Barra Norte Sea, Brazil

On your way to the Amazon or as you depart from it, you will sail along an area of Brazil known as Barra Norte, or North Bar. Barra Norte is then often divided into two areas: Barra Norte River, referring to the end of this branch of the Amazon River where it flows into the Atlantic; and Barra Norte Sea, to the east, the part of the Atlantic along this section of Brazil’s coast. There are a few landmarks you may be able to spot depending on the exact route your ship takes. Maracá Island sits to the north of Brazil’s North Cape. Low-lying and ringed by mangroves, it's home to an ecological research station and is a popular stop for migrating birds. Most of the North Cape is a protected biological reserve, with some of the world’s tallest mangroves as well as jaguars, manatees and a number of turtle species. Finally, at the actual mouth of the Amazon, countless islands—some named (dos Porcos, do Pará, Mututí and Uituquara) and even more unnamed—create a baffling maze that's constantly being reshaped by the tides and sediment from the river.