Croc One Log

August 2005 - Princess Charlotte Bay

Bob really enjoys the technical side of crocodile research and asks Professor Franklin all the right questions.

Bob really enjoys the technical side of crocodile research and asks Professor Franklin all the right questions.

On the east coast of Australia’s remote Cape York Peninsula, is the famous Princess Charlotte Bay. Croc One and the Australia Zoo Croc Team headed up the most challenging crocodile research project in history. We teamed up with Australia’s leading crocodile biologists – Professor Craig Franklin from the University of Queensland, and Dr Mark Read from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change some history forever. Isn’t it amazing that until NOW, the scientific world has never known how long crocodiles have dived for and at what depth?

For the entire month we located, captured, restrained, attached data loggers and recaptured huge adult Saltwater Crocodiles in the Bizant and North Kennedy Rivers. These rivers drain the vast floodplains, paperbark swamps, grasslands, and gallery forests of the famous Lakefield National Park.
Professor Craig Franklin from the University of Queensland, and Dr Mark Read from the Environmental Protection Authority attach one of the first data loggers on this beautiful croc we name ‘Lyle’. Dan and Kyle keep a close eye on ‘Lyle’ in case they need to fully restrain the relatively quiet croc.   Craig thoroughly checks over the data logging device before we release the crocodile right where we caught him.

Professor Craig Franklin from the University of Queensland and Dr Mark Read from the Environmental Protection Authority attach one of the first data loggers on this beautiful croc we name ‘Lyle’. Dan and Kyle keep a close eye on Lyle in case they need to fully restrain the relatively quiet croc.

 

Craig thoroughly checks over the data logging device before we release the crocodile right where we caught him. It appears that Lyle has been shot in the eye, an old injury that has completely healed and doesn't seem to be bothering him.

Croc One was designed to penetrate right up the Cape’s notoriously shallow rock bar ridden rivers. We’ve gotta be able to get her to the crocs, so I designed twin keels with stainless plates so each time we run up on the rocks there is no damage. We either reverse off or wait for high tide – there is no stopping this gorgeous sheila.   “I dunno about you Bob, but I’m confused. So Craig, how does that thing-a-me-bob work again?”

Croc One was designed to penetrate right up the Cape’s notoriously shallow rock ba ridden rivers. We’ve gotta be able to get her to the crocs, so I designed twin keels with stainless plates so each time we run up on the rocks there is no damage. We either reverse off or wait for high tide – there is no stopping this gorgeous sheila.

 

“I dunno about you Bob, but I’m confused. So Craig, how does that thing-a-me-jigger work again?” Craig is the most patient, knowledge-sharing academic type in the world, and he's a top bloke.

Once again the Croc One upper deck crane comes in very, very handy.   Croc One is the ultimate crocodile research vessel. She can poke all the way up these shallow rivers, and her cranes and gear make shifting crocs and traps an absolute dream. The easier, quicker and more efficiently we can capture and release the crocs, the greater our chance for recaptures.

Once again the Croc One upper deck crane comes in very, very handy.

 

Croc One is the ultimate crocodile research vessel. She can poke all the way up these shallow rivers, and her cranes and gear make shifting crocs and traps an absolute dream. The easier, quicker and more efficiently we can capture and release the crocs, the greater our chance for recaptures.

This was the first time my Dad ( Bob Irwin) has seen Croc One. He was thoroughly impressed at the amount of work she can do, and the places she can go. He particularly loved not having to boil the billy for a cup of tea!   Bindi is in love with Croc One. She has spent more time on it than anyone. Apparently it has got everything a 7 year-old girl needs – airconditioned bunk beds, widescreen TV with DVD, more hidey places to scare her mother than you can poke a stick at, and best of all a giant toy box with Boating Barbie!

This was the first time my Dad (Bob Irwin) has seen Croc One. He was thoroughly impressed at the amount of work she can do, and the places she can go. He particularly loved not having to boil the billy for a cup of tea! Thanks for all your help Dad! A huge mission for us, and I couldn't have done it without you.

 

Bindi is in love with Croc One. She has spent more time on it than anyone. Apparently it has got everything a 7 year-old girl needs – airconditioned bunk beds, widescreen TV with DVD, more hidey places to scare her mother than you can poke a stick at, and best of all a giant toy box with Boating Barbie! The reason we’re all so happy is we’ve just caught our very first crocodile, a 12 ½-footer Bindi nicknamed 'Scar'; he’s in a floating trap just in front of us.

My kids absolutley adore crocs. Bindi has been an integral part of my croc team for the last three years. She is good with the capture gear, but her forte is definitely her medical skills that she uses on our abrasions and lesions. She takes her nursing role very seriously. My kids absolutley adore crocs. Bindi has been an integral part of my croc team for the last three years. She is good with the capture gear, but her forte is definitely her medical skills that she uses on our abrasions and lesions. She takes her nursing role very seriously.   Of course Bob loves Croc One and the crew used some ingenuity to get the little fella his own Croc One which he refers to as “Daddy’s boat” and “Bob Bob’s boat”. Gosh he is a funny little tacker!

My kids absolutely adore crocs. Bindi has been an integral part of my croc team for the last three years. She is good with the capture gear, but her forte is definitely her medical skills that she uses on our abrasions and lesions. She takes her nursing role very seriously.

  

Of course Bob loves Croc One, and the crew used some ingenuity to get the little fella his own Croc One which he refers to as “Daddy’s boat” and “Bob Bob’s boat”. Gosh he is a funny little tacker!

As you can see the 'Irwins' absolutely love Croc One and her beautiful contribution to saving crocodilians all around the world by conducting "fair dinkum" research that can effectively be used to manage the world's diminishing predators.   Lakefield August

As you can see, 'The Irwins' absolutely love Croc One and her beautiful contribution to saving crocodilians all around the world. On Croc One we conduct fair dinkum research that can effectively be used to manage the world's diminishing predators.

  

Natalie looking very flash with her 10-day-old data logger. A few days later she must have gotten sick of it. Stuey and the team found it ditched up in the mangrove ferns.

This year our crocodile research has hit an all-time high. For two months including the whole month of August, Croc One supported an intensive crocodile research project that involved 30 skilled personnel on the ground, 30 skilled personnel behind the scenes, 13 boats and the location and capture of 28 crocodiles in 20 days, to determine their dive time and depth.

An absolute bonzer amount of data was collected that will change the way we view crocodiles forever.
 
Princess Charlotte Bay, August 2005, is going down in history as the month we unlocked one of many unknown secrets of the largest reptile on mother earth.