A local council in the Northern Territory is urging swimmers to stop removing warning signs from Katherine hot springs after a reported sighting of a saltwater crocodile earlier this week.
During a routine inspection on Wednesday, a council worker discovered three “terrified” swimmers who believed they had seen a crocodile’s tail sweep past them.
“Our staff then advised the rest of the people in the closed pools to exit the water,” said Katherine Town Council chief executive Ingrid Stonehill.
Police were called to assist with the evacuation, but determined no further action was necessary upon arrival.
In a Facebook post, the council stated the sighted animal may have been a saltwater crocodile — considered more dangerous than freshwater species — based on advice from Parks and Wildlife experts.
Warning signs ignored and removed
The Katherine hot springs, which are fed by an underground aquifer, are a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike.
Each wet season, the springs are closed when they connect with the crocodile-inhabited Katherine River.
Due to late-season rains this year, the springs have remained closed longer, and murky water conditions have complicated the council’s crocodile surveys.
Despite the closures and warning signs — including new “croc reported” notices — many swimmers have been bypassing the chain fences to enter the pools.
“We can’t fully barricade it, but the signage is clear,” Ms. Stonehill said.
The council’s bigger concern, however, is that people are removing the warning signs, putting other, potentially unaware visitors at risk.
Ms. Stonehill said they had to print large quantities of signs to keep up.
“If you choose to ignore the sign, that’s your decision. But don’t remove it and put others in danger, especially tourists unfamiliar with the area,” she said.
As caravans start arriving for the dry season, Katherine is expecting hundreds of thousands of tourists, most en route to nearby national parks.
Two crocodile sightings in one day
The same day as the hot springs incident, a crocodile was also spotted at the Low Level section of the Katherine River by local fisherman Sam Klitogiannis.
“I just went down to fish and saw a croc sunning itself on the opposite bank,” Mr. Klitogiannis said, noting he was surprised to see what he believed was a saltwater crocodile.
“I’ve seen freshwater crocs there before, but never a saltie — and it was a decent size,” he said.
He watched the crocodile slip back into the water, reinforcing his view that swimming in the area was extremely risky.
“I live here and I wouldn’t get in that water. It’s crazy,” he said.
“As a fisherman, I know they can hide under your boat for hours before surfacing.”
Now that the river levels have dropped, the council hopes to reopen the hot springs soon.
Their policy requires five consecutive surveys without any crocodile sightings — including night checks using torches to detect eye reflections — before reopening the site.
“We’re eager to reopen, but we have a duty to ensure it’s safe,” Ms. Stonehill said.
