The Predator's Bay [Crocodile Documentary] | Real Wild

there is a place in Africa where to ancient predators come face-to-face the shark and the crocodile are usually worlds apart the two are forced to share the waters of cozy bay and compete for the same prize for many of the inhabitants this is a dangerous land for a young crocodile life is particularly challenging this is his story a journey into predator Bay [Music] this is crocodile heaven and a young male crocodile feasts on the local bounty greedy for the easy pickings he follows the shoals of fish into unfamiliar waters and unintentionally begins next to ordinary journey many dangers lie ahead he ventures further and further from his birthplace and swims into a series of strange habitats very different from where he was born extraordinary creatures inhabit the waterways predators prowl everywhere he falls the fish beyond the crocodiles well entering the domain of a dangerous rival another ancient hunter a super predator the shark [Music] this young male crocodile only weighs 25 kilograms and at almost 2 meters long he is still small and vulnerable his future is uncertain in fact he's lucky to have made it this far his adventure began five years ago on the day of his birth right from the start this little crocodile stood out from the rest he was the first of his clutch to hatch after 90 days cooped up in the confines of his egg he broke free leaving his 50 or so siblings behind by the time his 300 kilogram mother arrives he is already clear of the sandy nest she immediately starts to gather her family in her massive jaws only a few minutes old and the little male is already proving his independence while his siblings are safely tucked away behind a row of bone breaking teeth he begins to explore first challenge climb a mountain there that's eaten easy enough his mother's spots him and gathers him up for now his explorations are over but his adventure is only beginning with a fluoride to the water's edge yes mother must find a secluded nursery to safeguard her babies protected spots are in short supply in the lakes of predator Bay she finds what seems to be a suitable area but this pool is occupied and the owner doesn't appreciate the intrusion the female responds she opens her mouth and the young male and some of his siblings fall out and into the danger zone [Music] instantly the young male makes his escape and barely misses the jaws of death [Music] defeated by the older and more powerful female the mother must abandon the fool leaving her babies forever defenseless orphans in a dangerous world luckily little crocodiles are precocious from birth inheriting the instincts needed to survive as soon as they hatch it doesn't take long for the young male to master the crocodiles typical ambush hunting technique one large and his meal is safely clutched in tight jaws the insect sized prey will change to fish as he grows into a juvenile and if he makes it to adulthood he'll be powerful enough to catch an antelope but for now even he must take care not to become a pint-sized meal for the other ruthless hunters of predator Bay the two meter long Nile monitor eats anything it can catch and overpower and a 20 centimeter baby crocodile would be a palatable morsel [Music] instinctively the young male hides from anything bigger than himself there are other predators out follow G the water mongoose is a cat size hunter which stalks along the water's edge a baby crocodile is no match for this stealthy Prowler at the tender age of just a few months one of the top predators of predator Bay is at the bottom of the food chain only 2% of baby crocodiles survived to adulthood for now the young male crocodile is still in the running but this has set the pace for the adventure to come an adventure set in Maputo land on the northeast coast of South Africa here predator bay is geographically known as cozy bay an 18 kilometer long system made up of four interconnected lakes as the water flows towards the sea the habitats alternate between open lakes and they're linking channels and eventually spill into the Indian Ocean through a swirling estuary [Music] at the coast the kingdom of one dominant hunter ends and another begins not many crocodiles would dare cross enemy lines and into the stronghold of the oceans top predators sharks the tiger shark is the largest to patrol these reefs tucked away in its coral bunker this turtle is safe for now the tiger shark is partial to turtle meat able to get to it by crushing the shell with its powerful jaws but this time it will have to settle for a few scraps of fish the tiger shark may be the largest shark on the reef but there are other species as well vast shoals of hammerheads rise from the deep to feed on the inhabitants of the reef including stingrays and even other smaller sharks hammerheads are stealthy hunters but there is another shark that is far more aggressive and twice as dangerous the Zambezi its common name is bull shark maybe a more fitting description for its aggressive attitude a three metre long barrel of muscle spearheaded by a monstrous jaw triggered to attack the slightest provocation possibly the most feared and dangerous shark of southern Africa normally it is a solitary hunter but during this time of year the zambezi's gathering numbers at the mouth of the bay tolerating each other's presence because their attention is focused on what is to come the biggest feast of the year meanwhile 18 kilometres inland in the young crocodiles birth lake the reigning predator displays his power it's mating season in the breeding area and the big males make their presence known and they slap the water to frightened away rivals then Rumble and blow bubbles to attract the females these powerful heavyweights can reach over 5 metres in length and weigh almost a ton the young male is less than half their size a featherweight in comparison and he stays out of the way of the lethal jaws tension knots and tempers fray as more and more adults descend on the scene this is an encounter which the young male would do well to avoid at the first opportunity he leaves the battlegrounds he swims away from his birthplace and into unknown territory a wonder world where the tranquil waters teem with food a huge gathering of fish signaling the start of one of the greatest events of Cosi Bay the mullet run attracted by the bounty of food the young crocodile follows the shoals further and further from familiar waters he swims into the first channel a completely different habitat in comparison to the lake that was his home for the past five years [Music] the reeds here formed perfect nursery grounds for thousands of juvenile fish a thick mat of reeds impenetrable to the predators lurking in the waters of predator Bay the young crocodile is not interested in the small fry by this age he's graduated to eating larger fish for now his adventure seems to be easygoing but how long will the fun last focus on the pursuit of his newfound food he leaves the confines of the channel and enters cozy Bay's largest lake [Applause] a whole new world opens up before him a 37 square kilometer expanse of water that supports an incredible variety of wildlife this Lake has a distinctive set of hunters the African rock python is the largest of the snakes here it has the sneaky ability to creep up to potential prey even from underwater but seasoned hunters can make mistakes the young crocodile ventures further into the lake and finds a living larder to harvest the abundant shoals he hunts by ambush he needs to surface to swallow his catch for the young crocodile it's a moving feast more and more adult mullet gather in the waters below him in anticipation of the most important event of their lives their annual breeding time the mullet run to the sea a concentration of mullet like this one is a priceless commodity especially for the local communities fishermen set up their gill nets around the outlet of the lake right in the path of the migrating mullet the young crocodile is in hot pursuit of the mullet but the nets are indiscriminate barriers because they're a deathtrap to any wildlife that gets ensnared even Providence that was a near miss the young crocodile manages to avoid the Nets but he's heading on a collision course with modern technology the system and a danger to all wildlife of predator Bay conservation and traditional authorities are working together to try to keep both tribal and recreational fishermen under control and protect this world heritage site the young crocodile manages to swim away from the mayhem of nets and boat propellers it's time to warm up and he needs the Sun to raise his body temperature so he heads for the shore his arrival causes a bit of a stir with a local pond nut vulture from his Sun bed the young crocodile surveys an unfamiliar skyline an ancient forest filled with sights and sounds that the youngster has never experienced before colorful birds forage in the canopy and a beautiful insects decorate the plants the streams that feed into the lake are home to some tiny water dependent inhabitants of their own as always where there are fish there are those who snack on them the fishing spider uses the hairs in its legs to pick up the vibrations of approaching prey as soon as the Fisher's brought out of water the spider injects it with venom to paralyze it and dissolve the soft tissue within a few minutes later the spider is able to suck out the delicious fish soup a climbing perch is out and about although it has the reputation of venturing Overland hence the name it does prefer to live underwater slowly adventures into the spiders killing fields this could become a dangerous situation but there are no rules in predator bay here the hunters can easily become the hunted the spider leaves behind a bundle of 80 or so orphans fortunately like the crocodiles the baby spiders can look after themselves from the day they hatch improving their chances of making it through to adulthood oblivious to the drama unfolding within the forest the young crocodile enjoys the last rays of sunlight during the first evening hours and moon cast emerges from the woods but the theme remains the same hunt or be hunted night adders have an incredibly good sense of smell the snake tastes the air and homes in on the toad and makes a perfect strike swallowing a struggling toad three times the size of the snake's mouth is another matter but here nature has provided the snakes bottom jaw bow is made up of two sections connected by elastic like ligaments these stretch to accommodate the large prey after a meal this size the adder won't have to eat for at least another week as the air cools young crocodile returns to the insulating warmth of the lake water retains heat more effectively than air so the lake provides a warm blanket for a cold-blooded creature such as the crocodile his heart rate slows down to about 3 beats a minute in this state he'll be able to nap underwater for up to three hours at a time the night courses of Predator Bay announced the emergence of the nocturnal creatures many trees of the forest are laden with fruits and Warburg's epaulette at fruit bats awakened to feast on things the name of these pigeon sized bats originated from the white patches on their shoulders come to be hanging by its feet the bat picks a fig and holds it in hamster like cheek patches figure after faith even the fruit the size of a golf ball is systematically shredded by razor-sharp molars all the time hanging upside down in fact that spent most of their lives in this topsy-turvy manner and a simple maneuver avoids any embarrassing accidents fed to capacity and ablutions over time for some shut-eye as the Sun heralds the beginning of another day from the surface it seems a day like any other but beneath the waves of the incoming tide dark shapes loom closer and closer to the mouth of the bay without making so much as a splash the zambezi sharks infiltrate unnoticed into enemy territory the ester II of predator Bay and a zambezi's secret weapon a unique body in the shark world able to tolerate changes in salinity and capable of venturing far upstream into pure freshwater this ability gives them a clear advantage over the other sharks confined to the ocean here in predator Bay there's no competition from their close cousins and food is plentiful in this halfway house between river and sea the inhabitants of both worlds meet some come in from the open ocean others follow the channels and lakes from inland many of the reef fish live here all year round [Music] of course in predator Bay such a concentration of life means that hunters are always close by needle fish are so thin that they're barely visible against the surface they secretly move into position above the shoals and then dart in to snatch their chosen not all predators are so dynamic the anglerfish lies at the bottom well camouflaged against a rock he waves a feather like lure above his head hopefully a dinner invitation to a curious fish unfortunately this plan has serious flaws leaving his rear exposed to a curious shrimp the unexpected intrusion makes him retract his lure his luck changes when a shoal of small fry is forced to swim close to his rocky left inadvertently the tiny fish trying to flee from one predator swim straight into another's mouth about the anglerfish the waters of the estuary are getting crowded the first wave of mullet has arrived a mere foretaste of things to come like the Zambezi sharks the mullet can tolerate changing salinity they pause in the shallows of the estuary to gather their strength for the most important part of their journey the highlights of the mallet run spawning for now the fish have stopped in the heart of predator Bay vulnerable to the hunters that gather all around the Zambezi sharks blocking their way into the ocean and the young crocodile in pursuit over the last three weeks the intrepid young crocodile travelled some 15 kilometers finally catching up to the shoals entering into the estuary like the mullet and the Zambezi the crocodile can cope with the varying levels of salinity he expels assault from glands found on his tongue but there is more that the young crocodile needs to deal with now that he is in the estuary this is the tidal zone the boundary between Bay and sea and the strong tidal currents created by the rushing water buffered anything in their path as the tide recedes the mullet and other small fish hide in the tangled masses of broken branches which provide a barrier preventing them from being washed out to sea those that remain in the open are swept along the current dictating their path suddenly the barricade appears in front of them an impassable fence a trap the mullet had been caught in the labyrinth of 150 or so fish traps which fringe the estuary [Music] with the strong outgoing current preventing them from turning back the fish have no choice but to follow the fence at the end they find a gap and move through it seeking escape but their fate is sealed at low tide they'll be gathered for the fisherman's part while chasing the fish the young crocodile is caught in the same powerful current pushing him towards the fence the water flow who forces him along just like the fish before him closer and closer to the mouth of the trap at the last minute he turns and avoids being trapped but he's not free yet now he must search for a way out he finds what seems to be a break in the fence the need to escape is suddenly more urgent he forces his way through free at last and just in time unaware of his close encounter with a dangerous predator the fisherman walks along the same fence ten to the heart-shaped trap this fish trapped just like all the traps in cozy bay has existed for hundreds of years its position within the system has belonged to the same family through the generations and each family is responsible for the maintenance of the trapped and the gathering of its catch dutifully every low tide one of the family members raids out into the heart of predator Bay to harvest his catch this system of catching fish by exploiting the current is unique to this area and although a sizable catch is trapped during each receding tide the traps do not pose a serious threat to the fish populations many mullet a quart and thousands more make it through but they're still in the dangerous waters of predator Bay these waters are also the playground of tourists not even people are safe from the large predators that hide in these waters on a balmy evening in the summer of 1972 a young couple was enjoying the coolness of the shallows of the lake they were unaware that they were being watched [Music] a crocodile was immediately blamed but careful examination of the wounds revealed a startling fact the attacker was a Zambezi shark so in this lake environment always thought of as the kingdom of the crocodile do the two great hunters come face to face which is the top predator now at just under two metres long the young crocodile is no contender in this contest he knew best to keep out of the way of both mega predators of the bay especially the Zambezi shark he swims to Sean into the mangrove forest a foreign area two young crocodile he comes to rest among the up growing roots of the mangroves in the tree above a rock monitor waits for the tide to finish receding low tide exposes vast mud flats a perfect sun bed for a tired crocodile and although there's an intruder on their turf the peculiar residents of the area emerge into the open air after almost 12 hours confined in their underwater burrow thousands of crabs sift the mud for food before the tide returns the fiddler crab furiously shovels sand into its mouth to pick out any organic matter the much larger red mangrove crab looks for something a little more substantial - male fiddler crabs engage in a territorial wrestling match while the mangrove crab still scavengers for a meal with the mudflats expose the monitor wastes no time in patrolling the shore five years ago a rock monitor would have found the young crocodile a tasty treat but now if they were to meet the table's would be turned with the crocodile outweighing the monitor by 15 to 1 like the people of this region the monitor uses the tide to catch fish the little fish that are trapped in the remaining small pools make for an easy catch the monitors antics don't go unnoticed with so many fish-out-of-water the monitor picks them out like popcorn from a bowl boldly the crab joins in the feast finally it finds something to eat but things don't quite go according to plan fighting for its life the crab breaks away leaving a claw behind but this desperate effort is not enough a dear price to pay what was supposed to be a free meal the other crabs move a safe distance away only the claw remains to tell the sad tale and that too is soon consumed a quick wipe of the jaws and the little predator is ready for its next meal but it'll have to be a quick snack the tide is about to turn and soon his hunting ground will be under water once more just before the waters arrived the fiddler crabs tucked themselves back into their muddy bunkers by the time the waters creep over the mud flats the creatures of the mangroves are all in hiding a few hours later and there's no trace that they were ever there the rising tide reaches the young crocodile as well in the mouth of the bay the tide fills the 500 meter wide channel from shore to shore with his son bed under water the young crocodile moves off in search of another he ventures across the estuary with a maximum depth of 3 meters the waters here are quickly warmed by the Sun a sanctuary for a countless number of fish species including vast shoals of Natal Muniz with no large predators in sight this is real crocodile heaven [Music] [Music] he follows the sloping contours through the estuary across the mouth and into the shallows of the opposite shore a wonderful expanse of sun-baked sand and a potentially good sun bed back in the estuary the tide is almost at its highest and the current subsides the monotron comes to a temporary halt they mill about waiting for the tide to turn and rush out of the bay carrying them into the ocean where they can finally spawn in the mean time they take advantage of the s3's facilities inviting the Moonies to give them a quick makeover the smaller fish delicately pick off parasites and dead scales from the mullets bodies those in need of a more thorough service enlist the help of a full-time fish cleaner the cleaner wrasse and if its client stays still long enough an internal check of the gills is provided as part of the service once groomed the mullet wait for the strongest flow of the art going tide only then will the time be absolutely right for the final rung to spawn there are now many thousands of mullet congregated in the estuary but the action attract some unwanted attention the huge showings are so tightly packed that they provide a veritable feast for predators of all kinds even this rather haphazard method of hunting produces great results caught in the frenzy of the moment the fishermen ignore the dangers that might be lurking close to their feet the fishing trip ends well this time with high tide an ever-increasing number of predators coming from the ocean game fish such as trevallies moving to prey on the smaller of the mullet then the king of ocean hunters makes his entrance as an BZ shark cruises inland bold and confident large enough to bite the young crocodile in half if they were to meet underwater but the young crocodile remains on his Sun bed the frenzied mullet are now attacked from all sides [Music] they even become airborne to try to get away but for some there is no escape with great precision the zambezi's snare of fish at every bitin shows of smaller mullets employ the same flying technique to try to get away from the pursuing favelas [Music] not wanting to miss out on the action the young male cautiously slides into the water he crawls along the bottom hoping to keep out of the way of any Zambezi shark that might be about he watches as the other fish chased the mullet this way and that in contrast his approach to hunting is a little more laid-back he waits for the fish to come to him his well practiced ambush technique like all cold-blooded creatures he doesn't need to eat often but when the opportunity arises he gorges to capacity over and over the mullet try to escape the hungry presidents the zambezi Shawn targets a shoal of young mullet powering through the panic-stricken school a quick turn and the shark overshadows the crocodile aiming for the huge Shoals the shark ignores him a lucky reprieve for the young male the Zambezi moves towards the mouth of the history where the monitor gathering the tide has turned soon it'll be strong enough to carry them out to sea the attack intensifies as the gulls joined from the air they pick after fish herded to the surface by the Predators which chased them from below suddenly the conditions are perfect the tide is at its peak an endless stream of mullet raced towards the open sea carried by the strong current this is what they've been waiting for the final leg of the mullet run to spawn and still the Predators are hot on their trail the young crocodile among them the Sood from below the mullets leap out of the water to get away they have to make it through the waves to reach their spawning grounds and wait for divers for the Predators a night of feasting lies ahead lit by the moon the zambezi's circle the shoals of monitor finally the moment that makes the whole run worthwhile spawning preoccupied with a task of reading the mullet continued to make easy targets for the Sharks the young crocodile who joins in the feast dangerously out in the ocean beyond the waves of the shallows of the reefs thousands of mullet will fall prey to the hungry predators but by then their job will be done they will have laid the seeds for the future generation by morning it's all over the Malik run has come to an end the Predators have eaten their fill and the mullets fertilized eggs join the plankton soup that floats offshore for the surviving mullet it's time to return to the lakes they race back to the shallows eager to make the journey upriver away from the Predators of the bay they use the waves of the incoming tide to speed them along and surf into the estuary thousands and thousands of mullet returned to the inland waters after the frenzy of the night the shark slowed their pace to a comfortable patrol but then something at the surface catches their attention caught in the excitement of the night the crocodile swam too far off shore and into treacherous territory the kingdom of his most dangerous rivals the Sharks now without any mullet to distract them they pose a serious danger to the young crocodiles he must return to the safety of the beach he reaches the shallows but the incoming tide builds powerful waves the shark turns away from the breakers the lucky crocodile who fights the waves and the backwash eventually landing on the beach he lies there exhausted and shaken by the ordeal after all he's used to the calm protection of the waters of the lakes he's a little disorientated he hesitates instinct tells him to go back into water but the unwelcoming waves and the dangerous predators beyond leave him no choice [Music] he sets off in the opposite direction towards an unfamiliar habitat away from the comfort of the water ahead of him looms a huge obstacle a 30 meter high sand dune yet although the adventure of the past three weeks stretched over 20 kilometers he has traveled in an almost complete circle and now he's surprisingly close to home heaving himself off the sand he heads inland towards the doom a grueling Trek lies ahead of him this does not mean that crocodiles are incompetent walkers they're able to maintain a pace of 3 kilometers per hour for a short time but they tire easily over the doom and into the forest the dense undergrowth doesn't slow him down because his body is protected by an armor made of strong bony plates called scoops suddenly his sharp sensors pick up unusual noises instinctively he freezes blending in amazingly well with the forest floor the men from a local village are out on patrol to collect food if they're to find the crocodile they would kill and burn him they would not eat it but they need to destroy the body of a crocodile because they believe that the brain is a powerful ingredient used in black magic the footsteps of the hunters fade into the evening hours the crocodiles body cools with the reduced temperature of the night to conserve energy he lies still til morning by sunrise the sweet smell of the Lakes waters fill his nostrils he's home free against all odds he's made it through an exceptional journey back to the place where his adventures began by now the turmoil of the breeding season is over and the waters lap gently around the peaceful adults at last the young crocodile slides back into familiar territory after such a challenging initiation he is ready to face living within this float of praça dials but you'll have to wait another seven or eight years before joining the mating battles the young males determination and his sense of survival guided him through an amazing journey now he has the skill and experience needed to turn a place among the most formidable predators of predator Bay [Music]

Channel: Real Wild

Views: 5,503,080

Rating: 4.5084171 out of 5

Keywords: nature documentary, full documentary, documentary movie, baby animals, animals attack, big cats, wildlife documentary, english, discovery channel, national geographic, natgeo wild, Nature documentaries - topic, Animals - topic, planet earth, david attenborough, Funny, Animal, Video, Funny Baby Animal Video, Full Animal Documentary, crocodile, crocodile documentary, steve irwin, croc, croc documentary, reptile documentary

Id: sO0D7N5JNh8

Length: 49min 50sec (2990 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 07 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/420ferris]

Goddamn for a minute there I thought someone took a video of me eating crabs