Adam Riley

Adam has traveled extensively to all 7 continents, leading tours to numerous countries ranging from Colombia to Egypt, Angola to Papua New Guinea and Antarctica to Alaska. Adam is one of Africa’s most experienced birders, having seen over 2,000 species on the continent as well as 8,000 species worldwide.

  • Adam Riley has grown up with a lifelong interest in wildlife, which evolved into a particular fascination with birds. Raised in a rural region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Adam qualified as a Chartered Accountant but in 1998 his career path took an alternative route when he founded Rockjumper Birding Tours with his friend Jonathan Rossouw. Since 2000 Adam has been the sole owner and managing director of Rockjumper and has also co-founded ORYX – Photo Tours  (2010) and ORYX – Worldwide Wildlife Safaris (2014). Adam has travelled extensively to all 7 continents, leading tours to numerous countries ranging from Colombia to Egypt, Angola to Papua New Guinea and Antarctica to Alaska. Adam is one of Africa’s most experienced birders, having seen over 2,000 species on the continent as well as 8,000 species worldwide.

  • JM, Mozambique 2015

    Adam, "You are simply the best" and really showed me how one should bird and how to go about it. Our early morning walks in the forest gave me the impression that I was in the world's finest concert hall with the greatest musicians rendering their best songs. I was humbled by this experience and will never forget it...

    RS

    Adam is an extremely hard working, energetic and enthusiastic person who is able to remain calm and collected under extreme pressure and is always willing to help and assist anyone in need. His ability to find elusive birds for clients is legendary and almost miraculous. He is not feint-hearted and never daunted by challenging circumstances.

    GB, South Africa

    What can I say about Adam. As a guide and companion he was first class. Very patient and his enthusiasm is infectious.

    NG, Antarctica 2022

    This trip with the guides, Adam and Daniel goes to my top three best trips I have ever taken. The leaders were oh so wonderful, the ship and staff were excellent, and the travel down and back while grueling , occurred without a hitch. As for all the detailed pretrip arrangements, hats off to Sarah who was beyond the pale excellent” in her support and help in “ getting it all done” . Can’t thank everyone enough for all the help, kindness and over riding expertise in making this a once in a life time trip for me!

    RC, Antarctica 2022

    Adam and Daniel made this trip extra enjoyable. The quality and diligence of their attention to all of the Rockjumper clients was simply phenomenal. I cannot use enough superlatives to describe the entire Rockjumper Team. The Ocean Victory seemed to be a perfect fit, with excellent staff and a sometimes-wearying dedication to safety.

    RC, Antarctica 2022

    We had the most incredible trip, with perfect attention to every possible detail, and to have the added trip to the Penguin Colony on the Falklands was a cherry on the top. The guides were both attentive, and engaging at all levels with every member of the group, as well as helpful to non Rockjumper guests, which made a great impression on them too. Thank you for an overwhelmingly awesome tour.

    SS, Antarctica 2022

    A very successful and amazing trip! Many thanks to Daniel and Adam for all of the hours they spent on deck identifying birds (many of them requiring a photo to be sure)! The Ocean Victory is a stable and extremely comfortable vessel - great staff and good food. I truly appreciate that Rockjumper arranged the special trip for the N. Rockhopper Penguin. It was truly a trip of a lifetime!

    JW, Antarctica 2022

    This tour was extraordinary, very well organized despite vagaries of the weather at times. The ship crew were very well trained and experienced helping people get on and off the zodiacs. Very smooth operation. The guides Adam and Dan were phenomenal and very helpful in locating fast moving seabirds from a heaving deck! Niki was quietly working behind the scenes making sure everyone was enjoying the cruise.

English