J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari
J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari
J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari
4.2
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Full view
About
Established in November 1987, J. Charles Swaby’s Black River Safari offers an eco-tourism experience that educates visitors about the diverse marine life and ecological significance of the Black River Morass. Guests can enjoy a thrilling yet tranquil 4-mile boat tour along Jamaica’s longest navigable river, guided by knowledgeable captains who provide insights into the area’s history and wildlife. The safari also features a Crocodile Nursery, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of crocodiles of all sizes, allowing visitors a up-close encounter with these remarkable creatures.
Black River, Jamaica
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J. Charles Swaby's Black River Safari
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.2
633 reviews
Excellent
282
Very good
240
Average
80
Poor
20
Terrible
11
CountryGal5759
Jackson, OH549 contributions
Jun 2022
What a fun day on the Black River. We learned about the history of the area. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the crocodiles and other wildlife. We saw so many crocodiles-they came right up to our boat. The tour operators must feed them after hours for them to approach our boat. The captain reached out and touched the crocodile-it is a wonder he still has his arm! We also saw many birds. The tour lasted about and hour. We took a taxi from our resort and combined this tour with YS Falls for a fun filled day. The boat look a bit rough and old but the actual tour and guide were excellent. Only downside was they did not accept credit cards and the entrance fee we were charged was more than the on line posting stated. We were charged 25 USD cash pp. Our taxi driver and the online posting both stated the fee was 20 pp and that credit cards were accepted. Guessing the person collecting our fee gave himself a nice tip!
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jetset Jen
Champaign-Urbana, IL290 contributions
Apr 2021
Wow- never saw an alligator in the wild so close up before.
I always thought it was called Black River because it was dirty, but I didn't realize that the water is crystal clear! And the story behind the black silt and the wildfires that start when the water is low - all fascinating.
The boat driver/guide was incredibly patient and kind to the women and their little kids on the boat that were so excited! And he was so well educated - really made our tour!
I highly recommend this tour for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts, as well as families with little boys!
I always thought it was called Black River because it was dirty, but I didn't realize that the water is crystal clear! And the story behind the black silt and the wildfires that start when the water is low - all fascinating.
The boat driver/guide was incredibly patient and kind to the women and their little kids on the boat that were so excited! And he was so well educated - really made our tour!
I highly recommend this tour for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts, as well as families with little boys!
Written April 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Axel R
Ijmuiden, The Netherlands232 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
J. Charles Swaby’s Black River Crocodile Safari.
At both sides of the Black River are tour operators who go on Safari on the Black River.
1500 acres of protected wetland with springwater Broad River and Black River coming from the Cockpit Country Mountains. The river looks black indeed, it’s because of clay sediment, the water is as clear as springwater could be. Mangrove forest, a great amount of bird species, large fresh water fish. And ofcourse the main attraction: wild American Crocodiles. Huge ancient creatures that gracefully swim in their clear springwater protected environment free to go anywhere they like.
The site also has a sanctuary where you could hold a baby Crocodile, if you’re lucky.
Resorts charges 150$ pp. we payed 57$ for 3 persons, travelling with our rented car at 50$ a day.
On the way back from Black River we stopped at Dor’s Belmont Sands / Blue Oceans Sands for lunch. Great wide view over the blue ocean. The bar/ restaurant is: Low profile, attracts lots of locals and has good food. We had chicken wraps, fried calimari, fresh fish soup.
Very good food, go and try for yourselves.
At both sides of the Black River are tour operators who go on Safari on the Black River.
1500 acres of protected wetland with springwater Broad River and Black River coming from the Cockpit Country Mountains. The river looks black indeed, it’s because of clay sediment, the water is as clear as springwater could be. Mangrove forest, a great amount of bird species, large fresh water fish. And ofcourse the main attraction: wild American Crocodiles. Huge ancient creatures that gracefully swim in their clear springwater protected environment free to go anywhere they like.
The site also has a sanctuary where you could hold a baby Crocodile, if you’re lucky.
Resorts charges 150$ pp. we payed 57$ for 3 persons, travelling with our rented car at 50$ a day.
On the way back from Black River we stopped at Dor’s Belmont Sands / Blue Oceans Sands for lunch. Great wide view over the blue ocean. The bar/ restaurant is: Low profile, attracts lots of locals and has good food. We had chicken wraps, fried calimari, fresh fish soup.
Very good food, go and try for yourselves.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma d
London, UK3 contributions
Jul 2023
This started out as being a really great trip. A knowledgable guide, stunning river scenery and impressive crocs in the wild. Unfortunately, the end of the trip really soured the whole experience which is why it's got 2 stars and not 5.
J.Charles Swaby promote their crocodile nursery (which you visit after the boat trip) as being for the benefit of young crocs, rehabilitating them back into the wild. That may be the company patter but what I experienced did not appear as though it was for the benefit of the animals at all. It was purely for the benefit of tourists; animals used as entertainment.
One of the big draws at J.Charles Swaby is getting to hold a young croc. Our guide got into the little croc's small, bare, concrete enclosure and prodded it with a pole. It ran away, terrified (I never thought I'd see a scared croc but just shows there is a first time for everything). The guide then wrapped an elastic band tight around its snout. He held it while people poked it and prodded it. Some people even wanted to look at and touch it's genitals (weird). The guide then handed the little croc to a male tourist who thought it was funny to chase after some screaming and shrieking female tourists with it. At this point I said to the guide that this was all pretty ugly, not the way to treat wildlife and that maybe it was time to put the poor animal back in its (dirty) little pond. He didn't seem to hear me so I said it again. He didn't seem to see there was a problem and continued to ask people if they wanted to hold it.
The animals in the nursery must go through this awful experience every time a boat load of visitors come in. It's so sad.
All the crocs, even the large ones, in the so-called nursery are in bare, concrete pens which seem barely large enough for the creatures. There is little water for them and what there is is dirty. This trip has really stayed with me for all the wrong reasons. I hope someone helps to put a stop to this so called 'entertainment' soon.
J.Charles Swaby promote their crocodile nursery (which you visit after the boat trip) as being for the benefit of young crocs, rehabilitating them back into the wild. That may be the company patter but what I experienced did not appear as though it was for the benefit of the animals at all. It was purely for the benefit of tourists; animals used as entertainment.
One of the big draws at J.Charles Swaby is getting to hold a young croc. Our guide got into the little croc's small, bare, concrete enclosure and prodded it with a pole. It ran away, terrified (I never thought I'd see a scared croc but just shows there is a first time for everything). The guide then wrapped an elastic band tight around its snout. He held it while people poked it and prodded it. Some people even wanted to look at and touch it's genitals (weird). The guide then handed the little croc to a male tourist who thought it was funny to chase after some screaming and shrieking female tourists with it. At this point I said to the guide that this was all pretty ugly, not the way to treat wildlife and that maybe it was time to put the poor animal back in its (dirty) little pond. He didn't seem to hear me so I said it again. He didn't seem to see there was a problem and continued to ask people if they wanted to hold it.
The animals in the nursery must go through this awful experience every time a boat load of visitors come in. It's so sad.
All the crocs, even the large ones, in the so-called nursery are in bare, concrete pens which seem barely large enough for the creatures. There is little water for them and what there is is dirty. This trip has really stayed with me for all the wrong reasons. I hope someone helps to put a stop to this so called 'entertainment' soon.
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam W
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
The river tour was amazing! The tour guide knew exactly what he was talking about and where everything was, making it a very relaxing tour as well as being very informative. We saw most of the salt water crocodiles as well as being told about the different kind of plants around the water which was great.
However, it was greatly let down by the section afterwards where we visited the crocodile nursery. I’m no expert on crocodiles but I don’t think being kept in small concrete spaces with little water is very good for them. The MAIN problem was when the guide offered us the opportunity to hold the crocodiles - I’m guessing for the entertainment of the tourists but at the end of the day it’s an animal not a toy. The next part is partly the guides fault and partly the other tourists in my groups fault, where they strapped an elastic band around its mouth and then proceeded to chase each other around with the baby crocodile. Another lady in my group was putting her finger around the crocodiles anus, and none of this was stopped by the tour guide. I understand that the others in my group were scared to touch the crocodile which ended up in them almost hitting it instead of stroking it, and this wasn’t stopped by the guide either. I forgot to mention that the guide had to chase the crocodile around its cage into a corner before picking it up - showing that it was evidently terrified and rightly so!
I understand that the tourists’ entertainment is important, but this doesn’t mean that mistreating the animal is at all appropriate.
There are roughly 4 trips a day, that’s 28 trips per week where that crocodile is being picked up and mistreated.
However, it was greatly let down by the section afterwards where we visited the crocodile nursery. I’m no expert on crocodiles but I don’t think being kept in small concrete spaces with little water is very good for them. The MAIN problem was when the guide offered us the opportunity to hold the crocodiles - I’m guessing for the entertainment of the tourists but at the end of the day it’s an animal not a toy. The next part is partly the guides fault and partly the other tourists in my groups fault, where they strapped an elastic band around its mouth and then proceeded to chase each other around with the baby crocodile. Another lady in my group was putting her finger around the crocodiles anus, and none of this was stopped by the tour guide. I understand that the others in my group were scared to touch the crocodile which ended up in them almost hitting it instead of stroking it, and this wasn’t stopped by the guide either. I forgot to mention that the guide had to chase the crocodile around its cage into a corner before picking it up - showing that it was evidently terrified and rightly so!
I understand that the tourists’ entertainment is important, but this doesn’t mean that mistreating the animal is at all appropriate.
There are roughly 4 trips a day, that’s 28 trips per week where that crocodile is being picked up and mistreated.
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Louise B
Tynemouth, UK14 contributions
May 2022 • Family
Yeah the guide was great, the crocs yeah good to see, however they totally ripped us off! $42 each for 5 adults 2 kids I asked if kids were $42 as well... Yes.... Hmm well OK so I paid it as we'd driven nearly 2 hours to get here.
Couple at hotel just told us they paid $25 each 😳😡🤬
Not worth $42
Couple at hotel just told us they paid $25 each 😳😡🤬
Not worth $42
Written May 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YorkshireEdd
York, UK218 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We went yesterday on an organised safari with TUI from the hotel, what an experience from start to finish. Ive never seen wild crocodiles - this did not disappoint from start to finish, travelling up the river then through the tropical mango swamps with info from the guide ! Very knowledgeable and professional, calling the crocs out to us in the boat ! WOW, would highly recommend this to young and old. They just come out swimming like the predator they are. To see what was for lunch !! 😂
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamdownDiva
Runaway Bay, Jamaica15 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
I remember taking this tour as a kid and loving it. Our own kids were so excited to do it, and they certainly loved it too. Our guide was so very fun & really seems to love the crocs (not merely walking us through a rehearsed script). We're glad we chose the tour at J. Charles Swaby, as the canopied boats are comfortable and offered us well needed protection from the sun and a little bit of rain. The crocodile nursery at the end of the tour was icing on the cake as the adventurous kids in our large family group, all wanted to touch or hold the baby crocs and got a chance to do so. Awesome experience that I'm sure our kids will remember for years to come.
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redburt88
Gravenhurst, Canada62 contributions
Jan 2020
Black River Safari was part of a 3 event tour and was surprisingly fun experience. Our guide was passionate about the crocodiles and very informative. I don’t like venues that use the animals for human entertainment but this was not that , although they let you shake the hand of the croc, it is not in anyway demeaning or disrespectful to the animal . 16 of us had the pontoon to ourselves and it was a nice relaxing afternoon out. Children would find this exciting, specially when the guide calls to the crocs and the emerge from the shore and swim directly to the boat.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dawnimac
Caribbean327 contributions
Dec 2019
Although we thought we would have to wait until 11.00 a.m. to start the trip as we missed the 9.00 a.m. departure, we were lucky enough to join a special group. Only 12 of us.
The captain spoke clearly and informatively about the several crocs that we saw, all with given names and ages. The trip is beautifully peaceful and scenic with some extremely tall mangroves.
Our memorable moment was to see a spear-fisherman swimming along the side of the river having left his boat far down. I guess he knows where the crocodiles rest.
The trip ended with a tour of the enclosure with the different sizes of crocodiles, some young have to be reared there to escape predators, i.e. larger of their own species.
A very memorable trip.
The captain spoke clearly and informatively about the several crocs that we saw, all with given names and ages. The trip is beautifully peaceful and scenic with some extremely tall mangroves.
Our memorable moment was to see a spear-fisherman swimming along the side of the river having left his boat far down. I guess he knows where the crocodiles rest.
The trip ended with a tour of the enclosure with the different sizes of crocodiles, some young have to be reared there to escape predators, i.e. larger of their own species.
A very memorable trip.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, how much is the entrance fee? Don’t plan on booking through a tour. Thanks!
Written September 15, 2019
Is there somewhere to leave luggage? Specifically a camping rucksack. Or does anyone know of nearby places where luggage can be left
Written March 5, 2019
When you take the Black River Boat Tour there are lockers you can get, I’m not sure how much space is in them. While travelling on the bus they suggest you leave you items on the bus. The bus driver and your guide usually stay behind with the bus.
Written March 6, 2019
Can you just arrive, buy a ticket and then go on the next boat tour? Or do you have to book in advance with a tour company.
Written January 26, 2019
We drove right up to the place, and were on a boat within 20 minutes.
Written January 26, 2019
We were taken by tour rep
But well worth it
Written February 19, 2018
How appropriate would this tour be with kids? We have a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old. I wonder if our little one would be miserable!? How long is the boat tour?
Written December 22, 2016
The actual tour is very relaxing but depending on the hotel you are travelling from the drive there and back could be very tiring not only for the kids but for you guys too. The whole black river is around an hour and very interesting. While the tour guide/captain can really make or break the entire experience. Our captain was very entertaining and witty while our friends on the other boat complained they were simply taken to see the stuff a little bit of facts and then back. Their entire tour was way shorter than ours. they started the same time as us but were at the shore like 10 mins before us.
Written December 22, 2016
What outfit provides the tours and do you have a link to their website ?
Written December 16, 2014
Lots of tour companies provide the transport to Black River Safari, and include the safari price in what you pay. Alternatively, you can just arrange your own transport by taxi or other means, and pay for the safari when you arrive. Usually a boat leaves when it is full, or on quiet days, if it looks like nobody else is going to show.
Written May 9, 2022
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.