As an avid lover of animals,
especially those rare and unique, I wanted to visit somewhere that would hold
many creatures worth capturing in photos. Many places came to mind, which made
it difficult to select a location for my mission. Then it hit me! Why not visit
the amazon river. I come from a southern American heritage, so I figured it
would be great to visit a country close to my lineage. The amazon river runs
for 4,351 miles. So, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to trek the whole length of
the river.
I decided to visit where the headwaters
of the river are, at the base of the Andes Mountains in Peru. With the destination
selected, I packed all the necessary equipment and made the travel down to
South America. I was on the search for many creatures, including dart frogs,
jaguars, green anacondas, and more. I made sure to do some research prior to my
trip. I wanted to learn all that I could about the river. While doing my
research I found some highly interesting information regarding the river and
sediments. According to amazonwaters.org, “The Amazon annually transports an estimated 1.2 billion tons of
sediments past Óbidos, where the narrowest downstream stretch of the river is
found. Approximately 75 percent of the sediments transported past Óbidos reach
the Atlantic in any given year. The other 25 percent are deposited in the lower
800 km of the river. Shore currents transport approximately 30 percent of the
sediments that reach the Atlantic along the French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana
coasts.” “
Once I arrived to my base, I was surrounded
by nature. Trees, shrubs, birds singing in the distance, and the sound of
rushing water were all around me. I felt distant from civilization, but I felt
calm and excited for what I were to experience. It was mid July, and the weather was a bit on
the warmer/humid side. I expected this kind of weather, but I didn’t want to visit
during the rainy season, which usually lasts from December through May. During
the rainy season the river floods. You could expect for the river to rise up to
30 ft and usually all forests surrounding the river will get flooded. So, I
chose heat and humidity over high water tides. As I approached the river, I couldn’t help but
noticed the valley surrounding me. It was shaped in turns and corners. It kind
of resembled a big continuous roller coaster. Being that the amazon river travels
for thousands of miles, it seems like it’s infinite. It is actually the second
largest river in the world, the first being the Nile. With its miles of curves
and bends, the amazon falls under a perennial river system. This also means
that the amazon river continuously meanders.
After many weeks spent in the area I
experienced a lot and I was able to capture some amazing photos. I can’t wait
to go back.
Works Cited
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