pacaya river Archives - Lindblad Amazon

Amazon Expedition Upper Amazon – May 06, 2019

Posted on May 12, 2019 | by deconspray

Casual & Nauta Caño

On our first day in the Upper Amazon, we started our adventure very early morning by exploring one of the many tributaries of the upper Amazon River by skiff. The skiffs truly make the experience a very enjoyable one, especially with the aid of our experienced drivers and naturalists. With our skiffs, we can really get up close and personal with the flooded forest. The drivers maneuver the long skiffs with ease, and our local naturalists can make the invisible wildlife visible to us.

>For sure the most exciting find today was the night monkeys. These cute, large-eyed primates are great fun to watch, and it’s reciprocal because as we watch them, they watch us. I’m pretty sure that with their humongous eyes, mostly suited for the night, they see us better than we see them.

Yanayacu, Pucate & Amazon Natural Park

Man in canoe holding fish — A river teeming with fish. A local fisherman proudly shows us his catch off just one hour of work.

Early this morning, we explored one of the tributaries of the Amazon by skiff. Before venturing into the very vast network of lakes, canals and tributaries of the Amazon, we stopped at the park-ranger station to check in. As we waited a little for everyone to sign the visitor’s book, an older gentleman in his tiny dugout canoe went by, stopping briefly to proudly show us his catch. In the floor of his little canoe lay a good number of small, and still alive fish. Considering how early in the morning it was, and that the fish very much still alive, one of our guests asked how long it had taken him to catch all these fish, and he responded about one hour. The Amazon is truly teeming with life.

In the afternoon, we explored the trails and suspension bridges of the Amazon Nature Park on foot.

Marañon, Ucayalli, San Francisco

Arts and crafts on display — People setting up their crafts for sale.

Today we visited the small community of San Francisco, on the river’s edge. It’s always an eye-opening experience to get to see how people make a living in these remote areas.

In the afternoon we explored another of the tributaries of the Amazon. As we went by a tiny community called Flor de Castaña, we found out that the water level was a little too high for our skiffs to go under a concrete bridge. We were too far away to turn around, so the only logical thing to do was to ask for help from the friendly local people. They jumped into the front of our skiffs to lower them with their weight, pushed and pulled us through to the other side, then jumped into the water to help the next skiff. The people here in the remote upper Amazon are extremely kind, and we ended back at the ship in time for a wonderful sunset.

Belluda Creek and Dorado River

Red throated caracara are very social birds. They usually travel in pairs or in small noisy parties. They feed on fruits and on nests of bees and wasps.

This morning we explored a lovely tributary of the Ucayali River, Belluda Creek. We left Delfin II right after breakfast to explore the creek.

The skiffs cruised through the narrow stream over the aquatic vegetation. Different species of birds were sighted as we pass next to the forest edge. The air was filled with a mix of bird calls. We all enjoyed what nature had for us.

For the afternoon, we explored Dorado River. At the mouth of this tributary, a small village was settled by “Ribereños.” The kids rapidly shared with us the different species of fishes their parents had caught during the day. Their friendly faces were all captured by our cameras.

Spectacle caiman prey on all manner of smaller amphibians and reptiles. When small, they will hide among the aquatic vegetation.

We kept exploring the river until sunset. Our naturalist brought out the spotlights because it was the perfect moment to start looking for caimans. As the light was pointed at the aquatic vegetation, red eyes began to show up. Different sizes of spectacle caimans, as well as black caimans, were sighted. What a great way to finish another day exploring the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

Pacaya River and Magdalena Creek

White-throated Toucan — The white-throated toucan is the biggest toucan in the Upper Amazon. They commonly eat fruits but also raids others birds’ nests to eat eggs and nestlings.

We woke up at the crack of dawn and loaded the skiffs. During the night we had arrived close to the mouth of the Pacaya River. The sun rays began to reveal a lush forest covered with snowy egrets. As they took off from their perch, the sky was painted with white.

We explored the whole morning and our breakfast was in the great “jungle skiff cafeteria.” Mid-morning, it was getting warm, so we stopped in Yanayacu Lagoon. We participated in the “Pirahna Plunge” to cool ourselves. Many pink dolphins showed up to swim pretty close to us. What a great morning and experience!

In the afternoon, we explored Magdalena Creek. Different species of birds were sighted. One of the best sightings was of the white chested toucan.

It was another great day exploring the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve!

Supay, Iricahua, Yarapa River

On our last day exploring the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, we started by exploring Supay River. We cruised on the skiffs along this river, before breakfast. A cool breeze was felt as we began spotting green iguanas taking advantage of the first sun rays. Different species of birds, such as white-headed marsh tyrants, black-crown night herons and a big flock of migratory purple martins were seen along the marsh area of this small tributary.

Whoolly Monkey — Whoolly monkeys feeds on ripe fruits, new leaves, some seeds and arthropods. They are very agile with their prehensile tail that allows them to secure themselves when trying to reach for their foods.

Back on board for breakfast, we repositioned to another tributary, Iricahua River. This narrow river allowed us to experience the cruising through the varsea forest. More primates were sighted by our guests. The emergent trees were home to these agile mammals.

Our last skiff ride was done late afternoon along the Yarapa River. Each of our sightings along the river was a small glimpse into the massive biodiversity of the Upper Amazon.

We all gathered at the end of the day, in the lounge, to share our thoughts about our experience we all had exploring this paradise. It was just a life-changing experience!

Amazon Expedition – April 29, 2019

Posted on May 8, 2019 | by deconspray

Casual & Nauta Caño

Our adventure began early morning. At dawn, before breakfast we boarded eagerly onto local watercraft in anticipation to explore a tributary of the Amazon River. The air felt fresh and cool in our faces as we sped into the jungle waterway, and it was not long before our expert naturalist guides began indicating local wildlife to observe and photograph. The skiff drivers negotiated the waters with ease, putting us front and center as possible to pure Amazonian wilderness. Our morning endeavors were followed in turn with a fantastic breakfast aboard Delfin II.

Later that day we explored Casual Trail on foot. Exploration adjacent to the might Amazon was absolutely fantastic. In addition to all the interesting creatures we saw, it felt great to stretch our legs as we trekked through the dense vegetation, deeper toward the day’s rich discoveries.

Yanayacu, Pucate & Amazon Natural Park

On our second morning of exploration, we visited the called Yanayacu and Pucate Tributaries. Exploring from the vantage of expedition watercraft is truly enjoyable experience! All we need to do is sit back and let the breeze caress our faces while we take in the fantastic scenery. Guides will stop occasionally to point out findings, things and creatures so subtly placed you’d think it impossible for human eyes to detect.

During the afternoon we visited a local medicine woman to learn about the medicinal culture of this area and the plants used by those living in the jungle. Following, we walked through more tropical rainforest, along trails and suspension bridges. What we were provided today was an in-depth look into life within this dynamic ecosystem, and to take it all in from the vantage of an authentic suspension bridge made the experience all the more total!

Marañon Ucayalli Rivers & San Jorge Community

Today we had the special opportunity to visit a small community adjacent to the San Jorge River. It is an eye-opening experience to get to visit the people who live in such remote areas. It is fascinating to see how closely they have learned to live with their environment, and how little they need to be happy. They received us with open arms and big smiles. We got the chance to see their homes, the school, and to learn about what they are doing to improve their living through a local organization called Minga Peru.

Later in the morning and afternoon we visited and explored more of the many tributaries of the Amazon. One of the big highlights for today was to see one of the smallest primates in the world, the pygmy marmoset. The little monkeys posed for us among the open branches and close to the water.

Belluda Creek and Dorado River

Our day began with a pre-breakfast exploring session along the Ucayali River. Several species of birds were getting ready to take off from their evening perch. A myriad of calls from the surrounding wildlife filled the air. It was a fitting way to start another great morning in the Amazon.

The cool Amazon breeze this morning allowed us to enjoy the colors of the birds. We returned for breakfast back on board Delfin II. Our after-breakfast activities were soon waiting for us. Kayaking and boat rides were the options for Belluda creek, a small tributary of the Ucayali River.

The exploration was enjoyed by all, as we were rewarded with sightings of Saddleback tamarins, flocks of blue and yellow macaws, saki monkeys, and many other animal species, which our guests wasted no time capturing on camera.

Back on board, we cruised to our afternoon destination of Dorado River. This tributary of the Ucayali is known for the distinct coloration of its water. The black waters work as a mirror and when the sun begins to set, while its earlier yellow color lends the sensation of navigating through gold.

We ended our day exploring this river close to sunset. After enjoying more sightings of primates, our naturalist brought out the spotlights. With this we were able to spot different species of caimans that dwell in this river.

It was a perfect way to end another day in this South American paradise.

Pacaya River and Magdalena Lagoon

Our day began with a gentle rain. It didn’t discourage us to go out and explore the Pacaya Samiria Wildlife Reserve. Our plan was to leave just at sunrise and go deep inside the reserve.

We loaded the skiff and cruised along the Pacaya River. There was a section of varsea forest very interesting. It was covered with water lilies and different species of water plants. The aquatic birds like wattle jacanas, horned screamers and great egrets were all gathered looking for their meal.

We stopped close to a ranger station to have breakfast. Our galley had prepared a delicious menu for us. We recharged our energies to continue exploring the Pacaya River.

Supay, Iricahua, and Yarapa River

Our final day exploring the Upper Amazon began with a lovely sunrise. Delfin II spent the night near the mouth of the Supay River. We could hear the call of birds, so we loaded onto watercraft to go and explore this river before breakfast.

Different species of birds were sighted here. Flocks of sand-colored nighthawks were spotted resting in shrubs alongside black-crowned night herons. It was spectacular getting to see them take off from their perch.

During breakfast Delfin II repositioned next to the mouth of another tributary of the Iricahua River. This narrow river was a highpoint of our expedition. Red and green macaws were seen by our guests and in the company of other characteristic species like blue and yellow macaws, the white-eared jacamar, masked crimson tanagers, and several others.

After lunch, we relocated to Yarapa River. This was the last place of our voyage to explore on watercraft. Nature was kind to us as she allowed many other species of animals and birds to show up for our delight.

As the sun began to set, we all gather back on board to share our thoughts of how great it had been these seven days exploring the amazing Upper Amazon.

Amazon Expedition – March 16, 2019 – A Photo Expedition

Posted on March 24, 2019 | by deconspray

Casual & Yanayacu River

We had the great opportunity to observe and take photographs of a rainbow boa at a close range.

Our group of guests this week arrived yesterday after flying from Lima, to join a once in a lifetime Amazon expedition in the Upper Peruvian Amazon. After breakfast, we started the day off with an introductory walk in the rainforest. After a short skiff ride, we visited a terra firme forest of a place known locally as “Casual” in the Marañon River. Terra firme is a term used in tropical Ecology to describe a terrain that never gets flooded. In the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the largest flooded protected area in South America, most of the surface area is under water the whole year around, therefore this kind of relatively dry ecosystem is of great interest for our expedition.

Along the trail, our expert naturalists explained some aspects of the fascinating ecology of the rainforest of the neotropics. Three native scouts from a nearby village came with us as well. Several rainforest creatures were spotted under a constant drizzle rain that accompanied us during the whole walk. We saw colorful poison-arrow frogs, tarantulas, and a green anaconda. We also saw one of the most beautiful rainforest snake species as well, the extraordinarily colored rainbow boa!

In the afternoon, we explored the Yanayacu River by skiffs. This outing was very successful as well, for we spotted several three-toed sloths, several bird species as well including yellow-billed terns, ringed and Amazon kingfishers, and several birds of prey like black-collared hawks and yellow-headed caracaras. It was an extraordinary first day of our expedition on the beautiful Upper Amazon in Peru.

Amazon Natural Park and Nauta Caño

hanging bridge in the forest — Minutes before reaching this hanging bridge, I had just come across a coral snake, decorated with its distinctive red, black and white colors. One by one, the group crossed the succession of bridges, taking us across the primary forest at different levels. We are constantly cradled by a soft yet constant motion, while photographing the beautiful landscape from a superb perspective.

After a delicious breakfast we headed to the Amazon Natural Park. We spent the whole morning in this well-protected area. One of the highlights of the morning was crossing a suspension bridge. In the afternoon we explored Nauta Caño, a narrow creek where we practiced kayaking and went on skiff rides. It was a great day filled with wonderful moments.

Amazonas Community and Clavero Lake

two women dying palm fibers — Upon our arrival to the village of Amazonas, two women were dying palm fibers at the water’s edge. Woman from the Amazon region make many handicrafts with fibers of the palm tree. They use leaves, roots, fruits and seeds from area plants to color the fibers into hues of blue, yellow, red, orange, and green.

This morning we visited the community of Amazonas, where we were able to interact with locals and learn about how they live. We saw how palm fibers are dyed for handicrafts, learned about the foods they eat, visited a school, and heard about the efforts of Minga Peru, an organization that empowers women in Amazonian villages. We ended the day exploring the mirror-like waters of Clavero Lake, where we looked for more wildlife and watched the full moon rise over the canopy on our way back to Delfin II.

Belluda Caño & El Dorado River

The icing on the cake during the morning ride was the rare sighting of a tamandua at a very close range. The latter is the name given to a medium sized neotropical anteater.

We spent a full day exploring two remote locations of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve along the Ucayali River. We visited Belluda Caño in the morning and El Dorado River in the afternoon. Very early, at 6:00 a.m., with the first rays of the day we disembarked in the direction of Belluda Caño. It was a fantastic morning, we had excellent wildlife sightings including the spectacular blue and yellow macaws and three New World primates’ species, saki monkeys, squirrel monkeys and saddle-backed tamarins. Many bird species were spotted, including scarlet macaws, channeled-billed toucans, parakeets, a long-billed woodcreeper and many more.

In the late afternoon, after practicing kayaking and paddle boarding, we had plenty of time to go far and beyond El Dorado River. We experienced firsthand the extraordinary biodiversity that inhabits the rainforests. Our skilled naturalists spotted several bird species like horned screamers, wattled jacanas, yellow-billed terns, some birds of prey, several three-toed sloths and some few capuchin and squirrel monkeys as well. As the day was getting dark, we experienced a night ride from the comfort of the skiffs. With the help of powerful spotlights in each skiff, we found several caiman alligators.

Zapote River and Pacaya River

Monk saki monkey in a tree — Monk saki monkeys soon become a favorite with our guests. Not an easy subject to capture with our cameras, but with patience and luck, magic happens.

As days pass, our guests get more excited on every skiff ride. You never know what nature will bring to us. A combination of skill and serendipity, makes for wonderful photography. Early in the morning, we leave the Delfin II before breakfast, to experience the forest as it was waking up. After multiple wildlife encounters that included monkeys of several species, a trogon and even multiple yellow and blue macaws, the three skiffs reunited in one edge of the Zapote River to have a memorable breakfast. Brought from the boat, our dedicated Peruvian crew served us camu camu and maracuya juices, along with sandwiches, fruits, muffins and even coffee. A unique experience, and one that we will surely remember for many years to come.

Supay Caño, Puerto Miguel, Yarapa Caño

A wooley monkey — During our exploration of Yarapa Caño, we came across a group of curious wooly monkeys. A few individuals, including a mother and baby, came near, giving us an incredible opportunity to watch their behaviors up close.

Our last full day in the Amazon was spent looking for wildlife in Supay and Yarapa Caños, which branch off from the Ucayali River, and visiting the village of Puerto Miguel to interact with the people that call these waters home. As has happened on other days of this voyage, we had incredible views of animals including wooly monkeys, pygmy marmosets, a coati, and lots of birdlife.

Upper Amazon Expedition – March 11, 2019

Posted on March 17, 2019 | by deconspray

Yanacacu & Pucate Rivers

The beginning of a new adventure starts from Nauta, heading to the Yanacacu and Pucate Rivers. Not the usual Lindblad ship, Delfin II brings certain differences into the mix, creating an aura of mystery and curiosity into the equation of our expedition. Soon enough, all the questions are answered, and the curiosity turns into fascination towards the Pacaya Samiria Natural Reserve. On arrival to the Upper Amazon expeditions, most guests have high expectations for nature and wildlife photography. The opportunities are there. But a sense of respect is quickly born, as on every skiff ride, we do need to focus searching for fauna. This departure will help everyone improve their photography skills, are they will be reviewed as situations and weather change constantly.

Amazon Natural Park and Nauta Caño

A long hike through the rainforest at the Amazon Natural Park, a private park along the Marañon River, brought us this morning to a series of suspension bridges. We were able to walk along the mid-canopy level to observe the plant and animal life from a different perspective than ground level. During an afternoon skiff ride, we visited Nauta Caño, or Nauta Creek, where we looked for sloths, monkeys, and birds, and admired the beautiful reflections in the calm waters of a blackwater creek.

San Francisco Community & Clavero Lake

Today we had a wonderful day of exploration. We experienced firsthand the cultural and natural diversity of the Peruvian Upper Amazon.

Early in the morning, we had a pre-breakfast skiff ride along the Marayali River. The latter is a fairly big stream that connects the Marañon with the Ucayali River. We observed many bird species in the prime time of the day. Later, after breakfast, we went to visit San Francisco Community. We were welcomed by the villagers, especially by a group of women leaders that are part of the several projects of Minga Peru. Minga Peru is the NGO that the Lindblad – National Geographic Fund supports. We had a very hot but enlightened morning learning about the local way of living and the several productive and cultural activities that people carry on in this community.

We had a great opportunity to interact and share precious moments with people of all ages, ranging from small kids in a school class to elders and leaders. We even had time to visit the house of Doris, a local townswoman and animal lover. Doris spends her time maintaining, feeding and most importantly loving several rainforest animals that live with her.

In the afternoon, we visited Clavero Lake. We had the chance to go swimming in this remote location in the clean waters of this beautiful lake. Finally, in the late afternoon, we explored the area with our skiffs and enjoyed watching many birds and several mammals. After dinner, lively music played by some talented members of the ship’s crew was a golden finale of this long but productive day in the Upper Amazon of Peru.

Ucayali River, Belluda Caño & El Dorado

This day brings our Amazon expedition into the most remote geographical point of our adventure in Peru. Every caño has its own particular beauty, but also, seems to have more presence of certain species. The rivers wind permanently, always decorated with lush vegetation on each side. Our guests became active spotters of wildlife, closely working together with our local guides.

On the second skiff outing of the day, guests are surprised with a later return. The idea, allowing them to experience the forest after sunset when darkness takes over. Engulfed within the sounds of nature, our local guides point powerful spotlights into the water surface in search for caymans. As we return to the boat, big smiles and happy comments are heard in the dark of the night.

Zapote and Pacaya Rivers

Today we explored the most remote areas of the week’s voyage by skiff. A morning ride through the Zapote River brought us up close and personal with the endemic monk saki monkey. The flooded lagoons off the Pacaya River, with their towering isolated trees, were a departure from the densely vegetated forest we’ve grown accustomed to this week and were the backdrop for some great bird-watching.

Supay Caño & Puerto Miguel/Yarapa Caño

A brand-new day of our expedition started with a beautiful overcast morning. The latter contributed a lot to a comfortable exploration of the Supay Caño, a small tributary of the Ucayali River and our first visitor’s site of the day. Right after breakfast, we boarded our fleet of skiffs to explore the area. We found numerous bird species and other creatures, including yellow-billed terns, black-collared hawks, colorful tanagers and cotingas, hoatzins, green iguanas, etc. All of this wildlife was surrounded by an exuberant green forest.

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to go ashore and visit the picturesque village of Puerto Miguel. This community is friendly, clean and well organized. We walked briefly throughout the town admiring the well-kept gardens that surround the houses. We visited one of the largest handcrafts market of the reserve which is operated by local women. After this lovely visit, we had a final skiff ride in Yarapa Caño. In this location, we had a golden finale to our expedition, for we had extraordinary sightings that included wooly monkeys, macaws, flycatchers, etc.

Late in the afternoon, we came back onboard with our minds and spirits enriched with all the new adventures and feelings that the Upper Amazon has brought to our lives during this expedition. This week in Peru’s Upper Amazon was filled with all of the ingredients that have made this expedition a successful one with great animal sightings, intercultural experiences, wonderful photography opportunities, the company of a hard-working crew, congenial travel mates and excellent meals with regional flavors.

Expert naturalist pointing out important fatures of the Amazon jungle

Upper Amazon Expedition – March 4, 2019

Posted on March 10, 2019 | by deconspray

Casual Trail and Yanayacu-Pucate Rivers, Upper Amazon

Our trip in the Upper Amazon has just begun! We are very excited as we just had a great day exploring several creeks and hiking some of the only available grounds of the region. We are in the process of discovering what this area is all about, what it means to the world and to the local people that inhabit the river villages. It is a very different world “out there” and we just had a taste of it!

To begin the day, we had an early morning wake up “knock,” which means a very gentle “good morning” through our doors. After enjoying some freshly brewed coffee, we boarded our skiffs for our first exploration. It turns out that skiffs are the best way to explore the Amazon River and its tributaries. The sturdy metal out-layer of the skiffs negotiates really well through the constant organic debris coming down from the river. The sturdy-looking exterior doesn’t compromise the comfort of the interior, which provides a comfy seating area with plenty of room for all of our gear. I must admit that exploring the river with unobstructed views is the best! This combined with the drivers’ skills to navigate the narrow creeks and to be able to offer great views to everyone, regardless of where they are sitting, was part of the experience as well.

Our first stop was a creek known as “Pahuachiro.” The names of most of the areas are either Quichua language-origin or simply named due a geographical mark, or a nearby town.

Regardless of the name, this location proved to be a great place to begin our trip. Several species of colorful birds were observed during our visit, and the naturalists on board each of the skiffs unveiled the wildlife for us. Their expertly trained eyes spotted many more things than we did, and their ability to make bird calls was commendable!

After breakfast, we headed to our first hike at Casual trail. As we strolled into the forest, we observed that the daylight didn’t penetrate through the canopy foliage as much anymore. A humid and darkish environment was surrounding us, and although alien to us, it was normal to the inhabitants of the forest. This time we not only had the naturalists to interpret our surroundings but a group of local people from the nearby town who joined us and kept bringing forest animals to us; it was the best!

We then continued our ship’s navigation up the Marañon River and to the headwaters of the Yanayacu-Pucate Rivers. These last two are smaller, yet important, tributaries for the main Marañon river system, which later dumps its waters into the Amazon River itself. The Yanayacu-Pucate are both black water river systems, which are favorite hang-outs for pink river dolphins. We observed them from the ship and later on from the skiffs, although I only have blurry pictures to prove it!

I am not too worried about the blurry pictures; during the afternoon skiff ride, we were all able to take much better images of the animals and scenery due the freshly gained-skills acquired during our first photo presentation of the trip. Our photo instructor, Jose Guerrero, gave us all great tips for photographing this region, and indeed made a difference in our afternoon photography!

It takes a lot of skills to photograph in low light and an almost monochromatic environment. This, added to the fact that animals move and could be perched far away, makes for a challenging experience. Luckily having the experience of one on one photo instruction makes you want to meet the challenge, and it is one of the perks that we offer on all of our voyages.

After a great afternoon experience and a wonderful sunset, we were ready for cocktails and a delicious regional dinner cooked by some of the most experienced chefs of the Amazon!

Marañon River: Amazonas Natural Park & Piraña Caño

The Marañon river is one of the most important tributaries to the great Amazon river. Today we visited an area known as Amazonas Natural Park, a private reserve with a system of seven interconnected suspended bridges over the canopy. This was our longest walk of the week, which gave us the chance to experience the canopy but also to find saddle back tamarins, plus some interesting insects and several species of birds. We had a delicious lunch with local ingredients, and later on our guests had the opportunity to attend a presentation onboard about photography composition and storytelling. In the afternoon, we navigated to Piraña Caño. This is an incredible area with narrow streams run through the flooded forest, where we spotted various species of monkeys and birds. The best part of the day still awaited us: on our way back, thousands of parakeets and caciques arrived to a small island, and we were able to stop to enjoy this unforgettable natural display.

The day was still not over! After our return to the ship, our wonderful bartenders gave us a demonstrative class on how to prepare Pisco Sour, a traditional Peruvian drink. Cheers to more exciting days to come on our Amazon adventure!

Marañon River: San Jorge Community & Nauta Caño

Today was one of those days when the unexpected happened, and we ended up in a different location than we intended to be when we started our day. However, this is the way all expeditions should be, as a true adventure could never be fully predicted!

Our morning was quite interesting, as we visited one of the remote villages that we rarely get to go during our trips. The community of San Jorge is located at the center section of the Marañon River and has approximately 300 inhabitants. It has a school and a little basic grocery owned by one of the locals. The most important structures of all, in any of these villages, are of course a church, and comparable in importance, a soccer (football) field for entertainment.

Our guests had the opportunity to stroll along the village’s cemented-walkways and learn about the simple life of the people from this region. There are no cars in the community, and the cell phone range is analog, which means no internet! Electricity is also expensive, as it is not yet provided by the government, but rather supplied by their own local gasoline-based generator. This generator is only turned-on three times a week and only for three hours at the time. This time is used for people to recharge their phones and to catch up with a bit of local signal TV time in one of the lucky houses that has a TV set.

As we strolled, we were greeted by the locals with smiles and invitations to enter their humble houses. Not much was inside, but the houses are filled with pride, as food and shelter are never absent in any of the houses within the community. We were all so engaged in the village experience that we ended up staying longer than we had intended; luckily this region is full of great alternatives and we quickly modified the program to have a second, but equally great, alternative for the afternoon.

Destiny proved to be in our side as we ended up having a great afternoon outing, with kayaking, SUP (Stand Up Paddling) and skiff rides in a place known as Nauta Creek. As we navigated on the skiff towards our kayaking location, we came to a sudden stop as we spotted the “holy grail” of the birds when it comes to birdwatching in the Amazon…Harpy eagle!

For the past seven years I have been coming to the Amazon to lead expeditions, and I have always been hopeful that one day I will be granted the opportunity to see this gorgeous bird. The last time it was sighted by any of the naturalists on board was a year ago, flying far in the distance. Today the sight was as good as it can get! Perched on a nearby tree branch, the harpy eagle turned its head several times, showing curiosity as it tried to figure out what we were. We don’t look anything like its favorite prey, which are sloths perched on trees, so after allowing us to take several hundred pictures, it took off. Although there were records of its existence in the reserve, there is not much more information regarding any of its nesting grounds or its general ecology in this region.

Everything that we saw and did today was terrific, but there is nothing that compares to the feeling of seeing such a magnificent animal perched only feet away from us! Cheers to the harpy eagle!

Ucayali River: Belluda Caño and El Dorado River

Today we explored the Ucayali River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon. Here, our skiffs meandered along various narrowing stretches of black waters in the wilderness of the Pacaya – Samiria Reserve. Early in the morning, our target was to find macaws, and we did! Several flocks of blue and yellow macaws flew by, at a close distance. After breakfast, we sailed to Belluda Caño, where we found more groups of macaws, together with kingfishers, jacamars, trogons, toucans, caciques and oropendolas. Squirrel monkeys, as always, put on their own show for us. We came back onboard for lunch and later on we had a presentation about the cultural diversity of the Amazon.

Late in the afternoon, we had an evening exploration along el Dorado River, with the objective of experiencing the colors and sounds of the rainforest as the night arrived. With a big reflecting light, our naturalist spotted several caimans. After a wonderful sunset, the magical colors of the golden hour remain in our memories, there is camaraderie brewing and it is time for a Pisco sour to end another wonderful day onboard the Delfin II.

Pacaya River and Magdalena Creek

Today we were exploring one of the gems of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the Pacaya River section. This is a location far away from communities and any extraction activity, so the wildlife is abundant and the landscape is very unique. This area is also known as the mirrored jungle, as the reflections of the forest over the black waters of the Pacaya River makes for spectacular scenery.

Our morning started early with a bit of a twist on the normal skiff rides activities. We headed out before breakfast for a journey that took us all morning. However, half-way through we stopped for breakfast! We brought sandwiches, coffee, fruits, and juices. All were served while on board the skiff enjoying the natural beauty of an unspoiled forest!

We then continued to the Yanayacu Lagoon, where the clearer waters provided us with the opportunity of a nice and safe swimming experience in the Amazon region. We didn’t have to push our guests to jump into the warm and refreshing lagoon, but the hard part came when we had to get out to continue our exploration. It felt so good to swim and float knowing that we were surrounded by pink river dolphins!

The journey back was just as exciting as the earlier trip, as we had to go throughout an entanglement of vegetation accumulated by the force of the river. Our skilled drivers got us through, although it was not easy to find the proper channels which closed rapidly behind us, as if we were never there.

Having completed a successful morning, we continued our ship’s navigation heading down river. We reached a location known as Magdalena Creek, and it was a great visit! This time we had the chance to deploy our kayaks once again for some of our guests to enjoy the wonderful feeling of kayaking in the Upper Amazon. The skiffs were also exploring the intricate ecosystem of many hidden smaller creeks and it was fantastic to continue to add new species of birds to our already long list.

Finally, the last sunrays were telling us to return to our mother ship, which we did reluctantly!

Supay, Iricahua & Yarapa River

This is our last day of the expedition, and for me, the last day after immersing myself for three weeks in the Peruvian Upper Amazon. For any keen naturalist, birder, or enthusiastic photographer, the Amazon rainforest is the ultimate location. During this week, we have seen beautiful animals and been spoiled with the many opportunities to get wonderful shots, and today was no exception.

We started our day with a visit to Supay. We had the choice to explore this area by kayak, paddle boarding, or an enjoyable skiff ride. No matter what option we took, a gorgeous landscape and unique wildlife were there, ready to surprise us. Later on, we explored another area called Iricahua, a great place for birding.

In the afternoon, we had our last opportunity to visit a village and buy some local handcrafts. We ended this outing discovering a new species of monkey that inhabit the Yarapa River: the wooly monkey. Enjoying these interesting and curious monkeys was the perfect ending to a wonderful week.

Temperatures	Jan-May	Jun-Dec
Low Temp	70-75°F	70-75°F
High Temp	85-90°F	85-90°F
Water Temp	58-77°F	58-77°F