Jumping Crocs - Adelaide River

We boarded a double-decker river cruiser for the Jumping Crocs cruise. We went down to the bottom deck for better views of the crocs. The windows had glass panes so that the crocodiles wouldn't accidentally snap off a limb of a camera-waving tourist. Two guides stood on either side of the upper deck dangling raw meat over the side of the boat. Normally you cannot see the crocodiles during the wet season because they remain hidden under the water to keep cool. However, the crocodiles know the sound of the croc jumping cruiser and they associate it with food. Within minutes we spotted our first crocodile making his way over to the boat by swishing his long tail. He came right to the side of the cruiser and made a few passes underneath the raw meat. Finally, he readied himself by plunging his tail deep into the water. Within seconds he came flying out of the water snapping his great jaws over the meat. It was really exciting.

Overall, we got to see 5 or 6 crocociles jump for the raw meat. Their sizes ranged from 3 meters to well over 4 meters. The last croc that came over to the boat was the biggest. He looked like he had just swallowed a cow. He didn't move very quickly either. When the guide pulled the meat out of his reach he looked angry and started heading directly over to the side of the boat with the one open window. The guide immediately tried to distract him by tapping the meat on the surface of the water. He turned around and headed for the meat again, much to the relief of the passengers sitting on that side of the boat. He is the one in the photo with all of his teeth showing. Since they have stopped hunting crocodiles, these reptiles are increasing in size. They are also more aggressive as they have to compete for food. It is perfectly normal to find crocs missing limbs. They sometimes resort to cannabalism and often attack each other in defense of their territory. The larger 'salties' are more of a threat to humans. However, if you follow the instructions on the signs and stay away from the water in the national parks they are not a problem. Usually the people attacked are drunk locals or people swimming in areas known to contain the saltwater crocodiles. The freshwater crocodiles are much smaller and do not pose a threat to humans unless someone accidentally trods upon them...