SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium's giant crocodile enjoys first public meal

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium's five metre, 750 kilogram giant crocodile Pinjarra recently enjoyed a festive feast in celebration of his first Christmas at the attraction.

Marking the 50 year old saltwater crocodile's first public feed since arriving at his new home in September, the feast marked the final stages of his meticulous settling-in process.

Three well-trained SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium staff comprising Lead Aquarists Tereza Todd and Dylan White as well as Exhibit Manager Alison Edmunds, showcased their expertise as they conducted the feeding in their finest Christmas attire behind a specially constructed gate to ensure their safety.

Set to live another 30 to 50 years and grow several more metres, the impressive resident put on an awe-inspiring show for visitors as he snapped up a whole juicy chicken with his magnificent jaws jaws which are capable of unleashing the highest bite force of any animal on the planet today.

Todd explained "a large saltie like Pinjarra is capable of propelling himself through the water at an amazing speed to catch prey.

"This combined with an incredible jaw power is what makes saltwater crocodiles such fearsome yet astonishing creatures.

"Pinjarra's first public feed was a spectacular show of the animal's strength and is incredibly exciting.

"Not only does it mark our first Christmas with Pinjarra but it also represents the final stage of his extensive settling-in process, which can take many months for large animals like this.

"We've been closely monitoring his behaviour since his arrival.

"Each day he's exploring his new surroundings a little more, revealing something new about his personality, and lapping up the attention from his visitors!"

Visitors can come face-to-face with Pinjarra at the spectacular multimillion dollar Croc Lair exhibit which features a full 360 degrees viewing experience across three spectacular viewing levels, a walk-through croc cave as well as sneaky heads-up bubbles and a look-out boat to spy on Pinjarra's every majestic move.

With presentations and plenty of croc kids' activities on offer throughout the entire school holidays including colouring-in and special touch and feel reptilian encounters, visitors can also spend hours discovering what makes these fascinating prehistoric creatures so special.

The jaw-dropping experience of Croc Lair is just one of 12 new zones of discovery at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium is operated by global attractions and entertainment company Merlin Entertainments.

Europe's leading and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 97 attractions, eight hotels/two holiday villages in 22 countries and across four continents.

For more information go to www.melbourneaquarium.com.au