Craziest Cold-Blooded Catches of Coyote's Career!

0:00 I'm coming.

0:00 I'm coming.

0:01 I'm coming.

0:01 Whoa.

0:02 Holy mackerel.

0:02 That is

0:04 here.

0:04 Hold the paws here.

0:06 Drop.

0:06 Drop.

0:06 Drop.

0:06 Drop.

0:06 Drop.

0:07 Drop.

0:07 Now, I didn't want to let go of it.

0:09 Oh, I didn't know I let go.

0:11 There's an old saying, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again.

0:18 When it comes to featuring the elusive timber rattlesnake,

0:22 this saying seems to be our team motto.

0:27 Oh my gosh.

0:29 The terrain that we traverse looking for rattlesnakes is

0:33 a challenge unlike anything we've really ever done before.

0:36 And this is our third venture out looking for timbers.

0:39 And it never gets any easier.

0:42 That sun is really beating down on us.

0:44 You can see all this distance down behind me.

0:47 These mountain sides are what we essentially scale looking for.

0:51 These perfect clusters of rocks where the snakes will be out and sunning.

0:57 It takes a toll on your body, that's for sure.

1:00 I'm going to catch up to Tim and Mario.

1:02 This hike is definitely testing our will to find these snakes.

1:09 Today, we have gained special permissions

1:11 to explore what is known as a rightaway

1:14 that was built several years ago during the insertion of a natural gas pipeline.

1:19 Upon initial installment, this type of construction would have had

1:22 an adverse impact on the local wildlife.

1:25 Yet beyond construction, it has become an ideal habitat for many species.

1:31 Insanely steep, brush covered, and strewn with a jumble of various rock sizes,

1:37 this is now the perfect safe haven for our sought-after target,

1:40 the timber rattlesnake.

1:46 Wow.

1:47 I mean, we're always talking about how beautiful West Virginia is,

1:51 but when you make it to the top of a bluff like this, check out the view.

1:58 That is something.

2:00 My goodness.

2:02 Wild and wonderful West Virginia right there.

2:06 Endless miles of possible snake territory.

2:10 But are we going to find one?

2:12 That's the real question.

2:14 Once again, we have teamed up with wildlife expert Tim Brust.

2:18 You likely recognize Tim from a variety

2:20 of episodes on the Brave Wilderness channel,

2:22 but it's truly the timber rattlesnake that we can define as his specialty.

2:27 Currently, Tim has been conserving

2:28 these snakes by mitigating human snake interactions.

2:32 Simply put, he explores areas that are about to go under construction,

2:37 finds and safely moves these reptiles from the path of bulldozers.

2:41 During this process,

2:43 he also educates field crews about these misunderstood animals,

2:46 which helps to keep the snakes alive

2:48 and the humans safe from having an unwanted venomous encounter.

2:54 We are going down at a pretty considerable

2:56 angle right now in our search for timber rattlesnakes.

3:00 Now, a lot of this environment has this crumbled flat rock, right?

3:05 All of this this almost like sheetro.

3:07 So, we're lifting up these giant pieces

3:10 of rock and looking beneath them for snakes.

3:14 You hear that?

3:15 It is completely hollow underneath this rock.

3:18 And it's very big, which means there's no chance of flipping it.

3:24 But I came down and I scouted this after walking over it.

3:28 And look at this.

3:30 That right there is an absolute perfect

3:35 spot for a timber rattlesnake to be hiding.

3:37 Now, you would never want to stick your hand up

3:39 and underneath a rock like that to sift through the leaves.

3:41 A bite from a temper rattlesnake could definitely kill you.

3:44 It's just a matter of covering ground and searching, searching, searching.

3:48 The more ground we cover, the better the chances we have of finding a snake.

3:54 The Western Hemisphere is home to 32 different rattlesnake species,

3:58 and in my opinion, the timber rattler is one of the most iconic.

4:02 We have been trying for years to share the species with you.

4:06 But today, things are about to change.

4:14 So, Tim and Mario are ahead of me.

4:15 They just call out.

4:16 They found a timber rattlesnake.

4:17 Making my way as fast I can down this rocky slope.

4:20 I'm coming.

4:21 I'm coming.

4:21 I'm coming.

4:24 Okay, this is it.

4:25 We've got a timber rattlesnake.

4:27 Yes.

4:28 Oh my gosh, that snake is beautiful.

4:30 Okay, sounds like we've got two snakes.

4:32 So, what we're doing is just bagging the snake

4:34 for the moment to see if we can get the bigger one.

4:37 Got a really big snake.

4:38 Really big snake.

4:40 All right.

4:40 What do you need me to do?

4:41 Whoa.

4:41 Holy mackerel.

4:42 That is a huge snake.

4:44 It's We can't We can't here.

4:47 Hold the tongs here.

4:49 You got him.

4:50 Yep.

4:53 Watch out.

4:54 Here's the red body here.

4:55 Be really careful.

4:56 There's other snakes in the area.

4:58 So, what's happening right now is we've

5:00 got a very big snake underneath this rock.

5:02 It's a very dangerous situation.

5:03 You can see how steep it is right here.

5:05 So, we've got to be very careful.

5:06 There are also other snakes within the rock.

5:08 So, we're going to slowly peel back pieces of these rocks

5:10 and see if we can safely get this snake.

5:13 Check it out.

5:14 There are sheds of snake skin all over the place.

5:17 We have found a hot spot.

5:19 It's been quite the hike to get to this spot,

5:21 but we have finally got a timber rattlesnake.

5:23 Several are going to happen.

5:25 the other one.

5:31 Oh my god, it's a big snake.

5:34 Oh my god.

5:35 Hold them.

5:35 Hold them.

5:36 Hold them.

5:37 Wow, that is a huge rattlesnake.

5:39 Okay, do we have another bag with us?

5:43 Okay, in total, we were able to secure three snakes,

5:46 one of which appeared to be a gravid female.

5:49 This is incredibly exciting for the future of this population.

5:53 Beautiful.

5:53 And to ensure she does not get stressed,

5:56 we immediately release her back into the rocks.

6:02 Don't want to get any closer than that.

6:04 How about that, Mario?

6:05 We finally got our timber.

6:06 We got multiple timbers.

6:08 Oh my gosh, that is a good size snake.

6:11 All right, so what we're going to do is actually put the snake in a snake bag.

6:15 At the moment, it is definitely a big snake, but we can't film right here.

6:18 We have to take it to a slightly more of a controlled setting.

6:21 So, we're going to safely bag it, move it,

6:23 and then bring it back down here for the release.

6:25 When you're bagging a snake,

6:26 you always want to secure it at the back side of the bag with the snake hook.

6:35 Snakes skin.

6:36 That means this is a healthy population

6:39 of rattlesnakes that hang out in this area here.

6:42 We've hit the rattlesnake motherload, that's for sure.

6:47 With the two other snakes contained,

6:49 we begin the arduous climb back up the steep sides of the rightway.

6:54 This is a very slow and very delicate process.

6:57 Mario, are you doing okay?

6:59 Actually, I tell you what, it's really hard on the forearm.

7:02 You got to keep the snake well away from your body so it doesn't swing on you.

7:07 Snakes can bite easily through the bags and most

7:10 people aren't animated when they're transporting snakes like this.

7:12 So, you have to be very careful.

7:16 There's the snakes.

7:18 That's where we came from.

7:20 And that is where we're still going.

7:25 A lot of effort, but totally worth it.

7:39 Wow.

7:41 There it is.

7:44 the timber rattlesnake.

7:46 This is our third attempt at finding one of these reptiles in the wild.

7:51 And my goodness is this one handsome.

7:54 Now, the name timber rattlesnake comes from the fact

7:56 that you find these snakes in forested areas.

7:59 And they are cryptic.

8:00 Unless you know exactly what it is that you're looking

8:03 for, your odds of seeing one are rather pretty slim.

8:06 Unless you stumble upon it and it gives you that warning of its rattle,

8:09 you may walk right past it.

8:11 Now, as compared to the other rattlesnake species here in the United States,

8:14 I'd actually consider this species rather docile.

8:17 Their defense is always going to be to rely on their camouflage first.

8:21 If you get too close, this is exactly what you're going to hear.

8:25 That rattle going into full action.

8:27 Basically, a security system that says, "You're too close.

8:30 Get any closer and you may take a bite." You

8:33 can see how close I am to the snake right now.

8:35 Just about a foot and a half from it.

8:38 I don't want to make any sudden movements and provoke it too striking,

8:41 but it definitely senses that I'm here.

8:43 The rattlesnake is the pinnacle of snake evolution.

8:46 What I want you guys to really take a look

8:48 at are the heat sensing pits right in front

8:51 of the eye and right below the nostril that allow

8:54 these snakes to pick up the heat signatures of their prey.

8:58 Basically, all they need to do is lay and wait

9:00 as an ambush predator for something to come close.

9:03 Their tongue will flick out.

9:04 They will sense the chemicals, the smell of that prey item,

9:07 and then with those heat sensing pits,

9:09 they can hone in almost like a heat-seeking

9:11 missile and then strike out with those hinged fangs.

9:14 Remember, the fangs are like hypodermic needles.

9:17 And the second they inject that venom,

9:19 that prey item has pretty much no chance of surviving.

9:22 Now, if it's something like a small rabbit or rat,

9:25 a chipmunk, a squirrel, and it runs off,

9:27 the snake will actually follow the scent

9:29 of that prey item until it succumbs to the venom,

9:31 and then it's capable of swallowing down its meal.

9:34 And those fangs work individually of one another and they will almost

9:37 use those like grappling hooks to drag their prey backwards into their mouths.

9:41 Now the fangs are modified teeth,

9:43 but all snakes have multiple rows of teeth within their mouth

9:46 that are constantly being replaced throughout the course of the snake's life.

9:49 So as the fangs draw the prey in, the other teeth

9:52 work it back down the throat and they swallow their prey whole.

9:56 Now, as compared to other rattlesnake species in the United States,

9:59 I would say the timber rattlesnake is more ambush than it is nomadic.

10:03 They will always lay in waiting for their prey to come to them.

10:06 Any small mammals or small amphibians that they

10:09 come across within the forested environment make perfect prey.

10:13 And a snake of this size, which measures,

10:15 I would guess just a little over 3 ft in length,

10:18 is considered a fullgrown adult.

10:22 You may be saying to yourselves, Coyote,

10:23 you guys are so good at being able to come across animals.

10:26 How come it's taken you so many attempts to find the timber rattlesnake?

10:29 This species specifically has been persecuted

10:32 beyond what other rattlesnakes have even faced.

10:35 A lot of times people will come across the den which is known as a hibernaculum.

10:39 Once they see this a huge collection of snakes,

10:41 what they will do is sometimes dump concrete

10:44 or gasoline and burn these snakes or bury them alive.

10:47 So you can wipe out an entire population of snakes by doing something like that.

10:51 So seeing one of these snakes, actually several of them like this in the wild

10:54 in a very difficult reach spot is a very positive thing.

10:58 It means that the population is thriving.

11:01 Nothing makes us more excited than

11:02 to see a thriving population of timber rattlesnakes.

11:07 This is just such a cool reptile.

11:10 Now, the next most important thing that we need

11:11 to do is actually collect the biometrics of this snake.

11:14 And to do that, what we're going to do is gently get it into a snake tube.

11:19 This will put the least amount of stress on the snake

11:21 and will be the safest scenario for both myself,

11:23 Tim, and the crew to be able to handle the snake.

11:26 What I also want to do is get a more

11:28 uplose look at that rattle because when it comes to rattlesnakes,

11:31 nothing is more impressive than that defense system.

11:37 All right, snake is on the move.

11:40 All right, Tim.

11:41 So, what would you like me to do to help with this part of the procedure?

11:46 And these guys, you want to gently direct their head into the tube.

11:51 Got it.

11:52 When he goes in, just set the tube at an angle if you can downward.

11:59 Okay?

11:59 Sometimes it takes 30 seconds, sometimes it takes 20 minutes.

12:03 Grab, grab, drop, drop, drop, drop down.

12:05 Quick, quick, quick.

12:08 I'm pushing them.

12:09 Push.

12:10 There you go.

12:12 Two on the tube.

12:13 Two on the snake.

12:14 Woo!

12:15 That was not easy.

12:17 Wow.

12:18 That is a powerful snake.

12:21 My goodness.

12:22 With the snake safely tubed,

12:24 Tim and I are able to quickly collect the biometrics,

12:27 which include the snake's total length,

12:30 scale count below the cloa to determine the reptile's sex,

12:34 and finally, a rattle button count.

12:37 This doesn't tell us anything specifically scientific.

12:40 It's just cool to compare rattle sizes.

12:43 That rattle is one of the most unique aspects of this snake.

12:47 And the rattle itself is actually made out of modified scales.

12:51 You can actually see the way that it's growing

12:52 out of the tip of the rattlesnake's tail itself.

12:55 Now, inside its tail are a bunch of very specialized muscles

12:58 that allow the tail to vibrate at a very high rate,

13:01 which causes the rattle to actually rattle.

13:03 So, I can rattle it myself like that.

13:06 Or if I let go of those muscles, the rattlesnake will rattle it on its own.

13:11 Now, the rattle is made out of something known as keratin.

13:14 the same material that the scales are made out of and the same

13:16 thing that your hair and your fingernails are made out of.

13:19 People always want to know, well, what's inside the rattle of a rattlesnake?

13:23 Truth be told, nothing at all.

13:25 They're actually interlocking segments that are hollow.

13:28 They're known as buttons, and when they vibrate against each other,

13:31 that is where you get the rattling sound.

13:35 Now, you cannot tell the age of a rattlesnake by the number of buttons.

13:39 People often think that like the rings of a tree,

13:41 if you count those buttons, you can tell how old the snake is.

13:43 That is not true because throughout the course of the snake's life,

13:46 it can lose segments of its rattle.

13:48 But a new button comes into place every single time this snake sheds its skin.

13:54 Now, this snake here has 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 buttons on that rattle.

14:03 Honestly, this is the largest rattle I've ever seen on any

14:06 of the rattlesnakes we have featured on the Brave Wilderness channel.

14:09 Truly a unique aspect of this snake's evolution that makes it

14:14 so incredibly distinct as compared to any other snake around the world.

14:19 Well, how cool was this?

14:21 Spending an unbelievable amount of time searching

14:24 for and finally finding the timber rattlesnake.

14:27 I'm Ky Peterson.

14:29 Be brave.

14:31 Stay wild.

14:32 We'll see you on the next adventure.

14:35 Together, Tim and I worked out of scene

14:37 to collect biometrics on the other big snake.

14:40 It was robust and as healthy as a rattlesnake could be,

14:43 which was a great sign for this thriving population.

14:47 No two snakes are ever the same.

14:49 And considering the timber rattler comes in such a wide variety of color faces,

14:53 it's pretty cool to see just how different individuals are,

14:56 especially when compared side by side.

15:00 Finally, we hiked back down to the point of discovery

15:03 and released both snakes into their corresponding rock crevices.

15:09 The future of rattlesnakes, and all snakes, for that matter,

15:13 is always tangled up in a series of uncertainties

15:16 that center around an unnecessary fear of these misunderstood reptiles.

15:21 Yet, it's conservationists like Tim Rust

15:24 and the tireless work he does to help people

15:26 understand the importance of these creatures that will

15:28 ensure they continue to slither across the planet.

15:32 If you're a large construction company and are

15:35 concerned for the safety of your team,

15:36 but are also cognizant of the important role native wildlife plays,

15:40 let's get these animals out of the bulldozers pathway.

15:44 Click on the link in the video

15:45 description below to contact Edge Engineering and Science.

15:50 Tim and the rest of their staff can provide

15:52 the necessary support to make sure your workers are safe.

15:55 The project's in compliance,

15:57 and the final result will be a happy balance between nature and humans.

16:09 Got him.

16:10 That might be your most epic catch of all time.

16:18 For anyone that dreams of adventure,

16:20 there's arguably no greater place on our planet than the Australian outback.

16:26 This vastly remote stretch of wilderness is the perfect place

16:29 to encounter some of the country's most recognizable animal species.

16:33 And if you are a fanatic of reptiles, this is your dream come true.

16:38 On this expedition, we are traveling nearly 300 miles from the sprawling

16:43 city of Brisbane and out toward the sparsely populated town of Neandara.

16:48 From there, we'll venture further into the bush with the hopes

16:52 of tracking down one of its largest reptilian inhabitants, the monitor lizard.

16:59 These ancient looking reptiles are rather common.

17:02 However, their elusive nature, coupled with perfectly designed camouflage,

17:06 can make them incredibly difficult to find.

17:10 To aid in this epic quest,

17:12 we have teamed up with two of the country's top reptilian enthusiasts.

17:17 Locky Gilding and Max Jackson,

17:19 who own and operate Australian wildlife encounters,

17:23 know these wild stretches of remote territory better than anyone.

17:26 And their expertise when it comes to locating monitor lizards is unprecedented.

17:31 working under their special permits.

17:33 We have one collective goal in mind.

17:36 Do whatever it takes to track down

17:38 and safely catch one of these phantom like lizards.

17:46 All right, guys.

17:47 Mondo road begins.

17:49 Keep your eyes out.

17:51 So, Max, when it comes to searching for monitors,

17:53 what is the telltale sign that we're in the right area?

17:55 I mean, what are we looking for right now?

17:57 For the sand monitors and the yellow spotted monitors.

18:00 looking for that type of soil that's not too rocky

18:02 and a bit sandy that they can dig their burrows in.

18:04 Basically, as long as they've got a place where

18:06 they can um shelter during winter and during nighttime,

18:10 only other ingredient is heat.

18:12 They really, really love heat.

18:13 So, they can be active in 35 40 plus degrees C.

18:17 So, this is perfect here.

18:21 The monitor lizard is an iconic reptile that has long been

18:24 on my wish list of animals to feature on the Brave Wilderness channel.

18:29 And this would be the first time in my life

18:31 where that wish stood a chance of coming true.

18:36 When I spring out of the car to catch a monitor, I'm going to need both hands.

18:40 So, we're going to try to get the initial

18:42 catch shot from my shoulder instead of the handheld camera.

18:46 I just know that if I'm fumbling around with a GoPro,

18:49 I stand a better chance of actually being bitten.

18:52 Let me tell you what you don't want to happen when working

18:54 with a monitor for those razor sharp teeth to slice into your arm.

18:58 It will send you to the hospital and you will be getting stitches.

19:02 So, we're going to the shoulder cam on this one, guys.

19:05 All right, man.

19:06 You ready?

19:06 Let's do it.

19:07 Monitor time.

19:13 Monitor right there.

19:14 Right there.

19:15 Turn the power on.

19:16 Yep.

19:16 Right back there up on that edge.

19:19 This is it, guys.

19:20 Okay.

19:21 Definitely monitor right up under the side of the road.

19:34 No way.

19:37 She thought he dove into here where he was going, man.

19:43 What happened, Coyote?

19:45 Well, we saw a small monitor, another one about that big.

19:49 I mean, lightning quick.

19:51 We drove past it.

19:52 Actually stayed on the road and as we got close, put its head up just like that.

19:57 Got down into a burrow.

19:59 Not a chance of catching that one.

20:02 Sprinted after that one.

20:05 Did I forget to mention that monitor lizards are incredibly speedy?

20:09 In fact, for their size,

20:11 these lizards are one of the fastest reptiles in Australia.

20:15 And after witnessing the speed of our first target,

20:17 I soon began to realize that catching a monitor lizard was

20:20 going to be a lot more difficult than I had previously imagined.

20:25 Late afternoon was creeping in as sharp beams

20:28 of sunlight cut through the trees with a blinding effect.

20:32 I could feel the window of lizard catching opportunity beginning to close.

20:36 Yet my hold on hope remains strong.

20:43 Among up ahead.

20:44 Yeah.

20:44 Right there.

20:45 Right there.

20:45 Slow down.

20:46 Slow down.

20:50 All right.

20:50 Let's go.

20:51 I'm ready to go.

20:51 Move slow.

20:52 Move slow.

20:57 Okay, guys.

20:58 We've got a monitor just in front of the vehicle here.

21:01 Going to approach slow.

21:03 Right now, it is just holding its ground.

21:14 In a flash, the lizard sprang into action.

21:17 Keeping up with a monitor lizard as it speeds

21:19 through tangles of branches and brier patches is virtually impossible.

21:23 And it was only a matter of time before one of two things happened.

21:27 Either the reptile would dive into a burrow and disappear out of reach,

21:31 or it would retreat high up into a tree, which is exactly what this one did.

21:36 See it?

21:37 Yeah, I saw that.

21:37 Oh, I see it.

21:38 It's right here up the tree.

21:40 Up the tree.

21:41 Right up the tree.

21:42 Right here.

21:45 As I peered up the trunk of the towering tree before me,

21:48 only one thought came to my mind.

21:51 Catch that lizard.

21:52 So, as I have done before, without a second of hesitation,

21:56 I began to scramble up the tree.

22:00 Careful.

22:12 might make a jump.

22:13 He's going to jump to this other section here.

22:16 He's at the end of that branch that your left hand's on.

22:18 He's at the end of that branch, man.

22:26 I've got him.

22:27 But he is locked under the end of this bridge.

22:33 Got him.

22:35 Nice catch.

22:46 That might be your most epic catch of all time.

22:49 Now the question is, how am I going to get back down?

22:53 Hold on.

22:53 I got to put it in my pocket.

22:57 Just kidding.

23:00 Hi, buddy.

23:01 All right, guys.

23:02 I've caught the monitor.

23:04 Now, it's just a matter of getting back down

23:06 out of this tree with it in my hands.

23:09 This is a bit of a precarious scenario right here.

23:16 Careful.

23:23 Bit of a scrape on my on my manberries there.

23:28 Not a problem.

23:30 I have got the lizard.

23:41 I got it.

23:49 Easy.

23:50 Go slow.

23:50 Go slow.

24:01 Woo!

24:05 Yeah.

24:04 And that is how you climb a tree to catch a monitor.

24:09 Woo!

24:10 That was epic.

24:11 That was epic.

24:12 A bit out of the range here.

24:15 Oh man, that was amazing.

24:19 I told you guys I was going all in to catch one of these lizards.

24:24 Wow, that's a sand monitor right there.

24:28 The Gul's sand monitor.

24:31 The quintessential goana.

24:34 Let me catch my breath, guys.

24:39 Wow, man.

24:43 One more high five.

24:44 That was awesome.

24:45 That may be the fastest I have ever climbed a tree without branches.

24:49 And the thing that really helped me with there was all of the grippy bark

24:54 on the side of that tree and the general arked angle and my arms are ripped up.

25:00 But it was absolutely worth it to catch this reptile.

25:04 This is a sand monitor commonly known

25:06 as a goana and it is an ancient looking creature.

25:11 I have dreamed about being able to get

25:14 one of these reptiles up close for the cameras.

25:17 Now, they do get significantly bigger than this, but you

25:21 can't really top a catch of that magnitude.

25:26 Wow.

25:27 I just have to take a second to absorb in the beauty of this reptile.

25:32 Look at that skin.

25:34 Little tiny scales in all that speckled patterning.

25:38 Now, I know in the past I've compared some lizard species to dinosaurs.

25:41 Now, as we know, dinosaurs evolved into birds,

25:43 and a lot of times you guys call it, but coyote lizards aren't really dinosaurs.

25:47 No, they are not.

25:48 But they are so similar in design.

25:50 Just look at the head of that creature.

25:53 I feel like I am looking at a velociraptor right now.

25:56 That long neck and those intelligent eyes.

25:58 And I'll tell you what, these creatures are intelligent.

26:02 Almost problem-solving intelligent.

26:04 Now, all monitor lizard species have a forked tongue.

26:07 That fork tongue helps them navigate their environment

26:10 and also to find and detect their prey.

26:13 And when it comes back into their mouth, similar to a heel monster,

26:17 they have what's called a Jacobson's organ in the roof of their skull.

26:20 And as the tongue runs over that organ,

26:22 it tells them almost like a little computer,

26:24 your food is this way or your food is that way

26:27 or something is getting close in your environment that you should flee from.

26:30 Typically, you won't find sand monitors climbing trees.

26:33 They're a terrestrial species.

26:34 But in an instance like that where it's evading a predator,

26:37 if a tree is the best way to escape, that's exactly where it is going to go.

26:42 Wow, look at those front forlims.

26:45 Can you guys see those claws?

26:47 Razor sharp.

26:48 Almost like the talons of a bird of prey.

26:51 And they have grappled onto my arms in several different places.

26:55 I'm actually really happy that I wasn't sliced up more than I have been.

27:00 These creatures are voracious predators.

27:03 They will eat pretty much anything.

27:05 They will eat small rodents.

27:06 They will eat insects, arachnids, other lizards,

27:09 eggs, and they will even eat dead animals.

27:11 So, a lot of times you will see

27:12 these lizards out on the roadsides feeding on dead carcasses.

27:16 Whether it be an emu or a kangaroo, that is fair game for a creature like

27:20 this to just dig into those guts and have a feast.

27:23 And this is one healthy lizard.

27:26 Let me turn it upright like this for you so you can see its back.

27:30 And it is just holding on to me about as tight as I am holding on to it.

27:35 Look at that.

27:35 Locked in place.

27:37 And there is so much muscle structure

27:39 in the tail and the center of this animal's body.

27:43 This is a male, a young one.

27:45 They can grow substantially longer than this.

27:48 I would say it's about 3 feet in length

27:50 from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.

27:52 Look at that coloration.

27:53 You see all the yellow speckling along the sides

27:56 of the legs and then that yellow tip of the tail.

27:58 That's one way that you can easily distinguish this monitor as compared

28:02 to some of the other species that are out here in the bush.

28:07 Excellent eyesight under the light of day.

28:09 Excellent hearing, incredible speed.

28:11 This is an apex predator when it comes

28:13 to the reptiles that can be found here in Australia.

28:17 So cool, guys.

28:18 Can you believe that we actually caught a monitor?

28:21 I am beside myself right now.

28:24 And we have been working long and hard today.

28:26 The sun is getting low in the sky.

28:27 It couldn't be the more perfect scenario

28:29 to get this reptile up close for the cameras.

28:32 Woo!

28:32 I can't believe it, guys.

28:33 I give you high fives right now,

28:34 but I need both hands on the lizard to make

28:36 sure that it doesn't spin around and give me a bite.

28:39 This truly is one of the reptiles we hope

28:41 to get in front of the cameras here in Australia.

28:43 And we finally did it.

28:45 I'm Coyote Peterson.

28:46 Be brave.

28:48 Stay wild.

28:49 We'll see you on the next adventure.

28:51 Man, what a catch.

28:54 We faced many challenges and several frustrating defeats in our quest

28:59 to bring this reptile up close for the cameras.

29:02 Yet, it was a combination of patience,

29:04 teamwork, and sheer determination that ultimately paid off.

29:14 And there it goes, man.

29:17 The sand go Anna.

29:18 Thank you, Australia.

29:20 Woo!

29:22 The sand monitor proudly stands as one

29:24 of the greatest animal encounters of my career.

29:27 And I consider myself fortunate to have had such an epic conclusion

29:32 to the tale of my time spent in the land of lizards.

29:39 Whoa.

29:40 Jeez.

29:41 Huge water snake.

29:42 Oh, they got a green over there.

29:44 They got a green.

29:45 What?

29:45 They got a green over there.

29:46 Oh man.

29:47 Ow.

29:48 Oh jeez.

29:49 at this one angry black racer.

29:53 Today we're headed out on a snake scavenger hunt.

29:56 I'll be working alongside my friend and wildlife biologist, Will Robertson.

30:00 Say hi, Will.

30:01 Hi, Will.

30:02 This region is known for its plethora of species.

30:05 We're going to be scouring the fields, searching the forests, flipping rocks,

30:08 and rolling logs, doing whatever it takes to find some of these cool reptiles.

30:13 Will, are you ready?

30:14 Let's find some snakes.

30:24 pollen.

30:28 Oh, snake.

30:28 I think it was a garter snake.

30:29 He went down into this little hole right here.

30:32 Oh, yeah.

30:33 There's his little face.

30:34 He's right there.

30:35 See if I can tickle him out.

30:37 There he is.

30:39 Gotcha.

30:41 Whoa.

30:42 There we go.

30:43 All right, let's take a look at this one.

30:45 So, that is the eastern garder snake.

30:48 One of the coolest things most people don't realize

30:49 about garder snakes is that they are mildly venomous.

30:53 Not a venom that could ever hurt a human,

30:56 but for the most part, these are super calm, super docile snakes.

31:01 You can see that little defense mechanism right there totally flattening out

31:04 the body and almost making the head look as if it's V-shaped,

31:08 which of course would be indicative of a venomous snake.

31:11 But, as we know, the garder snake is completely harmless.

31:17 This is cool.

31:17 It's like a river of moss.

31:20 Look at that.

31:22 Now, normally you probably have water flowing down through

31:25 this spillway and towards this lake that we're getting toward,

31:30 but it's just a really unique looking habitat.

31:33 Almost like Lord of the Rings.

31:36 And it seems as if the lake might pay off

31:39 because Will just said he's got a big water snake basking.

31:43 Oh yeah, that's a nice one.

31:46 These guys are nonvenenomous, but they do bite quite a bit.

31:49 So, we'll see what this guy does.

31:52 All right, Will's got the water snake.

31:55 Oh, yeah.

31:55 Beautiful one.

31:57 And definitely a species that people often times think is venomous,

32:01 but completely harmless.

32:03 The northern water snake.

32:06 That's another one for the list, Will.

32:08 Yeah, there we go.

32:09 Looking good.

32:11 Oh, coyote, sanitize real quick.

32:14 Don't want to spread those snake fungal diseases.

32:20 Oh, red belly snake.

32:21 Oh, red belly snake.

32:23 Pretty basic looking snake except for the fact

32:25 that it has a pretty vibrant red belly.

32:28 Let's flip it.

32:31 Oh, little V.

32:33 Look at his little tunnel.

32:34 Hi, buddy.

32:36 Got an interesting little precarious scenario here.

32:39 There is a rock ledge that a black racer is up on.

32:43 I think if I drop myself down into this little hole,

32:47 I might be able to come around the edge and get it.

32:50 I see it, but it does not see me.

32:55 It's right there.

32:58 Definitely right on the edge of this cliff.

33:03 Got it.

33:06 Getting under control is going to be a whole another story.

33:08 And these snakes are really biting.

33:11 Oh jeez, that is one angry black racer.

33:17 Will got a black racer for the snake scavenger hunt.

33:23 See if I can do this without taking a bite.

33:25 There we go.

33:26 Okay, focus is on the camera at the moment.

33:31 And there we have it.

33:32 Another species for the snake scavenger hunt.

33:35 All right, Mario, I'm going to bring it up for the tight shot.

33:38 That is the black racer.

33:39 Looks like it's getting ready to shed its skin.

33:41 You can tell that from the cloudiness in the eyes.

33:44 And the thing that I love most about this species is its agility and its speed.

33:48 Not to mention the coloration is very similar to the black mamba.

33:52 But of course, this is a nonvenenomous species.

33:54 So, a bite is going to be nothing more than a little soap and water to clean up.

33:58 All right.

33:59 Watch how fast the snake is when I let it back into the environment.

34:05 Or not.

34:06 That's kind of cool.

34:07 just to get it in that that display mode.

34:09 I thought you were just going to speed off,

34:11 but instead you're giving us some incredible B-roll.

34:14 Nothing wrong with that.

34:18 Oo, look at that big ringneck snake.

34:21 That's a nice orange belly.

34:22 So, these guys spend most of their time

34:24 underground looking for things like salamanders to eat.

34:27 They're very tame snakes.

34:29 They never bite.

34:30 You can see they have tiny tiny little heads

34:33 with a prominent yellow ring right around the neck.

34:36 Double flip.

34:38 No.

34:40 Put here.

34:40 Nope.

34:41 Guess who found a hog noose snake right here.

34:44 Whale.

34:45 Oh, it's on the move.

34:47 I got it.

34:47 I got it.

34:47 I got it.

34:48 I got it.

34:48 I'll grab him up here.

34:49 Okay.

34:52 Whoa.

34:52 Wow.

34:52 A hognosed snake for the scavenger hunt.

34:55 This is a difficult one to find.

34:56 And look at that pointed nose right there.

35:01 Uh-oh.

35:01 Uh-oh.

35:02 You know what happens when they poop, right?

35:04 Yeah.

35:04 These guys are known for playing dead.

35:06 Oh my gosh, the smell is unbearable.

35:09 Wow, dude.

35:10 You are covered in poop.

35:13 Let's wipe that off.

35:14 Oh my gosh, hands.

35:23 When lifting rocks.

35:28 Swallowed a bug.

35:35 I was going to try to tell you about rock etiquette.

35:39 Back to one.

35:47 When lifting rocks, it's important to have good rock etiquette,

35:51 which means you lift a rock gently and you

35:54 place it right back exactly where you found it.

36:00 Ants.

36:01 Whoa.

36:02 Do they bite or sting?

36:03 Let's find out.

36:08 They don't really do anything.

36:09 They run away.

36:11 Not the sting episode.

36:13 Will just called out to me that he found

36:15 an abandoned car that I need to check out.

36:18 I don't know what an abandoned car would be

36:19 doing out here on the side of this mountain.

36:22 Like, how did he even end up here?

36:24 Wow.

36:24 That is what I would not be surprised

36:28 if rattlesnakes were using this old rusted car.

36:31 That's really interesting.

36:33 I mean, how did this either?

36:35 They must have rolled it down the hill and crashed it.

36:38 It' be really creepy if we found a body in it.

36:40 Not that I can see.

36:41 Just some uh bush light.

36:44 Yeah.

36:44 Don't drink and drive.

36:45 That's a good message.

36:46 Let's see if we can lift this hood.

36:48 Give it a flipperoo.

36:54 I don't see any rattlesnakes.

36:56 No.

36:56 It's worth a check, though.

36:58 Holy.

36:59 Did it spin?

37:02 Yeah.

37:01 In place.

37:04 Creepy.

37:04 There's a rat snake on top.

37:05 Oh my gosh.

37:06 There is.

37:07 Oh my goodness.

37:08 In the abandoned car.

37:10 A new species.

37:11 New one.

37:12 New one.

37:13 All right.

37:13 What do you need me to do?

37:14 I might be able here.

37:15 Here.

37:15 Here.

37:16 Let me get tangled in the engine.

37:17 Yeah, guys.

37:20 There we go.

37:21 Wa.

37:21 New species.

37:22 Wa.

37:23 Careful.

37:23 Careful.

37:25 Slipping.

37:26 Yes.

37:26 How about that?

37:28 All right.

37:28 All right, Will.

37:28 What do we got?

37:29 We've got a black rat snake.

37:31 And this is actually a small one.

37:33 Despite being a pretty decent sized snake,

37:35 these guys are the largest snakes around here.

37:37 They can get almost 8 ft long.

37:40 They eat birds and they climb right up trees to nab squirrels.

37:44 This guy is in sheds, so his eyes are pretty blue.

37:47 Unbelievable.

37:48 Awesome.

37:48 What would you say is the holy grail of snake species in this area?

37:52 I would say the green snake.

37:53 They're bright, bright green.

37:56 They look like nothing else from around here.

37:58 They're super tropical looking.

38:00 You'd never believe that they're right here in the Appalachian.

38:04 When it comes to garter snakes, we found the mother load.

38:08 A whole pile of sunning snakeies right there.

38:12 These rocks are alive with snakes.

38:13 This is perfect conditions at the moment to find a number.

38:20 Whoa.

38:21 Jeez.

38:22 Huge water snake.

38:24 Really, really big northern water snake.

38:25 All right, here.

38:26 Let's uh let's Yeah,

38:27 I'm going to need uh at least you to hold the hold the camera.

38:32 Okay.

38:31 Wow, that's a big one.

38:33 Hopefully, it just not decides to give me a chomp cuz this is good size.

38:38 Wow.

38:40 Oh, they got a green over there.

38:41 They got a green.

38:43 What?

38:42 They got a green over there,

38:44 man.

38:44 Ow.

38:45 Oh, okay.

38:45 We're coming.

38:46 We're coming.

38:51 OH, BEAUTIFUL.

38:51 AMAZING.

38:52 And that's one of the rare ones for around here.

38:54 I was walking and sure enough just saw a little

38:57 movement and reached down and got the little green snake.

39:01 Amazing.

39:02 That is the holy grail.

39:04 Uh, wow.

39:05 Okay.

39:05 Well, all in one two-minute clip.

39:09 Huge northern water snake and a smooth green snake.

39:13 Here, let me give you this.

39:14 All right.

39:14 Let me see this guy.

39:16 Oh my goodness.

39:18 Wow.

39:19 The smooth green snake.

39:21 That is the ultimate right there.

39:23 Look at that.

39:25 Big snake, little snake, cute snake,

39:28 seemingly dangerous snake, but both completely harmless.

39:32 No way.

39:34 Mario just got another green snake.

39:36 How big is this one?

39:37 Oh my gosh, it's even tinier.

39:40 Oh my goodness.

39:41 Look at that little guy.

39:44 Wow.

39:45 Oh, that is gorgeous little green snake.

39:50 Well, we did it.

39:51 Two beautiful smooth green snakes.

39:53 Now, what's your favorite thing about this reptile?

39:55 It's got to be the vibrance, hands down.

39:57 I mean, it's a bright green snake.

39:58 It looks like it came from the jungle,

40:00 but here we are in the Appalachians, and we've got it.

40:04 So, this is one of my favorite snake species as a kid.

40:06 I used to always see them in my backyard,

40:08 but they're becoming more and more scarce.

40:10 And what is the reason for that?

40:11 Well, you know, along with habitat destruction,

40:13 when people spray pesticides on their lawn, these guys eat insects.

40:17 So, if they eat insects that have pesticides on them,

40:20 well, you know what happens?

40:21 It's going to wipe out the snakes.

40:22 So, less pesticides means more smooth green snakes.

40:26 Will, an enormous thanks to you for taking us

40:29 out today and some of your favorite herping spots.

40:31 This was the ultimate snake scavenger hunt.

40:34 Make sure to check out Will's YouTube channel.

40:36 Lots of awesome videos there.

40:37 And until we collaborate on the next one, I'm Coyote Peterson.

40:40 I'm Will Robertson.

40:42 Be brave.

40:42 Stay wild.

40:43 We'll see you on the next adventure.

40:45 All right.

40:45 Smooth green snakes back into the grass.

40:49 Fish on.

40:50 Should I be letting it taking mine like this?

40:53 Yeah.

40:55 He's running.

40:57 WOW.

40:58 THERE IT JUST JUMPED.

40:58 YOU SEE IT?

40:59 It's like the size of A KILLER WHALE.

41:01 WOW.

41:02 IT is massive.

41:04 This could be the world record size fish.

41:08 Well, it's the start of a very big adventure.

41:10 We are in the middle of nowhere right now.

41:12 British Columbia is a massive expanse of wilderness.

41:16 And this river that's flowing here is the Frasier River,

41:19 and it's surrounded in lore and mystery primarily around

41:24 the sightings of what may be a prehistoric creature.

41:28 We're going to be working with two experts today,

41:30 Kevin and Maro, conservationists and anglers,

41:34 and our goal is to see if we can catch one of these supposed river monsters.

41:40 Sunshine starting to peek out.

41:41 You've got clouds lining in between the crest of these mountains.

41:46 You got the frost line up top with the snow caps.

41:49 British Columbia is absolutely beautiful.

41:53 And we're going to catch a river monster.

41:54 Ho ho.

41:55 A big river monster.

41:57 All right, the boat's getting ready to pick me up.

41:58 It's go time.

42:02 In British Columbia,

42:03 we're pretty fortunate with what we have here for fishing, right?

42:06 It's a mecca in the world for fishing.

42:08 Once I was about 14 years old and and saw one for the first time last year.

42:13 We were fortunate enough to land a fish that's 11 foot 6 and 1/2 to the fork

42:18 and uh we were pretty excited to say

42:20 the least to see something that that spectacular.

42:23 It changed my life.

42:24 Well, hopefully we catch something between 7 and maybe 14 ft today.

42:28 Kevin has the world record at this point,

42:29 but as long as we get a big fish on the line, we will have an excellent episode.

42:36 Okay, so we officially have a couple

42:38 of lines in the water and like most fishing,

42:40 now we begin the waiting process.

42:43 There's heavy weight on the end of these baits,

42:45 so it essentially stays in one spot.

42:46 We want to let the fish come to it 28 ft deep in this spot right here.

42:51 So, we're going to catch big one today.

42:57 These two here are real close to this bait here.

43:02 They're just sitting beside each other.

43:04 Just see those two?

43:08 Yep.

43:08 Hold on.

43:08 Okay, here we go.

43:09 We're getting a bite.

43:10 Oh, we might have a bite now.

43:12 It could be a smaller fish.

43:15 Uh-huh.

43:14 Or it could be monstrous and he's just

43:16 going super slow with trying to get the bait.

43:18 Right.

43:22 Oh, yeah.

43:22 Definitely pulling a little bit.

43:24 Not a big fish.

43:26 Oh, okay.

43:26 Definitely a lot more pull now.

43:29 Oh, yeah.

43:30 There he is.

43:30 There he is.

43:31 Just keep them in the water.

43:33 Oh, yes.

43:37 Wow.

43:37 Just keep them in the water.

43:38 Yeah.

43:39 Yeah.

43:41 Whoa.

43:41 That is like perfect handle and hug size.

43:45 Look at that prehistoric creature.

43:47 A little mini river monster.

43:50 Even at this size, incredible power.

43:53 You going to walk them in?

43:55 Walk them in.

43:56 Yeah.

43:57 Okay, first one.

43:59 Fish is secure.

44:00 Good job.

44:02 Oh my goodness.

44:04 Look at you.

44:06 Unbelievable.

44:08 That is the white sturgeon.

44:10 A very miniaturized version of what we're

44:12 hoping to catch throughout the course of today.

44:15 But this gives us a chance to really examine the animal.

44:18 Look at that beautiful coloration.

44:20 It almost glistens white and blue.

44:23 Now, what's unique about the body structure

44:25 of this fish is that it's very muscular.

44:27 The skeleton is made of cartilage, but the head is made of solid bone.

44:32 The snout is very shovel-nosed in design.

44:35 You see those little things dangling off the front there?

44:38 Those are the barbles.

44:39 And it's those barbles that can sense chemicals within

44:41 the environment that help these creatures search for their food.

44:44 Now, the mouth of the fish,

44:46 I'm going to lift it up just very gently like that so you can see the underside.

44:50 They have no teeth.

44:51 These are environmental vacuums and that they use suction

44:55 to bring small crustaceations and other animal into their mouths.

44:58 So they use flat raspy plates to crush down on and then swallow their prey.

45:04 They've got these distinct pectoral fins on their side

45:06 which helps balance their body when they're underwater.

45:08 But it's this dorsal fin in the back

45:10 and the tail that really makes it look like a shark.

45:13 That codual fin will often be seen coming to the surface and those are

45:17 one of the indicators that people think

45:18 that they're seeing some sort of prehistoric monster.

45:22 This fish is truly ancient in design.

45:26 And its reptilian look,

45:27 especially if that back just comes to the surface like that, shows

45:31 you why people may misidentify this animal as a mythological creature.

45:36 At this point, we want to get the fish back off and into the environment.

45:40 But this is small, 2 and 1/2 ft in length.

45:43 We're hoping to find something that dwarfs this fish.

45:46 Something that could truly be considered a river monster.

45:49 All right, buddy.

45:50 Thanks for hanging out with us and happy hunting.

45:56 For us, it's it's very encouraging to see

45:58 these fish and when you get the small ones,

45:59 they're my favorite and so it's it's great seeing them.

46:02 Yeah.

46:02 The young ones mean the next generation is growing

46:05 to become someday these living dinosaurs in a sense.

46:08 Exactly.

46:09 Well, certainly the work that you're doing to instill conservation

46:12 and education aligns with everything that we're doing at Brave Wilderness.

46:15 And if we can catch a big fish,

46:16 we'll be able to show the world just why these creatures are so cool.

46:20 Yeah, for sure.

46:20 And it'll be uh it'll be good to see, you know,

46:22 what sizes we get cuz it's kind of like a lottery out here, right?

46:25 You get little guys, you get big guys.

46:27 We don't know.

46:28 Any tips for how to bring in one of these fish,

46:30 especially if it's 7 feet or more and weighing close to 300 lb.

46:33 Yeah.

46:33 So, one thing is never let your guard down ever.

46:36 And also, if you have a little bit of a pause,

46:39 straighten out your arms rather than keep them really tight in like this.

46:43 And that'll give your bicep and your forearm a little bit of a break.

46:46 And then you got to get right back into it.

46:49 So, you see that fish on there?

46:51 I'm going to try and cast right close to him.

46:54 Yeah, it's just trailing off the back of the boat.

46:55 The big question is whether or not it's actually hungry and wanting to feed.

47:00 If we get that monster on the line, hold on.

47:13 Now we got a fish.

47:15 Fish on.

47:18 Big one.

47:20 Bigger.

47:22 Bigger.

47:21 Okay.

47:21 You're going to grab this.

47:24 And you're going to you're going to stay square to him.

47:28 Okay.

47:27 So, face him.

47:28 Okay.

47:28 Yeah.

47:29 Like that.

47:30 Yeah.

47:30 This could be a legit river monster right here.

47:32 And hold on tight cuz when he's going, he's going to go.

47:35 Yep.

47:35 So, I'm just feeling him.

47:36 Hold on, dude.

47:37 Just hold on.

47:38 Yeah.

47:38 Yeah.

47:40 Okay.

47:40 Yeah.

47:40 Yeah.

47:40 Get ready.

47:41 Hold on tight.

47:42 Don't reel.

47:42 Don't reel.

47:43 Just hold.

47:44 Just hold.

47:46 That's a strong fish right there.

47:48 Holy cow.

47:48 We definitely have a river monster on the end of this line.

47:55 Wow.

47:55 This is going to require a lot of strength.

47:56 I could tell that.

47:58 Should I be letting it taking line like this?

47:59 Yeah.

48:00 Yeah.

48:00 Let him go.

48:00 Let him go.

48:00 Just stay square to him.

48:08 This is a very, very big fish.

48:12 I use all my body weight to hold on to this animal.

48:17 Come on, baby.

48:21 Oh, boy.

48:23 Farewell and ado, all ye fair Spanish ladies.

48:29 Farewell and ado, you ladies OF SPAIN.

48:32 WE GOT A BIG ONE HERE, CHIEF.

48:37 This could be your world record fast fish.

48:40 Kevin and I might break his record today.

48:43 My forearms are screaming right now.

48:48 That's why you don't skip arm day at the gym.

48:52 Wow.

48:53 Oh, look at him taking look at him taking slack.

48:57 Oh, he's running.

49:00 Every time I have the chance for slack, I got to take it.

49:07 Oh, there it just jumped.

49:08 Do you see it?

49:09 It's like the size of a killer whale.

49:12 Woo!

49:13 It is huge.

49:14 Did you see it?

49:15 It is really big.

49:18 We do not want to lose this fish.

49:20 We've got the fish up at the surface.

49:22 It's absolutely huge.

49:24 Mario's filming its heads right alongside the boat.

49:26 Wow, it is massive.

49:28 Holy cow.

49:29 What do you want me to do, Kevin?

49:30 This right there's good.

49:31 I'm going to grab the weight and then I'm going to grab the weight.

49:34 Reel a little bit.

49:35 Okay.

49:35 Reel a little bit in.

49:36 Just right there.

49:36 Yeah, that's good.

49:37 Right there.

49:39 Hold it there.

49:41 Hold it there.

49:46 Oh yeah, there.

49:49 That is a big fish.

49:51 Good job.

49:52 Wow.

49:53 Holy cow.

49:54 Yeah, that is a horse right there.

49:57 It's spilling out of the cradle.

50:02 Okay, let's see what his length is.

50:06 225.

50:07 Wow.

50:07 Yeah, he's pretty 86.

50:10 86 225 86 7 and 1/2 ft.

50:13 So that's over huge tail.

50:15 Over eight total length.

50:16 Over eight.

50:17 Total length.

50:18 Yeah, his head is huge.

50:20 Absolutely massive.

50:21 Look at the size of its head.

50:23 It's like a battering ram.

50:26 Woo!

50:28 We have done it.

50:29 We have caught a true dinosaur, the white sturgeon,

50:33 measuring 8 ft in length and capping in at probably close to 300 lb.

50:40 And when you look at the design of this animal,

50:41 it looks exactly like the smaller one we caught earlier.

50:45 The big bony head, the skuts that run down the length of the body,

50:49 but the difference is the girth and the weight.

50:52 This thing is absolutely massive.

50:54 Now, the lineage of this fish species dates back 200 million years.

50:58 And throughout our adventure, Kevin keeps calling these things dinosaurs.

51:02 They truly are living fossils.

51:04 What would you guess, Kevin?

51:05 This fish is probably close to 70 or 80 years of age.

51:07 Yeah, for sure.

51:08 At this size.

51:08 Yeah, that is ancient.

51:11 Something very cool about this fish is, see these scoots around here?

51:15 They're like blue.

51:16 Every fish has different unique markings.

51:18 You can always see it on the head and you can also see it on the scoots.

51:21 This fish is got really, really unique markings which is very cool to see.

51:26 Yeah, it almost looks like this diamond pattern and the head is

51:30 so smooth and then as soon as you get to those scoots,

51:33 they really are razor sharp, but they have this iridescent glow to them

51:38 and the pattern on each individual fish is completely unique.

51:41 Correct.

51:41 Yeah.

51:41 And and also the scoots, right, the further they go up river on the Fraser here,

51:46 they'll wear down like sandpaper.

51:47 So the closer to the ocean, they're sharper.

51:50 And if they're a transient fish,

51:51 you can get sharp fish in areas that you typically don't.

51:56 We spent hours traveling up river by boat.

51:58 But believe it or not, civilization is all around us.

52:01 The biggest threat a fish of this size faces is non- selective salmon nets.

52:07 These animals get tangled up,

52:08 the nets aren't checked for significant periods of time,

52:11 and they end up drowning.

52:12 80 years that it takes to get to this size,

52:15 and it can be lost in a single day simply because a net is not being checked.

52:19 It's really heartbreaking when you think about it,

52:21 but at the same time, people don't think about these animals.

52:25 The sturgeon is not exactly the prettiest fish on the face of the planet.

52:29 It lives in murky water, feeding at the bottom,

52:31 an environmental vacuum cleaner, but they're incredibly important.

52:35 And without them, the river system will completely fall out of balance.

52:40 You got to love something that's this big and this ancient.

52:42 When do you ever get to be hands on with a dinosaur?

52:46 I absolutely love this fish.

52:50 Sturgeon have been one of those misunderstood creatures

52:52 that I've loved since I was a little kid.

52:55 Oh, this was so cool.

52:57 Now, angling this fish was incredibly difficult.

53:00 Exhausting on the body, but the reward,

53:02 being able to get it up close and most importantly being able to share it

53:05 with the audience is what's going to help

53:07 change the face of conservation for these fish.

53:10 If you can't see it, if you can't appreciate it, you can't truly love it.

53:13 And if you can't love something, you don't have a real reason to protect it.

53:18 Kevin, thank you so much for bringing us out on this expedition.

53:21 For me, this is a new personal best.

53:24 8 ft in length, 300 lb.

53:27 Thank you, Sturgeon.

53:28 You have now topped the alligator gar.

53:30 I'm Cy Peterson.

53:32 Be brave.

53:34 Stay wild.

53:35 We'll see you on the next adventure.

53:37 All right, big fish.

53:38 Off you go.

53:41 Every day, another giant vanishes from our planet,

53:44 many of which go unseen and unrecognized.

53:48 But conservation warriors like Kevin and Maro

53:50 are working tirelessly to change this.

53:54 To glimpse a river monster at the surface is a sight one never

53:57 forgets and is a story of the unexplained that can last a lifetime.

54:03 But to physically angle,

54:05 get hands-on with, and spiritually connect with these ancient

54:08 creatures is a privilege one can only experience in person.

54:13 If you would like to raise awareness for white

54:15 sturgeon and become part of a research expedition,

54:19 make sure to visit and book your adventure today.

54:24 All right, guys.

54:25 We got a good turtle out in front of us.

54:27 Camera's rolling.

54:28 This could be it.

54:30 Deadp.

54:33 Oh.

54:33 Oh.

54:37 Australia is home to many reptilian species.

54:40 And while several of them are found

54:42 within the confines of the continent's interior,

54:45 beyond the tide, you will find one of the world's most cherished animals,

54:49 the green sea turtle.

54:52 In the past, I've had the chance

54:53 to swim alongside these elegant and timeless beings.

54:57 Yet strict regulations prohibit anyone

54:59 from making physical contact with these reptiles.

55:03 However, on this adventure, that is all about to change.

55:08 Today, the crew and I are heading off the coast of Bowen,

55:11 a small town situated at the top

55:13 of the Wit Sundays on the eastern side of Queensland.

55:17 Under the invitation of the World Wildlife Fund,

55:20 we will be given the chance to work alongside

55:22 the traditional owner rangers from Jaru and Bindle people.

55:26 These rangers take responsibility for the management

55:29 and protection of their sea country,

55:31 including iconic species like the green sea turtle.

55:34 Their work includes safely catching, collecting data,

55:38 and tagging these magnificent marine reptiles so

55:41 scientists can then determine what is happening

55:43 to the turtle population and ensure that the species

55:46 is continuing to thrive in these warm waters.

55:56 And as a buraba juru elder like I welcome

55:59 you to country and hope you have a good day.

56:06 Okay, what's going on?

56:07 Doing a smoke ceremony right now and the flames

56:10 are just welcoming us into this community.

56:12 Lost in the Bible.

56:14 I consider myself to be an expert when it comes to catching turtles,

56:19 and my method of leaping from kayaks to catch

56:21 snapping turtles has often proven to be incredibly successful.

56:25 Catching sea turtles, however, is a very different challenge.

56:31 As compared to snapping turtles,

56:33 these oceang dwelling reptiles are incredibly fast.

56:36 And instead of leaping feet first from a slow rowing kayak,

56:39 I will be jumping from a speeding boat.

56:43 The good news is that I will be apprenticing a man who I

56:46 now consider to be the greatest turtle catcher of all time, Aaron Taters.

56:51 He will be showing me the tricks of the trade that he

56:54 has spent several years mastering and which have resulted in the safe capture,

56:58 data collection, tagging, and release for hundreds of sea turtles.

57:08 So, what are you looking for, Aaron?

57:10 You're looking for shadows in the water.

57:12 Yeah, we're looking for a sort of a dark brown figure.

57:16 Okay.

57:15 We'll see the turtles.

57:16 They'll either sit still or they'll make a move for it.

57:19 The moment they move, we tell Eddie, "Yep,

57:21 he's off to the right." And that's what we'll chase him.

57:23 Then, Gotcha.

57:24 Yeah.

57:24 This is kind of the same way I search for snapping turtles.

57:27 I look for a dark shadow beneath the surface.

57:29 Wait for it to start moving.

57:30 I know it's not a rock and then you make him go.

57:33 Yep.

57:33 We sometimes you will get confused cuz there's a lot of stingray around here.

57:37 So just before you sing out, yeah, there's a turtle.

57:39 Just make sure you see his clippers first and start chasing.

57:45 Good to one.

57:45 Good to one.

57:46 This is Little Gangu.

57:47 Any turtles sighted yet?

57:52 Not yet, but we're working on it.

57:53 We'll keep you posted.

57:56 Roger that.

57:57 Over and out.

58:07 There is it to the right.

58:09 Got a turtle throw right here.

58:14 So really quick going left.

58:16 Upon spotting several smaller turtles and witnessing their impressive speed,

58:21 I quickly realized that catching a sea turtle was going

58:24 to be much more difficult than I had originally anticipated.

58:27 Big turtle here.

58:28 Big one.

58:28 Big one.

58:33 Y.

58:46 Yes.

58:52 Oh, that was a rough miss.

58:55 But the good news is that Aaron was right there

58:57 to follow up with an epic dive and successful catch.

59:01 Boy, does he make it look easy.

59:13 Dude, I had his front flipper in my hand.

59:16 I thought I had his flipper.

59:18 I said that.

59:18 I said he's got him and I cruising.

59:21 Well, great catch again, Aaron.

59:23 Dude, that was epic.

59:25 All right, I was so close.

59:28 That was the one.

59:30 I had the entire flipper in my hand and it went whoop right out.

59:34 I tried to grab the back of the shell.

59:35 Couldn't do it.

59:36 But at least we caught the turtle.

59:38 Let's get it onto the research boat.

59:39 Get the biometrics.

59:41 Keep at it.

59:43 As a team, our rate of success was fantastic.

59:45 Yet, my personal performance was lackluster at best.

59:49 I could feel that my confidence for catching sea turtles was beginning to sink.

59:54 Yet Aaron, being the incredible mentor that he was,

59:57 continued to encourage and critique my style.

1:00:00 anything that I see him too deep.

1:00:20 Is that a problem?

1:00:24 It's harder than it looks, folks.

1:00:26 Man, it was the same thing before.

1:00:28 I was not in front of the turtle.

1:00:31 Time was running out and my window to land

1:00:34 a giant was beginning to close when the boat

1:00:37 slowly motored into a clear stretch of water

1:00:40 that revealed a massive dark shadow beneath the surface.

1:00:44 All right, guys.

1:00:44 We got a good turtle out in front of us.

1:00:46 Camera's rolling.

1:00:47 This could be it.

1:00:49 This was it.

1:00:49 The pressure was on, and I would only have one dive,

1:00:53 one chance to catch this turtle.

1:00:56 Yep.

1:00:57 Yep.

1:00:57 Yep.

1:01:00 Aaron kept his sights locked on the speeding reptile,

1:01:02 waiting for an opportune moment when it would slow its forward

1:01:05 momentum and prepared to breach the surface for a breath of air.

1:01:09 This would be my window of opportunity.

1:01:12 And in that instance, he shouted the command.

1:01:23 Oh.

1:01:23 Oh, what the heck there?

1:01:38 Careful.

1:01:38 Careful.

1:01:40 Caught a turtle.

1:01:41 That did not feel good.

1:01:43 I I jumped down the back of the shell.

1:01:47 Woo!

1:01:48 Man, that is a good size turtle right there.

1:01:51 Without question.

1:01:52 The biggest turtle I have ever caught.

1:01:58 Man, I told you guys I'd do it.

1:02:07 Oh, man.

1:02:08 That's a male.

1:02:09 Good tail.

1:02:10 That's a male.

1:02:11 Woo.

1:02:12 Look at that tail.

1:02:13 Oh, man.

1:02:14 My goodness.

1:02:14 That's a dragon tail.

1:02:17 Yes.

1:02:18 Yes.

1:02:20 Woo.

1:02:22 That's the dragon right there, man.

1:02:26 Best turtle catch ever.

1:02:28 Of my life, at least.

1:02:30 Woo.

1:02:32 All right, guys.

1:02:32 We got to get the rest of our gear.

1:02:34 Get onto the research boat, get the biometrics,

1:02:37 and then release this dragon back into the wild.

1:02:39 Yes.

1:02:42 Yes.

1:02:41 I hope I caught all that on this camera.

1:02:51 All right, guys.

1:02:52 Well, there we have it.

1:02:53 There is the green sea turtle that I landed and he is an absolute giant.

1:02:59 This is the first male of the trip that we have caught.

1:03:03 An absolute beast.

1:03:04 Can you guys believe this?

1:03:05 I can't believe you caught it.

1:03:06 That was a catch.

1:03:07 Well, when I jumped into the water, I kind of went to the side.

1:03:10 I grabbed the side of it shell.

1:03:11 My hand slid down.

1:03:12 I held on to the back of the shell and actually climbed up

1:03:14 the side of it to get right behind the back of the carropus.

1:03:18 And you can see how healthy this turtle is.

1:03:20 Look it.

1:03:20 It is actually spilling out of it shell.

1:03:22 Ain't nobody buddy.

1:03:23 Now, let's take a look at the carropus of this reptile.

1:03:26 It is massive.

1:03:28 And I love this teardrop shape.

1:03:30 You see that?

1:03:30 This allows these turtles to stay completely

1:03:33 streamlined when they're swimming under the water.

1:03:35 If you take a look here, look at the size of this turtle's tatum.

1:03:40 Just like a snapping turtle, male green sea turtles have an extremely long tail.

1:03:46 Look at that.

1:03:47 As long and as big around as my arm is.

1:03:51 An absolute dragon tail right there.

1:03:54 Now, you hear the name green sea turtle.

1:03:56 You may be thinking to yourselves,

1:03:57 "Well, coyote, it's mostly brown in coloration.

1:04:01 Why do they call it a green sea turtle?"

1:04:03 That name comes from a thick layer of green fat

1:04:06 that exists just beneath the bone of the carropus that insulates

1:04:09 them between the bone and all of their main organs.

1:04:13 I know, buddy.

1:04:13 You just want to get back out there into the ocean, don't you?

1:04:16 Now, this guy's just fine.

1:04:17 Don't worry.

1:04:18 Sea turtles can stay out of the water for an extended period of time.

1:04:22 What a beautiful turtle.

1:04:24 Look at those eyes.

1:04:25 Such kind, intelligent eyes.

1:04:28 And you may notice that the turtle's eyes are very wet.

1:04:31 almost looks like it's crying.

1:04:33 It's not crying.

1:04:34 All turtles are capable of secretreting a mucus from their eye membrane

1:04:37 to help keep their eyes wet when they're out of the water.

1:04:40 This goes for all turtles.

1:04:41 Painted turtles, snapping turtles, spiny soft shells,

1:04:44 even sea turtles have the ability to secrete that mucus.

1:04:48 Now, you'll notice the beak of this reptile

1:04:50 is not hooked because unlike a snapping turtle,

1:04:53 they're not out there actually hunting for prey.

1:04:55 When they get to be this big,

1:04:56 they're are completely herbivores just kind of sifting along the bottom,

1:05:00 eating algae and seaggrass.

1:05:02 And the underside, oh, let me see.

1:05:05 Look at that.

1:05:05 You see how the lower part of the jaw is actually serrated?

1:05:09 They have bolt cutterlike power that would

1:05:12 easily snip off the edge of your finger.

1:05:14 So, when I jumped into the water, the first thing I was thinking was,

1:05:16 don't get my fingers near the mouth of the turtle.

1:05:20 All right, Coyote, I think.

1:05:20 Hey, Mario, why don't you uh jump in there and help Coyote quick?

1:05:23 Yeah, I'm going to need some help.

1:05:24 This turtle is so unbelievably strong and it just wants to spin.

1:05:28 We want to keep it as calm as we possibly can.

1:05:30 There you go, buddy.

1:05:31 Mario, you kind of got it locked in place there.

1:05:33 Yeah, sure.

1:05:34 Okay, first thing I'm going to do is get the length of the carropus.

1:05:37 Tracy, if you got that measuring tape, thank you.

1:05:39 I know, buddy.

1:05:40 I know.

1:05:42 Trying to calm down.

1:05:43 Sometimes what I do with snapping turtles is actually

1:05:46 just to place my hand on top of the head.

1:05:51 Okay.

1:05:52 and try to talk a little bit quieter.

1:05:54 Got him calmed down now.

1:05:56 Okay.

1:05:56 So, what we're going to do is go

1:05:57 right from the front edge of the carropus there.

1:06:00 Mario, if you want to just hold that in place.

1:06:02 You're good.

1:06:03 Right down the center line.

1:06:06 It is right at 94 cm.

1:06:09 Show me that real quick.

1:06:10 Check that out.

1:06:13 Without question, the largest turtle I have ever caught.

1:06:16 Thank you, Tracy.

1:06:18 All right.

1:06:18 Now, the next thing we want to do is get this turtle's weight.

1:06:27 Getting the turtle inside of this harness was one

1:06:29 of the most difficult aspects of this whole episode so far.

1:06:32 Do you guys have any guesses as to how much this turtle weighs?

1:06:35 Uh, 240 lb.

1:06:36 240 lb.

1:06:37 Mario, uh, 250.

1:06:39 250.

1:06:40 Oh, okay.

1:06:40 Ben, what do you think?

1:06:41 Hey, Ben, what do you think?

1:06:42 I'm going to go 275.

1:06:44 275.

1:06:44 Wow.

1:06:45 All right.

1:06:46 Uh, I'm going to go 230.

1:06:52 230.

1:06:51 Say it weighs 230.

1:06:53 And good.

1:06:54 Turtle is off the ground.

1:06:57 A little bit more.

1:06:57 A little bit more.

1:07:02 Turtle.

1:07:01 Okay.

1:07:02 Okay.

1:07:02 He's clear.

1:07:05 104.1 kilos.

1:07:08 Bring it down.

1:07:09 All right.

1:07:10 Five.

1:07:11 230 lb.

1:07:14 Wow.

1:07:14 Wow.

1:07:14 You're right on the right.

1:07:15 I guessed it.

1:07:15 230.

1:07:17 Amazing.

1:07:18 230 lbs is what this green sea turtle weighs.

1:07:23 What an absolute giant.

1:07:26 Amazing.

1:07:27 Okay.

1:07:27 Uh, the next thing we're going to do is tag this sea turtle.

1:07:30 This one has never been tagged before,

1:07:32 so that's really exciting for today's research.

1:07:34 Where I'm going to tag it is right up

1:07:36 here on its left fin between these two scales.

1:07:40 You see that right there?

1:07:41 Now, is that a fin or a flipper kind of?

1:07:43 Uh, I guess yeah, whether you call it a fin

1:07:45 or you call it a flipper or a foot, sea turtles,

1:07:47 and one of the things that really makes them different than other turtles,

1:07:50 you can see they do not have typical toes.

1:07:52 And like other turtles,

1:07:54 they are not actually able to tuck inside of their shells.

1:07:57 Even less so than a snapping turtle, this isn't going to hurt.

1:08:00 This is going to be like getting your ear pierced.

1:08:02 I'm going to do this as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

1:08:06 You got a good shot right there, Mark?

1:08:07 Sure do.

1:08:08 All right, big guy.

1:08:09 This is just Their skin is really tough.

1:08:10 This isn't hurting the turtle.

1:08:11 Now, this is this skin is like leather.

1:08:14 And I'm going to ratchet down real tight here.

1:08:16 Ready?

1:08:17 1 2 3.

1:08:21 There we go.

1:08:23 Perfect.

1:08:24 All right, the turtle is officially tagged.

1:08:26 And as you guys know, I name all the turtles that I catch.

1:08:29 And I think we're going to name this one Eddie after the man who so perfectly

1:08:34 captain the ship today and lined us up to be able to make this catch possible.

1:08:39 I did not expect to catch a turtle this size.

1:08:42 I was just hoping that I could catch a single sea turtle.

1:08:45 And after getting the chance to stand on the front

1:08:47 of that boat and watch Aaron dive in and catch several turtles,

1:08:50 I said to myself, you know what?

1:08:51 I think I can pull this off.

1:08:52 But to catch one of this size is

1:08:54 truly something that I never thought was possible.

1:08:56 Biggest turtle I have ever caught.

1:08:59 Wow, what an epic end to one amazing day here in Australia.

1:09:04 And I have to give an enormous thank you to the World

1:09:06 Wildlife Fund of Australia and the Guja Rangers for bringing this out,

1:09:11 showing us the conservation work that they're doing and all the efforts

1:09:14 they're making to not only preserve

1:09:15 but also protect these incredible marine reptiles.

1:09:19 I'm Coyote Peterson.

1:09:20 Be brave.

1:09:22 Stay wild.

1:09:23 We'll see you on the next adventure.

1:09:25 All right, guys.

1:09:26 It's time to get Eddie back off into the ocean.

1:09:30 The green sea turtle represents everything that is beautiful about our oceans,

1:09:35 and they are considered to be one of the most revered reptiles on our planet.

1:09:39 Their sentient nature has made them

1:09:40 an iconic figure in the world of conservation.

1:09:43 Yet, the future of this creature is unknown as their species

1:09:47 is either considered threatened or endangered throughout their worldwide range.

1:09:51 Still, hope glows brightly on the horizon

1:09:54 as organizations like WWF and traditional owner

1:09:58 rangers are constantly researching and promoting

1:10:00 the environmental preservation and conservation of this species,

1:10:05 ultimately ensuring a legacy for generations to come.

1:10:12 Costa Rica is home to one of the world's richest amphibian diversities,

1:10:16 and we figured this was the perfect opportunity to do a frog scavenger hunt on.

1:10:20 So, what we're going to do tonight is see

1:10:21 how many species we can find in a single adventure.

1:10:25 If you guys are ready, let the hunt begin.

1:10:30 Holy cow, look at this.

1:10:33 Holy mackerel.

1:10:35 Okay, so check this out.

1:10:36 We've got our first frog of the night.

1:10:38 Just a little one.

1:10:39 I believe it is a stream frog.

1:10:42 Let's see if I can catch it.

1:10:44 You see it right there in the leaves.

1:10:45 Look how well camouflaged that tiny hopper is.

1:10:50 Got it.

1:10:51 That is a stream frog.

1:10:55 A female stream frog.

1:10:57 And the females with this species get significantly bigger than the males.

1:11:02 Typically, it's the males that are found in the streams,

1:11:04 but females are more commonly found in forested areas.

1:11:07 And one of the coolest things about this frog

1:11:10 is the coloration on the underside of its belly.

1:11:14 Look at all of that yellow and orangish red speckling.

1:11:17 And then those bright red legs.

1:11:20 And if you look at the design of the frog's head,

1:11:23 it's almost matte in coloration.

1:11:26 Not so vibrant on top, but the underside is absolutely beautiful.

1:11:31 All right, let's let her go and carry on.

1:11:34 Here we go.

1:11:44 So, it's not technically a frog yet,

1:11:47 but right there is a little egg cluster of frog eggs.

1:11:51 And inside, every once in a while,

1:11:53 you can see the teeny tiny tadpoles moving within that gelatinous structure.

1:11:59 That is some variety of tree frogs, and they are beginning to take on life.

1:12:05 Very cool.

1:12:12 All right, guys.

1:12:12 We got another little frog here.

1:12:16 Got him.

1:12:18 Okay.

1:12:20 Wow.

1:12:21 That is a very strong, thick fingered dirt frog.

1:12:26 Now, the females do grow larger than the males.

1:12:28 So, I'm thinking this is definitely a female.

1:12:30 And what's unique about these frogs is

1:12:33 that they go through what's called direct development.

1:12:36 So, these frogs actually lay eggs that turn right into little froglets.

1:12:40 There are no tadpoles in the life cycle of this frog.

1:12:44 No, I got him again.

1:12:47 Wow.

1:12:47 It is unbelievably strong.

1:12:48 It's like on par in strength with the smoky jungle frog.

1:12:52 And they call them thick finger dirt frogs because

1:12:54 look how big and robust those front fingers are.

1:12:58 Very cool.

1:12:59 Well, that is another frog to check off

1:13:01 on our list in tonight's frog scavenger hunt.

1:13:03 Not the most brilliantly colored one,

1:13:05 but the life cycle certainly is interesting.

1:13:09 All right, let's keep searching.

1:13:14 I'm looking for frogs.

1:13:15 You're scanning down.

1:13:16 You're scanning up and then back up and then back down.

1:13:20 Back and forth.

1:13:20 Back and forth.

1:13:22 Oh, got a frog right here.

1:13:23 Look at this redeyed.

1:13:25 No, that is a splendid leaf frog right there.

1:13:28 Holy cow.

1:13:29 Look at this.

1:13:31 Yes, this is without question probably the most

1:13:35 beautiful frog we could have come across tonight.

1:13:39 Unbelievable.

1:13:40 Okay, let's see.

1:13:41 Don't want this guy to get away.

1:13:42 If he's going to go anywhere, he's going to jump right out onto my hat.

1:13:47 Got him.

1:13:49 All right, let me see if we can get you to just There we go.

1:13:54 climb right up onto my hand.

1:13:58 That is a frog that just jumped onto the light.

1:14:01 Hold on a second.

1:14:03 And I was just about to explain how, like all frogs,

1:14:07 they can hop if they need to, but they're much

1:14:10 more prone to actually walking up and over the branches.

1:14:15 You can see they have these really long spindly legs.

1:14:18 And each one of those toes is armed with a very sticky little suction cup pad.

1:14:24 And in fact, their fingers can spread out so

1:14:26 much that when they jump from leaf to leaf,

1:14:28 they practically glide and can move themselves through the rainforest.

1:14:32 When it comes to beauty, look at that orange coloration.

1:14:36 And you can't miss that tiger striping that runs down the sides of the body.

1:14:42 And look at those eyes.

1:14:43 They have a vertical pupil,

1:14:45 which gives them the ability to see incredibly well at night.

1:14:48 And that pupil expands and contracts to allow light to come into the eyes.

1:14:52 This frog is up in the treetops right now hunting for primarily insects.

1:14:58 This frog very rarely if ever comes down from the treetops.

1:15:01 So for us to see one at this level,

1:15:03 this height within the rainforest was practically being

1:15:06 in the right place at the right time.

1:15:10 I am just so blown away, so aruck at the beauty of this frog.

1:15:15 All right, we're going to place this frog back up

1:15:17 into its tree and see what other species we can find.

1:15:20 I don't know that we're going to find anything more beautiful

1:15:21 than this, but we certainly could find something a little bit bigger.

1:15:24 There it goes.

1:15:25 Right back onto the light.

1:15:32 So, we've got another frog.

1:15:34 I can't tell what species it is.

1:15:36 Very difficult to see.

1:15:38 I can just see its little butt hanging

1:15:39 down on the underside of a leaf right there.

1:15:42 And there's no telling whether or not this is solid ground or very sinky mud.

1:15:46 But, I'm going to go out there and see if we can get that guy.

1:15:52 What I'm going to actually do is just pick

1:15:53 the leaf and bring the leaf and the frog with me.

1:16:00 Gives you a really good look at just how camouflaged these frogs can be.

1:16:05 Legs all completely tucked in, eyes closed, just looks like a bump on a leaf.

1:16:12 That is the redeyed leaf frog.

1:16:16 Quintessential Costa Rica right there.

1:16:18 This is the most famous frog that you can come across here in Costa Rica.

1:16:22 And even despite the fact that I've got

1:16:24 him perched on the edge of my thumb there, the frog is still half asleep.

1:16:28 And look at that.

1:16:29 There's a little nictitating membrane that comes over

1:16:31 the eye that even has camouflage on it.

1:16:34 Looks like the veins of a leaf.

1:16:36 This frog is an absolute master when it comes to camouflage.

1:16:40 Now, one of the coolest things about these frogs is they are insecttovores,

1:16:43 which means they primarily feast on insects.

1:16:46 And they have teeny tiny little teeth in those jaws,

1:16:48 but they actually use their eyeballs to help

1:16:51 push their food down and into their throat.

1:16:53 So if they catch a fly or a beetle or a moth and begin to chomp on it,

1:16:57 those eyes will help force that insect down

1:16:59 their throat and eventually into the digestive tract.

1:17:03 I put in quite a bit of effort to go out there in the mud to get you,

1:17:05 but you're a little camera shy.

1:17:07 That's okay.

1:17:07 You still count as another frog in our frog scavenger hunt.

1:17:11 the most famous frog we could have come across tonight,

1:17:14 the one and only redeyed leaf frog.

1:17:16 All right, I'm going to go back out into the mud, find a new leaf for this frog.

1:17:18 We're going to continue searching.

1:17:21 All right, got some good water here.

1:17:23 Let's check this out.

1:17:25 Oh, careful.

1:17:25 Slippery.

1:17:27 Oh, here we go.

1:17:28 Look at this.

1:17:29 A glass frog.

1:17:31 Yes.

1:17:32 Okay, move very, very slowly.

1:17:36 Right on the edge of that leaf.

1:17:38 That right there is a dwarf glass frog.

1:17:41 Now, here in Costa Rica, there are 14 species of glass frog.

1:17:45 All of them are very unique.

1:17:47 Some of them actually have completely clear unders sides.

1:17:49 You can see the organs and the structure

1:17:52 of their underbelly right through their skin.

1:17:54 Now, I don't need to physically get hands-on with this frog,

1:17:57 but what I will do is bend the leaf just forward for you a little bit there.

1:18:00 Oh, now it's on to us.

1:18:02 And what's really unique about the glass frog is that this frog's head

1:18:06 structure is what actually gave inspiration for the design of Kermit the frog.

1:18:10 How cool is that?

1:18:11 Kermit is in fact a glass frog.

1:18:16 Well, of all the frog species we were going to come across tonight,

1:18:19 I was actually really hoping that we would see a glass frog.

1:18:21 This is cool.

1:18:22 The dwarf glass frog.

1:18:23 Smallest of the glass frog group.

1:18:47 I'm going to have to be really, really stealthy moving in on him.

1:18:52 His burrow is right behind him.

1:18:59 Got him.

1:19:01 Got him.

1:19:03 Holy mackerel.

1:19:06 Look at the size of that smoky jungle frog.

1:19:10 Those forearms are absolutely massive.

1:19:16 Without question, a male.

1:19:18 He is like Popeye.

1:19:20 Looks like this frog has been eating spinach.

1:19:23 Look at those forearms.

1:19:24 They are so muscular.

1:19:31 And that is the quintessential call of the smoky jungle frog.

1:19:36 Now, they will make that noise if they feel as if they're in danger.

1:19:41 Am I going to be right now if I make this screaming noise?

1:19:44 Perhaps whoever it is that's holding on to me

1:19:47 will let me go and I'll be able to escape.

1:19:50 Now, if the sound doesn't drive you off,

1:19:53 these frogs secrete a very potent toxin from their skin, it smells very pungent.

1:20:00 And if you have any scrapes or cuts on your fingers and it gets in there,

1:20:03 it is going to burn like crazy.

1:20:05 And actually, if that mucus is on your skin for too long,

1:20:07 it will just start to burn on its own.

1:20:10 It smells absolutely terrible.

1:20:12 Now, the way I can tell this is a male.

1:20:14 The males grow larger than the females and they have these very distinct

1:20:19 secondary thumbs which actually allows them

1:20:22 to grip onto the females during breeding season.

1:20:25 And the bigger and more dominant the forlims,

1:20:28 the more powerful this frog is when it comes

1:20:30 to battling for the rights to a breeding territory.

1:20:34 I know you've got so much to say.

1:20:35 We heard you the first time.

1:20:37 We really appreciate you hanging out with us tonight.

1:20:39 Now, just so it's clear,

1:20:40 me holding on to this frog right now is not causing it any pain.

1:20:44 I'm holding on to the big thick muscles in the hind legs.

1:20:47 This distress call is essentially a way

1:20:50 for this frog to escape any potential predator.

1:20:52 You can imagine if you were an ocelot and you came into the environment

1:20:55 and you bit onto this frog and it

1:20:56 started screaming like that, it would startle you,

1:20:58 giving this frog the chance to escape.

1:21:01 But when it comes to frog scavenger hunts here in Costa Rica,

1:21:04 I don't think we could have ended the night

1:21:06 better than with the enormous smoky jungle frog.

1:21:10 I'm Coyote Peterson.

1:21:11 Be brave.

1:21:13 Stay wild.

1:21:14 We'll see you on the next adventure.

1:21:16 All right, let's get Big Boy back down into his burrow.

1:21:20 Hey, Coyote Pack, if you enjoyed this frog scavenger hunt,

1:21:24 write in the comments section below and tell

1:21:26 us what your favorite species of the night was.

1:21:29 Here's a quick recap.

1:21:31 Streamside frog, thick fingered dirt frog,

1:21:35 splendid leaf frog, redeyed leaf frog,

1:21:38 dwarf glass frog, and last but not least, smoky jungle frog.

1:21:47 Got a crocodile right up on the embankment.

1:21:57 I got him PROPER STEVE IRWIN STYLE FOR SURE.

1:22:04 People often ask, "Yeah,

1:22:06 where does the inspiration for the work that you do come

1:22:08 from?" There are three very key people who have influenced my career.

1:22:12 Steven Spielberg, Bear Grills, and the one and only Steve Irwin.

1:22:17 Tonight, I'm getting the chance to fulfill a childhood dream.

1:22:20 We're headed out into a top secret location in Darwin

1:22:23 with the proper permits to catch saltwater crocodiles by hand.

1:22:28 For as far back as I can remember,

1:22:29 watching Steve hanging off the front of a boat, leaning into the water,

1:22:33 grabbing a salty, and pulling it up on deck is something

1:22:36 that I've always wanted to get the chance to try and do.

1:22:39 Will I be able to pull out the ultimate Steve Irwin catch tonight?

1:22:43 I guess we'll see.

1:22:44 I'm dedicating this episode to you, Steve.

1:22:46 Thank you for all the inspiration that you have

1:22:48 provided for myself and everybody out there who loves animals.

1:22:51 Rest in peace, my mate.

1:22:53 And we're going to do you proper.

1:22:54 Let's catch some crocs.

1:22:56 Criy, he said nothing's, you know, not a drop of rain.

1:23:02 Well, when you're when you're into Northern Territory, anything goes.

1:23:06 Rain or shine.

1:23:07 And we've been struggling with rain lately,

1:23:10 and we're about to launch out the boat to go look for salties.

1:23:13 Got a little bit of a storm coming in, but who cares?

1:23:15 Let's go out there and find some crocs.

1:23:23 We are officially out on the river.

1:23:25 The object tonight is to catch something under 2 meters in length.

1:23:29 And the challenge is to hang off the front of the boat.

1:23:32 To do this with my bare hands, classic Steve Irwin style.

1:23:36 At the moment, the focus is all about eye shine.

1:23:39 Getting the crocodile's eyes to reflect in flashlight beams is going to be

1:23:42 our first indicator that we'll have the opportunity to make a catch.

1:23:45 Now, if we spot a crocodile,

1:23:47 they're super susceptible to noise and the variations in light.

1:23:51 So, Max will have to keep the light spotted right

1:23:54 on the animal as we stay silent and slowly drift in.

1:23:58 With any luck, we'll find one that's the right

1:23:59 size and get it up close for the cameras.

1:24:04 See that just there?

1:24:08 Yeah.

1:24:07 Yeah.

1:24:08 See it?

1:24:09 Tiny little baby.

1:24:11 Oh, yeah.

1:24:11 Perfect.

1:24:11 That's perfect size.

1:24:14 So, we've got a really small crocodile.

1:24:15 It's right up against the embankment.

1:24:16 We're going to try to get it.

1:24:48 Dang We hit the roots and it went down.

1:24:56 I could see it just going.

1:24:57 I just nicked the edge of its tail.

1:24:59 I actually had a lot of trouble seeing it till we got right up on it.

1:25:02 Ah, that was so close.

1:25:03 It was a tiny one.

1:25:04 It was about this long.

1:25:05 Little hatchling.

1:25:28 Got a crocodile right up on the embankment.

1:25:33 We'll get close.

1:25:33 I don't think we're going to be able to catch that one,

1:25:35 but we'll see how long it stays there.

1:25:36 I'll jump right up on land if I have to.

1:26:06 Got it.

1:26:08 I got him.

1:26:11 I can't see behind me.

1:26:12 There's like a tunnel here.

1:26:13 Let me see if I can just get control for a second here.

1:26:15 PROPER STEVE IRWIN STYLE FOR SURE.

1:26:20 WOO!

1:26:21 Look at that, Salty.

1:26:22 Oh, BUDDY.

1:26:23 OH, MY ARMS are shaking.

1:26:25 I'm so excited.

1:26:29 The good news is I have control in exactly the right spot,

1:26:34 but it's just at that angle where it would be very,

1:26:37 very difficult for me to hold on to this animal with just one hand.

1:26:42 And isn't Yeah.

1:26:43 You see, it's requiring a lot of strength.

1:26:45 If he spins around the wrong way,

1:26:47 gets my arm or my hand in his mouth and spins around,

1:26:50 there goes my hand or my arm.

1:26:51 But that's it right there, ladies and gentlemen.

1:26:54 The saltwater crocodile.

1:26:55 The absolute perfect size we could have coped to come across and up on land.

1:27:03 Yeah, he's a very, very, very strong animal.

1:27:08 My arms are shaking.

1:27:10 This is the moment.

1:27:12 Childhood dream come true right here.

1:27:14 The chance to interact with a saltwater crocodile.

1:27:17 Growing up, countless times I watched

1:27:20 Steve Warwin catch crocodiles eight times this.

1:27:24 But for me, getting hands-on with a reptile

1:27:26 of this power and this ferocity is a life-changing experience.

1:27:31 Now, you see those teeth up front there,

1:27:33 perfect for catching fish really at this age.

1:27:36 Although, as an opportunistic predator,

1:27:38 if something comes close to the embankment,

1:27:40 the speed at which these reptiles can launch

1:27:42 up and out to grab their prey is staggering.

1:27:45 And this reptile is absolutely gorgeous.

1:27:48 See its eyes?

1:27:50 Oh, and that distress call right there,

1:27:52 even at this size, is basically saying, "I'm a big boy.

1:27:55 Do not get too close.

1:27:56 I will give you a bite that you'll never forget." And as a matter of fact,

1:27:59 I may take a piece of you with me.

1:28:01 Wow.

1:28:03 Absolutely beautiful.

1:28:04 And I'm going to hold on tight to just kind of lift his tail up a little bit.

1:28:07 Look at all the muscular structure.

1:28:10 That is the propeller that powers these animals forward.

1:28:14 so fast as I snuck up behind it,

1:28:17 I was immediately thinking it was going to launch off and be out of range.

1:28:22 And that moment when you're going to jump on the back of a crocodilian,

1:28:25 you just have to commit.

1:28:27 And in my mind, I had zero doubt when it came

1:28:29 to where I was going to grab a hold of the animal.

1:28:31 This area here is completely armorplated.

1:28:34 You see the osteoderms up on the back of its neck.

1:28:36 I have a firm grip, but I'm not choking the animal in any way whatsoever.

1:28:40 That distress call just basically says, "Hey,

1:28:43 something caught me." But it can tell at this point that I'm not biting it.

1:28:46 I'm not clawing it.

1:28:47 It's going to be released right back into the wild.

1:28:50 I just want you to be able to see the coloration in the body.

1:28:53 Look at that speckled patterning.

1:28:55 And when we're talking about the animals camouflage from up above,

1:28:59 this helps it keep hidden within sunlight and shadows.

1:29:03 But from the underside,

1:29:04 I'm just going to turn them like this ever so slightly for a second.

1:29:06 There you go, buddy.

1:29:07 I got you.

1:29:07 See how smooth and light colored the underbelly is?

1:29:10 That means that when it's up near the surface from underneath,

1:29:13 nothing's able to see it through the rays of sun.

1:29:16 Now, a crocodile like this, you would say,

1:29:18 "Well, it probably doesn't have any predators,

1:29:20 right?" Honestly, a bigger saltwater crocodile could

1:29:22 easily take out a reptile of this size.

1:29:25 But buddy, you are getting to the point where you are

1:29:27 going to become one of the most dominant predators in this river.

1:29:31 But I just have to take a moment to absorb getting

1:29:35 hands on with an animal that I think infatuated and inspired.

1:29:40 So many people out there watching.

1:29:42 Steve Irwin was the biggest influence, bar none, on anyone who loves animals.

1:29:47 It was an absolute tragedy when he passed away.

1:29:50 And I've always said to myself, man,

1:29:51 if there was ever the chance to get into Australia,

1:29:55 have the right permits, and catch one of these reptiles,

1:29:57 I would dedicate that moment to Steve.

1:29:59 To Steve, I say, "Thank you for inspiring all of us.

1:30:02 We would not be where we are today if it wasn't for the work

1:30:05 that you did and all of the drive that you put behind us who love animals.

1:30:09 So to you Steve Irwin criy mate, we caught ourselves a saltwater crocodile.

1:30:15 I'm Ky Peterson.

1:30:16 Be brave.

1:30:17 Stay wild.

1:30:19 We'll see you on the next adventure.

1:30:20 All right, Salty.

1:30:21 Time for you to get back out into the waters and do a night of hunting.

1:30:25 Okay, buddy.

1:30:26 I'm going to let you like this.

1:30:28 One, two, three.

1:30:34 Woo!

1:30:35 What a launch.

1:30:36 That was strategic.

1:30:37 I didn't want him to swing back around to give

1:30:38 me a little love bite before he took off.

1:30:40 Woo!

1:30:41 Criggy, Australia, we love you.

1:30:52 That way near the where that is.

1:30:56 You're going to go for a catch dog?

1:30:58 I got to catch a salty.

1:30:59 As as Coyote said, you know, we grew up watching Steve Owen and it was

1:31:04 a great influence to the career path I chose.

1:31:07 And if I'm in Australia, you got to got to catch Salty.

1:31:10 So that Salty that Coyote caught, perfect size.

1:31:13 It was it was gorgeous.

1:31:14 A little beauty as Steve Roin would say.

1:31:17 And what do we got up ahead of us?

1:31:19 I think we got another crab.

1:31:34 Go for it.

1:31:36 That's going to collapse.

1:31:37 Be careful.

1:31:37 Jump way up.

1:31:52 Very well.

1:31:57 You got him.

1:31:58 I got him.

1:31:59 Oh, you got him.

1:31:59 He's a lot bigger than we thought.

1:32:00 I got him.

1:32:01 Jeez.

1:32:01 And I fell into the mangros.

1:32:03 Hold on to him.

1:32:04 I'm stuck.

1:32:04 I got him.

1:32:05 How much my face?

1:32:06 Oh, shoot.

1:32:09 Woo.

1:32:12 Oh man.

1:32:13 I saw him underwater.

1:32:14 Oh jeez.

1:32:15 He was underwater.

1:32:16 He was coming right up.

1:32:18 Yeah.

1:32:17 And I was able just to sneak and grab him.

1:32:20 That was the most chaotic crocodile catch of all time, dude.

1:32:23 I slip.

1:32:26 Yeah.

1:32:26 As well.

1:32:26 We both We both slipped.

1:32:29 You went down.

1:32:30 I went down.

1:32:31 But we got another salty.

1:32:33 Yeah.

1:32:34 That was chaos.

1:32:35 That was just This croc was underneath the water and I was

1:32:40 scanning and then I saw it starting to pop its head up.

1:32:43 Right before it popped its head up and its eyes above the surface,

1:32:46 I just reached to grab it and then I kind of fell forward myself.

1:32:49 Lost my balance.

1:32:50 Oh man.

1:32:51 What a little beauty.

1:32:52 All right.

1:32:52 All right.

1:32:52 Well, let's uh let's switch spots here and we'll take a good look.

1:32:57 All right.

1:32:57 Second catch bonus edition.

1:33:00 Another salty.

1:33:01 Uh not as big as coyotes, but doesn't matter.

1:33:03 It's a salty nonetheless.

1:33:05 And it's a another little beauty.

1:33:06 Very dark in coloration.

1:33:08 Look at that.

1:33:09 Coyotes was a lot more yellow.

1:33:11 This is a about a three-footer juvenile making

1:33:15 that distress call just like coyotes was doing.

1:33:18 And uh I've loved crocodilians all my life.

1:33:21 I've worked with many species as well,

1:33:23 primarily the American crocodiles in South Florida.

1:33:26 So, getting my hands on a salty,

1:33:28 as Cody mentioned, they are like the ultimate of crocodilians,

1:33:32 the apex of crocodilians,

1:33:35 notorious worldwide for their reputation, but also their beauty.

1:33:40 They're one of my favorite croc species because

1:33:42 of just their iconic look and coloration and pattern.

1:33:47 And uh the fact that I had the opportunity to catch one tonight as well,

1:33:51 that means a lot to me, too.

1:33:52 So, there you go.

1:33:53 That's for you, Steve Owen.

1:34:15 There he is.

1:34:17 I'm Ty Peterson and on under my line I got the fastest fish in the ocean.

1:34:31 All right, WE'RE HEADED OUT TO SEA.

1:34:33 Time to catch some fish.

1:34:39 This is the trifecta fishing challenge.

1:34:41 Both myself, Mario, and Trent are all

1:34:45 taking attempts at catching different fish species.

1:34:48 Mario's going after the rooster fish,

1:34:49 Trent after the tuna, myself after a sailfish.

1:34:53 And with any luck, we're going to get

1:34:54 multiple fish species in front of the camera today.

1:35:05 What is that rooster?

1:35:07 It's a rooster.

1:35:08 I'm Mario Dakota and today I've hooked the ocean's rooster.

1:35:15 Oh, it's taking line.

1:35:16 All right.

1:35:16 Mario's got the rooster fish.

1:35:19 Hard, man.

1:35:20 That's strong fish.

1:35:22 He's not coming easy, man.

1:35:24 No, it's not.

1:35:28 Oh, I can see it.

1:35:29 I see it.

1:35:31 I'm going to get down there so we can grab him with a scoop.

1:35:33 Then we're going to put it on the floor and we're going to tag it.

1:35:40 Watch out.

1:35:40 Watch out.

1:35:41 Watch out.

1:35:41 He's not ready.

1:35:42 What do you want me to do?

1:35:42 It's okay.

1:35:43 That's perfect.

1:35:50 Ready.

1:35:56 Okay.

1:35:56 So, we got the rooster fish.

1:36:00 All we have to do is act quickly because we

1:36:01 can't have these fish out of the water for very long.

1:36:06 Yes.

1:36:09 Wow.

1:36:09 All right.

1:36:10 Look.

1:36:10 Look at those.

1:36:11 Look at those amazing dorsal fins.

1:36:12 That's why it gets the name rooster fish.

1:36:14 It's like it's like feathers.

1:36:18 Oh, man.

1:36:19 Ready.

1:36:19 Strong fish.

1:36:19 Yep.

1:36:20 Let's go for it.

1:36:20 Let's put it right here.

1:36:22 Okay.

1:36:22 Okay.

1:36:24 You ready?

1:36:24 Go.

1:36:24 Yep.

1:36:26 This a very important element right now is we're going to be tagging this fish.

1:36:30 These fish are part of a important catch and release program.

1:36:33 You do not keep these fish.

1:36:34 You need a measurement on it up here.

1:36:36 Close.

1:36:37 It is.

1:36:38 Okay.

1:36:39 Release them.

1:36:40 All right.

1:36:40 Here's your release.

1:36:41 Here's your fish.

1:36:45 Woo.

1:36:46 We did it.

1:36:48 Woo.

1:36:48 All right.

1:36:49 Fish on.

1:36:49 Keep going.

1:36:50 LET'S GO, MAN.

1:36:51 PARTY'S NOT OVER.

1:36:52 ANOTHER ROOSTER.

1:36:52 Another rooster.

1:36:54 All right.

1:36:55 Successful rooster fish catch.

1:36:56 Good bride on board.

1:36:57 Put a tag in it.

1:36:58 Thank you.

1:37:00 And uh next step, got to get you guys some fish.

1:37:04 And guess what?

1:37:04 If that fish was strong, the fish that you guys are catching are way bigger.

1:37:08 Way bigger.

1:37:08 So, good luck to both of you.

1:37:15 I'm Tren Underwood and I've got one of the biggest fishes in the ocean, a tuna.

1:37:21 We're going to hold this one.

1:37:22 Yeah.

1:37:22 Reel, reel, reel.

1:37:23 Keep reeling.

1:37:23 Keep reeling.

1:37:24 Okay.

1:37:25 Up, down, as high as you want to go.

1:37:28 Okay.

1:37:28 Up.

1:37:29 Remember.

1:37:30 Okay.

1:37:30 Reel.

1:37:31 Reel.

1:37:32 Going down.

1:37:33 Reel, reel, reel.

1:37:34 Okay, stop.

1:37:39 Up.

1:37:38 Reel down.

1:37:40 Reel down.

1:37:40 Reel down.

1:37:42 Okay, stop.

1:37:42 Okay, now we're going to move to the other side.

1:37:44 Okay, nice and slow.

1:37:45 Reel.

1:37:45 Keep reeling.

1:37:46 Keep the tension.

1:37:47 Okay, reel.

1:37:48 Reel.

1:37:48 Reel.

1:37:49 On the way down.

1:37:51 Remember, you only just do one turn.

1:37:54 You're not You're not putting any strength with your left hand.

1:37:56 Okay.

1:37:57 Now, down.

1:37:57 Now, reel.

1:37:58 There you go.

1:37:59 All your strength is on the right.

1:38:01 There you go.

1:38:02 Perfect.

1:38:03 at a job.

1:38:03 That's what you need.

1:38:05 You can take my glasses.

1:38:07 Reel down.

1:38:12 Good job.

1:38:12 Okay, reel down.

1:38:13 She's giving up.

1:38:14 She's giving up.

1:38:15 You're winning this fight.

1:38:17 Got bloody hands.

1:38:19 Reel.

1:38:19 Oh, I broke.

1:38:20 She broke.

1:38:24 Oh my god.

1:38:25 Take a breather, baby.

1:38:27 You did good.

1:38:29 Dang.

1:38:33 That is tough.

1:38:35 The hard part is my hand is just I kept

1:38:38 constantly slipping on this and just cut my whole hand up.

1:38:41 I mean, when when she pulled away and I felt that tension on the line,

1:38:44 I mean, it just felt like my bicep was going to explode.

1:38:46 The harness would have been ideal, but I don't think we can use it for this.

1:38:49 So, what I've learned is like I don't like this rod.

1:38:52 I want the rod over there that's got that nice hand grip.

1:38:55 Experience is the best part out of it, but you end up doing great.

1:39:00 I guess we'll keep trying.

1:39:02 Or maybe we took a loss.

1:39:03 I don't know.

1:39:11 Right here in the middle.

1:39:12 Ready?

1:39:18 I'm Kyrie Peterson and on end of my line, I got the fastest fish in the ocean.

1:39:25 Oh, this way.

1:39:33 THERE HE IS.

1:39:35 HOLY COW.

1:39:49 BACKWARDS.

1:39:51 BACKWARD.

1:39:52 Don't reel.

1:39:52 Leave it right there.

1:39:58 It's unique how they catch these fish.

1:39:59 They're using something called a C hook,

1:40:02 which is barbless and also biodegradable.

1:40:04 So, if any of those hooks broke off in the mouth of the fish,

1:40:07 eventually just biodegrades and the animal will be completely fine.

1:40:10 All right, my go bring the camera in closer.

1:40:14 And there we have it.

1:40:15 We caught a sailfish.

1:40:17 One of the fastest animals on our planet.

1:40:20 Unbelievable.

1:40:20 We got the tag into it very, very quickly.

1:40:22 I'll let go in just a second.

1:40:24 All the water is going through his gills right now,

1:40:26 so it's fine for me to hold the fish like this.

1:40:28 Unbelievably strong.

1:40:29 My arms are absolutely exhausted.

1:40:32 This was epic.

1:40:33 All right, we're going to let him go.

1:40:35 Ready?

1:40:40 There he goes.

1:40:41 Oh man, that was very, very hard.

1:40:44 That was way harder than I thought it was going to be.

1:40:47 Sailish has been one of those animals I've loved my entire life.

1:40:50 So to get to be out here today with the guys from Four Corners,

1:40:53 such a cool experience.

1:40:54 Thank you guys so much for this epic adventure.

1:40:58 Woo!

1:40:59 Let's get that drone backstage.

1:41:02 Got it.

1:41:02 I got it.

1:41:03 I got it.

1:41:07 Okay, so you guys have heard of big fish stories.

1:41:10 We've got a big fish story to tell.

1:41:13 Trent?

1:41:14 Yes.

1:41:14 So it was close to the end of the day.

1:41:17 We were concerned that maybe we wouldn't get anything.

1:41:19 We're all getting sleepy.

1:41:20 The hum of the motor, the slow trollling.

1:41:22 Actually, you fell asleep at one point and you kissed a fish.

1:41:25 Yes, I kissed a fish.

1:41:36 But anyways, as uh I was kind of about to go back to sleep and Arturo had said,

1:41:41 "Are you ready?" And I'm like, "Yeah, I mean,

1:41:42 I' i've been ready for the last couple hours.

1:41:44 Like, I don't believe it when I see it." And then all of a sudden,

1:41:47 boom, fish is on and everyone's pulling lines in.

1:41:50 They're like, "Come on, come on.

1:41:50 Come, come on." And this was the moment that it had to happen.

1:41:54 I'm tugging.

1:41:54 I'm tugging.

1:41:55 I already know what I'm, you know, going to deal with.

1:41:57 I was battling for 6 minutes on the first one.

1:41:59 And then very briefly into it, it snaps off the line.

1:42:02 Ah, he broke.

1:42:04 And before the rod could even get handed off, another rod came in.

1:42:08 It's the massive gold rod.

1:42:10 This is now my third battle.

1:42:11 I'm torched.

1:42:12 I mean, my bicep bug was going to explode out of my arm.

1:42:15 And I'm like, I got a reel.

1:42:16 But this rod felt really good.

1:42:19 I wasn't chopping up my hand anymore.

1:42:20 And then sure enough, in that moment, I got it all the way to the boat

1:42:25 and we raised the tuna up out of the water.

1:42:27 And they said it was close to about 100 lbs like Coyote's fish.

1:42:30 A little board.

1:42:30 There we go.

1:42:34 You did it.

1:42:35 You did it.

1:42:37 The experience was unlike any other.

1:42:39 our first deep sea fishing and I can't wait to go back and do it again.

1:42:43 Yeah, this was without question a complicated one to shoot,

1:42:46 but what I must say is that the guys from Four Corners,

1:42:48 Chuck, Arturo, Donald, Marvin, who you didn't see in this episode,

1:42:52 and Josh did a phenomenal job.

1:42:55 You don't realize how difficult it is to target three different

1:42:59 fish species and land all three of those in a single day.

1:43:02 So, if you guys are interested in coming

1:43:04 down here to Costa Rica doing some sustainable,

1:43:06 conservation ccentric fishing, definitely check out the guys at Four Corners.

1:43:10 We'll put all of their details in the about section below.

1:43:14 Big thanks to them for supporting us on this excursion.

1:43:17 And tell us, would you like to see another deep sea

1:43:20 conservation ccentric episode where the three of us have a new challenge?

1:43:23 Write the species in the comments section below and who knows,

1:43:26 maybe we'll be lucky enough to land those targets.

1:43:30 All right, guys.

1:43:30 Well, thanks for watching.

1:43:31 I'm Kyrie Peterson.

1:43:32 I'm Ariel Doa.

1:43:34 I'm Trent Underwood.

1:43:34 Be brave.

1:43:36 Stay wild.

1:43:36 We'll see you on the next adventure.