River Monsters

Wade: I'M JEREMY WADE,

ANGLING EXPLORER AND BIOLOGIST.

FISHING...

AH! IS MY PASSION.

ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CATCHES

OF MY LIFE.

TIME AND AGAIN,

THIS PASSION HAS HELPED ME SOLVE FRESHWATER MYSTERIES.

SOME OF MY MOST DANGEROUS INVESTIGATIONS

HAVE UNFOLDED IN AUSTRALIA...

WHERE MURKY RIVERS HIDE BIZARRE

AND DEADLY BEASTS FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

THAT IS HUGE!

BUT THIS TIME, I'M GOING BEYOND THE RIVERS,

VENTURING INTO THE OCEAN

THAT LIES OFF THIS VAST CONTINENT'S NORTHERN COAST.

RIGHT BENEATH ME IS SOME OF THE WILDEST COASTLINE

ANYWHERE ON EARTH.

IT'S IN THESE WATERS

WHERE MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM ANIMAL ATTACKS

THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

THIS PLACE IS KNOWN AS THE DEADLIEST SEA

ON THE PLANET, AND I'M HERE TO FIND OUT WHY.

IT'S NOT A MATTER IF YOU COULD DIE.

YOU WILL DIE.

Man: WHOA!

IF YOU THOUGHT THE RIVERS WERE BAD,

YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING YET.

Man: OH!

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

OVER THE YEARS, I'VE COLLECTED HUNDREDS OF REPORTS

OF MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES AND ATTACKS

FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

BUT THERE'S ONE FILE

THAT'S THICKER THAN ALL THE OTHERS.

ALL THE REPORTS COME FROM THE SAME PLACE --

THE SEAS AROUND NORTHERN AUSTRALIA.

TAKE THE CASE SOME YEARS AGO

OF FIVE ABORIGINAL ELDERS

AND THE PILOTS OF THE SMALL PLANE

THEY WERE FLYING IN.

THEY FOUND THEMSELVES ALONE

IN THE WATER IN SIGHT OF LAND

AFTER THEIR PLANE DEVELOPED ENGINE PROBLEMS

AND WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN THE SEA.

ALL THAT WAS EVER FOUND OF THEM WAS ONE SEVERED LEG.

WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THESE WATERS

THAT CAN TEAR APART SIX FIT, CAPABLE MEN?

I'M GOING TO TRY TO FIND OUT.

I'M STARTING MY INVESTIGATION IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

IN THE SAME WATERS

WHERE THE MEN WERE REPORTED TO HAVE DISAPPEARED.

THERE ARE PREDATORS HERE THAT SIMPLY CAN'T BE IGNORED.

BEACHES ALONG A STRETCH OF COAST

HAVE BEEN CLOSED SINCE YESTERDAY

BECAUSE OF A SHARK ATTACK.

AUSTRALIA HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER

OF FATAL SHARK ATTACKS IN THE WORLD.

A FATHER OF TWO HAS DIED AFTER BEING SAVAGED BY A SHARK.

BUT OUT OF THE 170 SHARK SPECIES

KNOWN TO PATROL THESE WATERS,

ONLY THREE HAVE THE RAP SHEET FOR FATAL ATTACKS ON HUMANS.

THE GREAT WHITE DOESN'T VENTURE THIS FAR NORTH.

AND EXPERIENCE TELLS ME

THAT BULL SHARKS ARE MOSTLY FOUND CLOSE TO THE COAST

AND NEAR RIVER MOUTHS.

SO I'M STARTING MY INVESTIGATION

WITH THE APEX PREDATOR IN THESE WATERS -- THE TIGER SHARK.

I'M JOINING SHARK BIOLOGIST ADAM BARNETT.

JEREMY. NICE TO MEET YOU.

I KNOW THERE ARE DOCUMENTED

ATTACKS ON HUMANS BY TIGER SHARKS.

SO WHAT TRIGGERS THESE ATTACKS?

AND WOULD A GROUP OF MEN IN THE WATER BE LIKELY TARGETS?

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ADAM IS LEARNING FROM HIS RESEARCH.

WE'RE NOT JUST TAGGING THEM ANYMORE.

BUT WE'RE ALSO TAKING THE BLOOD, TAKING THE TISSUE SAMPLES.

THE BLOOD AND THE TISSUE WILL GIVE US AN IDEA

OF WHAT THEY'VE BEEN EATING.

IF DIFFERENT SHARKS ARE EATING DIFFERENT THINGS

OR IT'S A VERY GENERALIZED DIET,

AND WHAT YOU WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT FROM A TIGER SHARK.

BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT TIGER SHARKS ARE EATING,

I WANT TO BUILD A BIGGER PICTURE

OF WHAT THEY SEE AS PREY AND WHETHER THAT INCLUDES US.

WELL, THE BAITS ARE OUT.

AT THE MOMENT, THEY LOOK UNTOUCHED.

YOU'VE GOT A RED BUOY

AND ALSO THE SMALLER WHITE BUOY.

WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR IS THE WHITE BUOY TO DISAPPEAR.

BUT ALL QUIET AT THE MOMENT.

THEN WE GET A SIGN THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE.

THAT'S DOING SOMETHING, ISN'T IT?

WHAT DO YOU RECKON?

OH, YEP! YEAH, THERE IT GOES.

IT'S GOING UNDER.

TIGER ON! TIGER ON!

AS WE APPROACH THE BUOY,

I CAN SEE AN OMINOUS SHAPE BENEATH THE SURFACE.

THIS IS BIG.

THIS IS TIGER SHARK, AND THIS IS A BIG ONE.

STILL GOT A BIT OF KICK IN HER.

THIS SHARK HAS A LOT OF ENERGY LEFT.

AND I STRUGGLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF IT.

IT'S 10-FOOT-PLUS.

WE'RE TALKING 650, 700 POUNDS.

THIS IS A BIG ANIMAL. THIS IS WHAT'S IN THESE WATERS.

LET'S TRY TO TURN IT OVER.

WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE MOMENT IS

ADAM'S TAKING A BIT OF TISSUE.

THAT INVOLVES SOME RATHER DELICATE SURGERY

WITH A VERY SHARP SCALPEL.

AND YOU'VE GOT AN ANIMAL THAT COULD START THRASHING

AT ANY MOMENT.

SO ADAM'S TAKING A BLOOD SAMPLE FROM IT NOW.

FROM THESE SAMPLES, ADAM

WILL GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE SHARK EATS.

IT'S ROLLING. IT'S ROLLING.

THE SHARK IS WINDING ITSELF AROUND THE LEADER WIRE,

DRAGGING OUR SIDE OF THE BOAT DOWN.

THEN IT SINKS ITS TEETH INTO OUR AIR-FILLED BOAT.

-THAT'S NOT HOLDING IT! !

WELL, THE SHARK HAS PUNCTURED THE BOAT.

IT'S ALSO WRAPPED IN THE LEADER.

WITH THE BOAT TAKING IN WATER,

WE NEED TO UNWRAP THE SHARK FROM THE LEADER AND FAST.

IT'S GOT TO COME OVER. THAT'S IT.

OKAY, RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO ABANDON

ANY ATTEMPT TO GET ANY DATA FROM THIS.

WE GOT THE BOAT GOING DOWN.

WE CUT THE LEADER

AND RELEASE THE SHARK.

WE HAVE A HOLE IN THE BOAT, AND THE AIR HAS COME OUT

AND WATER IS GOING IN.

WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE MOTHER SHIP, WHICH IS

BECOMING INCREASINGLY DISTANT.

SO PRIORITY IS US GETTING OUT OF HERE.

WE LIMP BACK TO HE MOTHER SHIP.

I STILL CAN'T GET OVER THE SIGHT

OF SUCH A HUGE PREDATOR SO CLOSE.

NOW, MORE THAN EVER,

I WONDER IF WE HUMANS ARE ON THE SHARK'S MENU.

DO TIGER SHARKS HAVE PREFERENCES

IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY FEED ON THERE?

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE EVOLVED

TO HUNT CERTAIN THINGS.

LIKE, TURTLES SEEM VERY, VERY POPULAR IN THEIR DIET.

IF YOU HAD A SCENARIO OF A PERSON

OR PEOPLE IN THE WATER,

MIGHT THEY CONSIDER THAT AS A FOOD ITEM?

ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE OF DIVING WITH 'EM,

THEY'RE VERY SHY ANIMALS.

WE'VE PUT BAIT IN THE WATER TO ACTUALLY BRING 'EM IN,

AND THEY'LL COME IN.

AND THEN WE'LL GET IN THE WATER, AND THEY'LL OFTEN LEAVE.

AND THEIR HEADS ARE FULL OF ALL THESE SENSORS.

SO IF THEY GO TO FEED ON SOMETHING,

TO ATTACK IT, THEY HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL

THAT THEY DON'T GET DAMAGED, AS WELL.

SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE TIMES

WHEN TIGER SHARKS HAVE ATTACKED PEOPLE?

I THINK THERE'S A CLUE IN WHAT ADAM'S BLOOD SAMPLING

IS TURNING UP.

HE HAS SHOWN THAT HERE, TURTLES ARE A BIG PART

OF THE TIGER SHARK'S DIET.

WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT ALMOST ALL ATTACKS ON PEOPLE

OCCUR 300 FEET OR LESS FROM THE SHORE,

WHERE SURFERS ARE USUALLY FOUND,

COULD IT BE THAT TIGER SHARKS ARE MISTAKING THE OUTLINE

OF A SURFBOARD FOR THEIR FAVORITE FOOD?

I NEED TO START PIECING THINGS TOGETHER.

WE'LL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE

WHETHER TIGER SHARKS ATTACKED THE PLANE CRASH VICTIMS.

TIGERS ARE SOLITARY HUNTERS.

SO A LONE SHARK MIGHT'VE BITTEN ONE OF THESE MEN.

BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S LIKELY

THAT IT COULD'VE TAKEN THEM ALL OUT.

I GO BACK TO THE CASE FILE FOR CLUES

AND FIND A SHOCKING STORY

WITH ECHOES OF THE CASE OF THE MISSING MEN.

IN THIS NEW MYSTERY, A MAN WAS LOST IN THE OPEN OCEAN

AND A SEVERED BODY PART WAS THE ONLY EVIDENCE FOUND.

BUT WHAT REALLY GETS MY ATTENTION

IS WHERE THAT EVIDENCE WAS FOUND.

A WORKER PROCESSING FISH IN A QUEENSLAND FACTORY

OPENED UP A LARGER GROUPER

AND MADE A GRUESOME DISCOVERY.

WHEN HE SLICED OPEN ITS STOMACH,

WHAT HE FOUND INSIDE WAS A HUMAN HEAD.

I'M INVESTIGATING THE CASE OF A GROUP OF MEN

WHO DISAPPEARED IN THE SEAS AROUND NORTHERN AUSTRALIA.

THE ONLY EVIDENCE EVER FOUND WAS A SEVERED LEG.

NOW I'VE FOUND ANOTHER CASE WITH STRIKING SIMILARITIES.

BUT THIS TIME, THE EVIDENCE IS A MAN'S HEAD.

AND IT WAS FOUND INSIDE THE BELLY

OF A SPECIES OF GROUPER.

SO SHARKS AREN'T THE ONLY ANIMALS HERE

CAPABLE OF SWALLOWING PIECES OF HUMANS.

I'VE COME TO A REMOTE AND UNINHABITED GROUP

OF ISLANDS 60 MILES FROM THE NEAREST TOWNSHIP.