Isla Margarita, Venezuela.... La Restinga Parque Nacional

Isla Margarita (Margarita Island), Venezuela, a tropical Caribbean island paradise, is situated off the north coast of Venezuela. (click on pictures to enlarge)

We had a very thoughtful tour driver named Gregory, who, upon discovering we were 'boaters' took us to their ' Laguna La Restinga National Park....Lagoon National Park which has 1,800 Canals...Peninsula Macanao is a large lagoon filled with mangroves, oysters, sea horses, fish and many birds.

Our boat driver, Capt. Jesus'(real name) ,

pictured below was extremely informative and helpful.

He reached down and picked from the water live starfish and we learned that with seahorses it is the male seahorse that has the babies (true).

On the pictures below you see a pregnant seahorse.

The boat ride itself contained the 6 of us for an hour drive thru many of the the Amazon's canals and it only cost $20.00 for all of us...

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Of course, the 'political views' of their anti-American President, Hugo Chavez, were in our thoughts...Being with the islands people gave us an insight into the preservation of nature which gave them their livelihood....plus tourism...

Cars were old, poverty was there, but nature was rich and plentiful....

All in all....the beauty of God's world in the Amazon Rain forest area....was awesome!