Today we continued along the Ucayali River and reached the farthest upstream point of our trip, the Pacaya River. We departed early in the morning to observe wildlife as the sun rose above the forest. We saw hundreds of birds, several kinds of monkeys and swam with pink river dolphins – all before lunch.
In the late afternoon we explored Dorado Forest. This is a flooded forest half of the year and only in the low water season is it revealed to us. We ventured into the forest with some drizzle and had great sightings.
Socrates was raised on Santa Cruz Island located in the heart of Galapagos Archipelago. After a childhood filled with swimming, scuba diving, rock climbing and volunteering in conservation projects, he grew very passionate about the outdoors and the...
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This morning was sunny, following a spectacular sunrise. At 0800 we took our skiffs out for a wildlife exploration along the riverbank. The first gift of the day was finding a particular monkey, big in size, whose tail is very bushy, and who inhabits the highest canopy to avoid its main predator, the jaguar — it’s the monk saki, a creature that is endangered due to human activities that have damaged its habitats. We also found squirrel monkeys and one pygmy marmoset, carrying an infant on its back, in the hole of a tall tree trunk. We were lucky to find a bald uakari monkey eating on the ground in one of the local communities. We also spotted many varieties of birds, including trogons, jacamars, tanagers, cardinals, and kingfishers. Our morning was very energetic with a lot of activity. We took hundreds of pictures of flora, fauna, and people — especially local fishermen that are working hard to provide. In the afternoon we went for a walk in search of one of the region’s most famous plants, called Victoria regia, which grows on small lagoons in the Amazon basin. These giant lily pads, or water lilies, provide shelter for aquatic and non-aquatic creatures, and are an important food source for beavers; we found many lilies flowering. Close by, our paramedic found a baby sloth atop a cecropia tree — it was so cute and made our day! On our way back to Delfin II we had a nice celebration at the conjunction of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers, where they form the majestic Amazon River, one of the largest and most complex ecosystems on our planet.
The Pacaya River was spectacular today! We started our exploration very early; at 0545 we were already out, with high spirits and expectations. The remote Pacaya River is the farthest destination we will visit on our expedition this week, and it is certainly one of the highlights due to its beauty and remoteness. Our fleet of three skiffs formed an exploration caravan, going as far as we could looking for wildlife. We had extraordinary sightings! Some highlights included pink river dolphins, macaws, monkeys, and egrets. After a couple hours of exploring, we stopped under some shade to have our breakfast served outdoors, on board the skiffs! This experience is simply wonderful! We felt immersed in the rainforest while we had our early meal served in the most fashionable way — including white gloves on our Delfin II naturalists’ hands and hot coffee, all accompanied by the lush green surroundings and a concert of nature’s sounds. After breakfast we continued exploring, then had a brief stop at a Reserve Warden's vigilance point to stretch our legs and use toilet facilities. We then had the opportunity to swim in Yanayacu Lake as well — it was so refreshing! In the late afternoon, we visited the Magdalena River. It was very sunny, allowing us to see the vibrant colors of a long list of neotropical bird species. It was certainly a long day but well worth the effort! The remoteness and “expecting the unexpected” made this day of exploration a very special one for all of us.
This is our second day exploring the Upper Amazon of Peru. Belluda Creek always brings gifts to us, and today was no exception. As soon as we started early in the morning we found a flock of red-bellied macaws eating; we also spotted toucans, tanagers, cardinals, and many types of herons. We had a very special moment when we observed a troop of monk saki monkeys perching in the tall trees; later we saw squirrel monkeys as well. In the afternoon we explored the Dorado River. Experiencing the transition from day to night was astonishing. We encountered monkeys, herons, cormorants, and egrets along the riverbank; after the sunset we found nocturnal creatures such as caimans, owls, potoos, bats, and herons. The sky was full of stars; the Milky Way was perfectly seen. What an amazing day we had in this emerald world.