I have finished uploading the Praia do Forte photo album, with images of the village, its beaches, its natural pools and its turtles.

A charming square with a chapel right by the beach.

The wonderful natural pools.

Where you don’t have to get your feet wet to have fun following the little fish comings and goings.

The Projeto Tamar and its environmental preservation work.

Where you will be able to see sea turtles from a very close distance.

And the Garcia d’Ávila castle in the vicinity of the village.

If you have any questions about Praia do Forte, you can leave your comments at the entry destination: Praia do Forte.

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The Projeto Tamar is a Brazilian environmental organization as well-known as it is respected. Strictly speaking Tamar is not an NGO, as its organization chart includes a government body. The organization benefits from a very powerful sponsor: Petrobras, the mighty Brazilian oil company, always eager to appear as an environmental asset – and not a hazard.

The Projeto Tamar field of action is the Brazilian coastline and its Oceanic islands, and its main aim is to work for the protection and preservation of sea turtles. Brazil is home to five out seven species of sea turtles, all of them endangered species. From September to March, along the coast, and January to June, on the islands, the organization monitors the beaches where the turtles lay their eggs. Tamar estimates each year 14.000 nests and 650.000 baby turtles.

As well as their preservation work, the secret of the Projeto Tamar’s success lies in the way they have build links with the communities, in an effort to spread a culture of preservation replacing a deeply-rooted tradition of destruction, and also giving employment opportunities to less well-off comunities.

Tamar’s HQ is at the Praia do Forte, north of Salvador de Bahía. The organization has bases in other 8 Brazilian states, including Ceará (Almofala), Rio Grande do Norte (Atol das Rocas), Pernambuco (Fernando de Noronha), Sergipe (Pirambu, Ponta dos Mangues, Abaís and Aracaju), Espírito Santo (Vitória, Comboios, Pontal do Ipiranga, Guriri, Itaúnas, Trindade and Anchieta), Rio de Janeiro (Campos de Goytacazes), São Paulo (Ubatuba) and Santa Catarina (Barra da Lagoa).

At many of its bases the emphasis is on education. We have visited the bases of Fernando de Noronha, Ubatuba and Barra da Lagoa (Florianópolis) and it became quite clear that educating is as important as the contemplation of the reptiles. Fernando de Noronha is probably the best place to get acquainted with the work carried out by the Projeto Tamar. Depending on the time of your visit to the island, you might be able to contemplate the birth of the turtles. All year round you have a unique an unforgettable chance of diving with the turtles in the wild.

At the Projeto Tamar’s webpage there is plenty of information. It has en English version.

I have put together five photo albums from our recent trip to Florianópolis. They can be seen at my Flickr page.

The first album is dedicated to the north of the island, with photos of Santo Antônio de Lisboa, the Projeto Tamar in Barra da Lagoa, and the beaches of Jurerê, Canasvieiras, Ingleses, Brava and Santinho.

The second album is dedicated to the centre and the Lagoa da Conceição, with photos of the Mercado Municipal, of the Lagoa and of the Mole beach.

The third album is dedicated to the south of the island, with photos of Armação, Ribeirão da Ilha and Pântano do Sul.

The fourth álbum is dedicated to the Campeche beach and the idyllic Campeche island.

An the fifth and final album is dedicated to the Joaquina dunes and its sandboard artists.

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