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An exploration of the world's most iconic rivers, with a look at the wildlife, astonishing landscapes, and remarkable people who live along their banks.
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00:02Earth's great rivers, from source to sea, make extraordinary journeys, carving through continents, nurturing ancient civilizations.
00:30Feeding and connecting life across our world, from the mountains and deserts of the Nile, to the cities and mysterious
00:46swamps of the Mississippi, and the steaming waters and secret worlds of the tropical Amazon.
00:59Great rivers are the lifeblood of planet Earth.
01:20One river dwarfs all others.
01:25The biggest on the planet, the Amazon.
01:32It flows through nine countries across one third of South America, sustaining the largest rainforest on Earth, supporting the world's
01:47greatest diversity of wildlife, inspiring vibrant cultures.
02:00The Amazon's annual floods are so vast, they create what seems to be an inland sea.
02:10Even today, it hides mysterious worlds.
02:18To explore the unknown, and experience the mightiest river on Earth.
02:27The story begins with a single drop.
02:40The glaciers of the Peruvian Andes.
02:45Here, glacial meltwater tumbles down the mountain sides.
02:51The start of a 4,000-mile journey to the sea.
03:01On lower slopes, where the humid air from below meets the cold mountain atmosphere, cloud forests thrive, shrouded in mist.
03:20Tiny plants create hanging gardens on the branches of ancient trees, condensing the water vapor into sparkling droplets.
03:37All around, is the sound of the Amazon coming to life.
04:02The Amazon is the greatest river basin in the world.
04:08The Amazon is the greatest river basin in the world.
04:12The Amazon is one third of the Pacific Pacific Pacific Pacific Ocean.
04:15comparison to
04:42Dark Pools is home to one of its largest and rarest predators.
05:08Giant river otters.
05:12Some nearly two meters long.
05:20This family are exploring a new territory.
05:24A stretch they are keen to claim.
05:29Led by Dad, the family follow his calls with a chorus that is unique to their group.
05:45They are looking for a spot rich in fish.
05:57Now the parents can teach their young how to hunt.
06:04It will be a testing time for the most inexperienced cub.
06:15Father coordinates the hunting party.
06:26Because fish can evade otters in the deep water, the family's best chance is to corral the fish up against
06:35the bank.
06:44Music
06:46Music
07:05This youngster has missed out.
07:13Everyone seems to have a fish.
07:16But him.
07:25Luckily, the others are usually generous enough to share.
07:35Which won't impress father.
07:48It takes three years for an otter cub to master the complexities of fishing in these rivers.
08:04The remote headwaters of the Amazon have an unpredictable and dangerous reputation.
08:12Many call currents and rapids like these boat breakers.
08:20And there are accounts of early European explorers disappearing without a trace.
08:34These upper reaches are home to legendary river monsters.
08:41Electric eels.
08:44Capable of generating more than 500 volts.
08:52Enormous pacus.
08:55Some up to 25 kilos in weight.
08:59And giant anacondas.
09:02Amongst the largest snakes in the world.
09:08Some of these Amazon headwaters are so inaccessible, they conceal mysteries that are only now being revealed.
09:27On the bank of one distant tributary, the forest conceals a rare treasure.
09:41A pool of crystal clear water.
09:46A pool of crystal clear water.
10:08A pool of crystal clear water.
10:08A pool of crystal clear water.
10:10A pool of sea.
10:19Known areas.
10:20A pool of crystal clear water.
10:22We now have a pool of crystal clear water.
10:37with such clean pure water it's a perfect nursery tempting out of the
10:47murky river a pair of cichlids so new to science that this particular species
10:54doesn't even have a name this couple are here to raise their family a brood of a hundred tiny fry
11:36cichlids form strong bonds with their partners and are as loyal to their babies as they are to
11:44each other this family seems to have found their perfect home
11:57but out here danger is never far away
12:12between the clear spring waters and the murky main channel a unique feature forms
12:23a water wall
12:29it hides voracious predators like these freshwater amazon barracuda
12:35and a five kilo wolf fish
12:44they lurk watching and waiting but the big fish seems strangely reluctant to enter the clear water
12:55for fear perhaps of being spotted and eaten themselves
13:14a well-armed stingray tries his luck
13:21using natural camouflage they can hide themselves even in these clear waters
13:30setting an ambush from where they might hoover up 100 fry in one fell swoop
13:51dad spots something
13:58and defends his brood
14:08the stingray is sent packing
14:31these dedicated and brave parents will have to be ever watchful shepherding their young
14:38until perhaps one day
14:40they are old enough and bold enough to face the perils of the main channel for themselves
14:57the upper amazon has many strange and secret worlds which team with life
15:06but there is one remote river whose waters are apparently devoid of anything living
15:17as dawn breaks an ethereal apparition appears
15:28wisps of steam snaking across the canopy
15:45the sandpaper
15:48and the sand
15:50the sand
15:51the sand
15:57revealing below
15:59an amazon tributary
16:01which boils
16:14Only recently mapped, it's the largest stretch of thermal river anywhere on the planet.
16:38At around 100 degrees Celsius, fish unlucky enough to stray into these waters would be poached alive.
17:02Hot bedrock from deep within the Earth's crust lies unusually close to the surface here, heating and purifying the water.
17:15Ensuring that this stretch of the river has always been cherished by those who live here.
17:30The Ashaninka people have been visiting the boiling river for generations, and revere it for its healing properties.
17:46Juan Flores is their shaman.
17:55For me, it's the water that has a power and a great spirit of curandero.
18:05But I've always reached this place because one day I felt bad, right?
18:10So my body changed there.
18:12It was more strong, more calm.
18:16I thought the water was already sanatory.
18:18I thought it was more important than it was that.
18:21Juan and his family have developed a deep connection with this precious place.
18:30They've learned how to make medicine from mixing these steaming, purified waters with
18:37plants from the forest.
19:06Many medicines used today across the world have their origins in the rainforests.
19:13Yet less than 5% of the plants here in the Amazon have been studied by modern science.
19:23The rest remain a mystery, known only to the local healers.
19:41This extraordinary river simmers for the next four miles before it flows away from the last
19:48of the foothills down to the plains of the Amazon basin.
19:59Here, the tributaries meet and the river channels swell, surging faster and deeper.
20:10The strength of the currents erode the soft riverbanks.
20:25But out of this destruction comes fresh opportunity.
20:36Hidden treasure.
20:40Which attracts green-winged macaws, who flock together to gather on the newly exposed banks.
20:49They have come to eat fresh clay.
20:53Which might seem strange, but there's a very good reason.
21:03This particular clay is naturally rich in salt, a vital dietary supplement.
21:14Far from the ocean and washed away by the Amazon's high rainfall, salt is a rare mineral here.
21:26So, the macaws bicker over the best deposits, creating one of the Amazon's loudest and most colourful spectacles.
21:47These lowland rivers set off out across the plains.
21:59Many flowing with different colours, their waters tainted by the great variety of rocks and forests through which they have
22:10passed.
22:10The world.
22:20Ultimately, they all joined together to create one gigantic muddy river channel.
22:31The mighty Amazon itself.
22:40This central stretch of the river is so wide and deep, ocean-going ships can sail over 2,000 miles
22:49inland.
22:56At its halfway point, where it meets the inky black Rio Negro, lies the Amazon's largest city.
23:09Manaus.
23:16With a population of over 2 million people, this city made its fortune in the late 19th century from the
23:24riches of the river and surrounding rainforest.
23:30Rubber.
23:31Gold.
23:33And minerals.
23:41Today, the thriving markets of Manaus depend on a constant supply of local produce.
23:53For the last century, this flamboyant city has built a reputation as the Paris of the tropics.
24:02This land is dominated by an extravagant opera house, dominated by an extravagant opera house.
24:20The people of Manaus depend on local farmers like Edmar Fernandez de Lira, who grows crops on the fertile, muddy
24:30banks of the Amazon, not far from the city.
24:36For the last 35 years, we live here.
24:55These are the good times for Edmar, but he must work all the daylight hours he can.
25:16The Amazon's banks here are very productive.
25:22Three times a week for eight months of the year, Edmar carries 400 kilos of leaves down
25:28to the waiting boat.
25:40But time is running out.
25:43These are some of the last crops Edmar will be able to sell for months.
25:52He must prepare for huge change.
25:57Every year in November, the tropical wet season sweeps in.
26:10Six months of rainstorms inject trillions of gallons of water into the Amazon River system,
26:17transforming it.
26:21The
26:21The
26:21The
26:21The
26:21The
26:21The
26:21The
26:21I don't know.
27:02In the mid-Amazon, stretches of river can quadruple in width and rise by 10 meters.
27:25The port of Manaus has a harbor wall built to hold back the water.
27:38Beyond the city, though, it's a different story.
27:44Edmar's farm is submerged.
27:52Because he has prepared, Edmar simply shifts his attention to his stilt garden.
27:59For the next four months, the only vegetables to grow on his farm will be those above the flood.
28:16And when the river does recede, it leaves behind a fresh layer of sediment, which will fertilize
28:23a new season of planting.
28:34But the floods can be very powerful.
28:39And living with them comes with huge challenges.
28:57In recent years, the Amazon has faced more extreme weather events.
29:10And even wetter, wet seasons.
29:17Within the last two decades, rainfall has become so intense that the floods have been the highest
29:24since records began.
29:27The community is wanting to leave.
29:32People are tired of suffering.
29:34Our energy will only be...
29:38Without a condition.
29:41The river that has previously provided so abundantly for Edmar and his family is now threatening
29:48to destroy their way of life.
29:58For nature, the arrival of the annual floods still bring incredible opportunities.
30:13As vast tracts of land become completely submerged, they create the Amazon's legendary flooded forests.
30:43Almost 200,000 square miles of rainforest become inundated, creating a new home for countless fish.
30:54That shoal amongst the branches where birds once flew.
31:06The Amazon has over 3,000 species.
31:13Many breed in the flooded forests during high water.
31:25Hot on their tails come the Amazon's most revered,
31:30and mysterious creatures.
31:33And mysterious creatures.
32:00He has over 24 minutes.
32:12The
32:14Pink River Dolphins.
32:16Known locally as Botos.
32:21The largest river dolphins in the world.
32:41A flooded forest of this scale creates new opportunities and challenges.
32:51Leaves from the forests stain the flood water dark brown.
33:04Sunken branches create an obstacle course, but botos have specialist equipment.
33:19Like their ocean cousins, their domed forehead, known as the melon, allows botos to scan this
33:27submerged world using sonar.
33:42As if that's not enough, botos have another unique weapon.
33:47They are the only adult dolphins with whiskers.
34:02These help pinpoint exactly where their prey is, no matter how it twists and turns.
34:13.
34:14.
34:16.
34:17.
34:42The Amazon's flooded forests have existed for at least
34:47eight million years, creating a world so special and unique, it's home to some of the most bizarre
34:56birds on Earth, hoatsons, whose unusual lifestyle sets them apart from other birds.
35:15They feed almost exclusively on leaves, a diet which has an unfortunate and gassy effect,
35:26leading to their nickname, stink birds.
35:35During the flood season, certain riverside plants burst into new growth, the cue for
35:43hoatsons to breed.
35:48But the new leaves attract spider monkeys too.
35:56Some monkeys can be a threat and will often devour any eggs they find.
36:08The hoatsons' only safety is in the most inaccessible branches furthest out over the river.
36:24Safe from the reach of greedy monkeys, but now in danger from the flood water.
36:39Even near the end of the Amazon's wet season, sudden intense storms can bring ten centimeters
36:46of rain in a day, drowning any nests built too low, and putting others in reach of river predators,
37:02like black caiman.
37:12To make matters even more perilous, hoatsons chicks are curious and more than a little clumsy.
37:33Fortunately, they are not entirely helpless, as they are born with an unusual piece of climbing
37:43equipment, claws on their wings, so even this little chick can clamber back up to safety.
38:20At the peak of high water, just under 300,000 square miles of the Amazon's floodplain can be submerged.
38:33Under this colossal weight of water, the Earth's crust itself can sink by eight centimeters.
38:47The floodwaters can remain high for three months before they finally drain away down into the
38:55lower Amazon.
39:00Riverbanks down here can be 15 miles apart.
39:07Stretches of the lower Amazon look more like a sea, and on its shore, there are some spectacular beaches.
39:22This region is often called the Caribbean of the Amazon, even though it's more than 300 miles from the ocean.
39:37Every year, crowds of river people, Ibarinos, gather in the lower Amazon town of Altair du Chau for a seasonal
39:47celebration of the river.
40:07As the party preparations begin in the town, Sandro Branco and his grandfather enjoy a moment of quiet before the
40:15fiesta.
40:18What are you feeling today regarding the competition?
40:25I'm very anxious, because you're singing a lot, and I'm crazy to remove this weight from my shoulders.
40:35Sandro is right to be nervous, as Altair du Chau stages one of the most colorful and surprising river carnivals
40:42in all Brazil.
40:45And Sandro is the lead man.
40:48I'm feeling a bit more difficult, so I raised the ball, and I'd do it off.
40:54And I'd do it to go and hit the ball and errored.
40:57I'm so worried.
40:59And I'd do it to be homace in a lineup, so that's what I'm fishing two guys.
41:07I'm being a fan of the football team, and I'm a fan of the football team that has to be
41:17the most.
41:22Sandro is the star of the show, playing the pink Boto, a legendary creature for the river
41:31people.
41:35The local belief is that on the night of the full moon, the Boto Dolphin turns into a handsome
41:41and seductive man with a hat and a white suit.
41:48Once on land, his challenge is to seduce young women.
42:08Despite the pressure, the dance has been a success.
42:30Sandro is the third generation of Boto dancers in his family, but he's facing stiff competition.
42:39The next wave of talent is hot on his heels.
42:56It's a celebration that has been going on for hundreds of years.
43:06Showing just how the life of this great river and the lives of millions that live along its
43:15banks are inextricably intertwined.
43:35By the time it reaches the sea, the Amazon River discharges around 175,000 tons of water
43:43into the Atlantic Ocean per second.
43:49This is more water than the next six largest rivers combined.
44:03The Amazon's fresh water floats above the sea as a vast brown cloud, covering an area of
44:12up to 400,000 square miles.
44:18The Amazon's fresh water.
44:19Until recently, it's been very difficult to find exactly what lies and lives beneath.
44:34But today, the very latest technology and the most advanced submarines are allowing scientists
44:41to explore this last secret world of the Amazon.
44:55In a dive 300 miles north of the Amazon's mouth, the expedition is revealing that the river's nutrients
45:03are fertilizing the ocean's waters, creating a bloom of plankton.
45:13It's hard to imagine that there would be life underneath this murk.
45:32As the dive continues below the plume, chief scientist Rodrigo Moura and pilot Alan Scott discover something extraordinary.
45:42I've never seen anything like this before, never.
45:49A massive reef of colorful, rock-like algae.
46:02Jax, look at the size of this guy.
46:10Thronging with rich and varied marine life.
46:22Under the dense plume of the fertile river water, it turns out there is a hidden world.
46:31An enormous algal reef, more than 600 miles long.
46:44And that's not all.
46:47An underwater garden of giant sponges.
47:02Some of the sponges are more than a meter across and a thousand years old.
47:10All feeding on nutrients which the Amazon has collected on its incredible journey.
47:44You don't see this every day, huh?
47:45No, not every day, no, it's special.
47:49No other river on Earth is known to have the power to shape such an extraordinary ecosystem out in the
47:57ocean.
48:04Every dive is now rewriting the textbooks.
48:18From its humble beginnings as a drop in the mountains, the Amazon is a river like no other.
48:27From its source to the sea, it has forged its own path, created new worlds, and is so powerful and
48:36so vast.
48:37Who knows what other secrets it has yet to reveal?
48:55Intrepid Brazilian filmmaker, João Krajewski, has spent the last ten years filming and traveling right across the Amazon.
49:07Over that time, he's been lucky enough to have close encounters with many of its exotic and bizarre wildlife.
49:15The Amazon is outstanding because of its size and diversity.
49:22The rivers are gigantic.
49:24You can spend your whole life exploring this region and there will always be something different to see.
49:32But the Earth's Great Rivers series set him a new challenge to film Amazon wildlife under water.
49:47An almost impossible mission, as the Amazon River is perhaps the muddiest.
49:57However, its great size means it has 1,100 tributaries, each with its own distinct character.
50:07João has heard of a region in the Amazon's remote south where the water is said to be clear.
50:13So he and his wife Roberta, his diving partner, prepare an expedition.
50:25So this is a very special day because it will be the first scuba dive ever in this river.
50:39This is a true dive into the unknown.
50:48It was the first time that I could actually see the underwater world.
50:54I would say that there's more than 100 species of fish just in this little area here.
51:00Every single species is new for me.
51:03But just because the water is clear, it doesn't mean it's not dangerous.
51:09I was there comfortably having fun with my fish and all of a sudden I saw this shape coming towards
51:15me.
51:17It's a giant electric eel.
51:21I can't lie, I was really afraid of them because they don't need to be bitten or anything.
51:26If you just touch it accidentally, it can zap you really, really bad.
51:31They're not afraid of you at all, they just come and come.
51:36And some of them can give you a shot more than a thousand volts.
51:39If you are in the water, you can drown, you can die.
51:43The problem is that on a hot day like this, the eels are looking for shade and actively swim towards
51:51João.
51:55A bit tense, yeah.
51:58They're curious.
51:59They're slow, but they can, if you touch them, but...
52:04It's unsafe for João to film them in the water, so he needs to make a plan.
52:09This is the Brazilian way, we call it gambiara.
52:12Improvising, last minute idea, but it will work.
52:16This is the final touch.
52:18Very special one.
52:20So it should work.
52:22These strange eels have a bizarre behaviour which João hopes to film.
52:31Yay!
52:34We got it!
52:36That was a good one.
52:39He captures the moment when an eel comes up for a breath of air.
52:44The lining of their mouth acts like a lung.
52:48This ensures the eels survive dry seasons when the water is shallow, often very low in oxygen.
52:56Wow, what a day!
53:04As João explores the region further, he comes across some locations which are a wildlife filmmaker's dream come true.
53:14Very, very unusually for the Amazon, he finds some springs where the water is as clear as gin.
53:25And then, João is hoping the pools will give him the chance to film new behaviour.
53:34And he is not disappointed.
53:36It's not long before a new species of cichlid invite him into their family.
53:47One of the springs is like an underwater garden.
53:51There are more than a thousand fish in front of me, I'm not kidding.
53:57But though it looks beautiful, there is danger.
54:03Black Cayman patrol the murky waters of the main river.
54:07They can be up to four meters long and weigh in excess of 400 kilos.
54:16Roberta acts as lookout.
54:18I'm keeping an eye up for Cayman because we never know.
54:23There is one big one who lives right there.
54:25And we need to watch to make sure João is going to be safe.
54:36João has no idea what is lurking in the gloom.
54:42But the dividing line is so clear.
54:45You have dark on one side and crystal clear on the other.
54:47I never thought it was so clear.
54:51And just as João is on the boundary,
54:55the rangers spot something in the river.
55:01Heading straight for João.
55:06The largest wild mammal in South America.
55:11A tapir.
55:15That's a crazy tapir.
55:17I've never seen a tapir in it like that.
55:18Staying so...
55:19There's such a long time in the middle of the river.
55:21Look, it's turning up river now.
55:24Tapirs aren't usually dangerous,
55:26but it could attract a Cayman.
55:28It's a reminder that João is vulnerable when he's in the water.
55:32I'll just get a close-up.
55:34And then we go up river which is safer.
55:42As well as filming underwater,
55:44for the final phase of his expedition,
55:47João is hoping to get really close
55:49to one of the Amazon's largest and most secretive predators.
55:54And one of the southern rivers,
55:56the Cristalino,
55:58might just deliver.
56:05João has heard rumors that this area of the river
56:08is home to a particularly approachable family
56:11of giant otters.
56:15They're usually very shy,
56:17so it's a real surprise to see an entire family
56:20out in the open.
56:24Absolutely amazing, amazing.
56:27I never expected that.
56:29The whole family right in front of us.
56:31We are four meters away.
56:34All of them here.
56:36Unbelievable.
56:37The meat of the wilderness.
56:46They even allow him to join their fishing trip.
56:53Having earned their trust,
56:55João attempts to get even closer.
56:59Another improvised camera rig means
57:01João can join them in the water.
57:13I've never seen them doing this.
57:15Absolutely unbelievable.
57:17Right in front of me,
57:18and they're still doing it.
57:19They're playing out of the water.
57:20Amazing, amazing.
57:34So although the sheer scale of the Amazon seemed so daunting,
57:40the mighty river revealed its secrets.
57:45Giving João a window into its hidden underwater worlds.
58:01Next time, the majestic Nile.
58:07The world's longest river flowing from the equator to the Sahara.
58:16Through astonishing, unexpected worlds.
58:22Bringing life to the driest parts of the hottest continent on Earth.
58:35Back to South America tomorrow at 6.30 as Liz Bonin heads on a scientific mission across the stunning islands
58:41of Galapagos.
58:42And heading across the continent to Colombia,
58:44Simon Reeve visits a nation at a pivotal point in its history.
58:47That's available now on BBC iPlayer.
58:49But coming up, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy star in the multi-award winning The Revenant.
58:54Next.