Seahorse Jangada Tour
R$The seahorse tour by jangada, a traditional sail raft, leaves from Pontal de Maracaípe and travels through the estuary and mangroves of the Maracaípe River to observe seahorses. It is a short, calm outing, good for families and for anyone who wants to see the mangroves without physical effort.
The jangadas, which are pushed along with a pole, are moored on the river next to the ticket booth of the Pontal jangada operators, who work as a cooperative. The tour takes about 1 hour and cost R$ 60 per person in 2025, paid by Pix, Brazil's instant payment, or in cash. Sightings are usually better at high tide, and many people go out in the late afternoon to watch the sunset at Pontal de Maracaipe. There are paid parking lots near the end of Rua Professora Erothides Flora Chalaça.
The species in the estuary is *Hippocampus reidi*, which is endangered. During the tour, the jangada operator usually picks up the animal and puts it in a container of water for visitors to see, before returning it to the river. A 2011 study recorded a sharp population decline in the stretches that are visited. If you prefer, ask to observe the seahorse in the water, without taking it out.
The mangrove lies within the APA Estuarina dos Rios Sirinhaém e Maracaípe (an environmental protection area) and is part of a municipal nature park created in 2017. The former Projeto Hippocampus visitor center, in the Vila de Porto de Galinhas (the village center), closed in 2020, and the institute began operating at the Port of Suape.