0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall...
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Whoa!
0:00:06 > 0:00:10..and this is Deadly 60 On A Mission.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13My crew and I are travelling the planet
0:00:13 > 0:00:15in search of its deadliest creatures.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It's not just animals that are deadly to me...
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Oh!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22..but animals that are deadly in their own world.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Only the most lethal will make my list.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And you're coming with me... every step of the way!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38This time on Deadly 60 On A Mission,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41we meet the fastest animal on the planet,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44we analyse the powers of venomous serpents
0:00:44 > 0:00:48and meet a lanky bird who's more than a match for any snake.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50BIRD MAKES BELCHING NOISES
0:00:50 > 0:00:53All this in South Africa, which has some of the grandest,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55most epic landscapes imaginable.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Which is fitting, as our first animal
0:00:58 > 0:01:01is one of the most epic on the planet.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09The seas of Africa's southern coast are pretty daunting.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Firstly, the conditions here can be horrendous, but secondly,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16if any seas around the world can be truly said to be shark-infested,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20then these can. Their dangers to humans are massively exaggerated,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23but that doesn't mean these animals aren't the perfect predators.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And one, in particular - the largest
0:01:25 > 0:01:28purely predatory fish on the planet...
0:01:29 > 0:01:32..and perhaps the most impressive animal on earth,
0:01:32 > 0:01:33the great white shark.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40These giants can get up to six metres long and weigh up to 3,000kg.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42With hundreds of serrated teeth,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46they launch vertical attacks on unsuspecting seals.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Their strike is so powerful that it drives them clear out of the water,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53in what's known as breaching.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57It's pretty early in the morning,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59the colours in the sky are just glorious
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and it looks like we're heading out into open ocean, but actually,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06off in the distance are a couple of small, rocky islands
0:02:06 > 0:02:07that are home to seals,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and those are the great white sharks' favourite food.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13This whole set-up here is what makes this place
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the best spot in the whole world to come and see this incredible animal.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20And we barely had time to drop anchor
0:02:20 > 0:02:21before they made an appearance.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Real predation going on!
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Oh, it's a biggie, it's a biggie!
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Holy moly! Let's get to the front of the boat. Front of the boat!
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Directly off... Oh, this is huge!
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Absolutely huge!
0:02:44 > 0:02:45This is unbelievable.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51The shark is coming fully out of the water!
0:02:51 > 0:02:54This is one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I never thought for a second that we'd actually see
0:02:57 > 0:02:59a shark genuinely hunting a seal.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Oh-h! The tail of the shark is just lashing around.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07You can see both the dorsal fin and the tail breaking the surface.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You can just see the seal leaping out of the water
0:03:10 > 0:03:13purposely trying to get away from the shark.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16The water is just churning.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23The force of it, just lashing side to side, trying to find the seal.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25This tiny little seal is just battling for survival,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29just leaping clear out of the water, just trying to evade the shark.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36No way!
0:03:37 > 0:03:40'But this time the seal had a lucky escape.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:42And then it all goes silent again
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and you can see it's all about that one moment, it's all about hitting
0:03:46 > 0:03:49them hard first time and if it doesn't work, they pretty much
0:03:49 > 0:03:53give up, but if they get it right, then it is all over in a second.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55'And it's this first moment of impact
0:03:55 > 0:03:58'that we really want to catch on camera,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'but to do this we are going to need to be a bit resourceful.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:04This is essentially a fake seal,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06it's got polystyrene with wet-suit rubber over the top
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and we're going to drag it behind the boat
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and hopefully a great white shark will sense it
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and come racing up from the depths and try and hit it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16That's the plan anyway.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24'So, the decoy is in. Let's hope it attracts some action.'
0:04:25 > 0:04:28As the decoy is moving across the surface of the water,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31it's creating very much the same kinds of vibrations
0:04:31 > 0:04:33as a real seal would if it was swimming
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and the shark can detect those.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It has a special organ that runs down the length of its body
0:04:38 > 0:04:39called the lateral line
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and it can actually pick up the tiny vibrations in the water
0:04:42 > 0:04:43but once it gets close,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45it's going to switch to using its eyesight
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and in the last few metres it will focus in on its target
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and then hit it with incredible explosive power.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Well, that and 300 razor-sharp teeth.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Oh, my... No way! No way!
0:05:06 > 0:05:08I don't believe it! We've only been towing for a few minutes
0:05:08 > 0:05:13and already the great white just hit it, just one big smack!
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And that's a huge shark.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20'That was incredible, but it was all over in the blink of an eye,
0:05:20 > 0:05:25'so we're going to need some Deadly technology to slow it down.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28'Johnny's going to point this slow-motion camera at the decoy
0:05:28 > 0:05:29'and when the shark breaches,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'I'll hit the trigger button to record it onto our laptop.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39'Getting it all right is going to be a tall order, so, fingers crossed.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Here we go!
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Well... That was it.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55That was almost a complete breach.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57The tail was flung out of the water, it hit it
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and we've just got to see what happened.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11'Outstanding!
0:06:11 > 0:06:15'Imagine the power it must take to fling a tonne of shark right
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'out of the water and the spectacle had barely begun.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'We chart the phenomenal breach - bursting through the surface,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43'this predatory performance makes you realise how precarious
0:06:43 > 0:06:47'the life of the seal is, living in these waters, when at any moment
0:06:47 > 0:06:51'they could be hit by one of the biggest sets of jaws on the planet.'
0:07:00 > 0:07:05That is absolutely extraordinary! How about that?!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11'But this is only half the story.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14'We'll be back to film the other part of the puzzle later.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25'The crew and I are journeying inland to a wildlife reserve.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28'The animal we're going to be looking for
0:07:28 > 0:07:30'is the natural world's speed demon.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33'It's the fastest land animal - the cheetah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39'Accelerating as fast as a sports car,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43'it reaches speeds of 60mph in under three seconds.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49'Each stride is a massive leap covering seven metres at a time.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53'Flat-out, they spend more than half of their time totally airborne.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57'We'd love to see them hunt,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'but they can wait several days for the perfect opportunity.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'It's going to take patience,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'but at least we'll be following two radio-collared animals,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08'so finding them is easier.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Such a beautiful animal,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18glorious amber eyes
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and when you get a big yawn,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23they show off those fearsome canine teeth.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26How wonderful!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31They're just walking in our direction at the moment.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36You can really see why a spotted or rosetted coat
0:08:36 > 0:08:38is so common amongst the cats,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41because as light comes down through these trees, it creates
0:08:41 > 0:08:43little pools of dark and of light
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and it merges perfectly with their coat.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Look at that.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52This is just purely inquisitive,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55wandering out to come and have a look at us.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59SHARP CALL
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Those little calls, almost kitten-like,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06of communication between the two....
0:09:08 > 0:09:12..letting each other know where they are. Now they're coming together.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The way they move is almost lazy,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24it's kind of keeping energy in reserve.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Just padding along, so that when they actually need to use
0:09:29 > 0:09:33that incredible speed, they still have plenty of energy in store.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But I think there's something more here at the moment.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42These two animals have quite a lot of purpose about how
0:09:42 > 0:09:46they're moving and they look, to me, quite lean and hungry.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'Cheetah are unusual amongst cats in that they hunt in the daylight,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54'however, in the hottest part of the day,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'they just make themselves comfortable in the shade.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59'Sadly, we can't do the same.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'The location isn't ideal for a cheetah hunt.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07'They prefer more open savannah for a flat-out pursuit
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'but if something wanders close,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12'they may well take their opportunity.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15'Then something got their attention.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:26WHISPERS: I can just make out through the trees behind us
0:10:26 > 0:10:28are some impala, antelope.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33They've come into the range of the cheetah and they've
0:10:33 > 0:10:38all of a sudden just focused their attention in that direction.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46OK, the cheetahs have just spotted the impala moving across this way
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and they've gone into hunt mode.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54For the first time in about three hours, they've moved.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'The impala are blissfully unaware
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'that the cheetah are moving towards them...
0:11:08 > 0:11:12'..but then the ears prick up and they scatter.'
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Ah, they've just started running... but I think the impala have gone.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Unfortunately, they've been spooked
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and the cheetah won't take up a hunt
0:11:26 > 0:11:29if they know there's no chance of success
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and while the impala are alert,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34there's simply no way they'll be able to run them down.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'The light's fading and they're unlikely to hunt now,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'but this is what we missed.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'Cheetah approach to within 50 metres of their prey
0:11:47 > 0:11:49'before exploding into action.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'With their curved dew claw hooking into tendons,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'just one swipe of a paw can knock a prey animal off-balance.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'A final bike to the throat finishes the job.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'Everything about their physiology is focused on speed.'
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Well, we've been sat out here all day long
0:12:11 > 0:12:14in the burning African sunshine and in total silence,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18but we have been in the company of two extraordinarily beautiful cats.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We haven't got to see them hunt,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24but there is no doubt that the fastest land mammal on Earth,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28for its pace and its grace, has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35'Reaching speeds of 70mph, they're the fastest animal on land.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39'They twist and turn as they sprint and swipe their prey to the ground.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43'Camouflage, stealth and speed make them extraordinary hunters.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47'For our next Deadly mission,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'I'm going to be analysing
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'three very different African venomous snakes
0:12:52 > 0:12:54'These have been caught in local back yards
0:12:54 > 0:12:58'and will all be released into the wild once we're done.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00'Using our slow-motion camera,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'we'll reveal one aspect of their serpent specialisation.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05'At the end of this slow-mo snake-off,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'I'll choose one snake to go on my list.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:16OK, the first snake I'm going to show you, hopefully,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19even if you are someone who hates snakes,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21this will change your mind,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24because I believe this is one of the most beautiful snakes.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This is a boomslang.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'The boomslang is a highly-venomous back-fanged snake.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'They're arboreal, that is tree-dwelling,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42'and hunt the canopy for chameleons, other lizards, frogs and birds.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:50The boomslang is all about senses. Its eyes are absolutely enormous,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54certainly, for its size, the largest of any snake on the planet.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Now most snakes' sight is based on movement,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59so they're looking for prey that's moving around them,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01but the boomslang is hunting up in the treetops
0:14:01 > 0:14:04for very well-camouflaged animals that are standing perfectly still,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but with those enormous eyes which are slightly egg-shaped,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10they have phenomenal depth perception.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12That means they can still see animals
0:14:12 > 0:14:14even when they're not moving at all
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and they're exactly the same colour as their environment.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19The other super sense they have for tracking their prey
0:14:19 > 0:14:23is their tongue and that's what I'm hoping to show you in slow motion.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29There it goes! There it goes!
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Right, I'm really hoping Johnny managed to get that
0:14:32 > 0:14:34because when you see it slowed down,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38actually, it is extraordinary what that tongue is really doing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So, the tongue comes out, it waves up and down,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48you can see both sides of that forked tongue actually
0:14:48 > 0:14:54trailing into the air and then dropping down onto the branch itself
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and just trailing along the edge of the branch.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Now, what that's doing,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03is it's actually working almost like a sponge picking up bits of scent,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06bits of invisible scent, that are down on the wood itself
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and then drawing them back into the mouth where they can be processed.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12What this snake's doing is tasting its world.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Now if any lizard, a chameleon perhaps,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16has been walking along this log,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18it will have left an invisible trail behind it
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and that's what this snake is trying to find.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24For our next serpent superstar,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27we're going to need a little bit of extra safety precautions.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30You'll notice that Johnny the cameraman and Nick the soundman
0:15:30 > 0:15:33have both got special goggles on and that's for a very good reason,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38because under this little tepee here is a Mozambique spitting cobra
0:15:38 > 0:15:42and it's its spitting defence I really want to show you.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Exposing snake.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48Here.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56The important thing to realise here is that this is
0:15:56 > 0:15:59totally about defence.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03The cobra will kill its prey exactly the same way as other snakes
0:16:03 > 0:16:04by injecting venom,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09but that is like a hosepipe
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and you can see how accurate it is.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The fangs themselves have a slight twist to them on the inside.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It's almost like rifling in a gun,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21which means that the spray is incredibly accurate
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and it's actually just headed straight towards my eyes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28You can see him there, bringing his head back,
0:16:28 > 0:16:34focusing and it's just peppering the whole of my glasses here.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'Just a drop of venom into an unprotected eye
0:16:37 > 0:16:41'would mean excruciating pain, possibly blindness.'
0:16:43 > 0:16:45This is a puff adder.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It's one of the most feared snakes in Africa,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50but I think they are utterly fascinating.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52It's the classic viper shape
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and it has the classic viper-hunting method
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and the most interesting thing, perhaps, is that its strike
0:16:57 > 0:17:00can be over and done with in as much as a fifth of a second.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Now, I'm hoping to show you that
0:17:03 > 0:17:06by getting it to strike at this water balloon.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'We're using the balloon to simulate a small mammal,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'so hopefully it will strike it in the same way.'
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Oh!
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That was glorious.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27You can see the tongue flickering on the air, it's drawn back into
0:17:27 > 0:17:31that classic S shape which gives it the possibility to extend to strike.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It's focused on the balloon.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Oh, wow!
0:17:42 > 0:17:45That is absolutely unbelievable.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51It's a very, very short strike, but you could see, as the mouth opened,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55the sheath that covered the fangs being exposed.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57They're are very, very long, those fangs,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and really act like tiny stiletto daggers
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and they have just knifed into the balloon
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and for a fraction of a second,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08the water is just hanging there in one place.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11If that was mammal prey, it would have carried it on,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14be pumping the venom into its body and then it retreats, it lets it go.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18This is really important to the puff adder because what it's doing
0:18:18 > 0:18:21is it's making sure its prey can't do it any damage.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23It's now retreated, it's back to its original position
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and it's just going to wait for its prey to succumb to its venom.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Well, we've seen three rather wonderful snakes, but for my money
0:18:34 > 0:18:38the gloriously camouflaged split-second-striking puff adder
0:18:38 > 0:18:42has got it and is definitely going on the Deadly 60.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49'Venom that targets the circulatory system, hinged hypodermic fangs
0:18:49 > 0:18:54'and a lightning-fast strike which is over in a fifth of a second.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01'So, Africa has a cornucopia of venomous snakes,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06'heaven for a snake freak like me, but hell for everything else,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08'or so you might think.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'Actually, there's a bird that feasts on venomous snakes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14'This falconry centre has one of these birds,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18'found as an abandoned fledgling and hand-reared.'
0:19:18 > 0:19:22OK, so this is my snake and this...
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Come and say hello.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27..this is our leggy bird.
0:19:28 > 0:19:35It's a secretary bird and look at those great, long, stilt-like legs.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39They may look a bit comical, but they have deadly potential
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and that's what I'm hoping to show you in this experiment.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48OK, so I've got my snake in position,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51my secretary bird looking interested.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Let's give it a go. Look.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Back off a little bit, Johnny.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Oh-h! Did you see...?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Then again, look at that!
0:20:08 > 0:20:10That is incredibly impressive.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14I really wasn't expecting it to be that decisive.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Come on, give us one more, give us one more.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Wow!
0:20:22 > 0:20:23My goodness!
0:20:23 > 0:20:26It's all right. I think he's dead.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29'But he wasn't taking any chances.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34'They have the longest legs of any bird of prey
0:20:34 > 0:20:36'and it's using them to top effect.'
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Just when you think you can't be surprised by animals any more,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44something like that happens.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47This bird's been raised in captivity,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50it's never seen its parents, it hasn't been taught this behaviour.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55This is completely innate, this is something it's been born with -
0:20:55 > 0:21:01the ability to head straight for the head of a venomous snake
0:21:01 > 0:21:02and take it out.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06It's like some kind of deadly avian boxer.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11It's so impressive and just watching, actually,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13as the bird's stamping,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17it's the rear half of the foot that's hitting
0:21:17 > 0:21:22and that thick, curved back talon,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25so it truly is not just delivering a hammer blow downwards
0:21:25 > 0:21:27with extreme force,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30but also a stabbing killer blow with that back talon as well.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Even the most venomous snakes in Africa
0:21:34 > 0:21:36simply wouldn't stand a chance.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39As long as I keep the snake moving
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and there's a possibility it's still alive, he'll keep stamping.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The second I stop,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48he'll just keep on stamping.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49HE LAUGHS
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Of course, this is actually really sensible,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59because there are many snakes around here
0:21:59 > 0:22:01who, once they're attacked, will play dead,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03but will still be plenty capable of delivering a bite,
0:22:03 > 0:22:10so the secretary bird is just making sure that its prey is finished off.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15I'm pretty sure it's dead now. Honestly, he's had it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25The snake-stomping secretary bird just has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29'They show no fear
0:22:29 > 0:22:32'when taking on some of Africa's most venomous snakes.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36'With the longest legs of any bird of prey and large strong toes,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39'they stamp their prey to death with killer accuracy.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42'At the top of the show,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47'we showed you great whites in awe-inspiring breach attack.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51'The next step is to see that lunge from beneath the waves.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56'To keep me from getting munched, I have a sturdy metal shark cage,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59'but it's already occupied.'
0:23:03 > 0:23:06This little seal here is exactly the size of the animals
0:23:06 > 0:23:09that are being hunted by the great white sharks
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and this beautiful creature is just taking refuge here,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17because it knows that out there, he's going to get hammered
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and there's a shark up behind the boat.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24He looks really tired.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'Normally, we'd not interfere with a natural process,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31'but this is just not a fair fight.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33'We decide to give the pup an easy escape route.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:38We're just backing up the boat so it's closer to the kelp
0:23:38 > 0:23:42and closer to the rocky islands where the seal will be safe.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Hopefully, it will make a beeline out of the cage and, er,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48yeah, away from the sharks.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Ah, there he goes! There he goes! Yes!
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Oh, fantastic!
0:23:55 > 0:23:59We're right by the kelp now and he's going to be safe.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05'Well, safe for a while. Who'd want to be a seal in these seas?
0:24:05 > 0:24:06'And I'm about to get a look
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'at quite how fearsome a foe they're facing.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:11What the guys are doing here
0:24:11 > 0:24:13is creating what's called a "chum slick".
0:24:13 > 0:24:14It's fish blood and oil
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and it's going to travel out behind the boat in a big broad area
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and sharks have such keen olfactory senses,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25that is their sense of smell is so keen, that they'll pick this up
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and travel back to try and find the source of it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28which is going to be us,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32so hopefully this is all we need to tempt the sharks in.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'Coupled with our bait line and decoy, it certainly does the trick.'
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Now, the best way to get shots of these animals is for me
0:24:40 > 0:24:44to get in the water with them and use this underwater camera.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48We've got sharks, we've got visibility -
0:24:48 > 0:24:50this is going to be out of this world.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Mind your head.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01'At first glance, the coast is clear.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05'Then, almost out of nowhere, the first shark appears...
0:25:11 > 0:25:17'..closely followed by a second. Soon, it feels like I'm surrounded.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:22HE EXHALES
0:25:22 > 0:25:24This is unreal.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28The water's like crystal, amazing visibility,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and there's two huge sharks
0:25:31 > 0:25:35just circling around and around and around, making passes at the bait.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's phenomenal - the size of them, the elegance of them,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42but they are very, very sinister-looking animals.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47'This is better than we could ever have hoped for.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50'The great whites are truly displaying everything that
0:25:50 > 0:25:51'makes them deadly.'
0:25:56 > 0:25:58That's the difference!
0:25:58 > 0:26:01That's when they come up almost vertically.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The shark went right down very, very low on the seabed
0:26:04 > 0:26:06but all the time keeping its eyes on the bait
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and then just came straight up vertically.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13The speed was phenomenal. Wow! I've got to stop saying, "Wow!"
0:26:13 > 0:26:14HE LAUGHS
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Wow!
0:26:19 > 0:26:23That is just extraordinary! You can see as the shark comes in...
0:26:25 > 0:26:30..its eye rolls back in its socket to protect it, just in case there's
0:26:30 > 0:26:35a tooth of a seal waiting to go for that eye that's really vulnerable.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The great white is one of the largest predators on Earth
0:26:42 > 0:26:45but these are only about three metres long.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49The biggest have been double this size, over six metres long.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I can't even conceive of a great white that big.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Some animals seem to just totally rule their environment.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11They just have this aura of invincibility about them.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Oh-h!
0:27:14 > 0:27:16That was extraordinary!
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Almost completely left the water -
0:27:19 > 0:27:21oh! - and bashed the cage on the way through as well!
0:27:21 > 0:27:25That's not just one of the most ferocious animals on the planet now,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27it's one of the most ferocious animals that's ever lived.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Oh-h!
0:27:35 > 0:27:39'It's an animal that I've been fascinated by since my childhood
0:27:39 > 0:27:41'and you have to respect its predatory prowess.'
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Oh, my goodness!
0:27:50 > 0:27:54What we haven't seen is a mindless killing machine.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59You're seeing this incredibly highly-honed hunting strategy
0:27:59 > 0:28:02from one of the most impressive predators on earth.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05It has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11'They can breach their huge bodies completely clear of the water,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15'with the exceptional ability to detect prey from up to 5km away
0:28:15 > 0:28:19'and mouths that are lined with up to 300 razor-sharp teeth.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'At the tip of the dark continent, South Africa is
0:28:25 > 0:28:28'the land of the lethal with deadly icons at every turn.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31'The fastest land animal, a scintillating strike
0:28:31 > 0:28:35'and all topped off with a shiver of sharks - the great white -
0:28:35 > 0:28:37'a true legend of lethal.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42'Join me next time for more Deadly 60 On A Mission.'
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd