Where the Amazon River comes from and rain forest trees, Brazil

Do you ever hear, read, watch, learn, etc., about a place that invokes such a vivid, iconic image that no matter what else is happening and you get the chance, you want to go there? Well, that was what I was like when I heard about going to the Amazon. I still have a clay toucan I made in grade 3 when we studied the Amazon in school… but that’s beside the point. The real point is, it’s the Amazon rain forest.

This brilliant biome is home to some of the most diverse range of species on earth. From plants to insects to large mammals, the rainforest invokes a true sense of enthrallment. It is a much needed refresher to realize how many spectacular other creatures we really do share this world with.

Continuing on my travels through Brazil with my sister, we took a short flight from Iguazu Falls to Manaus, where we departed on a 4-day Amazon tour, going up the Urubu River, a subset from the Negro River.

With multiple hours of travel by bus, then boat, we arrived at the riverside jungle lodge where the next several days would consist of tropical thunderstorms, piranha fishing, jungle nature walks, and a overnight stay in a hammock within the jungle, among other things of course.

When it comes to rivers, 3 > 1

Instead of going on about wildlife and biomes, I want to highlight a bit more about what is the real life-line of the Amazon, the massive Amazon River. So a little potamology for you (yes I just looked up the word… it means the study of rivers).

The Amazon is a combination of three types of rivers: Negro (black), Blanco (white), and Claro (clear). The reasons for these tri-coloured rivers can be traced back to their sources.

Black “negro” water rivers originate from the north in the Amazonia were they flow slowly over old land. This allows time for the accumulated vegetation in them to decompose and release organic acids, which turns the waters black (well, more like brown actually) and kills bacteria and other parasites (making it safe to swim and home to far fewer mosquitoes).

White “blanco” water rivers originate from the great Andes mountain range in the west. They initiate from the very high snow pack and flow over the young mountains (geologically speaking that is), the rivers accumulates fresh sediments. This results in the white (well, more like beige actually) appearance and the rich suspended load makes theses rivers laden with nutrients and more capable of supporting plants and animal life.

Clear “claro” water, as you can probably guess, have neither a high amount of sediments or organic matter, thus are clear…ish.

Famous for many reasons

There are many spectacular documentary series such as Andes to Amazon Lost World from BBC, and the Planet Earth series that talks about and shows the Amazon in all its glory. When we went on our jungle walk there was a type of bird which I can describe in no better words then a Mocking jay (yes, Hunger Games reference :P). You can see what I mean in my sister’s video The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – [Amazon, Brazil].

Final thoughts

From wet to dry seasons, the Amazon rain forest is consistently changing. And with over 5 million km^2 it is hard to really conclude such a vast biome with such a short time.

During the hot, humid days it can seem quiet, but as you venture deeper in, stop making such a racket, and especially wait for nightfall, the forest really comes alive. No, there isn’t a jaguar at every step, but neither should there be!

Being a strong advocate for nature and preservation (and yes, I still can be even if I do work for mining and mineral exploration companies), I try to be aware of human impact on areas. With the much hyped slogans of “protect the rain forest” en-grained into us throughout school, it is easy to become passive overtime and forget why it was there in the first place.

Deforestation has been a major concern within later half of the 20th century. Over 20% of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest has been completely destroyed so far. But there still is hope, and good news. Increased awareness and public/environmental pressure has resulted in changes to the codes, making protected areas, reserves, and parks more profuse. There is a general trend toward record low deforestation numbers since monitoring began 24 years ago. Encouraging news, but should be taken lightly.

The Amazon is truly a unique place, I enjoyed my time within it and I hope it will still be there for others to do the same in generation to come. Thus, in final conclusion… if I have to sum up the Amazon I would have to resort to a few oxymorons, for it is both fragile yet strong, and dangerously beautiful. Until next time, peace 😉

-Stephanie

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