Salt Water Crocs in the Whitsundays

[oldtom]

Originally Posted by UFO

I have a charter coming up in the Whitsundays and want to check if anyone knows if there are any Salt Water Crocs out on the islands - I know they are on the mainland.


Coming from WA where people are frequently taken by crocs, I know how dangerous they are, so would appreciate any first hand knowledge.

Saltesy can swim so tes they be on islands see A Lucas book no cruising the Qld coast

[ozsailer]

G'ay UFO,
we are currently cruising the area of FNQ and the area of the Whisundays is very very safe. In saying that there are crocs on the mainland. It is well recorded that there is one of the largest saltwater crocodile populations on the east coast. One ccan take one of the eco tours of the river and see many examples.
After saying that I cannot recall the last time a croc was sighted arouund the island etc. Given the size of tourists and chaterers I have no doubt any croc sighting is dealt with rather expediantly with any croc being moved to a farm quick smart.
We are currenctly at Townsville and see people sailing, kayaking, swimming etc every day. Crocodiles are known to frequent the main beach but are normally moved on as soon as sighted.
In my view while there is more chance of being taken by a shark then a croc when swimming or sailing around the Whitsundays. Mind you no way in hell would I swim in other area such as Townsend Island or Shoal Bay further south.


Greg H
Lagoon 440
Blue Pointer.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by stillbuilding

And just for fun - around 1970 when I was working as a vet in Melbourne I had a 4’ croc brought in one rainy night - had been hit by a car while crossing Burwood Highway (6 lane highway). Apparently a small one which had been imported from the tropics and released into the drains. Obviously growing well so presumably living on rodents and occasional cat/dog. No children missing at the time as far as I recall.

So, did you patch him up and return him to the sewers?

Jim

[stillbuilding]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

So, did you patch him up and return him to the sewers?



Jim

Yes, the people who ran over it paid the drug cost and took the croc to a zoo next day.
It was bucketing down ( not so unusual in Melbourne as you know) and the croc was presumably washed out of the open drain and across the highway.

I thought the initial call was a scam and thought i was smart in calling the bluff and invited them to bring it it in for examination.

No Google in those days but had a book on Reptiles so managed ok.

Was a heavy beast to carry on my own as i recall.

Funny stuff happens.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by ozsailer

....?...

In my view while there is more chance of being taken by a shark then a croc when swimming or sailing around the Whitsundays. ......

That makes me feel so much better knowing it's much more likely that I'll die from a shark instead of a croc🤐

[stillbuilding]

And just a minor bit of info - there is confirmed sighting of a large croc pulling a cow into the Mary River upstream of Maryborough.

Not seen it myself but had to immerse to check my rudder alignment and i made sure to have someone on look out.

More worried about bull sharks really ( some big ones in the river) but mission accomplished despite the muddy water.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by stillbuilding

And just a minor bit of info - there is confirmed sighting of a large croc pulling a cow into the Mary River upstream of Maryborough.

Not seen it myself but had to immerse to check my rudder alignment and i made sure to have someone on look out.

More worried about bull sharks really ( some big ones in the river) but mission accomplished despite the muddy water.

Here in Ulmarra they've closed the local swimming pool and people are now swimming in the river. The Clarence river is supposed to have a plentiful supply of bull sharks. So far no one has been bitten but I get nervous when cleaning the bottom of the boat even on a sandbank standing next to the boat. Nice to have company when doing that...... the odds go down.

[Mike Banks]

Originally Posted by Nikki S

No Crocs on the islands. Plenty of beautiful swimming and snorkeling spots. Apparently Nara Inlet is a hammerhead nursery but it’s not a nice swimming spot anyway- poor vis. My personal preference is to swim where you can see the bottom.
Most jelly fish you can see are harmless (unless they are box). Serious Jellyfish strings are pretty rare. I’ve never heard one over VHF but you hear a few calls for help with heart attacks and charter boats grounding on reef. You can get stinger suits, but I think April to Oct it’s... well....they are good sun protection.

Not true at all. Irokanji can be fatal and are becoming more common as are box jellyfish. Stinger suits are very effective, but often do not cover hands, feet and face.

Crocs often travel form island to island. It would be unusual to see one because they camouflage well and are mainly nocturnal, but NEVER imagine any place in Queensland is croc-free. Mostly they were prevalent from Bundaberg northwards before they were hunted, now but there are many more of them than ever before--and the waters are getting warmer, and they are getting hungrier the more of them there are to share the food supply. They are reclaiming their old habitat. Places like Buxton are not safe from crocs--but so far, none have been seen and no one has been taken. Because they are territorial, more crocs means wider habitat range.

Of course the further north one goes the more likely one will see them, but I NEVER camp on any beach on the islands--one would probably be as safe as houses, but when you see tracks in the sand you KNOW they have been there even if they are not there now. I once found a croc skeleton in the mangroves at the mouth of the Caboolture River. A fairly large one too.

They drift down the coast on the current. They are good swimmers and can make a good walking pace when travelling. My late father had seen them twenty miles out crossing from one reef to another. Only the really big ones do that it seems. Some of the old fishermen will tell you they have seen sea-going crocs, one once told me they caught one in a net. It was a BASTARD of a job to get it out, and sit seemed to take a personal affront at being hauled aboard. Eventually they got it overboard.

Just use common sense and do not camp on beaches. Camp well away from the water om the highest bit of ground you can find ANY island on which turtles nest is a candidate for a big croc visit. Swim only on clear sandy beaches and keep someone on watch.


OF COURSE there are crocs--those who deny their presence quite convincingly just never saw any, or there were none there the day they passed through. Use common sense. Those of us who live among them KNOW they are there--we always exercise the utmost caution. They have even tried to snatch people from boats, as happened to a friend of mine. It was cancer killed him though--the croc missed him on two attempts.

Why the damned things are sacred beats the hell out of me. The locals deal with them without fuss or publicity. No river in north Queensland is safe any longer. They have taken to following boats, and the rowing clubs have all closed. I think it is time the problem was dealt with.

[RaymondR]

Crocks entering via the sugar scoop??

That's a vile slander, Queensland crocs would never enter a vessel via the sugar scoop without an invitation from the owner.

Crocs were being reported in the Mary river for a couple of years before Parks and Wildlife accepted that the reports might be true. Apparently they have a policy that crocs are not allowed any further south than Gladstone.

I have become fairly familiar with the northern Australian coast between say Geraldton in WA and Wide Bay in Queensland and the place I have seen most crocs is in Cairns harbour. Not sure whether there is a greater population there or if they have become tamer and unafraid to show themselves. I have never seen anyone swimming in the harbour but the locals water ski there and divers check moorings regularly.

I was in Airlie years ago and a mate saw a croc in muddy bay where they used to take boats to dry out. He had cleaned a fish and threw the scraps over his stern and a croc came into the shallow water to eat them. I think he was a bit concerned as he used to wade out to his boat at high tide in the dark rather than mess about with a dingy.

There is also a creek on the mainland opposite the S end of Long Island, I was up it in my dingy one day and a fairly large tourist boat came past doing croc tours. The crocs must be long term residents there to justify regular tours.

I think that if you could check the stats on losses per thousand water enterers in Queensland you would find that it is far safer than going on the highway with all those aggressive maniac drivers south of the border in New South Wales.

[Mr B]

In the early 70's I and my family swam on the beaches and creeks all the way north to Cooktown,
Also in Darwin Harbour,
I lived in a lot of the towns in Queensland on my working holiday around OZ,
I lived on the coast of Qld for over 3 years,
Snorkeled and spear fishing all the way, You cant beat fresh fish, Cooked on the beach,
Mackay harbour had sharks and seasnakes, And a 900 lb Groper living under the docks,
Hervey bay was stone fish, Also Maroon, Had a 30 foot hammerhead living there, No, I didnt measure it,

Crocs didnt exist then as they had been shot to the point of extinction,
A 3 foot croc is not big enough to worry you, Not big enough for leather either, They did stay away,
And you didnt see the small ones any way, Not that there were many any way,

Early 70's, They made croc shooting ilegal and put full protection on them,
now fifty years later, The crocs have been allowed to grow and are in the 5 - 6 metre mark,
Slowly they have made their way across the north and down as far as Mayborough,
There was a report of one in the tweed River a few years ago as well,

Queensland is a tourist area worth Billions of dollars, So Crocs are not advertised as being there, Its kept Hush Hush,

They are trapped and moved to other places or farms, Very Quickly,
Would I go swmming there now, Not on your Nellie,
Cairns in the Monsoon, Crocs walk down the main street,
Swimming at Cooketown now, Hahahahaha, If you want to get eaten,
Darwin is out for swimming as well now, They trap very large crocs there, and move them to Farms,

House I was going to buy in Toogum heads, Qld, Had 23 foot of Crocodile skeleton hanging on the wall, And a massive head of another one in the fireplace, Much bigger than the one on the wall,
The place was owned by an ex Croc shooter, and unfortunately the crocs didnt come with the sale of the house,

The Whitsundays are clear at present of crocs, but give it a few years and they will be there,
The croc problem is getting worse as they get bigger and travel further south,
The Govt will have to do some thing about them soon,
You cant ignore the growing croc problem for ever,
Check out the Adelaide river to see their croc problems, They do have really big ones,

They released a trapped big croc a few years ago and released it on Magnetic Island, The locals went berserk over it being there, so they trapped it again and moved it to a Farm,

I have thought about my sugar scoops and a croc coming up them, More so In the Gulf where there are a lot of big crocs,
One of those Multi Hull problems a Mono dont have, Hahahaha

My 2 centavo's worth,

Cheers Brian,

[picklesandjesse]

I think that if you could check the stats on losses per thousand water enterers in Queensland you would find that it is far safer than going on the highway with all those aggressive maniac drivers south of the border in New South Wales.[/QUOTE]

Some things never change. Go to Qld with NSW plates and the drivers are aggressive and you come south and you think we are. Had the same problem driving with British Columbia plates in Ca. We are all very territorial I guess just like crocs !!

I remember Seattle drivers always complaining about crazy Vancouver drivers when they visit too.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

They're not that cheeky yet

THIS one is pretty cheeky.

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/art...ist-boat-video

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

THIS one is pretty cheeky.

and big, not the best combination 🤣

[JPA Cate]

Is it true that the crocs that are reported in areas where humans think they "shouldn't be" are re-located to farms? So the Australian taxpayers are supporting what amounts to resorts for crocs? Oh, my goodness!

Probably remove the problem by allowing hunting again. Perhaps with quotas, and expensive licenses.

Sure, some crocs are needed, but I'd think the gov't would value its voting citizens higher.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Is it true that the crocs that are reported in areas where humans think they "shouldn't be" are re-located to farms? So the Australian taxpayers are supporting what amounts to resorts for crocs? Oh, my goodness!

Probably remove the problem by allowing hunting again. Perhaps with quotas, and expensive licenses.

Sure, some crocs are needed, but I'd think the gov't would value its voting citizens higher.

It certainly is, They do have paid Govt Rangers to trap and relocate big crocs,
Darwin harbour and surrounds has permanent traps for the big crocs, Relocated to Farms,
Cairns also has traps for the big crocs that get relocated to Farms,
There are a few other places that do trap and relocate,
Very few are advertised or reported on, Unless a media crew stumble onto it happening,

On the cattle stations they do get shot when they start killing beef,
On the quiet of course, They are protected,
There are a few licenced shooters as well, But highly regulated,

With the Govt, both sides, its all about the money, They havent give a Rats about Aussie citizens for quite a lot of years,

Look at the response from the Govt with Cyclones, Floods, Bush Fires, Drought affected Farmers, They get Zilch, Or a low interest loan,

As the big Crocs move down the Queensland coast, The Govt will be forced into doing some thing about them,
There has been very little on MSM about the people that have been taken by crocs, Qld, NT and WA,

The Tourist Dollar will be greatly impacted once people know they are swimming with big crocs on the beaches, and living full time in the creeks and rivers,
Fifty year old crocs are around the 5-6 metre mark, And people are lunch to them,
But Currently, Nothing will be done as they have a right to live too,

Love that comment, Tax Payer Resort for Crocodiles, Hahahaha, Right on the money with that one,

Croc Products do pay for the Farms to operate, Leather, Meat, Tourism, Etc,
Big ones are too scarred up to sell as leather, But act as a big tourist draw card,

Cheers, Brian,