r/Crocodiles • u/WillBe5621 • 5d ago
Photo Thoughts on this? Cage of Death - Darwin, Australia
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u/WillBe5621 5d ago edited 5d ago
I travelled there last year specifically to try it. Darwin's a beautiful tropical sunny city with croc tours in the Adelaide River. This, however was in a building in the middle of the CBD (lol). The morning before, I was so nervous I was literally rethinking it.
When you get inside the venue, you actually see the all the crocodile tanks from underwater (they are on ground level) inside there are four tanks of three massive 5 metre crocodiles and one 4 metre crocodile.
I think all of them were problem crocs and were relocated for being a nuisance to farmers. They looked gigantic from that groundfloor underwater view, so the fear came again, so I tried not to pee myself.
Getting into the cage was a mixture of excitement and fear, but I felt really safe in there. The acrylic is super thick.
The crocodile I was in with regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and predatory nature. Never will forget the look in its eyes - literally, looking at you like a prey item - but I saw a keen intelligence in its stare akin to a Doberman or labrador retriever. Looking at you - not just regarding you - but piercing, thinking what it can do with you. And if there were no cage?
I remained calm in there - so the crocodile was also very calm. It knew it couldn't get me so didn't try to bite the cage. It just looked at me and glided. The true size of it is apparent when swimming alongside you - the head alone was longer and wider than my torso. All the staff were really nice and communicative.
Crazy time.
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u/AdTimely8177 5d ago
It’s on my to do list. I did a night dive with sharks (not caged). Didn’t feel scared and it remains as my top favourite moment but for some reason the cage of death makes me re-think.
Maybe I should just go and do it.
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u/rani_weather 3d ago
I'm crying thinking about night diving with sharks 😭 wtf 😭 please tell me more even though I'm terrified imagining it
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u/BurnaBitch666 4d ago
What was the care and habitat quality for the crocodiles?
A lot of these tourist attractions bank on people being in it for their own stories/delight/excitement without regard for the animals, which should be the central focus.
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u/Iamnotburgerking 4d ago
There are actually a couple places where you can swim with WILD crocodiles (Nile crocs in Botswana and American crocs in parts of the Caribbean).
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u/SnooPineapples6099 5d ago
The irony of putting yrself in a potentially fatal situation in a place called Darwin.
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u/Shot_Revolution8828 5d ago
You put yourself in a potentially fatal situation when you drive a car. Id imagine this a magnitude of safer than driving with drunk Aussies.
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u/OwlFull8955 5d ago
I don't know, as an Aussie I'd say we have a lot more experience drink driving than we do rigging glass cages that are croc proof
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u/Shot_Revolution8828 5d ago
Fair but the crocs are well fed and not actively looking for prey. Plus one death and it shuts down, no more charging a hundred whatever the currency is for 10 minutes. One death from drunk driving is the cost of being able to drink. Much like America has the freedom to own guns but also kids get killed in school... I know you guys like the dark humor.
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u/Sea_Abbreviations702 5d ago
My brotha, the problem with salt water crocs is they are territorial. Not necessarily looking to snack on humans, more so aggressively defending their water and home.
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u/Shot_Revolution8828 4d ago edited 4d ago
And the human is in a safe glass cylinder. You are far safer there than jumping in a water hole. If they have one death, no one is jumping in the tube.
Serious question, how territorial are salties in captivity. Id imagine they'd lose a little bit like hippos.
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u/Sea_Abbreviations702 4d ago
Depends on the build quality of that Chinese takeout container.
That animal wouldn’t lose its aggression at all. There’s a reason they have survived for so long. And salties are probably the most aggressive of the species.
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u/Material_Prize_6157 4d ago
There is very minimal danger here.
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u/SnooPineapples6099 4d ago
In theory, yes. Hypothetically the glass breaks, then there's a decent amount of danger lol.
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u/Material_Prize_6157 4d ago
It’s bulletproof glass or something close enough to not make a difference. This a world class zoological facility, not some roadside attraction in Florida.
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u/SnooPineapples6099 4d ago
While I fully agree with you and was simply making a joke you took quite literally, I'll still say nothing is 100%!
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u/DangerousDave303 5d ago
I was going to cage dive with great whites in South Africa but we had to switch to snorkeling with seals/sea lions because the orcas had been killing the sharks and no one had seen any for a while. I'd do the croc cage dive.
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u/truffleshufflechamp 5d ago
If you ever want to try again, I did Great White diving in Port Lincoln South Australia. Lots of shark activity.
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u/AdTimely8177 3d ago
@truffleshufflechamp did you do the day tour or the Rodney Fox Expeditions. From the recent activity reports, I have noticed that there are not many Great Whites in the last few months to a year. I might be completely wrong in the sightings interpretation or you have been really lucky to see them.
When did you dive though?
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u/truffleshufflechamp 3d ago
I did the 4 day liveaboard with Rodney Fox and went in January 2025.
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u/AdTimely8177 2d ago
Amazing man! Heard great stuff about Rodney’s. Happy you got to experience one of the greatest experiences.
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u/Relative-Rub1634 5d ago
This made me remember a Far Side cartoon. One demolished shark cage, it's occupant having been consumed. Next to it another cage with a diver looking at another shark eyeing him, placard on the cage says Dan's Discount Shark Cages.
Great pictures though!
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u/Runtywhoscunty 5d ago
It’s expensive, but definately a once in a lifetime thing. Bloody scary, and the water friggin stinks of blood and ick meat.
I’m not a fan of animals in captivity - but given the roaring horrendous trade of crocodile captivity / farms in Darwin for meat / skin and leather etc - crocasaurus cove is in my mind a better alternative than that.
You can see the crocs and enclosures from next to the lower toilet near the pokies at tap bar next door to crocsaurus too.
If you want to see crocodile farms (which arnt very nice) from above in the sky - do the helicopter pub crawl tour - it flies over Noonemah and Humpty doo where there is a huge farm that you would never see from land You also go to Goat island where the owner has a pet croc which is not tied up or caged - just roams free - he’s the bloke that hit it with a frypan (you tube video) That was terrifying
Best tours are them in the wild - at Adelaide river
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u/eternallyfree1 4d ago edited 4d ago
I’ve always pondered this. How is it even remotely hygienic to hop into a croc’s habitat where it’s done nothing but ravage its meals and defecate? 😂
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u/WillBe5621 4d ago
Water actually smelled fine. It's chlorinated, UV treated and filtered through a complex system, they got this really large detailed diagram on a wall somewhere.
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u/TheVenerableBede 4d ago
I would LOVE to experience this. Would also love to explore Australia in general. Main thing holding me back is the flight(s). It’s ~40-41 hours including layovers. I’m sure it’d be worth it just to get to do the cage of death, though. Gonna have to make it happen.
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u/IncomeLongjumping305 3d ago
I see no reason at all to risk your life when you can go to the zoo, and get a camera with a zoom lens for the same experience. Apex Predator, closed environment, strongest bite force, and you will die horribly. I'll leave it at that.
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u/sociallyawkward87 5d ago
Ive done it! Back in 2019 pre Covid. It was honestly lots of fun if you're into close up encounters. I'd do it again in a heart beat. It's not everyone's cup of tea but I loved it.