On the 22nd of April 2013, Jill Elaine Roche , a brave American traveler set off with her local guides to explore an extensive varzea or flooded forest by wooden canoe.

They were sneaking in amongst the trees leaving no trail behind other than the frothy path left by the canoe. Moving silently and slowly the forest creatures reveal themselves, the squirrel monkeys are easy enough to see but nothing prepared her for the monster she was about to encounter. One of the guides spotted the behemoth basking in a patch of sun light. A giant anaconda! Jill managed to snap a photo at a distance first.

The green anaconda was woven between several trees ten feet above the waters surface. The large tree is between 20-23 inches in diameter

A closer viewphoto credits to Jill Elaine RocheThis is most likely a female individual, still not fully grown. She may weigh two hundred pounds or more. Individuals of this size are common in areas where we visit but for the most part they are hidden or in the water, very hard to detect.This is a spectacular sighting, and these days of increased water surface area have been very productive for wildlife viewing. I only wish I could guarantee that everyone who visits would have the chance to view this relic of the megafauna that once existed in the diverse paleo ecosytems of long ago.

Here is another photo of a an anaconda caught last year during this period of high water. Julie Anne and her daughter came with the greatest wish to see a giant anaconda. I of course down play and assert that I don't guarantee they will see one but lo and behold, they went camping for one night and found a snake slightly smaller than the one in the photos above taken by Jill

Photo credit Julie Anne Moore for any information on how you can have the chance to search for giant green anacondas, please contact Anthony or Ivy at Otorongo Expeditions