A woman who filmed herself swimming at a famous crocodile-infested beach has been criticized by Australians for the reckless act of stupidity.
Tarlia Merau uploaded a clip to TikTok last week showing her entering the water at Palm Cove Beach, near Cairns in far north Queensland.
Ms Merau said she ignored crocodile warning signs because she “couldn’t resist” taking a dip at the beach.
“An elderly couple walked past me and said, ‘You’re brave,'” he said.
But Ms Merau admitted in the video that while she had no problem swimming in oceans where there are sharks, she did not want to swim with crocodiles.
Social media users criticized the daredevil swim in the comments on the video.
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” one wrote.
“There are so many other beaches to swim at and you choose to swim at one in Cairns which is normal, not to mention the risk of crocodiles,” another person wrote.
“Now that’s taking risk to the next level,” added a third.
Tarlia Merau (pictured) uploaded a video to TikTok last week showing her entering the water at Palm Cove Beach near Cairns in North Queensland.
Ms Merau said in the video that she is trying to get used to the beach and said she really wanted to go swimming.
“The water is so warm here, how could it not be?” he said.
Palm Cove Beach is located within ‘Croc Country’, which are areas designated as crocodile habitat.
These areas extend from the Boyne River, near Gladstone, to the far north and far west of Queensland.
It also extends to parts of the Northern Territory.
Visitors to Far North Queensland beaches and waterways are urged to be aware of crocodiles to reduce the risk of harm, including paying attention to crocodile warning signs.
In September 2020, a nearly three-meter-long crocodile ate a dog on the city’s popular beach, sparking concern among locals.
Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DESI) officials conducted an investigation following the incident.
Palm Cove Beach is located within ‘Croc Country’, which are areas designated as crocodile habitats (stock image)
Warning signs were immediately placed on the ocean shores and a crocodile trap remains in place.
Crocodiles are found in multiple tourist trap locations in Australia, including oceans, beaches, rivers, streams and waterholes.
They are masters at hiding and can stay underwater for over an hour, with fearsome predators being most active at night, dusk and dawn.