By Abigail Headley
Birthed from an idea that floated between a couple during the pandemic, Blackwater Adventures, a small family-owned business in Berbice, is the only licensed tour operator in Region Six.
The company was founded in July 2021 by Stephanie and Dillon Ross, two former volunteers who migrated to Guyana about 10 years ago.
Giving a glimpse into the company’s beginnings, Stephanie told Stabroek News (SN), “We both grew up in the countryside and a love of the outdoors was instilled in us from a young age. We’ve always spent our free time fishing, looking for wildlife, and having fun outside. After living in Berbice for over a decade we realized there is so much natural beauty here. That gave us an idea to start offering expeditions and tours in this area. We reached out to the Guyana Tourism Authority, and they were instrumental in making sure we did things the right way”.
Blackwater Adventures offers full day or half day trips and routinely takes guests to the Berbice River and Canje Creek.
They also offer trips to other rivers such as Corentyne, Essequibo, and Rockstone area, upon request. The trip coordinator added that their most popular trips are fishing charters, which allow guests to catch a variety of fish like piranhas, tarpon (kuffum), peacock bass (lukanani), and catfish.
Stephanie noted that while guests are encouraged to keep some of the fish that they catch, Blackwater Adventures promotes ethical harvesting. As such, guests are encouraged to release fish that are too small or have not yet reproduced.
For nature lovers, Blackwater Adventures offers a Sunset Cruise that provides a relaxing boat ride up the Canje Creek, where guests can spot monkeys, bird and other wildlife, and watch the sunset. She noted that there’s also an offer for a full-day trip up the Canje Creek with various activities like waterskiing, tubing, swimming, and sightseeing. They also have a Caiman Experience where guests are taught about the creatures’ value, and they can see one safely brought into the boat.
“We also offer a Caiman Experience where our guide safely brings a caiman into the boat and teaches guests about them. Our goal is to help persons learn to appreciate these amazing creatures. Camping trips are available too. We go about 100 miles up the Canje Creek or other areas where we can fish, look for wildlife, catch caiman, and sleep under the stars”.
Blackwater Adventures also offers a unique package to Fort Nassau for history enthusiasts. This entails a blend of river tour, jungle trek, and museum tour, taking visitors through the ancient Dutch Seat of Guyana. Visitors get to see the ancient church, court of assembly, graveyard, as well as the remains of barracks and warehouses. The court of assembly, Stephanie explained, is the place where slave rebellion leader Cuffy held meetings with his fellow rebels.
Children, older guests, and people with special needs are also catered for with Blackwater Adventures. Since the company offers open and private trips, they provide comfortable seating for older guests or people with special needs while children can engage in tailored trips.
Stephanie noted that these expeditions and tours are offered at affordable prices, based on the number of guests, with no minimum requirement.
The 33-year-old noted that the company prioritizes safety and is both licensed and insured. Dillon, she explained, functions as their guide is licensed with the Guyana Tourism Authority and has a background as a former paramedic and firefighter.
“We recently completed an HSSE (Health, Safety, Security & Environment) mentorship programme with the Centre for Local Business Development. They helped us look at our trips to see how we could improve. We’re happy to say we completed the programme and passed their assessment,” Stephanie said.
Blackwater Adventures also promotes sustainable tourism and encourages guests to avoid littering. Addi-tionally, they recommend local hotels, restaurants, and shops while working with local caterers to provide delicious Guyanese cuisine for their guests.
Stephanie disclosed that the company is now offering fishing charters to Rockstone, and they have one more package which is in the works with the Guyana Tourism Authority. Details on the latter are soon to be released.
