I’ve heard of cage diving with sharks, but never cage diving with crocs. This was one for my bucket list! These weren’t just any crocs, they were salt water crocs – the largest species of crocs in the world.
Cage diving with crocs is offered at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin. It’s the only one of its kind in Australia and one of only a few places in the world where you can go cage diving with crocs. The acrylic cylinder in which you are lowered is aptly named the Cage of Death. For surely that would be your fate without it.
View from inside the “Cage of Death”
Thankfully Bess was more interested in her beauty sleep than she was in attacking me.
A crane lowers you into three different croc enclosures, where you spend approximately 5 minutes each. The first enclosure was Houdini and Bess’. The croc handlers warned me that Houdini was the jealous type and may attack me through the cage – a rather daunting prospect, which I filmed with my Canon PowerShot D20:
I guess I must not have seen like a threat to him as he didn’t even move. I couldn’t decide whether that was a good thing or not. Bess (pictured above, under water, Houdini is featured in the video) stirred a little bit to let me know I was disturbing her beauty sleep, but didn’t protest too much.
Next up it was time to visit Denzel, another huge croc who didn’t take kindly to visitors. We got along just fine and he even posed for photos, which I also took with my Canon PowerShot D20, which is waterproof up to 10 meters – and croc proof!
Finally, it was time to visit Chopper (very top photo). Being lowered into an enclosure with a croc named Chopper is one of the most daunting things I’ve ever done. He got his name for a reason. He’s feisty and has even lost his front foot in a battle with another croc. Plus, he was having a bad day – he just found out earlier that day that he had been dethroned from his title of 3rd Largest Saltwater Croc in Captivity to 4th largest. Lucky for me he choose to sulk instead, or perhaps he didn’t view me as a worthy competitor. Either way, I was definitely more interested in him than he was in me. It’s the closest to a croc that I’ve ever gotten!
My cage diving with crocs experience was relatively mellow, but every dive is different. Had the crocs been feisty like they can be on some dives, I might have peed in my swimsuit. Regardless, I felt privileged to be so close to saltwater crocs, knowing that I wouldn’t be their dinner – although I did get to feed them, but that’s another story!
Know Before You Enter the Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove:
- The Cage of Death holds between 1-2 people.
- The entire experience is ~15 minutes long, ~5 minutes in each enclosure.
- I’m 5’8″ (175cm) and the water came up to my neck, if you were shorter you would need to tread water.
- Advance reservations are required.
- Visit Crocosaurus Cove for more information.
Thank you to Crocosaurus Coveand for Tourism Northern Territory for hosting me and proving me with such a unique, fun experience. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
I flew from Frankfurt to Singapore with Qantas airlines, who kindly upgraded me to Premium Economy, which was wonderful, thank you! From Signapore to Darwin I flew with JetBlue.
Two words : SO COOL! Never heard of croc diving either, but I’m such an adventure junkie I have got to do this! Did you crop and zoom, or were you really THAT close to them? EEK!
joie t. recently posted..FEAST ON IT : the “pop-up food circus”
You have some serious adventures!! Amazing.
Crystal @ Little Sightseers recently posted..Local Adventure: Heidelberg Castle Illumination
I just finished doing an air boat tour in the Everglades where we went in search of crocodiles. Looking at them up close from a boat was creepy enough for me. I can’t even imagine actually getting in the water with them, even if they do seem like very docile creatures. I’m pretty sure they’re just waiting for you to drop your guard though.
Steve recently posted..Walking Duval Street in Key West
@Steve – I did an air boat tour of the Everglades in June and loved it! I couldn’t believe how close to the boat they came. I agree, I think they are very sneaky and wait until you think they’re not paying attention and then make their move. When they did move, it was exceptionally fast.
Here in Florida, they teach you to run in a zig zag if ever chased by an alligator. They are quite fast running straight, but cant turn worth a flip:) Awesome adventure….this is something I would definitely do…
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Climbing the Filbert Steps to Coit Tower
@D.J. – Good to know, I hadn’t heard that before, but would still rather have plexiglass between me and the crocs than test out your theory
Ok, this *sounds* awesome, but I don’t think I could do it. Especially as you mentioned the water was up to your neck, and I’m only 5’1″ so I’d be treading water the whole time while trying not to panic about being attacked. Glad you got to have this experience though! And I’m definitely glad you survived it!!
Ali recently posted..Announcing My New Site and Get to Know Me Better!
That would probably be a little too intense for me, but I’d probably talk myself into trying it.
Don Faust recently posted..The 2012 Olympics: A Travelers’ View
The crocs (including Chopper) were more interested in sleeping than me when I did the Cage of Death. My friend suggested I looked too scrawny! But the people in the dive after mine had a croc come right up to the cage and give them a good lookover… Lots of fun and wish I’d had your camera!
Natasha von Geldern recently posted..I heart Greece: The serenity of Paros
You do the coolest things, Laurel! I’d love an experience like this to get to see crocs up close and personal!
Jennifer Dombrowdki recently posted..Slovenia’s Lesser Known Škocjan Caves
You are insane!!! Crocs?!
Abby recently posted..A private jet charter to LA? I’d love to!
No way you’d get me to do this. I get nervous swimming in water that I can’t see the bottom of just due to the fear that something “might” be there. NO way I would get into a pool where something actually WAS there. Bars aside, I would totally not sleep well afterwards. That all said, good on you!
Andrew recently posted..Frog Jumping Contest – Calaveras County Fair
That makes my weird list of adventures I’d never heard of till now. Can’t imagine meeting one of these crocs in the flesh without being in a cage.; Sounds like a very cool trip you did.
Leigh recently posted..Kayaking Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, BC
Too cool! I’d be up for it – even if I had to tread water… Really want to see this part of Australia – just a few hours from Singapore, too, if I remember correctly…?
Sophie recently posted..The Renaissance Man from Vinci
‘Cage of Death’ sounds like a pretty apt name if you ask me. I’ve lived in Australia most of my life and I don’t think I could ever bring myself to do this. I’m so proud of you, Laurel!! Completely awesome
Cherina recently posted..Travel and Adventure: How to be a More Adventurous Traveller
o_O eek, 15minute probably will feel like a lifetime for me if I was in the cage (after-all, its with the crocs). Very brave of you.
Very cool! I didn’t even know this type of crocodile experience existed.
Gina recently posted..Staring into a Whale Shark’s Mouth
Yikes! I think you should count yourself very lucky they were a bit sleepy that day. It would’ve been terrifying otherwise!
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