Holding the title for 'fattest animal in the world' , the Bowhead whale has up to 50 tons of blubber helping to keep it warm at home in the Arctic. It is also known as the "Arctic whale" or "Greenland right whale".
Some studies have suggested the Bowhead whale can live up to 200 years! They are quite possibly the oldest living mammal on earth...and they also have the largest mouth of any animal!
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Logs & Blogs
Santa Isabel to Sao Gabriel
Dec 1, 2011
December 1st-2nd
It took 2 days to get from Santa Isabel to Sao Gabriel. On the way we stopped at a small beach to have a swim. The colour of the water was magnificent - yellow and amber, turning into red and brown as it got deeper. The bright white sand was so fine, and was glittery with small pieces of precious rocks.
We spent the rest of the day travelling up the river, enjoying the scenery around us. The sunset that evening was spectacular. With the calm water, clouds and colours of the sky reflected into the water making mirror images. Everyone enjoyed it as the sun went down behind the jungle. The sun is so large here, especially when it is visible on the horizon.
The next day we arrived in Camanaus, the port for Sao Gabriel. Further up river, there are many rocks and rapids, making it difficult to get to Sao Gabriel by boat.
We needed to figure out our plans for our venture north, so the leaders of our group set out to do so. Plans looking positive, we travelled into town to visit Sao Gabriel. We enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant – more fish, rice and beans!
Everyone split up after lunch to explore town. Cara and another one of the girls, Kerris, went around some of the streets where the locals lived, looking at the different types of houses they inhabit. Janot went to FOIRN (Federation of the Organizations of the Indians of the Rio Negro), to get some information and documents for an eventual future visit.
At the end of the day we found out it won’t be possible to go further north. It was going to take us 12 days, which is more time than we have before we have to leave. It is unfortunate as the regions of the Rio Cassiquiare are very remote and beautiful, and the junction of this river and the Rio Orinoco was where we planned to put the commemorative cross for Sir Peter Blake. It was the place where the Blakexpeditions jungle team planted the wooden one Janot had made ten years ago to honour and salute their killed friend and captain.
We will now return down river, taking our time to visit villages and going ashore for more treks in the mighty forest. There will be a new site for the cross – on high ground, where the jungle team last stayed with Sir Peter Blake in the jungle, at Velho Airao at the mouth of the river Jau.
~Team Amazon
