On two expeditions in 2007 and 2008 Heiko Bleher was able to discover for the first time in history by white man what he believes is the largest natural freshwater aquarium in the world. It is a crystal clear, over 60 km long river covered almost in its entire length with underwater plants. Such a pristine habitat with an amazing amount and variety of fishes ist almost second to none. Natasha Khardina and Nidal Rezeq did amazing under water films and Julia Krivish did beautiful photography.
Enjoy some of the pictures of this world-wide probably unique aquatic paradise and also some footage of the video with the names of the fishes filmed.
Far up the Aracá River in the Rio Negro basin Heiko researched for the first time in 2007 all its tributaries and found this one, where no one in history has every lived or penetrated. With Miguel from LoPeix and friends Heiko had invited see Rio Aracá 2007 and 2008, he went very far into this untouched paradise already in the early morning mist.
Already near the mouth were flowers everywhere, if on top of the water, from Utricularia species, or on the tees from different orchid species or in the bushes along the rivers edge.
Macaws flying everywhere over our heads, nesting in the holes of the dead tree trunks.
Below water the most amazing variety of aquatic vegetation, and fishes, some amazing Hemigrammus stictus variants in the brightest red colours…
…and Natasha filming and photographing… See some of the video below, of the amazing paradise of the crystal clear Sauvaudaua river in Amazonia – enjoy.
The Hemigrammus stictus and a new characoid, possibly a new genus and new species swimming sympatric with the former. And very late that night the sunset…
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