Top End photo of standing crocodile surfaces

Steve Timmons has reflected on one of the most bizarre experiences he had on the Adelaide River - watching a croc stand up on its back legs.

A former resident of Goat Island has told of his encounter with a standing crocodile - 20 years after he snapped a photograph of the marvel - after it resurfaced this week.

Steve Timmons, 69, was cruising down the Adelaide River in the early 2000s when he saw a crocodile sitting on the bank. 

“It was trying to reach something in a tree – a goanna or something – and we just happened to pull up,” Mr Timmons said.

“(The croc) was moving its way slowly to get in position and when the time came it just stood up – which I’d never seen before.

“I’ve seen them use their tail in the water to jump up, but I’ve never seen them move up like that on a mud bank.”

Mr Timmons said he was shocked by what he saw. 

“I said ’for f—ks sake, look at that’ – I nearly didn’t get the shot I was that amazed,” he said.

“We were just sitting there in the boat and I couldn’t look to see if I had got because it was slide (film), it’s not like digital where you can look at it straight away.”

Steve Timmons took this photo of the standing croc on the Adelaide river in 2001 or 2002.

World-leading zoologist Grahame Webb said he had not seen a crocodile hold such a posture before.

“It looks like the croc’s in shallow water and tried to jump up to get a feed in low tide and has been able to get enough propulsion from its tail to actually jump up even though it’s not completely in the water,” he said.

“It is unusual, if he was standing up I would say it was a very temporary thing – he would have collapsed down in the mud.”

Mr Timmons, now in Melbourne, said he had fond memories of the Top End and friends he would like to catch up with.

“It’s difficult for me to cope with the heat now but I do love going up there, I still have friends up there I’d like to see and if the opportunity arises I would certainly pop back in.”