On The Hunt For GIANT CROCODILES in AUSTRALIA! Pt.1
On The Hunt For GIANT CROCODILES in AUSTRALIA! Pt.1
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00:00 This down here is actually an old crocodile nest so there would have been a big croc sitting around this area
00:05 Two and a half three meters sitting in here for at least two to three months
00:09 There we go big barrel will eat smaller crocodiles to attract a female
00:14 The males will build these nests pretty wild nature is absolutely amazing
00:20 All right, so we're currently in the Forbys heading to one of the most wild
00:26 Remote and dangerous places here in the top end of Australia Cape York and traveling to a place
00:33 That's pretty remote you get some of the best fishing here in Australia and also some of the biggest crocodiles
00:39 It's gonna be a pretty wild trip today is gonna be a big day of traveling tonight
00:43 We're gonna launch the boat to see if we can spotlight any crocs. This is not a big boat either
00:48 We're gonna be in the river with crocodiles almost two meters bigger than the boat then we'll wake up early tomorrow
00:53 Go for a bit of a mission in the morning try catch some food and day three is what I'm really excited for
00:59 There's a section of river
01:00 That's really shallow that holds some of the biggest crocs in this park goal is to film some four plus meter
01:06 Crocodiles and we know that they're in here and I reckon we'll be able to do it this trip
01:10 But yeah, it's good to be back out here on this land here in Cape York
01:13 Let's jump in the Forbys start heading out there and get this trip started
01:18 (birds chirping)
01:20 Any crocs in this creek right here mate? Yeah, you might get a few smaller ones in here
01:48 Maybe the odd big one in the wet season
01:50 Let's go to the main river and find a place to set up camp and hopefully some big crocs. Sounds good, buddy
01:55 (water flowing)
01:57 (wind blowing)
01:59 (birds chirping)
02:15 So just over the other side of the bank is the biggest croc that I've ever seen in person
02:21 We're estimating this animal to be around 4.6 meters long, which is a monster crocodile
02:28 So there was a croc that they caught in this system 15 or 20 years ago and in that time it had grown about 50
02:35 Centimeters half a meter. So when they get to these big sizes
02:38 They're very slow growing creatures and that 50 centimeters is actually pretty impressive to grow in that time
02:43 So this crocodile right here being of that big size would be the king in this section of river
02:48 Absolutely. He's been in here for a couple of years now
02:51 I've seen him a few times and in the croc world the big you are the more say you have
02:55 So any smaller crocs that come swimming through here, I'd bet money that he would be pursuing after them
03:02 Biting them on the tail headbutting them and just chasing these crocs out of there and he's been here for a few years
03:09 No doubt. It's got a few females in this pool with him that we can't see at the moment
03:13 But they could even be up to three meters long
03:15 Yeah, two and a half three meters is what the girls average out at and they could still have a crack at someone on the bank
03:20 As well. So even if you see this big croc right here doesn't mean you're completely safe. The best saying out there is
03:26 It's the crocodile. You don't see that will get you. Yeah
03:30 Yeah, definitely
03:32 Now what he's doing is the minimum exposure posture and that's where they have two percent of their body mass eyes ears and nose three
03:38 Main senses above the surface of the water. Yeah, he's watching us. He knows we're here
03:42 So if we went closer to the water, he will drop underneath the surface and head into where he last saw us
03:47 They don't give any indication
03:49 That they're going to attack and they're very patient animals. They'll wait wait wait for hours and hours
03:54 So to give yourself the best chance of not being attacked by a crocodile
03:58 Don't give him an opportunity to at the moment. He's just watching us in the distance when they grab you that I'm let go
04:05 They'll do you turn take you back into the water and drown you. It's all over with a few seconds of croc attack
04:10 But if you have that little bit of a head start on him and get back out of the way
04:13 They're not comfortable on the land. Yeah five meters back at least that's that's a golden rule up here use trees use rocks as barriers
04:20 Between yourself and the water if they do jump out and you're five meters back
04:23 You see it coming and you can take off the other way
04:25 And you can definitely outrun a crocodile once it's once it's up on the bank
04:30 (Music)
04:32 It's been a big first day of travel getting out to the place that we're going to base ourselves
04:46 We're going to two different camps staying two nights in this one
04:50 It's a really big water hole that said to hold really big crocodiles in it
04:54 We've got some really cool things planned for tonight that little three and a half meter tinny
04:58 There's crocs in here that are way bigger than that thing meters bigger than it
05:02 But we're going to be going out there tonight trying to spot a couple. Yeah, we're nearly here
05:06 There's actually a crocodile tooth down here, it's only a little one
05:25 So it's broken off quite a while ago, there's actually some tissue from the gum there as well could it have broken off from
05:32 When it was attacking something? Yes, most likely they constantly replace their teeth
05:37 They go through about 40 to 50 sets of teeth in a lifetime. Yeah, all set every two years
05:41 What size croc would that be from two and a half three meters? Maybe yeah croc that size pretty cool
05:46 I've never found a wild crocodile tooth. Well, there we go, right? Yeah, people are gonna think
05:50 It's a plan because I work with crocs
05:54 It was just sitting in the sand and I just caught my eye yeah, leave it be
05:59 So we're actually putting a car in between where we're camping so that if any crocs do come up
06:13 They at least have to get around there this croc come up and grab the guy the granny that was camping there
06:19 She ran out and she I think she tackled the croc and copped a bite or something. She got the nickname super granny
06:26 But just what we want to hear before setting up the slags. Yeah, cool. Hopefully find something that size tonight and hopefully not in camp
06:33 Yeah
06:35 So we're just backing the boat down into the water at the moment
06:53 We'll give you a rundown on the boat that we're actually taking out tonight
06:56 Got some little additions on it to be a bit more croc wise out here
07:00 *Splash*
07:02 So you can see these bars that Brody's welded on the back there
07:15 That's so no crocs come up behind when we're sitting still out there
07:19 *Splash*
07:21 Let's go!
07:23 *Splash*
07:25 *Splash*
07:27 *Splash*
07:29 *Splash*
07:31 *Splash*
07:33 Is that a little freshie?
07:35 Are you kidding me?
07:37 So we got a little salty right here and just up there in that little pool is a freshie
07:43 That's so cool to see them coexisting. So this is a great example here of
07:50 The hierarchical structure in a crocodile's world. So the smaller crocodiles get pushed to the less favorable areas regardless of the species
07:57 It's all size based. So the bigger crocs they get the best
08:00 Basking spots, the deepest section of river, the best nesting habitat if you're a female, best feeding opportunities and the smaller
08:06 Crocodiles will get pushed out to the shallower sections, the worst basking spots and whatnot
08:11 And that's what we're seeing right here a salty and a freshie together. Now you might notice
08:16 When we're eye shining the crocodiles
08:19 The eyes actually reflect back at us. Now they have a tapetum lucidum
08:24 Which is a crystalline structure at the back of the eye
08:26 So what that does is when light comes through the eye it passes through the cones, rods, photoreceptors
08:31 Hits that tapetum lucidum and actually bounces that light back through the eye
08:35 So they get to absorb as much light as possible and it makes them see very very well in low-light conditions
08:41 So they're primarily nocturnal animals. So most of these crocodiles at the moment, they're out and about, they're quite active
08:48 They're up on the banks. They might be looking in the shallows here for little fish or crustaceans and whatnot
08:52 So it's really cool to see
08:54 So tonight we've mainly seen smaller crocodiles, but it doesn't mean that there's not big crocs in here
09:04 Trust me when I say over the next few days
09:06 We're going to be seeing some really big crocodiles some of the biggest here in Australia, and I'm really keen to film it
09:11 I reckon we're going to call it a night. And yeah, we'll see you in the morning go for a fish
09:15 Try to catch some breakfast
09:17 (Music)
09:19 So it's day two at the moment
09:35 What we're doing is we're just walking up this bank going for a fish early this morning trying to catch some breakfast
09:41 Hopefully big barramundi. They do live in here
09:43 (Music)
09:45 Freshies would probably nest in this
09:55 (Music)
09:57 So this is probably the night before
10:00 It's come up you can see the belly scales
10:03 Down here. So a freshwater crocodile. They're testing for a good place to build their nest
10:10 Yeah, so freshies are hole nesters. They don't build a big mound like a salty
10:13 They dig a little hole in the sand and they lay about 10-20 eggs
10:16 And how many little freshies survive until adulthood?
10:20 Well at a 10 or 20 eggs, most eggs don't hatch. Dingo predation is quite high
10:25 You can imagine a nest like this like there's literally goanna tracks around it right there
10:28 Yeah, they would dig up the eggs and eat them. There was one study where they looked at the impact on
10:35 Cane toads and freshies and because freshies took quite a hit when cane toads first come through the top end because they're toxic and it kills
10:42 The crocodile and it dropped their numbers right back, but it also dropped the goanna numbers back
10:46 so a lot of the the eggs were actually hatching out because goannas weren't eating them and
10:51 They've they've popped back up quite quick population wise. Yeah, but yeah, this is really cool
10:58 Like I was only just talking about it before so just over there
11:02 In the middle of this pool, we're walking up this little dried up creek bed going for a fish trying to catch brekky
11:08 And there's a little freshwater crocodile now
11:11 He'd be up in here taking cover from the big salties that are back out there in the river
11:15 But this will eventually dry up later on in the season
11:18 So he'll have to make his way back out towards the main system
11:21 Suns coming up higher at the moment when it gets a little bit more up there
11:25 We're going to head out in the boat and see if we can find the crocs sunning themselves on the banks
11:29 These are cold-blooded creatures so they need heat to warm up for the day
11:32 Yeah, take a look at that
11:35 Yeah, there we go
11:53 Yes
11:58 Just a little fella
12:00 So that is the fish that we were after obviously a little bit bigger than this one
12:09 But still so cool to come out here into Cape York and catch these fish. There should be more in here
12:16 There should be more bigger barren here
12:18 (Music)
12:20 There we go, well there's something on
12:36 I think it's I reckon it's got me. Oh, it's got me around something
12:46 There we go, oh a tarpon
12:49 Big tarpon
12:53 I knew there had to be something sitting down in that snag right there
13:00 I was hoping it was going to be a big barra, but just a little tarpon
13:03 We're going to get it back in the water. Hopefully get something that we can eat
13:06 (Music)
13:08 There we go, oh
13:28 So we've definitely had to work for him today, but hopefully we can get one
13:34 I just had a hook up then too
13:36 We're trying to get a legal one and I think we've just found a school in the snag right here
13:40 We're just walking up and down the banks. But yeah, the cool thing is
13:43 Big barra will eat smaller crocodiles the smaller crocs that we saw last night
13:48 They're hanging up on the bank hiding from the bigger crocs and bigger barra because these barra get over a meter long and then obviously
13:53 The bigger crocs will eat any size barra as well. But take a look at that beautiful Australian sports fish
14:00 We're gonna get him back in the water just over here away from the snag. We'll see if we can get a legal one
14:05 (Music)
14:07 This down here is actually an old crocodile nest from last season
14:29 Yep up here in Cape York and you can see there's a bunch of eggshells that these baby crocs would have hatched out of
14:36 Now anywhere from the months November to March is wet season
14:40 So the water levels will rise right up and a big female would have come up here from the river
14:45 That's further down that way scratched up a bunch of vegetation
14:48 Made the nest and laid our eggs in it and she'd be guarding this nest
14:52 Oh, yeah
14:53 So anything that would have come near this nest a pig or goanna trying to raid the eggs
14:57 She would have charged out tried to grab it scare it off these eggs here
15:00 I dare say would probably hatched out because I can see a bit of an egg trail that leads down that wallow
15:06 So, um, yeah, some little guys are lurking in there somewhere and tonight
15:10 We're going to go out in the tinny and hopefully find a couple little ones and maybe some bigger crocs
15:15 I'm hoping to see a big one
15:17 So this is where she would have been returning to the river
15:20 They actually excavate these wallows
15:23 So they fill with water and she can stay nice and cool and she can guard that nest
15:28 See there's old eggs right beside there
15:30 So there would have been a big croc sitting around this area
15:33 Yeah, two and a half three meters sitting in here for at least two to three months about 80 to 90 days is the incubation time
15:39 Take a look at this right here
15:45 Believe it or not this little structure that we found right here was actually built by a bird
15:50 This is absolutely crazy the bower bird. They're an awesome species. Look at what this animals collected
15:55 I'll just come around the side to attract a female
15:58 The males will build these nests and this guy has been collecting some clam shells
16:04 Bit of tinfoil bottle caps lots of white things a few rocks in there the bow birds back home where I live down south
16:12 They'll collect blue things. So bottle caps pegs off your clothesline anything blue that they find
16:17 They'll bring it here. Try to attract a female looking at this right here
16:21 It is so crazy that a bird has built this with just its beak
16:26 Collecting sticks and forming this structure. Yeah, pretty wild nature is absolutely amazing
16:32 And when you come out into the bush come out into places like this and spend time out here on this land
16:37 This is the stuff that you find bow bird nest. We're gonna keep going
16:46 Sun's just setting at the moment. We're in croc country. It feels cool
16:50 It feels really good to be here in this pool in particular
16:53 Steve Owen back in the day used to catch and relocate crocodiles from this area
16:58 There could even be the same crocodiles that he's caught still in this big section of river, which is pretty cool
17:03 Oh, yeah, we're gonna wait till it gets dark launch the boat and see if we can find any
17:12 Just across this river we've spotted a big crocodile looks to be over four meters long
17:16 This is a monster croc big right be careful. I because he could charge that. Oh, yeah
17:21 What's the biggest crocodile that's ever been caught?
17:24 Well, I think he was caught because yeah a few villages ago missus for the time is brain registered. That's a croc head
17:29 It was too late. So he stabbed it right in the jail, which is the neck of the croc another big crocodile
17:34 He's just as big as the last one probably about four and a bit meters long
17:38 Yes, Cape York Barra out in this little swamp as well. Yeah, he's dinner this guy. Yeah
17:44 1112 13 14 15
17:47 How many crocs we seen all up on this trip probably looking at about 55 60 crocs
17:52 Yeah, and we still got a bit of way to go. It's crazy
17:55 You
17:57 You
17:59 You
18:01 You
18:03 (eerie music)
18:05 (eerie music)