Crocodiles in the Kimberley

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Seaslug Caravan

Interesting animals that demand respect, and no more dangerous than any other sailing hazard if appropriate respect is shown.

Lol…. We used to discount that as a “self-fulfilling prophecy”….. same could be said about wives (or husbands)

[DeepFrz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBc2-__ei_c

Neat video on Crocs. It shows their explosive ambush powers.

[chala]

Originally Posted by sapient sue

We are looking at a hard dinghy this weekend as I don't want to use the inflatable (in crock country)

If feeling territorial crocs will trash anything, aluminium, fibreglass, rotating props, outboard skeg. The fact is that an inflatable does look more appetising.

Originally Posted by Seaslug Caravan

There is currently talk that the NT government is considering legislating against risky behaviour in crocodile habitats.

I think it is more about doing selfies on the traps or releasing caught crocs.

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I've been told that an adult croc can jump to a height equal to twice his length. Anyone here know whether this is true?

Look at post 24 picture and that is just recreation jumping.

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

The article I referenced earlier mentions that they can remain submerged up to two hours, scoping out a situation. To me, that's creepy!

No, it is just looking for food and so do sharks.

Originally Posted by Seaslug Caravan

We certainly make a point of vacating the dinghy quickly on landing and moving well back from the waters edge.

We normally, from the main boat, observe if crocs are observing us then from the inflatable, before we land, we looks for tracks of crocs along the beach, then once on the beach we keep looking everywhere for crocs or tracs. It is good to vary the landing point as an observant croc may position itself inland to trap you between him and the water. Large beaches are preferable to narrow one as croc can hide in the littoral bushes. Crocs are excessively fast at striking. In the late sixties I was working in a remote area of the NT, there a large croc had become too familiar and was kept in a large enclosure. The beast was looking sleepy and I went to tickle his tail with a long plastic pipe. I did not see him turning around he was sleepy and then he had that pipe in his mouth. The enclosure been made of loose chicken wire and star pickets I wisely retreated into the Ranger elevated house and locked the door.
Of course when ashore the idea may cross your mind that a croc may be waiting for you at the dinghy when you return and may force you up a tree for the rest of the night getting eaten by sandflies and also with a wrecked dinghy you may have to swim to the boat knowing that some sharks are nearby.
Now people have fought and survived croc attacks. Most notable are crocs eggs harvesters they just land with a helicopter near the nest, scare the croc with an oar and take the eggs. Nice to watch on TV.
When in that region be aware than wild boar can also be dangerous.

[El Pinguino]

And they actually charge you money to enter this country????

I recall a case where a croc ate one camper... the other two climbed a tree... the croc had been sitting under the tree for 2 days or so when they were rescued....

Not for me... I'll just watch the movie... thanks all the same.

[chala]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

And they actually charge you money to enter this country????

Yes ask Jim.

[Mirage Gecko]

Gotta feed the poor buggers something.
Imported is always better isn't it

[edmundsteele]

We have just circumnavigated Australia by land (used bus) and had stopped in croc country at the beginning of the tourist season. At the time, several swimming holes were closed to us because of crocodile risk and the wildlife rangers had not blessed them as “croc-free”. The way they test a waterway to see if crocs have migrated there during the wet season, it to seed the waterway with a couple of moored Styrofoam floats – about 6 inches in diameter. They check back over the next week to see if the floats have “bite” marks. We were told by a ranger that crocodiles are curious and typically test ALL objects to see if they are edible by biting them. We saw a line of floats across the Yellow river that supported a net, deployed to catch some kind of invasive weed. All of the floats were covered in dozens of bite marks.

When we transited the Kimberly's by highway, we stopped at the Victoria River Roadhouse. Just for “fun” we used fishing line to dangle two empty beer cans (XXXX Gold) from the bridge to the surface of the river and splashed them a couple of times. Within about 40 seconds, a (freshwater) crocodile appeared from nowhere and bit the cans. Still want to leave an inflatable in the water overnight?
Fair Winds,
Ed

[JPA Cate]

The croc jumping for the chicken was surely more than his length out of water, but in all the time we've been in and out of Oz (21 yrs.), I have never heard of one jumping onto a sailboat. Did think it was dumb to train the crocs to jump near people for food, though.

The explanation posted above for what appears to the owner of the dinghy to be agressive behavior, "testing" the dinghy for edibility seems possible. Ditto the floats.

Given that they're sort of armored appetites, how do you discourage them, short of killing them?

[Seaslug Caravan]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

The croc jumping for the chicken was surely more than his length out of water, but in all the time we've been in and out of Oz (21 yrs.), I have never heard of one jumping onto a sailboat. Did think it was dumb to train the crocs to jump near people for food, though.

The explanation posted above for what appears to the owner of the dinghy to be agressive behavior, "testing" the dinghy for edibility seems possible. Ditto the floats.

Given that they're sort of armored appetites, how do you discourage them, short of killing them?

As I pointed out I'm no expert on crocodile athletics, however I would think no ones lower spreaders ( well the seagull siting on them anyway)would be safe if a 6 meter crocodile is capable of this .

They certainly don't like being clobbered on the nose with an oar, apparently, as it is illegal to tamper with wildlife.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

The croc jumping for the chicken was surely more than his length out of water, but in all the time we've been in and out of Oz (21 yrs.), I have never heard of one jumping onto a sailboat. Did think it was dumb to train the crocs to jump near people for food, though.

The explanation posted above for what appears to the owner of the dinghy to be agressive behavior, "testing" the dinghy for edibility seems possible. Ditto the floats.

Given that they're sort of armored appetites, how do you discourage them, short of killing them?

Hi Ann..... I actually met an Aussie sailor in Puerto Galera with a 35' sloop that had a croc climb up into his aft cockpit in the Kimberlies.
Says it happened during the early morning while he slept

Croc knew food was onboard and tried to get inside but opening was too small.

Since his tender covered his deck hatch he was stuck inside for almost 3 days until the croc decided to move on

Did not come across as a bar story and seemed plausible as he had been cleaning fish the day before.

[RaymondR]

Crocodiles are becoming more numerous all across Northern Australia but then so are human beings and considering the number of people on and in the water in Australia incidents with these creatures are comparatively rare, however when they occur they tend to get wide publicity.

For the past twelve years I have spent my winters in Northern Queensland and summers in the Great Sandy Straits about 300Km North of Brisbane. About two years ago there began to be crocodile sightings in the Mary River which runs into the Straits. The authorities responded by instituting patrols and about three weeks ago captured a 3.4m crocodile in one of the creeks just upstream from Maryborough. Apparently the government has a policy of not allowing the creatures to colonize the rivers and creeks any further South than Bundaberg - don't want the urban rabble being chewed up even though there's no shortage of them?

For my part I don't have a problem with the crocodiles it's the bureaucrats I find most dangerous.

[clownfishsydney]

At the Jumping Crocodiles on the Adelaide River in Northern Territory, the smaller crocs can jump out of the water about their length. The large 5 m (15 feet) ones can only do about 1/2 to 2/3 of their length. Still very scary to see and I cannot understand the fishers in their tiny tinnies standing up. Once bump and they are croc food.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Christ!!!! you guys are a hardy lot

Yeah, I guess so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myeXMuGJAB8

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Yeah, I guess so.

Same guy a few years ago....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MV-Zzasrky8

[Neptune's Gear]

I've been up North in Ausy a few times.

My RIB was never attacked, and was sometimes left in the water. Yes the crocs are there, and the most dangerous are the ones you dont see - which is most of them!
I had a few beers with a local Croc researcher, and asked him some of these questions.

Jumping/leaping - a croc can come out of the water 2/3rds of it's body length in less than a second. That's a long way if it's a big one, and too fast to avoid.

Don't lean over the side - as previously said the tour boats feed them this way.
On land, a Croc is less secure - if threatened, they will go into the water if they can.

On land a brisk walk is sufficient speed to get away from them - he said 7km/hr if I remember correctly.

Personally I have not seen any evidence of then attacking someone on land, unless it is very close to the water and they intend to pull the victim in....

They do learn from repetitive behavior, and if you do something dumb like clean fish in the same spot at the same time for a few days you are looking for trouble.

Crocs, and the other wildlife in the area are quite magnificent! AND they belong there.

Be sensible and you'll have a great time!

Oh, and the biggest salty I've ever seen in the wild was not even in Ausy, but in the Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands. Alongside the boat - around 5m as an estimate. They sure deserve your respect!