- Adventurous snorkeller Ricardo Castillo got some holiday snaps to remember while swimming in the sea off Cuba
- Castillo had nothing to protect him from the deadly 12ft long reptiles - except his camera and years of experience
- Got within just a few inches of the predator to obtain incredible images of one of the world's most fearsome animals
Castillo, 39, was snorkelling in the sea off Cuba hoping to capture underwater images of sharks but instead came across another deadly predator in the shape of saltwater crocodiles.
And he had nothing to protect him from the 12ft long reptiles - apart from his camera and years of experience of swimming with dangerous creatures.
Snorkeller and photographer Ricardo Castillo captured incredible underwater images of saltwater crocodiles off the coast of Cuba
As a result he was able to get to within a few inches of the Cuban crocodile and obtain stunning shots of one of the world's most fearsome animals in its natural environment.
At one point the reptile even touched the lens of Ricardo's waterproof camera, allowing him to get a snap of the inside of its huge and lethal
Ricardo, from Mexico, was snorkelling in the mangroves of the Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba.
He said: 'I was there to take shark pictures and the crocodiles just happened to be there. I was in the water to get these pictures - it is usual to snorkel with crocodiles in this place.'
Castillo had nothing to protect him from the 12ft long reptiles - apart from his camera and years of experience with dangerous animals
As a result, he was able to get within inches of the fearsome animals and snap these photographs, including one with its jaws open
Ricardo Castillo, who is originally from Mexico, was snorkelling in the mangroves of the Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba
'Some of the crocodiles come by when they listen yo the boats because some fisherman clean their fish close to the mangrove where the crocs live,' he added.
'When you see the crocs and the size of them you just need to stay all the time in the front or the back of it - never to the side because it is very easy for the croc to bite someone then.
'I was very close to it. I use a 14mm lens and the croc touched the lens dome of the camera.'
Although he had ventured into the water to take pictures of sharks, the crocodiles just happened to be there
At one point, one of the large reptiles even touched the lens of Castillo's camera with its teeth, providing a rare photographic opportunity
Ricardo says that when people see these photos, they usually think he's crazy - but that's just because they're frightened of the unknown
'When people see the pictures the first thing they say is 'you are crazy' but people are frightened by the unknown,' he said.
'I always say that diving with sharks or crocs is not about courage or bravery, it is about knowledge and experience.
'The risk is always present, they are wildlife but if you learn to see their behavior you can predict what is happening.
'The thing is to recognise the time to get out to the water safe.'
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