Amazon – Ever and Forever
The world’s mightiest river, an unrivalled wildlife-watching destination and still one of the least explored regions on earth – the fascinating Amazon River. It nurtures the largest rainforest on earth and provides life for a mind-boggling array of flora and fauna – the Amazon River is one of South America’s most fascinating destinations to discover and, despite centuries of in-depth exploration, it’s still a mystical place that hides innumerable secrets.
The Amazon River’s massive, intricate water system weaves through one of the most vital and complex ecosystems in the world — the Amazon Rainforest. It is by far the largest river on Earth in terms of volume and width — reaching a span of nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers) in some parts during the rainy season. Its 4,000-mile (6,437 km) journey begins high in the Andes, which mountains act as a wall blocking the warm, moist air moving in from the east, resulting in heavy persistent rainfall that consistently feeds the Amazon’s headwaters. The river then makes its way east through thousands of miles of rainforests and lowlands until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil. It is thought to be the second longest river in the world, slightly shorter than the Nile River (4,258 miles or 6,853 km), although some experts contend that the two rivers are so close in length (since measuring methods vary and there is still some dispute over their true sources) that it is difficult to say which river is actually longer.
With more than 1,100 tributaries – 17 of which are over 930 miles (1,497 km) long – the Amazon River has the largest drainage system in the world. It is estimated that approximately one-fifth of all the water that runs on the Earth’s surface is carried by the Amazon. In fact, it has greater volume and total discharge than the next six largest rivers combined. During the dry season (June to November) the width of the Amazon River averages between 2 to 6 miles (3.2 to 9.6 km) depending on the area. In the wet season (December through April) the width can reach up to 30 miles. At the height of wet season, the current can travel more than 4 mph (6.4 km/h).
The river received its name from the Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Orellana, who is credited as the first European to explore the length of the river in 1541. He named it the Amazon after encountering and engaging in battles with female warriors who reminded him of the Amazons in Greek mythology.
The Amazon basin is the large area of land that drains into the Amazon River and its tributaries. It occupies about 38 percent of the total area of South America, covering a total of 2.67 million square miles (6.9 million square km), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The lowlands around the river and its tributaries flood yearly, deeply enriching the surrounding soil. More than two-thirds of the basin is covered with rainforest, or selva. The basin is located in parts of six countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela. Most of the basin and about two-thirds of the river itself is located in Brazil. The creation of the Andes Mountains some 15 million years ago can be regarded as the most defining moment in the evolution of the Amazon River. Up until the rise of this incredible mountainous border, the river flowed out into the Pacific Coast of South America. Remaining landlocked for nearly five million years, the relentless river finally found its ocean outlet once again, only this time, in the opposite direction – straight into the Atlantic.
The Amazon River itself and all its countless tributaries comprise an ecosystem, home to more than 5,000 species of fish and more than 400 amphibians, yet these numbers grow every year with many new discoveries. The most famous creatures that inhabit this region include sloths, anacondas, piranhas, river dolphins, innumerable birds including macaws and toucans and a crazy number of frogs, spiders, snakes and other insects. One of the rarest and most endangered animal is the boto, a dolphin whose skin is so thin it can appear grey or pink, hence its nickname – pink river dolphin.
Long hunted for its valuable skin, the Black Caiman is an endangered animal. The most feared predator in the entire rainforest, it is one of the largest members of his species on earth. Unlike the ‘run of the mill’ caiman, which is relatively small and weighs up to 40kg, the Black Caiman can weigh 25 times as much and grow to an average of 5m in length. When they lay their clutches of up to 60 hard-shelled eggs, the eggs weigh up to 5 oz each (about the weight of a Major League baseball).
From 1648 to 1652, Portuguese Brazilian bandeirante António Raposo Tavares led an expedition from São Paulo overland to the mouth of the Amazon, investigating many of its tributaries, including the Rio Negro, and covering a distance of more than 10,000 km (6,214 mi). One of the facts that expanded significantly the border of Brazil westward, denting into the territory, which was claimed at the time by Spain by the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Back in 2011, the Amazon River was at the spotlight when scientists finally confirmed the existence of an ‘underground Amazon River’, which mirrors its above-ground twin in length and flow. The Hamza River (named after the Indian scientist leading the research group) flows some 4km underground and although it’s believed to be up to four times wider than the Amazon River itself, it boasts only 1/34 of its water volume.
The “Encontro das Aguas” (meeting of the waters) is an incredible phenomenon — the waters of the Rio Negro and of the Rio Solimões — one dark and one muddy, converge at one point, but never mix due to the difference in temperature and density. They ran in parallel inside the same stream flow for six kilometres (3.7 miles) and disembogue into the Amazon River.
Some stunning Amazonian Plants and Animals
