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Pantanal Baiano ecological sanctuary is formed by the mouths of several rivers, including the Jaguaripe river, beaches and the Atlantic Forest.
It can also be reached via Cacha-Pregos, a town in the south of the island of Itaparica, where you can hire a speedboat for the trip.
For those who like fishing, the fun is guaranteed: there are whiting, mullet and dentex.
Many tourist agencies specialising in fishing include the Pantanal Baiano in their itineraries.
And the meeting of the salty water of the sea with the fresh water of the region’s rivers makes for an unusual sight: you can find oysters on the banks of the tributaries of the Jaguaripe River!
The town of Jaguaripe is situated on a strip of land between the Jaguaripe River and its main tributary, the Dona River, one of the largest habitats for bass fish.
Surrounded by extensive mangrove swamps that go all the way to the mouth of the Jaguaripe, its main attraction is an ecological sanctuary, with sandy beaches, creeks, remnants of the Atlantic Forest, mangrove channels and apicum, which are home to birds, wolves, anteaters, foxes, pacas, armadillos and a wide variety of shellfish and fish, the result of the mixture of fresh and salty waters.
The predominant ecosystem is the mangrove swamp.
The main species of trees and shrubs found in the mangroves of Bahia are the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans; A. schaueriana), the white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) and the button mangrove (Conocarpus erecta), all with different distributions and consortations, depending mainly on the influences of the tides and watercourses, as well as the types of soil that exist.
Video about the Pantanal Baiano and the town of Jaquaripe BA
Pantanal Baiano
The region got its name because it has a huge area of mangroves, still practically untouched, with countless corridors, streams and alternative navigational routes within the mangroves.
It’s a veritable sanctuary made up of an infinite number of rivers, canals, mangroves, beaches with crystal-clear sand and plenty of Atlantic Forest.
The region is frequented by birds, anteaters, wolves, armadillos, pacas and even jaguars and caimans. For those who like fishing, the fun is guaranteed: there are whiting, mullet, sea bass, dentons, among others.
The meeting of salt water from the sea and fresh water from the region’s rivers allows oysters to grow on the banks of the tributaries of the Jaguaripe River.
With regard to the animal life found in mangroves, in general there is an intense diversity, to the point of being known as a marine nursery, given the importance of these ecosystems for the maintenance of various species that spend at least part of their life cycle in this environment.
There are animals that depend directly on the existence of mangroves as a source of food and habitat, such as molluscs, in the case of shellfish and oysters, and crustaceans such as lobsters, siris, aratus, crabs and shrimps.
Fish include sea bass, mullet, sardines, sole and carapeba, among the species related to mangrove ecosystems.
It is worth remembering that the fact that fish are more physically distant from these ecosystems does not detract from their need as a source of survival, as visits in these cases become vital for their development.
Among the animals most directly related to the coastal environment are some birds that seek sustenance in the mangroves.
The great blue heron, the nightjar, the mangrove hawk and the mangrove saracura most often live in these places.
Mangroves fulfil numerous functions in the process of maintaining environmental quality and, recently, their use as a source of economic wealth has increased.
Concerns about the process of preserving mangroves emerged in the 1980s, at a time when they were reflecting on their role in the environmental context.
The primary importance of mangroves is related to the reproduction of the richness found in fauna and flora.
These ecosystems function as a ‘marine nursery’ because they provide favourable conditions for various species of plants and animals to go through different life reproduction cycles.
In addition to producing various types of food for the population of Jaguaripe and the region, mangroves also have the capacity to regulate the agents that degrade the coastline.
Their roots act as a filter for sediments and pollutants that flow into the sea, thus preventing siltation and contamination of the marine environment. The presence of mangroves hinders erosion on the coastline and protects the mainland from the advance of the sea.
How to get to Jaquaripe
Jaquaripe is 239 kilometres from Salvador.
Leaving Salvador on the BR-324 towards Feira de Santana, take the viaduct that gives access to the BR-101, then continue to Santo Antônio de Jesus, where you will take the BA-046 to Nazaré . From Nazaré, head south for another 10 kilometres to the junction with Jaguaripe.
From the junction to the town there are 14 kilometres of winding road.
Another option is to leave Salvador and take the ferry across to Bom Despacho Terminal on Itaparica Island (45 minutes), from where you can drive 61 km along BA-001 to the town of Nazaré .
From Nazaré, head south for another 10 kilometres to the junction with Jaguaripe. From the junction to the town there are 14 kilometres of winding road.
You can get there by bus using the Cidade Sol company.
See the map of Todos os Santos Bay
Bahia.ws is the largest tourist guide to Bahia and Salvador
