This Is Why The Crocodile Is The Most Feared Reptile On Earth | Diving With Crocodiles | Real Wild

In the waterways of Africa, the Nile

crocodile

reigns supreme, one of the largest and

most

feared

reptile

s on the planet. Snatches victims from banks and ships. Crocodiles terrorize villagers who share the river with them, with up to two fatal attacks recorded each day. This cunning and highly successful predator has been reclassified as Africa's number one killer of humans, surpassing the previous holder of the title. Hippo

wild

life cameraman Brad Besterlink is planning the unthinkable: he intends to dive into

crocodile

-infested waters. from the okavango delta without a cage or any other protection your mission is to study these unpredictable creatures in their natural underwater domain a feat never before attempted and one that is fraught with danger there is a way to make an entry my destiny was now a witch conspiracy download veli today the okavango delta in botswana is fed by a river that flows into a shallow valley called the panhandle

this

waterway meanders from botswana's northern border and eventually empties into the delta 120 kilometers downstream during the winter months between may and August the panhandle floods creating vast wetlands of papyrus and grass for brad besterlink the flooded river is like your backyard I have always been an Okavango kid.

I have played on every island. I have swum in every lagoon. I have explored every channel. This area has been my playground my entire life. Brad returns each winter to film the enormous variety of the Panhandle. of

wild

life, encounter a host of subjects, a menagerie of animals that come to

this

lush aquatic world in search of shelter, food and breeding hippos, the largest residents forge new channels through endless fields of reeds, the lechway It is an antelope with extended hooves that have evolved to live in water. The birds feed on the abundant insects and fish that inhabit the river, its tributaries and hidden lagoons.

More than 70 species of fish are found on the peninsula. The smallest and youngest live in the lily ponds, hiding from predators that prefer the open tiger waters of the larger canals. The fish are the African equivalent of the South American piranha, with sharp teeth and bad attitudes, but they are not at the top of the food chain. The abundance of fish rings the dinner bell for a formidable predator. More

crocodiles

live on the peninsula than in the entire territory. Ogavango Delta and in winter even more arrive to breed, their numbers peaking at more than three thousand, but the abundant fish that attract

crocodiles

also attract humans as more people settle on the banks of the river, men and beasts compete for space and resources;

They share an uncomfortable coexistence. that is not always peaceful Attacks are increasing throughout the delta region Fishermen are taken from their macoros, the traditional fishing canoe, but the majority of the victims are women and children who come to the water's edge to wash when Retzing was a young woman with whom I was collecting lily bulbs. her mother muhu ray on an island in the river suddenly mahuray that was her only warning mahuray foreigner took her daughter to safety but not before the crocodile inflicted terrible injuries on her they were both lucky to survive the attack mahuray still wins life harvesting lilies and her daughter performs in a traditional dance group, but not all victims are so lucky.

About 750 people die each year from crocodile attacks in Africa. 15 of them in Botswana, although Brad knows the dangers that lurk in the waters of the Panhandle, he often comes here with his family and his children. The fifth. The Botswana-born generation of Bester Links shares their passion and fascination for the area. Her wife Andy has her own sense of adventure. Brad and I have that curious streak in us where we want to explore what's out there to find out more about where we are. It's about our environment, bartering, maternal instinct is to be protective. I think initially for me the fear of having them in this environment was greater than the

real

ity.

When you get here, you

real

ize it's a brilliant world for you to grow up in and you adapt right away. They are quite fearless. Brad knows the peninsula better than

most

. He has filmed the resident wildlife here for over a decade, but it is the Nile crocodile that has always held a special fascination for him, particularly its recently unseen underwater activities. He has been filming crocodile hunting. behavior before a heron stripes a breeding colony of data and comrades the

reptile

s move silently to their position underwater waiting for the young and inexperienced birds to fall lie with only their eyes, ears and nostrils above the surface submerged thus hiding their True size on Brad, the bench, waits patiently to film the action.

The newbies fall into the water and can't take off, so they swim back to the base of the tree and try to climb, but darters are designed for swimming. Webbed feet are not made for climbing and neither. are their long necks, many do not return to the nest, falling helplessly into the water, they literally sit down after having had their fill, the crocodiles disappear into the depths and disappear from sight, no one knows how they really behave underwater after seeing them, the daughters and the comments actually become They moved away and went under the water. I really felt like it was imperative that I really go underwater and see what was going on.

It was such an important part of that environment and that behavioral circumstance that remained to be captured. You will have to dive under the blacksmith. No one has tried this before, but he will not only dive with them, he will swim to his hunting ground, where the reptiles are alert and hungry. He better do his homework first. He finds out what to expect when he comes face to face with a crocodile. Seek advice from scientist Vince Shacks. Vince heads the Okavango Crocodile Monitoring Project for Botswana National Parks. The project maps out conservation areas for the large reptiles over the past five years. and his colleagues have been capturing, marking and measuring crocodiles this way, they can determine their numbers and their health, okay little one, can you just turn off all the lights?

The best time to catch crocodiles is at night, they are easy to spot by the glow of their iridescent cells. In its eyes, the reflective layer amplifies the light entering the eyes to help the crocodile detect prey in the dark. Vince catches the juveniles with one hand, but he needs to watch their tiny teeth, which could destroy his fingers. Larger crocodiles, over one meter, are more difficult. to capture all the lights on the ship except the searchlight, they are turned off to hide Brad and Vince. This allows for a more stealthy approach in the middle of the night.

They approach a much larger crocodile. They move quickly to minimize stress to the animal. They need to dismantle their huge jaws. If I can get it closed, I can, then they have to hold it. Vince calms the angry crocodile by bandaging him. Done, it seems to work. Ready, yes, one two, you need to turn the beast on its back to determine its sex. finally, but you have to stay sitting on your man, okay, it's a woman while vince gathers the data from his investigation, brad and the team make sure he doesn't move in 15 minutes, vince has taken all the data he needs, so what brad, this is the typical size for an adult. that you will have moving up and down the main channel at this time of year through this monitoring project Vince and his colleagues have captured and identified 2 500 crocodiles this time of year is the best time to do this, a large number of crocodiles come to the Panhandle to mate is also the best time for Brad to dive while the water is clearer with clear water in the winter and it being very very cold, I mean how much time do you think we have?

You would have to do it as soon as possible, I mean, you want to get it before the water gets dirty and obviously before the temperatures start to rise. What I mean is that you know these things. What could you expect? I mean, what do you think? How do you think they are going to react? In the world, yeah, it's hard to say, I mean, nobody's been down there, nobody's spent enough time there to say how they're going to react. My instinct tells me that they will react to anything that comes close to them underwater. but it's winter, it's cold, they're not that active, so if it's a good time to die, no, they don't think this is probably the best reason to do it, yeah, but yeah, you have to be.

It's crazy to get down here any time of year, my opinion, one, two, three, well, the window of opportunity for

diving

opens for two months during the winter, when the headwaters that gather further north reach the peninsula and they flood the water that flows quickly and carries away the sediments and suspended particles that allow up to 15 meters of visibility under the water. After winter the water level drops again but there is another reason to dive with crocodiles at this time because the temperatures are so low at this time of year that the metabolism slows down quite a bit and you don't eat as much, so all activity is interrupted during the winter period.

Brad also believes that he may be safer because the Ocavango crocodiles are not used to hunting large animals and the area's swampy papyrus banks do not allow it. Wildebeest or zebras come close to the water to drink, so the reptiles here depend on catching birds and fish. In other parts of Africa, where the terrain is different, the Nile crocodile is a common killer of large mammals and uses its extraordinary power to devastating effect by growing to more than six metres. long and with almost a ton and a half of bone-crushing bite force, these prehistoric killers put the great white shark to shame.

Once they catch their prey, there is no way to escape, this is the reality Brad must face when he enters the water because he is unfamiliar with divers, he expects them to act defensively rather than aggressively, so Andy Brad's wife and a

diving

instructor in his own right will accompany him and watch his back. Nothing would have prepared her for this dangerous dive. Vince is coming too. stay on board to monitor this first dive in search of the ring of herons the strategy is to jump upstream and float down so as not to disturb the birds the strong current drags them past huge submerged trees they encounter a sunken fishing canoe a macaro fishermen who have suffered serious damage disappear in the Ocavango every year and crocodiles are the main suspects.

They rarely leave traces of their victims when they approach the heron. Brad and Andy make their first contact. They follow him as he slides over logs and debris. Surprisingly, they are able to get quite close underwater. The crocodile is elegant. It swims with its powerful tail and tucks its limbs against its body to speed itself up when it rests. It uses its webbed feet as brakes. By crocodile standards, this two-meter specimen is relatively small. But that doesn't mean they are relatively harmless. Crocodiles are notoriously unpredictable at any size. Andy and Brad have dived with other large predators before, such as sharks, and know that it is crucial not to invade their space or show signs of panic.

They are careful to avoid any sudden situation. It retreats and then flees, disappearing in a cloud of sand as they approach the heron. Andy hangs from a branch to keep watch. Brad swims towards the narrow channel under the tree and towards the hunting ground he finds in front of Brad is a crocodile. his eyes are out of the water looking up ready to kill brad approaches and then gets too close the crocodile feels it but instead of attacking he moves away he is too fast for brad to follow him with the air rushing under the divers need a surface to as they approach the boat they know they are the most vulnerable the surface is a prime area to kill crocodiles on the surface the inherent fear of crocodiles is still on you feel like you are in a living room floating on the surface of the water waiting to be eaten something goes up first while andy stays relatively safe on the bottom and then, with brad and vince watching overboard, andy climbs into the boat, how is that unreal, something amazing, wow, that was amazing too.

No, I didn't think we could. really getting so close to them really really amazing a sense of adventure drives them now they want more pictures but they need to spend more time in the water seeing a crocodile for the first time underwater was an exciting turning point for us it was a surprise and you get the sudden rush of adrenaline and simply fascination the next day they go out again determined to film as much underwater behavior as possible but the waters will not be clear for long the couple must make the most of it they patrol the canals of the Panhandle looking for a good place to dive They encounter a crocodile on the river bank sunbathing to warm its body, but as soon as it hears the boat approaching it dives into the safety of the water, Brad and Andy decide to follow it and drift off. a current searches the channel andThey finally find the crocodile motionless at the bottom.

These animals need air, but they can stay underwater for hours slowing their heart rate, but that doesn't mean they are slow, they can rush forward with terrifying speed. With caution, if the crocodile feels cornered, it could attack. He's got twelve feet of muscle with a jaw that could take Brad's arm off. If you get a few centimeters closer, but how well can the crocodile see you? They have this nictitating membrane that covers the eye and inhibits it. the eye avoids changing focus while underwater, like sharks, crocodiles have a sixth sense around their snout, sensory pits detect movement, which helps them hunt fish at night, the reptile can probably sense Brad's presence, realizing that it is much larger than a normal fish, removes the crocodile.

It leaves the bright center of the channel and moves toward the darker edge against the papyrus bank, then disappears. Brad is surprised, he thought the bench was solid, but upon closer inspection he realizes that the crocodile has entered what appears to be a cave. Entering means heading toward the unknown Brad's lights reveal strange fish hidden upside down in the papyrus roots. A large catfish swims along the cave floor, but delving into this cave unprepared would be unwise. It is a dangerous void where crocodiles have all the advantages and divers are intruders. They quickly exit the cave and ascend into the dangerous middle of the water suddenly out of nowhere. a crocodile charges at brad a timely reminder of how dangerous these waters can be when seriously shaken clearly it's time to get back to the boat as quickly as possible was this a warning a crocodile defending his territory or maybe he just couldn't see the two divers on their way back to camp, brad and andy show vince the footage from the dive, he never expected such close interactions between the diver and the crocodile, look at this right here, oh it's clean there, it's very, very clean , this is on the edge of the main channel next to the one next to Henry's and is pretty incredible, it's a good sized crocodile too.

It is actually an amazing opportunity to get photographic records. Once you have that photo, we can already say that it is individual. Come back next year, wait, that's an individual passing game aspect. In brands, if we can get more information about these adults, the data would be very useful. Now what I want to know is if that continues. Are we talking about a closed area? There's one thing Vince can't. The answer is maybe they are using that reason why the crocodiles disappeared under the papyrus and into the cave. This is an individual. He knew that there was definitely a layer of some kind that crocodiles could access the structure of that layer.

He wasn't sure. About Brad is determined to explore more, but he better hurry, the window of opportunity to dive is closing and if he misses this opportunity he won't have another one until next year on the peninsula. Papyrus grows everywhere. It is an extremely buoyant plant with hollow fibrous stems and the tissues are saturated with oil, this causes the papyrus to float creating dark spaces underneath that many creatures use when winter ends and the flood waters of the Panhandle recede, the water level will drop. bridging the gap between floating vegetation and the muddy bottom. By the end of August, the roots brush the riverbed, then the secret crocodile caves will be closed for the rest of the year to prepare for the pitch-black conditions you'll encounter in the cave.

Brad decides to dive at night in the main channel, at least you'll get an idea of ​​what to expect, hopefully without crocodiles, the dive is unnerving because they can't see anything beyond the lights. For me the night dive in the delta was scarier than the night dive in the sea, specifically because of the crocodiles during the day you feel like you have more control you can see more while at night you have a small ray of light and you don't want to Coming across a crocodile after the previous day's incident, they know they are extremely vulnerable to attack, but it is just a taste of what they will face in the crocodile cave, although aware of the danger, Brad is fascinated by his first look under the Ocavango waters at night, a place that knows as well during the day as the underwater world in the delta has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

It's just amazing. Several species of screechers come out of their hiding places to feed on algae. These catfish prefer the slow-flowing backwaters on the peninsula. The day shift hunters hide in the vegetation. At the end of the dive, Brad has a much better idea of ​​the challenges he will face in the dark caves. I'm pretty relieved to not see crocodiles down there, although I mean you have such a limited view, it's so dark and just a slight sound is a bit of a relief it's nice it's very scary just not being able to see past that point anything yes anything could be out there but the next morning brings a setback the winter rain is unusual for Botswana it is not unpleasant but it affects visibility around the camp for divers the runoff wreaks havoc on the clear water, sediment and algae They have entered the canals swimming in the caves in these conditions would be extremely dangerous, we are really just diving to get into the water to do this.

Now we have to sit and wait for this unseasonable weather, so it is very frustrating, but the fickle conditions change again and the closing window for diving opens a little, the sky clears and visibility improves. The crisp winter air of the Panhandle coincides with 15 degrees. water brad and andy finally left for the papyrus cave this is their last chance to dive under the papyrus the level of the falling water leaves its mark on the reeds they enter the water and quickly sink to the bottom they let themselves be carried by the current searching the cave entrance 60 minutes of air time is all they have, it should be enough to explore the cave almost immediately they see a huge crocodile, a four and a half meter monster, the size suggests that it is a male, it is the largest crocodile that Brad and Andy have never found underwater.

I have no idea how the monster will behave Slowly walks away Brad and Andy follow at a safe distance The crocodile stops in the darkness of a deep ledge dwarfs Brad with his head wedged under the papyrus The crocodile appears cornered It's potentially a Situation dangerous, this crocodile can move much faster than a diver, you wouldn't stand a chance against it, but keep the camera rolling, then the beast lumbers into the darkness, the crocodile disappears into the same cave they found the day before, Brad and Andy. follow it into the unknown, it is a strange world, an almost hostile environment and I was worried about entering every now and then there is a break in the papyrus from the surface and rays of light appear that illuminate only one section, the only way to track the crocodile he must follow the cloud of sediment that rises behind him andy has to swim through brad's trail of sediment just like the crocodiles it is probably the scariest moment of his diving career he is completely blind and struggles to stay the crocodile takes them further Deeper and Deeper into the cave, 30 meters and 20 minutes into your hour-long dive, you pull into the spotlight.

Brad stands his ground, keeping the camera focused on the crocodile, who will make the first move. The first thing you will start to see is the white of the teeth. in this black, black, black environment, it is really beautiful, the crocodile moves in this claustrophobic space, he has all the aces, he stops again, he seems to be weighing his options, fight or flight, he goes deeper into the maze, but another Fear takes over the divers. I have been so focused on following the crocodile that they have not paid attention to where they are going, they did not enter the cave with a guide rope, pulling a rope would be cumbersome because you are often in very, very narrow areas and there are a lot of big chunks. of vegetation and that slows you down.

They have 15 minutes of air left and are right behind the giant predator. If they turn around, it could now attack, but the crocodile goes deeper into the abyss. We became completely disoriented. In those caves the moment you're following a crocodile you don't really think about it there's no way to know where you are or where the art is with only 10 minutes of air in their tanks the pair will still need time to find their way out Brad says. Take a moment to scan the large camera trying to orient yourself its lights reveal another shape in the cave a second animal a little smaller than the one they followed maybe it's a female maybe reptiles congregate in these caves for the mating season but It's just a glimpse the darkness envelops the crocodiles carrying their secret deeper into the cave there are six minutes of air left 40 meters from the exit but in which direction this is not the time to panic they shine their lights around them the rays barely penetrate the murky darkness They have no idea which direction to take.

I had no idea how far we had gotten under the papyrus. How far we had turned. You lose your sense of distance and time, but Brad seemed to know a direction. Brad follows the slight current in the hopes that it flows into the opening, but what if another crocodile has entered the cave behind them? After what seems like an eternity, they finally see the light at the exit. They swim with their last breaths of air. This has been an extraordinary dive, hidden from the light. world above have been able to see how the crocodiles efficiently navigate through the labyrinth beneath the floating papyrus when winter ends, the crocodiles and their caves will disappear for Brad Andy and Vince.

This experience marks the beginning of a new and exciting journey after a lifetime. By exploring the channels of the Ocavango Brad has found a whole new world. He dares to enter the dangerous realm of the Nile crocodile and return with images no one has seen before. A tantalizing glimpse of the unique behavior that males may be using in caves. as mating territories or crocodiles could come here to feed moving unnoticed to basking areas on the shores looking at Brad's images he is basically taking our eyes under the papyrus. The crocodile's mission is unclear, but Brad and Andy's mission is that they will return to the caves. next winter to find out more spending time underwater with crocodiles has raised so many questions why are these crocodiles there?

They know these caves very well and what they are using them for how they navigate the caves I think diving with crocodiles and Filming them underwater at Like Vanguard has really opened a door to learning a lot more about the behavior. I see it more as a stepping stone into a completely new environment. There is much more to learn, much more to explore in this well-researched study. In our world, it's good to know that nature still holds some mystery, and for Brad and Andy, this enigma plays out in their own backyard, in the secret crocodile caves.