Crocodile Attack in Kakadu

[endlesspursuit]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

There are saltwater crocs in Costa Rica? Please tell me at least their range is only on the Carribean side.
Or else I need to start re-thinking a possible cruise.

I've seen crocs all over the pacific side of Costa. Heard a story years ago about a line worker right there at Tarcoles bridge that got killed by one. The biggest one I have ever seen was at the base of that bridge. Eye balls as big as grapefruit. Probably closer to 6 meters. I have a pic on film somewhere. We also get American crocs in our canal in the Keys on occasion. Costa is still really a cool place to go. Don't hesitate. I've been there about 30 times and still love it and the people.

[johnmort]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

There are saltwater crocs in Costa Rica? Please tell me at least their range is only on the Carribean side.
Or else I need to start re-thinking a possible cruise.

There are saltwater crocodiles in Mexico on the pacific side seen them

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by johnmort

There are saltwater crocodiles in Mexico on the pacific side seen them

range of American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)...

[rossdv8]

Originally Posted by Bunji

Up to 5 metres absolutely, there are many crocs in that 4.5 to 5 metre length in the territories major river systems. We were fishing that particular river 2 weeks before and saw 3 of them in that range. Only last month they pulled a 4.5 m out of Darwin harbour (west arm)

I have seen crocs swimming in Shute Harbour in the Aussie 'Whitsundays' (once when under one of my little Quarter Tonners checking the mooring).

I've also come across a few in inlets on some of the islands over the last 40 years of cruising / living there.

I think we have them to try to keep the sharks under control, but the deadly venomous Box Jellyfish seem to prevent them becoming too much of a menace.

[gbmacca]

Gosh - you mention the sharks and the crocs and of course the good old jelly fish which we have here in Australia, but you forgot to mention the 31 different types of sea snake - all venomous - that inhabit our warmer waters -- all around the top of the country --

Now - if one could invent a chain mail suit of armour - which was buoyant -- you'd be in the money!!

Gbmacca

[JAFO]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Its still a foolish practice because the crocs now associate humans with food.

Here in Oz, that's kind of beside the point.

The salties here have always regarded humans AS food.

[clownfishsydney]

The difference between dangerous sharks and saltwater crocodiles is that sharks may attack you, crocodiles will attack you.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by gbmacca

Gosh - you mention the sharks and the crocs and of course the good old jelly fish which we have here in Australia, but you forgot to mention the 31 different types of sea snake - all venomous - that inhabit our warmer waters -- all around the top of the country --

Not to mention the blue ringed octopus

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by JAFO

Here in Oz, that's kind of beside the point.



The salties here have always regarded humans AS food.

Yeah, gators dont typically, but there are occassional attacks on humans.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yeah, used to see morons feeding gators in the S USA...I wanted to go over and smack em in the head!

In Florida, and I suspect other southern US states with gators, it is a criminal offense to feed the gators, as it should be.

A gator attacked a firefighter years ago when the man was cleaning the weeds off his prop....

Or that was is first story...

The firefighter was on the L67A canal, which runs through the Everglades, well, water management areas , from Broward county to Dade county. The canal is mostly a straight line running for mile after mile after mile. It is man made of course, and dug through the shell rock, aka, limestone. Lots of sawgrass along the canal edge but you do not want to get near the edge of the canal because it is, well, rock.

I have spent many a day on that canal and never seen anyone get weed on their prop. There just is not any weed to run into on that canal. So it was BS that the guy was cleaning the prop and the gator attacked.

The man's story eventually changed and he admitted to wrestling the gator...

Now, during the day, you are not going to see may gators on that canal. They are there but they are hiding in the sawgrass. I have never seen one swimming in the day on that canal. How and why did Mr. Gator come over to the boat to wrestle with the firefighter? Could it be food was used to entice the gator to the boat? Of course it was.

The only wras'ln that happned was when the gator went for the bait and got the man's hand, arm AND bait. Then the real wras'ln started.

I have seen many areas of the Everglades where you will not seen any gators during the day. If you see one that is a Woo Hoo moment. At night, well, that is when the fun begins. You take that same area where no gators are seen during the day, go at dusk, dawn, or at night, shine a flashlight, and gazzilions of eye pairs will be light up like stars in the sky. If one tried to go swimming at that time, well, one won't be swimming for long.

Later,
Dan

[laird]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

range of American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)... Attachment 237886

Do they have flags on them to show that they are American and not Mexican crocks ?

[Kamen]

Originally Posted by laird

Do they have flags on them to show that they are American and not Mexican crocks ?

I believe most are undocumented.

[reiner]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

OOhhh what a GREAT idea: associating humans with food! To say nothing of tourist boats that dangle chooks from a fishing rod to teach crocks to leap high from the water to capture a tasty bit alongside a boat. How cool...

Jim

That is exactly the problem. We been on one of those safaris and the tour operators are trying to outdo each other how close they can get the crocks to the people and keep feeding them. But the people love it and pay so it can only get worse.
The same thing is happening at Fraser Island where he Dingos have killed a number of small children because they are not scared of people. I was rounded up by 5 Dingos on Fraser more than 20 Years ago before anybody got killed. I warned the Ranger and he just thought that was funny.
Anything for the tourist Dollar.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by laird

Do they have flags on them to show that they are American and not Mexican crocks ?

American - of the Americas (North and South)
(Yank, Septic or Seppo, Merkin - citizen of the USA. )

[JPA Cate]

Now, Stu, a merkin is altogether something else!

Ann