Crocodile spotted near Port of Airlie | Whitsundays News | Local News in Whitsundays

A SALTWATER crocodile has been spotted in Muddy Bay this week.

Port of Airlie environmental officer Dan Blunt saw the 3.5 metre estuarine croc at the southern end of Muddy Bay about 11am yesterday.

Mr Blunt was in a 4.2 metre boat when he spotted the croc about 100 metres away.

He said the reptile, which swam toward the boat and came up for air about five times, was a "pretty good size".

The crocodile has also been seen sleeping on the mud flats in the past few days.

It was the second crocodile to be spotted in the Whitsundays in the past few weeks with one also being seen at Coral Beach recently.

The Environmental Protection Agency has urged residents to obey warning signs and never swim where the reptiles may live.

The agency's website recommends people should never clean fish or discard scraps near the waters edge, never stand on logs or branches overhanging the water and stay well away from any crocodile slide marks.

It also states boats and vehicles must never be brought within 10m of an estuarine crocodile, never feed crocodiles, and people should be more aware of crocodiles at night and during the breeding season, from September to April.