Google Street View Now Allows You To Zip-Line Through The Amazon Jungle

The latest feature to be added to Google Maps is the opportunity to venture into the depths of the Amazon jungle. It might not be as comprehensive as some of the other Google maps around the world, but cameras on zip-line managed to snap 360-degree images of the deep rainforest that you can view from the comfort of your computer.

According to Tech Crunch, more public parts of the Amazon jungle have been available on Google Street View since 2012. But now Google allows you to view the depths of the jungle from the treetops, providing full view of both the ground and the highest canopies.

With the help of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, Google Street View was able to suspend their cameras from a series of zip-lines that moved the camera through the trees as fast as 62 mile per hour (100 kilometers per hour). Over 50,000 photos were taken within the Amazon rainforest and carefully lined up to make 360-degree, panoramic views. The result is a breathtaking journey through the heights of the Amazon jungle, taking Google Street View users to new reaches of the planet.

In addition to the zip-line, Google Street View also allows you to venture along the Rio Aripuanã and Rio Mariepauá rivers.

Google Street View claims that the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation agreed to help with the project under the expectation that “sharing the imagery of their local communities, rain forests and rivers with the world will raise awareness and support for their efforts to conserve these areas.”

According to CNET, Google partnered with the Foundation over a year ago and has been collecting images of the rainforest over the past few months, specifically from the Rio Negro Reserve. The leader of the Google Street View in the Amazon project was Karin Tuxen-Bettman, who released a statement about the zip-line photos finally becoming available.

“Take a virtual boat ride down the main section of the Rio Negro, and float up into the smaller tributaries where the forest is flooded. Stroll along the paths of Tumbira, the largest community in the Reserve… Enjoy a hike through along an Amazon forest trail and see where Brazil nuts are harvested… For many outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, and environmentalists, this creates an opportunity to experience the wonders of the Amazon, which will be accessible in a way they’d previously only dreamed about.”

Will you be logging on to Google Street View to explore the Amazon jungle for yourself?