Typical - you wait months for a crocodile then they all come along at once!

 

 

Our friends Jon and Nicola were over from the UK for 2 weeks and bought us luck with the crocodile hunting.  We went along to the creek Dave and I had visited several times before and there in the water were 3!  This was literally 50 yards from where we'd seen small children swimming a few weeks before.

 

 

It's interesting that the health and safety in Costa Rica means a 'do not feed the crocodiles' sign whereas I'm sure in the UK there'd be fences and you simply wouldn't be allowed anywhere near.  As it was we stop on a small bridge whilst a local woman fed them the remains  her picnic!  This isn't encouraged as it's really not in the crocodiles' interest for them to become too 'tame' around humans.  Wild animals like this can start to cause a nuisance, and have a greater risk of harming if they don't remain wary of people (I remember the signs in Yosemite 'A fed bear is a dead bear') an animal like this attacking someone will certainly be shot.

 

 

Later we spent a few days on the Osa peninsular, a most amazing place, difficult to get to - involving a 1.5 hour boat journey, but so worth it.  Miles of truly wild beach and a nature reserve of both primary and secondary jungle.  Amongst other animals (more of in a future blog), we came across crocodiles sunning themselves on the opposite bank of an estuary and also swimming in the sea!  Makes you think a bit about where you're best off going in for a dip!

 

 

It was a real privilege to spend time watching these creatures and their behaviour.  This chap was apparently cooling down by opening his mouth and allowing the skin of his lower jaw to stretch, thereby exposing a greater area of skin to the air.  The American crocodile is less aggressive than those found in other parts of the world and they only usually attack if you stray onto their territory or are seen as a threat, it's very unlikely that they would attack a person purely for food.  In fact it was intriging to see fish swimming past a crocodile's nose and coming to no harm - although I think the fish were simply lucky and that the croc had already had lunch!