Boats could also scare the whale further downstream where the river narrows, increasing its chances of becoming stranded, which according to Dr Carol Palmer, a marine ecosystems scientist for the NT Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is when a croc would strike. ‘The whale looks to be in good condition. As long as that remains the case it’s not something a crocodile would even be capable of attacking. It’s just way out of a crocodile’s world,’ Dr Palmer told ABC News. ‘But there’s no way we can lift a 12-15 metre whale off a sandbar and that’s potentially when the crocs would kick in, cause it’s an easy feed for them.’ @mattcherub