Photo Essay Photo Essay

Photographer: Unspecified Photographer

Habitat: Aquatic

The Orinoco River is navigable up to Puerto Ayacucho, the capital of Venezuelan Amazonas state. Upriver of the town lies the Raudales de Atures (right), a long series of treacherous rapids portages in 1800 by Alexander von Humboldt and Aime Bonpland on their journey to the Río Negro. Today, a 60 km stretch of road skirts the Raudales de Atures and Maypures, and navigation upriver begins again at the mouth of the Río Samariapo.