The coast of Brazil seems to go on forever but today we reach our last destination in this fabulously diverse country. As the day started to get lighter we approached the parallel manmade breakwaters at Rio Grande. The city is the capital of the southernmost state of Brazil called Rio Grande do Sur. It was obvious looking outside that the weather was less than inviting—low clouds and rain but very little wind.
Rio Grande has become a major port facility for the region inland. Its importance was quite obvious as we slowly made our way to the dock position. Industrial ship works and warehouses lined the shores. But this did not deter the presence of birds and even an occasional southern sea lion. A variety of water birds were spotted along the shores of the channel and as the tugs pushed us against our berth Cocoi Herons, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Snowy-capped Terns, and others passed by the bridge wing into our awaiting binocular views.
Our excursion for the day was to travel south from Rio Grande to the area of a wildlife reserve called Taim. Along this section of coast there are a number of large and small lagoons situated between the surf-beaten coast and the fields and flatlands inland. These lagoons form wetlands critical to birds Taim Sta for breeding locally and also for migrants from other parts of South America and even the Arctic of North America.
Stopping at the Taim Reserve Station we were met by a sandwich lunch prepared by the ship’s galley and served by the Patrik, the hotel manager, and the head chef Fredrick. Following that we were introduced to the reserve and then split into groups to walk on the short trails and observe the wildlife. Many species of water birds were observed and the numbers were outstanding in species and abundance.
In addition one of the most amazing creatures were Capybaras, the world’s largest rodent. Near a bridge along the road these animals were easily seen and photographed. All of us visited three different locations and had a chance to watch the wildlife. The rain even held off for the afternoon and the cloudy skies kept the temperatures very comfortable.
Returning to the ship in the late afternoon we had a welcomed buffet dinner. Immediately afterwards on the back deck of the ship we had a performance by the band, Quartcheto. This ended a wonderful time in Brazil.
