Beachgoers scramble as 'enormous' crocodile rides wave to shore
Some rushed to the water to warn swimmers of the danger.
An actress has shared her shock after spotting a crocodile swimming in the ocean just metres away from beachgoers, including what appear to be children.
Odemaris Ruiz, who was enjoying a day out with her family at the time, said the croc was able to get “very close” to her and looked like it was about to strike. Ruiz posted a video of the terrifying encounter in Ain Ixtapa Zihuatanejo — northwest of popular tourist hotspot Acapulco in Mexico — on her TikTok.
The clip shows her describing the scene to the camera while standing on the beach as the crocodile swims in the sea behind her. The 36-year-old hurried to the beach while alerting other swimmers who were within striking distance of the croc, which she described as “enormous”.
At one point, the reptile rides a wave to the shore and starts to walk on the beach.
Ruiz said she felt scared because a Canadian tourist had been killed by an animal — believed to be either a crocodile or shark — at the same beach in December.
TikTok of croc on the beach goes viral
The video has since gone viral with 4.7 million views and over 1,000 comments.
“Ixtapa is full of sharks and crocodiles. I'm not crazy about the idea of stopping there,” one local commented on the clip. “Ixtapa has always had incidents with crocodiles. Only before the information was hidden so as not to harm tourism,” another claimed.
“The crocodile said ‘Come in, the water’s warm’,” someone else joked. A fourth person said they had stayed at a hotel in the area and found a “huge” crocodile in the pool.
Ruiz has starred in several Mexican soap operas and is a presenter for the channel Televisa. She also posts lifestyle and travel videos on TikTok and Instagram.
Jam Press
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
