The Boiling river in Amazon is a river that has a flow of hot water to make it boil. Like water boiled until boiling, anything that falls into it will die from being boiled. This river becomes rare because theoretically, such a river is impossible to find.
Even so, another reality is found in the deep Amazon Forest in Mayantuyacu, Peru. That’s where the natural phenomena of boiling rivers are considered miraculous. The river has become a legend in Peru, but outsiders often doubt its existence.
The Amazon forest has an area of 5.5 million sq km, making it one of the largest forests in the world. This forest covers 9 Latin American countries, namely Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Some Amazon regions have not been touched by humans because of this vast forest.
In the untouched Amazon region, there is the Shanay-timpishka River in Peru. The name means “boiled with the sun”. The river is also dubbed The Boiling River. This river is located in the area Mayantuyacu, near the city of Pucallpa, Peru. A 1-hour flight from the national capital of Peru, Lima.
The Boiling River in Amazon Mayantuyacu Peru
Scientists who hear the news of a boiling river in the Amazon Forest are unlikely to believe it. Earth science researcher named Andres Ruzo also did not believe the news.
He has the same opinion, to boil the river requires a very large geothermal power, even if only a small river. Increasingly reinforced by the fact the Amazon basin is 400 miles (645 km) away from the nearest active volcano so there can be no boiling river.
Ruzo had often heard about the legend of the Shanay-timpishka River, starting with his grandfather’s story. Based on the story of his grandfather, hundreds of years ago the Spanish army preach about the scary experience of coming home from the Amazon River to find gold. The soldiers talked about the presence of poisonous water, the people who eat snakes, and boiling rivers in the interior of the Amazon River.
At first, Ruzo didn’t care about the story. He thought it was only a legend until twelve years later Ruzo heard the same story from his aunt. His aunt said that he saw with his own eyes there was a boiling river. Hearing that testimony, Ruzo began to be intrigued to prove the truth.
Ruzo decided to investigate the existence of a boiling river to answer his curiosity. In 2011, Ruzo really did climb the mountain accompanied by his aunt and the young scientist was shocked by what he encountered. Sure enough, the river is real and almost reaches boiling temperature, not just a river with warm water. The 4-mile river has a width of 25 meters and a depth of 6 m.
Ashaninka people, residents around the river, used water in rivers that boil for healing from geothermal in Mayantuyacu. The water in this river is so hot that it can be used to brew tea. If our hands are dipped in water, we can experience third-degree burns in less than half a second. Dropping into the water, people can die right away.
It is not known exactly how this natural phenomenon occurred. Ruzo’s allegation is the same as blood flowing through veins and arteries, the earth has hot water flowing through cracks and fractures. In this case, the boiling river becomes a manifestation of geothermal energy given by the earth’s arteries that surface. Another form of geothermal manifestation is fumaroles and hot springs.
The Boiling River in Amazon
Upon Ruzo’s return from travel, he wrote a book entitled “The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon”. This book tells about the adventures and experiences of Ruzo exploring the Amazon Jungle. Through the book, Ruzo tries to give evidence to the world that boiling rivers are not just figments. The river is real and needs to be preserved because it is something very rare in the world.
Ruzo then formed the organization that isThe Boiling River. They raise donations aimed at preserving The Boiling River. Ruzo’s short-term goal is for the river to be declared a Peruvian national monument and protect the surrounding forest. He believes that illegal logging that occurs around is very threatening to the natural wonders.
With his book, Ruzo hopes to open the eyes of the world to the threat that natural wonder won’t last long if we don’t do something to preserve it. By keeping the surrounding area wild and untouched, future generations will be able to enjoy the charm of the boiling river in Amazon as well.
