Shark crocodile

Today we visited Surabaya. The city gets its name from Javanese words for “shark” (sura) and “crocodile (baya.)

According to legend, the two were apex predator besties, but after quarreling over food, they decided to divide their domains: the shark got the ocean and the croc was supposed to stay on land.

This is why visitors to Surabaya will notice shark and crocodile themed murals, signs, and manhole covers all over town.

I didn’t realize Indonesia was home to crocodiles, but the country falls on the western side of the infamous Wallace Line, which is an imaginary border used to mark the difference in species between Australia and Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia.

Ever wondered why so many animals in Australia are venomous, for instance, while New Zealand has none? The Wallace Line runs between them.

Indonesia’s saltwater crocodiles were driven close to extinction by the mid-20th century, but they are making a comeback.

As part of our taxi tour today, we visited Surabaya’s monument to Indonesian independence, which they gained on November 10, 1945.En savoir plus