The Cumbarjua canal near Panaji that links the Zuari and Mandovi rivers is a thriving place for mugger crocodiles. Crocodile watching in Goa is a unique experience. The carnivore is spotted in the dense mangrove of Cumbarjua. Goa beach being a coastal state enjoys a unique combination of nature's endowment, a diversity of its coastal habitat characterized by a variety of landforms like beaches, estuaries, islands and lagoons. Located along the Midwest coast of India, Goa is flanked by the rugged Western Ghats in the east and the vast expanse of Arabian Sea on the west. Always a popular destination for conventional resort tourist, Goa now witnesses an upsurge in eco-tourism, the mangrove related eco-tourism enterprise such as backwater cruises, bird watching and crocodile safari of Cumbarjua canal, the mangroves swamps of Chorao, one of the largest Island at the mouth of river Mandovi and also the site of Goa's only protected areas for birds, Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.
Crocodiles In Goa :
Mugger crocodiles in Goa exist in two populations one in Opa River and another in the brackish waters of Cumbarjua. A total of 20 or mor crocodiles are estimated to thrive in the Cumbarjua waters. The Crocodylus Palustris of the Cumbarjua breed is unique, as the muggers are freshwater crocodiles that have adapted to the saline mangrove eco-system- an achievement nowhere else found in India.
Stray crocodiles have been spotted at Chorao, Tivim, Siolim and Carambolim. The Syngenta freshwater lakes at Corlim have a small number of 13 crocodiles thriving. Southern Birdwing, a wildlife group closely monitors the movements of the muggers, a part of the Goa Forest Department's Wildlife Rescue Squad have been involved in the rescue of 38 crocodiles. They also take tourists 'croc-spotting' to the Cumbarjua in a boat. Though crocodiles are not hunted but around 2-3 crocodiles are spotted dead each year their lengths ranging from 1.3-2 metres. They are accidentally trapped in fishing nets and probably drowned and killed though one case of poaching has been detected at Belloy, Nuvem.
