Meeting of the Waters Confluence

A Natural Wonder of the Amazon

This camera overlooks the legendary Encontro das Águas, where the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões converge to form the mighty Amazon River. The two waterways flow alongside each other for roughly six kilometres, their contrasting colours marking one of South America's most photographed natural spectacles.

Why the Waters Do Not Mix

The dark Rio Negro is warmer, slower and more acidic, while the pale Rio Solimões is colder, faster and heavy with Andean sediment. These differences in temperature, velocity and density keep the two rivers visibly separate long after they meet.

Wildlife and River Life

The confluence is a haven for the rare pink river dolphin and countless fish species, while drifting rafts of floating meadows carry plants and wildlife across the channel. River boats and ferries regularly cross this vital Amazonian waterway.

Gateway to Manaus

Lying just beyond the port city of Manaus, the Meeting of the Waters is the defining landmark of the central Amazon. The level gauge on screen tracks the Rio Negro, whose marked seasonal rise and fall shapes life across the surrounding floodplain.