A boiling river in the heart of the Amazon sounds like something out of a legend. Yet deep inside Peru's rainforest, the Shanay-Timpishka, or “boiling river”, is very real. Fed by geothermal heat rather than volcanic lava, parts of the river regularly reach temperatures of around 86°C, with some spots measured at over 90°C – hot enough to cause severe burns and kill small animals that fall into the water. It is one of the world's most unusual geothermal systems because it lies hundreds of kilometres from the nearest active volcano.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
