0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Woooo!
0:00:06 > 0:00:10And this is Deadly 60 On A Mission.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13My crew and I are travelling the planet
0:00:13 > 0:00:15in search of its deadliest creatures.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19That's not just animals that are deadly to me,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21but animals that are deadly in their own world.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Only the most lethal will make my list.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26And you're coming with me!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Every step of the way.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Deadly.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39This time on Deadly 60 On A Mission,
0:00:39 > 0:00:40I'm ocean-bound to find
0:00:40 > 0:00:43the largest animal that's ever known to have lived.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Hold on to your hats!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48There's a surprise in a sack!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51And a menacing meeting with an ancient reptile.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55All this in Sri Lanka,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58a paradise island in the midst of the Indian Ocean.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Sri Lanka's forests are inhabited by
0:01:03 > 0:01:06one of the most successful wild cats in the world,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09but it's also supreme at not being seen.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12We're gearing up for a tall task.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18We've come to Yala National Park.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It's the most famous national park in Sri Lanka
0:01:20 > 0:01:22and one of the most beautiful,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and we're here to find Sri Lanka's largest cat, the leopard.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31These leopards are the largest found anywhere on Earth,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34which means the legendary leopard bite and pounce
0:01:34 > 0:01:37is even more effective.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Leopard use stealth and camo colours to creep within metres of their mark
0:01:45 > 0:01:48before making a decisive leap.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59In most of Asia, leopards are out-competed by tigers,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01but Sri Lanka has no tigers.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03This makes leopards top cat.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06They're bigger, bolder, more brazen,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10and they're Sri Lanka's number one predator.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Here in Yala National Park, there's probably a higher density
0:02:15 > 0:02:18of leopards than anywhere else on Earth. But that said,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22this is still a leopard, so finding them isn't going to be easy.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27We'll need to scour the roads, keeping an eye out for any signs
0:02:27 > 0:02:29a leopard might have passed this way.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Although one of the best places to see leopards,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39there are only around 30 or so in the whole of the park.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44To find one we'll have to follow the signs
0:02:44 > 0:02:46that have been left behind in the sand.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51There's a line of leopard footprints
0:02:51 > 0:02:53running down the side of the road here.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56But the really interesting thing is that we've got very, very fresh
0:02:56 > 0:03:01jeep tracks from this morning and the prints are on top of them.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03This has been left really, really recently,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06like, within the last few minutes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09So a leopard has been walking in that direction
0:03:09 > 0:03:11and that is obviously where we have to go.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We head in the general direction of our leopard,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20hoping it hasn't vanished into the scrub.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24There's something moving in the undergrowth,
0:03:24 > 0:03:25but we can't quite get a glimpse.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Just here, this is going to be good. This is going to be good!
0:03:30 > 0:03:33And a little more, little more, little more, little more.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36OK, now stop and look that way.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42We have two leopards in dense undergrowth,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46to the side of the vehicle. They're wandering along this way.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I'm hoping that they're just going to come out into the open
0:03:49 > 0:03:50and show themselves.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54And it looks like they're coming now.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57OK, spin around.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And then, for a second, one emerges.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11At this distance, it's not easy to tell if they're male or female,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and they're certainly not massively active.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I mean, this isn't an animal that's thinking about hunting.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21But we're just getting tantalising glimpses, which really shows how
0:04:21 > 0:04:24they just blend in seamlessly with their background.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28It's this camouflage which aids the leopard's hunting strategy.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Leopards won't indulge in an all-out chase like a cheetah will.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37What they need to do is creep up on their prey and get to within no more
0:04:37 > 0:04:41than perhaps five metres before they pounce,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and then when they do, they deliver a killing bite to the throat
0:04:44 > 0:04:46or to the back of the neck.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Well, we've had a tiny, fleeting glimpse,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53but a fleeting glimpse that to me sums up everything that's lethal
0:04:53 > 0:04:55about the leopard.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Stealth, cunning and cryptic colouration.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01There's no doubt the Sri Lankan leopard's going to go on my list,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04but before I do that, I'd like to get a slightly better look
0:05:04 > 0:05:06at this incredible predator.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16As long as the sun's up, we're determined to keep looking.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Seeing a leopard out in the open would be the perfect end
0:05:20 > 0:05:21to our day.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Whoa! Our driver's suddenly put the pedal right down
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and is going crazy fast, which I think means that he might have had
0:05:32 > 0:05:35a call from someone saying they've seen a leopard.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Stop, stop!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- WHISPERS:- Yes, yes!
0:05:52 > 0:05:53S-s-sh!
0:05:55 > 0:06:00We've got a female leopard sat in perfect view,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03right on top of a rock just above us.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It really is a formidable animal.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Even from here, you can see how big the paws are.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They kind of look like they're too big for the legs.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19And those can be used as a powerful tool for clouting smaller prey.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I mean, whacking a peacock or a rabbit or something
0:06:22 > 0:06:25with one of those paws is easily enough to kill it outright.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29But the paws are just half the story.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Just got a yawn and a really nice look at those big canine teeth.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40As long as my thumb, sharply pointed
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and driven in with sturdy jaw muscles,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46these are the leopard's bit of killer kit.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Had a bit of a stretch.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And now standing up,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and off it goes.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58What a fantastic encounter.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Sri Lankan leopard.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Cunning and perfectly concealed cat.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Utterly beautiful, totally deadly.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12This camouflaged predator sneaks up unnoticed,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15then pounces, overpowering its prey...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and suffocating with a bite to the throat.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Next up, we head inland to find an ancient reptile.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30But on our way we discover that here in Sri Lanka,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32even urban gardens have animals on offer.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Just pulled into our driver's house,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and as we were pulling into the driveway,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48saw a big old snake heading under here.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02The shape, size and colour match that of the cobra,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06common round here and lethally venomous.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10I'm taking great care where I put my hands.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Just give us a shout if you see anything, chaps,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16even if it's a tail.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Oh! Hey!
0:08:24 > 0:08:27As it shot past, I could see it wasn't a venomous cobra.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Fantastic!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Well...
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Well, it made a break for freedom,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and it's one of the more common snakes
0:08:38 > 0:08:41found in this part of the world.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43It's a common rat snake,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48and they're really rather wonderful animals.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52This is a snake that people genuinely do want to have
0:08:52 > 0:08:56in their back garden, because it's not venomous,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00it's not going to do any harm whatsoever to people,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05but what it does do is feed on the rodents that nobody wants
0:09:05 > 0:09:07around their house.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So this will munch down rats, Indian gerbils,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15and it could quite easily eat two or three of those in a night.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18This snake really demonstrates the problem that snakes face here
0:09:18 > 0:09:20in Sri Lanka.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23At first sight, there is no way you could tell it apart from a cobra.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26So, obviously, if people perceive this as being a dangerous,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30highly venomous snake, the first thing they'll do is kill it.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And that would be an absolute tragedy,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36because it's not only harmless, but extremely beneficial.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44Sri Lankan people live with fearsome reptiles on their doorstep.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Some are good neighbours,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47others - well,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51let's just say you want to be very sure about where you go swimming.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Many of the waterways are haunted by this horror.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It's the mugger crocodile,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00which translates as "the water monster".
0:10:05 > 0:10:07The record mugger was near five metres in length.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11With an unusually broad snout, their bite force is exceptional.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16The jaws alone could warrant a place on my list.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Birds, fish and mammals can all end up
0:10:19 > 0:10:21On the receiving end.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25This is a highly populated part of the country
0:10:25 > 0:10:28so most of the crocs spend the day hidden in burrows.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30As the sun fades
0:10:30 > 0:10:35they cautiously emerge, and we'll be waiting to catch them on camera.
0:10:35 > 0:10:41To entice them out, I lay out some irresistible chunks of chicken.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Now that the light's gone, we've set up an infrared camera.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52So this can see even in total darkness,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56by firing out a beam of infrared light which should be invisible
0:10:56 > 0:11:00to the animals and will bounce back off everything we see.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03And this camera should be able to see everything in front of us.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'After a few hours of waiting, a burning eye appears.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Out of the burrow now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Properly into the stream.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18All that we can see so far is just the eye shine.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22That's all that's exposed above the surface of the water is the eye,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and it's reflecting back light from our infrared light
0:11:26 > 0:11:29that we've got on top of the camera.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32To begin with, it's going to be very cautious.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's going to be very, very careful that nothing out here
0:11:35 > 0:11:37is any danger to it before it emerges.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41And when it does that, I'm really, really hoping it's going to pick up
0:11:41 > 0:11:43the scent of our bait.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Oh, that was fantastic!
0:11:46 > 0:11:51It just gave a great big blink from the nictitating membrane.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56That's the third eyelid which it uses to cover its eye when it dives.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02You see the eye blinking both from the side, from below and above.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03That's incredible.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'If we want to see anything more than the reflections of its eyeball,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09'we'll need to get creative.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:13I'm going to get this chunk of meat in on a string.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20'Johnny the cameraman can see what's happening through his viewfinder,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'but I don't dare turn on my head torch in case I spook him.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'I'm relying entirely on Johnny to let me know what's happening.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Fishing for mugger crocodiles in the middle of the night,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and I can't see anything at all.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46All I can do is listen.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48He's just moved up a bit.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Just made a full-on pounce at the chicken,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and is now waiting on the other side of the stream again.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05He's gone under.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Can you...? What can you see?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Close to the chicken?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Oh-h! Ooh, going to lose my fingers here.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32OK, so he's got a hold of it now. I can feel it.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Just tugging gently on the string.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I don't want to make him feel that he can't take it.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It's very, very odd knowing that I've got a crocodile
0:13:43 > 0:13:46on the end of this line and I can't see it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I wish I could see what's going on!
0:13:55 > 0:13:59'From feeling the tugs on the string I can tell the bait's working
0:13:59 > 0:14:03'and Johnny's getting some fantastic footage on the infrared camera,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07'of the mugger in chilling predatory style.'
0:14:07 > 0:14:09What an animal.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14With its bulldog appearance, its power, its jaws, that incredible
0:14:14 > 0:14:19burning eye shine, the mugger crocodile is definitely on my list.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The biggest mugger crocs have reached five metres in length.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30They can remain hidden in the shallowest waters,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and possess a potent bite force.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Sri Lanka's one of the best places on Earth for reptiles
0:14:42 > 0:14:43and especially snakes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45There's about 103 species here,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48including the most dangerous on Earth -
0:14:48 > 0:14:51the saw-scale, king cobra
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and Russell's viper.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Plus several other kinds of cobra.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59But not all rely on toxins to terrorise their prey.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02We were out at night, snake-hunting,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04when a local turned up with a sack
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and a real surprise inside.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13So, this snake was found close to people,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and needs to be released into the forest.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18But let's see what we've got.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Oh, my word.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29That is beautiful and absolutely enormous.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33'An Indian rock python, one of the world's serpent giants.'
0:15:35 > 0:15:37OK, I'm going to need to tip this out,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39because they can be quite snappy.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So, everyone, watch yourselves.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58That is absolutely massive.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04And very, very strong.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06OK, where's it going?
0:16:08 > 0:16:09OK.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12OK, what I need to do is get control of the head.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Cos once you've done that, you have control of the snake.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26OK, yes, got it.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Crumbs, that was harder than I was expecting! OK.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34HE EXHALES DEEPLY
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'This snake is just under four metres long, pretty impressive,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40'but they can be up to six.'
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It's extraordinarily strong, and obviously doing very,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47very well for itself, because this particular animal is very fat,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51very healthy, and has obviously been feeding with great regularity.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56It senses its prey with highly sensitive scales
0:16:56 > 0:16:58running down the upper lip,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02which can actually pick up warmth from warm-blooded prey.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08'These lip or labial pits help pythons to detect prey.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12'Once it's been caught, the snakes in this group will constrict,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'enveloping their victims in muscular coils,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'squeezing and squeezing till there's no life left.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:28A snake of this size could quite easily feed on pig or deer,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and it would swallow them in one mouthful,
0:17:31 > 0:17:32as all snakes have to do,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35because they're not capable of chewing their prey,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and swelling - this head just distending the jaw
0:17:38 > 0:17:39and walking it down,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42the massive animals that it's capable of feeding on.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48This marvellous, precious,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52beautiful snake will now go back to the forest, where it can be
0:17:52 > 0:17:55safe from people - as far away from human beings as possible.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58But before we do that, you've got to say,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01this huge, incredibly strong, muscular,
0:18:01 > 0:18:06magical animal has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Indian python. Deadly.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It has long, thin teeth, and lots of them.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Constricts the breath out of its prey, and grows to an enormous size.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27My main reason to journey to Sri Lanka was for an almighty gamble...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33..aiming for a close encounter with nature's leviathan...
0:18:34 > 0:18:38..the largest animal ever known to have lived,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40the blue whale.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Weighing as much as 180 tonnes,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50and 30 metres in length,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54that's as long and heavy as a passenger jet.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Their tongue alone weighs more than an elephant,
0:18:57 > 0:19:02and they're predators. With gargantuan mouths,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06they consume up to four tonnes of small animals called krill
0:19:06 > 0:19:08every single day.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Which makes them the hungriest predator on Earth.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Despite their size, they're difficult to film.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17They're constantly moving and deceptively fast,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and our eventual aim is to film them in their world,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24something few people have ever done.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Spotting one will only be the start of our monumental challenge.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Blue whales are an animal I genuinely never thought I'd see.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Until quite recently, they were almost impossible to see.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41They're an animal that's endangered, that lives way out in the deep sea.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44But a few years ago, scientists realised that there's a population
0:19:44 > 0:19:47of blue whales actually living off the coast of Sri Lanka,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50between here and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'The whales are attracted here by an upwelling of nutrients
0:19:53 > 0:19:57'from currents that sweep deep sea trenches near the coast.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'These nutrients lead to blooms in krill,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04'the tiny prawn-like crustaceans blue whales feed on.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09'And richly-stocked oceans lead to an abundance of hunters.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Heading towards us, towards us, towards us! Oh-ho-ho!
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Oh, my...! Look down, look down, look down!
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Oh-h!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'These are spinner dolphins.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32'They're named for their habit of spinning around their axis
0:20:32 > 0:20:34'as they leap from the water.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:37There's so many of them, it's just, we're completely surrounded!
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Any day where you see a dolphin is, in my book, a very, very good day.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48'But we were in search of the dolphins' much, much larger cousin.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:53'A spout, and for a split second, we think we see a whale.'
0:20:53 > 0:20:55The boat's motors have slowed, because...
0:20:55 > 0:20:58There, right in front of us! Johnny, over to the left!
0:20:58 > 0:20:59Right alongside the boat!
0:21:01 > 0:21:05And it's going to dive under us. It's going to dive under the boat!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07No more than 20 metres.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Oh, my word!
0:21:10 > 0:21:12No way!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Yes, I see it, I see it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21The only comparison I can make is like a nuclear submarine.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Just breaking the surface. It's almost silent,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and you just see the water dripping off its flanks.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The spray just came back and hit us all in the face. It's that close!
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'There's a reason this is seen as the best spot on Earth
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'to see blue whales.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:42There's two animals, side by side,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and for the first time, you can really get a sense of the scale
0:21:46 > 0:21:50of the animal. It is genuinely bigger and longer than our boat.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Blue whales are the largest of the baleen whales.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Baleen whales don't have any teeth.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Instead, hanging from their upper jaw,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03they have plates of a substance called baleen, made of keratin,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06same thing that our fingernails are made of.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08And they'll open their mouths,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11they'll take in GIGANTIC amounts of water and krill,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13then close the mouth up,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14squeezing all the water out.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And all the food is trapped on the inside.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19The baleen acts like a sieve.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24They then use their ENORMOUS tongue to slurp down all of that food
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and that can be tonnes of food in a day.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'Which makes them a very fitting subject for my list.'
0:22:36 > 0:22:38My goodness!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43You beauty!
0:22:45 > 0:22:48This has been an experience I will never forget.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50But, if this has been challenging,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53our next task is even more difficult.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56'And that is to try and get an underwater shot
0:22:56 > 0:22:58'of this mighty giant.'
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Now, you've seen how fast they move,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05you've seen how difficult they are to predict.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08This is one of the biggest challenges we've ever taken on.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11We've got a small rib behind us, which is more manoeuvrable,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13which'll make it easier for us to get into a good position,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and then Johnny the cameraman
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and I are just going to have to dive in and swim like crazy.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19But if we pull it off,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24it'll be one of the greatest things we've ever done on Deadly 60.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26'We've been putting together a picture
0:23:26 > 0:23:27'of what the whales are doing.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'It seems they're diving for about eight minutes
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'before surfacing for about three.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35'Our plan is to use the rib to position ourselves
0:23:35 > 0:23:38'where we think the whales might come up.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41'But for this mission to succeed, we're going to need a lot of luck.'
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Now that we're in the rib, we're much more manoeuvrable.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50It's much easier to get ourselves into a good position.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54- You see it? Johnny's got a vision on it. How far?- 150 metres.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57150 metres ahead of us, OK.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Hold on to your hats!
0:24:01 > 0:24:06'But trying to get there before the whales dive is proving difficult
0:24:06 > 0:24:08'as they're moving at 20mph.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Tracking them down is next to impossible,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15particularly when you've got this vast expanse
0:24:15 > 0:24:17of open blue ocean to look in.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19There, though, there, right over there!
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Gear up, Steve?- Yes, it's no more than 100 metres away.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24OK. Get the gear up.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Can you see it, Johnny?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- OK.- Ready?
0:24:43 > 0:24:47'An animal I've waited a lifetime to encounter.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'Very few people have ever managed to film them underwater.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55'It's a vast, blue shape in the crystal-clear seas.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57'Sunlight dapples its flanks.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00'It cruises past, barely seeming to move at all.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'But no Olympic swimmer could ever keep pace.'
0:25:07 > 0:25:10'Both the whales and I have to surface to breathe,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'but while I can dive for just minutes,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16'whales can disappear for an hour or more.'
0:25:16 > 0:25:18'It's diving right in front of me.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'This is our big chance.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'The tail flukes can be as broad as a bus,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27'powering it back to the deep blue.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29'It's disappearing to impossible depths
0:25:29 > 0:25:31'in search of krill to feed on,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33'and my lungs are bursting.'
0:25:44 > 0:25:45HE GASPS
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I think we got it! I think we got it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51It swam right underneath me, it dived in front of me,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and I just saw the tail flukes disappearing below me.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00'Thinking our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was over,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03'Johnny and I head back to the big boat to check our shots.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06'But before we have a chance, another whale surfaces.'
0:26:08 > 0:26:10'And this one pops up right alongside us.'
0:26:13 > 0:26:16'We get kitted up in record time,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18'and drop in.'
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'For a second, it seems we've missed our golden opportunity.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'But it practically swims right over the top of us.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:47'This whale is more relaxed, less eager to return to the depths.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'It's the perfect opportunity to fully appreciate
0:26:51 > 0:26:53'this true marine marvel,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57'as it hangs out at the surface, recovering from its deep dive.'
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'I've never felt so tiny in my whole life.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'Then its nose drops and the tail flukes go up.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17'This one will be a deep dive,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19'and I follow as far as I can.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'But I'm just a temporary visitor here -
0:27:22 > 0:27:25'this is definitely a whale's world.'
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Whoo!
0:27:37 > 0:27:41That was like nothing I have ever seen before.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Just a giant submarine cruising below us,
0:27:45 > 0:27:46and totally at ease.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Didn't seem to care at all that we were there in its world,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and I have never felt so utterly dwarfed
0:27:53 > 0:27:55by a living creature in my life.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The largest animal that has ever lived.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The blue whale, definitely on my list.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Yes!
0:28:08 > 0:28:11It's the biggest creature on Earth,
0:28:11 > 0:28:12with the largest appetite,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15eating four tonnes of food every single day.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Sucking down little crustaceans by the tonne.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Sri Lanka - wildlife paradise -
0:28:26 > 0:28:28with mighty snakes,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31water monsters...
0:28:32 > 0:28:34..fearsome felines,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and, of course, the big, big blue.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Join me next time for more Deadly 60 On A Mission.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd