Maximizing Jungle Crocodile Safari experience

[aminardi]

Hi everyone. We’re new members of this board and we're going on our first cruise tour. We booked this tour on the Tarcoles River through the NCL Star for late November. I expect we'll be on a large catamaran style cattle boat packed with lots of other tourists. I hope this will be a highlight of our Panama Canal cruise. Is the port or starboard side of the boat better for viewing and videotaping crocodiles, other wildlife and the beautiful Costa Rican scenery? Any advise on maximizing this experience would be greatly appreciated.

[wallyb5555]

Have not been on this tour, but the trip will probably start and stop at same place.

 

If so, worse side on the way out will be best side on the way back.

[aminardi]

Hi Wallyb5555,

 

Thanks for your response. That makes sense. I will try to make a video to show family how awesome cruising is.

[Appygirl]

I don't think anyone can predict which side of the boat the crocodile will come up on! We booked an independent tour and even though there were other independent travelers on the boat there were many empty seats. I was sitting on the right hand side of the boat and the crocodile came up on the left side so I simply slid over to a bench on the other side of the boat and snapped many photos. That was the only crocodile that actually stayed on the surface for any length of time. The other crocodiles were perhaps a quick glimpse before they sank beneath the water. Both right and left side. A bunch of baby crocodiles were swimming on the right hand side of the boat. There are several operators who have their boats tied up along the river bank. Most of the boats I saw on the river all looked the same to me. I didn't see any catamaran style boats so maybe this is something that NCL offers. Our day in Costa Rica was the highlight of our Panama Canal cruise.

[aminardi]

Hi Appygirl,

 

Thanks for the advise. I really enjoyed your Panama Canal blog and geocaching info. I wasn't planning to bring my GPS until I read your blog. It's a great guide on what to see & do on the Panama Canal cruise.

[pilotdane]

I think these are the boats you will be on.

 

 

The boats on the Tarcoles go out and back. So no matter which side you are on, you will get to see both sides. The boats hold one buss load of people so you are correct. A big cat full of tourists. The seats are two-aisle-two and the bow of the boats are open so you can go up there if you want a better vantage point.

 

There are many crocodiles and for the most part they don't see to pay much attention to the boats and half way through the tour I took most people were tired of looking at them.

 

 

As a side note I've been there in September and the Tarcoles River area was the best spot I've found for seeing Scarlet Macaw. They were quite common and are easy to spot since they make so much noise.

 

If you get the choice I would take the morning tour as opposed to one in the afternoon. The rains seem to start at 2:00 every day so if you take the morning tour you have a better chance that the boat ride will be nice and the rains won't start until you're on the buss back to the ship.

[aminardi]

Hi Pilotdane,

 

Thank you for the information and images. You take some amazing photos!