Man enters waters of Changi Beach -- only to see 1.9m-long crocodile

Stomper Kiki had a close encounter with a crocodile at Changi Beach at around 3pm on Sunday (Aug 19).

The Stomper said he had been fishing in the area when a passer-by told him about the creature sighting.

However, as he did not see anything, he went ahead into the water anyway.

"My body was already halfway in the water when I saw something floating," Kiki told Stomp in a phone interview.

"I realised that there was indeed a crocodile. It was 1.9 metres long and had a long mouth. Actually, it looked exactly like the one that was recently spotted in Pasir Ris.

"A boatman shouted at us not to swim and to get out of the water."

The National Parks Board (NParks) had earlier responded to two previous crocodiles sightings in Pasir Ris, both of which occurred during the first week of August.

The crocodiles were identified as estuarine/saltwater crocodiles, which are known to swim freely in the Straits of Johor.

They feed and rest in mangroves and freshwater bodies, and are usually found in the water or at mudflats away from visitor routes.

Group director of NParks, Mr Chia Seng Jiang, had at that time told Stomp that the sightings were being monitored and would "take steps to translocate the crocodiles, should they continue to venture into publicly-accessible areas".

Responding to media queries, he said in a statement to Stomp:

"Should park visitors encounter a crocodile, they should stay calm and back away slowly. They should not approach, provoke, or feed the animal. If they need help, they should call the NParks helpline at 1800-471 7300.

"More information on estuarine crocodiles can be found on NParks' website."