AMAZONAS
confess to having many thoughts like this. But I also
remembered the saying “Nothing ventured, nothing
gained,” and it certainly applied to this experience. It
is truly exceptional—but also exhausting. It’s a lot of
effort for a short dive, but how many people do you
know who can claim to have visited such an exclusive
diving spot?Lagoa Misteriosa
Just 30 miles (50 km) from Bonito, near the town
of Jardim, is Lagoa Misteriosa, the Mysterious
Lagoon. Getting there takes a good hour. Once you
arrive, you see the deep, dark blue lake shining like
a gem in the lush green jungle. You descend to the
Lagoa on a staircase.
The first dive here was made in 1992. The
deepest dive so far was to 722 feet (220 m), and
this sinkhole still has not been fully explored. The
enormous depth clearly explains why the water is so
incredibly clear and the charisma of the place is so
magical. You feel weightless underwater because the
water has no turbidity and the visibility seems to be
infinite. Diving here is an amazing experience!Summary
It would be impossible to summarize all our
experiences on this tour in a single report. You can
always customize your own trip to suit your personal
preferences. Anything is possible—there is plenty of
variety here. With so much to discover, we felt there
was not enough time. Our trip was also exhausting,
but there are plenty of relatively easy-to-reach
destinations for those who are less adventurous.
Another thing to consider: Because we only spoke
English and a little Spanish, we could not always
make ourselves understood. Portuguese is very
different from Spanish, so acquiring at least basic
phrases is highly recommended.No aquascaper can compete
with nature when it comes
to designing an Amazonian
aquascape. The fish in the
foreground is Brycon microlepis,
a large tetra species that is
common in the Pantanal.Addresses of organizers and accommodations
Pantanal Jungle Lodge: http://www.pantanal-jungle-lodge.com
Fazenda San Francisco Agrotours: http://www.fazendasanfrancisco.tur.br
Bonito Hostel: http://www.bonitohostel.com.br
Abismo Anhumas Cave Diving: http://www.abismoanhumas.com.br/?lang=en
Lagoa Mysteriosa: http://www.lagoamisteriosa.com.br/lagoa-misteriosa-en
Kelm Scuba Bonito: Hugo Kelm offers day and night dives for professionals in Rio Formoso, down to 7 m, 18°C
(no website)Planning the tours:
All tours take place on private property. The owner is usually not the tour operator, but most only work with a
single provider. The tour operator usually has no office in the city and is not directly accessible. The tour must be
booked in the city via so-called booking agencies. The state limits the number of visitors per tour and per day, so
book early for the high season. Unfotunately, the transfer to the excursions is not included in the tour, so you
need to arrange the transfer with the booking agency. It is best to choose a large agency that can organize a group
transfer, otherwise it can be very expensive.