Curious saltie spotted ‘Big croc’ sighted eight days before Fannie Bay swim

JUST a week before 150 swimmers take to the water for the Fannie Bay Ocean Swim, a big saltie has been spotted cruising around East Point.

The animal was seen about 10am yesterday swimming from East Point in the direction of the Sailing Club, about 400m offshore.

Witnesses couldn’t estimate its size, but said it “wasn’t a little one”.

Darwin Surf Life Saving Club president Ray Hall assured competitors it was unlikely they would be swimming alongside a crocodile.

Rangers would conduct patrols for several nights before the race, he said.

If they report an elevated level of croc danger, the race won’t go ahead.

Mr Hall said the timing of the race – just after half of Darwin blows the hell out of East Point with fireworks – meant the likelihood of crocs hanging around the area was even slimmer than usual.

“The night before is Territory Day, and the amount of activity and disturbance is fantastic from our perspective because it scares everything away,” he said.

“We’re in our 13th year and we haven’t had a sighting or a cancellation.”

The high level of water traffic on the bay the day of the race provided a further deterrent for curious crocs, he said.

Mr Hall said the possibility of crocs – however slight – was part of the excitement of the race.

“If you go for an ocean swim in Perth, you’ve got the danger of a great white, which is far scarier in my opinion because at least you can see (crocs) coming,” he said.

There’s been a 66 per cent spike in croc captures in the past year, after a bumper wet season connected major river systems and allowed the deadly animals to move around more freely.

The Northern Territory government has recently thrown its support behind crocodile hunting safaris as the number of salties caught soars.

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner says the idea has never gained any traction due to longstanding staunch federal government opposition.

NT Senator Nigel Scullion also believes it would bring much-needed money into impoverished remote Aboriginal communities and create jobs.