Shanay Timpishka Is The World’s Only Boiling River – News18

Have you ever heard of a boiling river? Well, there is indeed one. Location: the Peruvian Amazon. Reportedly, the water can easily reach a temperature of 93.3 Celsius. It is surrounded by off-white-coloured stones and a lush green forest with tall trees. As per the local tradition of Peru, it is a sacred river which has healing powers. Andres Ruzo, a geophysicist, used to hear the story his Peruvian grandfather used to narrate about Shanay-Timpishka, aka, La Bomba or Boiling River. When loosely translated, it means boiling with the heat of the Sun. Andres Ruzo became quite interested in this river and one of his aunts decided to take him to this mysterious place. He went on an expedition to Central Peru to see the river, which is protected by the Shamans of the town of Mayantuyacu, which is also a healing centre. As per their traditions, a person can visit the river only after seeking permission from a Shaman, which Andres Ruzo did.

When Andres Ruz reached the spot, he was mesmerised by the scenic beauty. He soon created a thermal map and discovered a large spot of the largest geothermal features ever found. He tested the temperature of the water and the highest temperature recorded was 93.3 degree Celsius.

As per reports, the mud on the riverbank is too hot to walk on. And if any living being falls in the water, it will die. As per the information available, he found dead animals floating in the water. The geophysicist decided to sample the water from different areas, and its temperature varied from 86 to 93 degrees. This puzzled Andres Ruzo, as he could not find any volcanic or magmatic activity that was causing the water to get heated up so much.

After a lot of investigation, he believes that it is a hydrothermal feature which caused the river to reach boiling temperatures. As per the legends and folklore, Yacumama, aka, Mother of the Waters, a giant serpent spirit gives birth to hot water.