Amazon Caiman Search

For Caiman lovers

One of the mysterious activities of the Amazon that we offer is in the Palotoa ecological reserve and the Manu biosphere reserve: the search for caiman. Their appearance is daunting, but it’s truly mesmerizing to encounter one of these colossal jungle creatures. In our tours, which range from 4 days to longer, participants can seek out caimans either during the day or at night.

Caimans live isolated from civilization, making them elusive and challenging to spot. This is why we have crafted this specific activity. By exploring the lagoons and small meanders of the Amazon with the assistance of your expert tour guide, you’ll have the opportunity not just to spot alligators, but also to see other wildlife like turtles, fish, and birds.

The caiman is a carnivorous reptile of the Alligatoridae family that gets its name because of its dark coloration as an adult. It is found in lakes, slow-moving rivers and other freshwater habitats of South America, mainly in the Amazon basin. It is the largest predator in the ecosystem of the Amazon, and can reach a size of 4-5 meters long, and take advantage of almost any animal that its teeth can sink.

The black caiman is a nocturnal hunter, who relies on his keen sense of sight and hearing to find food. Adult caiman have no known predators; however, when they are young they are vulnerable to being hunted by cats, coatis, birds and other animals. The females of this species reproduce only once every 2 years, and lay, on average, 30-50 eggs at a time. Although mother caiman protect their nests, very few offspring survive to adulthood.

Why would you like to search for caiman?

Detect unique animals: in rivers, meanders and the pond are in the middle of a rainforest channel. Due to their location and unique plant life, they attract terrestrial animals, caiman that are difficult to find elsewhere.

Here you have a great opportunity to see animals such as Caiman, Hoatzin and Oropendola, which you may not find on other continents. with the help of your expert tour guide and good flashlights is the most impressive moment in the middle of the darkness waiting to see some eye that reflects with the light and being able to approach us 2 meters away there tourists taking photos or making videos as well as fear that moment is magic because we become challengers to the huge monster Explorer the Amazon is unique as you will find a wide biodiversity apart from enclosing other species of caimans like the dwarf caiman the white caiman and other animals that live related to water.

• Time of year: March to November
• Place to see: Manu River and oxbow lakes
• Recommended for: morning or night
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Level of difficulty: ll
• Available at: Manu River and Palotoa Ecological reserve.

IMAGES AMAZON CAIMAN SEARCH

Frequently asked questions

What is the size of the groups?

The size of the group is 9 people per guide; if we have more than (10 to 14), we send a second guide (not an assistant). If there are more than 14 people, we divide into 2 totally independent groups both with their own cars, boats, guides and cooks.

What temperatures are there in the Manu?

The first night at Rainforest Lodge (600 m.a s.l.) at temperature is around 27 ° C. In the low forest of the Manu the temperature at night is normally around 27 ° C, and during the day about 35 ° C, as always cold winds from Patagonia could reach the Manu area, and the temperature could drop around of 10 ° C. These “Friajes” are very common in the southeast of the hemisphere, the wind season (between April until the end of August)

Are there many walks?

There are not many walks in the sense of going far. All walks are done slowly. This is because most of you will find vegetation in the forest and be available to see the animals; giving enough time to see the surroundings and also hear it.

Should I take prophylaxis against Malaria?

The risk of contracting malaria is low in the area we visit. However, the area is close to a gold mining area, the miners can travel in the same river that we travel, there is the possibility of mosquito bites that do not yet have malaria, can be infected by mincing the miner with malaria and then sting you and then infect Malaria. This possibility is very rare and until now there are no tourists that travel to Manu that has malaria.