Iguela Lagoon is Loango's watery interior, a wide system of dark channels, mangrove edges, and sheltered open water behind the coast. Boat trips here are slower and quieter than the beach drives, with kingfishers, fish eagles, monkeys in the trees, and the occasional larger animal coming down to drink.
The lagoon also gives the park much of its atmosphere. Villages, camps, and research areas sit around its edges, while the water itself works as a road through country that would be exhausting to cross on foot. Go early or late in the day, when the heat drops and the reflections sharpen.