A viral video circulating on social media shows a startling sight: a hand appears to reach out from the middle of the sea. The video, with a voice-over, suggests that this is a saltwater crocodile pretending to drown in order to lure humans to help, before attacking them.
At first glance, you might think the hand looks more human than crocodilian. However, the voice-over makes it clear that the creature in question is a saltwater crocodile, using a deceptive drowning act to attract potential prey.
The video was posted by the @travly account and quickly gained millions of views and hundreds of comments. Many viewers were shocked by what they saw.
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“Those look like human hands 😱,” commented one person.
“Crocodile gaslighting was not on my bingo card for 2025. 😳,” another person wrote.
Upon further investigation, the video was also uploaded on Instagram @kalimantanpunya.id. From there it appears that the incident was taken from the Barito River, Kalimantan.
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“The moment several residents in South Kalimantan were shocked and curious about what objects or things were in the middle of the Barito River, this video went viral on social networks. It turns out that when you pay attention properly it is not what they thought but instead, a crocodile that inexplicably raises both hands as if it were human, there is just behaviour,” wrote the caption.
Despite the dramatic claims in the video, there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that crocodiles deliberately fake drowning to attract prey. That said, the video does serve as a reminder that crocodile attacks are a serious risk in Indonesia, where the country has the highest number of crocodile attacks in the world.
Crocodile Attacks in Indonesia: A Serious Concern
According to data from the BBC, Indonesia has seen around 1,000 crocodile attacks over the past decade, with more than 450 fatalities. This makes Indonesia the country with the most saltwater crocodile attacks worldwide.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that nearly 90% of these attacks happen in Bangka and Belitung, two islands in Indonesia.
From 2014 to August 2023, the Crocodile Attack Database (CrocBITE) recorded 980 attacks involving saltwater crocodiles in Indonesia, resulting in 455 deaths. These figures highlight the dangers posed by these powerful predators.
Saltwater Crocodiles in Indonesia
Saltwater crocodiles, also known as estuarine crocodiles, are found in river estuaries and coastal waters throughout Indonesia. They are particularly common in Kalimantan and the Kutai National Park, where they inhabit rivers like the Guntung, Teluk Pandan, Sangkima, Sangatta, and Kandolo Rivers.
Saltwater crocodiles are known for their incredible strength and hunting abilities. According to a report from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), from 2007 to 2014, out of 279 recorded crocodile attacks, 268 were attributed to saltwater crocodiles. Of these, 135 resulted in fatal injuries.
Crocodiles are highly skilled predators, and their attacks on humans are a very real danger in parts of Indonesia.
As the country with the most crocodile attacks in the world, it’s important to be cautious when near crocodile habitats, particularly in areas where saltwater crocodiles are known to live.
