We started exploring early this morning as we were going far and deep into the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. With blue skies above, we zoomed upstream. Highlights included a flock of comical looking hoatzins and a flock of six blue-and-yellow macaws. High in the treetops, we came across several troops of red howler monkeys. After a stop for lunch, we headed downriver for what was called the “piranha plunge.” No piranhas were to be found as we cooled off in the river, and we all left with our fingers and toes intact. True to rainforest cycles, the clouds built during the morning and early afternoon and then dumped their moisture on us by the bucketful as we made our way back to the Delfin II. We filled out the afternoon with origami towel folding lessons, a talk on creative ideas with our images, and a lesson in making the perfect pisco sour. It was a delicious and refreshing way to end our day in the Upper Peruvian Amazon.
3/8/2025
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Delfin II
Piranha Creek and the Amazon River
This morning, our guests had a truly special experience visiting the Amazonas community, a well organized village where many of the community leaders are women. They warmly welcomed us and shared a glimpse into their daily lives, showing us how they cook traditional dishes, use plant-based dyes to create beautiful handicrafts, and most importantly, their incredible efforts in leadership, sustainable fishing, and agroforestry farming. Their work is a powerful response to soil acidification and climate change, demonstrating resilience and innovation in their way of life. In the afternoon, we navigated toward the great confluence, where the Marañón and Ucayali Rivers merge to form the Amazon River. We explored a narrow creek in search of wildlife, and as our three skiffs returned to the Amazon River, we tied them together and raised a glass, celebrating the end of a fantastic expedition.
