tonight on "nightline" -- bible versus big mac. they say it's a threat to their way of life. not to mention their religion. it will seduce their kids and subvert one of the most wholesome communities in america. mcdonald's says, it's just burgers and fries. tonight, the battle of the golden arches. plus, crocodile labyrinth. for most people, it's the stuff of nightmares. but for these scuba divers, capturing never-before-seen footage of what these powerful beasts do, deep under water, it's worth the risk. and the queen of mean? >> you'll regret it if you do.

>> she may play a fiercesome socialite on "revenge," but for madeleine stowe, it's all on act. the best-dressed villain on tv. good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin, tonight, with a clash of two american heavyweights. faith and fast food. the battle playing out in a california town with an unusually healthy population, where a full 50% of the residents are seventh day aid venntists, who observe strict rules about letting right. but now, a new restaurant wants to open in town, mcdonald's. and some of the citizens say that's not kosher. here's abc's neal karlinsky for

our series, "faith matters." >> reporter: loma linda is known for two things above all else. the seventh dayed a venntist church, that looms large over this city. and one of the healthiest populations in the world. and they want to keep it that way. do you feel people are healthier here than the rest of the country? >> statistically, they are. yes. >> reporter: families believe it's no accident that their city has an average life span well into the 80s. they say it's because they're sitting on a virtual fountain of youth, thr religion, which encourages being vegetarian. that's why many believe in their own unofficial commandment. thou shall not feed kids a happy meal. or a big mac. or for that matter, not allow them the temptation of a mcdonald's anywhere within this city's boundaries. >> we believe that human beings are not made to eat meet. >> reporter: they are among a healthy horde of townspeople up

in arms over loma linda's first proposed mcdonald's. >> the first verse is genesis 1:29. which says the best diet for a human being would be fruits and seeds. >> i do want loma linda to be a healthy environment for my kids. and i know if there's a mcdonald's that my kids drive by on a regular basis, it will be harder to keep that healthy environment. >> reporter: the town city council meeting was packed when the issue came up. you would have thought a nuclear waste dump was moving in. >> mcdonald's, unfortunately, has a reputation for being an industry that has not promoted health. >> are we killing our children? >> reporter: the church itself is taking no official position on the matter. but they don't exactly believe that the way into the pearly gates passes through the golden arches. >> i hope that nobody is condemned because of the choice of their food. and that goes back to not

imposing that on other people. >> reporter: there is at least one other fast food chain in town, carl's jr., a restaurant that also came under fire when it moved in. would you mind if mcdonald's opened up here? >> i wouldn't. >> reporter: no problem with it at all? >> no. because that's their business. >> reporter: the town's population isn't surprised about the hassle over mcdonald's. >> it annoys me when any of these people try to tell me what i can and can't eat. you know what? if you don't want to be healthy, then don't be. if you want to be healthy, be healthy. >> i come down on the side of liberty and giving people choices. >> reporter: mayor dusty rixby is one of many who doesn't believe in preaching how others should live their lives. >> i don't think it's the government's responsibility, personally, to legislation vegetarianism. i think if everyone became a vegetarian, they would probably have a healthier life. but that has to be their choice. >> reporter: it's a particularly unusual battleground,

considering the very first mcdonald's, the first one anywhere, was in san bernardino. it opened in 1940. more than 33,000 locations later, the rest as they say, is mchistory. except in loma linda, where they refuse to bend. >> we're continuing to work on this with the developer directly. we have other restaurants that we feel would be much healthier than mcdonald's that we'd like to bring in. >> reporter: in response, mcdonald's told abc news, our salads can be ordered without meat. they also mention offerings like apple slices and oatmeal. and go on to say the new restaurant will help fuel economic growth. what do you say to those people who say, listen, this is just not your business. we live in a free society. you can choose to walk in their doors or not? >> i agree we don't want to legislate health. but i believe we caught to do everything we can to create a healthy environment. >> reporter: with no legal way

to keep the restaurant out, the town city council has approved the mcdonald's to break ground here. but that doesn't mean the battle is over. until the golden arches go up, wayne dysinger and other adventists, won't let it in. fighting, they say, to keep their kids pure of the temptation of a happy meal. i'm neal karlinsky, for "nightline," in loma linda, california. >> the debate is a healthy one. next up is pretty freaky. no one thought it was safe to go into these waters. and these guys show us why. ♪ [ male announcer ] when kelley blue book's kbb.com gave the 2012 camry a best resale value award, we were delighted. ♪ when it received a 5-star overall safety rating, we were ecstatic. and when camry became the number-one selling car in america 10 years running,

we blushed. ♪ the reinvented 2012 camry. from toyota. ♪ over forty-percent of adults don't meet the recommended daily intake for many vitamins and minerals through diet alone. try... each serving... with 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d. and available in... boost® is so confident you'll prefer their taste to ensure they're offering a... details on the boost® great taste guarantee @ boost.com helping you buy better. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache.

my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now, i can do more of the things i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. ask your doctor if lyrica is right [music playing]

confidence. available in color. depend® for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend®. good morning. great day. >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city, with cynthia mcfadden.

jane goodall set up home in the rain forest to watch chimps in their habitat. charles darwin traveled to the galapagos islands to study birds. but where do you go to study the world of dock dials when they live in pitch-black, underwater tunnels? well, you guessed it. here's my co-anchor, bill weir, for our series, into the wild. >> reporter: some endeavors are scary. others are a combo platter of man's greatest fears. and nothing combines claustrophobia, darkness, potential drowning and real monsters, quite like scuba diving with crocodiles. >> the first thing you see is a line of teeth. >> reporter: the smile in the darkness. >> yeah. >> reporter: that will quicken the pulse. >> and the worst thing is not knowing where the croc is. >> reporter: one of the most beautiful, lush parts of africa,

teeming with life. and for the people who have lived on these banks for millennia, this apex predator is a particular source of dread. do people get eaten? do they lose limbs? >> they do get eaten. just upstream, is a lady missing an arm. and she went in to rescue her daughter who lost both her arms. so, it happens. >> reporter: have a witch doctor, and he says he will send a croc to take you in its underwater lair. for generations, scientists wonder just how the nile croc navigates, hunts and thrives in this hidden world. then, nature photographer graeme duane and his colleagues say, there's only one way to find out. >> if you spend time on the surface, you're dead meat. >> reporter: really? >> you get off the boat and go straight down. that's the trick. you're on the surface or come o.

>> reporter: you're protein. they know you're going to be vulnerable. >> you dial into their instinct. and they just home into you. >> reporter: once they discovered this sink to the bottom trick, graeme and his team are able to capture the first-ever images of a breeding croc from below. i thought they floated on the surface. but the body sprawled downward. >> when they want -- they never duck straight under. they reverse down. and they use the buoyancy to go underwater again. and before this, i had never seen a shot of this. >> reporter: it's almost comical, how they bob and then freefall, tail-first. but there's nothing funny with that pass of a skull with bony teeth. but it doesn't strike out. one probable reason, crocs have lousy underwater vision. the membrane that protects their

eyes also clouds their eyesight. the new knowledge emboldens the team to try something much more ambitious than capturing film. vince shacks wants to lasso a 12-foot adult, and mount a croc cam to better understand their secret lives. >> i'm going to wait. >> when he comes up, we got the mouth open. and he's going to be like tumbling. >> reporter: first attempt shows just how nimble the prehistoric torpedos can be, slipping past the open noose. they're more successful with a giant, 15-footer. but it proves to be too much croc. the sheer bulk is terrifying. the rope burns their hands. and they're forced to give up. but eventually they find one of semimanageable size. apparently there's no real handbook for pulling a 12-foot monster into your boat.

so, they make due with a towel and some muscle. as they record valuable data, the team is giddy with the prospect of getting the first corc cam pictures ever recorded. the croc is allowed to float three. but after a few minutes, the signal disappears and the distressed croc seeks safety in the caves. they decide to swim in after it. past the shafts of light. past a foreboding pile of antelope bones and into the murky blackness. you're overcoming two of the biggest phobias known to man. being eaten. and claustrophobia. what's it like swimming into these channels? >> for me, the claustrophobia's the word. >> reporter: is it? >> i am claustrophobic. >> reporter: really? >> yeah, looking through the camera, you kind of remove yourself from the situation. concentrating on the shot. and every now and a again, i look up and take stock of where i am. you have to get a handle on

yourself. just look back in the viewfinder again. and the caves are sometimes pitch-black. your scuba tank is getting taught on the rooftop. >> reporter: oh, man. you touched on my biggest fear. >> yeah. every now and then, you turn around and the nice light opening that was behind you is gone. and you hit a dead-end. and you eventually find the right one. you get out of there -- it's the best feeling in the world. forget the crocodile. >> well, i'm glad my pal, bill, stayed in the boat. croc labyrinth premieres this sunday on nat geo wild. coming up, she's the queen of mean on her hit show "revenge." but what's madeleine stowe like "revenge." but what's madeleine stowe like offscreen? ee! ashlee! what were you looking for when you bought your edge? um, i was definitely looking for fuel economy. that's the whole reason we, we wanted to look at the ecoboost. can you talk a little bit about the style of the edge?

um, well, i think it's very hip. i even have several guys were like "whoa, do have twenties on those". like, don't even know what that means, but i guess it's cool. (laugh) here you go. driver's license. past five years' tax returns. high school report cards. and i'm gonna need to see a receipt for that watch you're wearing. you know, you really should provide us with a checklist of documents we're gonna need up front. who do you think i am? quicken loans? at quicken loans, we provide a checklist of the mortgage documents you'll need up front. it helps keep you in the know every step of the way. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze.

star of the abc hit, "revenge," who joins david wright for tonight's "nightline" interview. >> i want to make this right. >> reporter: on tv, she's the queen of mean. >> then, you never should have slept with my best friend. >> reporter: the only thing sweet about her character, victoria grayson -- >> i'm so happy we're friends again. >> it certainly appears. >> reporter: is the dolche in her dolce and gabana dresses. >> reporter: it's so brutal because it comes with a smile. >> always with a smile. >> reporter: in real life,

madeleine stowe could never be more different. >> all our donations go to the ground. >> reporter: she has never been to the hamptons. she spends her time in haiti. >> before the quake. >> reporter: for stowe, abc's new hit series "revenge" is a second round of stardom. in the '80s and '90s, she was a movie star. opposite tim robbins in "short cuts." >> new, they call it. >> reporter: opposite daniel day-lewis in "lost of the mow heekens." >> i will find you. >> reporter: then, you took a break. >> i had my daughter. and i remember something kind of evaporating in me. the kind of drive i had just dissipated. >> reporter: now, she's back. and playing a very different sort of character. >> so far, i'm not impressed. all i can see is a pretty girl with cheap shoes and limited social graces. >> reporter: you were playing the femme fatale. the damsel in distress. now, you're the unholy --

>> there's something to be said. it's a perversely divine state to be in. >> reporter: is it fun? >> it's great fun. >> reporter: "revenge" is kind of the preppy handbook. in the hamptons. >> anybody needs reminding shouldn't come. >> reporter: in a way, it's totally a throwback to those big '80s shows like "dynasty" and "dallas." >> where did you spend last night? in a brewery? >> i hate to disappoint you, j.r. but i haven't been drinking. >> reporter: and we're living in a very different time. >> we're living in a really different time. and it was important for viewers to see the extravagant lifestyle but having terrible things happen to them. >> reporter: the show also stars what may be the most spectacular beach house you've ever seen. >> we shot in north carolina. so, it's basically a replica of the house we did the pilot in. >> reporter: i like the house. the whole place re-created on a sound stage in manhattan beach,

california. she gave us a behind-the-scenes tour. >> this is all going to be mine. victoria gets it all. >> reporter: but all the windows and victoria's balcony look out on to bare, blue walls. those spectacular ocean views, added later in post production. so, they're scanning the ocean. >> yes. it's all manufactured. >> reporter: even that imelda marcos collection of shoes in victoria's dressing room, is a bit of magic. t.j. maxx. >> i don't think so. >> reporter: the shoes she gets to wear is a different story. i could put kids through college with these shoes, right? >> you could put them through the first year of tuition. >> reporter: as victoria grayson, madeleine stowe may be the best-dressed woman on television right now. everything custom-tailored to fit her. do you get to keep them? >> no. i don't get to keep them.

>> reporter: stowe herself is passionately private. most comfortable talking about haiti. through a group called artists for peace and justice, she's helping to build haiti's first free public high school. >> it will eventually have 3,000 students. and the beauty of it is it's completely enclosed in this 40-acre compound where a hospital exists. so, the children are also getting health care. >> reporter: a cause close to her heart. >> when i come back, the same thing always happens. i'm hungry but i can't eat. you know? >> reporter: how do you mean? >> i feel a pain, you know, in here. i feel an ache in my stomach, that people are so alive and present. and when i come back, that's generally how i feel about it. >> reporter: it's a world away from grayson manor. >> if i had all the money in the world, i know where i would go. >> reporter: she wouldn't spend it on shoes. i'm david wright for "nightline," in hollywood. >> charming. "revenge" airs wednesdays at 10:00 eastern, on abc. th f