Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat

Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat Established in 1971. The only crocodile habitat on the Great Barrier Reef & home of the esteemed George J. Craig Melanesian art collection.

Experience crocodiles up close and learn about these apex predators during our daily educational presentations. Originally built by 2 partners in the early 60's as "Marineland", before being bought by the Craigs when "Marineland Melanesia" was established. Having worked as a crocodile hunter in Papua New Guinea, George Craig also collected a magnificent range of carvings and ancient Primitive Trib

al art from the region known as Melanesia which are now are now on display at Marineland Melanesia along with huge live crocodiles, beautiful marine aquariums and giant marine turtles. Also displayed are a number of old and restored marine artifacts and stationary engines.

*For Groups/Concession/Senior Rate Available at our Counter

-All Day Pass-
Adult AUD$30/pp
Child AUD$16.00/pp

Crocodile presentations daily
10:30am
1:30pm

1971 to 2026. Five generations. One family. One island. This is our story.In 1971, George and Shirley Craig stepped onto...
22/07/2026

1971 to 2026. Five generations. One family. One island. This is our story.

In 1971, George and Shirley Craig stepped onto Green Island and saw something worth building on. They saw a future. They purchased Marineland, a property with a history going back to 1958, and reinvigorated it with purpose, passion, and vision. Under the Craig family, Marineland Melanesia grew into what it is today. Five generations later, the Craig family is still here. Still caring for the crocodiles. Still preserving the tribal art. Still running the presentations. Still telling George's stories. Still teaching visitors about conservation, respect, and the extraordinary animals that share this island. From George and Shirley's vision to their children, grandchildren, and now the fourth generation, continuity in a world of constant change. A family business built on respect for animals and heritage. A legacy carried forward every single day.

Meet the family. Visit Marineland. greenislandcrocs.com.au

You've heard the stories. 6-metre crocs around every corner. Here's what the skulls actually say.Myths about crocodile s...
17/07/2026

You've heard the stories. 6-metre crocs around every corner. Here's what the skulls actually say.

Myths about crocodile size run wild. Stories of common 6-metre monsters lurking in rivers. Tales of ancient salties reaching 7 metres or more. The truth? Anything over 20 feet (6 metres) is truly exceptional, genuinely rare. Only a handful of skulls in the entire world come from animals that may have reached these extremes. Marineland holds one of the largest private collections of large crocodile skulls anywhere, and even here, the genuinely enormous specimens can be counted on both hands. Most of those skulls are from animals George caught or salvaged during his time on the Fly River. They're museum quality, scientifically valuable, and they tell the real story: most crocodiles, even the big ones, max out between 4 and 5 metres. Impressive, dangerous, absolutely worthy of respect, but not the 6-metre monsters of legend. The myths make better stories. The facts make better science.

See the skull collection at Marineland. Open daily, 9 am-4 pm. greenislandcrocs.com.au

Everyone heads to the main beach. But the real treasure is on the other side.Walk around to the back of the island and d...
15/07/2026

Everyone heads to the main beach. But the real treasure is on the other side.

Walk around to the back of the island and discover hideaway spots tucked amongst the beachrock formations, little pockets of paradise that feel private and discovered, your own little slice of the Great Barrier Reef. The beachrock is old, ancient actually, bird guano, seawater, and sand cemented together over thousands of years. It's textured, interesting, and it creates natural pools and sheltered areas. You'll feel like an explorer. You might see sea turtles in the shallows.

Come explore. Walk the full circuit. Discover your own secret spot on Green Island. greenislandcrocs.com.au

Born in an oil field in Peru. Became a legend on the Fly River. Changed the way the world sees crocodiles. Still remembe...
09/07/2026

Born in an oil field in Peru. Became a legend on the Fly River. Changed the way the world sees crocodiles. Still remembered on his birthday, nearly two years after his passing.

Ten July, 1930. In the oilfields of Talara, Peru, George Craig was born. At 17, he was at Earl's Court in London, swimming with Johnny Weissmuller. At 18, he was a stowaway on a ship to Australia. By 21, he'd landed in the top end and began hunting crocodiles on the Fly River in Papua New Guinea, not to kill them, but to catch them alive when everyone else was shooting them. George spent two decades on the Fly River, trading croc skins and collecting tribal art from remote villages. In 1971, he and Shirley purchased a run-down facility on Green Island and renamed it Marineland Melanesia. For over 50 years, the Craig family carried on George's vision, education, conservation, respect. Five generations later, the family is still here, still caring for the crocodiles, still telling George's stories. Happy birthday, George. Your legacy lives on every single day. Over and out.

Visit Marineland and walk in George's footsteps. greenislandcrocs.com.au

Crocs. Turtles. Tribal art. All on a tiny island surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef. It's the kind of day kids remembe...
04/07/2026

Crocs. Turtles. Tribal art.

All on a tiny island surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef.
It's the kind of day kids remember forever
School's out and the kids are restless get them out to The Great Barrier Reef !!

Ever wondered how Green Island got its name? It's not because of its lush green rainforest.When Captain James Cook saile...
30/06/2026

Ever wondered how Green Island got its name? It's not because of its lush green rainforest.

When Captain James Cook sailed past in 1770 aboard the Endeavour, he named the island after Charles Green, the ship's astronomer. It was one of dozens of names Cook bestowed along Australia's east coast.

Quite fittingly, Green Island has also inspired generations of stargazers, long before dark-sky tourism became popular.

More than 250 years later, it's still called Green Island, named after a man most visitors have never heard of.

But, like so many places around Australia, the island already had a name before European arrival. Do you know what it is?

At well over 4 metres. Whitee is unmistakable. Born in the mid-1970s, he bears the marks of an unconventional start in l...
27/06/2026

At well over 4 metres. Whitee is unmistakable.

Born in the mid-1970s, he bears the marks of an unconventional start in life. His upturned snout is the legacy of being raised in a bathtub, a quirk that makes him instantly recognizable and utterly charming. The missing chunk on his lower jaw? A souvenir from a crocodile fight, a battle with another croc that tested his mettle and left its mark. Despite his unusual appearance, Whitee thrived. He found a partner in Iknowa, a female born and bred at Marineland. Together they represent something essential: that crocodiles aren't fragile. They're resilient. They adapt. They survive. They grow. When you meet Whitee at Marineland, you're meeting a crocodile who defied the odds, and wears his past proudly. He's a reminder that scars tell stories, and those stories are worth hearing.

Visit Marineland and meet Whitee. See his distinctive snout and hear his story.

Painted faces on coconut husks and smouldering smoke to drive away mosquitoes. Island life, GJC style.George Craig arriv...
26/06/2026

Painted faces on coconut husks and smouldering smoke to drive away mosquitoes.
Island life, GJC style.

George Craig arrived on Green Island in 1971 with decades of stories from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea. He brought knowledge. He brought vision. And he brought island wisdom. Among those memories were the trophy skull racks of PNG villages, intricate carved pieces that spoke to a culture's identity and history. On Green Island, surrounded by coconut palms, George found his muse. He painted faces on coconut husks, inspired by those distant racks. He'd light the husks and let the smoke drift, just as he'd seen in villages upriver. The smoke drove away mosquitoes. The painted faces became part of Marineland's character. It was George's way of weaving two cultures together: honouring what he'd learned in PNG while making it his own on the reef. Island life, George style. Not imported, not imitated, but genuine, creative, and utterly himself.

See George's painted coconuts at Marineland. Walk into his world. Understand his vision.

Walk past Green Island's coconut palms that George cherished so much and you might assume they're all native to the cora...
23/06/2026

Walk past Green Island's coconut palms that George cherished so much and you might assume they're all native to the coral cay. Well not really. In 1889, coconut palms were deliberately planted by sailors thinking of those that might get shipwrecked. Years later, some of these palms might still stand. They've become part of Green Island's lush tropical identity.

They remind us that sometimes the best legacies are the ones we create for people we'll never meet.

Saltwater crocodiles didn't ask anyone's permission to call Far North Queensland home. They've had these waterways for m...
21/06/2026

Saltwater crocodiles didn't ask anyone's permission to call Far North Queensland home. They've had these waterways for millions of years, long before we turned up.

And if you drew up the recipe for ideal croc habitat, it'd read a lot like Green Island: warm tropical water, plenty of food, a sheltered coastline. On the checklist, the island ticks every box.

Here's the twist. A croc actually turning up at Green Island by itself is extremely rare. The currents run north and south between the island and the mainland, working like a natural moat, and salties won't bother making the crossing.

Which makes it a pretty good deal for the rest of us, so kick back, have a swim, enjoy it.

Just remember that's a Green Island thing. Plenty of other parts of the north are genuine croc country, so stay croc-wise everywhere else: out of the water, mind the signs, never assume.

Address

Green Island
Cairns, QLD
4871

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4pm
Friday 9:30am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+61468993603

Website

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