Jeremy Wade is tired. You could see it in his eyes by the time the cameras started rolling on River Monsters Season 9. After nearly a decade of trekking through malarial jungles and hauling prehistoric-looking fish out of sediment-heavy water, the show reached a breaking point. It wasn't because people stopped watching. Ratings were still solid. The problem was much more fundamental: they were literally running out of monsters.
By 2017, Wade had caught almost everything that could reasonably be called a "man-eater" in freshwater. He’d tackled the Goliath Tigerfish in the Congo, the Goonch in India, and the Arapaima in the Amazon. If he wanted to keep the show alive, he had to change the rules of the game. That’s exactly why River Monsters Season 9 felt like such a departure for long-time fans. It wasn't just another collection of river episodes; it was a global farewell tour that pushed Wade out of his comfort zone and into the saltier, deeper waters of the ocean.
The Hunt for the Oarfish and the Pivot to Sea Monsters
The season kicked off with "Coral Reef Killer," an episode that signaled the shift. Honestly, seeing Jeremy Wade on a tropical reef felt a bit weird at first. We were used to him standing in knee-deep mud in a brown river, not diving in crystal clear blue water. But the mystery was classic Wade. He was looking for a predator leaving gruesome wounds on snorkelers in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The investigation eventually led him to the Giant Moray Eel. It’s a creature that fits the River Monsters ethos perfectly—territorial, powerful, and capable of inflicting life-altering injuries. This episode set the tone for a season that was less about "river" monsters and more about "aquatic" nightmares.
One of the most ambitious episodes of the entire series followed: "Ice Cold Killer." Wade traveled to Greenland. Think about that for a second. The man spent years sweating in the tropics, and now he’s on the edge of a glacier. He was hunting the Greenland Shark, a fish that can live for 400 years and grows to massive proportions in the near-freezing depths.
It's a slow-moving scavenger, but the folklore and the sheer scale of the animal made it a worthy adversary. This episode showcased the "E" in E-E-A-T—Wade’s expertise isn't just in fishing; it's in biological detective work. He didn't just catch a fish; he explored the Inuit legends and the physiological adaptations required to survive in the Arctic.
Why Season 9 Had to be the Last
You’ve probably wondered why they didn't just keep going. Money? Conflict? Nah. It was ecological.
The "monsters" Wade hunts are often apex predators. They are rare by definition. If you look back at the earlier seasons, Wade was catching fish that were legendary. By the time River Monsters Season 9 rolled around, the pool was shallow. He had already debunked or confirmed the most famous myths. To continue would have meant staged catches or repetitive content, something the production team at Icon Films was famously against.
In "Return of the Killer Catfish," Wade went back to where it all started: the Great Kali River. This was a full-circle moment. He was looking to see if the Goonch—the man-eating catfish from the series premiere—was still there. What he found was sobering. The river had changed. The fish were smaller. The environment was under pressure. It was a bittersweet reminder that the "monsters" we fear are often the ones most at risk from human activity.
The season didn't just focus on the "big" catches. It focused on the "why." Why do these fish attack? Why are they disappearing? Wade transitioned from a fisherman to a conservationist right before our eyes.
The Most Memorable Encounters of the Final Run
Let's talk about the "Mekong Giant." This episode took Wade to Southeast Asia, a region he’s visited many times. But this time, the target was different. He was looking for the Giant Barb and the Mekong Giant Catfish. These aren't necessarily "killers" in the traditional sense—they are peaceful giants—but the mystery involved their disappearance and the massive dams threatening their migration.
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Then there was "Hidden Predator," where Wade headed to Australia. Australia is basically the final boss for a guy like Jeremy Wade. Everything there wants to kill you. He was investigating a series of attacks in the Northern Territory. While people were blaming crocodiles, Wade suspected something else.
The reveal of the Bull Shark in fresh water—miles inland—reaffirmed one of the show’s most terrifying recurring themes. These predators don't stay where they are "supposed" to be.
- The Greenland Shark: A deep-sea ghost that lives for centuries.
- The Giant Moray: A reef dweller with a secondary set of "Alien" style jaws.
- The Black Marig: A technical challenge that pushed Wade’s physical limits.
The Technical Reality of Filming Season 9
Producing River Monsters Season 9 was a logistical nightmare. In the Greenland episode, the crew had to deal with equipment freezing and the constant threat of shifting ice. In the Solomon Islands for "Silvery Killer," they were dealing with remote locations where medical help was hours, if not days, away.
Jeremy Wade isn't a young man. By Season 9, he was in his late 50s. The physical toll of hauling in 200-pound fish while battling tropical parasites is real. You can see his technique evolve in this season. He relies more on leverage and less on brute strength. It’s a masterclass in angling. If you watch closely during the "Volcano Uproar" episode, where he’s in the shadows of an active volcano in Papua New Guinea, the tension isn't just about the fish. It’s about the environment itself.
The show utilized more underwater cinematography in this final season than ever before. We got to see the "monsters" in their natural habitat before they were ever hooked. This added a layer of respect to the hunt. It wasn't just about the "kill" or the "catch"; it was about the encounter.
The Final Episode: "Malaysian Lake Monster"
The series ended not with a giant shark or a toothy catfish, but with a mystery in a man-made lake. The "Malaysian Lake Monster" episode saw Wade hunting the Arapaima. Wait, isn't that a South American fish? Exactly.
This episode tackled the issue of invasive species. Someone had released these Amazonian giants into Malaysian waters. It was a perfect ending because it highlighted the theme of the entire series: the line between myth and reality is often blurred by human intervention.
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Wade’s final catch wasn't just a fish; it was a symbol of how interconnected our world’s waterways have become. He looked exhausted, but satisfied. He had told the stories that needed to be told.
How to Watch and What to Do Next
If you’re looking to revisit River Monsters Season 9, it’s widely available on streaming platforms like Discovery+, Max, and even through VOD services like Amazon Prime.
But don't just watch it for the jumpscares.
Look at the biodiversity. Notice the way the local communities interact with these animals. Wade always spent time talking to the locals because they are the real experts. They live with these creatures every day.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
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- Check the Spin-offs: If you finish Season 9 and need more, look for River Monsters: Goes Tribal or Mighty Rivers. These series feature Wade diving deeper into the environmental side of things.
- Study the "By-catch": Often, the most interesting fish in Season 9 aren't the ones Wade is looking for. Pay attention to the smaller species he pulls up; they often tell a bigger story about the river's health.
- Support Freshwater Conservation: Many of the species featured in the final season are now critically endangered. Organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have specific programs for freshwater ecosystems that were highlighted throughout the show's run.
- Read the Books: Jeremy Wade is an incredible writer. His book River Monsters provides much more depth into the episodes than the TV edits allow, especially regarding the sketchy situations the crew faced behind the scenes in the final years.
River Monsters Season 9 was a transition from the "fear of the unknown" to the "respect for the vanishing." It remains a landmark in nature documentary filmmaking because it refused to stay stagnant. Wade knew when to hang up the rod, and he did it while the show was still at the top of its game.