Crocodile encounters in Raja Ampat?

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But my god the mangroves in the passage is an awesome dive :)

I did go for a wander around the old rangers station - definitely a croc stop over from the foot prints and tail outline in the muddy creek bed. Stopped wandering then...


Since the attacked that got the Russian (?) snorkeler at Passage couple years ago, Kri resort stop doing the snorkeling there; but they still dive there at least last year when i was there.

Also the year El nino tossed up weather pattern scrambled some wildlife behavior as i was tol
 
I just read this in "Stay Raja Ampat Travellers' Forum" in Facebook and I think it might be of interest:

OCT 2018 KABUI PASSAGE HEADSUP (In the very unlikely event that any of you are travelling with a guide who is unaware of this and you are considering diving or snorkelling in Kabui Passage.) > A rather aggressive saltwater crocodile has taken up residence in the passage. They are dangerous ambush predators, and it would very unwise to swim in (or anywhere near) the passage until the animal has been removed.
 
The link in post #1 doesn't work for me. This one does: Crocodile attack!

I think such accident is very rare occurance. So far I only heard about 2 saltwater croc attacks in Raja Ampat. That one above and the one in the Passage, Russian tourist eaten by a crocodile in Indonesia while scuba diving | Daily Mail Online

I dove in the Passage in December 2015 & May 2016 without any encounter with crocodile. I even had fun swimming with sea snake on the May 2016 trip. Had I heard the news about that unfortunate Russian tourist eaten by a croc two months earlier, I would have skipped diving in the Passage.
 
I just read this in "Stay Raja Ampat Travellers' Forum" in Facebook and I think it might be of interest:

OCT 2018 KABUI PASSAGE HEADSUP (In the very unlikely event that any of you are travelling with a guide who is unaware of this and you are considering diving or snorkelling in Kabui Passage.) > A rather aggressive saltwater crocodile has taken up residence in the passage. They are dangerous ambush predators, and it would very unwise to swim in (or anywhere near) the passage until the animal has been removed.
Sadly "removed" usually means killed by the local community
 
I dived the passage alone in 1995 (?), probably the first person diving there because I think Max Ammer knew the place (of course) but snorkeled it only. Suddenly, already under water, I started thinking about crocodiles. Well, you know, there used to be many Mimic Trees there. These trees mimicking crocodiles.
Other mistake was I went into the cave too long and the guys on the boat did not see any bubbles anymore. They did not like me much that day.
 
Crocodiles can be encountered everywhere in Indonesia. Also North Sulawesi. But the big guys only became that big because they stay away from people. Here they not really protected as they are in Australia.
A ride on a motorbike is 1000 x more dangerous, plus passive smoking.
 
Diving in the Passage reminds me of diving in the Shotgun in Komodo during tide change, zooming through a shallow channel in fast current.
 
FWIW Qe dove the Passage last year when we were staying at Max's resort (Sorido bay). Nothing about crocs was mentioned, and the dive was ... fine. A long boat trip is mostly what I remember. And coming up from a "blue hole" into a grove of trees? Or was it a cave?

I frankly wondered why we were there.

- Bill
 
Crocodiles can be encountered everywhere in Indonesia. Also North Sulawesi. But the big guys only became that big because they stay away from people. Here they not really protected as they are in Australia.
A ride on a motorbike is 1000 x more dangerous, plus passive smoking.

True,
Including Jakarta rivers and gulf of Jakrta. At least 8 sightings in 2018.
Last week, a saltwater corocodile and a false gharial (very rare ) are sighted in Ciliwung river, North Jakarta.
Few months ago another saltwater crocs were sighted not very far from Ancol beach.
 

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