Apr-2014
Meeting mother nature at Nascente Azul
GoPro photo I took partly under water, partly above the water
It is my first day in Bonito and the word floatation is on my agenda. I had never heard about a “nascente”, but apparently it is a Portuguese word meaning a spring or a water source. The Nascente Azul, where I was going to, would mean a blue spring. Floating at a blue spring. Sounds good!
The waterfall at the walking trail to the blue spring
In the morning a bus picked me up in Bonito to go for a thirty minute drive to reach today’s activity: floating between a diversity of fish in crystal-clear water.
They call it a floatation because you have to wear a life jacket which will make you float through the river. Actually, that is not the only thing you wear during your visit at the Nascente Azul. Of course you have your bathing suit on since you will go for a swim, but you will also get a neoprene suit due to the waters temperature and some Crocs look-a-like shoes just so you won’t destroy the fauna and also not to hurt your own two feet. Last but not least you will get snorkeling equipment to be able to see all the beautiful fish underwater without having to go up for air all the time.
First I had some time to spend at their so called balneário where I could start my experience of swimming with big fish already at the main fishpond. I asked for a bag of fish food and entered the pond having tiny fish softly pinching the skin of my legs with their mouths like at a fish spa and the big fish waiting for me to throw the food. As soon as I did throw the food the big fish would all jump up to be the first to catch some food while hitting each other and just creating a whirlpool at the spot. I decided to leave the food at a bench outside and to jump into the pool to find out how big these fish really were.
I truly felt as if I was hitting someone’s arm whenever I tried to swim, since every movement got stopped by a giant fish swimming too near (there fish are strong!) Soon I decided to stop the swimming, leave the pond and just feed the fish and not being able to possibly hurt them by swimming so nearby. It was quite an experience already, but I saved the rest of the “swimming with fish” experience for later at the official water spring.
Monkey at the trail jumping from one tree to another
Jungle trail
The guide brings you along a trail through the jungle to get to the actual Nascente Azul. I spotted many monkeys along the way and even a Capybara swimming in the river. There is also a fascinating waterfall and an old micro central hydroelectric where the guide explains the old function of the machine.
Then we arrived at the crystal-clear blue water. There are two stops. One for the explanation of snorkeling, which I found quite interesting since I’ve never heard an explanation about it before, and another stop after the 15 minutes of try-out at the best place of the river to see the fish.
I admit that from here it does not look blue, but those are just the green plants
The floatation
One word. Fish. Many, many, fish. I had never seen such crystal-clear water and so many beautiful fish swimming around me in the middle of the jungle.
You don’t see it from above when you stare at the water, but there is kind of a cave where you can find many huge blue fish due to the warmer temperature down there. You can take of the life vest and swim down to the cave to have a better view at the beautiful fish.
Here are some underwater shots.
It is amazing to be so close to all these different kinds of fish and to be able to see them so well due to the clean water. I was happy to snorkel through the river and to spot so many groups of fish. Normally you would need to go to the deep sea with your scuba gear, but here in Bonito that’s not necessary. Just visit the Nascente Azul, even if you can’t swim, and you’ll have a wonderful encounter with mother nature.
Enjoy the video of my visit to the Nascente Azul!
[color-box]Details & information
Cost: about $193 Brazilian Real to visit the Nascente Azul including lunch and a transfer from and to Bonito.
How to book: you have to book your visit at a travel agency because the companies in Bonito allow only a limited number of visitors a day. It is not possible to organize your visit with the company directly.
Where to stay: spend the night at Catarino’s Guest House where they have the best breakfast in town!
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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