Visitors to the Great Barrier Reef we recently treated to a very rare spectacle when they came across a 1.5 meter crocodile swimming amongst the corals. While it is not uncommon to see crocodiles in rivers, creeks, estuaries and even out to sea, it is extremely unusual to find then so far offshore.
The creature was spotted on Agincourt reef which is about 40 KM from land. It is believed that it was washed out to see by recent storms and then became lost.
One of the divers that encountered the crocodile said.
“Unbelievable, once in a lifetime experience on the outer great barrier reef, Quicksilver have been operating on the outer reef for over 30 years and this was a first. Yes, crocs are in these waters, but not 40km off shore! This little guy was about 1.5 meters in length and a long way from home, hopefully he finds his way back.”
A spokesman for the tour company that takes guests out to the reef daily said.
“We monitored the crocodile, which was away from the diving platform, but once it became active as an extra precaution, our skipper asked everyone to exit the water. It was certainly a unique wildlife experience for our visitors.”
Photo Credit: Chris Baker
Photo Credit: Tourism NT