Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile is the apex predator of northern Australia — a reptile that has changed little since the dinosaurs, capable of exceeding six metres and weighing over a tonne. 'Salties' tolerate full marine conditions and have been recorded swimming hundreds of kilometres at sea.

They hunt by ambush, exploding from water to seize prey at the bank with the strongest bite ever measured in a living animal. Warning signs at every Top End waterhole are there for good reason — salties are patient, intelligent, and territorial.

Estuaries, rivers, billabongs, and coastal waters across northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and India hold saltwater crocodiles. They need warm water and territory, and are most dense in the Northern Territory and Kimberley.