THE popular wildlife TV presenter and adventurer Steve Backshall delighted a sold out crowd at the Wyvern Theatre with his true tales of close-up encounters with animals.

From the very start of the show, Steve was a delight to watch as his enthusiasm about the situations he has dealt with over the years rubbed off on the crowd.

The first half of this evening focused on sharks and how these creatures of the deep are misunderstood. Steve alternated between talking and video clips and you could feel the excitement of the audience and hear the gasps several times throughout the night.

One piece of information that sticks in my head was about how you can put sharks into a relaxed catatonic state by stroking them on their nose pores. It’s called tonic immobility and it’s a natural state of paralysis.

There were also serious messages throughout the night - the issues surrounding shark fin soup and information about a charity called Bite-Back Shark and Marine Conservation, set up to encourage restaurants to take it off the menu.

“You have the power. If there is something you believe in, you should stand up and shout about it. You can make a difference,” Steve told us.

At one point the house lights came up and the audience of children and adults were invited to ask questions. Among the queries was ‘Is the Loch Ness monster real?’ and ‘What is your best animal encounter ever?’.

The second half moved on to the subject of how animals adapt to where they live and we saw footage of many creatures, including electric eels, spiders, polar bears and crocodiles.

One of the highlights for me was when we saw a video of Steve and a sperm whale, interacting beautifully and entering into some kind of dance routine. Steve spoke about how this whale seemed to be copying and bonding with him and described it as an emotional encounter. It took my breath away. Steve says that animals have very individual personalities and this video seemed to prove it.

Before I saw this show, I admit that I hadn’t seen a lot of Steve’s footage but I can honestly say that I am now hooked and am firmly a member of the Steve Backshall Appreciation Society (yes – there is actually a Facebook group!) The fact that he came out into the Wyvern Theatre foyer to meet everyone after the show proves that he’s just an ordinary nice bloke with an extraordinary job.

- KELLY JOBANPUTRA