Woman catches a snapping surprise on camera at a popular swim spot
- Replies 8
Many eagerly anticipate the chance to unwind and embrace the leisurely pace of the weekend by taking a dip in freshwater creeks.
However, coming into close quarters with one of the region's most formidable apex predators is a heart-stopping moment that most swimmers in Australia fear.
For one unsuspecting woman, this fear became an alarming reality as she uncovered a haunting image from her weekend getaway.
Cooling off from the heat by submerging herself in the seemingly serene freshwater, Alicia May was completely oblivious to the fact that danger was quite literally lurking in the waters of Rollingstone Creek, north of Townsville, Queensland.
Armed with nothing but a camera, she aimed to seize the beauty of the watery depths.
Little did she expect to capture evidence of such a chilling visitor—a three-metre crocodile was silently hovering just centimetres beneath her in the waters.
‘I was a little bit shocked that I saw something quite big on the video, so I played it slowly, paused, and zoomed in,’ she said.
‘You can see the two feet, [and] you can see a tail at the end of it. I'm like, “Wait, this actually looks like a crocodile.”’
Authorities later verified that the creature was indeed a crocodile, approximately three metres in length.
Alicia mentioned that her family has frequented the popular location for over ten years, but expressed doubts about returning following the encounter.
‘I'm scared to be honest. We have a few spots up in the mountains that we hike, and we will swim there, and that'll be it unfortunately,’ she said.
Senior Wildlife Officer, Tony Frisby, with Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI), said, ‘This person [Alicia], and anyone else who was swimming in that section of the river at the weekend, can consider themselves quite lucky.’
‘The person told us that she had been swimming on a floatation device and taking underwater photographs of the clear water below.’
‘When she returned home and reviewed the photos, she saw what she thought was a crocodile, and did the right thing by submitting a report,’ he added.
Frisby and rangers commented that the general perception that freshwater sections of rivers and creeks are safe zones is dangerously misleading.
‘The belief some people have that they are safe in Croc Country if they swim in the freshwater section of our rivers and creeks is misguided,’ Frisby said, explaining that crocodiles are ‘highly mobile’, and are known to ‘travel upstream in our rivers and creeks’ to find prey and freshwater.
He reminded everyone that ‘You never know what is lurking in waterways, and people really need to make sensible choices when they’re near the water in Croc Country. Wildlife officers have conducted a land-based site assessment using a drone, and did not find any evidence of the animal being present.’
‘Recent crocodile sighting warning signs have been installed at the location, and wildlife officers are planning on conducting a nighttime spotlight assessment. People are responsible for their own safety, and should always practise CrocWise behaviour in the Townsville region,’ he added.
The portion of Rollingstone Creek where the crocodile was spotted is reportedly categorised as Zone E, also known as ‘general management zone’.
‘This means that crocodiles displaying dangerous behaviour are targeted for removal from the wild,’ Frisby explained.
Crocodile sightings in Queensland are nothing to take lightly, with DESI actively encouraging the public to report any sighting immediately via the QWildlife app, their website, or by contacting 1300 130 372.
Each report is investigated thoroughly, reinforcing the message that vigilance is vital.
You can watch Alicia’s video and the report here:
Source: YouTube / Australian Community Media
Last year, there had been a discussion about the potential reintroduction of crocodile culling due to the significant increase in its population since the culling ceased in the 1970s after a similar incident happened in another state.
What do you think about this unnerving discovery? Have any of you had a harrowing wildlife encounter? Share your stories in the comments below.
However, coming into close quarters with one of the region's most formidable apex predators is a heart-stopping moment that most swimmers in Australia fear.
For one unsuspecting woman, this fear became an alarming reality as she uncovered a haunting image from her weekend getaway.
Cooling off from the heat by submerging herself in the seemingly serene freshwater, Alicia May was completely oblivious to the fact that danger was quite literally lurking in the waters of Rollingstone Creek, north of Townsville, Queensland.
Armed with nothing but a camera, she aimed to seize the beauty of the watery depths.
Little did she expect to capture evidence of such a chilling visitor—a three-metre crocodile was silently hovering just centimetres beneath her in the waters.
Alicia May unexpectedly captured a crocodile on camera while swimming in Rollingstone Creek, Queensland. Credits: QLD DESI
‘I was a little bit shocked that I saw something quite big on the video, so I played it slowly, paused, and zoomed in,’ she said.
‘You can see the two feet, [and] you can see a tail at the end of it. I'm like, “Wait, this actually looks like a crocodile.”’
Authorities later verified that the creature was indeed a crocodile, approximately three metres in length.
Alicia mentioned that her family has frequented the popular location for over ten years, but expressed doubts about returning following the encounter.
‘I'm scared to be honest. We have a few spots up in the mountains that we hike, and we will swim there, and that'll be it unfortunately,’ she said.
Senior Wildlife Officer, Tony Frisby, with Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI), said, ‘This person [Alicia], and anyone else who was swimming in that section of the river at the weekend, can consider themselves quite lucky.’
‘The person told us that she had been swimming on a floatation device and taking underwater photographs of the clear water below.’
‘When she returned home and reviewed the photos, she saw what she thought was a crocodile, and did the right thing by submitting a report,’ he added.
Frisby and rangers commented that the general perception that freshwater sections of rivers and creeks are safe zones is dangerously misleading.
‘The belief some people have that they are safe in Croc Country if they swim in the freshwater section of our rivers and creeks is misguided,’ Frisby said, explaining that crocodiles are ‘highly mobile’, and are known to ‘travel upstream in our rivers and creeks’ to find prey and freshwater.
He reminded everyone that ‘You never know what is lurking in waterways, and people really need to make sensible choices when they’re near the water in Croc Country. Wildlife officers have conducted a land-based site assessment using a drone, and did not find any evidence of the animal being present.’
‘Recent crocodile sighting warning signs have been installed at the location, and wildlife officers are planning on conducting a nighttime spotlight assessment. People are responsible for their own safety, and should always practise CrocWise behaviour in the Townsville region,’ he added.
The portion of Rollingstone Creek where the crocodile was spotted is reportedly categorised as Zone E, also known as ‘general management zone’.
‘This means that crocodiles displaying dangerous behaviour are targeted for removal from the wild,’ Frisby explained.
Crocodile sightings in Queensland are nothing to take lightly, with DESI actively encouraging the public to report any sighting immediately via the QWildlife app, their website, or by contacting 1300 130 372.
Each report is investigated thoroughly, reinforcing the message that vigilance is vital.
You can watch Alicia’s video and the report here:
Source: YouTube / Australian Community Media
Last year, there had been a discussion about the potential reintroduction of crocodile culling due to the significant increase in its population since the culling ceased in the 1970s after a similar incident happened in another state.
What do you think about this unnerving discovery? Have any of you had a harrowing wildlife encounter? Share your stories in the comments below.
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he was really big. I'm sure I bought him in with the clean towels off the line.
lol... How scary. I would buy a lotto ticket
