Kayaking the Mouth of the Parana River, Argentina

Danny Catt — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 13:00:52 -0800

Kayaking the Mouth of the Parana River

In British Columbia’s lower mainland (Greater Vancouver) we are blessed with the ocean at our doorstep and a broad range of parks and protected areas just minutes outside the city. In winter you can ski or snowshoe on the local mountains and in summer you can sail on the ocean, canoe on a local lake or fish one of the many rivers nearby.

In Argentina, I never expected to be able to explore an ecological wonder within an hour of one of the largest cities in South America (Buenos Aires). Just north of Buenos Aires (about 45 minutes) is the community of Tigre, the jumping off point for a kayak experience that will take you through the rich wetlands and canals at the mouth of South America’s second largest river, the Parana.

The Parana River originates in Brazil, and then flows southward forming a natural boundary between Brazil and Paraguay until it reaches and then joins the Iguazu River. Just above the confluence though, the Parana is dammed by the world’s largest hydro development, the Itaipu Dam. In 2005, this massive hydroelectric plant provided power for over 90% of Paraguay and approximately 20% of Brazil. This one hydroelectric dam produces enough power for the entire state of California alone. Certainly these are admirable achievements and hydro power is often considered ‘clean power’ (compared with coal power for example). But, there were significant social and environmental consequences associated with its construction. Over 10,000 families were forced to relocate when the dam was constructed and the dam’s 1350 square kilometer reservoir drowned Sete Quedas, a set of waterfalls that was apparently as impressive as those at Iguazu. The impacts on wildlife and fisheries were significant but I was not able to find much information about that. What I did find was this report. http://www.american.edu/TED/itaipu.htm

After merging with the Iguazu, the Parana River forms the natural boundary between Paraguay and Argentina. It then turns south, and many hundreds of kilometers later it merges with the Uruguay River to form the Río de la Plata and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Buenos Aires is located along the Rio de la Plata (not the Atlantic as many might think).

Our Route through the Channels

It was in amongst the canals and wetlands of the estuary of the Parana that we were kayaking. We were accompanied by a fabulous naturalist (thanks Liliana) who was very well versed in the flora and fauna of the region, as well as a world renowned expedition kayaker and kayak designer (thanks Ricardo). We saw kingfishers, a range of songbirds and we even caught a glimpse of an owl that we spooked as we slid along the canals. A wonderful way to experience a very unique region of Argentina.

Paddling Along a Channel of the Parana River

Catt-Trax 2 - Parana River

Kayaking the Mouth of the Parana River, Argentina