The Rio Araguari is the largest river in the interior of Amapa state, independent from the main Amazon basin. It's source is high in the western Tumucumaque mountain range. From here it flows approximately 350 km south and east, collecting the waters from many of the state's other rivers. Finally the Araguari drains into the Atlantic ocean at the northern end of the mouth of the Amazon, just south of Cape Norte.
The Araguari pororoca is possibly the most feared of all the Amazonian tidal bores. The vast extent of the river's sedimentary basin stretches so far into the Atlantic, that the bore has apparantly, and uniquely, been observed breaking 10 km out to sea.
Observing the Araguari pororoca is not easy, and takes a long boatride or viewing from the air. The pororoca is observable for about fourty minutes breaching approximately 25 km inland, and since 2001 has become the home of the most extreme tidal bore surfing.
STATISTICS
LOCATION: 00º57'N, 050º00'W
MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 6 m
AVERAGE SPEED: 25 km h-1
BEST TIME OF YEAR: Feb to June
TERRAINE: Rainforest Floodplain
FEAR FACTOR: ****
MAPS
NOTABLE INTERNET SITES
Dr Victor Ponce's 1989 Article
The first web account of the Araguari pororoca, with a link to Dr Ponce's impressive collection of aerial photos.
Pororoca (in portugese)
A detailed account of the pororoca, with information on the Brazilian National Circuit of Pororoca Surfing and an interview with surfer Noelio Sobrinho.
LOCATION: 00º57'N, 050º00'W
