The boiling river of deadly temperatures in the Amazon

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, in Mayantuyavu, Peru, the ever-boiling river is known to the locals as “Shanay-timpishka,” which means “boiling with the heat of the sun.” They believe the hot water is spewed by the giant serpent goddess Yacumama, Mother of Water, who is symbolized by the serpent-shaped rock at the river’s head. Photo: theboilingriverproject.

The river is about 25 meters wide and 6 meters deep, but only stretches for 6.4 kilometers. The water temperature ranges from 50 to 90 degrees Celsius, with some sections reaching as hot as 100 degrees Celsius, hot enough to cause third-degree burns to anyone who touches it for even a few seconds. Photo: Devlin Gandy.

Many unlucky wild animals that fall in here are burned to death before they can swim across the river, and are boiled alive. Photo: Andrés Ruzo.

Only a handful of tourists visit Mayantuyacu each year for traditional Asháninka treatments. Aside from a few obscure references in petroleum journals from the 1930s, there is no scientific documentation of the river’s existence. Somehow, this natural wonder has managed to escape widespread publicity for decades. For most Peruvians, the river is a myth. Many geologists dismiss its existence, arguing that it would require enormous amounts of geothermal heat to boil even a small portion of the river, and the Amazon basin is more than 600 kilometers from the nearest active volcano. Photo: Devlin Gandy.

Andrés Ruzo, a geothermal scientist at Southern Methodist University, said he was curious about the river’s existence but had no reason to believe it actually existed. Ruzo learned about Shanay-timpishka from his grandfather when he was 12. According to the stories he heard, the river was discovered by Spanish conquistadors searching for gold in the deep jungle. Some of the men who returned told of a dangerous land filled with poisonous water, man-eating snakes, hunger, disease, and a river that boiled from the bottom. Photo: Devlin Gandy.

Twenty years after hearing stories from his grandfather, Ruzo finally found someone who actually saw the river: his aunt. Ruzo is now writing a book about the phenomenon, called The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon. Ruzo hopes his book will draw attention to this real natural wonder and help protect it from the growing threat of illegal logging. Photo: nationalgeographic.

Mayantuyacu is a traditional healing area in Puerto Inca province, located near Pucallpa, a city in western Peru. According to local guides, Mayantuyacu means “water and air”. The retreat was founded by Juan Flores Salazar, an Asháninka healer who specializes in using herbs, tree barks, and natural scents to treat diseases. Coming here, visitors can not only learn about the famous boiling river but also have many other interesting options such as exploring the sacred areas of the Asháninka people, interacting with the warm indigenous people, bathing in hot springs and receiving traditional treatments from Juan Flores Salazar. Photo: Devlin Gandy.

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