The legend says there is a half human creature which appears to people in the middle of nowhere, deep in the middle of the Venezuelan Amazonas jungle. Locals call it “The Primitive Man” and say that it is a bit smaller than a human, hairy and extremely aggressive. Outrunning it in the bush is impossible. His feet face backwards or to put it in another way, his heels face forwards, which give him a great running advantage. As I listen attentively I imagine it as a smaller version or a malnourished Sasquatch or Bigfoot. The passion and belief that I see in the faces of the people that tell me the horror stories makes me wonder if it really exists. I love to hear the Amazon tales and stories. They are filled with abundant wildlife, plants, rivers and fear of loneliness and the unknown.

So, here I am, alone, sitting next to a fantastic stream in the middle of nowhere, deep in the middle of the Venezuelan Amazonas impenetrable jungle. The greenness of everything around is so soothing and refreshing to my eyes. The jungle noises are faint but present at all times. The crystal clear water river in front of me trickles a gentile melody and ever-changing glittering stars dance to its beat over the gentle ripples on the surface of the water. I am placing my camera and other gear into the underwater cases when all of a sudden I hear the tall grass next to me shake. I get goose bumps from my head to my toes. I turn my head slowly and see a huge Golden Tegu lizard, Tupinambis teguixin, making its way towards the stream. Even though my mind tries very hard to convince myself “The Primitive Man” does not exist, I was really expecting it to come out of the bush and attack, bite, or probably beat me with a stick! I finish arranging my gear, take off my clothes and put on my dry suit. A few feet away the Golden Tegu is staring at me. I stare back at him and tell him, “Bet you have never seen a person with a wetsuit before, right?” I gently make my way into terra incognita or to be more precise, “aqua incognita.” The 25 °C water feels cold and as I sink below into the underwater world, I see fish fleeing frightfully from me, to them I am “The Primitive Man.”