0:00:27 > 0:00:32In the 16th century, rumours emerged of a lost city in South America,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36full of gold and great riches. It was called El Dorado.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39The Elizabethan explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
0:00:39 > 0:00:43realised that if he could discover this legendary city,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45he would not only impress Queen Elizabeth I,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48he would become rich and famous across the world.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Raleigh had already crossed the Atlantic Ocean,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54attempting to take over parts of what is now the USA.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59But this time he was heading further south, to South America.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02It was an epic journey,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06taking Raleigh nearly two months just to reach South America.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10He set sail without even being sure whether El Dorado existed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12On his return to England,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15he wrote an account of everything that happened on the trip,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19though many people have suggested he exaggerated his version of events.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23"I have been assured by those who have seen El Dorado,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26"that for its greatness and for its riches,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29"it far exceedeth any of the world."
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Now, the Serious Explorers, a team of children from the UK,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36are following in the footsteps of Sir Walter Raleigh
0:01:36 > 0:01:39to find out about the challenges he faced
0:01:39 > 0:01:41and the amazing landscapes he came across.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Rather than spending months at sea,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46they've flown from Britain to the Caribbean.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49They're only completing the last part of Raleigh's ocean voyage,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52from Trinidad and Tobago to South America.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Just like Raleigh's expedition,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59their boat - Scaramouche - relies on the power of the wind,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02but for many of the young explorers, it's not all plain sailing.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08For most it's their first time on the ocean waves
0:02:08 > 0:02:09and seasickness is taking hold.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Every time the boat goes up and down, it makes me feel worse.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Awful feeling.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Like Raleigh's crew in Tudor times, the Serious Explorers
0:02:18 > 0:02:20have some basic living conditions to contend with.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Below deck, it's hot, damp, and very cramped.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27It's like, really horrible, humid.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31We will get to sleep eventually, I think. We'll just get used to it.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Whilst not much larger than Scaramouche,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Raleigh's ship was manned by around 75 men.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Many slept on deck to avoid the incredibly cramped conditions below.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46The work was hard and dangerous and men were regularly lost overboard.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Without fridges they had no fresh meat or fruit,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53so many sailors got ill or died from diseases like scurvy,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56caused by a lack of vitamins in their diet.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Heave!
0:02:58 > 0:03:03The Serious Explorers are realising how much hard work Raleigh's crew
0:03:03 > 0:03:05would have had to do on board the ship.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Three, two, one, pull!
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- That's one sail. We've got another four to go. Yeah?- Four?!
0:03:11 > 0:03:13On other boats, you push a button
0:03:13 > 0:03:14and it does everything for you.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17On here, you have to do everything.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20But travelling this way comes with some perks.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- Ooh!- There's a dolphin!
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I love it, it's just... pure amazing!
0:03:29 > 0:03:33It feels really cool and you can see everything from underneath it.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35The ship looks gorgeous from this view.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43400 years ago, navigating across the oceans took great skill.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Sat navs hadn't been invented
0:03:45 > 0:03:48and much of the Earth was badly mapped or not mapped at all.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Using special instruments like an astrolabe,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Raleigh and his team were able to track the position
0:03:55 > 0:03:57of the sun, moon and stars.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00This helped them work out their latitude -
0:04:00 > 0:04:02how far to the north or south they had travelled.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04To measure their speed,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07a special weighted rope would be thrown overboard.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Along its length were a series of equally-spaced knots.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14The faster the boat sailed, the faster the rope would unwind
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and the more knots would pass through the sailor's fingers.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20By timing how many knots were unwound in 30 seconds,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22the crew could work out how fast they were travelling.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Along with a compass reading, this information would let them know
0:04:26 > 0:04:29how far they'd travelled and in which direction.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Their journey could then be plotted on a map.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Knots are still used to measure the speed of a boat
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but today the measurement can be taken electronically.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42For the Serious Explorers, navigation is a lot easier.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The boat might be traditional in style,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47but it's fitted with the latest satellite navigation tools
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and they have accurate maps, too.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Raleigh didn't have all of our fancy maps...
0:04:52 > 0:04:54all of our gear that we have these days,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56all this kind of stuff -
0:04:56 > 0:04:59GPS, being able to call up a satellite phone,
0:04:59 > 0:05:00all this kind of stuff.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03He just literally had the sun, the sea, the stars
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and a lot of knowledge.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07To see what it was like for Raleigh,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Ben's asked the Serious Explorers to plot their location on a map.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Every two hours, on the hour basically,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16we're going to take a plot of where we are
0:05:16 > 0:05:20so that we can then chart our progress
0:05:20 > 0:05:22to the coast of South America.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So we know how fast we're going,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27how long it's going to take, all this kind of stuff.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The Serious Explorers take it in turns to steer the ship
0:05:32 > 0:05:35but even with modern technology to help them,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37they're struggling with the navigation.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42We're plotting where we are, but we've kind of not got a clue!
0:05:42 > 0:05:44This is where we were at 7.30.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Em...9.45.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50If we did go via the way that we've done it,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53we'd literally be on land already.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It's a magical boat that can fly over land!
0:05:56 > 0:05:59We've definitely done it wrong!
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Michael is finding the old methods of navigation quite appealing.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Following...the star which is right ahead of me.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And if I keep dead in line with that,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14then instead of looking at the compass,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I can use that and it's a lot easier.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19After months at sea,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23spotting dry land was an amazing moment for Raleigh and his crew.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Land discovered!
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- And for the Serious Explorers, it's a welcome sight, too.- Oh, look!
0:06:29 > 0:06:31There's land, there.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Oh, it's over there!
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Look at the horizon, can you see that it's kind of really bumpy?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38That is land.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Can't wait to get my feet on to that dry land...
0:06:43 > 0:06:46for like the first time in four days.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I have never been so happy in my life!
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Welcome to South America.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Oh, I feel, like, land sick. - Land sick?!
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I feel wobbly coming off the boat.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02It's funny, you're sitting there, going...
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Just think where we are.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06This is exactly what Raleigh would have experienced.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The first stage was actually hitting the South American coast
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and that's what we've just done.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Raleigh had sailed across vast oceans in search of El Dorado
0:07:18 > 0:07:20but his adventure was only just beginning.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24He was about to experience some of the most breathtaking
0:07:24 > 0:07:26and unique environments in the world.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Four centuries ago, the Elizabethan explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh
0:07:54 > 0:07:56set sail in search of El Dorado,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59a legendary city full of gold and precious jewels.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02He sailed thousands of miles across the ocean
0:08:02 > 0:08:04to reach Guyana in South America,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07in the hope of becoming the first person to discover the lost city.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12There was no real evidence to suggest that El Dorado even existed.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Sir Raleigh was taking a big risk.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18He persuaded lots of important people, including Queen Elizabeth I,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22to support his trip, so he didn't want to let them down.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Raleigh and his men spent many months away on the expedition.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29One of their main sources of information
0:08:29 > 0:08:31about the whereabouts of El Dorado
0:08:31 > 0:08:34came from the local tribes they met in the rainforest.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The tribespeople had also heard many stories of the lost city
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and agreed to help them find it.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46With four-fifths of Guyana covered by rainforest,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50discovering El Dorado was like finding a needle in a haystack.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Tribespeople constantly talked of Lake Parime
0:08:54 > 0:08:55as the location of the golden city
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and also told Raleigh's stories of the gold they'd found there.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04"They told me they gathered gold on its shores
0:09:04 > 0:09:07"in grains as big as small stones."
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Sadly, bad weather meant Raleigh never made it to the lake
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and his team had to turn back.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24400 years on, a team of children from the UK
0:09:24 > 0:09:28are on their own expedition, following in Raleigh's footsteps.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33They're called the Serious Explorers and they're here to get a taste
0:09:33 > 0:09:37of Raleigh's amazing adventures as he explored South America.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It feels like I'm in a dream!
0:09:39 > 0:09:41And with El Dorado still undiscovered,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44there's always the hope that they might just be the ones to find it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Some of the team prepare to take a horse ride out to Lake Parime.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Assistant expedition leader Polly
0:09:51 > 0:09:54shows the explorers a map that dates back to Elizabethan times.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00We've got here an old map that was actually made in 1599
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and they reckon that El Dorado is on this lake somewhere.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Wow!
0:10:05 > 0:10:09The map even highlights El Dorado on the shore of the lake.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Oh, look, come down here.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14After a three-hour ride,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17the Serious Explorers arrive at the edge of the lake.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20They've done better than Raleigh to get this far.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21- How are we doing, guys?- Badly.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Water.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27It's a bit overgrown.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Not easy.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Sadly, they have no greater success
0:10:31 > 0:10:33in locating the legendary golden city.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38But they do get to see some real Guyanian gold.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I've brought this to show you guys proper gold,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43it's actually worth about £200.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45There's a big chunk, there. Put your hand out.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51That's probably £50 worth.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54You can quite easily miss it, can't you?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It looks like a bit of sandstone with some fancy paint on it.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59It's surprisingly light.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I always imagined it to be...
0:11:01 > 0:11:02- Heavy.- Yeah.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Local people regularly head out into the wild in search of their fortune.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Gold hunter Malcolm has come to show the Serious Explorers
0:11:12 > 0:11:15a technique that's been used for centuries to find it,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17known as gold panning.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33So, if you spin too fast,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- the gold goes out of the side?- Yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37So, I reckon, if we have a demo from him,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40cos he's the skilful bottler, yeah?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Amazingly, tiny chunks of pure gold can sometimes be found
0:11:43 > 0:11:46mixed up with the mud on the banks of the river.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Gold panning works by washing away the mud and clay,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52leaving the gold behind.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The gold should separate and sink towards the bottom of the pan,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57where it can be collected.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59OK, watch this, guys. This is obviously the art.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The gold will separate to the bottom.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Malcolm has been gold panning since he was 14.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10It takes him about 15 minutes to sort through one pan of soil.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Can you see anything?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Although he's been really successful in the past,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16this time his luck is out.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Time to see if the Serious Explorers have any more luck.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Good.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Check it out!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Look at that excess water you've got there, Regan.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38- Oh, careful!- Don't get too cocky! - You're pouring my gold away!
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I don't think we're going to find anything
0:12:40 > 0:12:42cos it is a long process.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45To be honest, it doesn't look like there's anything in there
0:12:45 > 0:12:47cos you'd probably see it shining.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's like Pass the Parcel, if you get the treat or not.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It's funny, trying to see if you've got something.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Finish it off.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55That's it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59That's it. A bit more. A bit more into the water.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00That's it, you're getting it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03He makes it look so easy.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I don't think I could do it for that long
0:13:05 > 0:13:08cos I was getting frustrated with not being able to do it properly.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12- He's got the technique!- You do! Oh, look! I can almost see the bottom.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- I think that's the bottom. - Seriously?- Seriously.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I think it was just the bottom of the pan.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I got a bit over-optimistic.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I don't know whether in Sir Walter Raleigh's day
0:13:23 > 0:13:25they were using this technique,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28but certainly it hasn't moved on for a couple of hundred years.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30This is a very basic technique and it works.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35And still thousands of people are in the bush trying their luck,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37you know, for their gold strike.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41And there was a gold strike in southern Guyana about a month ago,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45not far from what is reputed to be the site of El Dorado.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Suddenly, all over Guyana, people heard about it
0:13:47 > 0:13:52and there were thousands of people flocking on this one site
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and they were taking out nuggets like that.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Like Raleigh, the Serious Explorers have found
0:13:57 > 0:14:00neither gold nor the mythical golden city.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04But Sammie thinks El Dorado was under Raleigh's nose the whole time.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I think, personally, that he did find El Dorado
0:14:07 > 0:14:10because I consider Guyana, the whole environment, to be El Dorado
0:14:10 > 0:14:13because it is the most beautiful place.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It's like worth gold, basically, it's as good as gold.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41This is Mount Roraima,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43one of the most extraordinary mountains in the world.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47This gigantic triangular slab of rock is nearly 10,000 feet high
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and it marks the border of three countries -
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58The unique mountain has often been described
0:14:58 > 0:15:01as something from another world.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Over the years, it has inspired
0:15:03 > 0:15:05dozens of stories, myths and legends.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10In the late 16th century,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
0:15:13 > 0:15:16led a mission to Guyana in search
0:15:16 > 0:15:19of the legendary golden city of El Dorado.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Many believe he was taken to Roraima, where his guides told him
0:15:25 > 0:15:28he would find precious jewels and minerals.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32"The tribesmen promised to bring us
0:15:32 > 0:15:35"to a mountain that had stones the colour of gold."
0:15:37 > 0:15:40400 years later, the Serious Explorers,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43a team of young adventurers from the UK,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46have come to relive the legend of Raleigh.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50And for them, first sight of Roraima is awe-inspiring.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54It's lovely.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56But it is going to be a terror to climb.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00I find it hard to believe I'm actually going to get to the top.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01But it's a gorgeous view,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03and if it's like this all the way from down here,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07how amazing will it be from up there? So...
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Frustratingly for Raleigh, he was unable to climb Roraima.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19"Our guide told me there were diamonds and precious stones,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23"but neither he nor his men dared ascend to the top,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26"the way up it, so impassable."
0:16:26 > 0:16:30A route up Roraima's sheer sides was not discovered
0:16:30 > 0:16:34until almost 300 years later, when a narrow ramp was found
0:16:34 > 0:16:36on the side of the mountain. But it is not
0:16:36 > 0:16:39an easy climb, as the Serious Explorers are discovering.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- Look at that!- Oh, my gosh!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02That's not even steep, that's vertical!
0:17:02 > 0:17:04How are we supposed to get up there?
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Oh, yeah, wow!
0:17:15 > 0:17:18This is getting steeper and steeper.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21I thought it was closer.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28We've reached the top!
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I am so happy.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32You might not be able to see it, but I am.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36For the young explorers, the arduous trek pays off.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40A breathtaking view awaits them when they finally reach
0:17:40 > 0:17:43the top of Roraima, something Raleigh never got to see.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- I can't believe we're here, it's amazing.- We're at the top!
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Roraima almost certainly formed
0:17:53 > 0:17:58over thousands of years as a result of movements
0:17:58 > 0:18:01close to the Earth's surface that literally pushed up the ground
0:18:01 > 0:18:05in this area. Because it is so inaccessible, the plants found here
0:18:05 > 0:18:08have developed differently to those in the surrounding countryside,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11making them unique to this place, what scientists call endemic,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15as assistant expedition leader Polly explains.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Plants up here, they only grow here.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21You will not find them anywhere else in the world.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24If you look behind you at all these trees here,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26these are called Bonnetia trees.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31And these only grow here. They are endemic of this area.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And it is basically like a sort of flytrap.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40What happens is, the insect lands, OK?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42And then, it closes up
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and it takes about five hours for the plant to digest it.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50And all the nutrients go down into the bottom of the plant.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Some of the team go with leader Ben
0:18:59 > 0:19:04to an extraordinary area on the summit called Crystal Valley.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08This towering gorge, you see all these white, coarse crystals littered all over the ground.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Strangely, this is just the sort of area tribespeople described
0:19:12 > 0:19:16to Raleigh, even though they seemed to have no way of getting up here.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Look at all this lot.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22These quartz crystals were formed
0:19:22 > 0:19:25millions of years ago inside the Earth,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27where it is hot enough to melt rock.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Combined with huge pressures below the surface,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32the rocks became crystals. As Roraima formed,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36they were brought up to the surface, where they have been ever since.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- Phenomenal.- That's the best, like, shiny.- That's very cool.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43But then, you get huge great things like this. But all naturally formed.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- Could I buy this?- No.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Wonder how it forms the flat bits, like that, the pyramid on top.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50That's amazing, where did you get that one?
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- On the floor.- This is so pretty.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Meanwhile, Polly's group are looking at some weird features,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05shaped over millions of years by harsh weather.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08This is called Indian Camp.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- I see lots of faces with massive noses!- It's really cool.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19They call him The Guardian, he stands there and watches over.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I actually thought it was a proper person when I saw it.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27It's got random shapes, like stuff you won't find anywhere else,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29like we are on Mars, or something!
0:20:29 > 0:20:34I've never seen nothing like it. And it's quite amazing, actually.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39This place is absolutely bonkers.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40For the Serious Explorers,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43the trip to Mount Roraima has been a truly memorable experience.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49They are the youngest expedition ever to have made it to the top.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55To get up to 10,000 feet, it's incredible.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58And before they leave, one lucky member
0:20:58 > 0:21:00of the team is treated to a view
0:21:00 > 0:21:05Sir Walter Raleigh could only have dreamed of.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08This is crazy!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Oh my, whoa! That is cool.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Happiest kid on the planet right now.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It is like landing on the moon.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30There is just nothing like this I've ever seen in my life.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Wow! Oh, my!
0:21:34 > 0:21:39HE LAUGHS That is mad.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45We've walked all the way up there.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46Whoa-ho-ho!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It's from the air that you really get a chance to see just why Roraima
0:21:54 > 0:22:00is one of the most extraordinary geographical features of our planet.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25In the 16th century, the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh was
0:22:25 > 0:22:29the first Englishman to visit Guyana in South America.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32He came in search of a lost city called El Dorado,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35which according to legend was full of gold.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39With over four fifths of the land here covered by rainforest,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42the fastest way of getting around is often by river.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Guyana's local tribespeople helped guide Raleigh
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and his team through the country's complex river network.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53But with huge distances to cover, in the intense heat,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56it was far from easy, as his journal reveals.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03"We began to despair, the weather being extreme hot.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07"The further we went on the river, the weaker and weaker we grew."
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Guyana's rivers are the lifeblood of the jungle.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Not only are they the best way to travel through the rainforest, they also provide food
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and the resource of water for drinking and washing.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29400 years after Raleigh's expedition,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32the Serious Explorers, a group of children from the UK,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35have come to Guyana to follow his footsteps.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39The explorers are given the opportunity to try out the kind
0:23:39 > 0:23:43of traditional canoes that would have been around in Raleigh's day.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Just paddle downstream, OK?
0:23:44 > 0:23:49Dug-out canoes have been used by local tribes for thousands of years.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Each one is carved from a single tree trunk, making them very strong.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57But even when hollowed out, they are extremely heavy,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59weighing up to two tonnes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Controlling them is tricky, as the teams discover.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Backwards on the right, girls. Lots of power.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Now, stop paddling on the right-hand side, boys.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Right-hand side, boys, quickly.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15The river here is very calm,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18but even so, the Serious Explorers are struggling.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21We have been on the water about five minutes and we have been
0:24:21 > 0:24:24stuck in about five trees, so it's all quite entertaining!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The rainforest, the rivers running through it and the whole
0:24:31 > 0:24:34surrounding area change dramatically between seasons.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Tropical areas usually have two wet seasons,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40when it rains very heavily, causing the water level in the rivers
0:24:40 > 0:24:43to rise by as much as 15 metres.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46When this happens, vast areas of land become flooded.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51The Serious Explorers' expedition is taking place in what is supposed to be dry season,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55but as they undertake an epic 70-mile canoe journey down the Burro-Burro River,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59they suffer the heaviest downpours locals ever remember.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Their technique and communication has certainly improved,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05but now the weather is working against them.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The rain doesn't seem to hinder you, to be honest.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You just keep on going through it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Because it's not really freezing, it's not so bad.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Just as we build our homes near roads and shops,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26most people in Guyana construct their houses alongside the rivers.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The Serious Explorers' guides from the local Macushi tribe
0:25:35 > 0:25:40have brought no food with them, relying on fishing on the river.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44They demonstrate to Sammie and Nikita traditional techniques
0:25:44 > 0:25:48for catching fish, which have been used for generations.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54- I just launch it? - How did you do that?
0:25:54 > 0:25:55Because I'm skilled.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Their method is simple. Just a line, a hook,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01some bait and a strong arm.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Lionel, what's the biggest size fish you ever caught?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11We have the typical arapaima
0:26:11 > 0:26:15which is about eight feet long and it weighs 400 pounds.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I want to catch a fish!
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I think I might enjoy if I did actually catch something.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Hopefully soon.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25But although the river is teeming with fish,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28it can take a long time to actually catch one.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Patience is vital.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Oh, my goodness gracious me!
0:26:37 > 0:26:39That is huge!
0:26:39 > 0:26:41He's that big, Sammie!
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Finding huge fish is not uncommon.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50South America is home to the world's largest freshwater fish,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53the arapaima, which can grow up to three metres long.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55SHE LAUGHS
0:26:57 > 0:27:01This is my fish. I caught this.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06If we catch another one like this, I'll definitely do it. I love fish!
0:27:06 > 0:27:11That is some big fish! First time and he catches that!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14That's a baby one!
0:27:15 > 0:27:19One of the aims of this expedition is for the Serious Explorers
0:27:19 > 0:27:22to break a record by becoming the youngest group
0:27:22 > 0:27:24to reach the bottom of Kaieteur Falls.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28But the huge unseasonal rains mean the river ahead is heavily swollen.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Their planned path along the gorge is flooded,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34so they have to forge a new and treacherous route
0:27:34 > 0:27:36through virgin rainforest by the river.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40They are exploring new territory, just like Raleigh.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The beginning was fine, then when we started getting
0:27:43 > 0:27:46to the tricky bits, everyone was falling through little ditches.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49There was things to slip on, like big boulders
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and actually everything in the forest will hurt you.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54And it was absolutely killing.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59We've just done a route that nobody's ever been down before. Pioneered brand-new track.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00- Wow!- Look at that.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04It's here the young explorers really get to experience
0:28:04 > 0:28:05the power of the river.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Quite scary, isn't it? Just a bit!
0:28:08 > 0:28:11The water is sent crashing over the rocks and boulders,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15creating turbulent currents called rapids.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- Look up, guys.- Whoa!
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- That's huge!- Wow!
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Woo-hoo-hoo!
0:28:23 > 0:28:26At last, they reach their destination - Kaieteur Falls.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29The heavy rainfall has had a dramatic effect
0:28:29 > 0:28:30on the size of the waterfall.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It's now twice as wide as usual.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35The sight is spectacular.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40The waterfall is the height of a 75 storey skyscraper.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44The swollen river cascades down an amazing 741 feet
0:28:44 > 0:28:46to the rocks beneath.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Really incredible to see and just being so close to it. It's crazy.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Really, really cool.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03So, so beautiful. I never expected it to be that good.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Nowhere else in the world does so much water fall uninterrupted
0:29:07 > 0:29:10over such a vast distance. The Serious Explorers have already
0:29:10 > 0:29:13achieved an enormous feat by getting to the falls.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16But now they're going for another record.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20They want to be the youngest group ever to abseil down the falls.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22They head to the top for a thrilling descent,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25almost touching-distance from the region waterfall.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30Oh, my goodness! That is the best view in the whole world!
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Whoa! That is cool! Those waves are immense.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42This is amazing. The best thing about this whole trip.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Securely tied with ropes and pulleys, they experience close-up
0:29:46 > 0:29:50the extraordinary power of nature, and see firsthand
0:29:50 > 0:29:54one of the most jaw-dropping views of the Guyanan rainforest.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56It's just incredible.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Everything's just perfect.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00Well done, guys. Excellent.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Rainforest are home to an amazing range of wildlife.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30They take up just a 20th of the land on Earth,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32but are thought to be home to around half
0:30:32 > 0:30:36of all the different kinds of plants and animals in existence.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Rainforests are found only near the Equator,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41in hot, humid, tropical areas.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45The largest of all is the Amazon Rainforest in South America.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Just to the north is Guyana's smaller
0:30:47 > 0:30:50but even more spectacular jungle.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55In the 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh came to
0:30:55 > 0:30:58this part of the world in search of great riches.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01The rainforest could not have been more different
0:31:01 > 0:31:03to Elizabethan England.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05"On both sides of this river,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09"we passed the most beautiful country that ever mine eyes beheld."
0:31:13 > 0:31:16400 years on, a group of young adventurers from the UK
0:31:16 > 0:31:19are following in the Tudor seafarer's footsteps.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24They are the Serious Explorers and for one in particular, Regan,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27coming here has been a lifelong ambition.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29I've been waiting for this more than half my life.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I love reptiles, amphibians
0:31:31 > 0:31:35and all the wildlife you get out here.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39At first glance, the rainforest might look like a taller version
0:31:39 > 0:31:42of a British forest, but it has some unique and extraordinary features,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46as expedition leader, Ben, explains.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It's very easy to look but not see, yeah?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53And what I mean by that is you just look at your feet, you look
0:31:53 > 0:31:57very superficially at the first line of green
0:31:57 > 0:31:59that you see around you.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00Start trying to look through it
0:32:00 > 0:32:03because it is the most amazing environment to be in.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08I just want you to start taking in the smells, taking in the noises.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10You can hear parrot cackling in the background.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12It's a very, very cool environment to be in.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23First little bit where I came in, I thought it was a bit boring
0:32:23 > 0:32:26but then Ben started explaining what we could hear and see
0:32:26 > 0:32:30and then I started looking more and I thought it was really fascinating.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58The jungle is also very hot and humid.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00It gets really sweaty. It's such a difference.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03You walk and the sky just goes and you're in the shade
0:33:03 > 0:33:06but the humidity is just unbelievable.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07You can't even imagine it.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11It's like shutting yourself in a steam room. You sweat instantly.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21There are thousands of different species all living together
0:33:21 > 0:33:25under the forest canopy - and many of them can be dangerous.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Every single animal that can kill you lives in the jungle.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31It's a prison for bad animals!
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Local guide, Lionel, shows the group some of the animals
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- they need to look out for in the jungle.- ALL: Whoa!
0:33:44 > 0:33:47And a scorpion!
0:33:47 > 0:33:52There are about 2,000 different species of scorpion in the world.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Only a small number have poison strong enough to kill people,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58but even little ones like this can be extremely dangerous.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Look at the size of that baby!
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- And you know they jump four feet, don't you?- Really?
0:34:09 > 0:34:13I'm going to be thinking it's crawling up my back all night now.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Amazing just to think these are all around us.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18I don't know why like it, but I think it's quite pretty.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21They're quite special.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Small but no less painful are bullet ants.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26A bite from one of these could have some frightening results.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30If he bit you, your hand would swell to the size of a baseball glove.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- Have you been bitten by one? - Many, many times.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Four of them on my leg. They get into my pants, and...
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Oh, my goodness!
0:34:39 > 0:34:41Everybody run!
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Oh! What on Earth?
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- It's a bumblebee poison dart frog. - Absolutely stunning, huh?
0:34:48 > 0:34:52The bright colours of the bumblebee dart frog warn off predators.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54That's because their skin secretes a poison
0:34:54 > 0:34:57which could kill anything that tries to eat them.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Jungle boffin, Regan,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02explains how the poison is produced from their food.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06In captivity, they're not poisonous. It's their diets of insects
0:35:06 > 0:35:08like mites that give them the poison.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11The largest they really grow is 1.5 inches.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13But it's not deadly unless
0:35:13 > 0:35:15you've got an open, bleeding cut on your hand.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Then you've got a bit of an issue.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19It's not just creepy-crawlies
0:35:19 > 0:35:22that the Serious Explorers could encounter.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25The jungle is also home to a large number of snakes.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Not all of them are venomous, but they can still be pretty lively.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Rainbow boa. Non-venomous.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Key thing with boas, they are feisty, feisty snakes, yeah?
0:35:34 > 0:35:36And although they're non-venomous,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39this one's struck about four or five times, just trying to
0:35:39 > 0:35:42get him out of the bin, and nipped Lionel in the process.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44- OK?- He's cool.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49Rainbow boas are called "constrictors".
0:35:49 > 0:35:53They aren't venomous, but wrap themselves tightly around their prey
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and squeeze them until they can no longer breathe.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58That is so beautiful.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Their bodies are full of powerful muscles
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and they can strike from a distance of more than half their body length.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- Just like holding a dog tail.- OK.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12OK, take it back, take it back, take it back. Aaah!
0:36:12 > 0:36:15I was always really careful where I sat down, but I'm glad
0:36:15 > 0:36:19I know what is in the jungle and what I need to be aware of.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Not every creature in the jungle is dangerous,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28but they can cause problems, as Sammie discovers
0:36:28 > 0:36:31when she's bitten by a tick.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Expedition doctor Fi checks it out.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Well, ticks are, yeah, incredibly common in the jungle,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41so it was only a matter of time until somebody
0:36:41 > 0:36:43were to find one on their body.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of other animals.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49They usually drop off once they've eaten, but until then
0:36:49 > 0:36:51they can be very tricky to remove.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Fortunately Sammie appears to have found this relatively early,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58but that could go to sort of double or triple the size
0:36:58 > 0:36:59once it's had time to suck blood.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02So we need to get the tweezers right underneath.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- Ow.- Can you feel a bit of pulling on the skin there?- Yeah.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Little bit of a tug of war, OK?
0:37:07 > 0:37:12- Ow!- If it's not going to come easily we can always burn it, OK?
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Or we can put a little bit of Vaseline on there, OK?
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Put a dressing over it, so basically the tick can't get any oxygen,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21it's going to suffocate.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25So hopefully within half an hour or so should suffocate under that.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30The jungle is an ecosystem
0:37:30 > 0:37:33full of creatures that feed off each other in a food chain.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36For example, leafcutter ants depend on the leaves of trees.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Anteaters feast on the ants, and other larger creatures
0:37:40 > 0:37:42may then eat the anteaters.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45The jungle is in a delicate state of balance in which
0:37:45 > 0:37:48all the plants and animals depend on each other.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52The rainforest in Guyana has hardly changed since Raleigh's day,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55and remains one of the few areas of unspoiled jungle
0:37:55 > 0:37:56anywhere in the world.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Eight young British adventurers aged 12-14 have come to Guyana
0:38:24 > 0:38:29in South America to explore the spectacular unspoilt rainforest.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34They're following in the 400-year-old footsteps
0:38:34 > 0:38:37of the Elizabethan adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40the first Englishman to explore Guyana.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Four-fifths of the land in Guyana is covered by rainforest,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46so a large part of their time here is spent in the jungle.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50This is one of only a handful of rainforests left on the planet
0:38:50 > 0:38:53that haven't been damaged or destroyed by humans.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01It certainly had an impact on Raleigh, as his journal records.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04"There is no country which yielded more pleasure.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07"It hath so many plains, clear rivers,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11"and all sorts of beasts in great plenty.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15"For health, good air, pleasure and riches,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17"I am resolved it cannot be equalled."
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Across the world, rainforests like this one are under threat.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24It's estimated that every day,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28100 square miles of rainforests are cut down,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30and every year, thousands of species
0:39:30 > 0:39:35of animals, plants and insects are threatened with extinction.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Environmentalists warn that if this rate of destruction continues,
0:39:39 > 0:39:43then in just 100 years' time there will be no rainforests left at all.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50In Guyana, local people are now working to help protect
0:39:50 > 0:39:53the creatures most in danger of becoming extinct.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57One of the Serious Explorers, Megan, has been given a chance to meet
0:39:57 > 0:40:01a magnificent but highly endangered animal - the harpy eagle.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Harpies are one of the largest birds of prey
0:40:04 > 0:40:07in South America, but the loss of their natural habitat
0:40:07 > 0:40:09has driven them towards extinction.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11There are so few of them left that
0:40:11 > 0:40:15encountering harpies in the wild is incredibly unusual.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Megan is lucky enough to meet local guide Sydney,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21who points out a rare harpy nest high up in the trees.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23- That's the nest.- I can see it.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24- Do you see it?- Yeah!
0:40:24 > 0:40:29It's one of the strongest birds of prey.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34The strength of its legs would take monkeys off of branches.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Even little children, you know? Babies. They're that strong.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43- How big is that one up there? - Um, this, I...
0:40:43 > 0:40:45I wouldn't be able to tell you,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49but the adults can grow their wingspan to about six feet,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51six feet six.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52About this.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Now that you're here, would you like to get closer to the bird?
0:40:56 > 0:40:57- Yes, please!- Good.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Right foot through that one.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Trees in the rainforest grow very tall, so to get
0:41:02 > 0:41:05a close look at the harpy eagle, Megan has to
0:41:05 > 0:41:07climb 100 feet up - jungle style.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12It's a little bit frightening,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15because apparently I'm not far off prey size.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Stand up.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18Perfect.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22The harpy has excellent vision,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26and keeps a close eye on Megan as she's hoisted up into the trees.
0:41:31 > 0:41:32She's massive!
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Oh, look at her feet! Her claws are like that long!
0:41:42 > 0:41:45This harpy is just an eight-month-old chick,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47but it's already nearly a metre tall.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50SHE CLICKS HER TONGUE
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Hello! Hello!
0:41:56 > 0:41:59She's only a little baby.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03The adults must be absolutely huge.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11That was absolutely amazing.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15He's about that tall compared to me, so he's pretty big.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I was looking, I saw a bit of his feet, claws like that big!
0:42:19 > 0:42:23I crossed my fingers last night that he would be here this morning,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25and he stayed there and I got to see him!
0:42:32 > 0:42:36In another part of the rainforest is another wildlife project.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39This one is designed to monitor a creature that's been around
0:42:39 > 0:42:41since dinosaurs were alive.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47Caimans are a type of crocodile found across South America.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Like all crocs, they're threatened by humans.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52They're being driven towards extinction as a result of
0:42:52 > 0:42:54the trade in their skin.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59The powerful reptiles live in and around jungle rivers,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03where they lie in wait for their prey.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Tonight, the Caiman Project is being visited by Serious Explorers
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Jake, Josh and team leader Polly.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12The caiman are hard to spot.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14The one thing that gives them away
0:43:14 > 0:43:17is the reflection of the searchlights in their eyes.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21The idea is that you're trying to get one that's out in the open,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25and one that's bold enough that it stays up on top of the water.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28This is a long-term mark-recapture study,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30we've been running for about four years.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33We catch a caiman, we release it back into the wild,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36and hopefully in a few years we can catch it back,
0:43:36 > 0:43:38or in a couple of years, so you can see how it's growing,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40when it sustains injuries.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Trying to get a full life history of individuals,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45and then as well, assessing the population.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48The more the researchers know about the caimans,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50the more they can work to protect them.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52What's the biggest caiman you've caught?
0:43:52 > 0:43:54The biggest one we've caught on the project
0:43:54 > 0:43:56was about 12 feet two inches long.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59- What do they actually eat? - Caiman are very opportunistic.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04Something drinking water at the river edge, er, fish...
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Er...birds.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Even turtles that are going up on the sandbank to nest.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14All of a sudden, a caiman slinks past in the darkness
0:44:14 > 0:44:16and the team try to catch it.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Look at that!
0:44:19 > 0:44:23Jake and Josh are amazed by its strength as it tries to escape.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Although this one is thrashing a lot,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30the researchers make sure it doesn't suffer any ill-effects.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32We can see its teeth!
0:44:32 > 0:44:35This is so crazy.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39The team move quickly so the caiman doesn't become too stressed.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42One false move and the men in the boat
0:44:42 > 0:44:44could be dragged into the water by the powerful caiman.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46It's so huge.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49They control it using special catch-poles,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51and they make sure its jaws are taped shut
0:44:51 > 0:44:54before bringing it to the river bank for a closer look.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- You can imagine swimming in the river!- No!
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- I don't want to swim in the river any more!- With that beast!
0:45:07 > 0:45:11- Jake, he's twice the size of you! - That is scary.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12By measuring the head,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15they can use a special formula to work out how big a caiman is.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19This is useful if they find skulls of caiman that have died
0:45:19 > 0:45:22or been killed by hunters.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26By comparing the measurements they took the last time
0:45:26 > 0:45:28this caiman was caught, the team will be able to
0:45:28 > 0:45:31track its growth and compare it to other caimans in the area.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37The team turn the caiman over to reveal
0:45:37 > 0:45:40a completely different-looking surface -
0:45:40 > 0:45:43one that's smooth and streamlined for the water.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46- It's smooth on the bottom. - Did you say it's like tiles?
0:45:46 > 0:45:49They've measured every part of this caiman. Just one thing left -
0:45:49 > 0:45:51its weight. Josh and Jake help out.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53Not off the ground!
0:45:53 > 0:45:56- It's still not off the ground. - Ohh, that's heavy!
0:45:56 > 0:45:59120 kg.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03With measurements taken, it's time for the research team
0:46:03 > 0:46:05to release the caiman back into the river.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14- That is cool!- Whoa! - 'That was phenomenal.'
0:46:14 > 0:46:17It was great to be so close to a caiman.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19The textures of the skin, some were like rock hard
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and some were squishy and fleshy and soft.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25It's just seeing it so close up, I mean,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28every single part of it you could see perfectly.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30It was brilliant. Every second of it.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36Researchers still know very little about the behaviour and habits
0:46:36 > 0:46:39of many of the world's endangered creatures.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42What they do know is that it's important to stop
0:46:42 > 0:46:45their rainforest homes being destroyed by logging
0:46:45 > 0:46:47and other human activity,
0:46:47 > 0:46:49if we're to prevent many unique animals becoming extinct.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18400 years ago, the Elizabethan explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
0:47:18 > 0:47:20crossed the Atlantic Ocean
0:47:20 > 0:47:23in search of a lost city called El Dorado that was said to be
0:47:23 > 0:47:27full of gold. Raleigh spent many months planning his adventure,
0:47:27 > 0:47:29believing that if he could find the legendary city,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32he would become rich beyond his wildest dreams.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35It was a massive expedition
0:47:35 > 0:47:38that took months to complete, but Raleigh didn't go alone.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39He had many men with him,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42and he recruited a number of guides from local tribes
0:47:42 > 0:47:44when he landed in Guyana.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46He knew little about his destination,
0:47:46 > 0:47:49but Raleigh researched the trip carefully
0:47:49 > 0:47:51before he set sail.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53400 years later the Serious Explorers,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55a team of children from the UK,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58have come here to retrace part of Raleigh's route.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02For expedition leader Ben, this is the culmination
0:48:02 > 0:48:04of almost a year of planning.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06The biggest thing with an expedition is,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08what is it that you're going to do?
0:48:08 > 0:48:12It's actually coming up with a fairly firm idea or concept.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15And the only way to do that is to read loads of books,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17get maps out, and speak to people
0:48:17 > 0:48:20that have been there or that have done similar activities
0:48:20 > 0:48:23to what you're thinking of doing. Get all the knowledge you can
0:48:23 > 0:48:25as early as possible,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29and then you can really refine an idea and make it better,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32bigger, greater than you ever thought.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37Raleigh's expedition to Guyana
0:48:37 > 0:48:39lasted for many months. He encountered
0:48:39 > 0:48:41landscapes and wildlife
0:48:41 > 0:48:46totally unfamiliar to an Elizabethan Englishman.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49The Serious Explorers will have only five weeks for their whole trip,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52so Ben has a lot to fit in.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55They're also getting to try potentially dangerous activities
0:48:55 > 0:48:58that require careful planning, from climbing epic mountains...
0:48:58 > 0:49:00We've reached the top!
0:49:00 > 0:49:03..To abseiling down vast waterfalls.
0:49:03 > 0:49:04Oh, my gosh!
0:49:04 > 0:49:06And just like Raleigh, they're also
0:49:06 > 0:49:09spending time living deep in the jungle.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Though the trip's been carefully researched by Ben,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15it's a real expedition where anything can happen,
0:49:15 > 0:49:18so they need to be ready to adapt to the changing conditions,
0:49:18 > 0:49:20from the terrain to the weather.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25This is the plan that we came up with for the Serious series.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28By its nature you'd think it would be really detailed - it's not.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31On this front cover is literally, that's four days.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34So we kind of know what we're trying to achieve on a day-to-day basis,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37but we know that it's inherently flexible
0:49:37 > 0:49:39and it's going to change.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42One of the key things on any expedition is nutrition.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45400 years ago there was very little long-life food
0:49:45 > 0:49:47and no refrigeration,
0:49:47 > 0:49:51so food had to be sourced locally and eaten fresh.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56For the Serious Explorers, ensuring a balanced diet is still important,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00and planning meals is a key part of the expedition leader's job.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02One of the biggest elements in planning an expedition
0:50:02 > 0:50:05is what you're going to eat. And I can't stress that enough,
0:50:05 > 0:50:08because you get obsessed by food so quickly,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and it becomes the main topic of conversation on like day two,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14all the way through, about all the things that you're missing
0:50:14 > 0:50:16from ice cream to jelly to, I don't know,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20a particularly favourite chocolate bar or a particular biscuit.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24The key thing in planning is you've got to get the right kind of food
0:50:24 > 0:50:26that's got the right energy to keep you going
0:50:26 > 0:50:29over a long period of time. Some of our trips are five weeks long.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33And you just imagine, if you put all the food that you ate in a week
0:50:33 > 0:50:37on the table and thought you had to carry that, you probably couldn't.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41And so you have to work out what is, where can you buy this food,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44am I going to take it with me or am I going to buy it locally?
0:50:44 > 0:50:47And does it have the right nutrients that I need
0:50:47 > 0:50:48for what we're going to be doing?
0:50:48 > 0:50:52What happens in the jungle is you tend to try and use dry goods,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55staples such as rice, noodles,
0:50:55 > 0:50:59that are really high carbohydrate but actually they're slow-burning,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02so they deliver that energy to you over a long period of time.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06But frankly it's a bit bland, so you need other things to go with that.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08We were lucky that we could
0:51:08 > 0:51:12supplement our diet with fresh fish along the way,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15which supplies all sorts of proteins and essential oils
0:51:15 > 0:51:17that you need to keep going.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19But the key thing is that you've got to get that right,
0:51:19 > 0:51:20because if you don't,
0:51:20 > 0:51:24you're going to have some really unhappy campers on that trip.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28The Serious Explorers are operating in an area
0:51:28 > 0:51:31about the size of mainland Britain, using lots of different
0:51:31 > 0:51:35modes of transport, and a large part of their time will be spent walking.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38As such, the expedition leaders have to be strict on packing.
0:51:38 > 0:51:4112 kilos. Technically they all should weigh the same,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43you know what I mean?
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- What's too heavy? - Unless somebody's sneaked something.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- Yeah, like make-up or mascara. - I didn't bring any!
0:51:48 > 0:51:52Golden rule about packing is just remembering "light is right".
0:51:52 > 0:51:57And everyone does it - "I just might need this, I just might need that."
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Don't do it. Don't do it.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03You've probably done it many times - you've been on holiday,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06and you've come back and half the suitcase you haven't even touched.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10If you're having to carry all of your stuff including food,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13expedition kit for the group,
0:52:13 > 0:52:16and your personal stuff,
0:52:16 > 0:52:18it's a lot of kit. It weighs a lot.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20And every single ounce, every single tiny bit
0:52:20 > 0:52:23mounts up over a period of time.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Stay light. Light is right.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30For some of the team, packing light is proving difficult.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34We're not allowed to take any deodorant or anything.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37- I'm going to stink! - Everything the team have packed
0:52:37 > 0:52:40is essential to their comfort and safety.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It's obvious that you guys have lost already
0:52:43 > 0:52:45quite a lot of your kit, haven't you?
0:52:46 > 0:52:49So from now on on this trip, OK,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52every one of you is in charge of your own personal gear.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57If stuff goes missing, right, you lose something, tough.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03One of the most uncontrollable elements on the trip is the weather,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05and it can change at any time.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08It doesn't matter whether you're in the UK -
0:53:08 > 0:53:11we've all been on that one day where it's hailed in the morning,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13it's sunny in the afternoon,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16and suddenly it's freezing cold in the evening -
0:53:16 > 0:53:18it's exactly the same on an expedition,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21and you need to be prepared for the unexpected.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23In fact, the Serious Explorers
0:53:23 > 0:53:26experienced some of the wettest weather on record,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28for what's meant to be the dry season.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31Not only does the weather impact on safety, it can cause delays,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33so plans have to be flexible.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36But the team also have the latest equipment and outdoor clothing
0:53:36 > 0:53:40with them, something Raleigh would definitely have been jealous of.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44400 years ago, Raleigh didn't have all of our sort of
0:53:44 > 0:53:46modern-day technology
0:53:46 > 0:53:49and all of what we've learned over the centuries
0:53:49 > 0:53:52as far as modern-day clothing. I mean, we're very lucky now
0:53:52 > 0:53:55that we've got an outfit for every single occasion.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58On an expedition, yes you've got that to a certain degree,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00but you can't carry all of it
0:54:00 > 0:54:02so you've got to have versatility in whatever you take.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Generally the rule is that it's better to have lots of layers,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09and therefore when it gets hot you can take layers off,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11when it gets cold you can put layers on.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15And it's having those layers within each layer, of trapped air,
0:54:15 > 0:54:19that keeps you warm or, conversely, can keep you cool.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25But while the kit may have changed dramatically, major expeditions
0:54:25 > 0:54:28have always involved a huge amount of planning,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31and the more preparation put in in advance,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34the more the expedition members can concentrate on
0:54:34 > 0:54:36enjoying unique experiences and amazing adventures
0:54:36 > 0:54:40in some of the most remote places on Earth.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05In the 16th century, the Elizabethan explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
0:55:05 > 0:55:08embarked on an epic voyage to discover
0:55:08 > 0:55:11the legendary city of El Dorado, a mysterious place
0:55:11 > 0:55:13some believed was full of gold.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19400 years on, and the Serious Explorers, a team of children
0:55:19 > 0:55:23from the UK, are on their way to Guyana in South America
0:55:23 > 0:55:26to retrace part of Raleigh's route.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30When Raleigh came here, he was heading into unknown territory.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Although he had a team of men with him and local guides to help,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37he was in an unfamiliar place full of great danger.
0:55:37 > 0:55:38If anything went wrong,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42it was unlikely anyone would come to his rescue.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44400 years later, the Serious Explorers
0:55:44 > 0:55:46have modern safety equipment
0:55:46 > 0:55:49that would have seemed like science fiction to Raleigh.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51But remote jungles can be dangerous.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54The Explorers' safety is being taken care of
0:55:54 > 0:55:57by expedition leader Ben Major, an ex-army officer
0:55:57 > 0:56:02who's led expeditions in just about every extreme environment on Earth.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04No one expedition is the same,
0:56:04 > 0:56:08and every expedition throws up unique challenges.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12And the key thing about that is all about safety.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15You do expeditions all over the globe and it might be one minute you're in
0:56:15 > 0:56:17-40 in the Arctic or the Antarctic,
0:56:17 > 0:56:21the next minute you're in hot, sweaty, tropical jungle
0:56:21 > 0:56:24in +30, +40 degrees.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26And of course your equipment,
0:56:26 > 0:56:29the way that you operate is completely different.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33And that's where, you know, you've got a completely different rule book
0:56:33 > 0:56:37as to how you go about planning and delivering the expedition safely.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Part of being prepared involves practising
0:56:40 > 0:56:42what the team will do in an emergency.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Assistant expedition leader Polly explains to the group
0:56:45 > 0:56:47how to deal with someone falling overboard.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52First thing we do, shout, point.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54"Man overboard!" And I mean shout.
0:56:54 > 0:57:00You will be amazed how quickly a person can disappear.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Without warning, Ben decides to give the young explorers
0:57:04 > 0:57:06a practical safety lesson.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Help! Help!
0:57:09 > 0:57:14- Somebody keep an eye on him. - Keep an eye and point!- There!
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Man gone overboard.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21And we're just like making sure that we know where he is,
0:57:21 > 0:57:23making sure that we're pointing at him
0:57:23 > 0:57:27so then, like, you don't lose him in the water.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30- Is someone still pointing at him? - ALL: Yes!
0:57:31 > 0:57:34In just a few moments, the strong current has swept him
0:57:34 > 0:57:35a long way from the boat.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38But it's not just the current they need to think about.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41The temperature of the water has a crucial impact
0:57:41 > 0:57:44on survival, and in some places, even off the coast of Britain,
0:57:44 > 0:57:48a person can be too cold to swim in just 10 or 15 minutes.
0:57:52 > 0:57:53Pull him up.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55OK, Ben?
0:57:55 > 0:57:58- Oof!- All right, mate?
0:57:59 > 0:58:05OK, guys, we need to make sure now he's OK. OK? So...
0:58:05 > 0:58:09You can see how difficult that is to get people back in a boat. Nightmare.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12It was really scary, cos you were worried for him,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15and then you had to like keep concentrating
0:58:15 > 0:58:18so that you didn't leave him in the water too long.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22They've got to be aware of... basically the severity.
0:58:22 > 0:58:23If someone goes over the side,
0:58:23 > 0:58:27you can seriously die very, very quickly in these kind of waters.
0:58:31 > 0:58:35The largest part of the expedition takes place in the jungle,
0:58:35 > 0:58:39home to thousands of different animals and plants,
0:58:39 > 0:58:41so there are plenty of hazards.
0:58:41 > 0:58:44If you think about the jungle, you think, you know, snakes,
0:58:44 > 0:58:46you think large cats
0:58:46 > 0:58:49that are going to come and eat you in the middle of the night.
0:58:49 > 0:58:52You think about crocodiles. All this kind of stuff.
0:58:52 > 0:58:55What you really want to be concerned about is the small things,
0:58:55 > 0:58:58and that is the sun. It's incredibly hot.
0:58:58 > 0:59:01Or it's the lack of water, and dehydration.
0:59:01 > 0:59:04But the biggest thing is things like insect bites,
0:59:04 > 0:59:07and insect-borne diseases, for example malaria.
0:59:07 > 0:59:13When one of the team becomes ill, insects are the number one suspect.
0:59:13 > 0:59:14How are you feeling?
0:59:16 > 0:59:19Chanelle has reacted badly to an insect bite
0:59:19 > 0:59:21and her face has become swollen.
0:59:21 > 0:59:24Doctor Fi wants to find out what's happened.
0:59:24 > 0:59:25Tell me how you do feel.
0:59:25 > 0:59:28I feel like I can't see!
0:59:28 > 0:59:31Although she seems OK, the next part of the trip
0:59:31 > 0:59:33takes them into a very remote area,
0:59:33 > 0:59:36and Ben and Fi are worried that she could get worse.
0:59:36 > 0:59:39For Chanelle, it's devastating news.
0:59:39 > 0:59:42If we were to take you into a remote, remote area
0:59:42 > 0:59:44and you were to get bitten badly,
0:59:44 > 0:59:47the next thing that could potentially happen could be life-threatening.
0:59:47 > 0:59:50And that's what we're concerned about,
0:59:50 > 0:59:52and we can't guarantee your safety.
0:59:52 > 0:59:55And for that reason, and that reason alone,
0:59:55 > 0:59:57I'm afraid we can't take you any further.
0:59:57 > 0:59:58I'm so, so sorry.
1:00:00 > 1:00:01Because of the risks to her health,
1:00:01 > 1:00:04she's unable to continue with the expedition.
1:00:06 > 1:00:09With four-fifths of Guyana covered by jungle,
1:00:09 > 1:00:12a large part of the Serious Explorers' time
1:00:12 > 1:00:14is spent in the rainforest.
1:00:14 > 1:00:17Before they go into such a dangerous environment,
1:00:17 > 1:00:18they need to prepare belt kits,
1:00:18 > 1:00:21which contain everything they need to survive
1:00:21 > 1:00:24if they become lost or separated from the rest of the expedition.
1:00:24 > 1:00:26What we're going to do now is just cover,
1:00:26 > 1:00:29just trying to get you organised, but most importantly,
1:00:29 > 1:00:32it's a fundamental bit of safety kit that you need for the jungle, OK?
1:00:32 > 1:00:36And that is the belt kit.
1:00:36 > 1:00:38It's a belt which has got two black pouches on,
1:00:38 > 1:00:40and it's got a water bottle pouch.
1:00:40 > 1:00:44Sometimes you get separated from your main rucksack, yeah?
1:00:44 > 1:00:47And therefore you want to have your essentials on you.
1:00:47 > 1:00:49The belt kits are mini survival packs,
1:00:49 > 1:00:52and the Serious Explorers have to think about
1:00:52 > 1:00:55which items they need to keep with them at all times.
1:00:55 > 1:00:57In the first pocket, in that one, well,
1:00:57 > 1:01:02I'll have my water bottle in there, so it's handy in my kit.
1:01:02 > 1:01:06Then second one I'll have lunch in there, if I get really hungry.
1:01:06 > 1:01:10Third one I'll have like daily things like penknife,
1:01:10 > 1:01:13compass and whistle, head torch. That's about it.
1:01:13 > 1:01:17Like Raleigh, the Serious Explorers are sleeping in the jungle.
1:01:17 > 1:01:19It's their first night,
1:01:19 > 1:01:22and before it gets dark they need to find somewhere to set up camp.
1:01:22 > 1:01:25To avoid the jungle wildlife they sleep off the ground in hammocks,
1:01:25 > 1:01:29with a waterproof sheet and a mosquito net for protection.
1:01:29 > 1:01:32Everything likes to come out at night - snakes, scorpions, spiders.
1:01:32 > 1:01:35As soon as the light drops, the jungle comes alive,
1:01:35 > 1:01:39and they're going to be going, "What's that? What's that?"
1:01:40 > 1:01:43Ben points out something dangerous they haven't noticed.
1:01:43 > 1:01:45We're going to have to move you I'm afraid,
1:01:45 > 1:01:47all of you guys in this area cos this one's dead,
1:01:47 > 1:01:50rotten completely with all the fungus growing on it.
1:01:50 > 1:01:53Also the bark is just soft and you can see that I'm just...
1:01:53 > 1:01:56And the last thing we want is that to come down with a stiff breeze
1:01:56 > 1:01:58in the night and crush Nikita or any of the others.
1:01:58 > 1:02:00I'm sorry, guys.
1:02:00 > 1:02:03The number one killer in the jungle is deadfall.
1:02:03 > 1:02:06Dead trees or dead branches that are suspended above you
1:02:06 > 1:02:09that come down in the wind. And that's what everyone kind of forgets.
1:02:09 > 1:02:13So think about the small things and not just the obvious things.
1:02:14 > 1:02:18One of the most important things on any expedition is water.
1:02:18 > 1:02:21Most of the time the Serious Explorers are travelling on foot
1:02:21 > 1:02:23or in small canoes,
1:02:23 > 1:02:26and taking enough drinking water for everyone would be impractical.
1:02:26 > 1:02:29So like Raleigh, the team rely where they can
1:02:29 > 1:02:31on local sources of water like lakes and rivers.
1:02:31 > 1:02:34It's a hot, sweaty environment and you go through
1:02:34 > 1:02:36so much fluid in any one day.
1:02:36 > 1:02:39And generally, depending what're doing, you're going to need
1:02:39 > 1:02:42to take on board about anything from five litres
1:02:42 > 1:02:45all the way through to possibly 14/15 litres a day.
1:02:45 > 1:02:48And the last thing you want to do is to carry that water.
1:02:48 > 1:02:50It weighs a lot, roughly a kilogram per litre.
1:02:50 > 1:02:53So if you have to carry three or four litres it's too much.
1:02:53 > 1:02:57Luckily in Guyana, you've got an abundance of rivers
1:02:57 > 1:02:59and loads of water to drink.
1:02:59 > 1:03:01However, it's not clean.
1:03:01 > 1:03:04It has sediment in it or it might possibly have bacteria in it.
1:03:04 > 1:03:07So you need to purify it.
1:03:07 > 1:03:10And there's two main methods, one is to boil
1:03:10 > 1:03:13which obviously during the day is not that practical, you have to
1:03:13 > 1:03:15wait for the water to cool down.
1:03:15 > 1:03:18Whereas if you just add chemicals then you may have to
1:03:18 > 1:03:21wait 20-30 minutes and then you can drink.
1:03:21 > 1:03:24And they tend to come in little dropper bottles like this
1:03:24 > 1:03:27where you can literally add so many drops to a litre,
1:03:27 > 1:03:29wait half an hour and then take them on board.
1:03:29 > 1:03:31But water -
1:03:31 > 1:03:36can't, can't stress how important it is for keeping your body healthy.
1:03:36 > 1:03:40The Serious Explorers are travelling through extreme environments
1:03:40 > 1:03:44that have barely changed since the time of Raleigh' expedition.
1:03:44 > 1:03:47ALL: Wow!
1:03:49 > 1:03:53Like all the early explorers, Raleigh was heading into the unknown
1:03:53 > 1:03:56and there were dangers all around.
1:03:57 > 1:04:00But 400 years on, with access to modern equipment
1:04:00 > 1:04:04and expert help, the Serious Explorers are able to
1:04:04 > 1:04:08take on even the most spectacular challenges with minimal risk.
1:04:32 > 1:04:35400 years ago the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
1:04:35 > 1:04:37set out to discover El Dorado,
1:04:37 > 1:04:40a legendary city said to be full of gold.
1:04:40 > 1:04:42His expedition brought him
1:04:42 > 1:04:46to Guyana in South American where no Englishman had been before.
1:04:46 > 1:04:51To Raleigh it was like nowhere he'd ever seen, with vast rainforests,
1:04:51 > 1:04:53epic mountains...
1:04:55 > 1:04:57..raging waterfalls
1:04:57 > 1:04:59and exotic wildlife.
1:05:05 > 1:05:08Also unique were the local tribespeople -
1:05:08 > 1:05:10ancient clans of forest dwellers
1:05:10 > 1:05:13who lived in harmony with their environment.
1:05:15 > 1:05:18Raleigh was almost certainly the first white person they'd ever seen.
1:05:18 > 1:05:21He was unsure as to whether he'd be welcomed,
1:05:21 > 1:05:22or face immediate attack.
1:05:25 > 1:05:29He brought gifts from England as a way of making peace
1:05:29 > 1:05:32and in his account of the trip he describes how
1:05:32 > 1:05:35he found the people of Guyana surprisingly accommodating.
1:05:35 > 1:05:38SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
1:05:38 > 1:05:42"Despite the hardness of their diet and the great labours
1:05:42 > 1:05:45"they suffer to hunt, fish and fowl for their living,
1:05:45 > 1:05:49"in all my life, either in the Indies or in Europe,
1:05:49 > 1:05:52"did I never behold a more goodly or better-favoured people."
1:05:57 > 1:06:00Four centuries on and a team of children from the UK
1:06:00 > 1:06:03have come to Guyana to follow in Raleigh's footsteps.
1:06:03 > 1:06:05Just like the Elizabethan explorer,
1:06:05 > 1:06:08they're relying on local tribespeople for help.
1:06:08 > 1:06:10Nowadays the tribespeople dress in modern clothes,
1:06:10 > 1:06:13but for many of them their way of life
1:06:13 > 1:06:16has changed little since Raleigh's day.
1:06:16 > 1:06:20Fewer than 75,000 tribespeople live in an area the size of
1:06:20 > 1:06:22England and Scotland combined.
1:06:22 > 1:06:25While a few have access to technology like mobile phones,
1:06:25 > 1:06:28most have no mains electricity or running water.
1:06:28 > 1:06:30They still live along Guyana's rivers
1:06:30 > 1:06:34and rely on the rainforest for both food and materials.
1:06:36 > 1:06:38The Serious Explorers have been invited to
1:06:38 > 1:06:41a traditional celebration by the Macushi tribe,
1:06:41 > 1:06:45carried out before first going on a trip into the rainforest.
1:06:45 > 1:06:47When you come into the forest we believe that there is
1:06:47 > 1:06:50a connection, a spiritual being,
1:06:50 > 1:06:53therefore before you leave for the forest, you have a blessing.
1:06:54 > 1:06:58The ceremony is led by a local shaman, or medicine man.
1:06:58 > 1:07:03The spirit form the forest and your spirit will now be one.
1:07:03 > 1:07:07Enjoy your stay with all living beings in the forest here.
1:07:07 > 1:07:10Almost everything the Macushi eat
1:07:10 > 1:07:12is grown or caught in the surrounding area.
1:07:12 > 1:07:15I have the fruit from the forest, banana,
1:07:15 > 1:07:18this is the cassava bread,
1:07:18 > 1:07:21and then the smoked fish we call Himara.
1:07:21 > 1:07:24You're welcome to have anything you want to taste here.
1:07:24 > 1:07:28Having survived on plain noodles and rice for most of their journey,
1:07:28 > 1:07:32for the Serious Explorers, the Macushi banquet is a real treat.
1:07:32 > 1:07:34It's so different to what I'm used to,
1:07:34 > 1:07:36it's a bit hard to take it all in.
1:07:36 > 1:07:39It's just brilliant, that's all I can describe it as.
1:07:39 > 1:07:42SINGING AND DRUMMING
1:07:46 > 1:07:51It was really funny dancing with the tribespeople round the fire.
1:07:51 > 1:07:52Oh, I've got to go!
1:07:54 > 1:07:57SINGING AND CLAPPING CONTINUE
1:07:59 > 1:08:01I loved it, I thought it was absolutely amazing.
1:08:01 > 1:08:03It's given me a bit of peace of mind
1:08:03 > 1:08:06knowing that there's a bigger spirit,
1:08:06 > 1:08:08or a bigger thing that's looking out for you.
1:08:08 > 1:08:11We've been blessed so hopefully we've luck on our side now.
1:08:11 > 1:08:14ALL CHEER
1:08:14 > 1:08:17Back in Raleigh's day, there was no long-life food
1:08:17 > 1:08:21and it would've been impossible for his men to feed themselves
1:08:21 > 1:08:25without help from local guides and the tribes they met along the way.
1:08:32 > 1:08:35Experts in foraging, the locals knew what was safe to eat
1:08:35 > 1:08:37and what to avoid.
1:08:37 > 1:08:40They were also expert hunters.
1:08:40 > 1:08:44Today Macushi guide Lionel gives the Serious Explorers a lesson in
1:08:44 > 1:08:48traditional hunting techniques his people have used for generations.
1:08:48 > 1:08:49Oh my goodness!
1:08:49 > 1:08:54The tribe have set up an exercise to test the Serious Explorers.
1:08:54 > 1:08:55To hunt animals in the jungle,
1:08:55 > 1:08:57you need to be fast, as Lionel demonstrates.
1:08:57 > 1:09:01That's actually quite scary.
1:09:01 > 1:09:03Now it's the Serious Explorers' turn.
1:09:03 > 1:09:06Even with the targets moving slowly, they're still hard to hit.
1:09:06 > 1:09:09The Macushi arrows can be fired at tremendous speed
1:09:09 > 1:09:13and are powerful enough to kill large animals, including monkeys.
1:09:15 > 1:09:18- This is, of course, if you can get the hang of using them. - SHE LAUGHS
1:09:20 > 1:09:21Yeah!
1:09:21 > 1:09:23Regan scores the first direct hit.
1:09:23 > 1:09:25Make it a goody, make it a goody.
1:09:28 > 1:09:31Sammie, I think we'll leave it there.
1:09:31 > 1:09:34But to eat well in the jungle you don't need to have a bow and arrow.
1:09:34 > 1:09:37Every inch of the forest is literally crawling with food
1:09:37 > 1:09:39in the form of insect and grubs.
1:09:39 > 1:09:42The Serious Explorers decide to try some.
1:09:42 > 1:09:43I'll eat most things
1:09:43 > 1:09:46but I won't eat a grub or anything that bursts in your mouth.
1:09:46 > 1:09:49If you're hungry, guys, you'd eat them.
1:09:49 > 1:09:53The trick is you just hold its head and then just bite its body.
1:09:53 > 1:09:55- Eugh!- Hold its head...
1:09:55 > 1:09:58Guys, shut up and let me just get in the zone.
1:09:58 > 1:09:59He's got it, he's got it. Shh.
1:10:01 > 1:10:05Don't spit it out immediately, chew, chew, chew. What'd you think?
1:10:05 > 1:10:07Did you hear that pop in his mouth?
1:10:07 > 1:10:10Surprisingly, insects and grubs are very high in protein.
1:10:10 > 1:10:14Some can even be eaten raw, and are still used today
1:10:14 > 1:10:17by local tribespeople as a way of supplementing their diet.
1:10:17 > 1:10:20Although some of them taste strange,
1:10:20 > 1:10:22the explorers find they're not all bad.
1:10:22 > 1:10:23Oh, that's well nice.
1:10:23 > 1:10:25LAUGHTER Is it actually?
1:10:25 > 1:10:29- Chew, chew. It's like cream cheese. - Kind of nice actually.
1:10:29 > 1:10:31Who's feeling EVEN braver?
1:10:31 > 1:10:33- How do you eat it? - No.- Tell us how you eat it.
1:10:33 > 1:10:35Are you going to go for it?
1:10:35 > 1:10:37Good girl.
1:10:37 > 1:10:38It's really disgusting.
1:10:38 > 1:10:43Go for it. Survival situation, yes, just chew it, chomp it, yum it.
1:10:43 > 1:10:45What does it taste like?
1:10:45 > 1:10:47If you're you going to puke go that way!
1:10:47 > 1:10:52It's all creamy and disgusting but it tastes like off cream.
1:10:52 > 1:10:54I just ate a spider!
1:10:54 > 1:10:57Over generations the Macushi tribe have developed remarkable skills
1:10:57 > 1:11:00to survive in the rainforest.
1:11:00 > 1:11:03To them it's like a giant living supermarket.
1:11:03 > 1:11:05It's very likely that Raleigh
1:11:05 > 1:11:08and his team would never have survived their epic expedition
1:11:08 > 1:11:11without the help of local tribespeople and food of the jungle.
1:11:11 > 1:11:16Their encounters would've given them a unique insight into tribal life
1:11:16 > 1:11:19and the traditional skills used for centuries in the jungle.
1:11:19 > 1:11:24The tribes are an important part of Guyana's heritage and even today
1:11:24 > 1:11:28they provide a vital support network to anyone visiting the rainforest.
1:11:28 > 1:11:31But there are concerns that their unique knowledge, skills,
1:11:31 > 1:11:35and way of life may eventually die out as the tribespeople
1:11:35 > 1:11:38come into ever-greater contact with the modern world.
1:12:02 > 1:12:06In the late 1500s the Elizabethan explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
1:12:06 > 1:12:10sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a legendary city
1:12:10 > 1:12:12said to be full of gold.
1:12:12 > 1:12:14It was called El Dorado
1:12:14 > 1:12:17and despite there being little firm evidence for its existence,
1:12:17 > 1:12:22he set off on an ambitious expedition to be the first to find it.
1:12:24 > 1:12:26Even today much of Guyana is almost uninhabited
1:12:26 > 1:12:30and has changed little since Raleigh was here.
1:12:30 > 1:12:33He would have lived in very basic conditions as he explored
1:12:33 > 1:12:36vast open plains and dense jungles.
1:12:39 > 1:12:42400 years later, and eight British children have come to Guyana
1:12:42 > 1:12:45to follow in Raleigh's footsteps.
1:12:45 > 1:12:48They're the Serious Explorers team and they're spending
1:12:48 > 1:12:53their entire five-week expedition experiencing the great outdoors.
1:12:53 > 1:12:57The young adventurers are well away from 21st century civilisation
1:12:57 > 1:13:00and have to manage without modern comforts like electricity,
1:13:00 > 1:13:03running water, toilets and beds.
1:13:04 > 1:13:08They're staying in a range of exciting places from tents
1:13:08 > 1:13:10to caves,
1:13:10 > 1:13:12jungle huts
1:13:12 > 1:13:14to hammocks.
1:13:14 > 1:13:17After a night in the open comes a challenge.
1:13:17 > 1:13:23As of tomorrow, we are going to be really doing something that
1:13:23 > 1:13:28I've certainly never done before with a bunch of people of your age.
1:13:28 > 1:13:32We're going to bung you into the rainforest to
1:13:32 > 1:13:36survive for the best part of 36 hours.
1:13:36 > 1:13:39- Oh my God! - Are you joking?!
1:13:39 > 1:13:41How are we going to do that?
1:13:41 > 1:13:42You'll be down to minimal kit
1:13:42 > 1:13:45so literally like a real survival situation,
1:13:45 > 1:13:47so you'll really have your belt kit and that'll be it.
1:13:47 > 1:13:48You'll be with us, won't you?
1:13:48 > 1:13:50Nope.
1:13:50 > 1:13:54You guys are going to be looking after yourselves.
1:13:56 > 1:13:59Stage one is learning to build a shelter.
1:13:59 > 1:14:01You're looking for four trees
1:14:01 > 1:14:07that are going to provide an area long enough for you to sleep in.
1:14:07 > 1:14:08So what we've got is four trees.
1:14:08 > 1:14:13One, two, that one leaning, three and that one there, four.
1:14:13 > 1:14:17This horizontal piece is going to form part of your roof,
1:14:17 > 1:14:20it's just trapped against the uprights by the v-shape sticks.
1:14:20 > 1:14:22See that?
1:14:22 > 1:14:25You're going to need palm to make the roof.
1:14:25 > 1:14:30Notice he's lying it so the leaves are going in the same direction.
1:14:30 > 1:14:32This is so the water runs off the leaves rather than
1:14:32 > 1:14:33collecting in the middle.
1:14:33 > 1:14:36What's going in now is basically the bed slats.
1:14:36 > 1:14:40So all those, big, big leaves of palm you've taken down,
1:14:40 > 1:14:43they've got huge stems with no leaf on the underneath,
1:14:43 > 1:14:46are now actually going to become your slats for your bed
1:14:46 > 1:14:48so you don't waste anything.
1:14:48 > 1:14:52Having a raised bed is really important to protect you from
1:14:52 > 1:14:54the insects and animals on the jungle floor.
1:14:54 > 1:14:57The biggest thing to have a comfortable night out
1:14:57 > 1:15:00in an improvised shelter like this is the bed,
1:15:00 > 1:15:03that you concentrate on it and spend time on it.
1:15:03 > 1:15:05It's not known exactly what conditions Raleigh faced
1:15:05 > 1:15:08as he camped out on his expedition.
1:15:08 > 1:15:12But it's likely local tribes would've built similar shelters
1:15:12 > 1:15:13for him to sleep in.
1:15:13 > 1:15:15While on their night out,
1:15:15 > 1:15:17the Serious Explorers will have to find their own dinner.
1:15:17 > 1:15:20They've already discovered that the rainforest is full of food,
1:15:20 > 1:15:24providing you know what's safe to eat.
1:15:24 > 1:15:27Local people have hunted and foraged here for generations
1:15:27 > 1:15:29and even developed their own jungle gadgets.
1:15:29 > 1:15:34So we're just going to show you guys two types of traps
1:15:34 > 1:15:37to catch what you're going to eat.
1:15:37 > 1:15:40The first one is a man trap
1:15:40 > 1:15:45but it's designed really to catch bigger animals
1:15:45 > 1:15:49like tapir or deer or peccary, lots and lots of things.
1:15:49 > 1:15:53The arrow, right, gets loaded...
1:15:55 > 1:15:57OK, you ready?
1:15:57 > 1:15:58Animal goes past...woo!
1:15:58 > 1:16:00ALL: Whoa!
1:16:01 > 1:16:05Setting traps like these provides a very effective alternative
1:16:05 > 1:16:08to long hunting trips stalking animals through the forest.
1:16:08 > 1:16:11The fiendish devices are designed to kill the animal quickly,
1:16:11 > 1:16:14minimising any suffering.
1:16:14 > 1:16:16This is another type of trap.
1:16:16 > 1:16:18This one is designed for pig - peccary.
1:16:18 > 1:16:21It's called a pig sticker,
1:16:21 > 1:16:24but just watch what this trap does.
1:16:26 > 1:16:28Comes down and spikes it on its back.
1:16:29 > 1:16:30Regan, OK...
1:16:30 > 1:16:33It's time for the Serious Explorers to separate
1:16:33 > 1:16:35and build their overnight camps.
1:16:35 > 1:16:38They get just a few essentials from Ben...
1:16:38 > 1:16:39Fishing rod with hooks in...
1:16:39 > 1:16:42..who checks they aren't smuggling in any little extras.
1:16:42 > 1:16:45- Get rid of that.- No! I need...
1:16:45 > 1:16:48You can have that one, you can't have the lippy.
1:16:48 > 1:16:52Each two-person team is dropped off in a different location.
1:16:52 > 1:16:56For safety, they'll be closely watched by jungle experts
1:16:56 > 1:16:58but will otherwise be alone until morning.
1:16:58 > 1:16:59See you, Michael. Good luck.
1:16:59 > 1:17:02It seems really weird just abandoning you there, I tell you.
1:17:02 > 1:17:06Michael's challenge is doubly hard - he's spending the night alone.
1:17:08 > 1:17:12The first priority in an emergency survival situation
1:17:12 > 1:17:15is drinking water, followed by shelter.
1:17:15 > 1:17:18Making a fire is next and only then should you worry about food.
1:17:21 > 1:17:23I'm going to make a huge fire in a minute.
1:17:23 > 1:17:25I might make a bed...
1:17:27 > 1:17:30..but I might just wrap myself in my mosquito net
1:17:30 > 1:17:32and go to bed.
1:17:32 > 1:17:34In the end he opts for fire first,
1:17:34 > 1:17:37but he should really have prioritised building a shelter.
1:17:43 > 1:17:46Try sitting on it and see if it holds.
1:17:48 > 1:17:50SNAP
1:17:50 > 1:17:53Oh, that took us ages!
1:17:53 > 1:17:56Regan and Nikita's shelter is taking shape.
1:17:56 > 1:17:58But the effort's a bit one-sided.
1:17:58 > 1:18:01What are you thinking of the shelter?
1:18:01 > 1:18:04It's all right but it still isn't rain proof.
1:18:04 > 1:18:06I know, that's cos we're not finished.
1:18:06 > 1:18:09'They're not going to have a bed off the ground'
1:18:09 > 1:18:11so they could get bitten really badly tonight.
1:18:11 > 1:18:14Lots of mossies, lots of ants, lots of insects.
1:18:15 > 1:18:18And...bish, bash, bosh.
1:18:18 > 1:18:22Nikita, see that thing there, that's the support beam,
1:18:22 > 1:18:24just try not to knock it on your way out.
1:18:24 > 1:18:28Michael has the right idea of using the leaves like tiles,
1:18:28 > 1:18:30but with only one layer
1:18:30 > 1:18:33it's unlikely they'll give him the protection he needs.
1:18:33 > 1:18:35He's got a fire going which is fantastic,
1:18:35 > 1:18:40but it's going to rain tonight and he is going to get absolutely drenched.
1:18:40 > 1:18:44Jungles generally have very little wind, but a huge amount of rain.
1:18:44 > 1:18:48In fact, rainforests are among the wettest places on earth.
1:18:48 > 1:18:51Up to 1,000cm of rainfall in a year.
1:18:52 > 1:18:57If all that arrived at once, it would be enough to submerge a house.
1:18:59 > 1:19:02Having not had much luck with their shelter,
1:19:02 > 1:19:05Sammy and Megan are trying to catch food.
1:19:05 > 1:19:07Oh, got one, got one, got one.
1:19:07 > 1:19:09It's a fish. Our first fish!
1:19:09 > 1:19:13Though, by the looks of things, they'll still be going hungry.
1:19:17 > 1:19:20They've kind of got their priorities completely the wrong way round.
1:19:20 > 1:19:23They're trying to fish when they haven't got a fire
1:19:23 > 1:19:25and they haven't got a shelter.
1:19:25 > 1:19:27And now it's pitch black.
1:19:27 > 1:19:30Tonight is going to feel like the longest night of their lives.
1:19:30 > 1:19:35As predicted, the rainforest is living up to its name
1:19:35 > 1:19:39and without a proper shelter, Michael gets completely soaked.
1:19:43 > 1:19:47My back's a bit wet, but otherwise, pretty good.
1:19:47 > 1:19:52The only team who stay totally dry are Nikita and Regan.
1:20:00 > 1:20:04It's morning. I'm still alive, Megan's still alive.
1:20:04 > 1:20:07We made it through the night! We made it through the night!
1:20:10 > 1:20:13Last night did not go to plan at all.
1:20:13 > 1:20:18Absolutely hammered down near enough all of the night.
1:20:18 > 1:20:21My feet are drenched, but I'm safe.
1:20:21 > 1:20:25- We're going! We're going! We're going!- We've been saved!
1:20:25 > 1:20:29Although not all the explorers fared perfectly,
1:20:29 > 1:20:32the exercise shows how little you actually need to survive.
1:20:32 > 1:20:36No-one understands this better than the local tribespeople
1:20:36 > 1:20:40who've lived in harmony with the forest for thousands of years.
1:20:57 > 1:21:01GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS
1:23:42 > 1:23:48GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS
1:25:31 > 1:25:36GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS
1:28:30 > 1:28:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd