Wildlife
Mangrove Paddle Board Tour
Flat water through the Damas mangrove channels, close enough to hear the branches move.
The quietest way into the mangroves.
The Damas estuary is a network of channels running back through mangrove forest, and the water in them is flat. Not calm-ish, not sheltered: flat, which is why this is the paddle tour we suggest for people who are not sure about paddling at all.
It is also the quiet one. A board has no engine and leaves no wake, so the only sound you make is the paddle, which is a genuinely different way to move through a place like this.
A board has no engine and leaves no wake. The only sound you make is the paddle.
More about this tour
White-faced capuchins work the branches out over the channels, and iguanas and a great many birds live here too. None of it is promised, because it is wild and it does not perform to a schedule.
The tour runs three and a half hours with a certified guide, and the start time is set by the tide rather than by a clock. That is not vagueness, it is the estuary: at the wrong state of tide there is not enough water in the channels to get in or back out.
What might you see out there?
Your naturalist knows where they hide, when they move, and how to find them.
Likely Wildlife sightings are nature, never a guarantee. Your guide knows where to look.
Here's how the 3.5 hours unfold.
Every step is planned so you can focus on the experience, not the logistics.
We confirm your time around the tide.
The estuary sets the schedule, not the operator. Your start time is confirmed with you rather than published in advance.
Boards, paddles and a short lesson.
Flat water makes this the easy version of learning. Standing, turning, and stopping, which matters more here than speed.
Under the canopy.
Paddling back through the mangrove channels with the guide, stopping whenever there is something in the branches worth stopping for.
Snacks, water and the run home.
Refreshments are included, and transport back to the hotel is part of the price.
Everything that's included, and everything to bring.
What is included
- Transportation
- All gear
- Certified guide
- Snacks and water
What to bring
- Swimsuit
- Insect repellent
- Hat and sunglasses
- Reef-safe sunscreen
Photographs from this trip
Real photos from this tour. Click any image to open the gallery.
The local shortcut.
The right paddle tour for your group
Two exist. This is the flat, quiet, wildlife one; the ocean tour is more of a workout.
We book it around the tide
The tide sets the time. We watch the table and tell you the day before.
Same rate, no markup
You pay what the operator charges direct. Our value is the coordination.
Honest about the animals
Everything here is wild. We will tell you what tends to turn up and we will not promise you a monkey.
Before you book, a few answers
Let us get you out there.
Reserve your spot, or message the concierge team with questions.