The Amazon River is an astonishing body of water, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean at an average rate of 209,000 cubic meters (7,400,000 cu. ft.) per second, representing 20 percent of the total riverine discharge on earth, and greater than the next seven largest rivers combined. Its drainage basin comprises 40 percent of the land mass of South America. The greatest proportion of its shoreline is uninhabited, and much of it is seasonally inundated by fluctuations in the river’s volume. It flows 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from Huancayo, Peru at an altitude of over 17,000 feet to sea level in Brazil, conjoined by 11 major tributaries. The immense Amazonian rain forest is home to one of earth’s most prolific and diverse ecosystems. Your Seabourn expedition team is comprised of scholars, scientists, explorers and other specialists who will gladly share their knowledge and experiences as you pass along this endlessly fascinating and incomparable feature of our home planet.