Swimming and fishing in far north Queensland could soon get a lot safer after researchers worked out when crocodiles are likely to be lurking.
A recent study has found the large reptiles are more likely to visit areas frequented by people between September and January and at high tide.
Researchers were able to predict, in some cases almost down to the hour, when a croc was likely to appear - modelling that could be used to warn people about the reptiles.
Crocs were monitored using tracking devices over three years in two western Cape York river systems in Queensland's far north.
Project leader Dr Hamish Campbell from the University of New England says reptiles passed through areas frequented by fishers, swimmers and others about 270 times over that time.
Activity increased between September and January when the males were in search of a female and females searched for nesting sites.
"There are locations we know over a number of years we can put down to the hour when crocodiles are turning up," he told AAP.
"We basically put a (probability) number attached to that to say: `at this time of year, when the tide is like this or at this time of the day this is the sort of patterns where crocodiles are going to be'."
He said while crocs did frequent areas where people were, they tended to move quickly through these areas rather than stick around.
No one was attacked by a croc in the area while the study was carried out - something that surprised researchers, although they couldn't say why there may have been no attacks.
The study also found crocs were more likely to move about during the night, and that some travelled up to 50 kilometres.
Dr Hamish said further research would need to be carried out in other areas before the modelling could be used to warn people about crocodiles.
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