The Negro River

click to enlarge	The Negro River is the largest tributary of the mighty Amazon, and the second largest river in the world in terms of water discharge. Its name means literally "Black River."

Its waters appear as a dark reflective surface, due to the tea colored staining caused by the slow decay of organic material in its bottom. This process raises the levels of acidity in the water. The most important result, from the travelers' viewpoint, is that mosquitoes cannot breed.

The Negro is home to a majority of the remaining indigenous groups living in the Brazilian Amazon region, and to many small river communities made up of the mixing between native Indians, early European settlers, Northeastern Brazilians, and more recent immigrants from all parts of the world. The river is still the primary means of travel the people of Amazonas. From hand-hewn canoes to ocean going vessels, we have seen it all.

This is a river free of dams and bridges, and a giant with sandbars, islands, and rocky formations. On the upper Negro, these formations are the cause of untamed water rapids, including the notorious "São Gabriel da Cachoeira." The depth variation of the Negro (up to 50 feet) also produces radical changes in its surroundings.

Every year hundreds of islands appear and disappear. The largest fresh water archipelagoes in the planet belong to the Negro River, including the Mariuá and Anavilhanas. The fauna also comes and goes in their search for food. At times, they are colorfully and graciously represented by macaws and wading birds, and at other times only represented by aquatic species, such as the "Pink Boto," a river Dolphin.

The scenery along the river is highly diversified. It includes waterfalls, such as the 660 feet high Acará, a plateau full of orchids, and unique geological formations, such as the hills of 6 lakes and "Pico da Neblina," the highest mountain peak of Brazil, reaching almost 10,000 feet. In the mid Negro, the Jaú National Park is an unique attraction which spans 6,750,000 acres; by far the largest in South America.