Cruising the Breves Narrows, Brazil

From Belém, our ship headed upriver via a series of channels through the delta known as the Breves Narrows. At 500 ft., our ship is within 10 feet of the largest ship that can navigate the channel. Larger ships must enter the Amazon through the northern channel of the mouth. We cruised the entire day in channels so narrow that the bank of the river was only a few yards away from either size. Even recent charts do no good in this area, as the river can change very quickly. A good local pilot who knows the river is a must!