Have you ever gone snorkelling? How about snorkelling in perfectly clear river water?
Getting ready to River Snorkel in Bonito, Brazil
Down in Brazil there is a great little town called Bonito and on the outskirts of town are rivers that have colourful fish.
Being rivers, there is a constant flow of water happening, meaning that you simply put on your snorkel, fins and suit and float on down the river.
Colourful fish seen while Snorkelling in Bonito
It’s a great way to snorkel. First, the water is normally very clear. Second, the current takes you downstream at a leisurely pace, so you don’t even have to use your flippers. Third, the water is often only about waist deep, so no worries if you’re a poor swimmer.
Super clear water, super fun…river snorkelling!
Don’t expect coral reef type colours and sea-life here, it isn’t known for diversity of creatures. But, what it is known for is the possibility of seeing some special creatures like Anacondas or Caiman (small alligator type animals) in the water!
Here fishy, fishy, fishy…
I failed in spotting any Caiman on my river snorkel, so I had to settle for eating a Caiman steak for dinner instead. It was surprisingly good. Tasted mildly fishy and had a texture more like chicken. Imagine a chicken that ate a fish….that’s what it tasted like.
The clear river waters are surrounded by lush, green forest
A Lesser Anteater, also called a Southern Tamandua, Brazil
Southern what?
Well, some people call it an Antbear. Still confused?
How about an Anteater! Ah ha, this here is most commonly known as the Lesser Anteater, being much smaller than it’s giant relative.
The Southern Tamandua ranges from the northern tip of South America all the way down through most of Brazil and into the northern parts of Argentina.
At home in dry or wet areas, this particular Collared Anteater (just another name…more confusion!) was spotted in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil.
While it isn’t a remarkably great photo, it was the only anteater I saw in Brazil as they can be elusive. This photo shows the long, pointy head of the anteater, which gives it it’s name. The anteater uses a long tongue to slurp up ants and termites after it breaks open a nest or mound with it’s big front claws.
Whenever I mention going fishing for Piranhas, people seem shocked.
I suppose they envision me fighting off a school of man-eating fish with my bare hands. It’s not quite like that, it’s really more of a laid-back afternoon in the sun, using long fishing poles while dangling morsels of meat in the water.
Using long poles to fish for piranhas in the Pantanal wetlands, Brazil
It seems the Piranhas are smart little things too, as they don’t all go crazy at the first sight of flesh. Heck, when I was safely fishing from a top a bridge a local Pantanal fisherman was wading through waist high water nearby. So, really, how dangerous could they be?
What most people don’t know is that there are anywhere from 30-60 different types of Piranhas in the world!
The Pantanal Wetlands – A Pretty Place even if you don’t catch Piranhas
One type, the Red-Bellied Piranha, is the one that is most aggressive and frequently resorts to cannibalism. As far as I could tell, the Pirhanas I was fishing for were one of the much lazier, less scary species. But – they still had damn sharp teeth!
It was a fun day, despite not really catching anything. A few people I was with had better success, so we were able to dine on some Piranha for dinner. What I enjoyed most was just being out in nature, in the world’s largest wetlands. Birds, fish, caiman and all sorts of wildlife live in the Pantanal in Brazil.
Sunset in the Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil
It’s a place I’d love to return to in search of more wildlife like otters, anteaters and jaguars. Perhaps I’ll fare a little better with my Pirhana fishing skills next time too. If you’re wondering where my photos of the actual Piranhas are…well, the only photo of the too0thy little things I took came out blurry. Another reason to return…
A Black Howler Monkey in the Pantanal Wetlands of Brazil (Only Adult males are actually black in colour)
Black howler monkeys are found in parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. There are many Howler monkey species that range throughout Central and South America, but these are the ones usually found the furthest south.
As for their colour, only fully mature, adult males are black in colour. Younger Black howler monkeys, and females have a black and gold colour combination.
This howler monkey was photographed in the Pantanal region of Brazil.
There is a wooden ship that took six years to build, by hand, deep in the Amazon jungle. That ship’s name is the Tocorimé Pamatojari, which means Adventurous Spirit.
Chilling out on the Tocorimé Pamatojari near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I was lucky enough to sail on this great ship on a sun-soaked adventure along the coast of Brazil from Paraty to Rio de Janeiro.
Of all the boats I’ve been on – big and small – the Tocorime is the only one that had a special aura to it. The dedication and hard work put into building such a beautiful ship, was amazing. For example – the keel of the ship is a massive piece of wood that was dragged through the Amazon jungle for more than 3.5 months – by 25 men!
Every day was filled with another bit of detail about the types of wood used in the ship, or how it was built. Everyone who worked on the ship seemed happy and proud to be connected to it in some way.
Wooden Idol on the Adventurous Spirit
It is a ship full of stories, of epic adventure. In a time when it seems every corner of the world has been explored and few real adventurers still exist, the story of the Tocorime shines bright.
The Tocorimé Pamatojari Tall Ship
What made it even more exciting was getting dirty and helping out by setting sails, taking the helm and assisting in navigation. As someone who had no sailing experience, I had no idea what to expect, but the crew was amazing and the time on the ship was special.
Sails are Hoisted, the Mast of the Tocorime Tall Ship
It would have been a great adventure even if I stayed on the ship for an entire week, but the benefit of being on a boat is that you can also visit remote villages that are inaccessible by road, or stop for a quick swim in the ocean.
Drinking Skol and Sailing the Ship in Brazil
From waterfall hikes to sleeping in a hammock under the stars, my time on the Tocorime is full of fond memories. If I were ever to become rich and have my own boat, I can imagine I’d want it to be something unique, with an adventurous spirit, like the Tocorime.
A Beach leading to the Mamangua hiking trail in Brazil
I can’t do justice to the Tocorime story myself, so if you’re curious to read more about Markus Lehmann and other people who built this ship in the Amazon, visit the website at http://www.tocorime.net
