If there were ever a place on earth that would be paradise to an aquarium plants enthusiast, then
the hamlet of Bonito in the Western Brazilian state of Mat Grosso Do Sul would have to be such a place. From my recent Jamaican experience, I got thinking that natural springs of the world might be a place to find and photograph our favorite exotic plants as well as discover some new ones. The River Sucuri in Bonito is to my knowledge the only place on earth where our aquarium plants combined with crystal clear water have become a sizable tourist attraction.
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The river water bubbles up through underground springs in limestone rocks. This is responsible for the crystal clear water of the river. "Bonito" is Portuguese for "beautiful" and the rivers of Bonito are beautiful for one critical reason; they have very high concentrations of dissolved salts and limestone. The limestone attaches to all solids in the water causing them to precipitate out of solution. This leaves the waters crystal clear. In the case of the Sucuri river, the waters are clear to an extreme allowing a snorkeler visibility of up to 40m! That's 40 METERS.
According to Freedom Magazine, prior to 1990 only Cattle Rancher Geraldo Pinheiro owner of the cattle ranch of Sao Geraldo in Bonito, and his family and close friends were privy to the piscine pleasures of the limpid Sucuri River, which meanders through his land.
Soon, word began to spread about the water paradise running through Mr. Pinheiro's land and dozens of snorkelers began showing up on weekends requesting permission to float down the river and picnic. If they were forbidden, the Pinheiros' feared the visitors would sneak in anyway. So they decided that if their privacy was going to be invaded no matter what, they might as well organize the invasion. |
That really stunning white "sand" at the bottom is really a thick bed of calcified snail shells.
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When other Bonito farmers found themselves in the same position they all joined forces and with local travel agencies, they set up strictly controlled tours on set schedules with guides to take snorkelers down the river. The agencies book a limited number of tours per year of limited size (just 8 people each run) during set operating hours. The ranchers provide snorkel gear, wetsuits and life jackets; the buoyant gear reduces the likelihood that tourists will stand or otherwise disturb the shallow river bottom. Ranchers also banned sunscreen, insect repellent and the feeding of fish. |
This is a regional view of the different rivers of the region.
Click on the map to see pictures of the other rivers of Bonito ===>. |
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"Natural Aquarium - The dive at the Natural Aquarium begins in a small pound with very clear water full of ornamental fishes and water plants. This is where the Formoso River begins. After some 20 or 30 minutes the diver goes on fluctuating down the river for some 800m. All divers are required to use a life vest even with a wetsuit. There is no other way to describe the beauty of the dive: we do really feel like we are inside a giant aquarium. "
~ Marcelo Krause |
Eco tourism now accounts for 30-70% of the revenues from the ranches of Bonito, the rest still come from ranching and limestone mining. Two dozen agencies sell at least 30 different tours to the Bonito area ranging from snorkeling, whitewater rafting and rappelling 72m into the Auhumas Abyss. This cavern has a subterranean lake the size of a football field. Although nearly 100,000 people traveled to Bonito last year only 5% were foreigners. |
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<=== The spring of the Sucuri river. Click to enlarge. |
These waters are so clear and the bio diversity of aquarium plants and fish is so rich, that a 30 min float down the Sucuri river is better than swimming in a nature aquarium. In fact, the term "Nature Aquarium" is the description most often given to the Sucuri river.
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Plants of The Sucuri River *
Acrostichum danaeifolium
Bacopa australis
Castanefolia Caperonia
Fibrosa Chara
Echinodorus ashersonianus
E. bolivianus
E. macrophylus
Erygium pandanifolium
Gomphrena elegans
Zosterifolia Heteranthera
Hydrocotile leucocephala
Peruvian Ludwigia
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Gardneriana Nymphaea
Jamesoniana N.
Polygonum acuminatum
P. hydropiperoides
Parviflora Pontederia
Potamogeton illinoenses
Corymbosa Rhynchospora
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Fish of The River Sucuri*
Jupiaba acanthogaster Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae Astyanax sp.
Bryconops sp.
Xenurobrycon macropus
Aphyocharax sp.
Crenicichla edithae, Odontostilbe sp.
Hyphessobrycon eques Hemigrammus sp
Rinelocaria sp.
Farlowella sp.
Hypostomus sp.
Ancistrus sp.
Corydoras aeneus
Aequidens sp.
Apistogramma sp.
Laetacara dorsigera
Crenicicla sp.
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Every aquarium plant enthusiast has got to swim like this with their favorite plants and fish at least ONCE in their lifetime! Why should the reef people have all the fun? :-) |
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To meet the visitor's demands, the ranchers installed picnic areas, restrooms, walk paths to the river, foot bridges and brought in rubber dinghies for those who preferred to enjoy the river from above...BTW, "sucuri" means "anaconda" in Portuguese :-) Since they made a sizeable infrastructure investment, all revenues for the tours are split in favor of the ranchers. The rest is split among tour agencies and the city government which taxes the tours.
Other rivers are part of this system besides the Sucuri such as the River Prata and the river Formoso. |
Today, two dozen agencies sell 30 different tours in the area, double the number offered in 1998. Snorkeling is the mainstay, but there are other options, including whitewater rafting and rappelling 72 meters--the height of a 21-story building--into the Anhumas Abyss, a cavern with a subterranean lake the size of a football field.
A Word of Caution
The Bonito farms are of course private property. Despite this fact, the area has been well preserved as it has now become the primary income earners for the land owners. The waters have become the primary reference point and model for how correct ecotourism shoud be implimented in Brazil. Unfortunately despite the limits and precautions of the farmers, a recent three year study of the aquatic plants of the river Sucuri (began in 1999) shows a detectable decline in the biodiversity of the aquatic plants in the stream. The farmers are as yet unwilling to restrict their already restricted tours even further. See the study.
The tours I've investigated to Bonito do pack in a ton of unique and enjoyable ecoactivities for your 8 days. Though I think its worth it (not read a single bad review) the cost is steep for an individual. However, the tours do offer much more affordable package deals for small groups. Joining a local aquarium plants society or aquarium fish club and persuading a few fellow fish and flora enthusiasts to save for the trip is the way to go. If you plan a trip, take me with you!!:-)
~ Dwight.
Citations:
Freedom Magazines, Inc 2001
* In the Submerged Gardens of the Bodoquena Scremin-Dias,
And, Pott, V. J., of the Hour, R.C., Souza, P. R (1999).
Campo Grande: publishing company UFMS, 1a ed
Special thanks to Mr. Gustavo Ximenes for first informing me about Bonito rivers
and his help with Portugese translation.
Images:
Marcelo Krause, Andre, viaecologica.com, Haroldo Palo Jr., Roberto Machado
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