From pollution to the nursery of marine life: tour attracts tourists in Rio

The presence of dolphins is one of the attractions of the marine life nursery in Guanabara Bay and its surroundings, in Rio de Janeiro. The ecological tour has conquered tourists and residents of the state itself and is located in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Guapimirim, in the metropolitan region of Rio. Photo: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil The president of the Guanabara Bay Crab Collectors Cooperative, Alaildo Malafaia, is optimistic about the presence of animals in the region. “The boto chose Guanabara Bay to feed. The boto is an indicator of good water, if it resists it is because it still has a lot of life ”, he told Agência Brasil, before leaving for the ride in a boat. The transformation of the place, historically polluted, into an area inhabited by Guiana dolphins was possible with the help of programs such as Guardians of the Sea, which develops the Caranguejo Uçá project, which has guaranteed the recovery of the mangroves and income for the collectors. Twice a year, the non-governmental organization holds a cleaning day in Guanabara Bay and removes tons of garbage that, if left in place, will impact the life of the marine nursery. Postcards Photo: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasill After crossing the Guapi-Macacu and Guaraí rivers, accompanied by herons, roseate spoonbills and other birds, the boat enters Guanabara Bay, where you can see postcards of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Among them are Christ the Redeemer, Pão de Açúcar and the mountain ranges of the mountainous region of the state, where Finger of God is located. It is also possible to see the fishing corrals scattered in the water mirror, which guarantee the income of artisanal fishermen. “The Indians already fished that way, but they took wood from the mangroves to make the corrals and continued for many years”, said the president of the Collectors’ Cooperative. He added that construction began with eucalyptus and bamboo, after the creation of the APA Guapi, in 1984, to inhibit deforestation in the mangrove swamp, which was previously caused by the work of brick factories. Spa Photo: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasill The next stage of the tour is a visit by land to Pier da Piedade and Praia do Remanso, the only one with bathing facilities in Guanabara Bay. The beach received the international seal of environmental preservation by the Foundation for Environmental Education. From there, the next stop is a visit to the Church of São Francisco do Croará, which has images brought from Macau and, therefore, the saints have oriental characteristics. In the same region, another attraction is the Mirante de Mauá. Train Station Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil The last stop on the journey is Guia de Pacobaíba, inaugurated on April 30, 1854 as the starting station of the Mauá Railroad. This is the first train station in Brazil and is currently listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan). In 1945 it received the name of Guia de Pacobaíba, which is the location of the parish where it was erected. Initially, there were 14.5 kilometers of railway in Brazil, connecting Porto de Estrela, currently Porto Mauá, towards Petrópolis. *The reporter and the photographer traveled at the invitation of Fundação Boticário

Agência Brasil