描述
Anavilhanas National Park, State of Amazonas, Brazil 2009
In the vastness of the Amazon rainforest, the region's age-old battle between land and water has spawned the world's largest freshwater archipelago, known as the Anavilhanas, with islands of every imaginable shape rising out of the dark waters of the Rio Negro. From the air, it is an astonishing sight, stretching as far as the eye can see. From the river, it is an immense puzzle, with only experienced boat pilots able to chart routes that guarantee a safe passage between the myriad natural obstacles. Most of the larger islands are themselves thick with tropical vegetation, but if estimates of the number of islands range between 350 and 400, it is also because smaller low-lying islands may temporarily or even permanently disappear when the rainy season lifts the river's water level by over 20 meters (65 feet). Thus, from year to year, satellite photographs can record the constantly changing formation of the archipelago.
