Scary moment tourist is filmed napping in his tent on the beach with a very dangerous bedfellow snoozing inches from his head

This is the terrifying moment a sleeping camper is none the wiser to a menacing threat lying mere inches away from his head, as a dangerous crocodile decides to have a snooze right next to him.

Far from a sweet dream, the man was cozied up in a deep sleep inside the bright blue tent on the Mexican coast when one uninvited camper decided to set base.

Among the burnt-out fire and bags of rubbish, the deadly reptile supposedly had been sleeping next to the not-so-happy campers for the entire night, the cameraperson said.

Whilst the clip zoomed into the tent - which was wide open - leaving the snoozing man vulnerable and defenseless, his vicious sleeping buddy didn't move a single scale.

Luckily, the campers managed to flee without as much as a scratch as no one was attacked by the creature.

Local authorities have reminded visitors to be mindful of the presence of local wildlife and to take appropriate precautions.

Reacting to the shocking clip, one local wrote: 'It's because their habitat is being removed by diverting the local rivers.'

Another chimed in: 'Is the person filming the video waiting for the croc to devour his pal?'

Some suggested the man behind the camera could be playing a prank on his pal, adding: 'That crocodile looks dead to me.'

The reptile is believed to have made his way to the beach in Boca de Iguanas, located west of Mexico City, because of food and waste left on the campsite. 

According to the Queensland Government, the deadly reptiles are drawn to an easy meal, therefore it is key to make sure all your food waste is well away from bodies of water.

Failing to do so, could cause a precarious situation for yourself or other tourists.

Tourism in Boca de Iguanas has boomed in recent years, with the crocodiles becoming an attraction in the coastal town.

The most commonly found croc on the Pacific coast of Mexico is the scary American crocodile.

1,000 to 2,000 of the species are scattered throughout Mexico, Central America and South America, according to the National Geographic,

They make their homes in swamps, and coastal lagoons as well as river estuaries and can grow to a staggering lengths of 20 feet.

With an average life expectancy of around 70 years, this endangered carnivore mainly consumes a diet of frogs, turtles, mammals and fish, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.

Although they have been branded with the same brush as their cousins in Africa and Australia, American crocs rarely go head-to-head with humans due to their shy nature, the National Park Service reports.

The species of crocodile in the video clip has not been confirmed.

This comes shortly after a 76-year-old Belgian tourist was killed and a 52-year-old Los Angeles woman was severely injured after being bitten by either a shark or a crocodile in separate attacks that occurred along Mexico's Pacific Coast.

The civil defense office in the southern state of Guerrero says a man and a woman were both bitten in the legs by an unidentified animal.

The woman, a 52-year-old native of Los Angeles, was bitten in the legs around 9:15am at Playa Quieta close to a hotel, in the Zihuatanejo section, local reports said.

Around five minutes later, the same animal struck again, this time fatally.

The man was reported dead at the scene, while the woman was taken to a hospital where she is expected to recover. State officials confirmed that the man was from Belgium, while local reports say that the woman was American.

Both sharks and crocodiles inhabit the area. El Pais reports that the civil defense are searching for a shark but have not ruled out a crocodile as the culprit.

However, Zihuatanejo Mayor Jorge Sanchez Allec said that the bites suffered by the victims led him to believe that a crocodile was responsible.

The tragic incident came a few days after a crocodile was spotted on the El Pals, around four miles south of where the fatal attack occurred.

Stunning footage showed the moment the crocodile invaded the beach in November, scaring off visitors and forcing one lifeguard to usher the creature back to the sea. 

A lifeguard could be seen throwing a life vest to shoo away the crocodile while blowing his whistle and shouting at beachgoers to get out of the way. 

However, the animal seemed unbothered by the swimming aid and continued walking to the water to cool itself from the hot sun.

The video ends with the croc heading out to sea, and it doesn't appear there were any injuries from the incident.

As a security measure following the encounter, the Zihuatanejo city government announced that it would be installing a new cyclone mesh to protect people from crocodiles.

The previous one that was up was damaged following a storm in November 2023.