Boat Cruising on Yellow Waters

Today’s outing from Jabiru took us 57 km south to an area known as the Yellow Waters Billabong. It is one of the most famous areas within the Kakadu National Park.It gets its name from the distinctive yellow hue that appears on the water, particularly during certain times of the year. This coloration is primarily due to the presence of native yellow-flowering aquatic plants like the yellow bladderwort and the effect of sunlight reflecting off these plants and the surrounding wetlands.

We had a booking for a ninety-minute cruise that left at 11.30 am. The Lodge at neaby Coorinda runs six cruises on every day of the year. We had originally booked on a late afternooon cruise but that would have left us driving back to Jabiru in the dark and that is not advised because of the wild animals that roam after dusk.

The Coorinda Lodge website explains that about one third of Australia’s bird species are represented in Kakadu National Park, with at least 60 species found in the wetlands. Whistling Ducks and Magpie Geese are the most abundant.

We are now in the Dry Season, so it is not as wet and humid as in the Wet Season. As a result, water levels in the billabong are now quite low but the channel out to the South Alligator River is still open.The temperature today was, again, around 38C (unusually high) but this morning on the water it was aroiund 33C with a cooling breeze.

During the wet season, the surrounding flood plans woud be flooded up to a depth of 2 metres.

Our boat driver and guide was local Aborigine with an extensive knowledge of wildlife and a funny sense of humour. He also had a good eye and could pick out a crocodile before we could see it. We saw dozens along the river bank. Although the water in the billabong and river is fresh water, many of the crocodiles in these waters are actually Salt Water Crocodiles.

Most of the ones that we saw were on the small side but Salt Warter Crocodiles can reach lengths of more than 23 feet (6.5 m) and weigh over 2,200 pounds (~1,000 kilos). The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile on the planet and is a formidable predator. Big ones are capable of eating just about any animal that strays too close and they are particularly adept at drowning terrestrial creatures like birds and mammals.

The extremely powerful jaws of the saltwater crocodile are responsible for creating the strongest bite in the animal world. Their strong teeth can be up to four inches (13 cm) long. These two characteristics and the animal’s ability to hold its breath for long periods of time make it the perfect predator for hunting large land mammals.

Though they spend much of their time in the water, Saltwater Crocodiles must come ashore to warm up in the sun and to nest. Like all reptiles, they reproduce via internal fertilization, and females carefully look over their nests after laying a clutch of approximately 50 eggs. In addition to protecting their eggs from potential predators, females carry new hatchlings to nearby bodies of water so that they will not be harmed during that dangerous first journey and continue to protect the young for at least several months.