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!
5/29/2025
Read
Delfin II
Belluda Creek and Dorado River, Peru
Tamandua! The cry went out from our naturalist Jorge early this morning on our skiff ride on Belluda Creek. We craned our necks and adjusted our viewpoints to see this arboreal anteater as it quietly went about the business of gathering its breakfast. Finally, it stepped into a clearing on a branch right over our heads! He seemed to be posing for our cameras, so we quickly took many images for posterity. Tamandua paparazzi! After being delayed for a short time due to a torrential downpour, we set out in our skiffs once again to explore the Dorado River — this time into the darkness of night! Our intended quarries were the wily caimans on the river; their positions in the complete darkness were revealed by the shining of their eyes under our strong spotlights. These youngsters allowed us to get right next to them as they floated on vegetation, just waiting to strike at a fish or other prey!