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Go on a Crocodile SafariBlack River, Jamaica
When cruising the Black River in Jamaica’s southern parish of St Elizabeth, there’s a chance your guide will tell you that the river’s famous crocodiles are tame. They lie stretched out on the river banks, sunning themselves, or hovering just beneath the water’s surface under the cover of mangroves, steely eyes just visible. They look fearsome, but most have names, which many of them actually seem to recognise.
Tame or not, the crocodiles here are certainly abundant. As you make your way along the murky river, you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth. And you won't just see crocodiles – you’ll come across egrets, herons and other creatures flitting through the lush vegetation.
Whether they consider the crocs to be tame is another matter that you can ponder as you cruise. The river is the longest in Jamaica, named for the mossy layer on its bed which turns the water black, although you may actually find it more of a sludgy shade of brown.
Many of the lodgings in the area operate boat trips along the Black River, or you can arrange a cruise in the town itself. Paradise Palms Jamaica Tours runs six-hour trips from US$85.
Depending on where your boat ride begins, choppy water on the ride across the sea to the Black River may make some a little queasy.
Paradise Palms Jamaica Tours
paradisepalmsjamaicatours.com
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