Gabrielle Balassone

The Peruvian Amazon's aggressive piranha, venomous fer de lance and even poisonous plants test 12 survivalists. XL rookies look to last 40 days while vets try to make 60 and become Legends. Four survivalists will be gone in the first four days.

Dropped into the South China Sea, 12 elite survivalists try to survive 40 days on land and sea; nearby, two all-star survivalists enter the same challenge looking to survive not just 40 days but an unprecedented 60 days.

With resources dwindling, the survivalists venture into the shark-infested waters of the South China Sea searching for a much-needed meal; the all-female team is punished by scorching heat, brutal storms and a deadly insect.

Ambushed by tropical storms, the survivalists are pounded by torrential rain and heavy surf; survivalists are stalked by sharks after taking to the open seas; one survivalist reaches his or her breaking point due to the storms and lack of food.

A survivalist on a hunting expedition is bitten by a snake and requires an emergency medical evacuation; tensions arise between teams as hunting grounds get territorial; one group scores protein while their neighbors are on the brink of starvation.