Map on a wall showing the different levels of the facility. I think it's quite old because it labels a "fishing platform" at top right which I think is what is now the "Melaleuca Billabong" for turtles. Apart for the Reptile House and the initial underwater viewing of the crocodiles everything is outdoors.
An evacuation plan on the wall in the toilets, which shows the basic layout within the Reptile House (top right).
Crocosaurus Cove is a small facility in the central tourist area in Darwin. It currently costs AU$40 for adults which is about twice what you should be paying.
There are multiple pools for huge individual Saltwater Crocodiles, viewed from below water-level and from above, and they also do "cage-diving" in at least some of the pools which is obviously popular (I saw it happening three times just while I was there, and it must rake in the cash). There are further pools for juvenile and baby crocs.
There is a "Fish Aquarium" (in case you were confused by what would be kept in an aquarium tank) which curves around the steps to the second level and can also be viewed from above. The reflections on the glass are horrendous - it is outside and the sun is extremely bright in Darwin - and this make it nearly impossible to see anything except yourself and the wall behind you when looking at it. The base of the tank is also well below where you are standing (because you are going upwards) so the catfish labelled as being in there cannot be seen. The only "good" viewing, which is still poor, is from a side window before you start going up the steps. From here you can see the floor of the tank, but only at one end. Because of these issues I only saw some of the labelled species and I have no idea if they are all even in there - the Freshwater Sawfish signed there definitely seems to not be present.
Main viewing - you can see how bad the reflections are.
Side window.
There is also a smaller tank in the wall just before this one, signed as being for invasive fish, but it is otherwise unlabelled and appeared to only contain Siamese Fighting Fish and what I think were Northern Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia affinis).
The Reptile House is on the second level and is extensive, with 55 tanks lined along both sides of a winding corridor, the first half of the building being nocturnal and the second half being diurnal. The tanks are generally landscaped well but many of them are too small for their inhabitants. Generally the smaller reptiles are fine while the larger ones (especially almost all the monitors) are not. Some of the tanks, in the nocturnal section particularly, had glass so scratched up it was difficult to see through.
There is signage at the start of the Reptile House saying they "more than 70 species" inside, which they do not.
The final animal exhibit is on the "third floor" and is a pool called the Melaleuca Billabong which contains various turtles.
Summary: the Reptile House collection is really good but there is little else here of interest (just some big crocs and a big aquarium tank) and it is much too expensive, although anyone on here will be visiting regardless if in Darwin. For the general public I think the sight of the huge crocodiles will make them think they have spent their money well.
Further photos in the gallery: Crocosaurus Cove - ZooChat
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