British expat shocked by Australian fisherman’s ‘stupid’ act with crocodile

A British expat visiting Far North Queensland has slammed a local for “stupidly” fishing just metres away from a large saltwater crocodile.

A British expat visiting Far North Queensland has slammed a local for “stupidly” fishing just metres from a large saltwater crocodile.

Tez Blackmore, from West London, captured hair-raising footage on Sunday of a man fishing on a river bank as a saltwater crocodile lay on the sand just a few metres behind him.

The fisherman in question was reportedly six-feet-tall. The croc appeared to be considerably larger.

A British expat caught this hair-raising image of an Aussie fisherman fishing just metres from a saltwater croc. Picture: Supplied.

“I’ve seen some stupid things in Australia, and some f***ing stupid people, but this takes the p***,” Mr Blackmore can be heard saying from behind the camera, as the fisherman’s rod begins to twitch as if he’s caught a fish.

“Look at that big f***ing croc on the beach. D***head’s fishing next to it … He’s probably twice as long as that f***ing person.”

In a separate clip, the fisherman can be seen casually walking past the large male crocodile.

Critics said the fisherman’s behaviour put both his life and that of the croc at risk.

Later, the man casually walked right by the croc. Picture: Supplied.

‘Stupid’ humans putting crocs in danger

Mr Blackmore didn’t reveal the exact location where the video was filmed. He said the clip showed a large male crocodile that was well-known in the local area — it even has a nickname — adding he was worried about its safety.

That’s because, when a crocodile is frequently spotted among humans, authorities may see it as a danger and remove or cull it.

“He’s a pretty big croc, and he’s not a nuisance, so the last thing I’d want is for anything to happen to him,” Mr Blackmore told Yahoo.

Queensland crocodile expert Tommy Hayes said he also knew the crocodile in the video and shared Mr Blackmore’s concerns.

“What the guy is doing in the video is beyond complacency, it’s f***ing stupidity,” Mr Hayes told the publication.

“Where he’s standing is maybe 10 or 15 metres from the crocodile. I’ve got goosebumps and not the good kind.”

Bob Irwin, father of the late Steve Irwin, called for harsh penalties after a slew of influencers were caught filming close encounters with crocs.

Influencers spark outrage with crocodile stunts

The video mirrors a series of similar incidents in which influencers filmed themselves intentionally venturing towards croc-infested waters.

Far North Queensland fishing Instagrammer Daniel Colombini, for instance, filmed himself jumping into the famously dangerous Tully River. In the video, Mr Colombini boasted about the act, captioning it: “Cliff jumping into croc infested waters.”

Alister MacPhee also survived a crocodile attack at the Bloomfield River, after reportedly filming himself while the attack occurred. His dog, Molly, was eaten by the reptile, which was later euthanised.

Bob Irwin, father of the late Steve Irwin, urged the Queensland government to bring in harsh penalties for those who take risks around crocodiles, saying he had seen a rise in high-risk behaviour among tourists and locals.

“The crocodile and his pet dog, Molly, have since paid the ultimate price for this individual’s blatant stupidity,” Mr Irwin said of Mr MacPhee’s crocodile attack.

“I might add, the crocodile spat Alister MacPhee out. But now he’s got a scar and a story to tell, and that story is attracting worldwide attention.”

Mr Hayes, too, called for harsher penalties for those who knowingly provoke wild crocodiles.

“Crocodiles are creatures of habit and they get used to humans. But they don’t trust humans because they’re friendly. They just know humans aren’t going to hurt them, so they’re waiting on that moment to strike,” he warned.

“It’s a natural behaviour caused by unnatural things. But that behaviour isn’t caused by the crocodile, it’s caused by humans.”

Originally published as British expat shocked by Australian fisherman’s ‘stupid’ act with crocodile