A young female saltwater crocodile has been relocated to a wildlife park in Far North Queensland after being discovered in a pool at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort in Port Douglas. The crocodile, measuring 1.3 meters, was brought to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures on Saturday night and is expected to be named "Sheraton."

The incident began when a resort staff member spotted the crocodile during a routine patrol of the hotel’s pools. The sighting was reported to Queensland's Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI). Wildlife rangers quickly arrived to rescue the crocodile as guests gathered around the pool, and videos of the event circulated on social media.

Angela Freedman, the wildlife curator at Hartley's, expressed optimism about the crocodile's future. "I think she'll have a very good life, so fear not — well-fed, nice lagoon, handsome boys to hang out with in the future," she said. The crocodile will undergo a quarantine period before being moved to Hartley's Lagoon, where it will be part of the park's daily boat tours.

Hartley's operates under both a farming and wildlife license, allowing it to accept crocodiles in accordance with DETSI's management plans. Freedman noted that the department aims to relocate animals as close as possible to their original habitats. However, she explained that returning the crocodile to the beach was not feasible. "If you just simply popped it across the road, the crocodile would end up in someone else's swimming pool within a short period of time," she said.

Resort guest Lisa Essenhigh recounted her experience upon returning to the hotel. She noted that there was little buzz about the crocodile, with only "danger" tape around the pool indicating something was amiss. "We jumped up to the swim bar, grabbed a drink and we were on our way back to the edge of the pool and noticed some rangers in ranger uniforms with long poles and loops on the end," Essenhigh said. She described seeing the crocodile swimming in the pool and remarked on how quickly the situation was resolved, with some guests clapping before returning to their vacations. "We just thought it was hilarious. Only in Far North Queensland is this going to happen," she added.

Freedman explained that the crocodile's presence in the pool could be attributed to the breeding season, which occurs from September to February. During this time, male and female crocodiles become more aggressive as they search for mates and nesting sites. She estimated that the crocodile, likely around two years old, was displaced by larger crocodiles in its natural habitat. "It's probably just come up to try to find some safety, being a small crocodile," Freedman said.

Dr. Charlie Manolis, co-chair of the IUCN crocodile specialist group, noted that it is not uncommon for crocodiles to end up in unusual places, including pools. He explained that they can become disoriented and seek out any available water. "The chlorine wouldn't have hurt it — if it's good enough for your children, it's not going to hurt a crocodile," he said. However, he also mentioned the possibility of the crocodile being placed in the pool as a prank, referencing a similar incident in Darwin in 2011.

Crocodiles occasionally appear in unexpected locations during significant weather events in Australia’s tropical north. Heavy rains and flooding can wash them into urban areas, homes, and farms. For instance, during floods in 2023, residents in Ingham reported seeing crocodiles on streets and even in a drain pipe. In 2011, a crocodile was removed from a service station in Townsville after heavy rainfall.

Joseph Amerio, the manager of the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, confirmed that this was not the first time a crocodile had been found in the resort's pool, recalling a smaller crocodile discovered a decade ago. He emphasized that staff patrol the resort continuously and that there are permanent signs warning guests about the presence of crocodiles.