Peter Hazel shows Cornell's webbed feet.

Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

They are fearless. Each day they brave the dark, murky, crocodile-filled, 44-mile-long river taking visitors to get a glimpse of these monsters. They entice, feed, pat and pose with these dangerous creatures. They are the men of the Black River Safari - Everill Daley, Cornell Smith and Peter Hazel.

Peter

Peter Hazel smiled as he welcomed The Gleaner's Lifestyle team aboard the Safari Contesa. Clad in a yellow shirt bearing the logo 'J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari', Peter with his magnificent voice, described the scenery as we headed out.

Soon, we spotted a young crocodile taking a "tan". It was very still, seemingly oblivious to our presence. But we knew better.

TWEETY

An elderly man rowing a fishing boat approached. His vessel seemed too old to remain afloat. "That's Tweety, he is very feisty, he will tell you bad words," Peter warns.

But out of curiosity one member of our team shouted, "Tweety!"

"Weh yuh a call mi fah, mi nuh want nuttin fi do wit unu eh nuh," Tweety said, turning his head away from our camera.

But when the caller switched to patois, he warmed up.

"Mi deh pon dah river yah since mi a bwoy yuh nuh," Tweety explained. He hunts for fish daily from 6:00 a.m. to7:00 p.m. He has even caught an 80-pound tarpon. Now 69 years old, he has never been attacked by a crocodile.

"Dem fraid a mi because mi wi rush dem but dem know di engine boat man dem naw rush dem," he explains as he rows on.

Cornell

Then we saw it. Its eyes and snout were just visible above the water. The dark form beneath the surface belied its true length. Some six feet long, it's called Cornell.

Its dark form was intimidating; it seemed poised to attack. Peter curled his lips making a round circle, like a father calling out to his son, he whistled "Woo, woo, woo" and like an obedient child, Cornell slithered menacingly toward the boat.

It was fed a snack of chicken neck and wiggled its tail with excitement.

Peter is 27 years old and has been working on the safari for seven years. He has never been bitten by any of the creatures he so bravely feeds.

On the daily tours, he meets many tourists; this is the best part of his job, he says as he can never be bored.

Books on Safari

Little George cracks a sinister smile.

Many visitors ask for books with facts on the safari. There was none so Peter took the opportunity and authored a book on the town of Black River and the safari.

"I was going through some economic problems and mi think about it and I thought of doing one of two books," Peter said.

"I thought of a Jamaican Bible or a book on the safari. I decided to go with the safari, so I sold my car, bought a computer, printer, and a camera and began shooting," Peter said laughing. Sales are going very well.

His story is cut short as another crocodile is now in view. This one is called Little George.

'Little' is not an apt description for George. But as Peter explains, it was given the name of another crocodile that used to occupy the same territory. And being younger, it was named Little George.

"Come boy, I bring girls for you today," said Peter to the croc with a smile.

The Lifestyle team laughed sheepishly, looking at the crocodile that seemed to be smiling as he made his way towards the boat.

"This croc is very friendly and is always smiling," Peter adds.

It enjoyed its snack and after each bite, seemed to smile for the camera. Little George liked the attention and seemingly put on a show.

We then headed on to Mangrove Avenue laden with the long-rooted plants. The scene was picture perfect and we climbed on to the branches to take photos.

Everill Daley

Back at our starting point we met Everill Daley. Everill has been working on the safari since 1989.

"I grew up not far from the river," he told Lifestyle.

"We used to swim and canoe on the river." After landing the job, he started learning the history and the facts and the rest is history.

His most memorable moments on the river are when children are on tour.

"I love children. They ask the most unusual questions," he said laughing. He is never bored as meeting new people fascinates him.

He has no fear of these creatures. "I know how to approach them so I know when to be cautious by observing their behaviour and I don't harass them," the 18-year veteran said boasting that he has never been bitten.

Finger lost

Twenty-eight-year-old Cornell Smith roams the safari daily. He is from Middlesex in the parish and is the most humorous of the three. His journey at the safari began 11 years ago fresh out of high school.

Unlike the other two, he is the only one who has been bitten by one of the ferocious creatures now renamed Cornell in his honour. Before the incident, it was called Big Dan.

"I was presumptuous that day," he explained. "I opened its mouth to put a piece of chicken in and I let my finger linger and the croc snapped its mouth shut and nipped my finger."

This was in 2001. Not wanting to alarm any of the 26 visitors on the boat, Cornell used his thumb to press against his index finger to stop the bleeding. Only an elderly man on the tour realised.

"When wegot back he asked me if I had been nipped, I said yes, then when I removed my thumb from the finger, the blood started to shoot into the air and that's when persons realised," he said.

Both man and animal became friends after that day. "Mi an it a good friend now, sometimes I want to knock it on the head, but it flashes me a smile and I just let it be."

"I've been extra careful since. I've had close calls but God is with me."

"I make sure to keep away when they have their babies, they don't hire baby-sitters and I don't volunteer to baby sit," he said jokingly.

Despite being bitten, Cornell says his job is wonderful and stress-free and provides him with a new experience everyday.

"The best thing is that I get a lung full of fresh air daily and I meet new people all the time."

Leroy 'Tweety' Baker knows the Black River almost better than everyone.

From left: Everill Daley, Peter Hazel and Cornell Smith are three of the tour guides at J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari. - Photos by Ian Allen/Staff Photographer