A group of over 400 small islands in the Rio Negro, 65 miles from Manaus, with a row of sandy beaches. During the rainy season the islands are underwater, but during the dry season they appear to have surfaced. In reality it is the water level that has gone down. Many animals in this fresh water archipelago are in danger of extinction, such as the manatee and the Brazilian otter. It is the second largest river archipelago in the world.