Encontro das Águas, the Water Meeting in Brazil

L’incroyable Rencontre des Eaux du Rio Solimões et du Rio Negro à Manaus

The Brazil is a land of contrasts but what is even more surprising is happening at the water level and more particularly on the side Manaus , the largest city in all Amazonia. Indeed, in this place, about 8 km downstream of the city is a very surprising natural phenomenon called The Water Meeting (or Encotro das Aguas in Portuguese).

It is the name given to the encounter of two rivers that are the Rio Solimoes and the Rio Negro. It is in this particular point that the river takes the name of Amazon.

A scientific challenge

For a long time, local populations have believed in an extraordinary phenomenon and this place has always been considered special or even sacred.

Yet science also had a challenge: why these waters that met did not mix? How could this seemingly natural phenomenon be explained? Indeed, the waters of the Rio Solimoes are fairly smooth and ochre-colored because of the strong erosion in its Andean basin. For its part, the waters of the Rio Negro are black because they have crossed stagnant areas located in the Amazon forest plain and marshes that are rich in humus.

Because of the difference in density but also of flow and temperature speed, the waters of these two rivers meet one another without ever mixing on tens of kilometers. A little like two rivers flowing side by side in the same bed.

It’s a natural phenomenon but uncommon, as if the two rivers refused to mix, as if the waters refused to merge. Result: the waters seem to slide one over the other or against each other.

In addition, while the river Solimoes is at an average temperature between 20 and 22°, the temperature of the Rio Negro is much higher, around 28 to 33°.

A visible phenomenon from space, the Rencontre des Eaux intrigue, subjugate, interrogate, fascinate, be it an amateur or a seasoned scientist. It should be noted that the waters of Rio Solimoes have a larger flow rate than its neighbour, its waters are denser and flow faster and they eventually absorb those of Rio Negro but not before 150 km downstream.

The exceptional character of this atypical location of Brazil makes it a tourist destination not to miss. Come and discover a marine landscape as there is only very little on the globe!

Main photo credit: Juma Amazon Lodge