Cruisin’ for ‘crocs’ on the Daintree

Cruising for ‘crocs on the Daintree

Don’t go near the water!

The Daintree River is one of Queensland’s most visited natural sites.  It’s legendary for the ‘salties,’ salt-water crocodiles who cruise in the river and nest along the banks.  Daintree crocs have been known to grab farm animals, wild animals, pets and even wandering tourists or boaters who make the fatal mistake of walking along the banks or wading in the river.

Dangerous salt water crocodiles

I read a story from a regional newspaper about a five-year old boy who was snatched by a croc on the Daintree in 2009 while his father and younger brother were nearby.  His father jumped in theater immediately, but the croc had swum under water and disappeared.  There were other stories I read in travel books and histories about other swimmers, waders, and hikers had also been victims of the wily creatures.

Rain-swollen Daintree River in Queensland wet tropics

Some of the crocodiles are huge, four meters even, and feed on everything within their reach including fish, snakes, shrimp, birds,  sharks, mammals, and even smaller crocs in their territory.  They’re cannibalistic and hunt where females nest.  After croc eggs hatch, their mothers escort them down to the river bank into the water where they begin their treacherous existence.  It’s estimated only one croc out of a nest of 50 eggs matures into an adult crocodile.

Mangroves along the Daintree

Taking a croc cruise on the Daintree entails a little bit of risk, especially in one of the smaller flat bottom boats that cruise the river from the dock near the car ferry which takes people and cars across to explore Daintree National Park, a lush tropical forest that extends all the way up York peninsula on the northern tip of Queensland across from New Guinea.

High water on the Daintree after heavy rains

Solar powered ‘croc’ boat

We boarded a small electric boat powered by solar panels operated by Solar Whisper near the town of Mossman.  We were only about eight kilometers from the Coral Sea, the source of the salt water that flows up the estuary nearly the full length of the 120 kilometer long Daintree.

Jim, our knowledgeable guide and croc expert

Jim, our experienced guide, left an office job in Sydney to venture north and so he  could work in one of Queensland’s natural treasures.  After an introduction, Jim guided our small boat onto the Daintree, which was swollen from recent rains, three meters higher than normal.  The water was muddy brown and the current fast, not the best conditions for spotting ‘crocs‘ on riverbanks or back in mangrove swamps.

Jim warned us of the dangers of being careless in this part of northern Queensland.  Crocs nest in dense mangrove swamps, and cruise along the river almost invisible except for their beady eyes and tip of their snout.  Is that a log floating by . . . or is it a hungry ‘salty?’

First Croc sighting

Approaching croc nest in mangrove swamp

After a half hour along the Daintree, Jim guided us into a narrow channel which circles a small mangrove island.  He steered us  into the mangroves, telling us a three meter long croc had been on the bank for the last few days, always in the same spot.  We were in luck — we spotted him through heavy brush, but could only see his torso of brown and grey scales.

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