The Top Ender Magazine October November 2020 Edition

no hanging over
the rail, nor
waving arms or
legs over the
edge, and no
standing unless
told to do so
We headed off
downstream on the
swirling muddy waters
of the river, and in no
time at all we found
our first – and we
saw plenty more over
the course of the trip,
some in the water,
and others sunning
themselves on the
slimy, muddy banks. Some were large
males, some smaller females, some were
young males trying to find their place in
the world. One, named Pearl, was an oatmeal
colour, a feature of the condition
hypomelanism (low levels of pigmentation)
although she wasn’t albino.
Back to the jumping
– a crew member
hung a lump of
meat and bone (the
croc equivalent of a
square of chocolate)
on a rope from a long
stick over the edge. If
the croc attempted to
catch it twice, he (or she) was allowed to
catch it on the third time – the noise of a
crocodile’s jaws snapping together with
a loud, hollow ‘pop’ is something to be
admired from a distance I feel. Several
crocodiles obliged us by jumping – they
rise a fair distance from the water – and
by the time I’d seen all that snapping,
Several crocodiles
obliged us by
jumping – they
rise a fair distance
from the water
any desire to dip my toe
into water of any depth
in the Top End had gone.
It’s not worth it. Keep your
feet dry! The Saltwater
Crocodile knows what it’s
doing when it comes to
catching dinner.
Apart from the crocodiles,
there was plenty to
see if you wished to sit back and enjoy
the view. The river banks were filled with
mangroves overhanging the water, with
their aerial roots packed closely sticking up
out of the mud like drinking straws. There
were plenty of birds, and we saw a Greatbilled
Heron, huge and grey standing
on a tree stump, before
flying up a creek into
the trees. Alex, behind
the wheel, seemed very
knowledgeable about
the local wildlife, including
the crocodiles. Ask
about their early morning
bird-watching trips.
We arrived back at the jetty about 90
minutes after our departure – an interesting
trip as it’s great to see crocodiles close up in
their natural environment, as you can really
appreciate their size and agility.
With thanks to the Arirrki
Aboriginal Corporation for the trip.
Four sailings per day
9am | 11am | 1pm | 3pm
Adults $45
Children $30
Under threes free
Family ticket $125
October/November 2020 33