Tag: zapote river

The canopy of Amazon Natural Park

Amazon Expedition – March 16, 2019 – A Photo Expedition

Posted on | by deconspray

Casual & Yanayacu River

rainbow boa
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

a tamandua
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.

Amazon Fresh Water

Upper Amazon Expedition – March 11, 2019

Posted on | by deconspray

Yanacacu & Pucate Rivers

A frog under a lave in the AmazonThe 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

hanging bridge in the forestA 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.

Woman with child holding handicraftsEarly 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

Armed with a powerful spotlight, and surrounded by darkness and the engulfed by the sounds of the Amazon, we went in search of caimans.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

A skiff ride, an excellent way to see wildlife on the water’s edge and in the canopy.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

The beautiful HoatzinA 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.