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Rangers search for crocodile spotted near Sunshine Coast campsites
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-05/search-for-crocodile-spotted-at-inskip-point-sunshine-coast/104899490
A crocodile that unexpectedly surfaced at a popular Queensland camping destination this week may have been pushed hundreds of kilometres out of its normal habitat by wild weather.
Rainbow Beach resident Anthony Simpson was fishing when he spotted something that looked a bit out of place.
"I thought, 'Oh, it's a stick,' with all this brackish water — then [it came] up, just snout first, then tail," he said.
"I thought, 'Yeah, that's not a stick. That's a croc.'
"He was just minding his own business, trying to catch a feed, probably."
"I kept on fishing, just was a bit more on my toes, got my stuff a bit back from the water."
There have now been multiple sightings, with another camper capturing footage on his mobile phone.
Rangers are patrolling and using drones to survey the area, intending to remove the crocodile from the wild as soon as they find it.
In the meantime, the state Department of Environment and Science has installed warning signs at campsites along the Inskip Peninsula, near Rainbow Beach.
Rangers have not been able confirm whether it is male or female, but believe it is likely to be the same crocodile recently filmed on Coonarr Beach, near Bundaberg.
Campers at Sarawak West said rangers had visited them several times to provide updates after the first crocodile sighting in the area was reported on Monday.
Liliana Lees of Bundaberg said she and her husband felt comfortable enough to stay put at the campground for another 10 days.
"That's what we planned," Ms Lees said.
"We didn't plan on a crocodile, but we can still enjoy.
"We can't go in the water, that's definitely no-no, but we can still be around and do some fishing."
Garry Banks and Helena Murphy of Beaudesert had a similar reaction.
"We were pretty surprised, because we knew [crocodiles] were down about as far as Rockhampton, but we didn't know they were this far down," Mr Banks said.
"I'm not frightened, but I'll be pretty wary," he said.
"And yeah, I don't think we'll be going in [the water] again."
'Just floating around'
Chris Kelly of Mooloolah Valley was walking his dog on the beach near Sarawak West when he saw the crocodile near the water's edge.
"I didn't have the camera, so I came back to the caravan and got my camera, my phone, and went back and waited … and eventually [it] came up again, but further out this time," he said.
"The first time I saw it, you could really tell it was a crocodile because of the shape of the tail and everything.
"It was just floating around in the water."
It is not the first time Mr Kelly has seen a suspected crocodile in the area.
"I was surprised to see it now, but many years ago, my dad and I were out fishing further into the bay, and we thought we saw one up on the beach," he said.
"It was massive, too big to be a goanna, but that was many years ago."
Wild ocean currents likely cause
Rainbow Beach is hundreds of kilometres outside of Queensland's normal crocodile habitat.
But senior wildlife officer Joshua Morris said the recent sightings did not mean the crocodile population was extending south.
"There's no evidence of a southern expansion of the crocodile population," Mr Morris said.
"The studies we've done and models we've run just don't support that population moving that way."
One resident captured a video of the crocodile entering the water after seeing it lying in the middle of the beach.
Mr Morris said the Inskip crocodile's movements may have been influenced by the extreme weather affecting northern Queensland.
"After big weather events, crocodiles and all animals can end up in many unusual places and be pushed into areas that they may not normally be found," he said.
"The prevailing weather conditions might mean that ocean currents have pushed it [the crocodile] out [of its habitat].
"It may have moved to different areas and just gotten a little bit lost and travelled a little bit further than it wanted to."
Mr Morris said at the moment, the reptile was "pulling up on beaches".
"And what we know about crocodiles that are pulling up on beaches … they're normally transiting through and trying to get out of rough surf … so having a bit of a rest and just trying to find an area that it's happy with," he said.
"We believe the crocodile might head back north to its habitat when weather conditions improve, but if it stays in the south-east Queensland region, it will be removed from the wild."
Mr Morris said wildlife officers would conduct further land and water-based searches today, including an intensive spotlight search by boat tonight.
Camp ground still open
Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger Erin Atkinson said the Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area remained open for camping.
"We're reminding campers to stay vigilant around the water, especially, and keep an eye out for any crocs, and if there are any croc sightings to let the rangers know," she said.
The Department of Environment and Science advises campers to walk at least 5m from the water's edge, clean up all fishing and food scraps, and avoid using small watercraft such as kayaks in locations where crocodiles have been reported.
Sightings should be reported via the QWildlife app or by phoning 1300 130 372.
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