0:00:03 > 0:00:08Across our planet there are a few awe-inspiring places
0:00:08 > 0:00:11that just take your breath away.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13We call them natural wonders.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And for the people who live in them,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22these places pose extraordinary challenges.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29On the Earth's greatest waterfall, four brothers' lives
0:00:29 > 0:00:34depend on a journey to the very edge.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41In the planet's biggest river delta, desperate men face killer bees
0:00:41 > 0:00:46and man-eating tigers in a search for golden treasure.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52On the world's largest grassland,
0:00:52 > 0:00:57a boy's future rests on the outcome of a single race.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And in our planet's richest ocean reef,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09a guardian must hunt down a giant...
0:01:11 > 0:01:13..in order to save it.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19This is the story of these wonders,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and of the people fighting to survive...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25..and even triumph...
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..in these astonishing places.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Seen from space, there are some wonders which stand out
0:01:47 > 0:01:48because of their scale.
0:01:50 > 0:01:57They are the largest, the widest, or simply immeasurable,
0:01:57 > 0:02:02and these vast wonders also push their inhabitants to the limits.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16Deep in Southern Africa, the mighty Zambezi river.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Over five million years, it's worn away a tiny crack in the ground...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25..and created this.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Victoria Falls.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Plunging 100 vertical metres,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40this natural wonder is higher than Niagara and twice as wide.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Victoria Falls is the largest curtain of falling water on Earth.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And unsurprisingly,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00the very edge is one of the most dangerous places imaginable...
0:03:02 > 0:03:04..to fish.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14But this is the torrent the villagers of Songwe,
0:03:14 > 0:03:1715 miles away, will need to brave.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Village elder Josephat Chuma will lead the expedition.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36It's dry season,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and the local village fishing spots are fished out.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43But Josephat believes fish can still be found
0:03:43 > 0:03:46where the water is fast-flowing,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51so he will lead his three brothers to the edge of the falls.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18To reach their destination, the brothers must face many dangers.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25First, they have to cross a creek infested with crocodiles.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29They make it across.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33But now there's a bigger threat.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44During dry season, elephants come to the river
0:05:44 > 0:05:48from the now-arid plains that surround it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51They are territorial and volatile animals.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:06:18 > 0:06:24Two years ago, Josephat's brother Mateyo saw his friend killed by one.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:06:34 > 0:06:38ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:06:44 > 0:06:46ELEPHANT GROWLS
0:06:49 > 0:06:53They hold their nerve and slip past.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But beyond the elephants, there's a danger greater than any animal.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08The torrent itself.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Josephat knows the best place to fish is a rocky outcrop
0:07:18 > 0:07:20just metres from the edge of the falls.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29At peak flow, eight million gallons a second rush over it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36There is just one narrow route through the river,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39where the current should be slack enough to wade.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51If they stray a few steps either side,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53the water could sweep them over the falls.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And two of Josephat's brothers can't swim.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Halfway across, the brothers freeze.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00For most of the year, access to this outcrop is impossible,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04but during the dry season, the water level drops just enough to
0:09:04 > 0:09:07open up the one route the men took to get here.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19In this fast-flowing water, there's no crocodiles...
0:09:20 > 0:09:22..no elephants...
0:09:23 > 0:09:26..there's just fish.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27Lots of them.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05For the people who have made the biggest wonders their home,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08the rewards can be great,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12even if their treasures are accessible only to the very bravest.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Between India and Bangladesh, there is another such wonder.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26The Ganges river opens out into a vast delta, the biggest
0:10:26 > 0:10:31on the planet, 2,500 kilometres wide where it meets the sea.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37At its heart lies the vast forest of the Sundarbans...
0:10:39 > 0:10:45its channels and islands, dominated by a single type of tree.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49This is the largest mangrove forest on Earth.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And lurking within,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58there's something terrorising the local people.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The men dared to venture into the Earth's most dangerous forest,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34lured in by its riches.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48These are the Mogli people of Bangladesh.
0:11:48 > 0:11:5224-year-old Jelal Udin is leaving his young family
0:11:52 > 0:11:54to make the most hazardous journey of his life.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18His goal is to collect the Sundarbans' golden treasure, honey.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26This will be Jelal's first time collecting honey.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29His father will lead the expedition.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41It's a terrifying journey, because every year in the Sundarbans,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45up to 150 people are killed by a fearsome predator.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The Royal Bengal tiger.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59HE GROWLS
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Because of the risks, honey hunting is controlled,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11restricted to just a fortnight every year.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15So competition is fierce.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20When the season officially opens,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24it's a race to claim the best locations to find hives.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45The men are entering a maze of mangroves with
0:13:45 > 0:13:50thousands of channels, patrolled by 400 tigers -
0:13:50 > 0:13:53the largest concentration on the planet.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22THEY SHOUT
0:14:22 > 0:14:26The men hope their shouts will keep tigers at bay.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Jelal is now entering the dark heart of the Sundarbans,
0:14:34 > 0:14:39a vast wonder created by a single plant, the mangrove tree.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Their snorkel-like roots can draw oxygen directly from the air.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51It means they can thrive in the tidal mud where other trees struggle.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58And their flowers are pollinated by the very thing Jelal seeks,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00the giant Asian honey bee.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07But there is another animal which thrives here.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The fresh tiger prints are everywhere.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28THEY SHOUT
0:15:54 > 0:15:58The crew have risked their lives for nothing.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29With fresh water running out,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33they have one last day to find some honey.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44But the Sundarbans is not the only vast natural wonder
0:16:44 > 0:16:46shaped by a single plant.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52From Eastern Europe to Mongolia,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55the Eurasian steppe straddles almost a quarter of the globe.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05The steppe only gets around 20 centimetres of rain a year,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09not enough for most trees to survive.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Instead, it's a living wonder...
0:17:14 > 0:17:20..of grass - the largest habitat on Earth.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24For the nomads of Mongolia,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26grass feeds the cattle on which they depend.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And the horses they use to herd them.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Bat Aden is a 16-year-old herder,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46but he wants to be a horse breeder,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and the horse he's trying to catch could make that dream come true.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Because tomorrow, it will compete in the biggest
0:17:55 > 0:17:57horse race in the province.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28Last year, Bat Aden was a winning jockey in national races,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30but he has a problem.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Mongolian racehorses are small and the rider's weight is crucial.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40This year, Bat Aden is too heavy to race.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44So he had to find another jockey to take his place.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Seven-year-old Sukhbat will ride for his cousin.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It's their last training session.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54HORSE WHINNIES
0:20:08 > 0:20:10HE LAUGHS
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The race will be a big moment for Bat Aden's family.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Race day.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Today's event is being held to honour
0:20:52 > 0:20:55the birthday of the steppe's most famous son.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Genghis Khan.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09In charge of the race is the most powerful man in the province,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10Governor Oidoff.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23And for Bat Aden and Sukhbat, there's a new challenge.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The governor's eight-year-old son Nyambyar is a late entry.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48The riders need to canter to the start line 5km away.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55They will then turn and the race will begin.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03THEY SHOUT
0:22:05 > 0:22:08The more experienced riders have kept to the firmer ground
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and made a good start.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17But seven-year-old Sukhbat finds himself near the back.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20HE SPEAKS HIS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The leading pack has gained a huge advantage
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and the governor's son is among them.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Sukhbat begins to close the gap, passing more experienced riders.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42SHOUTING AND CHEERING
0:22:46 > 0:22:49But the leaders are already approaching the finish line.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The governor's son is pushing for victory.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00But finishes second.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Just behind, Sukhbat is on the home stretch.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09THEY CHEER
0:23:10 > 0:23:12The pace has proved too much for other riders,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and some have fallen but are unhurt.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20As the finish line approaches,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Sukhbat must resist a late charge by his closest rival.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32He's pipped at the post.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Sukhbat's done well in his first race and finished in the top six.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Bat Aden's people and their horses
0:24:15 > 0:24:19have been bound together on the great steppe for hundreds of years.
0:24:21 > 0:24:27It's a partnership shaped and sustained by one type of life -
0:24:27 > 0:24:28grass.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Back in the giant mangrove forest of the Sundarbans,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Jelal has one last day to find the honey
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and avoid returning home empty handed.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02They must move quickly.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04In a channel this narrow,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07there's a risk of being stranded by the outgoing tide.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10THEY SHOUT
0:25:15 > 0:25:22THEY SHOUT
0:25:31 > 0:25:33ALL SHOUT: Aaaaah!
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Ah, la-la-AAAH!
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Guarding the hive are thousands of giant Asian bees.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Their sting is many times more toxic than the common British bee.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00If they swarm and attack, they'll kill.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05The men hope smoke will make the bees docile.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09This is Jelal's moment.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29To be accepted as a full member of the crew, he must conquer his terror.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20He leaves enough honeycomb for the bees to rebuild their hive.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41The honey they've collected will earn Jelal 60...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46..enough to make a big difference over the coming year.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13The people, the bees and the mangroves
0:28:13 > 0:28:17are bound together in an extraordinary relationship
0:28:17 > 0:28:18in the Sundarbans,
0:28:18 > 0:28:24a vast wonder of great bounty, but also great danger.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34With the very biggest of Earth's wonders, even small changes
0:28:34 > 0:28:37can sometimes transform the lives of those who live there.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Flowing through south America...
0:28:44 > 0:28:46..the mighty Amazon river.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53One fifth of all river water on the planet travels through it
0:28:53 > 0:28:58and every year, this gargantuan wonder overflows
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and bursts its banks, altering everything.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08For two months, it means the great forests on either side
0:29:08 > 0:29:11change from being dry land...
0:29:12 > 0:29:14..to a magical water world...
0:29:18 > 0:29:21...where fish swim through the trees.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29A vast flooded forest, covering an area the size of Great Britain.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36For the river people, this flooding brings with it something
0:29:36 > 0:29:37that could change their lives.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46An ancient leviathan the length of two men.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52One of the world's largest species of fish.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57The pirarucu.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02When the Amazon floods, the pirarucu can enter the forest to feed.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Weighing up to 150 kilos,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12it's very valuable for Amazon fishermen.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19For Joao Edson, catching one will mean
0:30:19 > 0:30:21he can afford to make ends meet.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33To protect pirarucu numbers,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36the Brazilian government allows only a short fishing season.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40That window will close in just two days.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Joao and his neighbours work as a team.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54They hunt pirarucu not with rod and line,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57but the traditional way -
0:30:57 > 0:31:01from trees, with harpoons.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20The pirarucu is unusual, because it breathes air,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23so the men know that at some point, the fish must surface.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27They just don't know when.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00He's missed.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04And now the fish knows he's there.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Joao has failed to catch a single pirarucu this year.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20With one day left of the season, it's a crisis for his family.
0:32:38 > 0:32:427:00am, and it's the fishermen's last chance.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45They head back into the flooded forest.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Heavy rains this year have made the water especially murky.
0:32:55 > 0:33:01Despite this, one of the men has finally harpooned a pirarucu,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05but it's so strong, it's wrenched the harpoon from his hands
0:33:05 > 0:33:06and swum to the bottom.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16To lose it now would be a disaster but they can't find it.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24They call Joao over. They desperately need HIS help.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Joao can do something extraordinary.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Years of experience mean he can locate the fish
0:33:54 > 0:33:56with an unusual skill.
0:34:10 > 0:34:16Joao can track pirarucu underwater by tasting where it is.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20He's found it.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:34:26 > 0:34:31THEY EXCLAIM
0:34:35 > 0:34:38It's one of the biggest they've ever caught.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46After it's gutted,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50they sell the catch at market, a day's travel away.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05The village split the money.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08It'll keep them going until next year,
0:35:08 > 0:35:15when the world's biggest river will again create its vast flooded jungle
0:35:15 > 0:35:19and the fishermen can hunt this extraordinary fish once more.
0:35:26 > 0:35:32Seen from space, the Amazon is a very obvious natural wonder,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36but even when they are huge, not all wonders are so easy to spot.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45The Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia is a paradise
0:35:45 > 0:35:48of tropical islands,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50but the true wonder here lies not on the surface...
0:35:54 > 0:35:56..but hidden beneath.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06The vast reefs here are the richest on Earth.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12With over 1,000 types of fish,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17and hundreds of types of coral, there are more species here than
0:36:17 > 0:36:22Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Bahamas put together.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28And one creature rules this ocean kingdom.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40The manta ray.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48These giants with wingspans of up to four metres
0:36:48 > 0:36:51gather here in some of the greatest numbers on Earth.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But they're endangered,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01because the mantas are an easy and lucrative target...
0:37:04 > 0:37:05..for poachers.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Mantas are slaughtered for Chinese medicines.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15A kilo of gills sells for 400.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Manta numbers are in steep decline.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38This is Ronald Makassar.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41He's on his way to harpoon a manta.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47But he's not a poacher.
0:37:47 > 0:37:48He's a protector.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10All year, he's been trying to harpoon a manta
0:38:10 > 0:38:14with a radio tracking device, to help save the species.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35More mantas are currently being slaughtered than born.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Ronald wants to tag a pregnant female
0:38:38 > 0:38:41so the transmitter can reveal its birthing grounds.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47It will help conservationists to protect the site from poachers.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50But so far, Ronald's failed in his task.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00And that's because of a hidden hazard that lies in the water below.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15The currents of Raja Ampat are some of the strongest on Earth.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43These super-strong currents are created
0:39:43 > 0:39:46as water flows west from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50It's funnelled through Raja Ampat,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52a narrow channel linking the two oceans.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02Every day, the equivalent of 100 Amazon rivers squeezes
0:40:02 > 0:40:04through this gap...
0:40:05 > 0:40:09..bringing a constant flow of nutrients to feed the reef...
0:40:12 > 0:40:14..and plankton to feed the manta.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20But these currents make Ronald's task very difficult.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Ronald spots a female.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42He can tell her sex because of the two flat fins
0:40:42 > 0:40:47at the base of her tail, and a faint bulge reveals she's pregnant.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57He's got just one shot.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Windy season is just days away and its rough waters mean
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Ronald won't be able to tag for another year.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15With just a few days left,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Ronald knows he'll need to try a different approach
0:42:18 > 0:42:22if he's ever going to help secure a future for the mantas.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Not all nature's biggest wonders are found
0:42:32 > 0:42:34in such remote corners of the planet.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41In France, where the Rhone river meets the Mediterranean,
0:42:41 > 0:42:46there's one of Europe's largest and most secluded natural wonders.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50The Camargue.
0:42:52 > 0:42:571,000 square kilometres of pristine salt marsh,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59it has preserved a lost world.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Flamingos in western Europe.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Pure white horses.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17And black bulls.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24And this wonder has shaped the culture of the people here too.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29In one dangerous way.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42The Course Camarguaise is a contest between man and bull.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Unarmed bull runners - raseteurs -
0:43:50 > 0:43:53try to outwit bulls with their agility...
0:43:58 > 0:44:01..snatching tokens from between their horns.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06The bulls are not harmed,
0:44:06 > 0:44:12but for the raseteurs, it is a potentially deadly game.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14CHEERING
0:44:19 > 0:44:23But before any contest, cowboys riding the Carmargue's white horses
0:44:23 > 0:44:26have to round up the bulls in the salt marsh.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Across the rest of Europe,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43while every great mammal has been hunted to extinction,
0:44:43 > 0:44:48here, the secluded Camargue has offered feral bulls safe haven.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55They have remained almost unchanged here since the last ice age.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01The cowboys choose a bull with the right fighting spirit.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:45:06 > 0:45:12They name him after the Roman god of fire - Vulcan.
0:45:17 > 0:45:23Later today, Vulcan will take on the raseteurs in his first-ever contest.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Vulcan won't be the only novice in the arena.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Vincent Felix is 19.
0:45:42 > 0:45:47If he does well today, it could launch his career as a professional raseteur.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11Until now, Vincent has trained with bulls wearing blunted horn protectors.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Vincent's father was a champion raseteur. He's come to watch.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34To win, Vincent needs to score more points than a dozen other raseteurs
0:46:35 > 0:46:37and face several different bulls.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43BULL BELLOWS
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Vincent fails to score in the first two rounds...
0:47:09 > 0:47:12..but gets his first points in round three.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17But he still trails the leaders.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Now there's just two bulls left.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27First, Blackhorn.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Half a tonne of brutal fury.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40But Blackhorn keeps escaping the arena.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45No-one can add to their points.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52Vincent is still behind as Blackhorn is taken off.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57Now the last bull.
0:48:02 > 0:48:03Vulcan.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13BULL BELLOWS
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Vulcan is seeing off the raseteurs with frightening ease.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37For Vincent, his last chance is slipping away.
0:49:11 > 0:49:16He's taken the highest scoring token from Vulcan.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20CHEERING
0:49:32 > 0:49:37Thanks to Vulcan, Vincent's career as a professional has begun with a victory.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Man and bull brought together in ancient contest,
0:49:44 > 0:49:49at the heart of one of Europe's largest natural wonders.
0:49:51 > 0:49:52The Camargue.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Back in Raja Ampat, a break in the weather has given Ronald
0:50:06 > 0:50:09a final chance to radio tag a pregnant manta.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16With the strong currents wrecking his chances,
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Ronald's gambling on a new approach.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24He chooses an area where the currents are weak,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27but there's no guarantee of mantas,
0:50:27 > 0:50:31So he must hope that the mantas come to him.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36But he has only 45 minutes of air.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48With just five minutes left, his luck turns.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55And one of the mantas is a pregnant female.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21He must get above her to strike.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Now is his only chance.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Perfect hit.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57Woo! Woo!
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Ronald has taken a crucial step in the battle to save the mantas
0:52:19 > 0:52:24who depend upon this vast wonder of the oceans -
0:52:24 > 0:52:27the magical reefs of Raja Ampat.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Our Earth's natural wonders are places of danger...
0:52:44 > 0:52:46..reward...
0:52:47 > 0:52:48..and great beauty.
0:52:51 > 0:52:52These unique places
0:52:52 > 0:52:56have created unique challenges for their inhabitants.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03And they have fundamentally shaped the lives of the people
0:53:03 > 0:53:07who dare to call them...home.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18One of the biggest tests the Earth's Natural Wonders team faced
0:53:18 > 0:53:20was how to follow local fishermen
0:53:20 > 0:53:24as they made perhaps the most dangerous fishing trip in Africa...
0:53:26 > 0:53:29..and film them at the very edge of Victoria Falls.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36But the first difficulty is how to safely film
0:53:36 > 0:53:39the fishermen as they cross crocodile-infested channels.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50There's a sort of upper time limit to how long you can
0:53:50 > 0:53:52linger in the water when there's crocodiles around,
0:53:52 > 0:53:58because basically they kind of clock that you're there and then you become a potential target.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Things quickly get trickier.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Three elephants turned up as well,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09so now we've got Mick who's checking for crocodiles and we've got
0:54:09 > 0:54:14Tom who's meanwhile checking for elephants at our back here.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15Hidden by the bush,
0:54:15 > 0:54:19the elephants need to be bypassed by both fishermen and crew.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28ELEPHANT BELLOWS
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Well, we're having to move because we're in the route
0:54:35 > 0:54:37that the elephants are likely to want to take.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40The fishermen's final destination is a secluded outcrop
0:54:40 > 0:54:42at the very edge of Victoria Falls.
0:54:44 > 0:54:49The film crew need to transport the heavy camera equipment by boat.
0:54:59 > 0:55:00ENGINE CUTS OUT
0:55:00 > 0:55:05But only 200 metres from the edge, the engine fails.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13This close to the falls, the current could drag them over the lip.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21Instead, by steering the drifting boat, they reach the shore.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27None of us really know how we're now going to get to film
0:55:27 > 0:55:31the edge of the falls, because the one boat that we've got
0:55:31 > 0:55:35that will allow us to do that, the engine's screwed, basically.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36It's a bit of a problem.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46The crew managed to change the engine
0:55:46 > 0:55:49and get closer than ever to the edge of the falls.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59The new engine isn't up to much, either.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Third time lucky.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13This is what we would call the point of no return.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16No boats go past this point.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Any further and the boat would be swept off the edge.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23OK, home sweet home.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Now the crew must unload.
0:56:25 > 0:56:30They have just enough time to set up the jib crane for the final shots.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37So we've got the jib set up
0:56:37 > 0:56:39right next to the edge of the falls,
0:56:39 > 0:56:43but in the last hour, the wind has changed direction
0:56:43 > 0:56:45and now there's this almighty spray
0:56:45 > 0:56:48covering all these rocks, making it really, really treacherous,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51so I'm extremely glad I put a safety rope system up for the guys
0:56:51 > 0:56:55operating the jib, because it's absolutely lethal at the edge now.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06But in the last hour of good light, the mist clears
0:57:06 > 0:57:10and the team finally manage to film the fishermen at the very edge
0:57:10 > 0:57:14of one of Earth's greatest natural wonders.