crocodile encounter stories

[marty+jojo]

About 12 years ago the old man and I went fishing up the Cairns inlet near Redbank in his 12 ft tinny and came across a 8-10 ft croc sunning his belly in the water. Well we cut the motor and quietly drifted closer to get a better look. As we came alongside it, I leant over and very very tentively tried to wrap the anchor rope around it's rear leg. Well!, it let out a big hissing sound and slowly disappeared below the water, emitting an absolutely putrid smell as it made it's way down. We presumed that it was dead,given that it was on it's back and showed no signs of life,but we weren't totally sure if crocs could physically float on their backs.That encounter certainly got the heart racing and put the wind up us. In hindsight it was probably a stupid thing to do but it did make us all the more careful.
Knackers

Your last sentence says it all. Your words not mine.
Marty.

[Scott nthQld]

Good one knackers hahaha, I probably would've thought the same but maybe just poked it with something, like a fishing rod, leaning over the boat to tie up a croc just isn't my thing lol

[Mozza]

Knacker,

I lived in Darwin 4 5 years and could fill a few pages here of stories etc of some the experiences I've had. It's interesting to note what you said by smell as that was another piece of advice given to us up there: often you can smell a croc long before you see them, especially the bigger ones.

Sometimes scooting down Corroborree billabong, NT, first thing in the morning you'd zoom thru patches of foul smelling air in the still mornings and sure enough, you'd spot the big bugger catching some sun right in the middle of it.

Cheers
Mozza