River Monsters

by

River Monsters is like “Jaws” meets “Crocodile Dundee”.

I rank it #1 in my list of Best Fishing Documentaries (19 of them — all ranked!).

Thanks to Jackson Lockhart’s “The 10 Most Impactful Docuseries” (CBR) for first pointing River Monsters out to me.

Trailer for “River Monsters”

Watch “River Monsters”

It’s tricky to find out where to watch River Monsters (because it’s in so man places).

Here are the best places I’ve found to watch it:

Check here for updated streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/river-monsters

Watch “River Monster” Episodes for Free

Watch Season 1, Episode 1 (Piranha)

Watch the video here if the video embed above doesn’t work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqyf8TO0Ew

Jeremy takes a jaunt to Brazil.

His quest? To sift fact from fishy fiction about the piranha.

He swaps tales with the locals, who tell him hair-raising yarns of these aquatic assassins nibbling humans down to the nub.

Jeremy chucks a duck carcass into the river. Lo and behold, those piranhas make quick work of it, leaving nothing but feathers.

Fascinated, he wrangles a few, getting an eyeful of their dental hardware—nature’s own Swiss Army knives for flesh-tearing.

Watch Season 1, Episode 2 (Killer Catfish)

Watch the video here if the embed above doesn’t work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69e1SctKuwg

Jeremy hits up India’s Kali River, spooked by tales of vanishing swimmers.

Whirlpools? Crocs? Nope, not the culprits.

The real suspect? A behemoth catfish, the goonch, that’s got more bulk than some humans.

Here’s a twist—these giants might be dining on funeral leftovers, getting a taste for human.

So, Jeremy squares off with a mega goonch, hinting that, yep, there could be real river monsters out there.

Chasing this beast, Jeremy’s patience is stretched thin until he gambles on a bold move.

This wild catfish chase? It kicked off “River Monsters,” but got shelved as a “Bonus episode” in the States, never seeing the light in the UK.

A fishy tale turned hit show, all started with Jeremy’s dive into the deep end of the Kali.

Watch Season 1, Episode 5 (Amazon Assassins)

Watch the video here if the embed above doesn’t work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZLgDL5xw5s

If you think piranhas are the scariest thing swimming in the Amazon, think again. In this wild episode, Jeremy Wade hunts down a true river monster: the massive, armor-plated arapaima.

Jeremy has got guts. He wades into the water with thrashing arapaima that could easily break your bones with a single smack.

Then, Jeremy hooks into a 150-pound behemoth and barely hangs on as it nearly wrenches the rod from his hands.

Watch Season 8, Episode 1 (Deep Sea Demon)

Watch here if the video embed doesn’t work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYhIeoNIQ8

Our fearless fisherman, plunges into ocean depths, chasing sea serpent myths.

His journey kicks off in England, spurred by a diver’s eel scare.

Yet, snagging a conger eel, Jeremy scratches it off his suspect list—it’s no sea serpent.

Next stop: Thailand, land of the revered Nāga. Here, tales of moray eel attacks catch his interest.

Despite joining eel hunts with locals, the morays, though massive and menacing, don’t quite fit the serpent bill.

The plot twists with a monk’s photo, revealing an unexpected lead: the oarfish.

Jeremy links up with a French diver who’s met these elusive giants.

Braving the deep and dodging dangers, Jeremy’s persistence pays off during a nocturnal dive, where he marvels at not one, but two oarfish.

Jeremy joins the ranks of those few who’ve witnessed the majestic oarfish, drawing a line from ancient lore to living legend.

Ratings:

  • My Rating: 92/100
  • IMDB Rating: 8/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na

My Long Review of “River Monsters”

If you’re like me, you can’t resist a good mystery, especially when it involves sharp-toothed, bone-crushing aquatic beasts. That’s precisely the bait dangled by River Monsters, the hit Animal Planet series that ran for a whopping nine seasons from 2009 to 2017.

Each of the show’s 58 episodes follows extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade on a 60-minute quest to reel in the truth behind frightening tales of underwater predators.

And if you love travel, you’re going to love how how global River Monsters is.

The series whisks you to an astonishing array of far-flung locations.

Journey with Jeremy to the untamed rivers of the Congo, where he pursues the deadly goliath tigerfish.

Shiver alongside him in the icy waters of Iceland and Norway as he hunts for the elusive Greenland shark.

Sweat it out in the steamy jungles of Guyana, Brazil, and Peru, home to ferocious piranhas and colossal arapaima.

From the Mekong Delta in Thailand to the Murray River in Australia, the River Monsters crew scours the planet for the most fearsome freshwater killers.

And lest you think the USA is monster-free, prepare for some close encounters in Texas, Alaska, Florida, and Oklahoma!

And despite the River in the title, Season 8’s special “Mysteries of the Ocean” goes into the deep seas!

Brace yourself for a bone-chilling meeting with the Greenland shark, a massive, slow-moving predator that may be the longest-living vertebrate on Earth. Shudder at the alien-like visage of the giant oarfish, which may have inspired ancient sea serpent legends.

And watch in awe as Jeremy free-dives into a swirling mass of Humboldt squid, known for ripping chunks out of whales and possibly even humans.

These salty adventures prove that when it comes to aquatic terrors, there’s plenty of nightmare fuel in the ocean too.

Best River Monster Episodes

Here are my favorites

“Lair of Giants” (Season 4, Episode 9)
Imagine wading into the remote wilds of the Essequibo, Guyana’s biggest river, armed with just a fishing pole and old diaries. In this top-rated episode, our intrepid host Jeremy does exactly that, determined to hook a real-life river monster of legendary proportions. Will he find evidence that the area’s mythic giants still exist? Tune in to find out…if you dare.

“Death Down Under” (Season 8, Episode 2)
You might think you’re safe from river monsters in the ocean, but this nail-biter proves otherwise. Jeremy jets to Australia to investigate the mysterious disappearance of six men from the country’s north coast. To crack the case, he must tangle with some of the world’s deadliest marine life. Talk about fishing in dangerous waters!

“Man-Eating Monster” (Season 6, Episode 4)
Ready for the most epic fishing trip ever? In this fan-favorite, Jeremy returns to the Amazon, dead-set on landing the elusive “lau-lau,” a colossal catfish locals say swallows men whole. He’s come close before, but this time, our extreme angler won’t leave till he’s got his monster.

“Piranha” (Season 1, Episode 1)
In the series premiere that started it all, Jeremy heads to the Amazon to investigate the bloody truth behind the piranha’s fearsome reputation. Brace yourself for some skin-crawling experiments that prove just how quickly these pint-sized predators can strip flesh from bone. Trust me, after watching a piranha feeding frenzy in action, you’ll think twice about dipping a toe in South American waters!

“European Maneater” (Season 1, Episode 4)
Who says river monsters only lurk in exotic locations? In this chilling episode, Jeremy’s on the trail of a giant killer catfish right in the heart of Europe. From the sewers of Berlin to the rivers of Spain, he risks life and limb to uncover the truth about the wels catfish, a whiskered beast allegedly capable of swallowing a man whole. It’s a classic battle of man vs. monster that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“Amazon Apocalypse” (Season 6, Episode 1)
Brace yourself for a journey into the heart of darkness as Jeremy returns to the Amazon to investigate a mysterious mass drowning. Could the culprit be a mythical monster fish that locals say is capable of capsizing boats? Amid the eerie silence of a flooded forest, Jeremy fights tooth and nail to reel in a prehistoric beast that just might be the river’s last megafish.

“Jungle Terminator” (Season 6, Episode 2)
When three men are found dead with identical burn-like wounds, Jeremy sets out to unmask their killer. His quest leads him deep into the Guyanese jungle, where he must confront one of his greatest fears and go head-to-head with the electric eel, a slithering predator packing a 600-volt punch. It’s a hair-raising, shock-filled adventure that’s not for the faint of heart!

“River of Blood” (Season 6, Episode 3)
Fancy a fishing trip to Argentina? You might think twice after watching this gory episode. When a young boy is brutally mutilated in the Paraná River, Jeremy suspects a vicious piranha attack. But could there be an even deadlier culprit lurking in these blood-red waters? As he soon discovers, the river is also home to a real-life “Jaws” with an insatiable appetite for flesh.

“Legend of Loch Ness” (Season 5, Episode 7)
Every angler dreams of hooking a world-famous monster fish, and they don’t get much more legendary than the Loch Ness Monster. In this epic two-hour special, Jeremy embarks on his most challenging mission yet: to unravel the mystery that has baffled scientists and monster hunters for decades. His search for Nessie takes him from the depths of Scotland’s most iconic loch to the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he uncovers some surprising clues that just might explain the enduring legend. It’s a thrilling deep dive into one of the world’s greatest aquatic mysteries.

“Atomic Assassin” (Season 5, Episode 2)
What happens when you fish in the cooling pond of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear plant? Jeremy finds out in this eerily fascinating installment.

“Killer Torpedo” (Season 5, Episode 3)
Care to land a fish that can knock you clean off your boat? Sounds like a job for Jeremy Wade! Watch him wrestle 100+ lb tarpon in Nicaragua.

DIY Fishing Tips from River Monsters

And what if you want to land your own river monster?

Take a page from Jeremy Wade’s playbook with these tips:

First, do your research – pore over old records, eyewitness accounts, and scientific studies to identify your target.

Next, gear up wisely, from reinforced rods to industrial-strength line to a really big net. Then, get creative with your bait and tactics.

Over the years, we’ve seen Jeremy use everything from fish guts to whole chickens to lure in his quarry.

He’s even pioneered unique techniques like “livebait kayaking” (towing a real fish behind a kayak to tempt sharks) and “fish kites” (floating bait on the water’s surface to attract arowana).

The key is thinking like your prey and being adaptable. Oh, and bringing along a stellar camera crew to immortalize your triumph doesn’t hurt either!

Thanks for reading!

Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc

© 2023 Daily Doc   –   All right reserved.