Follow in the footsteps of legendary angler Jeremy Wade in one of Tynemouth Aquarium’s most ambitious exhibits to date. With the absence of the large sharks and whales of the ocean, these fresh water fish and rays have worked their way up the food chain and become monstrous in size. Rivers such as the Amazon provide a huge amount of space for these animals to grow along with complex eco system allowing them a variety of food sources.
Within the River Giants exhibit we have recreated one of the greatest mysteries of any river. The Boiling River exist within the Amazonian River basin and gets so hot that it reaches boiling point. The astonishing thing is that the river starts the day off as a cold stream and heats through the day. Due to the unique nature of the river the tribes surrounding the area hold it with a high spiritual presence and attribute the phenomenon to a variety of jungle gods. Due to it being so hot, nothing can survive in this river and if any creatures do meet the unfortunate fate of falling in they are boiled alive.
Current Water Temp
24°C / 75.2°FWater Type
Fresh Water
Climate / Biome
Tropical Rainforest
In This Exhibit
4 fish, 2 elasmos
Where are we?
South America
The Boiling River has a very interesting history surrounded in legend however we find the residents of River Giants even more exciting as they all have their unique attributes and personalities. The exhibit allows you to come eye to eye with these freshwater beasts, but also view animals like the Red Tailed Catfish and Polka Dot Rays from higher up too, as if you were sailing along the Amazon river.