Three-Metre Crocodile Sighting Closes Popular Townsville Beach

The sighting of a three-metre-long crocodile pushed lifeguards to close a popular Townsville swimming locale on Sunday.

The large reptile was initially seen perusing Strand Park jetty on Sunday morning, before gravitating closer towards the local rock pool by mid-day.

“It has been a quiet Summer and would be getting close to a year since [The Strand’s last crocodile sighting],” said Surf Lifesaving Queensland's North Barrier Branch Supervisor, Russell Blanchard.

“It’s not unusual, they do cruise past on a semi-regular basis,” he said, “it’s generally in the cooler months.”

The Department of Environment and Science, who were investigating the situation, said that this occasion marked the fifteenth problematic crocodile to have been reported in the Townsville area within the last month.

The incident followed the sighting and removal of a four-and-a-half-metre-long crocodile from Cairns' Newell Beach last week.

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