A small village with only a few stores and a large tourist restaurant was the starting point of the cruise.

A flock of royal terns were hanging out together on a sand bar as the boat motored past.

The river ended where it met the Pacific Ocean.

A lone man rested on the beach where he could watch the river slowly exit into the ocean.

A black vulture on the beach in the foreground and a man on the beach in the background gave counterpoint to the end of the village as it dissolved into a field of sticks.

Beyond the village could be seen one of the several volcanos in Nicaragua. This one was active.

A turkey vulture on the beach saw us off as we turned inland to follow the river.

One guide with a bird book discussed birds with Madeleine Lemire as the boat began its inward voyage.

The shore was a tangle of trees and bushes, with only the occasional clearing.

A tricolored heron was spotted on a limb just a short way inland from the river.

Two colorful boats were found tied up on shore near what looked like a large clearing.

The huge roots of a mangrove tree bordered the river and over time were creating more land.

An old dugout canoe was found pulled up on shore near what might have been a path.

The guide found a freshwater crab on one of the mangrove roots.

A huge spider on a huge web alongside the river. The guide couldn't identify this spider but its body was at least 2 to 3 cm long, excluding its legs.

A large termite nest on this mangrove was actually beneficial. Termites will not eat the wood of their own tree and will guard it from outsider termites.

A great kiskadee on a branch was a remarkable shot to get. The motor on the boat (a two-stroke outboard) was so loud, it more often than not frightened birds away.

Here is one of the birds frightened away by the boat's motor.

A mangrove swallow was spotted on a distant twig and photographed before the boat got too close.

A video of the trip showing the river and revealing the kinds of sounds and dialog that were present.

Far up the river the water was becoming clogged with mangroves and the water itself was becoming more placid.

Dramatic roots lined the river as we moved deeper into the surrounding jungle.

A single root grew down from a tree toward the center of the river. These roots growing down, in a taller, larger jungle would be capable of creating a Tarzan-like swing.

A whimbrel was spotted on shore as the boat sped back toward the village.

All tours in Nicaragua were slow and leisurely going out, but fast to return. It was almost as if a tour was booked one way, and the return not part of the tour.

As the tour boat returned back to the town, we passed other boats getting ready to depart.

Back on the departure beach again we were able to watch the next tour getting ready to depart.