Every year, dogs, bees, lightning, and lions kill more people than sharks.
In reality, sharks are a heavily endangered species...
For every attack on a human, it is estimated nearly 10 million sharks are killed by us.
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Logs & Blogs
Amazon Reflections
Jan 31, 2012
Amazon Reflections
By: Cara Blomfield
It’s bizarre being back home, getting back into the swing of things, but its remarkable to know that I have been to this incredible place where not many people will ever get the chance to go to.
So much has happened, all that we have seen simply doesn’t all come back to you at once…but that’s the beauty about it. Memories continue to arise, making the journey last a lot longer.
The Rio Negro is a beautiful part of the Amazon and I’m glad we got to travel on this particular river. When we saw the Rio Branco and I was able to compare the two rivers, I realised just how much the dark colour of the Negro made it all the more exciting and exquisite. The contrast of the dark red or golden brown water against the greens of the jungle and the white beaches made it so picturesque.
Being on the river for the first time initially felt just like being on the sea. Then there were things we would begin to notice that would make it different, like the swirling eddies and lack of waves. Occasionally, the huge expanse of the river made it feel like you could be out in the open expanse of the ocean.
For me, the wildlife and their habitats were the most incredible part of this journey. The spectacular bird life, the crazy Boto dolphin, fish of all shapes and sizes including the mighty piranha were all spectacular! I saw dragonflies in every colour, and moths the size of my hand span. The flowers had bizarre features, making them look alien. I think that was one thing that captured me the most: how everything had amazing adaptations to survive in this extraordinary environment.
The people we met were just as interesting as the wildlife. Their friendly, smiling faces, and the children who were curious at the strange tourists walking through their villages. I loved learning some Portuguese to help us communicate with locals, but I often found that language wasn’t always a barrier and you could easily enjoy a moment with someone without it. Miguel, our guide, is an incredible man who is a wealth of knowledge and so in love with his home. It was a pleasure to have spent time with him and learnt from his stories.
One of the hardest things for me was seeing litter in what I thought of as a ‘pristine environment’. I saw garbage on the ground everywhere when I walked through many villages, and even saw the locals drop rubbish next to them. My first thought was ‘why don’t they put it in a rubbish bin?’, but then I realised, why would they have a rubbish bin if they don’t have anyone to collect it? Either they are aware of this and know there is not a lot they can do, or they have no awareness of what litter does to the environment.
I felt the same with fishing, wondering how many of the large Pirarucu there might be left. However, when I realized the locals fish for sustenance and to feed their own families, it changed my way of thinking. It was absolutely awesome to see Miguel’s foundation in Novo Airao, where workers are teaching locals to respect the environment, to reuse things around them and grow their own food. This is going to be important as the population continues to grow.
The most memorable moments that I will take away from this experience and remember always, are listening to the sounds of the jungle at night, the loud crickets, cicadas, howler monkeys and frogs, and the rolling thunder. The storms were incredible and the most intense I have ever been in. Watching the sloth, slowly making its way across the river one day; playing with children in the villages and seeing their faces light up at the rugby ball we had given them; crossing the equator and celebrating by jumping in the river; returning to the places where Sir Peter Blake had also visited and being part of the memorial; and finally, watching the sun rise and set in one of the most incredible parts of our World.
The Amazon has a huge impact on our Earth’s systems, and if it is changed then this will affect the rest of the world. I was lucky enough to see how beautiful it is and I hope that others will see this too, and see how precious it is to us. It is so important that we preserve what we have left, for the health of the Earth and for our future generations.
