We set out in the skiffs before sunrise this morning, eager to get to the mirrored waters of the Pacaya River. Red howler monkeys, pink river dolphins, and three-toed sloths greeted us along the way. Soon, we tied off to shore and enjoyed an amazing breakfast as we floated under a tree full of hoatzins in the bush and waited for the fog to lift. Incredible animals and reflections in the water kept us happy throughout the morning, and soon we were jumping into the river for a swim to cool down. Pink dolphins surrounded us in the water! Hundreds of neotropical cormorants decorated the trees above, and we all felt pretty darn lucky to be where we were. After lunch and a photo talk on board, we set out again in the skiffs in the late afternoon. We watched local fishermen haul a net into their canoe before exploring the riverbank of the larger Ucayali River, ending our exploration in the city of Requena and watching children play soccer and volleyball on the beach. Another wonderful day here in the Amazon!
11/9/2024
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Delfin II
Amazon Natural Park and Yanayacu River
For the last full day of our expedition on the amazingly biodiverse Peruvian Upper Amazon, we had an early visit to the Amazon Natural Park. In this privately-owned reserve, we crossed a small lagoon on catamarans, then had the joy to walk in a primary forest and learn from our expert Delfin II naturalists; they described several plant species and other fascinating aspects of rainforest ecology in the neotropics. In the afternoon, we explored Yanayacu River by skiff rides. This beautiful river is covered with thick vegetation, where our naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of colorful birds. We saw many pink river dolphins as well. In the evening, we watched the guest slide show of the week, then enjoyed a farewell cocktail and dinner with live music included. It was the golden finale for a successful expedition in this remarkable location of our planet.
