0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall!
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Whoa! Ha-ha!
0:00:08 > 0:00:10'And I'm on a mission searching for...'
0:00:10 > 0:00:13deadly places, deadly adventures,
0:00:13 > 0:00:14and deadly animals.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Oh-whoa-whoa...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22And you're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27A-agh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:35'Our Pole to Pole mission has reached South America
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'for two of the most challenging wildlife encounters.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40'To find a legendary predator...'
0:00:40 > 0:00:42There he is, there he is.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44'..that's always eluded me...'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49My heart is just going "Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!"
0:00:49 > 0:00:50'..and a maelstrom of menace
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'thundering up onto Patagonian shores.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Oh, whoa!
0:00:58 > 0:01:02'We're more than 7,000 miles from our start point in the High Arctic.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'Brazil's wondrous wetland, the Pantanal.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'In the rainy season most of this is underwater.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14'Right now, it's another Eden.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:22'And it's home to one almost mythical predator.'
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Anyone who spends any time searching for wildlife is going to have
0:01:31 > 0:01:36a nemesis, an animal that no matter what they do, they just can't find.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I spent literally months searching for this animal
0:01:38 > 0:01:40and never caught a glimpse,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43but hopefully my luck is about to change,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46because the Pantanal is the best place in the world to see the
0:01:46 > 0:01:49dynamic, dramatic, iconic big cat,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51the jaguar.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'The biggest cat in the Americas, cryptically camouflaged,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'and so dynamic in their predatory pounce
0:01:58 > 0:02:00'that nothing is beyond them.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10'This rare footage is one of the few times
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'a kill has been caught on camera.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'A fully grown caiman killed with a bite to the neck.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'We've tried to spot jaguar on every series of Deadly...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'..and not even seen a footprint.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'To succeed would be an enormous triumph.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30'To fail would be unthinkable.'
0:02:34 > 0:02:36The river looks incredible this morning
0:02:36 > 0:02:38with all the mist hanging over the water.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It looks like we're heading into some forgotten world.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45'Early morning is prime time,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49'as the jaguars come down to the river banks to bask in the sun
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'before the heat drives them back into the forest gloom.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'It's going to take all our tracking skills and experience,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57'and even then, our chances are still slim.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's not just that I am incredibly unlucky, jaguars genuinely are
0:03:12 > 0:03:16very, very difficult to see, and there are many reasons for that.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18One of those is that this is a creature of the shadows.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22They're fabulously camouflaged and expert at not being seen.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24But also they are rare,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and one of the reasons for that is persecution by human beings.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Thankfully now they're starting to make a comeback,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and here in the Pantanal, you have a really good chance of seeing them -
0:03:34 > 0:03:35or so I've been told.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40'The Pantanal is blessed with plentiful prey.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47'From caiman, crocodiles that occur here in vast numbers,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50'to the world's largest rodent, the capybara.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Right now these two are especially alert because they have two
0:03:54 > 0:03:57very young babies, which makes them even more vulnerable.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01You can see them standing up, the ears are erect, listening out,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03watching, smelling for any potential danger.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'Finding any big cat requires not only patience but field craft.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15'Despite being quiet, camouflaged and light on their feet,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17'these are heavy, powerful animals.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21'We're on the lookout for any sign they may have passed this way.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Oh! Oh, guys, come and have a look at this!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Come and have a look at this!
0:04:33 > 0:04:35STEVE LAUGHS
0:04:35 > 0:04:41I, I don't quite know how to get across the excitement that
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I feel right now because I've been waiting for this
0:04:45 > 0:04:47for a very, very long time.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51That is a jaguar print, and not only that,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but it's a male jaguar print, and a big one at that.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Erm, I'm so excited, I can't even really control myself!
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I mean, when I say that I've been looking for months
0:05:04 > 0:05:07to try and find a jaguar, that is no exaggeration,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and they've been hard months,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12months in the jungle, sweating, covered in bugs,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and I haven't even come close.
0:05:14 > 0:05:21But all of a sudden I have my first absolute evidence of jaguar.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Yes!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29'This could well be a regularly used track.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32'Our camera traps will watch this and other trails
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'while we extend our search to the side streams.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:47So that is going to be our eyes in the forest for the next few days.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'With the final camera trap in place,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54'we continue our search along the river.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59'For the next few days, we spend every waking hour searching,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00'but see nothing at all.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I really am beginning to think that I'm cursed.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Maybe I'm never going to see a jaguar.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21'But we're not just looking, we're also listening, and a sound
0:06:21 > 0:06:25'in the scrub tells of something intriguing lurking out of sight.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I just heard it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32GRUNTING AND SNORTING
0:06:33 > 0:06:37'It's not a jaguar but another Pantanal predator,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41'and I have an idea to coax them out into the open.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:47There's a little trick.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50because these are such inquisitive creatures,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53sometimes making sounds can entice them to come out
0:06:53 > 0:06:57into the open, and one of the best sounds to make is a gargle.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01STEVE GARGLES
0:07:07 > 0:07:09STEVE GARGLES
0:07:12 > 0:07:14SNORTING
0:07:14 > 0:07:15They're interested.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Then they come out into the open! It worked!
0:07:19 > 0:07:20'Giant river otters.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'My gargling mimics their own curious vocalisations
0:07:24 > 0:07:26'and they've come to take a closer look.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28STEVE GARGLES
0:07:30 > 0:07:32OTTERS SNORT
0:07:35 > 0:07:38They are incredibly big animals.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41They're so strong and powerful.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Their teeth are probably as long as my little finger.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It's no surprise, really, that working together,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50they can take on crocodiles and big snakes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53They're just coming out of the water, popping their heads up,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55almost like seals, looking back towards us.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59'Patrolling the river in packs,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'these mighty mustalids are truly formidable.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09'Their drive underwater comes from webbed feet and a paddle-like tail.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13'They're flexible, manoeuvrable and tenacious.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20'The eyesight's keen, but in murky waters the bristling, tactile
0:08:20 > 0:08:23'whiskers are the key, perceiving tiny movements from their prey.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'Piranhas are a favourite food, but working together,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35they'll even kill mighty anaconda and crocodiles.'
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I know that this is them at their absolute most playful
0:08:42 > 0:08:44and perhaps their least deadly,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46but we're never going to get a better view than this,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and you have to say that this animal, with its teeth,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52with its teamwork, with its ability to work the riverside
0:08:52 > 0:08:56killing everything in its path, is definitely deadly.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08'As dusk falls over the Pantanal,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11'another warm-blooded hunter fills the skies.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:21Flying alongside us now
0:09:21 > 0:09:24is something I never thought I'd see in daylight hours.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26They're fishing bats.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29They're easily keeping pace with our boat, flying alongside us,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33just dipping in and snatching fish from below the surface of the water.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Amazing!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Just amazing!
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'Three long days and no jaguar.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02'It seems our expedition may have to continue southwards
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'without ticking off our grand prize.'
0:10:07 > 0:10:08This is absolute zero hour.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11If we don't find a jaguar today then I know for sure that
0:10:11 > 0:10:16I am totally cursed and I am never, ever in my life going to see one.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- But everyone's feeling positive, right?- Yeah.- All feeling positive?
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Absolutely. STEVE LAUGHS
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Breakfast.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31'First stop is to the camera traps.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33'Over all my months of searching,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36'I've never even seen one on a remote camera,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38'so this in itself would be a great success.'
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Time to see who's been walking these trails.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Right.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Oh, it's a curassow!
0:10:54 > 0:10:57They've got a very kind of curious, punky hairstyle,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and this one's pecking around right in front of the camera.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02What else have we got?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Otters!
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Fantastic, look at that!
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Giant river otters,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14two adults wandering right through,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17heading down towards the river.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18What's this?
0:11:19 > 0:11:20It's at night.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Oh!
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Ocelot!
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Ocelot, fantastic!
0:11:27 > 0:11:32And it's coming right down into the shot, that is stunning!
0:11:33 > 0:11:37'Ocelots are shy, secretive and solitary nocturnal cats,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'and this is my first glimpse of a wild one.'
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Well, it's a great find,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47but it's not the spotted cat we were after.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'But there are still a few precious hours left,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'and patience often has its reward.'
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Our driver has gone into absolute overdrive
0:11:57 > 0:12:01because we've had a call that a jaguar's been spotted upstream.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04This could be our big chance.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21My heart is just going "Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!"
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Can we drift down in this direction?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I can see it, I can see it, yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42This is amazing.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46The biggest carnivore of this part of the world is
0:12:46 > 0:12:49wandering along the bank ahead of us.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51(There.)
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I can't believe it - my first ever jaguar.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Graceful, elegant, impossibly rare - strolling the riverbank
0:13:03 > 0:13:04in broad daylight.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08This is the king of cats.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'The sun is not yet at its height
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'and she lies down at the riverside just a stone's throw
0:13:20 > 0:13:22'from our boat.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24'It's a simply perfect moment.'
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Our jaguar has stopped hunting and has sat right on the
0:13:29 > 0:13:32riverbank under a tree and she's grooming.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35She is using that rasping tongue to clean her fur.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39The tongue is incredibly coarse - they can use it
0:13:39 > 0:13:42to lick meat off the bones of their prey once they've
0:13:42 > 0:13:44killed it.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48And now she's licking her paws, those huge paws which are used
0:13:48 > 0:13:51as the weapon for taking down its prey.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56It's a staggeringly beautiful animal.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Months of searching and building up to this moment -
0:14:02 > 0:14:04yet still it doesn't disappoint.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08We turn and head for home - utterly elated.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12But then, there's a call from a boat further downstream -
0:14:12 > 0:14:15another jaguar has come down to the riverside.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Oh, my goodness, it's right on the bank!
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Out in the open - and this is a big animal.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's a male, it's a male jag. That is absolutely stunning!
0:14:31 > 0:14:35This is, pretty much, every wildlife watcher's dream.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40To sit with a wild jaguar just metres away on a bank,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and it, clearly, doesn't care at all that we're here.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Looking at this animal, he is really powerfully built.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51He's kind of like a heavyweight boxer - some of these jaguars,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55the males, have been known to be almost double my body weight.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59For its size, pound for pound, it's possibly the most powerful
0:14:59 > 0:15:00animal on earth.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04And with all of that heaviness comes an immense amount of force.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10'The broad head is loaded with muscles needed to drive a bite
0:15:10 > 0:15:13'that usually pierces the skull of their prey.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16'Even the rock-solid bony brain case of a crocodile.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:22It is often the way with wildlife - after all these years of searching,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24two in a morning.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28It's kind of like all my dreams coming true at once.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I guess the jaguar isn't my nemesis any more.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Iconic, beautiful and deadly.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47It's difficult to know how we can match the wonder of the Pantanal
0:15:47 > 0:15:52but there's another wild destination that may well be its equal.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Continuing south we reach the bottom of the South American continent
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- Patagonia.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Spanning Chile and Argentina this is another place
0:16:05 > 0:16:08that has more than its fair share of wild wonders.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10BELLOWING
0:16:18 > 0:16:22The eastern coast plays host to a bold exhibition of predatory
0:16:22 > 0:16:26audacity that occurs nowhere else on earth.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34We've come to Patagonia in search of a remarkable animal -
0:16:34 > 0:16:37that could lay claim to being the greatest predator on the planet.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40If that seems like a big call, well, they can get to be nearly
0:16:40 > 0:16:43ten metres in length, hunt in coordinated packs
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and, apart from us human beings, are the only animal
0:16:46 > 0:16:50on earth that could kill a fully-grown great white shark.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52It is the orca, or killer whale.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Top of the table for intelligence, invention, communication
0:17:03 > 0:17:08and cooperation, orca have no equal in the world's waters.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Around the globe they've shown they can improvise.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Stunning fish with their tail flukes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Washing seals off ice floes using their bow waves.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33And here, on the Peninsula Valdes they use deepwater channels
0:17:33 > 0:17:36to launch surprise attacks on frolicking sea lions.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It is a strategy so daring it seems, at least, reckless,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42perhaps, even foolhardy.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50We're going to set up camp at one of those deepwater hunting spots -
0:17:50 > 0:17:51known as the "attack channel".
0:17:58 > 0:18:02For four days we'll take up a low profile - silent, motionless,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05watching the surf for the shadow of a killer.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11This is very much going to be waiting game.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19The orca need the tides to be just right to launch an attack.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21If the tide's going out they risk stranding themselves
0:18:21 > 0:18:23up on the sands.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26We'll wait from early morning till last light,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29scanning the horizon, always alert.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38SEA LION BRAYS
0:18:57 > 0:19:02You can see that the sea lions on land are really cumbersome
0:19:02 > 0:19:05in the way that they move - they're not very fast and even when
0:19:05 > 0:19:08they're right down there in the surf zone, at the edge of the waves,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10they're very, very vulnerable.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13These are prime pickings for our orca.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Everyone's on tenterhooks - just the idea that any second
0:19:26 > 0:19:28that black shape could break the surface.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Yes! I've got one, I've got one. I can see one, I can see an orca -
0:19:37 > 0:19:39coming in this direction.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I don't believe it - they're heading our way.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Wow.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53For time of day it could not be better.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56The tide is exactly right. The depth of the water in the channel
0:19:56 > 0:19:58in front of us is perfect.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04There are several young sea lion pups right up at the water's edge.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Everything is in place.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The orca take up formation at the mouth of the attack channel.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Look, look at that! Right in the shallows.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24This is all about precision timing now.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27If the sea lions are too close to the shore
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and the orca charge in - they risk beaching themselves
0:20:30 > 0:20:31up on the sand.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And that could be the end for them.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40They have to decide whether they risk taking a meal
0:20:40 > 0:20:42or risk their own lives.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50There are several young pups crossing over through
0:20:50 > 0:20:52the attack channel.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53And the orca are in wait.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57'Then... they launch.'
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Oh, that was so close!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And the killer whale's almost beached itself
0:21:11 > 0:21:12completely up on the sands.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19That was a very lucky escape.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Life and death here is just balanced on a knife edge.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30The sea lions need the water,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34they need to head out there to learn how to swim, learn how to hunt.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37And the orca have to feed in order to feed themselves
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and their calves.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42That was perilously close.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Their window of opportunity fades as the tide falls
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and the orca head off into the distance.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56So, we decide to explore the dunes behind the beach
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and find a curious Patagonian excavator
0:21:58 > 0:22:00snuffling around in the bushes.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Oh, wow!
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Just under that bush.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It's a hairy armadillo.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20You can see where the name comes from. Great long hairs
0:22:20 > 0:22:24bristling off its armoured body. That armour is
0:22:24 > 0:22:27composed of keratin,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30the same material that our fingernails are made of.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34But it forms a really tough coating that protects the body.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41And you see how much this animal is driven by its sense of smell.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45As it's moving along it's snuffling away, drawing in smells
0:22:45 > 0:22:47from the world around it, just trying to find if there's
0:22:47 > 0:22:49anything good here to eat.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It's really strange to see one out in the middle
0:22:53 > 0:22:56of the day like this and so bold as well.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03Normally, armadillos are nocturnal and quiet shy animals.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05This one here, clearly, is very used to people
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and has no problem with being out in the middle of the day.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'But then our tiny tank trundles off.'
0:23:14 > 0:23:16COMEDY MUSIC
0:23:20 > 0:23:24See once they get moving - they can really motor.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Kind of like a little clockwork toy. You just wind them up
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and off they go.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Incredible.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Next morning, we're back on our blustery beach at dawn.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00After just a few hours waiting the dark shapes reappear.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Lurking ominously beyond the breakers.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07They... yes, yes, I see them, I see them!
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Ah, yes, amazing. Amazing.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Look, they're right in, close to shore.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Very, very close to shore.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It looks as if they might make their first attack
0:24:20 > 0:24:23about 300 or 400 metres further down the beach from us.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26There are lots and lots of sea lion pups in close to the edge
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and I've seen one dorsal fin disappearing underwater.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Got one, got one.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33No, no, no, no, no.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35He's moved back.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Success?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45'The time and tides are, clearly, perfect
0:24:45 > 0:24:48'and the action is just beginning.'
0:24:48 > 0:24:52All of a sudden, we have a high drama.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55There's a sea lion, it looks like it's been dragged out to sea,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57it's probably about 50 metres off from the shore
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and it's leaping and jumping to try and get away
0:25:00 > 0:25:01from the orca.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06But its chances are very, very slim. There are at least four animals
0:25:06 > 0:25:07around it now.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Coming up to the surface just leaping and bobbing and weaving to
0:25:16 > 0:25:20try and evade its larger, less manoeuvrable captors.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24But they just won't let it get back to shore.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29You can see all of the orca coursing around it with their dorsal fins
0:25:29 > 0:25:30breaking the surface.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37It looks like the largest female is slapping it with its
0:25:37 > 0:25:38tail flukes.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Just trying to knock the sea lion unconscious.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Oh...!
0:25:46 > 0:25:51This is why orca are one of the deadliest predators on the planet.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54They're so ruthless. They just will not give up.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Oh, whoa!
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The orca just caught it with its tail - threw it completely
0:26:02 > 0:26:03out of the water.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13That must surely be it now?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17'The orca are not done.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'They slip below the surface and move to stage two.'
0:26:22 > 0:26:25They're heading straight for our beach and the attack channel.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27The stage is set.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30This could not be more perfect for them.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32OK, everyone switched on?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35If this happens it's going to happen really quickly.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It's the most extraordinary experience -
0:26:43 > 0:26:47watching this epic life-and-death battle play itself out
0:26:47 > 0:26:48in front of us.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Kind of puts the hairs up on the back of your neck.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02'The orca turn off all their communication.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04'Going into silent, stealth mode.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Oh, so close!
0:27:11 > 0:27:12So close!
0:27:15 > 0:27:17The orca beached itself right up on the sands.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22But it was going for an adult sea lion and it just managed to escape.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28'The surge of force and power as these animals drive themselves
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'towards the beach is simply awe- inspiring.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:38As the young sea lion pubs scamper up the beach
0:27:38 > 0:27:41having escaped with their lives by a matter of millimetres,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43I have to say,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47that that was worth travelling halfway round the world for.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49And, despite the fact that this time the orca came up
0:27:49 > 0:27:52empty handed and didn't manage to find a meal -
0:27:52 > 0:27:55there is surely nobody on the planet who can doubt
0:27:55 > 0:27:57that the killer whale is deadly.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And those are some seriously lucky sea lions.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03SEA LIONS BRAY
0:28:05 > 0:28:06We've spanned another continent
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and our patience paid off...
0:28:13 > 0:28:15It's a jaguar - over there.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19..with two of the finest and most challenging animal encounters
0:28:19 > 0:28:20on earth.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25But our expedition is reaching its climax.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Oh! Oh, oh!
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Fantastic!
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Leaving this continent behind...
0:28:33 > 0:28:35BIRDS SQUAWK
0:28:35 > 0:28:38..and heading out into the Southern Ocean.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44To some of the wildest islands on earth.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46BIRDS SCREECH