Crocodile – Bird watching tour

• Boat Tours

Goa is an epitome of beauty, flora, and fauna. The tiny emerald is for nature lovers as well as adventure enthusiasts. Apart from the golden beaches and water sports, Goa can be explored and enjoyed in many other ways. It has so much to offer to the tourists that people want to visit Goa again and again. One such activity which is not a very famous one but has a lot to show. Crocodile and Bird watching tour is one package which connects you better to the flora as well as fauna.

This trip is completed in around 2 and a half hours. The tour begins from the Old Goa jetty, from there you have to reach the Cortalim jetty in the south. You will be picked up from there and will go through the Zuari river to the Cumbarjua canal. This boat ride is just amazing as you don’t know how time flies when you are on a boat ride. This 92 km long River is connected to few canals and Cumbarjua canal is one of them. This canal connects the Zuari River to the Mandovi river.

Sitting on the boat, you will be surrounded only by nature. The best form of flora and fauna can be enjoyed to the fullest. Goa consists of 45 species of mangrove, and you will love to see the long stretch of mangroves along your ride. You can also spot some small boats with fishermen fishing and crabbing. Mangroves avoid tidal surges, so these are best for fisheries.

The cumbarjua is known as the crocodile station in Goa. Known to house the broad-snouted marsh crocodile which can grow to 15 feet in length. The female crocodiles dig holes in the banks and lay their eggs there. It is said that the crocodiles were brought to Goa by the Portuguese from Mozambique during the 16th century. This was their way to protect the area from intruders. The Portuguese also kept the crocodiles in the moat of Aguada fort so that the prisoners couldn’t escape.

You can spot these crocodiles basking in the sun with their snouts open. Apart from the natural surroundings of the backwaters, you can soothe your mind as the chirping of birds will give you company. Spot a variety of birds like the pied-kingfisher, the black-capped kingfisher, stork bellied kingfishers, the white-bellied sea eagle, ospreys, pariah kites, brahminy kites, the common sandpiper, egrets, terns, and cormorants.

Enjoy some hours watching this beautiful creation of God. You will be given mineral water and its suggested to stay hydrated. The crocodiles are known predators, but they don’t attack humans so that you can be stress-free about it. The birdwatching sari and crocodile safari are mind-blowing, and everyone must go for it at least once in their lifetime.

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