Daintree River Tours

Daintree River Sunrise Tour

The Sunrise tour is the best time to see and hear the "Day" birds as they rouse from their sleep and start calling as they start their daily activities.

In the cooler months, it is common to find a tree snake or python sunning themselves on the shrubs and tree limbs over the water as the first rays of the rising sun burn-off the early morning fog of the winter months. (This is not the best time to view a crocodile even though many are seen on this tour).

Daintree River Morning Tour

Morning tours usually start in the brackish portion of the river and go down stream into the saltier portion of the river (the mangrove delta). Going where other tour boats rarely go because of their lack of time and being hindered by their canopy clearance. The tour goes well back into creeks to see one of the most diverse mangrove forests in the world.

You will clearly see the transition of the brackish-water mangroves to the sea-water mangroves as we poke around the various islands and creeks of the delta.

Crocodiles are almost always seen on this tour (providing it is not during a very high tide). We usually see bird species that are unique to the mangroves in addition to the many species that can also be seen in places outside of the mangroves.

Daintree River Afternoon Tour

These tours are essentially the same as the Morning Tours in that both usually take place in the mangrove delta.

Sometimes this is preferred time-slot instead of the Morning Tour because of a more favourable tide or perhaps it may be at more convenient time. It is generally taken when people want to take the day-portion of the Combination Tour (see below).

Late afternoon is when the bunches of Pied Imperial Pigeons start flying back to their nests and mate on the off-shore islands (when they are in summer residence here).

This is when the birds start to become more active as the temperature begins to drop away from the hotter temperatures of mid-day.

Daintree River Evening Tour

On a clear night when we look skyward, it is very common to see satellites, meteorites or "falling" stars and such an array of stars that can only be seen in the rare conditions of clean air and no city-light pollution.

It is difficult to describe in words the exhilaration of slowly floating along a tropical river as day turns to night.

As the birds are flying to their roosts, the fruit bats begin to disperse to feed and the night creatures start their nocturnal choruses. With a spotlight, birds, reptiles and frogs can be approached to within an arm's length (a bird watcher's and photographer's dream come true).

The lovely reflections of the mangroves that form on the water when they are illuminated in the spotlight beam also help to make the night very special. Many people have said that this tour was the highlight of their vacation.

Daintree River Special Tours

To request more information about Dan Irby's Mangrove Adventures tours