Once a legend, the Boiling River of the Amazon

Shanay-timpishka, the river that boils, is considered a legend for several centuries, in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon we find a small river whose temperatures approach nearly 100’C. How is it possible if the nearest volcano is 700km away?

The Spanish conquerors who survived expeditions through the Peruvian forest, which is now seriously threatened due to deforestation, told stories about a river in the Amazon that boiled animals or people who fell into it until they died. Considered until a few years ago as a legend, this enigmatic place exists, guarded by the tribes of the area.

The name given by the indigenous people to this river is Shanay-timpishka, which flows for more than 6 kilometers, whose name means “cooked with the heat of the sun”. In some stretches of the river, temperatures reached more than 95’C, in a channel that reaches 25 meters wide and with a maximum depth of 5 meters.

The nearest volcano is about 700 km away. So, what explanation is there for this phenomenon? The most accepted is that the hot water that gives rise to the river comes from the planet’s mantle, reaching the surface through fissures or faults.

Although it may seem tempting to take a shower, you must remember that when the water temperature exceeds 47’C it starts to burn your skin. In this river, countless animals and people died when they fell into it, and were literally cooked alive. Surprisingly there is life in these waters, especially algae, with DNA modifications that mean they can resist this heat. This river is without a doubt, a fascinating place!