The Crocodile Islands are a group of islands belonging to the

Yan-nhaŋu The Yan-nhaŋu, also known as the Nango, are an indigenous Australian people of the Northern Territory. They have strong sociocultural connections with their neighbours, the Burarra, on the Australian mainland. Name The Yan-nhaŋu people derive ...

people of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. They are located off the coast of

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

in the

Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea (or Arafuru Sea) lies west of the Pacific Ocean, overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Western New Guinea (also called Papua), which is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea. Geography The Arafura Sea is ...

List of islands

Larger islands

Milingimbi Island Milingimbi Island, also Yurruwi, is the largest island of the Crocodile Islands group off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Location Milingimbi lies approximately east of Darwin and west of Nhulunbuy. History Aborigin ...

, in the local language ''Yurruwi,'' is the largest of the inner islands in the group * ''Murrungga'' (Mooroongga), the largest of the outer Crocodile islands, and the birthplace of

Laurie Baymarrwangga Laurie Baymarrwangga (Gawany) Baymarrwaŋa (c. 1917 – 20 August 2014) was the senior Aboriginal traditional owner of the Malarra estate, which includes Galiwin'ku, Dalmana, Murruŋga, Brul-brul and the Ganatjirri Maramba salt water surrounding ...

, the last fluent speaker of Yan-nhangu. * ''Rapuma'' (Yabooma) * ''Gananggananggarr'' (Gananggaringur) * ''Nilpaywa'' (Crocodile Island).

Smaller islands

* ''Darbada.'' * Boojiragi (''Budjirriki'') * ''Mardanaingura.'' * Northwest Crocodile (''Gurriba'') * North-east Crocodile Islands (''Brul-brul'') * North-west Crocodile Reef (''Gununba No 1'').

History

The islands were formed by stabilising sea levels 5000 years before present. They were discovered by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and named the ''Crocodils Eÿlandt''. Several of the Crocodile Islands, with their associated

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

s, have been identified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as forming the

Milingimbi Islands Important Bird Area The Milingimbi Islands Important Bird Area comprises 94 km2 of land in the Milingimbi, or Crocodile Islands group, of the Northern Territory of Australia. The area is traditionally owned Aboriginal land. The mudflats are an important stag ...

(IBA) because they support large numbers of

wader 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

s, or shorebirds. Murrungga Island has one of the most significant migratory bird nesting and breeding sites in the North of Australia. The enormous fresh water lakes of Garratha, Riyanhuna and Ganbuwa are home to hundreds of species of birds, as well as a large population of

Saltwater Crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...

s, after which the islands are named.

Access

Access to the islands is restricted; before visiting, permission must be sought from the appropriate land council.

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * {{DutchplacenamesAus Arnhem Land Important Bird Areas of the Northern Territory Islands of the Northern Territory