and carries them to the nearest water source. Within a few days the miniature crocs are able to hunt on their own but they remain with their mother for another five weeks.
Mini Godzillas It was difficult to see anything in the coffee-colored water but as soon as I threw a stone into the middle of the lagoon, a few pairs of eyes and bulbous noses broke the surface and swam towards us. This was clearly not a good place to go for a quick dip. Crocodiles aren’t the only sizable reptiles residing at Chinchorro. I managed to startle scores of meter long iguanas as I walked around the grounds here. The males are bright orange when stationary though they blend perfectly into the surrounding palms and mangrove trees. When they’re on the move, however, they crashed loudly through the brush like mini Godzillas.
Back at the shack, the croc
encounters continued. By mid afternoon we had been visited by four different crocodiles, thankfully not all at once. The final croc to arrive was a regular visitor nicknamed Gambit by the XTC dive masters. Although not the largest of crocs at just over 6.5 feet (2m), she was big enough to dominate most of her cousins. We were told that she regularly takes on animals far larger than herself. Consequently, the other crocs give her a wide berth. In contrast, she was extremely
cooperative around divers. I was able to position my large camera mere inches in front of her impressive jaws as she waited patiently to snatch an offered lionfish. It was almost too easy! At one point she left the security of the shallow sea grass bed and swam down to the sand near our feet. It is hard to say if she was interested
Left: Plenty of
croc encounters at this dive site!
Top: Chinchorro’s fringing reefs. Centre: Croc
viewing platform in the lagoon on Cayo Central.
Bottom: Mature Chinchorro iguanas can
grow more than 3 feet (1m) long
in us, or if she was just looking for more scraps. With a little gentle coaxing she returned to the grass but not before I snapped some pretty images of her framed against the rays of the late afternoon sun. After our third day of baiting
crocs, I was ready to trade in my hammock for a hot shower and a cold margarita. On the way back to Xcalak, I realized that I could easily become addicted to crocodile diving, but encounters are few and far between. I can’t think of another place where you’re guaranteed hours of swimming in the ocean crocodiles, and return home unscathed and with hundreds of amazing images. Chinchorro stands alone.
For more on diving the Xcalak area:
www.xtcdivecenter.com
For crocodile diving at Banco Chinchorro:
www.bigfishexpeditions.com
www.divermag.com 31
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