Original subtitles

Australia, the Northern Territory.

Today we're headed out on a river known as the Adelaide

River, arguably one of the most dangerous rivers on the planet.

The reason for that?

It's inhabited by a prehistoric-looking creature

known as the saltwater crocodile.

And our goal today is to see whether or not

we can find a giant salty by the name of Dominic,

and to answer the question whether or not a human could

swim from one side of the Adelaide River to the other

without being eaten.

Oh.

I have a feeling the answer to that is no.

We're going to find out anyways.

Saltwater crocodiles are without question

the most dangerous non-venomous predator in Australia.

And on a yearly basis, several people

who get too close to the water's edge

are attacked and brutally killed.

In the Adelaide River specifically,

hundreds of these voracious dragons

haunt the murky water, which means falling in

would almost certainly be a death sentence

and my last episode ever.

Sorry, guys.

No croc river cannonball challenges on this episode.

But don't worry.

By the end of today's adventure, we

are going to convince this kid, Jack,

a fan of "Brave Wilderness," to enter the cage of death with me.

Doesn't he look excited?

OK, back to the first part of our mission.

Today's little river voyage is being led by Dylan and Sean.

As croc tour experts, they know where

the reptiles tend to hang out.

And our goal is to display how fast, agile, and powerful

these animals can be.

Here's the thing.

The water is incredibly murky.

You can't see any more than an inch beneath the surface.

There could be crocodiles all underneath this.

But at the moment, we're just not seeing them.

Oh, got one coming straight towards us.

Yeah, we'll get him up on the mud right here.

A small female, this crocodile

has wasted no time showing off how fast she

can move in thick, gloppy mud.

And because I can read your mind,

I know what you're wondering.

What would happen if a human fell or jumped into this gunk?

The answer?

They would immediately sink waist deep

and become a very easy meal.

Like Dr. Grant said in "Jurassic Park,"

"You are alive when they begin to eat you."

So, you know, try to show a little respect.

Whoa!

Oh, she come the chicken.

He's like, yep, I'm taking the chicken.

I'd say that's probably the tactic moving forward.

That was excellent.

Those were some awesome shots.

OK.

Our first big saltwater crocodile of the day.

I don't think it's the Dominator,

but it is a very impressive reptile.

Due to the daily croc tour boats that travel this section

of the river, these reptiles know that the sound of a boat

means an easy snack.

Nice try, girl.

Seems counterintuitive when it comes to croc safety,

but it's a valuable education for anyone

that takes one of these tours.

Because witnessing the speed and power of a salty in person

helps the reality of danger to set in.

In Australia, it's called being "crocwise."

And trust me, once you see a crocodile in action,

you truly garner a new level of respect.

I got your chicken.

Yep.

Stole the chicken.

Now that we have seen the speed and jaw power of our first two

crocs, let's talk about the mathematical odds

of surviving a little dip in the Adelaide River.

So Dylan, how far is the distance across this river?

So it'd be about 200 meters long, I'd say.

Yeah.

OK.

For us to do feet, that's roughly about 700 feet

from one side to the other.

So somebody like Michael Phelps, do you

imagine that he could swim across this river

and not be eaten by a crocodile?

Chances are incredibly slim, I would say,

but they're not zero, OK?

If he was to just full swim as hard as he could,

I doubt he would make it, because he'd just

be making too much noise, too much

attention will be drawn to him.

OK.

So splashing is going to draw the crocodiles in.

And the worst thing you could do is more splashing.

The worse it's going to get.

So, I'd advise to swim under the water, slow pace,

don't go too fast.

Otherwise, you're just going to keep attracting them.

Yeah.

But in the end, chances are pretty much

zero to swim across this river.

So the crocodiles are going to outswim the speed of a human.

And for every crocodile that we see

at the surface, how many do you imagine are beneath the surface?

In the area, there's usually

would be about five others hiding

around the area under the water, on banks,

mangroves, stuff like that.

What have we learned so far?

Well, if you are paying attention,

we know that if a human were to fall into this river,

it's not likely they are going to outswim a crocodile,

even if that human is the fastest

swimming human on the planet.

We also learned that it's not so much the crocodiles

you see that are going to get and rip it to pieces.

It's the half dozen or so that you don't see.

Kind of like Sneaky, one of the biggest crocs on record

who is famous for showing up out of nowhere.

Oh, we got another little crocodile here.

Oh, that's a tiny one.

He's going Olympics.

Oh, tiny crocodiles can fly.

Yeah, there he is.

He's going to launch for it.

Oh, here comes the big boy.

That's Sneaky.

That's Sneaky?

Yes.

So we've just come up on a crocodile named Sneaky who

was famous for going beneath the surface,

blowing bubbles, concealing himself,

and then he springs out of the water.

You see him?

He's close.

Oh, cool.

He's gone under the boat.

Here he comes.

There he is.

Whoa!

My god, he's huge!

Holy mackerel!

That is a big crocodile.

Wow!

That's the biggest saltwater crocodile I've ever seen.

What a beast.

The unofficial estimate on Sneaky's length

is around 18 feet.

And he likely weighs over 1,500 pounds.

And if you're curious, a crocodile of this magnitude

has a bite force that would measure nearly

3,500 pounds per square inch.

That, my friends, could pop a human head like a ripe grape.

A behemoth like Sneaky is a prime example

of what makes this river one of the most dangerous

locations in Australia.

End up in his jaws and it's game over.

OK.

There's a big difference between that crocodile

and the other crocodiles we've seen today.

I like how he moves real slow if he--

he's just kind of teasing.

And then it's amazing how quick it can move when it needs to.

So, if they were to grab you from the surface

and go under, what do you try to do?

Shove your hand down its throat or poke it in its nostrils?

Yeah, that's pretty solid, huh?

When we came up on him originally,

just his little eyes and nose were up out of the water.

It was impossible to tell how big

this animal was until it came up to the surface like this.

Wow.

It is so big.

This is definitely the largest saltwater

crocodile I've ever seen in the wild, no question about it.

It is a dinosaur.

It is a living dinosaur.

Do you think I could throw the drone up?

You guys have enough--

Yeah, sure.

Ooh!

That's awesome.

Big crocodile coming up on the side of the boat here.

You think he's about 40 years old?

Wow.

Oh, he's good-looking.

Oh, it almost went right into the boat.

That was a good jump.

Oh, yeah, he's honed in on it.

Do better than that, big boy.

Come on.

Whoa!

That was a jump right there.

Who's faster?

Dylan or the crocodile?

Hanging on to that.

Oh, right here.

Oh.

Oh, that was sweet!

Beautiful.

He was up there.

So I think it goes without saying

we have answered the question.

The odds of a human being able to swim across the Adelaide

River, pretty much zero.

Pretty much, yeah.

And the ultimate warning there is that you would never

want to enter any environment where saltwater

crocodiles are present.

But there is one place in Australia where you can safely

get into the water with them.

In 2019, while filming our Animal Planet series

"Brave the Wild," the team and I visited the only place

in Australia where you can safely enter the water

with salties, Crocosaurus Cove.

So being back in Darwin, we had to visit a second time.

And you know what's better than seeing

me face to face with a salty?

Seeing a member of the Coyote pack doing it.

Meet Jack.

He recognized me in the gift shop

and we said, "Hey, Jack, want to be in an episode?"

And before he knew it, we were getting

into the water with crocodiles.

Yeah, probably should have mentioned that up front.

I think he's a little nervous.

Here he comes!

Insane how big it is.

Nose to nose with a saltwater crocodile.

Look at the size of his teeth.

Impressive, huh?

It's like a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

How does it feel?

Nerve-wracking. Yeah?

Yeah.

Our entire upper bodies could fit

into the mouth of this animal.

Oh, man, he's looking right at you.

That is so cool.

Nice!

Oh, boy.

Oh, jeez!

This is the coolest part of the experience.

You're going to start seeing him chomp.

Come on, big guy.

Look at those teeth.

Whoa!

That was sweet!

Here we go.

Pretty impressive, huh?

Yeah.

Look how methodical he is.

OK.

This sort of enrichment for the animals

is really, really important.

It's keeping them active.

It's rewarding them for coming over and really giving people

the chance to see these animals up close and in person

like this.

When they're in hunting mode, that entire back

would be submerged beneath the surface

and you just see those eyes and the little tip of that nostril.

Oh, it's a crab.

Holy cow.

Look how big this thing is.

That is the biggest crocodile that they have here.

And Jack and I got the chance to literally

put our noses next to its nose.

How was it?

Oh, man.

It was awesome!

But I'll let Jack recount his experience

before we get out of the tube.

What was it like, buddy?

Terrifying but awesome at the same time.

Oh, we had some good jumps.

I mean, Jack was literally nose to nose at a couple

of points with the croc.

Huge teeth right up in his face.

I think we got some pretty awesome shots.

Cool. You guys ready to get out?

I think we're ready to get out, dry

off, and wrap this episode up.

Cool.

I'll let the ladder get in and let you get out.

See you later, buddy.

Jack is not a man of many words,

but we had an absolute blast meeting him and his family.

Just as awesome as I remembered it, getting the chance

to be face to face with the saltwater crocodile

is an experience you can only safely

have here at Crocosaurus Cove.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

Even though we never caught sight of the Dominator,

it's clear to see why the saltwater crocodile is

a formidable predator and a real threat to human safety

in the wilds of Australia.

That said, being crocwise can help to keep you safe

and keep these animals from becoming the victim

of human-wildlife conflict.

Crocodile warning signs are posted nearly everywhere

in the Northern Territory.

Pay attention and be smart.

Stay out of the water and stay alive.

It's been a rainy morning, but we've got a call.

Lockie, where are we headed?

We're headed out to the back

of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to a house

where we've just got a call.

They've seen a fairly large snake inside the house.

It's generally a pretty good area for brown snakes, this one.

So very, very likely it could be a big brown snake.

OK.

So we're finding the Eastern brown snake.

We're talking about the second most

venomous snake in the world.

Exactly right.

So this is by far the most dangerous snake.

The reason for that, they live around people.

They are responsible for the vast majority of deaths

in this country each year.

What is it that you instructed the people at the house

to do in this situation?

So, generally, the best thing that we ask people to do

is to contain the snake.

If they close the doors, they put a towel underneath the door

so the snake can't get from one room to the next,

we have an idea of where the snake's going to be.

We know it's still there, and we can stay there until we find it.

This is it.

All right.

So what's the typical protocol?

Grab the gear, get in there,

find out where they saw it last. OK.

And let's go for it. - Here we go.

Before it moves. - OK.

Got the tubes.

I'll take this as well as backup.

All right, let's do it.

Knock, knock.

Hey, come in.

Where'd you see it?

Perfect. All right.

Pretty tight in here. - Yeah.

We'll go in.

We'll try and find it.

And then let's try and restrain it

once we get out here in a little more open space.

The great thing is that we know

which room supposedly it's in.

Just check this before we go back past it.

OK.

We don't want to go past the room

and then have it pop out behind us.

Yeah, that's a good call.

So this is the perfect thing that we want people to do.

Now at least we've got a good idea that it's

probably in this room.

Good? Yup.

All right, go for it.

You can already see a few things have been knocked

down by the looks of it.

Look at how this is sitting up.

Yeah, I can see it moving.

You see it moving? Oh, you think it's--

It's moving. It's under the carpet.

There's something under there. All right.

What do you reckon? Should we go for it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Man, this is-- I'm sweating.

This is really tight quarters.

What's it going to be?

What's under the rug?

Let's see what we've got here.

It's a brown snake.

Oh, it's a brown snake.

It's a brown snake. Here he comes.

Holy cow. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's go for it, shall we?

Yeah, yeah. - All right.

I'm going to pull this back quickly.

OK.

And then we'll see what we've got.

Oh, here it is.

You can see he's already very much onto us.

He's pretty wired.

He's going.

I'm going to go for it.

He's hooked around this.

I'm going to--

All right.

I'm just going to back my way out.

Get out of the way.

Whoa!

He's pretty good.

You got some tubes? Yep, yep, yep.

Yeah, I'd say get it up against the wall there.

I'll try and walk him along the wall straight into the tube.

I think that'll do well.

He goes right into that corner.

All right, Coyote. Grab, grab.

- Yep. - Well done.

Well done. You got him?

Yep. Well done.

Beautiful. OK.

All right.

Oh! Great job.

Woo!

Tight spaces and brown snakes.

Nicely done.

Holy mackerel.

OK, let's move to this back porch here.

We've got a little bit better lighting.

And we'll take a better look at this Eastern brown.

What a catch.

Any time you hold on to a snake that is this venomous,

you just have to stop and remind yourself that you're essentially

holding on to a loaded gun.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is the Eastern brown,

the second most venomous snake species in the world.

Now, this is a true brown snake, and they

do get bigger than this.

And you can see the beautiful brown coloration on that snake's

head right there.

It is very in tune with this situation.

It recognizes the cameras, recognizes me,

recognizes the fact that it's inside of a tube.

And the reason for the tube is it keeps me safe,

keeps the snake safe and, of course,

keeps the entire camera team safe.

This is the best way for us to interact with this snake

and take a close look at some of its cool features.

You can see it flicking its tongue out there.

It's just sensing the environment.

We're in a residential area.

You may be saying to yourselves, Coyote,

don't animals usually try to avoid human habitation?

Not the case with this snake.

In fact, the brown snake population

has increased since humans have moved

into environments like this.

And the reason for that is that more humans mean

more potential prey species.

This snake specializes in eating rodents.

Where you have humans, you're going to have food scraps.

Food scraps means more vermin.

So this snake looks at a house like this

that's low to the ground, has stone floors.

And it does not see a house.

It just sees a maze of potential prey opportunities.

Another reason people often encounter this snake

is that it's a diurnal species.

Look at those big eyes.

These snakes have incredible eyesight.

And if the snake's moving around during the day hunting,

at the same time humans are moving around doing

their day-to-day activities, you understand why encounters

are much more frequent.

And these things are fast, one of the fastest

snake species here in Australia.

And the strike speed is uncanny.

You take one bite from the snake and you're

dealing with a neurotoxic venom that

is almost certain to kill you if you do not receive antivenom.

Just because the snake can be considered deadly,

it's more so considered dangerous, right?

Because of the antivenom production

that is being done here in Australia,

very few people die from snake bites,

specifically snake bites from this species.

But it's dangerous because of its close proximity

to human habitation.

The more times you have humans around an area

where there's going to be snakes,

the more chances you will have of bites occurring.

Whether it's on the feet, on the hands, or any part of your body,

if you are unfortunate enough to run into this snake

and you receive a bite, trust me,

it's going to be a really bad day.

Now, in an instance where you were to come into your bathroom

and see a snake and say to yourself, "Oh, no way, buddy.

This is my bathroom.

I'm going to have to eliminate you."

You try to kill a snake like this,

it's only going to increase your chances of being bitten.

So the right thing to do is always

call a local authority, somebody like Lockie who can come in

and safely remove the snake and put it back out into the wild.

Oh, buddy, it's a good thing that we came across you first

because we're going to actually save you and move you to a much

more remote location where hopefully there will be plenty

of food sources and you will not find

yourself in any sort of danger.

But there you have it.

The work that Australian Wildlife

Encounters is doing on a daily and weekly basis

put to the test.

Quick, efficient, and the snake and the humans

are walking away completely safe.

Last step is to get it into a bag

so we can transport it to a more wild location.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

All right, Lockie, you want to come in with the bag?

Get him in here.

I'm going to bring this down low.

Get him in slowly.

Yep.

And then let him feed in, keep this bag high.

There we go. - Woo!

Snake in the bag. All right.

Let's get this tied up.

Yep.

Let's move him around.

That is like the ultimate snake

that we could have possibly come across.

All right, we're going to get this snake into a wild location

and this little danger noodle is ready to go.