The mystical boiling river of the Amazon

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A video showing a boiling river in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon that is hot enough to kill animals unfortunate enough to take a dip into its waters piqued the interest of scientist Andrés Ruzo.

The river's name is Shanay-timpishka, meaning "boiled with the heat of the sun" in the language of the area's inhabitants.

A small victim in the river /Great Big Story Photo

The river was brought to the world's attention by Ruzo, who believed that the legendary geothermal formation couldn't possibly be real.

Ruzo explored the river in the Mayantuyacu region of Peru and shared video of the region's breathtaking uniqueness in a mini-documentary.

He says the heat of the air coming off the river is so intense that you can feel it burning in your nose and your lungs.

Speaking in the footage, he also said: "The hottest temperature I've measured is 100°C. If you stick your hand in, and you will see second or third degree burns in a matter of seconds."

The boiling water of Shanay-timpishka /Great Big Story Photo

After a series of research, Ruzo concluded that part of the river in Mayantuyacu boils because of fault-fed hot springs. When rain falls on the surrounding area, it gathers into the porous sedimentary rock. As it moves through the rock, it is warmed up from the primal heat of the Earth.

Eventually, it comes across a large thrust fault, or crack. As water falls behind it, it forces the now heated water to ascend along the fault-line to surface as a hot or warm spring.

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