Cozumel, Quintana Roo — A crocodile was spotted in the waters off Cozumel on Sunday morning during a children’s swimming competition, causing panic but no injuries, authorities said.
The incident occurred around midday on May 31 during an event organized by the Mexican Navy (Semar). Parents watching from the shore noticed the reptile in the Caribbean Sea and began shouting warnings to the young swimmers, urging them to get out of the water as quickly as possible.
Video shared on social media shows people yelling “cocodrilo, cocodrilo” repeatedly. “Get the girl out of here, there are two girls over there,” one woman can be heard saying. In the distance, paddleboarders appear unaware of the danger.
Lifeguards and service providers on jet skis rushed to protect the children, with one jet ski positioned between the crocodile and the swimmers to block the reptile’s approach.
While crocodile attacks are rare in the area, officials reminded the public of the potential danger. The sighting comes weeks after a similar incident in Tulum, where a crocodile known as “Panchito” bit an elderly man at Casa Cenote. Witnesses said some visitors had been throwing stones at the animal before the attack.
