Sentence Correction

Many daring vacationers who participate in guided boat tours on the Tarcoles River encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses are peeking out from the surface of the murky water.

A) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses are peeking out
B) encountered native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses peek out
C) had encountered native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses peek out
D) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, with eyes and noses peeking out
E) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, with eyes and noses that are peeking out

Source: Manhattan GMAT

it should be D
B and C can be ruled out for the use of wrong verb from 'encountered' or 'had encountered'.
A can be ruled out for the use of 'whose' which seems to qualify 'shallows' rather than crocodiles themselves.
Between D and E, D is a better choice. The relative pronoun 'that' in E is uncalled for.

doesn't the use of 'with' right after shallows modify shallows? how is this correct?

a, b, c-whose incorrectly modifies shallow
e-that are-wordy
imo d

whats the OA

I will also go with D

Straight (D)

is it a rule that 'whose' should modify the immediately preceding noun , as it is a case with 'which'?

Pl. suggest.......

aditikedia wrote:Many daring vacationers who participate in guided boat tours on the Tarcoles River encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses are peeking out from the surface of the murky water.

A) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses are peeking out
B) encountered native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses peek out
C) had encountered native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, whose eyes and noses peek out
D) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, with eyes and noses peeking out
E) encounter native crocodiles lurking in the shallows, with eyes and noses that are peeking out

Source: Manhattan GMAT

A, C & D: whose modify immediate previous noun. But I think we can't drop A bcoz of shallows, which is part of prep phrase. Therefore crocodiles or lurking can be its referent. But, more than that this choise is wrong for 'are peerking' - simple present ...as encounter is in simple present. E also out bcoz of 'continuous tense'. IMO D - though comma prep though not correctly modifies previous clause still appears the right compared with others.