Crocodile snaps pomarine on Pelican
Issued: 26 Mar 2024
The crocodile stalked the bird before snapping it
Rangers conducting bird surveys on the aptly named Pelican Island have captured the brutality of nature as an estuarine crocodile emerged from the ocean to grab a pomarine jaeger.
Pelican Island is around 15 kilometres from the far north Queensland coast, and the incident is a reminder that crocodiles can be found in any waterway or coastal island in Croc Country.
It is unclear whether the two-metre crocodile has taken up residence on the island, but they can be highly mobile animals capable of swimming up to 50 kilometres in a day.
Senior Ranger Lee Hess from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) said rangers had completed a lap of the island to record the numbers and species of birds and saw the crocodile in the shallows.
‘We were lucky enough to take photos and videos of the crocodile as it crawled from the ocean, but what we didn’t know is it set its sights on the bird,” Mr Hess said.
“Pomarine jaegers are an arctic, migratory bird and while it is not uncommon to see them in Australian waters or on coastal islands, there isn’t many recorded sightings on Great Barrier Reef islands.
“The pomarine jaeger was the only one of its species on the island, and I’m not sure if it had ever seen a crocodile before and wasn’t attuned to the danger.
“The bird wasn’t looking at the ocean and the crocodile simply grabbed it then headed back to the water.
“We believe it is the first recorded meeting between an estuarine crocodile and a pomarine jaeger, and unfortunately it was a long way to fly to end up like this.”
Gavin Bassani Operations Manager from Lama Lama Rangers said Pelican Island is an important habitat in the far northern Great Barrier Reef region for a number of migratory bird species.
“It’s a shame this one travelled so far only to succumb to the dangers of Cape York,” Mr Bassani said.
“I guess coming from the Artic region, crocodiles are not their usual threat. We will continue to monitor the migratory bird populations visiting the offshore islands in Lama Lama Sea Waters.”
The Great Barrier Reef islands, despite being many kilometres from the mainland, may be home to crocodiles.
This is a timely reminder for people to be Crocwise in Croc Country, and that they are responsible for their own safety and should make sensible choices around the water.
Crocodiles can be highly mobile, particularly during the warmer months and can be found on Great Barrier Reef islands where they feed on migratory birds and other marine wildlife.
All crocodile sightings should be reported to DESI as soon as possible by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DESI website, or by calling 1300 130 372.
The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.
| Date | Information |
|---|---|
| 16-Dec-20 | Estimated 3.5m crocodile reported on Fyfe Island |
| 13-Dec-20 | Estimated 2.4m crocodile reported on Hay Island |
| 27-Nov-21 | Estimated 2.5m crocodile reported on Normanby Island |
| 21-Dec-21 | Estimated 1.8m crocodile reported on Fitzroy Island |
| 19-Jan-22 | Two crocodiles around 2m reported on an island off the coast of Deeral |
| 1-Mar-23 | Crocodile tracks reported on Wuthathi (Saunders Islands) |
| 27-May-23 | Estimated 2m crocodile reported attack on a diver near Sir Charles Hardy Island |
| 6-Feb-24 | Crocodile slide near the Denham Group of islands reported by boatie |
| 1 Feb 23 - 21 March 24 | Twenty sighting reports of small to medium animals for Lizard Island |
People in Croc Country are urged to be CrocWise, which includes:
- Expect crocodiles in all waterways and on GBR islands even if there is no warning sign
- Obey all warning signs – they are there to keep you safe
- Be aware crocs also swim in the ocean and be extra cautious around water at night
- Stay well away from crocodile traps – that includes when fishing and boating
- The smaller the vessel the greater the risk, so avoid using canoes and kayaks
- Stand back from the water’s edge when fishing and don’t wade in to retrieve a lure
- Camp at least 50 metres from the edge of the water
- Never leave food, fish scraps or bait near the water, at camp sites or at boat ramps
- Never provoke, harass, or feed crocs
- Always supervise children near the water and keep pets on a lead.