Our first day exploring the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve began with a pre-breakfast exploration along the Pahuachiro Creek. Its shoreline was covered with great egrets and cocoi herons, all looking for their morning prey. Other species of birds were also spotted by our naturalist. The fresh morning was filled with different bird calls, that little by little began to be identified.
Back on board, after enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by our galley, we geared up to visit a trail in “Tierra Firme”. This area doesn’t get flooded during the high-water season. The diversity of Casual Trail was revealed to our guests with the help of local guides. Different species of reptiles like yellow-tongued forest anoles, forest dragons, rainbow boas, green anacondas and the feared Amazon bushmasters were sighted in their habitat by the guests.
The afternoon exploration took place at Nauta Creek. While some of the guests explored by skiff, other went out in kayaks. The lush varsea forest was teeming with wildlife. Species of primates were playing and moving rapidly from tree to tree. Some birds preyed on the insects that were upended by all this commotion.
A family of night monkeys seemed to be curious about all the noise caused by the other primates, and they poked their heads out of their tree hole. Their baby didn’t mind our presence at all—he was more interested in being fed by his mom, while his dad stood on guard.
It was a marvelous day in the Upper Amazon.
