Women flee on canoes from ‘aggressive’ croc at Yorkeys Knob

Two women who paddled to a fisherman’s tinnie to escape an “aggressive” crocodile north of Cairns are shaken up but pragmatic after the encounter.

Two women are “shaken up” after an encounter with an aggressive crocodile north of Cairns. Picture: Generic

Two women who paddled to a fisherman to escape an aggressive crocodile north of Cairns are “shaken up” but “pragmatic” after the encounter.

Just after 9am on Sunday, two women in their late fifties and early sixties were paddling in their respective canoes in the ocean at Yorkeys Knob near a newly formed creek.

They saw what they thought was a turtle, but as it moved closer they realised it was a large crocodile.

Sue Lockwood, senior coach with the Hekili Outrigger Canoe Club, said the women, who are members of the club, became alarmed as the croc began to act aggressively.

“It didn’t lunge at them, despite what is being said on social media. It did raise its tail which is usually a sign of aggression,” Ms Lockwood said.

The women did become fearful and paddled their two 21-foot bright green and white canoes to a nearby fisherman in a tinnie, who followed them back in his boat as they paddled to beach.

They left their canoe on shore.

“We went back with a canoe with 12 people to make sure we would make enough noise to scare the croc away, and retrieved the two canoes,” Ms Lockwood explained.

“We had a posse on the water — and crocs don’t like human noise. There was safety in numbers so to speak. We didn’t see it. Most likely it was back into its habitat at that point.”

Sue Lockwood and friend Emma Morgan at the Australian senior master women's team to victory. Photo: IVF Va'a World Distance Championships 2023

Ms Lockwood notified the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service who turn said they had three reported sightings that day and were preparing to investigate.

Ms Lockwood added she thinks the croc is there because a new creek has formed down at Yorkeys Knob.

“Normally at this time of year, the crocs don’t come out of their habitat that much,” she said.

“But at the moment there is some debris at Yorkeys that has created a new little habitat for fish and this has meant fisherman are going there in their tinnies.

The crocs have realised ‘oh great, there is free food’.

“We don’t want to scaremonger, when a croc raises its tail it’s generally classified as aggressive behaviour — but it’s highly unusual to see that.

“I just think these ladies went near a croc when it was feeding and it has responded.”

She said the women were “very shaken up”.

“But anyone would be shaken up, but they are also very sensible and pragmatic about the whole thing, and it’s not going to stop them from paddling again.”

Originally published as Women flee on canoes from ‘aggressive’ croc at Yorkeys Knob