For people who don't know, we have many salt water crocodiles on Ambergris Caye, which thankfully generally keep themselves to themselves. But there is one area just south of Royal Caribbean Resort where local youths have become accustomed to teasing them with dead chickens on rope. They throw the chicken to the crocs' head, then reel it in to get the croc to follow it. They've been doing this for years, even though it's illegal.

A couple of days ago I saw a youth standing in shallow water between two large crocs, no more than 20 feet from either, playing this game. In the water within 100 feet there were three other crocs. Standing on dry land virtually level with the water and no more than 30 feet away was a group of maybe 50 spectators.

Nothing untoward happened, but I wonder if any of these people realised just how quickly these animals can move? Not one of those people, certainly not the youth but not either any of the crowd, at any rate those in the first couple of ranks, could have got away if a croc had decided to attack. It didn't, and usually they don't, but every now and again you get a croc who hasn't read the rules of the game.

How much longer will this be permitted? The police know it goes on, they know where and they know when (4pm), yet they don't act. Will it take a disaster for there to be any action?