Iguazú Falls is best known for its series of as many as 275 waterfalls of the Iguazú River, which flows along the border between the province of Misiones in Argentina and the state of Paraná in Brazil — and arguably forms the largest waterfall in the world when combined as one entity. The falls are indeed a sight to see if you have never been there before — especially as none of the individual falls are exactly the same…
Sunday Morning Photograph November 14 2021: A Butterfly in Argentina.
…but the dense lushness of the rainforest of the Iguazú Jungle of the Atlantic Forest is a sight to behold all its own, as the subtropical rainforest which surrounds the falls in Iguazú National Park contains greater than 2,000 species of vascular plants, as well as what the Harpy Eagle and approximately 400 other species of birds and other typical wildlife of the region — such as tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, and caymans as six of seemingly countless examples — call home.
As other people who were visiting this part of the jungle simply passed by as they wandered to their destinations, I spotted what to me was a colorful microcosm of the rainforest: a simple butterfly, perched on a flower and drinking its nectar while simultaneously helping to pollinate the indigenous plants within the area.
Pausing to take a moment to watch this butterfly do what it naturally does in its environment relaxed me. At times, no noises — save for some of the natural background sounds of the rainforest itself — created a quiet oasis which relaxed me. I could have stayed there for hours.
Final Boarding Call
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of being as fully aware of your surroundings as possible — especially while traveling — as you never know just what special moment you might encounter that everyone else seems to miss.
All photographs ©2005 by Brian Cohen.
