here for a while.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Right, come on, Backshall.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'I didn't think it would be this hard!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40'There must be hundreds of them here.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Every single place you look
0:13:47 > 0:13:50starts to turn into what you're searching for.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53It completely messes with your mind.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Yes!
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Got one.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05It's so brilliant.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10Honestly, I could've been staring at this plant for ages and not seen it.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Lying along the edge of this leaf here,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18lying perfectly flush with it and exactly the same colour
0:14:18 > 0:14:20is a caterpillar.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24And believe it or not, this is what I'm considering as our next
0:14:24 > 0:14:25Deadly contender.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28But our normal camera I don't really think's going to cut it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34'Instead, we're going to use a slow-motion camera.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'Without it, the split-second strike would be as good as invisible.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45'Caterpillars of the 150-odd species of moth and butterfly
0:14:45 > 0:14:47'feed on plants.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'Except this one.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'This is Eupithecia.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'It may be that because Hawaii is so isolated
0:14:56 > 0:14:58'with so few ants and wasps,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'that this caterpillar has evolved to take their predatory place.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05'It's evolved a taste for blood.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10'They don't eat plants at all - just insects -
0:15:10 > 0:15:13'and that's what we want to try and film.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Now, the way it catches its prey is very, very special indeed.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21We could wait here for hours just hoping that a tiny little cricket
0:15:21 > 0:15:24or something comes past. It's probably not going to happen,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27so instead I've got this.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32It's a little stick with an eyelash glued to the end of it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And what I'm going to try and do is trigger the predatory response
0:15:35 > 0:15:39of this caterpillar.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Wham! That was instantaneous.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'The camera can play the moment back eight times slower than real life.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04'Step two is to see this mini-beast catching real food.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Yes! That is just fabulous!
0:16:23 > 0:16:24Ah!
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Ohhhh!
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- It's brutal.- That is so quick.- Yeah.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43'The caterpillar's strike is triggered
0:16:43 > 0:16:46'when prey wander too close to their tail end.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'Their pincer-sharp legs raise into the air,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52'forming a stabbing basket which envelops the bug
0:16:52 > 0:16:53'in a lethal embrace.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56'It's all over in a tenth of a second,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58'faster than the blink of an eye.'
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Well, I have to say it may be tiny, it may be almost invisible
0:17:07 > 0:17:11but this carnivorous caterpillar is utterly unique,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and, without a doubt, deadly.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25We're heading back out into the waves
0:17:25 > 0:17:27for one final Hawaiian water quest.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Our mission, to find an open ocean giant - the humpback whale.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40One of the largest creatures on the planet,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43they're normally gentle giants.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But at this time of year around Hawaii,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48the males show their dark sides.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Hundreds of them have travelled
0:17:54 > 0:17:56halfway across the globe to find a mate.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58But there's no gentle flirting in humpback courtship.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02This is the heat run,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05a dramatic, dynamic battle to breed.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'Our aim is to film a group of gladiatorial whales
0:18:15 > 0:18:17'both above and below the surface.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'And not get swatted like flies.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'The second we set to sea, the whales are everywhere.'
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Ohh! Wow!
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'And they are flexing their mighty muscles.'
0:18:42 > 0:18:46This magnificent behaviour is known as tail slapping,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48for very obvious reasons.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51The sheer size of the flukes
0:18:51 > 0:18:53on the tail of this animal mean that this sound is going to be
0:18:53 > 0:18:55carried over enormous distances.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59This is almost certainly a way of males communicating with each other.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01And it's probably a sign of aggression.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08'It's a clarion call to arms,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'drawing in combatants for the battle ahead.'
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Imagine the force and speed it must take
0:19:23 > 0:19:25to drive an animal like that out of the water.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We're into the middle of the afternoon on our first day.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38We've seen some incredible behaviour from humpback whales,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but we haven't yet had our ideal opportunity to jump in
0:19:41 > 0:19:44with whales that are actually competing over a female.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45But we're not giving up on it yet.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Oh!
0:20:01 > 0:20:03All of a sudden, we can see some activity which is definitely
0:20:03 > 0:20:07different from everything we've seen before.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'Normally, whales are careful not to hit a human nearby.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'But these are consumed - intent on breeding.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'A clout from a humpback tail would be catastrophic.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'We need to predict where they'll thunder past
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'and be close enough to film
0:20:23 > 0:20:25'but not so close that we are in actual danger.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27'It's a lethal lottery.'
0:20:29 > 0:20:31This is definitely the group we want.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36You can see all of the competitive behaviour from the males.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Slapping each other with their tails,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41leaping practically on top of each other.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47'The action we've been searching for.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52'One single female being pursued by scores of fiery suitors.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'Once underwater, the scale of these humpbacks becomes clear.'
0:21:11 > 0:21:14There are half a dozen determined males
0:21:14 > 0:21:17all in pursuit of just one female.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20All she can do is flee.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38They have the largest fins of any animal and males use them
0:21:38 > 0:21:40to batter their rivals.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43This is when humpbacks really show their brutal side.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Whoa!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Their tail is used to bludgeon their rivals
0:21:52 > 0:21:55with a force that would splinter our boat.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00The strongest or most persistent
0:22:00 > 0:22:02will eventually secure the right to mate.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04The rival suitors may have to wait
0:22:04 > 0:22:06till next year for another chance.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18That was what we've been waiting for.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I lost count of how many whales there were there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27And the female just being gunned down by these outriders.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Some of them right up close to her, some of them drifting behind,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32jostling for position.
0:22:32 > 0:22:39But they were knocking absolute bells out of each other.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42With drive and determination to find a mate...
0:22:42 > 0:22:46deceptive speed and surprising aggression,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50there is no doubt in my mind that these animals are deadly.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01The islands of Hawaii are the tips of giant volcanic peaks,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04rising straight up from the Pacific sea bed.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's a volcano hotspot,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and home to the largest and most active volcanoes on Earth.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Here, nature itself can be deadly.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Molten rock exploding from the depths of the Earth,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25scalding, scorching, burning and vaporising everything in its path.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31In some places, it even pours straight into the ocean.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37'When the lava hits the ocean, the water instantly boils
0:23:37 > 0:23:40'and sends up plumes of superheated steam.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:42There are very few places on the planet
0:23:42 > 0:23:44where you can see something like this.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Lava pouring molten rock directly into the sea.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53What we're looking at here is Hawaii being born.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57This is new rock coming to life, forming the very island itself.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Hawaii is geologically newborn.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Lava-fuelled sea mounts that have sprung up over this
0:24:05 > 0:24:10mid-Pacific volcanic hot spot. And the process continues today.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Several miles inland is an active, erupting volcanic caldera.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18But the only way to approach is by air.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27On our way to the source, the lava's destructive power is clear.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Wow!
0:24:31 > 0:24:36You can really see here where the trees meet this
0:24:36 > 0:24:39morass of black rock.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41But here, beneath me,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45everything's been destroyed by this unstoppable river of lava.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Ohhh!
0:24:53 > 0:24:56You can see the perfect round crater
0:24:56 > 0:25:00where all of this molten rock
0:25:00 > 0:25:02has come up from the hotspot beneath the crust
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and has flowed up to the surface.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07And I can feel the heat,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09coming up like a furnace towards us.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It's a magnificent sight, but really actually quite frightening.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19OK, the next thing we want to do
0:25:19 > 0:25:21is to land on some of this black pavement.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29'We'll be taking great care where we walk,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33'but I'm hoping to find out quite how hot this lava really is.'
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'Below my feet are new rocks made from cooled lava.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'But what we really want is some fresh, still liquid lava.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'This heat-sensitive camera will help us pinpoint where to head.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'The camera shows a river of lava on the horizon flowing just
0:25:54 > 0:25:56'beneath the surface.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03We're definitely getting closer to our hotspot.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08All of a sudden, I've just been hit by a wall of heat.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16And there is our first explosion of lava.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Look at that, flooding out.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Now, somehow, I've got to figure out a way to get close enough to that
0:26:23 > 0:26:25to measure out quite how hot it is.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29And I'm guessing it's pretty hot.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I don't think I want to get any closer than this.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I've got here what is essentially a very, very expensive,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39very, very tough thermometer.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43So I'm going to go in, whack a hole in this hot lava here,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and just place the thermometer inside.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48And Simon the sound recordist here is going to be standing
0:26:48 > 0:26:51back at a safe distance to record how hot it is.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The only safety equipment I've really got is a pair of oven gloves.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56And I have to be honest -
0:26:56 > 0:26:59at the moment, it really doesn't feel like enough.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Pffft!
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Erm, I am totally out of my comfort zone here!
0:27:15 > 0:27:17I have to admit, I'm a bit scared!
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I've come over all completely wussy.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Erm, but I guess I should give it a go.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25OK.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Oh...- Oh!
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Yeah.- Right, that's really, really hot.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Erm, right, come on, Backshall.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Agh!
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Agh!
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Have you got a reading?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Er, 29... Whoa! 106...
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Arghhhh!
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Did you see how hot that went?
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Yeah, just, I mean... It was, like, 29 and it jumped up to over 1,000.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- Just went "boom".- Wow.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Reaching temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Centigrade,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15with lava flows that can create worlds
0:28:15 > 0:28:17and then just as quickly destroy them,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20volcanoes are an unstoppable deadly force of nature.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Having experienced the ultimate force of our planet, our
0:28:26 > 0:28:30expedition is now going to the other side of the American continent...
0:28:31 > 0:28:34..to the Caribbean...
0:28:34 > 0:28:38for dangling cave serpents,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41to analyse the anatomy of a shark bite...
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and to swim with crocodiles.