We set out again for an early morning skiff ride in Pahwachiro Creek, a smaller channel off the Marañon River. It was a cloudy and moody morning, but we were greeted with scarlet macaws overhead. Deeper into the creek, we came upon hundreds of great egrets perched in the trees and along the riverbanks. We could also see the fish they were there to catch! As we slowly motored by, the egrets took flight all around us, and it was a truly magical moment. After another delightful breakfast on board, we set out in an area called Casual for our first exploration of the Amazon Rainforest by foot. Local scouts helped us find all kinds of cool creatures along the way, including a poison dart frog, a gecko, a red boa constrictor, a tarantula, and a green anaconda. This community makes beautiful wood carvings, and many of us decided to take one home. Back on board the Delfin II, we had a fascinating talk on medicinal plants by naturalist Jairo Flores. After lunch, small groups went kayaking in Nauta Creek, and then we all explored the area by skiff in the late afternoon. We were excited to see more squirrel monkeys, long-nosed bats, horned screamers, and even an Isabel’s saki monkey settling in for the night. There’s always something new to find in this amazing ecosystem!
11/9/2024
Read
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.