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São Francisco River Delta: Where the Great River Meets the Sea

The São Francisco River delta on the Sergipe-Alagoas border — where the 'Velho Chico' finally reaches the Atlantic — is a protected area of mangroves, sand banks, and sea turtle nesting beaches

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1
River Mouth Sandbars
The shifting sandbars of the São Francisco Estuary – where freshwater and saltwater mix – create a dynamic landscape that changes with each season and flood; the yellow river water visibly meets the green Atlantic
2
Sea turtle nesting beaches
The beaches along the São Francisco delta are protected nesting beaches for sea turtles - leatherbacks, loggerhead turtles and green turtles nest here; The TAMAR project monitors and protects nests
3
Mangrove Boat Tours
The mangrove channels of the delta – navigated by motorized canoe – provide access to one of the most productive estuarine ecosystems in the Northeast; crabs, fish and birds in the mangrove interior
4
Piaçabuçu Beach Town
The town of Piaçabuçu on the Alagoas shore of the São Francisco estuary — accessible by ferry from Sergipe — maintains the traditional fishing culture of the riverine communities that have lived on the delta for generations
5
Flood Season Migration
The annual flood season in São Francisco transforms the delta – the sandbars disappear, the channels fill and the fishing communities adapt to a seasonal rhythm of abundance and scarcity
6
São Francisco Boating Culture
The traditional river boatmen of São Francisco – who navigated the river before the dams – maintain their culture in the delta communities; the wooden boats, fishing methods and river lore are preserved