8°48′46″S 74°44′25″W / 8.812778°S 74.740278°W / -8.812778; -74.740278

Shanay-Timpishka
Location
Countries	Peru
Physical characteristics
Source	Mayantuyacu
• location	Honoria, Peru
• coordinates	8°48′50″S 74°44′24″W / 8.814°S 74.740°W / -8.814; -74.740
• elevation	265 m (869 ft)
Mouth	Pachitea River
• location	Honoria, Peru
• coordinates	8°48′04″S 74°42′32″W / 8.801°S 74.709°W / -8.801; -74.709
• elevation	160 m (520 ft)
Length	6.4 km (4.0 mi)
Width
• maximum	25 m (82 ft)
Depth
• maximum	6.1 m (20 ft)
Basin features
Progression	Pachitea River → Ucayali River → Amazon → Atlantic Ocean
River system	Amazon River

The Shanay-timpishka, also known as the "Boiling River of the Amazon," is a tributary of the Pachitea River, which in turn flows into the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. It is considered the largest documented thermal river in the world.The entire river system flows for roughly 9 km (5.6 mi), with the lower 6.24 km (3.9 mi) being dominated by hot geothermal water. ^[1] The river starts out as a small, ambient temperature jungle stream that because "super charged" by geothermal waters flowing into the stream channel via fault-fed hot springs—turning the small stream into the impressively large Boiling River.

At its widest point, the thermal river gets to nearly 30 m (about 100 ft wide), at its deepest point it can get to around 4.5 m (about 15 ft) deep. Temperatures of the river can range between near ambient temperatures to over 90 °C (194 °F). The hottest average water temperature measured in the river reached 97 °C (207 °F), and the hottest spring temperature measured on the river reached 99.1 °C (210.4 °F).

The name "Shanay-timpishka" means 'boiled by the heat of the sun'—from "shanay" (heat of the sun) and "timpu" (the verb, "to boil").

Location and mythology

The Boiling River is located in the township of Honoria, province of Puerto Inca, and in the state of Huánuco in Peru.

There forest. The area is inhabited by an Asháninka community.

Local shamans believe that the boiling water is birthed by Yacumama, a giant serpent spirit known as the "Mother of the Waters."^[2]

Scientific explanation

Andrés Ruzo, a geothermal scientist, has investigated the source of the heat. He initially learned of it as a child from his grandfather.^[3] The river maintains its high temperature despite not being near any known active volcanoes or geothermal vents, which normally provide geothermal heating for groundwater.^[4] Despite its unique nature, National Geographic has described it as an entirely natural feature: a non-volcanic, geothermal feature flowing at anomalously high rates.^[5] The predominant theory for the source of this heat is from the geothermal gradient of the Earth. The deeper you go into the Earth's the hotter it gets. The theory is that rainwater falls onto the surface of the Amazon Rainforest and finds deep-rooted faults where it travels down into the earth. The water is thus heated in accordance with the geothermal gradient. It is then likely fed to the surface of the Earth through fault-fed hot springs that act to heat up the river along its stretch.^[2]

Threats

The Boiling River, like the rest of the Amazon, is facing threats from deforestation. Most of the deforestation in this area is the result of illegal logging, and is often also linked to other illegal activities—such as poaching, illegal trapping, squatting and land invasion, and illegal cattle farming.