Tourists flocking to the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria are putting their lives at risk by swimming and fishing in the natural habitat of saltwater crocodiles, a local council warns.
Despite bright yellow warning signs in the remote coastal village of Karumba, 71 kilometres from Normanton, a local laws officer has spent recent weeks persuading tourists out of the ocean.
Carpentaria Shire Council chief executive Mark Crawley said often people were found waist-deep in the water.
"People are ignoring the signs and going for a swim and that's just providing the appetite for the predatory animals," Mr Crawley said.
The waters off the coastal village are a popular spot for fishing, and fishers regularly dump filleted fish near the shoreline which attracts larger predators.
"Crocodiles have been eating those and now they're coming and asking for more," Mr Crawley said.
Other apex predators spotted in the Gulf's waters include bull sharks and tiger sharks.
With a population of just over 500 people, Karumba's closest major hospital is in Mount Isa, 568 kilometres away.
If anyone were to be attacked by a crocodile, they would need to be flown by the RACQ LifeFlight helicopter or the Royal Flying Doctor Service to the hospital.
"That's a concern as well, directly, because you know, we are a bit [far] away from a major trauma centre," Mr Crawley said.
There has only ever been one fatal crocodile attack in the Gulf of Carpentaria, dating back to 1986.
However, wildlife researcher Erin Britton said the likelihood of a crocodile attack continued to the longer an area went without an incident.
"We've found that the vast majority of crocodile attacks are occurring because locals feel quite comfortable with interacting with crocodiles in the environment and they're taking far more risks," she said.
Crocodile population growing
Crocodile hunting was a popular pastime following World War II and in 1952, the Australian Crocodile Shooters' Club established a permanent base in Karumba.
The species' population declined significantly and in 1974, the Queensland government legalised the protection of both the saltwater and freshwater species.
Mr Crawley said the protection of crocodiles had led numbers to rise.
"I've seen reports recently in relation to the fact that they're now coming further inland looking for food, so they're actually getting further away from their own natural habitat."
