Fisherman's simple safety tip to spot hidden underwater dangers: 'A must'
A fisherman who had a close encounter with one of Australia's most formidable predators revealed the single item all Aussies need to protect themselves while exploring Aussie waterways.
Matty Carpenter was fishing near the Herbert River, close to Ingham in Far North Queensland, when he looked down at the water to discover that he was not alone. A 3.5m crocodile was lying beneath the surface eyeing him up as he was about to cast his line.
The only reason Matty was able to spot the inconspicuous croc was with the polarised sunglasses he was wearing. Without them, all that could be seen was the glassy surface of the water. "Without the polarised sunglasses, I would not have seen it," he told Yahoo News.
Posting footage of the stark contrast between what can be seen with and without the glasses shows just how important taking simple safety measures is in croc country.
Matty told his followers on social media the big croc was "definitely" eyeing him off as a meal, pointing out that you "can't be complacent" in Far North Queensland.
Matty, who spends a lot of time fishing out on the water, adds that the same can be said for oceans due to their ability to cut through glare and increase visibility near water. "They are a must on the water either out on the ocean or the creeks for that glare," he said.
Speaking about the croc encounter, Matty told Yahoo he was walking up a small creek that leads to the much bigger Herbert River, casting lures and chasing after two types of fish: Sooty Grunter and Jungle Perch.
Usually, he only sees the slide marks left behind by crocs since most crocs are "wary" of humans. "Most of the time I see them as they hit the water as soon as they see or hear you," he explained. But this time was different.
"As I got closer to the Herbert, knowing it is crocodile country, I decided to get up a bit higher and walk on top of one of the banks," he explained. His glasses helped improve his visibility, so he could get a "bird's eye view of any fish I could cast to".
"After walking a short distance through the bush lining the bank, I looked down to see the crocodile staring straight at me," he said.
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Matty stopped to get out his phone and snap some photos of the incredible scene. "After staring at each other for a while the crocodile slowly submerged and headed off downstream," he said.
Matty thought nothing of the interaction until a short distance later, through his glasses, Matty spotted what he believed was the same croc right beside him on the river bank.
"I walked another short distance only to notice the crocodile lying under the water next to the bank in the shade," he said. "This time without the polarised sunglasses I would not have seen it."
Matty points out that the croc was far away from humans and homes, and in sharing the encounter he merely wanted to highlight the incredible abilities of the glasses.
"The best way to stay safe I've found is just being alert and not complacent," he said. "It's easy to be overconfident when you don't see them but I've definitely noticed an increase in numbers and encounters over the 30 years I've explored my area."
The fisherman isn't the first Aussie to hail the benefits of polarised sunglasses. Previously, croc expert and avid fisherman Tommy Hayes told Yahoo he never goes anywhere without his polarised glasses.
"You can see fish way better. When you look at the water, it takes that shine off and you can literally see straight to the bottom," he said. "Polarised sunnies, of course they can make a massive difference. Potentially they are a very simple safety measure."
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