Cage of Death Crocodile Dive
I like to flirt with death every now and again. Provided death does its return eye bats and tooth flashes from the other side of an impenetrable fiberglass cage, anyway. Crocosaurus Cove Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory has over 200 crocodiles stomping its yard, including aquariums housing some of the largest saltwater crocs in the world. But its true--and I mean this in the best sense of the words--tourist trap is the Cove's Cage of Death, a solo or two-person crocodile dive that meets man and 16+-foot beast nose-to-nose at water's edge, and then 6 feet under.
Now in its fifth year of operation, the Cage of Death delivers shots of adrenaline to the heart daily, typically without cardiac repercussions or actual death. The cage's cylindrical design allows for 360-degree reptile interaction, and within the past 6 months, Crocosaurus has introduced a Cage Croc Feed, wherein the crocodile is fed something other than its homosapien spectators during each Cage of Death dive. Hmmm, I know reptiles don't rank too high in the smarts department, but I wonder if being fed every time they have to share their swimmin' holes with two-legged vertical beings conditions them to think fondly of humans because their presence means mealtime, or to associate humans with eating, and thereby crave eating humans.
I know, Mama, I've always been so philosophical. Even as a young boy when I pondered whether ketchup is made out of tomatoes, or tomatoes out of ketchup.
Crocosaurus Cove's Cage of Death dives last 15 minutes a pop. The enclosure is operated by an overhead monorail that first suspends inhabitants above the crocs, and then lowers them into the pen, and then hopefully doesn't break before reascending to a location out of reach to the jaws o' 5,000-pounds-per-square-inch bite pressures.
Cage of Death prices for one ($158) or two ($116) people include full-day entry to the Cove. The Cage operates 10 times per day, and anyone 15 or older can experience the thrill/horror of Chopper, Denzel, Houdini, and Bess. There have to be weight restrictions too, but since no one in Australia is fat Crocosaurus Cove didn't think to include that information on their Website.