Darwin: The Jumping Crocodiles Cruise

And now it was time for our third and final cruise of Oz Fest #8, the Jumping Crocodile Cruise.

There are definitely crocs in the neighborhood.

Once upon a time somebody figured out that you could bait a long fishing rod with pork chops or other meat and eventually condition crocodiles to jump out of the water to snag them. Cruises such as this enable tourists to observe this behavior.

Every so often maybe one of them gobbles up a low-flying bird.

As our vessel sails along, crocs head our way looking for a handout. While this seemed more artificial than simply cruising the billabongs and watching the crocs in their natural habitat, it's still interesting to watch how these big guys can leap, as if they're imitating Marineland-show dolphins and orcas.

Take a bow, Mr. Croc.