Crocs-A-Plenty

Yesterday we went onto a sunset croc tour at Yellow Water, Kakadu National Park. First, we saw a dead catfish. The tour guide said that if you see a dead catfish, there is nearly always a croc nearby, as they kill them as bait to attract more fish, especially barramundi, to eat. Sure as can be, there was a croc! Next we turned left at a corner until the guide shouted over the roaring motor: “Try and find some kingfishers!" or so. Well, I was the first to spot one :-)

There were crocs absolutely everywhere: in the billabong, on the river banks, quietly diving under our boat, or basking in the sun with open jaws. Small yellow crocs that have only just come into the freshwaters, or bigger black crocs that have been in the billabongs for long enough to get a black skin. Alpha, the biggest one in these waters swam so close that our tour guide slightly panicked and reversed the boat to get away from him.

After a dream free night, we got up at 6 o’clock and went to the bus stop to find that we  were having our sunrise croc tour with the same guide as yesterday afternoon. This time, the sun was just rising. There was a thick layer of fog over the water and the light looked very mysterious.

We also saw: Rajah shellducks, Jabirus (yellow eyes: female; black eyes: male),

spoonbills, whistling ducks, whistling kites, white bellied sea eagles, cormorants, Australian darters,

several species of egrets, rufous night herons - also flying, brolgas - also dancing, magpie geese, forest kingfishers, pelicans, rainbow bee eaters, crested jacanas (they walk on lilies), white necked heron, wild horses (brumbies), water buffaloes, feral pigs, wild cattle, wallabies,  small crocs, medium crocs, big crocs, one huge alpha croc!