When people think about the Amazon forest in Brazil, they often associate this lush, beautiful and unique part of the earth with the conflict between those who would like to use the immense natural resources to bring more development to such a poor and underprivileged portion of the Brazilian society, and those who see the Amazon as the lungs of the world and want no parts of it touched or depleted.
But, let’s leave conflicts aside, and celebrate Earth Day with the amazing POROROCA!
The Pororoca [ paw-raw-raw-‘ca], is a phenomenon that occurs at the junction of the Amazon River and the Atlantic Ocean reversing the natural process that takes place most of the year, when the Amazon River and its tributaries flow to the sea.
In the months of February and March, the region’s dry season when the rivers are shallower than usual, the equinox and changes in the phases of the moon cause ocean waters to swell, increasing the liquid mass of the Atlantic and causing it to travel violently into the Amazon. The resulting tidal bore, known as pororoca, or great roar, constitutes tidal waves that can reach 6 meters (19.68 feet), at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour (18.64 miles) and travel 800 kilometers (almost 500 miles) inland, taking flora and fauna and everything else with it. Tupi, the language spoken by the eponymous ethnic Brazilian indigenous people, was probably the origin of this musical sounding name meaning to break with a noise.
One of the most incredible facts, considering the gigantic proportions of the event, is that it has attracted a legion of surfers to the area. Since 1999 the area has been home to a surf championship competition bringing tourism to the area.
Watch The Pororoca Phenomenon video above in English with a very well and detailed explanation of this phenomenon and then watch the video below, A Amazônia por Jacques Cousteau, by Jacque Cousteau, the French explorer and filmmaker, who captured this event as part of eight movies he made about the Amazon region. It’s narrated in Portuguese so you’ll have a chance to practice your listening comprehension skills. I must caution you though, if you are of a sensitive nature, you might want to fast forward five minutes the Cousteau movie to avoid witnessing an example of the survival of the fittest that takes place between a jacaré (alligator) and a jaburú (a typical bird found in the Pantanal region of Brazil.
However you want to celebrate Earth Day, planting a tree, a flower bush or donating to your a local or international environmental protection agency, remember that although nature can be violent, it is overwhelmingly beautiful and a phenomenon like the pororoca is just a small sample of its immensity, mystery and might.
