Like us if you've
ever wanted to get up close and personal to a croc then do what we did and take a
cruise along the Adelaide River, home to over 1,600 crocodiles. The
famous Darwin Jumping Crocodiles are actually in the Adelaide River, about 70
klm down the Arnehm Highway to the mining town of Jabiru and Kakadu National
Park.
We
joined an exciting cruise on the scenic Adelaide River to see powerful
saltwater crocodiles as they propel themselves high out of the water to snatch
their prey. With the help of experienced guides we learnt more about these
magnificent creatures, and had the opportunity to watch these crocs jump for
food, from the safety of the boat.
Cool and calm behind his dark
sunglasses, our guide showed no signs of fear as the first croc repeatedly
lunged out of the river. Curious, we asked if he ever come close to being pulled
into the water. Smiling, he said that he’d once panicked and held on to the
pole as a croc tried to pull both the meat and him into the river. Luckily, an
American bodybuilder on the cruise grabbed onto his T-shirt just before he was
pulled over the railing.
As the boat glided down the river,
our captain announced, that he’d spotted another croc to the right. Straining,
I could barely make out what seemed to be a log floating on the edge of the
riverbank. Eventually, the log began to move smoothly toward the boat. As it
came closer, I could see the croc’s clear yellow eyes focused sharply on the
dangling meat. Nearly 20 feet away, it disappeared below the brown water. Suddenly,
the croc reappeared about five feet from the boat and lunged at the tempting
treat. Just as fast as it attacked, it disappeared under the surface with
barely a ripple.
By the end of the day, we were lucky
enough to spot almost a dozen salties, ranging in size from barely three feet
long to the huge 7 feet. Each time, the guide chatted calmly with us as the
beasts snatched the meat dangling only a few feet from his sandals. With
observation spots both on the lower level near the water and from above on the
open canopied deck we always had great views of the saltwater crocodiles.
As both the afternoon and the cruise
ended, we waved goodbye to our fearless guide and drove toward Darwin.
Fun saltwater crocodile facts
- Salties
can jump out of the water so far that only one third of their tail remains
underwater
- Salties
can, and do, prey on humans
- They
grow new teeth as and when they are needed
- Crocs
swallow stones. This is thought to help both with digestion and buoyancy.
- They
can swim up to 15 to 18 mph in short bursts (24 to 28 km/h)
- Crocodiles bask in the sun with their mouths open to regulate their body temperature
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1 Comments
Many thanks , already sent for the boys to enjoy, and some complaints from the wife !
ReplyDeleteHeres to the next time eh !