[1] The forests extend from the base of the Paria Peninsula in the northeast of Venezuela south across the Orinoco Delta floodplain to the Waini River of Guyana.

The Orinoco fans out into large and small distributaries in the delta, which wind through a landscape of permanent wetlands and marshes, oxbow lakes and levees.

[5] The Orinoco delta is largely covered by permanently flooded tropical ombrophilous swamp forest, which support various endemic species of plants, with areas of wetlands, mangroves and terra firma rainforest.

Hardwood trees include Carapa guianensis, Ceiba pentandra, Dimorphandra excelsa, Hirtella triandra, Inga punctata, Manilkara bidentata, Chlorocardium rodiei, Pentaclethra macroloba, Pterocarpus officinalis, Symphonia globulifera and Terminalia obovata.

[2] The swamp forests are home to species that include Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius), Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), jaguar (Panthera onca), bush dog (Speothos venaticus), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata) and harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja).

[2] Endangered species include the Orinoco crocodile, giant otter and yellow-bellied seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis).

[2] A flood control program in the 1960s dammed the Caño Manamo, which reduced water levels in the upper delta.

[2] The highest risk now comes from oil exploration, which would bring more people into the region and cause forest clearance for food and building materials.

The 3,203,250 hectares (7,915,400 acres) Imataca Forest Reserve is another sustainable use unit with a portion that covers the eastern coastal wetlands.