Crocodile at Ranganthittu National Bird Sanctuary. Karnataka, India.

I was at Ranganthittu bird sanctuary with my family and we were taking a boat tour of the lake. The lake is dotted with small rock outcroppings on which a small forest of island trees have developed. Thousands of migratory birds come here every year and many local animals, including this big guy make their home here to feed on baby birds, adult birds, deer, etc. This croc was sitting about fifteen feet from the boat and I thought it was a rubber replica put out for tourists. He was so motionless and absolutely stunning in detail and beauty. He was so well defined and clean that I really thought he was a fake dummy put out for effect. I was just about to ask the boatman to pull closer so I could get out of the boat onto the outcropping and get closer to take a picture when suddenly this 15 ft. croc moved, looked at me, and then slid away into the water on the other side. I didn't have time to recompose myself and get a good shot, but this is what I got. My eagerness to get a picture might have cost me my life on this one. I was ithcing to get a tightly cropped shot of his head and nice teeth, but failed. Oh well...that is life, time to invest in a Canon EF 70-200 f4.0L lens and go again!

Any comments welcome. I would like to go back to this area and

photograph crocodiles. Any suggestions and tips would be useful.

 

Thanks,