Spotting Crocodiles on the Daintree River: Complete Guide

The Daintree River near Cairns & Port Douglas is one of the best places in Australia to reliably spot saltwater crocodiles in the wild.

The World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is the oldest in the world. This ancient ecosystem harbours a unique range of iconic Australian wildlife including, of course, the Australian Saltwater Crocodile.

However, you might be hard-pressed to spot one yourself since they are quite good at hiding. Thankfully, there are several great local operators running Daintree crocodile tours and cruises, providing a safe, sustainable and fun way to spot crocodiles near Cairns, Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation.

I’ve been on 5 different crocodile spotting tours in Far North Queensland over the years and by far my favorite is Solar Whisper. In this guide, I’ll go into a bit of detail about why I believe they run the best crocodile tours on the Daintree and include a short review and summary of my croc-spotting experience with photos.

How to Get to the Daintree River

Most crocodile tours on the Daintree depart from the large carpark adjacent to the Daintree River Ferry. While there are others in Cape Tribulation and out of Daintree Town, the Solar Whisper Daintree crocodile cruise is a convenient location since you can do this activity while waiting for the ferry.

The Daintree River is approximately 122 kilometres from Cairns (1 hour 45 minutes) or 67 kilometres from Port Douglas (1 hour).

To get here, you can drive the scenic Cairns to Cape Tribulation Drive, also known as the Great Barrier Reef Drive.

Below I've pinned the exact location of the Daintree croc cruise location to help you find it.

My Experience Spotting Saltwater Crocodiles on the Daintree River

If you'd rather keep this Daintree crocodile-spotting trip a surprise, then I'd suggest just booking a trip and skipping this part. However, for those interested in what to expect, and what they might see on the Daintree, here's a summary of my recent experience.

On our most recent visit to the Daintree, we picked the earliest, 9:30 am crocodile and wildlife cruise as it lined up best with our drive up to Cape Tribulation.

Wildlife Spotting

Our guide, Marc Peter was super informative and a really good spotter. Less than five minutes out from the pontoon he'd already pointed out a large python hanging high up on the canopy.

Marc pointed out that the timing of this trip ended up being great for us as the sky was clear and the tide was quite low. We spotted our first croc, a 3-metre female basking on the banks just a couple of minutes after the python.

Since Solar Whisper has a flat-bottom boat with electric engines, we could get much closer to the crocs without disturbing them in their natural habitat.

Just a few minutes upstream and we were also lucky enough to spot several native birds including a Herron, a Papuan frogmouth, two kingfishers and plenty of birds of prey flying overhead.

The main attraction of our Daintree crocodile cruise was Scarface, the dominant male of the Daintree River. Experts estimate this 4.5-metre saltwater crocodile as being over 70 years of age!

Marc explained to us that there is a very strict hierarchy in these river systems. The dominant male crocodile is the only one allowed to mate but is sometimes challenged by younger crocodiles.

We also managed to spot two more female crocodiles on our Daintree cruise, as well as a few very small baby crocodiles and an array of crab species and a couple of Radjah ducks once we got into one of the narrower creeks.

Overall, my experience on the Solar Whisper crocodile tour down the Daintree was really enjoyable. I'm not sure if we got very lucky or if spotting such a wide range of species is normal on these trips. Either way, based on my experience I'd recommend this crocodile cruise to anyone planning a trip up to Far North Queensland!

Tips for Making the Most of A Croc Cruise IN Cairns & Cape Tribulation

Still in the planning stages of a trip to the Daintree? Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of a crocodile boat tour and maximise your chances of spotting one!

• Seasons - Crocs are much easier to spot in the dry season. The cooler weather means they tend to sit on the banks to warm up. In the hot wet season of Tropical North Queensland, crocodiles tend to cool off in the water, making them harder to spot
• Weather - Try to pick a sunny day if you can. The warm sun encourages the crocodiles to get out of the water and bask on the banks
• Time of Day - Most of the crocodile river cruises on the Daintree time their trips to maximise the chance of spitting a croc. I'd say don't worry too much about timing. However, low tide is a better time to spot crocodiles as the banks are exposed.

More Photography From The Solar WHisper Daintree Croc Tour

Below are some more photographs of the Daintree River crocodiles that I've captured over a few trips from Cairns.

More Cairns Adventure and Travel Inspiration

I hope you enjoyed this quick guide and review of my experience on the Solar Whisper Daintree Crocodile Tour. If you have any questions about planning a trip up to the Daintree, don't hesitate to contact me. Otherwise, join in on the discussion below and share your experience in the comments.

While you're here, also check out some of my other articles for Cairns and the Far North. I've written loads more articles to this incredible region, with lots of must-do's and hidden gems to discover.

• 60+ Things to do in Cairns - my ultimate Cairns and FNQ travel resource covering the best activities, hidden gems, and unmissable experiences.
• Cairns Hiking Guide - a huge list of epic rainforest, waterfall, and lookout hikes in Cairns.
• Cairns Waterfalls - a huge list of epic waterfalls that I've visited in Cairns and the surrounding tropics.
• Cairns Islands - discover my favorite Great Barrier Reef islands near Cairns and Port Douglas.
• Cairns Tours - my roundup of the best tours you can book in Cairns and FNQ, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Daintree Rainforest.
• Cairns Packing List - tips on what to pack for a trip to Far North Queensland.
• Top Things to Do in Port Douglas - a comprehensive guide to the sleepy Far North Queensland town of Port Douglas.
• Epic 5-Day Cairns Itinerary - my suggested adventure itinerary if you only have 5 days to spend in Cairns.
• Cape Tribulation Travel Guide - discover where the rainforest meets the reef at one of my favourite places in Australia.
• Best Things to do in the Atherton Tablelands - my guide to one of Far North Queensland's most underrated adventure destinations.
• Accommodation Resources: Discover where to stay in Cairns, the best hotels in Port Douglas and my Cape Tribulation accommodation guide.