Delta del Paraná (SPA-ENG)

Paraná Delta

As we know, and those who don't, please note that a delta is a geographical feature, one of many that you learn to recognize by studying geography in high school. It forms at the mouth of a river due to the effect of fluvial sediments carried by the watercourse itself from its sources and the contribution of its tributaries. This causes the river to divide into multiple branches that separate from the main course and form an intricate network of channels, some navigable and active, others simply dead branches that end abruptly among scrub and forests or in a lagoon enclosed by the surrounding vegetation.

The Paraná Delta is the second largest in all of South America, surpassed only by the Amazon River in Brazil. It is formed by the great river of the same name after a journey of almost 4,000 kilometers that ends in an area of ​​17,000 square kilometers, forming islands, wetlands, and swamps just before emptying into the Río de la Plata.

It's a very active region. Thanks to my fishing hobby, I've witnessed the changes caused by the sediments carried by the enormous mass of water. Every year, new channels and islets are created, which over time fill with vegetation, birds, small mammals, and reptiles, gaining more and more territory, penetrating and colonizing the equally vast estuary of the Río de la Plata.

Last Tuesday, two friends and I boarded the Matuka, an old wooden boat almost 10 meters long owned by Mario, a great companion on fishing trips both in Patagonia and in the delta itself. We were on an excursion postponed a couple of weeks earlier due to the significant drop in the river's elevation, which prevented us from sailing with the necessary tranquility and safety. But that Tuesday, the southeast wind had taken its toll, and the water level was above normal levels, perfect for a trip through channels and streams to try to target some fish.

I'm leaving you with photographs of the outing, where you can see some wide and long channels like the Arias, the Luján River, and the Leber Creek, three examples of different waterways. I also took the opportunity to capture images of some large birds like the black-backed egret and the great egret, the former in the thick native forest, and the latter walking peacefully among the cruise ships and boats at the mooring where Mario leaves his old boat. Although there are no photographic records, cormorants, excellent hunters of small fish, are abundant, as are owls, barn owls, falcons, and caracaras. Among the birds of prey and scavengers, there are various varieties of ducks, geese, and countless other species of birds; there, among the dense forest, they find shelter and food to live at ease.

I captured some of the delta's typical, modern buildings, built on high stilts to protect them from floodwaters. Most of them had their necessary docks, which served both to moor boats and to spend time fishing, eating, or simply chatting over mate, just as we Argentinians are accustomed to socializing.

All the waterways, vegetation, animals, and human life portrayed in this publication are located more than 20 kilometers from the mouth of the Río de la Plata, a perfect example of the size and activity that exists in this beautiful, wild, intriguing, and underexplored Paraná Delta.