Tantalizing!

Amazon River

February 18, 2025

Katie, Karen and Nancy checking things out as we enter the Amazon River

So near and yet so far……. This is our second day of cruising on the Amazon River.  Such a different environment!  The river is very wide, the water is brown, and the shores are lined with the trees and dense foliage of the rainforest.  There are only a few towns, and from the ship the only wildlife we can see are the rainforest plants, and some distant birds flying over the rainforest.  There are also some local insects hanging out on the ship.

The water is brown, but the shades of brown vary based on the amount of sunlight and the impact of tributary rivers

We stopped near the town of Macapá for Passport checks. The inspectors came out to the ship, so we did not have an opportunity to go ashore. If you look closely you may see a bird in the sky.

Moth, Butterflies, and a Carpenter Ant that were hitching a ride on the ship:

Many tributaries, large and small, have been seen feeding into the Amazon River.  Occasionally a small wooden house is seen, usually on stilts and with a dock in front.  Near the dock there is typically a wooden canoe or rowboat, which is the only method of travel in this part of the Amazon.

It is so exciting to be this close to all these new and interesting plants, animals, and local cultures, but frustrating not be able to go explore, or even get close enough to take good pictures.  Hence tantalizing!

So, we don’t have many pictures to share, but here are some interesting facts about the amazon area. (If this reminds you of a science lesson – that’s OK!)

The plants and animals of the Amazon:

Our view of the rainforest from the river gives us a fascinating three-dimensional view/depiction of the layers of the rainforest:

Emergent layer - We see tall trees that rise above the other vegetation to create the emergent layer.  This includes trees such as Kapok and Brazil Nut trees that put all their energy into growing higher to ensure the leaves have regular exposure to sunlight. Some birds, bats, and insects live their whole life in this layer and never venture down into the darker and denser lower levels.

Canopy layer: This layer may be the richest area for plants and animals.  Just below the emergent layer, the trees have access to sunshine, but the density of plants provides homes and hiding places for animals.  Trees here include Cacao (chocolate), Rubber and Banana trees, and the trees are home to other plants (vines, orchids, bromeliads, etc..) and animals (monkeys, frogs, lizards, snakes, sloths and small cats).

Understory:  This layer is darker, stiller and more humid.  Plants such as palms and ferns grow here, along with philodendrons, zebra plants and prayer plants.  Animals here include insects, birds, geckos, bats, monkeys, snakes, lizards, jaguars and tree frogs.

Forest Floor:  Even darker and more humid.  Leaves and twigs fall from the plants in the higher layers and decompose here creating nutrient rich soil. Some plants such as ginger, ferns, etc… also live here.  Larger mammals and reptiles live in this level, such as tapirs, anteaters, snakes, armadillos and jaguars.

From our ship we can see the Emergent and Canopy levels, but the understory just looks dark, The forest floor is not visible, except that we can see that some areas are flooded by water from the amazon, and some look almost bare.

And that is the tantalizing part – we know we are soooo close to seeing all these amazing things, but there aren’t any ports in this part of the river. 

Other Interesting Facts:

Crocodiles

There are several types of crocodiles that live in the rainforest along the rivers.  The most common are the Black Caiman and the Spectacled Caiman.  The crocodiles are grayish green and have narrow, tapered, triangular snouts. There are no native species of alligators in South America. 

The Amazon River is home to the most notorious of all the river fish: the piranha. Did you know that these water monsters can grow up to two feet in length?? In all honesty, piranhas are not at all as scary as pop-culture makes them out to be.

In 2007, Slovenian athlete Martin Strel swam the entire length of the Amazon River – from the chilly headwaters in the Peruvian Andes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It took him 66 days and he covered 3,274 miles.

The largest freshwater fish in the world lives in the Amazon River.  The enormous arapaima, known to the locals as pirarucu, lives in the Amazon River. These water giants can grow up to four meters in length and can weigh up to 200 kilograms.

Tomorrow we visit Santarém and we’ll be going ashore.  Yay!!!!  

Footnote:  If you are interested in an in-depth story about the Amazon Basin, its history, descriptions of the indigenous groups, and the flora and fauna of the area, I highly recommend the book by Candice Millard called “The River of Doubt”.  This is a fascinating story about a group of explorers and adventurers, including Theodore Roosevelt, who went on an expedition through previously unexplored parts of the Amazon Rainforest.