12 Astonising Truth of Amazon River..

It is the most powerful river in the world .It’s a destination that many wildlife want to see. So it is more attractive river in the world . Amazon  nurtures the largest rainforest on earth and provides life for a mind-boggling array of flora and fauna.. Learn all there is to know about this incredible ecosystem and make your Amazon River visit in South America all the more rewarding.

Here are 12  amazing truths  about the Amazon River .

1)Origination

 Amazon River originates in Peru. Believe it or not, there’s been wide conjecture over the real ‘source’ of the Amazon River for decades with researchers at constant strange over findings. The most widely believed theory is that the Amazon River flow originates in the high Andean mountains of Peru.

2. Meanders

Amazon River System meanders through nine countries of South America

After starting  from the highlands of Peru, the Amazon River traverses through Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela before entering Brazil and flowing out of its Atlantic coast. However, its tributaries also flood the Amazon basin in Bolivia in the south, home to the Madidi National Park (one of the Amazon’s largest protected reserves) as well as Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. Given each country’s distinctive tourist infrastructure, some spots are simply better and more rewarding to visit than others, depending on whether you’re after a land-based Amazon tour or Amazon River cruise. The most established visiting hot-spots are in Peru (Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado), Ecuador (Coca), Brazil (Manaus) and Bolivia (Rurrenabaque).

3.  World record about Amazon

Slovenian athlete once swam almost the entire length of the Amazon River, in 66 days

Humiliating  the peculiars  of dangers in the remotest regions of the Amazon River basin, Martin  Strel  took home his fourth Guinness World Record for long-distance swimming when he took on the mighty Amazon River in 2007. Already a veteran of the sport, which saw him complete swims along the Danube, the Mississippi, the Parana and the Yangtze rivers, Strel swam a total of 5,268km (of the Amazon’s entire 6,400km-length), a distance which is actually greater than the width of the Atlantic Ocean. His tactic for dodging flesh-eating piranhas? Have support boats flanking him, ready to drop raw meat and blood into the river to distract any hungry critters. For quite obvious reasons, Strel’s nickname is ‘The Hero in a Speedo!’

Martin Strel, Guinness World Record holder, photo credit; Amazon Swim

4. Fresh-water supply

 The Amazon River provides 20% of the ocean’s fresh-water supply

It’s an astonishing percentage when one thinks about it: one-fifth of the fresh water that flows into our earth’s seas flow into the Atlantic at the Amazon River Delta in northern Brazil. This is the largest river delta on our planet.

River delta of the Amazon, the largest river in the world, seen from space, photo credit; shutterstock

5.Flow

The Amazon River used to flow backwards. 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.

6. No bridges across the Amazon River

 There are no bridges built across the Amazon River. Bar a few unique towns that have been built on the shores of the Amazon River, there are surprisingly few settlements along this very long river’s edge, which means no permanent bridge has ever been built. The lack of major infrastructure is what lends Amazon river tours their distinctly ‘remote and isolated’ feel. To really get anywhere, you must hop aboard a boat at some point: this is the only way to travel further along the river and to reach some of the more remote eco-camps.

Reflected jungle in the Limoncocha lagoon in the Ecuadorian Amazon, photo credit; Shutterstock

7. Has a hidden twin-river

The Amazon River has a hidden twin-river flowing below it

The Amazon River made headline news back in 2011 when scientists finally confirmed the existence of an ‘underground Amazon River’, which mirrors its above-ground twin in length and flow. The Hamza River 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^th of its water volume.

8. Seasonal fluctuation

The Amazon River boasts an impressive seasonal fluctuation of up to 15m.     The Amazon is the greatest flowing river on earth, discharging a breathtaking 200,000 cubic metres of water into the Atlantic every single second. Yet what is even more impressive is learning about the seasonal water-level rises and the consequential ‘flooded forests’ that are created along the river’s sides. These varzeas, as they areknown, facilitate longer and deeper Amazon River cruising, allowing for greater explorations of remote regions one wouldn’t normally reach during drier months of the year. The Amazon River flow has been the subject of intense studies for more than a century with a greater emphasis placed in the Amazon Basin, where fluctuations are at their most extremes. Manaus, in Brazil, normally records the highest water-level rises each year of between 10 and 15m. Seasonal changes are dictated by rainfall, of course, with the highest river levels usually recorded between December and May and lower levels (fantastic for lodge-based Amazon tours which include more hikes through the rainforest) between June and September.

9. The Amazon Rainforest & River rely on the Sahara Desert for their very existence

We all know that we live on a planet whose incredible ecosystems are linked in more ways than we could ever understand yet, in the Amazon, the proof is in the nutrients. Both the rainforest and river of the Amazon are fed pivotal minerals (like phosphorus) from sands which blow across the Atlantic all the way from Africa’s Sahara Desert. It’s been tens of millions of years since Africa and South America were joined, and it’s astonishing to know the two continents are still so intrinsically linked. Check out this incredible 3D video created by NASA using satellite info on the Sahara sand’s long journey across the seas.

10. Apex predator

 The apex predator in the Amazon River, the Black Caiman, is also one of the most endangered wildlife of all. Long hunted for its valuable skin, the Amazon River’s Black Caiman is something of a legend. The most feared predator in the entire rainforest, the Black Caiman is one of the largest members of his species, anywhere on earth. Unlike the ‘run of the mill’ Amazon caiman, which is relatively small and weighs up to about 40kg, the Black Caiman can weigh 25 times as much and grow to an average of 5m in length. The bad news is that this fearsome creature is highly endangered and the good news is that your chances of running into one, accidentally, are quite low.

11. Wicked sense of humour

 Biologists studying the Amazon River have a wicked sense of humour.

Scientists are indeed renowned for their quirky sense of humour, and it seems most of them work in the Amazon. Some of the most unusual animals to see in the Amazon include the Jesus Christ Lizard (yes, it walks on water), the Prince Charles Stream Tree Frog in Ecuador (apparently named after the Prince’s rainforest conservation efforts), the Vampire Fish (those fangs are real!) and the Peanut Head Bug..

12. Thrill-seeking daredevils surf the Amazon at select times of year

Pororoca is the name given to a spectacular tidal-wave phenomenon (tidal bore) that occurs in the Amazon River delta during select full moons about 2-3 times a year. In these unique circumstances, the ocean tide manages to beat the Amazon River flow, causing colossal (and backwards) tidal waves that can travel up to 800km inland. An annual surfing championship has been running here for the last 20 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are 12  amazing truths  about the Amazon River .

1)Origination

 Amazon River originates in Peru. Believe it or not, there’s been wide conjecture over the real ‘source’ of the Amazon River for decades with researchers at constant strange over findings. The most widely believed theory is that the Amazon River flow originates in the high Andean mountains of Peru.

2. Meanders

Amazon River System meanders through nine countries of South America

After starting  from the highlands of Peru, the Amazon River traverses through Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela before entering Brazil and flowing out of its Atlantic coast. However, its tributaries also flood the Amazon basin in Bolivia in the south, home to the Madidi National Park (one of the Amazon’s largest protected reserves) as well as Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. Given each country’s distinctive tourist infrastructure, some spots are simply better and more rewarding to visit than others, depending on whether you’re after a land-based Amazon tour or Amazon River cruise. The most established visiting hot-spots are in Peru (Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado), Ecuador (Coca), Brazil (Manaus) and Bolivia (Rurrenabaque).

3.  World record about Amazon

Slovenian athlete once swam almost the entire length of the Amazon River, in 66 days

Humiliating  the peculiars  of dangers in the remotest regions of the Amazon River basin, Martin  Strel  took home his fourth Guinness World Record for long-distance swimming when he took on the mighty Amazon River in 2007. Already a veteran of the sport, which saw him complete swims along the Danube, the Mississippi, the Parana and the Yangtze rivers, Strel swam a total of 5,268km (of the Amazon’s entire 6,400km-length), a distance which is actually greater than the width of the Atlantic Ocean. His tactic for dodging flesh-eating piranhas? Have support boats flanking him, ready to drop raw meat and blood into the river to distract any hungry critters. For quite obvious reasons, Strel’s nickname is ‘The Hero in a Speedo!’

Martin Strel, Guinness World Record holder, photo credit; Amazon Swim

4. Fresh-water supply

 The Amazon River provides 20% of the ocean’s fresh-water supply

It’s an astonishing percentage when one thinks about it: one-fifth of the fresh water that flows into our earth’s seas flow into the Atlantic at the Amazon River Delta in northern Brazil. This is the largest river delta on our planet.

River delta of the Amazon, the largest river in the world, seen from space, photo credit; shutterstock

5.Flow

The Amazon River used to flow backwards. 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.

6. No bridges across the Amazon River

 There are no bridges built across the Amazon River. Bar a few unique towns that have been built on the shores of the Amazon River, there are surprisingly few settlements along this very long river’s edge, which means no permanent bridge has ever been built. The lack of major infrastructure is what lends Amazon river tours their distinctly ‘remote and isolated’ feel. To really get anywhere, you must hop aboard a boat at some point: this is the only way to travel further along the river and to reach some of the more remote eco-camps.

Reflected jungle in the Limoncocha lagoon in the Ecuadorian Amazon, photo credit; Shutterstock

7. Has a hidden twin-river

The Amazon River has a hidden twin-river flowing below it

The Amazon River made headline news back in 2011 when scientists finally confirmed the existence of an ‘underground Amazon River’, which mirrors its above-ground twin in length and flow. The Hamza River 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^th of its water volume.

8. Seasonal fluctuation

The Amazon River boasts an impressive seasonal fluctuation of up to 15m.     The Amazon is the greatest flowing river on earth, discharging a breathtaking 200,000 cubic metres of water into the Atlantic every single second. Yet what is even more impressive is learning about the seasonal water-level rises and the consequential ‘flooded forests’ that are created along the river’s sides. These varzeas, as they areknown, facilitate longer and deeper Amazon River cruising, allowing for greater explorations of remote regions one wouldn’t normally reach during drier months of the year. The Amazon River flow has been the subject of intense studies for more than a century with a greater emphasis placed in the Amazon Basin, where fluctuations are at their most extremes. Manaus, in Brazil, normally records the highest water-level rises each year of between 10 and 15m. Seasonal changes are dictated by rainfall, of course, with the highest river levels usually recorded between December and May and lower levels (fantastic for lodge-based Amazon tours which include more hikes through the rainforest) between June and September.

9. The Amazon Rainforest & River rely on the Sahara Desert for their very existence

We all know that we live on a planet whose incredible ecosystems are linked in more ways than we could ever understand yet, in the Amazon, the proof is in the nutrients. Both the rainforest and river of the Amazon are fed pivotal minerals (like phosphorus) from sands which blow across the Atlantic all the way from Africa’s Sahara Desert. It’s been tens of millions of years since Africa and South America were joined, and it’s astonishing to know the two continents are still so intrinsically linked. Check out this incredible 3D video created by NASA using satellite info on the Sahara sand’s long journey across the seas.

10. Apex predator

 The apex predator in the Amazon River, the Black Caiman, is also one of the most endangered wildlife of all. Long hunted for its valuable skin, the Amazon River’s Black Caiman is something of a legend. The most feared predator in the entire rainforest, the Black Caiman is one of the largest members of his species, anywhere on earth. Unlike the ‘run of the mill’ Amazon caiman, which is relatively small and weighs up to about 40kg, the Black Caiman can weigh 25 times as much and grow to an average of 5m in length. The bad news is that this fearsome creature is highly endangered and the good news is that your chances of running into one, accidentally, are quite low.

11. Wicked sense of humour

 Biologists studying the Amazon River have a wicked sense of humour.

Scientists are indeed renowned for their quirky sense of humour, and it seems most of them work in the Amazon. Some of the most unusual animals to see in the Amazon include the Jesus Christ Lizard (yes, it walks on water), the Prince Charles Stream Tree Frog in Ecuador (apparently named after the Prince’s rainforest conservation efforts), the Vampire Fish (those fangs are real!) and the Peanut Head Bug..

12. Thrill-seeking daredevils surf the Amazon at select times of year

Pororoca is the name given to a spectacular tidal-wave phenomenon (tidal bore) that occurs in the Amazon River delta during select full moons about 2-3 times a year. In these unique circumstances, the ocean tide manages to beat the Amazon River flow, causing colossal (and backwards) tidal waves that can travel up to 800km inland. An annual surfing championship has been running here for the last 20 years.