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We Saw Crocs<br />
By: Dianne & Burt Davis / Our Vacation<br />
We were less than a foot away from<br />
crocodiles jumping out of the Adelaide<br />
River in Australia. We were warned - we best keep our appendages<br />
from dangling over the side.<br />
Thanks to Viking Cruises, we experienced wild life in the wild.<br />
During an hour long cruise, crocodiles’ snacks were dangled over the<br />
side of our flat bottom boat as a lure for the 15 foot long creatures to<br />
jump above the water to retrieve the offered food.<br />
They got meaty snacks. We got the opportunity to see them rise out<br />
of the water, open their huge jaws wide, and consume their rewards.<br />
“Casanova”, a 1,700 pound specimen raised himself out of the water<br />
for his snack. The food used to lure the crocs up is not their main diet,<br />
more like a snack or dessert, enough to entice them to rise so we can<br />
appreciate their enormity.<br />
They use their tails to rise high enough to grab the dangled food. The<br />
younger leaner ones can jump pretty high.<br />
These salt water crocodiles have a unique sensory system that<br />
enables them to tune into vibrations in the water. They can sense<br />
“food” entering the river.<br />
These “Salties” have the strongest bite force of any animal. Their life<br />
span is about 70-90 years. Our guide/boat driver told us that they are<br />
highly territorial predators who eat each other, turtles, grubs, or most<br />
anything that crosses their paths.<br />
They don’t usually die in the wild, but rather are killed and eaten by<br />
others of their species who take over their turf.<br />
Our outward-facing boat seating gave us unobstructed views of the<br />
crocs, critters, and vegetation. The Adelaide River, less than an hour’s<br />
drive from Darwin is home to about 10,000 of these reptiles.<br />
The facility we visited is “proudly” owned by the Arirrki Aboriginal<br />
Corporation, a registered not-for-profit which is dedicated to<br />
“Community support for the Anindilyakwa people of the Groote<br />
Eylandt Archipelago, our brothers and sisters.” We truly enjoyed this<br />
educational excursion during our Komodo and the Australian Coast<br />
Cruise.<br />
38 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Burt Davis along with his wife <strong>Vegas</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> columnist Dianne love<br />
to travel the world and share what they learn along the way
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