Croc attacks kill two - Solomon Islands

[Shasta_man]

40m on a home built hookah. Wow.

I believe they mostly stopped diving in mangrove areas in Raja Ampat before I took a trip there due to croc encounters. However, my liveaboard did dive 1 day on the outskirts of an area of mangrove. I was more than vigilant. It's mighty dark looking into the mangroves. I would not play with crocs if there was the possibility that one is around.

 

[drrich2]

I believe they mostly stopped diving in mangrove areas in Raja Ampat before I took a trip there due to croc encounters.

It's a thing. Aug. 2009 Undercurrent: Croc Attacks Diver in Raja Ampat: The Follow-Up
"“According to Ondina crew, the boat was anchored at Blue Water Mangroves in northwestern Misool when the 15-foot crocodile attacked from the surface and pulled David to the bottom. It was very shallow, so at least depth wasn’t an issue. The first bite pulled David’s regulator out of his mouth but David, an accomplished diver, had a safe second around his neck and was able to put it in his mouth while fighting back. With his other hand, he used his dive knife to gouge out one of the croc’s eyes, and it let him go."

In March 2016, DandyDon started this thread - Russian scuba diver killed by crocodile on Indonesian island - "The Russian embassy in Indonesia is looking for the family of a Russian scuba diver mauled to death by a saltwater crocodile on the Raja Ampat archipelago, an embassy spokesman told TASS on Wednesday.

"Police of West Papua province have reported the discovery of the savaged body of 37-year old Sergey Lykhvar," the spokesman said. "He died from a crocodile attack some days ago.""

Diving southeastern FL (salt water) and the Caribbean mainly, I seldom worry much about apex predators. Precautions - don't dive murky water where sharks or barracuda are apt to be present, where barracuda are concerned shiny jewelry (not a thing with me) can be a hazard, and shark feed diving or spear fishing (which I don't do) are another matter. I did think about great whites on my California trip (but saw none).

In some parts of the world, perhaps marine life is more likely to be a serious hazard? I don't know the relative risks of saltwater croc.s, irukandji jellyfish and who knows what else, and how mindful of the risks we need to be.

Coming back to the main thread topic in terms of how it affects the recreational diver, should we view saltwater croc. attacks in the Solomon Islands and Raja Ampat, for example, as rare flukes (like great white attacks in the U.S.), terrible tragedies but not something to worry about under conditions dive op.s take customers out on...or need we be concerned it's more 'dive at your own risk?'

 

[DandyDon]

Diving southeastern FL (salt water) and the Caribbean mainly, I seldom worry much about apex predators. Precautions - don't dive murky water where sharks or barracuda are apt to be present, where barracuda are concerned shiny jewelry (not a thing with me) can be a hazard

There are Crocs in Florida, Mexico, and some Caribbean islands, freshwater not closely related to Salties. I've never heard of a Crock attack on Cozumel altho I have seen pictures of them walking thru beach clubs. One sister saved another from one in Mexico not long ago. Crocodile attack - Puerto Escondido, Mexico

In some parts of the world, perhaps marine life is more likely to be a serious hazard? I don't know the relative risks of saltwater croc.s, irukandji jellyfish and who knows what else, and how mindful of the risks we need to be.

Blue ring octopus and cone snails come to mind, but you just about have to pick them up so don't.

 

[Namreg 58]

I have visited and dived the Solomon Islands five times. I have dived locations where crocodiles have been visible many times. These were all tiny, hardly big enough to do minor damage to you. My understanding has always been that these crocs do not get really big and are not dangerous to humans.

That 4 footer the four of us tried to corner in knee deep water near Gavutu wharf 2 decades ago could have ended in tears ...............what were we thinking?

 

[AfterDark]

Why isn't someone calling out the use of "attack" like when a shark bites someone?
Maybe it was accidents, mistaken ID? Crocs bad sharks cuddly!! LOL

How about some croc encounter dives, maybe if they are fed they won't bite humans?

Or bring back bangs sticks.

 

[drrich2]

Why isn't someone calling out the use of "attack" like when a shark bites someone?

Yeah, modern society seems to have a love affair with silly semantic games and trying to change the way people talk. If a great white bites somebody's leg off, I'm calling that an attack!

Your shark/croc. comparison brings up a key point; crocodiles aren't sharks, and there's a very practical distinction to be made for dive travelers staying at land-based resorts. These things hunt on land. They wander further from the water than I would've thought. They're willing to investigate tents at night.

I've read elsewhere some crocodilians can outrun humans; I don't know about these days. Nile crocodiles stalk drinking prey at the water's edge and can burst from the water and grab it; I imagine 'salties' can do the same.

I'll link some articles to substantiate this. My point for purposes of this thread is, unlike with sharks, with saltwater crocodiles you're not necessarily safe on land. If I ever travel where they're apt to be, I hope to bear that in mind.

Crocodile attacks camper, dragging him from tent in Northern Territory (Note: I linked another article on this story further down, disputing that he was pulled from his tent).​

"A 19-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was pulled from his tent by a crocodile in Australia’s Northern Territory in the early hours of Monday morning.

The man was camping with his family near a creek in the Daly region, about two hours’ drive from Katherine.

The family were on a fishing trip, Guardian Australia was told, and had set up camp about 15 metres from the water’s edge. At about 4.30am a crocodile grabbed the young man’s right foot."

Scroll on down where it mentions a man pulled from his boat.

Crocodile eats tent - with couple inside

"Two experienced campers got a nasty Australia Day surprise when a four-metre crocodile climbed a steep bank and took a mouthful of their tent while they were sleeping."

Dept. of Conservation and Land Management district wildlife officer Brad Rushforth said ""With crocodiles if you camp in one spot for a long period of time, generally they'll watch for a while, then they'll get closer.

"When the opportunity arises, sometimes they'll attack," he said."

Men's Journal - Camper in tend awakened by terrifying crocodile attack in Australia. "Adam Britton, a crocodile expert from Charles Darwin University, told ABC that if Rowsell was camping only 50 feet from the water, it was way too close, as the official recommendation is a minimum of 165 feet.

“Crocodiles are inherently curious animals, they really quite like to check things out,” Britton told ABC."

Escape - Incredible video of notorious croc attack surfaces. Note: It's an aftermath video; the croc. is dead by this time. It's more remarkable for the story and the struggle as other people intervened to help this man.

"In case you missed the story at the time, Kerr was sleeping in a tent in a remote campsite at Bathurst Bay with his partner Di and their four-months-old baby boy, Kelly.

They were camping 30 to 40 metres back from the beach, where the beach hits the bush."

 

[AfterDark]

Yeah, modern society seems to have a love affair with silly semantic games and trying to change the way people talk. If a great white bites somebody's leg off, I'm calling that an attack!

Your shark/croc. comparison brings up a key point; crocodiles aren't sharks, and there's a very practical distinction to be made for dive travelers staying at land-based resorts. These things hunt on land. They wander further from the water than I would've thought. They're willing to investigate tents at night.

I've read elsewhere some crocodilians can outrun humans; I don't know about these days. Nile crocodiles stalk drinking prey at the water's edge and can burst from the water and grab it; I imagine 'salties' can do the same.

I'll link some articles to substantiate this. My point for purposes of this thread is, unlike with sharks, with saltwater crocodiles you're not necessarily safe on land. If I ever travel where they're apt to be, I hope to bear that in mind.

Crocodile attacks camper, dragging him from tent in Northern Territory (Note: I linked another article on this story further down, disputing that he was pulled from his tent).​

"A 19-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was pulled from his tent by a crocodile in Australia’s Northern Territory in the early hours of Monday morning.

The man was camping with his family near a creek in the Daly region, about two hours’ drive from Katherine.

The family were on a fishing trip, Guardian Australia was told, and had set up camp about 15 metres from the water’s edge. At about 4.30am a crocodile grabbed the young man’s right foot."

Scroll on down where it mentions a man pulled from his boat.

Crocodile eats tent - with couple inside

"Two experienced campers got a nasty Australia Day surprise when a four-metre crocodile climbed a steep bank and took a mouthful of their tent while they were sleeping."

Dept. of Conservation and Land Management district wildlife officer Brad Rushforth said ""With crocodiles if you camp in one spot for a long period of time, generally they'll watch for a while, then they'll get closer.

"When the opportunity arises, sometimes they'll attack," he said."

Men's Journal - Camper in tend awakened by terrifying crocodile attack in Australia. "Adam Britton, a crocodile expert from Charles Darwin University, told ABC that if Rowsell was camping only 50 feet from the water, it was way too close, as the official recommendation is a minimum of 165 feet.

“Crocodiles are inherently curious animals, they really quite like to check things out,” Britton told ABC."

Escape - Incredible video of notorious croc attack surfaces. Note: It's an aftermath video; the croc. is dead by this time. It's more remarkable for the story and the struggle as other people intervened to help this man.

"In case you missed the story at the time, Kerr was sleeping in a tent in a remote campsite at Bathurst Bay with his partner Di and their four-months-old baby boy, Kelly.

They were camping 30 to 40 metres back from the beach, where the beach hits the bush."

Anyone that thinks sharks don't attack people are probably unwittingly giving sharks human attributes as many people do with dogs and cats. Sharks react to what they perceive around them and if someone presents themselves as an easy hit they will be hit, shark, croc, bear whatever wild predator if it perceive a easy meal it'll take it.

You make a good point about crocs hunting on land. If sharks could do that there might be a change of heart among some people.

Knock knock! Who's there? Land Shark!!

I'm no shark hater. They have a right to live and act like sharks but like any other animal with legs or without legs that can kill us, I reserve the right to protect myself with deadly force if required.