Caño Cristales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caño Cristales |
|
|---|---|
Caño Cristales
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Other name(s) | liquid rainbow, river of five colours |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Meta |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Serranía de la Macarena |
| River mouth | Guayabero River |
| Length | 100 km (62 mi) |
The Caño Cristales ( English: "Crystal Channel") is a river in Colombia. It is a tributary of the Guayabero River, itself a part of the Orinoco basin. The river is commonly called the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow," and is noted for its striking colors. The bed of the river from the end of July through November is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and red. In recent years, the river has become a tourist destination; there were more than 16,000 visitors in 2016.
Geography
The Caño Cristales is a fast-flowing river with many rapids and waterfalls. Small circular pits known as giant's kettles can be found in many parts of the riverbed, which have been formed by pebbles or chunks of harder rocks. Once one of these harder rock fragments falls into one of the cavities, it is rotated by the water current and begins to carve at the cavity wall, increasing the dimensions of the pit.
Fauna and flora
The Caño Cristales is home to several species of fish, freshwater turtles and other aquatic animals. It also has a wide variety of aquatic plants.
Interesting facts about the Caño Cristales
- The Caño Cristales is located in the Serranía de la Macarena, an isolated mountain range in Colombia.
- The river was discovered in 1969 by a group of cattle farmers.
- It turns red from July to November due to a plant species Rhyncholacis clavígera (often known by its former name, Macarenia clavigera) found in abundance on its riverbed.
- These plants are green when young, then turn yellowish and finally various shade of red.
See also
In Spanish: Caño Cristales para niños
