We started early in morning by visiting one of the many small tributaries to the main Ucayali River, Belluda Caño. The water level is dropping little by little every day and more and more land will be exposed. As we saw on previous days, villagers are moving their houses to the other bank of the river. Many trees are showing the high watermark, about three feet above the river.
The morning went without breakfast, as we boarded our skiff boats and set out for about two and the half hours following one of the small river branches looking for wildlife, which is very active in the early hours of the day. We were very lucky because we spotted two different species of primates and the green-and-yellow macaw! One of the main attractions was the monk saki monkey, known to have such thick fur that wasps cannot sting it.
The morning was still far from over, and we had to return to the ship for breakfast and later to continue our jungle exploration. As we were returning we saw a flock of white egrets in a beautiful formation.
Before lunch we learned some National Geographic tips on photography and then we had a well-deserved Peruvian lunch and siesta time.
In the afternoon, we explored the Dorado River and its surroundings for about three hours. During this expedition we had a lot of amazing sightings, but the main ones were the impressive giant Amazon water lilies, the scented jasmine flower air, and the squirrel monkeys. On the way back, dark already, we had the opportunity to observe the spectacled caimans and we were ready for dinner!
Once we returned, under a clear sky covered with stars, we had dinner. It was another day in the Amazonian paradise...
