Day 1 – September 2, 2007

As planned, the Jaguar Corridor Expedition departed at 2:30 PM from Porto Príncipe Marina, in the town of Presidente Epitácio, São Paulo. Our departure was quite hectic, with friends from IPÊ, sailors and supporters from all over the region coming to watch closely the beginning of our journey along the Paraná River. Representatives from the local Justice and Navy departments, and friends from the Marina, interested in our expedition objective and results, came to wish us success and good winds. Some driven by curiosity, some fascinated by the adventure itself, the fact is that our departure was marked by strong feelings of companionship and strong emotions, at times we found it difficult to conceal our nervousness. And so we left, with more than one tear in our eyes, celebrated as if we were going to Manuel Bandeira’s Pasárgada. Our journey was bound for south. In spite of not being of much help in the beginning, the wind rewarded us with a smooth sailing at the end of that afternoon, allowing us to navigate more than 10 miles in about 3 hours. Even after such a short trip, we could already confirm some issues, and these were the ones that called our attention the most:

1) Islands of forests, temporary Noah’s Arks: After the Paraná River was dammed, forming the Porto Primavera Lake, some tracts of land remained isolated in the middle of the reservoir, surrounded by water. Although beautiful on the lake landscape, these isolated forest fragments have served as temporary shelters for many species of the local fauna when the waters rose rapidly during the process of filling the reservoir. The Hydroelectric Power Plant staff was in charge of rescuing the fauna; however, many animals were not lucky enough to be saved. Unfortunately, even those sheltering on the emerging islands are with their days numbered, since they are far from being numerous enough to produce genetically healthy populations. Little by little, the Arks are losing their couples.

2) The paliteiros, submerged dead forests: After the filling of the lake, the remnant forests along the Paraná River were inundated. As they were not removed earlier, real cemeteries of dead trees (paliteiros) formed, spotting the sheet of water and posing boating hazard. Scenes are almost “gothic”.

3) High banks in the State of São Paulo: The State of São Paulo was much less affected by the filling of the lake, whose margins are formed by higher banks. As for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, with floodplains and lower areas, that was the region most affected by the filling, with approximately 270 km2 of inundated areas, contrasting with only 27 km2 in the State of São Paulo.

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