The Underwater Wildlife of the Brazilian Amazon <br />After a bout of heavy rainfall in southwestern Brazil, what is ordinarily a rainforest hiking path has been transformed into a stunning underwater vista.<br /><br />The beautiful footage that is currently doing the rounds othe Internet was filmed at Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata, which is within a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage that's criss-crossed with crystal clear rivers that wind their way through the rainforest. Normally, visitors can hike the trails around the reserve, before taking a dip in the Rio Olha d’Agua or the Rio da Prata and snorkeling with the fish.<br /><br />But after heavy rainfall at the beginning of this month, tourists visiting the reserve got a rare chance to do both at the same time. The high waters inundated the surrounding forest, and rather than turning into a muddy, silty mess, the crystal clear waters created an astonishing underwater wonderland.<br /><br />While this doesn't happen often, it's not the first time this has occurred. In fact, it may have unusually happened twice this month. The results, however, are typically short lived.<br /><br />“Despite the flood, on the day the video was recorded the waters of the river Olho D’Agua remained crystal clear due to their conserved riparian forest and being inside a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage,” the caption on the video states. “This was a rare episode, and by the end of the day, the river had returned to its normal level.”
