We already know that saltwater crocodiles hang out together, hunt their prey, and communicate the best way to kill them. They’re a friend group that hangs out together, murders together, and eats their prey. They’ve murdered anything from a human to a hippopotamus. Any piece of flesh looks like an appetizer, main course, and dessert to the saltwater crocodile (Forbes).
This picture says it all. This is one of the biggest saltwater crocodiles we’ve ever seen, and probably anyone’s ever seen. We can’t imagine standing next to that thing. No, thanks. The photograph is captioned, “8.6 Meter Salt Water Crocodile from Australia 1955” (Reddit). The photograph asks, “who wants to go swimming?” We’d never swim again if we knew just how close that saltwater crocodile was to us. It looks like a modern-day dinosaur, ready to prance at any piece of the flesh who dares get too close.
A human looks like a tiny piece of dirt next to a saltwater crocodile. They’re certainly the scariest reptile alive, and we can see why humans don’t have a chance at survival compared to one of these things. This is a “fully grown Australian saltwater crocodile in comparison to a human.” The woman in that cage is pretty brave for getting in there and swimming next to it. What if it suddenly decided to rip the cage open and attack her? Would she be safe? From what we learned about the jaws of a crocodile, we’re not sure she’d survive the attack. It’s best to just never get into the water, ever (Reddit).
Some humans are smart, while others aren’t. We’re not sure where we would put this guy on the list, but he’s certainly brave. This diver was captured swimming with saltwater crocodiles, even so much as putting his head within biting range of its jaw. They wanted to study the behavior of the crocodile, and said, “in this case, it is important to know the behavior of the crocodiles and to make sure we have supporting spotters to watch the crocodiles from the surface. ‘In the past, we have done films like this about Sharks, Killer Whales, and Anacondas, so we’re well seasoned in dealing with potentially dangerous animals” (Daily Mail). It’s not these guys’ first rodeo.
Don’t ever provoke or harass a saltwater crocodile. They’re unpredictable and aggressive and will attack a human or prey at any given second. But if you’re floating gently in a river, minding your own business, and you spot a saltwater crocodile, that’s a different story. Let’s say you’re swimming when suddenly, a saltwater crocodile appears. What would you do? Because they’re the scariest reptile alive, there’s not much you can do, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances of survival. Basically, “if you spot a croc, back away slowly and try not to make sudden movements. Splashing in water will only draw attention. If a crocodile heads your way, run away in a straight line. The myth about moving in a zig-zag motion is just that—a myth. Crocodiles can move at 10 miles per hour, so remove those flip flops so you can run faster” (History). So all you need to do is run. Run as fast as you can.
Saltwater crocodiles have powerful eyes, but it’s also the most sensitive, vulnerable part of their body. One of the only ways you can survive an attack from a saltwater crocodile is to gauge its eyes out. In 2014, Stephen Moreen survived an attack by gauging a saltwater crocodile’s eyes out. “The croc began to roll him under the water when Moreen spotted the croc’s eye and poked it with his fingers. The creature released him and swam away. A crocodile’s eyes are impressive: They can see underwater at night and retract during a fight. They are also, however, one of the most vulnerable parts of the creature’s body” (History).
Even though saltwater crocodiles are the scariest reptiles in the world, they’re an animal. And all animals need love (or at least respect from a distance), even if they’re terrifying beasts. In 1989, someone shot a saltwater crocodile named Pocho in Costa Rica. Gilberto “Chito” Sheddon discovered him and aided him back to full health. The crocodile was 150 pounds, and when Sheddon tried to release him back into the wild, Pocho found his way back to him. The two became inseparable and were captured in a documentary titled The Man Who Swims With Crocodiles. While we don’t recommend trying to befriend a saltwater crocodile, there is some hope out there (History).