Don't Snorkel with a Saltie

The tropical waters of Australia's Queensland can be inviting to swim in but contain hazards, as Australian diver Marcus McGowan found out. He was snorkeling with his wife and friends near the remote Charles Hardy islands off the Cape York peninsula when he took a terrible hit in the head and thought a shark had bitten him. When he reached up, he felt a crocodile head.

Amazingly, he pried open its jaws enough to free his head, but it tried to grab him again. He managed to fend it off.

The boat crew rushed him to Haggerston, a resort island 45 minutes away, before he was helicoptered to a hospital. He was released after being treated for cuts and puncture wounds to his head and hands.

Known locally as "salties," these reptiles are found in the country's warmer northern regions and nearby PNG. Australia is home to about 100,000 saltwater crocodiles. They can grow to 19 feet long and weigh up to 2,200 lbs.