0:00:02 > 0:00:03I'm Gordon Buchanan.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09I've filmed the most amazing creatures on the planet.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Wow. These are animals that have killed people.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But for me, some of the best wildlife
0:00:16 > 0:00:18is right here on our doorstep...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..and I'd like some of our best-loved household names
0:00:23 > 0:00:25to experience it as I do.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29- It's just awe-inspiring. - That was unbelievable.- Yeah.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- Beautiful.- Oh, what an experience.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I can spend weeks or even months
0:00:34 > 0:00:37tracking down these elusive creatures.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40This time, I have just three days.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44This could be the biggest challenge of my career.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I'm in the Western Isles of Scotland
0:01:00 > 0:01:03with someone I'm more used to seeing in a suit.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Dermot O'Leary - Mr Saturday Night...
0:01:10 > 0:01:14..radio presenter and all-round good bloke.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16He started his career on local radio.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Now he has his own show on Radio 2.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I can wake up whistling a tune in my head
0:01:21 > 0:01:25and go down to my CD collection and go, "I'm going to play that today."
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And what you might not know about him
0:01:27 > 0:01:31is that he's crazy about fishing and the great outdoors.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34We live in this extraordinary country
0:01:34 > 0:01:36that's got this great wildlife
0:01:36 > 0:01:40and beautiful environment on our doorstep.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Yeah, it just seems a waste if you're not out there enjoying it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48I think what we've seen just sort of landscape-wise from the car,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and we haven't even got our feet wet...
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- Yet.- Yet.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56For the next three days, we're going to be in and around Skye,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00an island off the northwest coast of Scotland.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02It's the largest in the Inner Hebrides -
0:02:02 > 0:02:06639 square miles and home to 10,000 people.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10But it's in the rich coastal waters around Skye
0:02:10 > 0:02:14that I'm hoping to show Dermot some spectacular marine life.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21On day one, we'll look for seals and the iconic golden eagle.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Then, we'll head off to Rum and its thriving deer population.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29But it's dolphins,
0:02:29 > 0:02:30whales and basking sharks
0:02:30 > 0:02:32that I really want us to see.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Just keep your eyes open,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and if you see anything, point it out to me...
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Yeah.- ..cos I might not necessarily have seen it myself.- Really? OK.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48We're heading towards Skye on the ferry.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56It works via a manual turntable and it's the only one of its kind
0:02:56 > 0:02:57left in the world.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07It motors across the Kyle Rhea or the narrows.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12At 500m, it's the shortest crossing between the mainland and the island.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Lucky for us, it's calm.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17When it comes to wildlife,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19the one thing that will impact on it is a lot of wind,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23especially, you know, if we're looking for wildlife in the water.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26If you've got waves that are that size,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- trying to see even an otter or something like that...- Yeah.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32..it's really difficult because the waves kind of break it up.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33But this is good.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Nice to be away from the midges as well. God, they were...
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Yeah, it's only going to last five minutes.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Five, four, three, two, one, welcome to Skye.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- Hey, thanks!- We're just about to... - You're my welcoming party.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Tourism is one of the main industries on the island
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and it's not hard to work out why.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The West Coast of Scotland, it has become a bit of a wildlife mecca.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16People are here to see, you know, not just the island itself,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19but to have a look out for the wildlife.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20And that's kind of... I love that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36The Isle of Skye is famously rugged.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39You've got some of these really beautiful, cosy little glens
0:04:39 > 0:04:41that are covered in trees,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45some beautiful, big beaches and all these sea lochs.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47What are the Skye big five?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- Golden eagles. - Done. I'm in.- OK.- Tick.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Sea eagles.- Yeah, beautiful.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- One of the animals I might come back as...- Would be what?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Maybe a sea eagle. - A sea eagle?- Yeah.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I like the idea of eating fish - one of my favourite things -
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and, you know, being an apex predator.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Many of the UK's birds of prey are incredibly rare,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10but there's a chance we may see one or two here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I'd be disappointed if I couldn't show you a golden eagle.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15- Are you serious?- I really would.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I didn't think, like, we'd have a cat in hell's chance.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24The real unknown for our kind of adventure together
0:05:24 > 0:05:28is what we're going to see when we take to the sea.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Hopefully, dolphins.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Oh, right, yeah.- Minke whales.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Seriously?- Yeah.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But the big thing I'd really love to show you - a basking shark.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- I'd love to see a basking shark. - Back down there in the narrows,
0:05:41 > 0:05:46when the tide changes - grey seals, common seals...
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- Wonderful.- ..and hopefully...
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- This is the real...- Otter?- An otter.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- We just have to get out there... - Yeah.- ..and start looking.- Let's go.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- So, that's...- Good plan. - ..where we're going to start.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05So, I have just three days to find seals, otters,
0:06:05 > 0:06:10golden eagles, dolphins and basking sharks.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Yep, this is going to be tough.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I just wonder how well Dermot's going to cope
0:06:16 > 0:06:19waiting patiently for these animals to show.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24After all, this is a man who thrives on the adrenaline rush of live TV.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27I love doing live telly more than anything else.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32I mean, it's everything. It's just...it's the theatre of it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36It's the team aspect. I've always been a big team sport player.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38You want everyone to have a good night.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40It's something I'm quite passionate about.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- It's equal thirds down to luck, talent and hard work.- Oh, really?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Yeah. Or luck, competence and hard work, you know.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It's sort of, you know, not really up to us to say
0:06:49 > 0:06:52whether we're talented or not, but in your heart, like any job,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- you know you're competent at it if you keep doing it.- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Kyle Rhea, where the ferry crosses,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10is one of the fastest tidal streams in the UK.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16The incoming tide brings supper for all sorts of predators,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and there's a chance we'll see otters, seals
0:07:18 > 0:07:20or even a sea eagle.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Millions of gallons of water every second...- Yeah.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27..getting pushed through, and with that water, nutrients.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- All the kind of small stuff...- Yeah.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32..that you can barely detect that enriches, you know,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34the marine environments.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37The fish are pushed to the surface
0:07:37 > 0:07:41by the seals that live and hunt here at this time of year.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I'm really hoping that we see them, but as I know from experience,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49just because this is a good place, it doesn't mean they'll appear.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14Hey, there he is!
0:08:23 > 0:08:27There are only two species of seal in the UK,
0:08:27 > 0:08:28and the grey is one of them.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It's got a long, kind of horse-shaped face.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- Yeah.- Like a big Roman nose. - Mm-hm.- That's...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Those are the grey seals. Like that one there.- Yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41If it's got a kind of cute,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44slightly kind of puppyish look about it,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46- that's the common seals.- Right.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Common seals are cuter, effectively.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52That grey seal just took umbrage to what you just said
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and he just went, "Pssh" and then submerged.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Seals spend most of their time at sea
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and can swim hundreds of miles in search of food.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14What's incredible is how far up they come.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15They are competing with each other,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18so if they kind of bob right out of the water,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20they've got that kind of split second
0:09:20 > 0:09:22to maybe spot where the other seals are
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and think, "Well, OK, I'm not going over there
0:09:24 > 0:09:26"cos there's four seals there already."
0:09:32 > 0:09:34There must be a shoal of fish there.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42- Oh! See that? Wow.- That's fantastic.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50And it may well be that the seals are kind of...
0:09:50 > 0:09:53They're not just treading water with their mouths open,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55but they're going against the tide,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58so any fish that are coming in that direction...
0:09:58 > 0:10:01They're going so fast that they're going straight in, are they?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Pretty much. Well...having to work less hard for it.- Yeah.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11So, there's a lot of gulls at the moment -
0:10:11 > 0:10:15kind of lesser black-backed gulls - but watch them and enjoy them.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I see a lot of seagulls back home. Are the gulls after any scraps?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22He's definitely kind of... Look, fish-catching strategy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27You'll get, you know, surface feeders, like the gulls,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29who will just sort of snatch what they can get.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30They don't go under the water.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34But then you've got things like shags and razorbills
0:10:34 > 0:10:39and guillemots and puffins that can actually pursue fish underwater.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Yes.- So, they're effectively flying underwater.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46This is a good start, Dermot, cos you've seen some seals,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50and you did say that if this was all you saw, you could go home happy.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- Well, I did, but now...- So, I can definitely improve on this.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- DERMOT LAUGHS - No, do you know what?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Already, I'm happy. You're right.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It just kind of whets your appetite for more.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I'd quite like to cuddle an eagle.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- DERMOT CHUCKLES - I want an eagle...
0:11:05 > 0:11:09I want an eagle to perch here and I can...he can talk to me.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10I will do my very best.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12At least you're not saying, "Well, I've seen enough."
0:11:12 > 0:11:14DERMOT LAUGHS "This isn't for me,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- "this wildlife-watching malarkey." - Just look.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19This locale and the vista here
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and the animals we're seeing - wonderful.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- Thank you, seals. - Yeah, you've done good.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30What an amazing start.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I'm so glad I was able to show Dermot a seal.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37But the next animal I'm hoping to find
0:11:37 > 0:11:40is going to be much more of a challenge.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- This is very exciting. - It is. I am really excited.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47I tell you, the excitement just comes
0:11:47 > 0:11:50from not knowing exactly what we're going to see.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Golden eagles were once found all over the UK...
0:11:58 > 0:12:02..but their numbers began to decline in the 18th and 19th century
0:12:02 > 0:12:05after years and years of persecution.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Now they're confined almost entirely to the uplands of Scotland,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15where over 400 pairs breed every year.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20An easier way to spot them
0:12:20 > 0:12:22is just to kind of try and get them
0:12:22 > 0:12:25when they're against the sky cos you will see...
0:12:25 > 0:12:28You can watch a golden eagle circling against the sky like that.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31So, imagine, like those birds up there...
0:12:31 > 0:12:32We've just got some gulls.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35They stand out really well against the sky.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37You could've told me they were golden eagles and I'd be happy.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38No, not with the binoculars.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40You would have got that. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But if they were to drop down below the horizon...
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- Yeah, of course.- ..they suddenly become much more difficult to see.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50And that's a consideration when you're actually watching wildlife.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So, if you're trying to sneak up on deer
0:12:53 > 0:12:54and you're on the skyline,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- you stick out like a sore thumb.- Sure.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Birds in Scotland, golden eagle - that is the Holy Grail.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02That's kind of, you know...
0:13:02 > 0:13:04If I can show you one of them,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- my job with the feathered creatures is done and that's...- Yeah.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Let's go. Exciting. So exciting.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16One particularly good spot for eagle watching
0:13:16 > 0:13:18is the heart of the Cuillin mountains
0:13:18 > 0:13:21here in the southwest of the island.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I have a huge amount of admiration for golden eagles in Scotland
0:13:24 > 0:13:26because they have, despite the odds,
0:13:26 > 0:13:27managed to cling on.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29As a species, they're incredibly successful
0:13:29 > 0:13:34and they can adapt to, you know, just a huge range of climates
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and different landscapes.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39They are incredibly majestic.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Majestic and elusive. - THEY LAUGH
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And that's cool. I'm, you know...
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- It shouldn't be served up on a platter...- Yeah.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50..but it could be in the kitchen waiting for us.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16There.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27There you go. Well done, Dermot O'Leary.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Chief golden eagle spotter.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- I'll just go home now, Dermot.- Look at you.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35That's great.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Oh!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Oh, wow.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52They have a wingspan of around 2m.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54After the white-tailed eagle,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57they're the UK's biggest bird of prey.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Oh, there you go. You got it, Dermot.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02- And I was...- Oh. - DERMOT LAUGHS
0:15:02 > 0:15:04There you go.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Look at you, beautiful.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- That sheep's getting a bit nervous. - GORDON LAUGHS
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Yeah, he's got nothing to worry about.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I mean, to get a sense of scale, you know,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17we're not far off a mile away from that bird and I think...
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- Can you get the sort of size of it? - Absolutely. It looks huge.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28We lose sight of the eagle for the next 45 minutes
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and think it's gone for good.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Then, suddenly, it's there again
0:15:37 > 0:15:39with what looks like a rabbit for its dinner.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43If a bird's plucking feathers,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47the feathers kind of are more likely to float off a little bit further,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51whereas fluff will tend to just sort of drop sooner.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54They'll do what we do. It's like after your Sunday lunch.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58They will just go and find somewhere to relax and digest it.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01It'll pick away on the rabbit.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03A couple of hours before it gets dark,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05it'll just find somewhere to roost for the night.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08You've got, potentially, grouse up on the hills,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13ptarmigan in the high tops, hare, rabbit, sea birds coming in.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Pretty much everything with the golden eagle is fair game.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Another thing that they'll do is keep an eye out
0:16:18 > 0:16:22for ravens and crows because it's sort of, you know...
0:16:22 > 0:16:24If you were to spot ravens and crows up on a hillside,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28you are almost guaranteed that there is something dead up there.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32To see a golden eagle,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36you have to travel to these far-flung,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37kind of romantic...
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Come to Skye. Come to Skye.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Never in any doubt.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- That was fab.- I knew. I knew. I always had faith.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Now, show me some sharks. - THEY LAUGH
0:16:52 > 0:16:53I've set the bar high.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Brilliant. Let's go drink some whiskey.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It's the second day of our big adventure
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and we're on our way to Elgol on Skye's southwest coast.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Then, we'll be heading out into the Atlantic Ocean
0:17:31 > 0:17:34because Dermot is a self-confessed fishing nut.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39How often do you come home without a fish?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- Well, do you know, it's rarely happened.- Oh, really?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And that's not because we're good fishermen.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48It's just because the fishing's pretty good
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and, you know, I'm quite moral about it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54You take what you want to eat and maybe, you know,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56you can gift a couple to friends and neighbours,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and the rest, you kind of put back. So, you try not to be too greedy.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But the wind is picking up, and that's not what you want
0:18:05 > 0:18:07when you're on the lookout for marine critters.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Permission to come aboard. - Oh, crack on.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- DERMOT LAUGHS - Yeah, crack on.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I'll put that there. - That old seafaring term.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Crack on and get on board.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Our skipper is Gavin Martin,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and I'm hoping he'll be able to help us find dolphins,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28minke whales and even a basking shark.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34But, as always with wildlife, there is never a guarantee.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It's not just the animals you've got to find.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The weather conditions are sort of the big consideration.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So, it's not raining at the moment, but it is pretty choppy, so...
0:18:42 > 0:18:44- Bit lumpy out there, isn't it?- It is.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47You know, Dermot, this will be what it'll be,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and it will be lumpy and bumpy.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And the conditions don't improve as we head out into the ocean.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02The only chance you've got of seeing anything
0:19:02 > 0:19:03is to get out and start looking.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Keep an eye on the waves.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13You're talking about kind of 3ft,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17so even something as big as a fully-grown minke whale,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20the part of its body that actually comes out of the water...
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- Yeah, you could... - ..is really small.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26And if it comes out when it's in the trough of a wave,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- you stand very little chance of seeing it.- Sure.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36In an ideal world, if you're out looking for wildlife,
0:19:36 > 0:19:37it would be flat, flat calm.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And this is a million miles from flat calm.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- Are you not cold, by the way? - No. I've not got a vest or anything.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Thanks. I need someone to look out for me, but I'll be OK.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56If you see me shivering, a hug...
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- A hug and a blanket. - That, that I can do.- A hot drink.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01- I'm a huggy guy.- I heard.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04That was pretty much the only thing I knew of you.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05That's why you brought me, right?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Dermot O'Leary gives THE best hugs.- Well, yeah.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- That's it. That's an eight out of ten.- It's not bad.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Nothing wrong with a little bromance.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The waves are making it impossible to spot anything out here.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Hey, that's a big, old wave.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33We're never going to be able to spot the sea life I know is here...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37..so we head round to a sheltered cove off Canna,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41an island southwest of Skye, where it's calm enough to kayak.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- The water's really clear. - It is. It looks really clear,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48but once you stick your head under there,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51you realise, actually, that there's a lot of murk,
0:20:51 > 0:20:52and that murk is life.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It's plankton. At this time of year, it's plankton soup.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And plankton is the staple diet of a basking shark.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03And if we're lucky, we'll see one.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05But if not, there's wildlife everywhere.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- How are the old waterproof trousers? - They're good.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16- Those are my polar bear trousers. - Have these been mauled?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20They've been, well, not mauled, but they've been...nearly soiled.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22THEY LAUGH
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Dermot's never been kayaking before...
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- This is the real deal, isn't it, Gordo?- Yeah, I know.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38..but I love it and am hoping to convert him.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I'm very excited about this.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I think, um... Yeah, I love kayaking.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48It's kind of just doing something under your own steam.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Wildlife - it lets you get that little bit closer.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Um, and you're kind of closer to the water,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56so you're kind of more part of it.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59It's great using a big boat to kind of cover big distances,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03but, you know, just to have a nice, quiet experience,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06you have to do that with muscle power rather than horsepower.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10You'll find that keeping your weight in the middle...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15..that's what will keep you dry.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And, I mean, they're not the most manoeuvrable of vessels.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20You'll find turning them is...
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- So, if you flip... - Like that?- That's it.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Perfect. Avoid the ship.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43You're learning on the job, Dermot. It's the best thing.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- So you say. - GORDON CHUCKLES
0:22:55 > 0:22:58And you'll find, if you're getting waves at the side...
0:22:59 > 0:23:02..it's a little less stable,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04but if you're facing into the waves, it cuts through.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Oh, I see. So, now is pretty unstable.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Yeah, but it does...
0:23:11 > 0:23:15To reassure you, it takes a lot to flip these.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Canna has a thriving
0:23:19 > 0:23:21sea bird colony,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24but research has discovered that the island's brown rats
0:23:24 > 0:23:26were decimating the local populations
0:23:26 > 0:23:28by feeding on their chicks and eggs.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Shags were one species that were badly hit.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Their numbers decreased by 40%.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39In 2005,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42specially designed bait boxes with poison
0:23:42 > 0:23:44were spread across the island.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Within a few months, all the rats were dead.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Now the number of shags is once again on the increase,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and sea cliffs like these are
0:23:54 > 0:23:57perfect breeding grounds for them.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59So, can those adolescents fly yet?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Yeah, they'll be able to fly
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and they'll probably be able to catch fish.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- They're all off.- There you go.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Oh, that's fantastic.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12See the way that they use their feet?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Start beating their wings and use their webbed feet
0:24:15 > 0:24:18to kind of run along the surface of the water.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And when you see them in the water kind of like this,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24you think, "They're just hanging about doing nothing,"
0:24:24 > 0:24:26but rather than going searching for food,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29they'll wait for fish to come their way
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- and then that's when they'll switch into hunting mode.- Right.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Shags are amazing birds.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47They can stay underwater for nearly a minute, diving to 45m.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51You'll see them dipping their head underwater.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- They're just having a little peek. - The more you find out about nature,
0:24:54 > 0:24:59- the more you realise it's just rest, food, rest, food.- Yeah.
0:25:01 > 0:25:07- So few other species just have fun. - Dolphins have fun.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12But there are no dolphins here. Just these lovely shags.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17It's fantastic, isn't it? Wonderful sight.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- So much more heightened by the fact that we're down where we are.- Yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33All these sea birds, they're only all here in such diversity
0:25:33 > 0:25:36because they do things slightly differently.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38They catch their food in different ways.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40So, there's not competition between them?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Yeah, no, it's all kind of... It's a sort of democracy.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48It's been sorted out over, you know, millions of years.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Just being this close to the water makes a complete difference
0:25:53 > 0:25:56as to how close you get to the wildlife,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- how close you can get to the scenery.- Yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Even the smells and the texture of it is different from being in a...
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Yeah, even the boat we were on over there.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07The smells and texture's different
0:26:07 > 0:26:09when you're properly at the coalface.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11There's a bit of a fear factor to it as well.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- There's no getting away from that. - I wasn't going to mention that.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- I'd blocked that out, but, yeah. - And the fact that I might tip
0:26:16 > 0:26:19at any point. You know, I do...I do love it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25But we can't hang around on the water all afternoon.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I'd like Dermot to show me just how good a fisherman he really is
0:26:28 > 0:26:30by helping me catch dinner.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Dermot O'Leary, master fisherman. HE LAUGHS
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I don't know about master fisherman.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Before I've even got my line in the water...
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Ooh, you're a keeper as well. - ..has caught his first fish.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52What a beauty. Look at that.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Come on, little one.- It is just one, though, Dermot. Just one.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58That is a beautiful-sized mackerel, isn't it?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I'm sorry I've got to do this.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12Oh! It's a real leveller, fishing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17I really enjoy it, but it never gives me a thrill to kill a fish.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27We'd do all right, Dermot. We would survive.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31We've got that kind of hunter-gatherer
0:27:31 > 0:27:33thing about us. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- I think one more drop...- Yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45..and we're going to have ourselves a fine old dinner.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48It's great to catch your own dinner.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51There's something quite primeval about that.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Or just back to... You feel properly back to nature.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I think, for you, as the kind of person...
0:27:55 > 0:27:59That is quite some contrast between, you know, from...
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- You know, kind of...- Big studio.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07In a big studio, you're kind of holding all that together,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10you know, on live TV and all the pressures that come with that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14There's probably a lot of people that are as recognisable as you
0:28:14 > 0:28:16that the way they'd like to spend their time
0:28:16 > 0:28:19is on the deck of a luxury yacht in the South of France
0:28:19 > 0:28:20and it's kind of...
0:28:20 > 0:28:22That doesn't seem to be your bag.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- "This is your version of that." - HE LAUGHS
0:28:24 > 0:28:28I don't know. Look, there's nothing nicer
0:28:28 > 0:28:31than staying in a nice hotel sometimes and getting pampered,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33but it's just I love the...
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- I do love getting back to nature.- Mm.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39We have two, four...
0:28:41 > 0:28:45..six... Hang on. Six, seven, eight. We've got eight mackerel there.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- Is that enough?- I reckon so, yeah.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50- Don't want to be greedy. - Thank you, mackerel.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59We're going to be spending the night on Rum,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01an island southwest of Skye.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04The whole island is a national nature reserve.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08It's also one of Scotland's least populated islands.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Only 22 people live here.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- There we go. Welcome to Rum. - Welcome to Rum.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Landed on Rum.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29We have, um...we've got tents, we've got sleeping bags,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31we've got some mackerel.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42When it's like this, I kind of get really proud of Scotland.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- Oh, you should be. - This is where I'm from.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Yeah, absolutely. I get it. I totally get it.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49You know, I'm not so proud of it
0:29:49 > 0:29:51when people are getting eaten alive with midges
0:29:51 > 0:29:53and they're getting kind of, like,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55throwing up over the side of a boat or...
0:29:55 > 0:29:58DERMOT LAUGHS ..they're cold, wet and miserable,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02but when it is like this, just...it's glorious.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Right, I think we should just head up there.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Dermot O'Leary, you are a very lucky man.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- What, what, what? - There's an otter out there.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33- Shut up.- No, no, no, no, no. There is an otter. Come with me.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38I just caught a glimpse of it and I thought it was a seal.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41There it is. OK, just further out.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45About maybe 100m out, so at your kind of 12 o'clock.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- You got it?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- So, keep an eye on that. - Oh, hello, you.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52It will kind of dive down,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54maybe kind of spend 30 seconds under the water
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and it'll pop back up again.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01This time underwater is spent looking for crabs, small fish.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I've even seen an otter with a huge conger eel.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07Oh, it's up again.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11You can confuse them with seals at a kind of distance,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13but when they dive,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- when they go down...- Yeah, yeah. - ..you see their tail.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19The big, long tail sort of flaps and you don't get that with seals.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Seals kind of have this tiny, little, stubby tail.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26This is really wonderful.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Otters are so elusive, so we're really lucky to see one.
0:31:31 > 0:31:32- Yeah, I've seen him.- There you go.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39And as sightings go, that's far away for an otter.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- DERMOT LAUGHS - He's great.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- He is beautiful, isn't he? - Yeah, they are great.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Come on. Where are you?
0:31:55 > 0:31:59I think he was, or it was, swimming to the left.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03- It may well have just disappeared round...- Yeah.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06But that is...
0:32:07 > 0:32:09That's a lovely little...
0:32:09 > 0:32:11- What a lovely way to end the day.- Yeah.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13- Oh, that's fantastic. - It ain't over yet.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15We still haven't pitched our tents.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20You can go wild camping on most unenclosed land in Scotland,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22so long as you leave it as you found it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- Pop that down in there. - When you were a kid...
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Did you ever go camping when you were a kid?- Yeah.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I'd shove that all the way through.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- Um, well, we kind of camped out in the garden.- Yeah.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Kind of sticking our heads out, looking up at the stars.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- Which way are you happy facing? - I mean, that is quite small.- It is.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52There's room for your toes. HE LAUGHS
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Could you chuck us a couple of pegs?
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Are you happy with that as a kind of...?
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Yeah, it's a good sort of...
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Pegs will be... - Which way is the nicest way to face?
0:33:04 > 0:33:08When I do it, I'm like, "Right, OK, I'm sleeping here."
0:33:08 > 0:33:09- I'm there?- "That's good."
0:33:09 > 0:33:11That's what I love about camping is you can...
0:33:11 > 0:33:15One backpack and just sling everything in that you need
0:33:15 > 0:33:16and away you go.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22With the tents up, all that's left for us to do
0:33:22 > 0:33:25is sample the mackerel we caught earlier.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Yeah, they're looking good.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37The great thing about mackerel is you can't overcook it
0:33:37 > 0:33:38- cos it's so oily...- Yeah.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42..that it just keeps that body and keeps that kind of structure to it.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45I've got some couscous. Some Moroccan couscous.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Shall I cook that up?
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- What, here?- Yeah. Well, it's in a packet, but it's...
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- You've been keeping that quiet. - HE CHUCKLES
0:33:51 > 0:33:55I wasn't giving my Moroccan couscous away on the first day, Dermot.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Shall I get the wine? Are the glasses and stuff up there?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Um, well, we'll be kind of busking it with the glasses.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07I've got...I've got cups.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11I haven't got any goblets, like... DERMOT LAUGHS
0:34:11 > 0:34:16You ideally want to get to the place that you're camping
0:34:16 > 0:34:20a couple of hours before sunset, so the fact that we're kind of at...
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Let me see.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24..20 to 11 at night
0:34:24 > 0:34:28and we're settling down for dinner...you know, OK.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30It would have been nicer if it was earlier.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35You know, this is not everyone's cup of tea.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Well, everyone should come
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- and experience something like this once in their lives...- Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43..without a shadow of a doubt. It's just...it's a leveller.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Gets you back to nature.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51There's kind of something just very raw and real about it,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53and it's all the better for it.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58- Yeah.- We've got a great country here, man.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- My compliments.- Well...
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- We should be very proud of it. - ..it is our country.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09The referendum sorted that one out. THEY LAUGH
0:35:09 > 0:35:12But, you know, it's a great time to be Scottish, I think.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14My compliments. It's a terrific place to be from.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And we'll say slainte to that with some Chilean wine.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20THEY LAUGH Cheers, Dermot.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Yeah, your wine industry needs a lot of work.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53It's my final day with Dermot and we're heading back out to sea.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Without a doubt,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever camped.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04See, that heartens me so much, the fact that I'm part of that
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and, you know, that I've experienced that with you.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11But before we leave Rum for good,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14there's one more animal I'd like to show him here,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and it's one of Scotland's most iconic.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- After breakfast...- Yeah.- ..we can have a little wander and see...
0:36:21 > 0:36:24I'd like to show you a stag. That would be kind of nice to see
0:36:24 > 0:36:27because they'll have antlers at the moment.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Red deer are Britain's largest land mammal,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32and there are around 900 of them on Rum.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Are they valuable to the ecosystem?
0:36:37 > 0:36:40I mean, yeah, in the absence of a big predator,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43deer do a lot of damage to the ecosystem.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46So, if you think, you know, somewhere like Rum,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49there's very few trees
0:36:49 > 0:36:53and that's because deer will browse and nibble
0:36:53 > 0:36:57kind of any little tree that pops up above the grass or the heather.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01So, you know, if deer weren't here,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04this place would sort of look very different over time.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Then, just as we're packing up...
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Oh, Dermot. Look.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- DERMOT GASPS - Staggy stag.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Have you got your binoculars?- Yeah.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28Oh, look at you.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32That saved us a walk up the glen. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:37:35 > 0:37:37For over 60 years,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40researchers have been studying the deer population on the island.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42It's why this stag is collared.
0:37:46 > 0:37:47He's a beaut.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51You see, he's still got the velvet on his antlers.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Yeah. What does that tell you?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56They lose their antlers after the rut
0:37:56 > 0:37:57and they start growing again.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05The rut is mating season when stags compete with each other for females.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09So, the antler itself is covered in velvet.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13And inside that velvet, it's just kind of full of blood vessels.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15And they grow at an amazing rate.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18If you look at a deer at the end of the summer,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22it's got this really impressive, big kind of rack of antlers.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24This time of year,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28a stag like that is just going to feed and feed and feed and feed.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Now, we could watch him for half an hour
0:38:31 > 0:38:33- and he will hardly lift his head...- Yes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35..because what he's doing at the moment
0:38:35 > 0:38:38is just trying to put on as much weight
0:38:38 > 0:38:40while you've got good grazing
0:38:40 > 0:38:42just so that when he gets to the rut - sort of into October -
0:38:42 > 0:38:46that he is as strong and as healthy as possible.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49And then they work out who's in charge?
0:38:49 > 0:38:51The dynamic of that moves all the time.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55So, one day, you might have a stag like this fella that's sort of...
0:38:55 > 0:38:57You know, maybe he has a couple of big fights one day...
0:38:57 > 0:39:00- Yeah.- ..and come the next day, he's thinking,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02"OK, I've got kind of 12 hinds here. I'm happy."
0:39:02 > 0:39:05And then over the hill comes some, you know, handsome...
0:39:05 > 0:39:08THEY LAUGH ..handsome fella
0:39:08 > 0:39:10and he might not be...he might think,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12- "OK, I'm going to chase him off."- Yeah.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13"He might just see me,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16"look at the size of me, look at my antlers."
0:39:16 > 0:39:17And they run about and they bellow,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21so during the rut, it's like this visual feast,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26but you can hear stags bellowing through the glens.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30They're just basically shouting out to other stags,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32"I'm here. I'm sort of up for it."
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- He is a beaut, isn't he?- He is.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41If we got close to him, is there any chance he would charge us or...?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43At this time of year, no,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46but during the rut, when he's all kind of pumped up...
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- Yeah.- ..yeah, you wouldn't want to get too close to a...- Back off!
0:39:49 > 0:39:51..to a red deer.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55And do the females find a large antler attractive?
0:39:55 > 0:39:59- Yeah, definitely.- Yeah. - So, a big, strong male -
0:39:59 > 0:40:01that's who they'll want to mate with.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08The calves are born in the summer.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Most of them will die in the winter.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- Would those carcasses support...? - Yeah, yeah.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Well, if you didn't have the deer here
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and if deer didn't perish in the winter,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24the golden eagles, the buzzards, the ravens, the sea eagles,
0:40:24 > 0:40:25you know, would suffer,
0:40:25 > 0:40:30so it's all part of this, you know, kind of big,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34ecological jigsaw puzzle, that all those bits fit together.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36It all makes sense.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- (Look how close we are.) - I know. This is great.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- Off he goes.- That was terrific. - That was great.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I mean, he was literally on our doorstep there.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48I kind of do like wildlife that comes to you.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- DERMOT LAUGHS - Yes.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- It's...- It's like the greatest wildlife takeaway of all time.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Hello, can I order a red deer, please, for delivery for 9.30?
0:40:59 > 0:41:01If we can serve you up a basking shark
0:41:01 > 0:41:03before the end of the day, that would be...
0:41:03 > 0:41:04I think we could all go home happy.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I don't really want to leave Rum, in many ways.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17You could spend days and days just exploring this stretch of coastline,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19but, you know, it's Dermot's last day.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I would love to be able to show him a basking shark
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and I think the only way we have of doing that
0:41:25 > 0:41:28is getting out to sea and start looking.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31But that kind of in itself comes with...there's risks
0:41:31 > 0:41:33because the wind's picking up,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36so it's not kind of ideal conditions.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Basking sharks feed on plankton
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and in the summer months, plankton blooms close to the shore.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49I've often seen them round here and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54There's a couple of strategies with finding basking sharks.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57You can just motor around looking for them,
0:41:57 > 0:41:58but I think, with the conditions today,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01it's so choppy, you know, that's going to be tough.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05And the other thing is to ask around.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10One of the best ways of finding wildlife at sea
0:42:10 > 0:42:13is by asking fishermen or local tour guides.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Otherwise, it's like looking for a needle in a very large haystack.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Have you been out today at all?
0:42:22 > 0:42:26OK. And you didn't happen to see any basking sharks?
0:42:26 > 0:42:27Really?
0:42:30 > 0:42:31Whereabouts?
0:42:33 > 0:42:34Oh, cool. OK.
0:42:35 > 0:42:41Righty-ho. I owe you. Cheers. Yeah, bye. See you soon. Bye.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48One basking shark spotted off the Cairns of Coll this morning,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50but then lots...
0:42:50 > 0:42:53I didn't ask him to define what lots were.
0:42:53 > 0:42:54..just off of Mull.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59The good thing about basking sharks is that
0:42:59 > 0:43:02if they find a good area with lots of plankton, they will hang around.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08The world's second largest fish are very impressive.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Lots of them is even more impressive.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17How long do you reckon it's going to take us if we went straight to Mull?
0:43:17 > 0:43:21- Kind of north end of Mull? - Probably about 15 minutes from here.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Great. I think, as a plan, just heading straight there...
0:43:28 > 0:43:30We change course and sail south.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32We're going completely off plan,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35but if we see one, it will be worth it.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Definitely, this does feel like last chance saloon.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49You know, Dermot has had a great time.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52If I do manage to find some basking sharks for him,
0:43:52 > 0:43:58his enthusiasm is going to go off the scale.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10I'm from Mull, so this is home territory for me.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12I've got a good feeling about this.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34There's a very good chance that it will just be beneath the surface,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37- so just keep your eyes peeled. - So, they don't go...?
0:44:37 > 0:44:40HE GASPS There. Right there. Look at that.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Look at that.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46- They're so slow. - Second largest fish on the planet.
0:44:48 > 0:44:54They are absolutely enormous. Only whale sharks are larger.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- And they don't mind the fact we're here? They don't...?- No.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05- They're just...they're feeding. Do you want to grab them?- Thank you.
0:45:05 > 0:45:06They're just feeding on plankton.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08- Are they aware of us? - They'll be aware of us.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15See, he's turned, so he's coming straight towards us now.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17Oh, brilliant. Look at that. So...
0:45:20 > 0:45:22- ..you can see his dorsal fin...- Yeah.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24..and the tail fin,
0:45:24 > 0:45:26and when they're really kind of feeding
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and that big mouth is kind of gaping wide open,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31you'll see their snout, the tip of their nose.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35So, you'll see three parts of this enormous fish
0:45:35 > 0:45:39- breaking the water at the same time. - Any idea how long that one would be?
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Easily 6m long.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Now basking sharks are a protected species,
0:45:45 > 0:45:50but they were fished commercially right up until the mid-1990s.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54They were hunted for their fins, their meat,
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- but most importantly, their liver. - For the oil?- Yeah, for the oil.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- And it was used as a kind of industrial lubricant.- Oh, my God.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- He's so close to us. - Look, he's right there.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08- That's amazing. - Look at that. Look at that.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10DERMOT LAUGHS Belter.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- Look at him. - GORDON LAUGHS
0:46:14 > 0:46:16- There's definitely a majesty to it.- Yeah.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18But it's also just quite...
0:46:18 > 0:46:22- It's very docile.- Yeah. They're just quietly feeding.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26You know, just that big, huge animal is filtering...
0:46:26 > 0:46:29- Just getting on with its life. - ..gallons and gallons of water...
0:46:29 > 0:46:32- Oh, man, look how close it is. - ..every second.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38Oh, my goodness. Look at that. Look at that.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Amazing. Do you see the tail fin there?
0:46:44 > 0:46:45Hey, you.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56Lovely, the way that the sun's just kind of glinting off of its fin.
0:46:56 > 0:46:57The way the tail fin goes,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00it's almost like they're two different fish that are far apart.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04It is intimidating, I think, having such a huge fish
0:47:04 > 0:47:08with such an enormous mouth, that you look at it and you think,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10- "I could fit in there easily." - Yeah. Could you?
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Oh, yeah, you really could.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16That basking shark will be filtering
0:47:16 > 0:47:20two and a half million litres of water every single hour.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24It blows me away that such an enormous animal
0:47:24 > 0:47:29thrives on these kind of microscopic life forms.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34And that's the same with so many of those big, ocean-going,
0:47:34 > 0:47:39you know, proper migratory beasts, whether it's whales or fish.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43You know, they eat such tiny, minute things for the size they are.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46It's almost like they shouldn't really work.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50Oh, Gordy, I tell you - you promise and you deliver, my friend.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Well, I don't think I quite promised,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55- but I do think I delivered. - Tell you what,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- you allude and then you deliver. - HE LAUGHS
0:47:58 > 0:48:03Well, it's a risky carrot to dangle in front of a man who loves fish,
0:48:03 > 0:48:08is that, "OK, I would really like to show you a basking shark."
0:48:08 > 0:48:11Yeah, but for the last couple of days, you've said...
0:48:11 > 0:48:14When we sat down, you said, "Look, chances are,
0:48:14 > 0:48:20"if the gods are in our favour - otter, eagle, basking shark, whale."
0:48:20 > 0:48:22That's three out of four, man.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25That was incredible.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29I really had wanted to show Dermot a basking shark.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34You know, more than ever, with sea creatures, it's about luck
0:48:34 > 0:48:37cos you've got to be at the right place at the right time
0:48:37 > 0:48:40and looking at that little spot at the right time.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43- That's what makes it more rewarding, I suppose.- Yeah.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50But these are such rich waters, you never know what you might see.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Oh, wow. Holy Moley!
0:49:10 > 0:49:12That's great.
0:49:14 > 0:49:15Oh, look, look, look, look.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38- Oh, wow.- Wow.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Oh, look at this. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:50:01 > 0:50:03These are common dolphins,
0:50:03 > 0:50:07drawn to the waters off the Hebrides by the abundant food supply.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17- So, Dermot, you wanted to know who eats the mackerel.- These guys?
0:50:17 > 0:50:19- These guys. - These are the mackerel eaters.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Mackerel, herring, they'll eat squid.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Look at this. Oh!
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Oh, beautiful. HE LAUGHS
0:50:26 > 0:50:27Beautiful, beautiful.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32They're inquisitive and social animals
0:50:32 > 0:50:37and fast swimmers, capable of speeds of up to 25mph.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Just extraordinary.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44It's the kind of thing you'd see, like, on television.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46And they're everywhere as well.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49They must know we've got cameras cos they're playing around with us.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Oh, look. Wow. HE LAUGHS
0:50:57 > 0:51:00That was...that's spectacular, isn't it?
0:51:00 > 0:51:02HE LAUGHS
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Is that just for fun?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12That is just for fun. No other reason.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18DERMOT LAUGHS
0:51:18 > 0:51:20It's just awe-inspiring. It really is.
0:51:20 > 0:51:21They're such beautiful creatures.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27You can't help but just adore them when you're this close to them,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30and admire them. They're just so fast, so sleek.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Everything about them.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Oh!
0:51:36 > 0:51:38- That's not something you could ever, ever tire of.- I know.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Oh, look at them.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- We love you too! - Maybe count 20, 30 there.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49- It's so rare to see an animal at play, right...- Yeah.
0:51:49 > 0:51:50..that's not a juvenile?
0:51:50 > 0:51:53But dolphins are kind of renowned for it.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57And we can only guess at how intelligent these dolphins are.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01You know, they're definitely the most intelligent sea creatures.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Orca, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphins -
0:52:03 > 0:52:06all of them, they're immensely intelligent.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08They just...they seem to love life.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11That's what I kind of love about dolphins.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- This is my best encounter.- Really?
0:52:16 > 0:52:20So, yeah, I'm having my best ever common dolphin experience.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37We head back towards Skye,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41but wildlife is nothing if not unpredictable.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47It's another basking shark,
0:52:47 > 0:52:52and this time, I want to show Dermot just how big its mouth really is.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56If it's swimming on the surface, we could get suited up
0:52:56 > 0:52:58- and see if we can get into the water with him.- Let's do it.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04I just saw the basking shark sort of coming straight towards the boat
0:53:04 > 0:53:07with its mouth wide open.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12You just saw this kind of funnel of white underneath the sea.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15But you could see it crystal clear. It was beautiful.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Just going about its business.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19You have to sort of consider that they're feeding,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22so we don't want to interrupt their behaviour at all.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25But the fact that they're feeding on the surface,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27we might have a chance that we could sort of get into the water
0:53:27 > 0:53:29and try and figure out where they're going
0:53:29 > 0:53:32and let them come to us.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39It's, um...it's that kind of moving the goalposts constantly.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41It's, "I'd love to show Dermot a basking shark."
0:53:41 > 0:53:42We see basking sharks.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44"Well, can I show him one underwater?"
0:53:44 > 0:53:46That's when you really do get, you know,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49a sense of how enormous this fish is.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Let's not, um...
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Let's not get split up.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59- We'll stay...- Yeah! Let's not get... You didn't need to say that.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Do they find yellow attractive?
0:54:05 > 0:54:11I think they're so focused in on feeding at the moment,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I think, you know, it's about not interrupting them.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17It's about just hopefully getting ourselves into position
0:54:17 > 0:54:19- where they'll cruise by.- Sure.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Even though it's summer,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29the water is still going to be really cold.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35And basking sharks aren't the only sea creature in the water.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48This big stinging jellyfish has poisonous tentacles
0:54:48 > 0:54:50that trail behind it in the water,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53which probably explains why Dermot's keeping his hands
0:54:53 > 0:54:54so close to his chest.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39Basking sharks' mouths are over 1m wide -
0:55:39 > 0:55:41big enough to swim into.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51It is unbelievable.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55The size. The size of them is just...beyond belief.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00They look big when you're looking at them from the boat,
0:56:00 > 0:56:03but when you're in the water with them, it's...it's staggering.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08An underwater encounter with a basking shark
0:56:08 > 0:56:11is a truly magical experience.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21- Are you all right there?- Fab. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Oh!
0:56:26 > 0:56:28Very, very, very happy.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Another satisfied customer. DERMOT LAUGHS
0:56:42 > 0:56:44That was something else.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47And you've just got this incredible, prehistoric creature
0:56:47 > 0:56:49who's sort of, um...
0:56:49 > 0:56:52You know, kind of like you said, that's one of ours.
0:56:52 > 0:56:53It belongs to these islands
0:56:53 > 0:56:56- and it's given me an appreciation of what's on our doorstep.- Yeah.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59And if you just make a bit of an effort, what you can see...
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I count myself, you know, incredibly lucky
0:57:02 > 0:57:06every time I see these things, to do the job that I do.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10I could never be, you know, complacent about it.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15It's a celebration of, you know, the world
0:57:15 > 0:57:17and of the wild creatures that live here,
0:57:17 > 0:57:20and I think that's sort of, you know, it kind of...
0:57:21 > 0:57:23That's what makes my heart sing -
0:57:23 > 0:57:26to see, you know, a creature like that.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35Yesterday morning, when we boarded this boat,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38I thought, "We are not going to see a single thing."
0:57:38 > 0:57:40- I really was... - Kept that to yourself.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Well, I didn't want to go,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45"Tell you the truth, Dermot, I don't think this is worth it."
0:57:45 > 0:57:48But, you know, nature's always got something up its sleeve
0:57:48 > 0:57:50and you have to kind of roll with the punches
0:57:50 > 0:57:52and make hay while the sun shines.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56- And, you know, I think we have done that.- Right.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00- Amen.- Amen. There endeth the lesson.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02What a lesson. Thank you, my friend.