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.