Clavero Lake and Ucayali River, 7/6/2022, Delfin II
Aboard the
Delfin II
Amazon
Our early morning began by exploring Clavero Lake. Every year, the Ucayali River changes its course depending on the amount of water that runs down from the Andean Mountains. The lake was formed many years ago by this natural event.
The Upper Amazon is a lot more than animals. It is also about the region’s people and how they have managed to survive in this environment. We had the great opportunity to exchange thoughts with several fishermen who kindly showed us some of their catch. In spite of the harsh conditions, we could see their joy as they pulled out the gill nets and collected all that was caught.
It was a great day of exploring pristine areas where we saw beautiful birds and learned about the social life of the locals.
Cristian is a Panamanian born in Chile. He grew up in Panama City until the age of 19 when he returned to Chile to go to college where he received a degree in metallurgic civil engineering. Since 1995 he has been working as a freelance naturalist in ...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
We experienced the marvelous cultural and natural diversity of the Peruvian Upper Amazon today. After breakfast, we visited Amazonas Community. We were welcomed by the villagers, especially a group of women leaders who are part of Minga Peru, the organization supported in part by guest donations through the Lindblad – National Geographic Fund. We had a very hot but enlightening morning as we learned about the local way of life, including the daily productive and cultural activities carried on by people in this community. We had great opportunities to interact and share precious moments with Amazon people of all ages, ranging from small children roaming around to youngsters, elders, and leaders who graciously helped our visitors learn what it is like to live in the Amazon. Minga Peru is a remarkable organization. Founded in 1998, its mission is the promotion of social justice and human dignity for women and families in remote, rural areas of the Peruvian Amazon. They have developed valuable projects in the area, like the production of radio programs to spread health and education to thousands of listeners. There is also a commitment to the technical training of women and community members in agroforestry, crop cultivation, manufacturing handicrafts using local materials, and the construction and management of fishponds. This work is vital to increase economic sustainability for many people. In the afternoon, we visited Casual. We took a rainforest walk in an area that is usually underwater. We observed several tarantulas, poison dart frogs, and interesting Amazon trees. A fiery sunset was the golden finale of this long but productive day in the Peruvian Upper Amazon.
This morning was sunny. The day started out warm, and the sunrise was spectacular. At eight o’clock, we took our skiffs to do a wildlife exploration along the riverbank. The first gift of the day was the monk saki monkey. These monkeys have bushy tails and inhabit the highest canopy to avoid jaguars, their main predator. Monk sakis are in danger of extinction due to the human activities that damage their habitats. We also found squirrel monkeys and a pygmy marmoset carrying an infant on its back in the hole of a tall tree trunk. We were lucky to spot a bald uakari monkey eating on the ground in one of the local communities. We also spotted many varieties of birds, trogons, jacamars, tanagers, cardinals, and kingfishers. Our morning was very energetic with a lot of activity. We took hundreds of pictures of many kinds of flora and fauna. We also interacted with people, especially the hardworking fishermen. In the afternoon, we walked on terra firma in search of a lagoon full of one of the most famous and well-known plants, Victoria regia. These lilies grow in small lagoons in the Amazon basin. Lily pads or water lilies provide shelter for aquatic and nonaquatic creatures, and they are a very important food source for beavers. We found many lilies flowering. Nearby, our paramedic found a baby sloth on the top of a cecropia tree. It was so cute, and it made our day! On our way back to the Delfin II , we had a very nice celebration at the junction of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers which form the majestic Amazon River. The Amazon is one of the largest and more complex ecosystems on our planet.
When I was preparing my camera and backpack last night, I had the feeling that today was going to be a fantastic day, and I was not wrong. The Pacaya River was spectacular! We started our exploration very early. At 0545, we were already on our way with high spirits and expectations. The remote Pacaya River is the farthest destination of our expedition this week. Our three skiffs formed a caravan to explore the river, and we went as far as we could to look for wildlife. We had extraordinary sightings! We saw pink river dolphins, Amazon giant otters, blue-and-yellow macaws, and hundreds of egrets and neotropical cormorants. After a couple hours of exploring, we stopped and looked for shade to enjoy our breakfast outdoors on the skiffs! This experience was, in one simple word, amazing! We were surrounded by the rainforest as our early meal was served in the most fashionable way possible, including white gloves and hot coffee. All of this amidst the green forest and a concert of sounds for company. After breakfast, we continued exploring. We stopped momentarily to disembark at a Reserve Warden's vigilance point to stretch our legs and use the facilities. We had the opportunity to swim in Yanayacu Lake as well. In the late afternoon, we visited a large sandbank in the Ucayali River. Rivers and lakes have very low levels at this time of the year, and large sandbanks are exposed along the mighty Ucayali River. We walked a long distance and observed the many terns and skimmers that are abundant in these seasonal sandbanks. We ended up in a tent that our crew installed, where we rested and enjoyed cold drinks. Some guests covered themselves with mud. We had a lot of fun! It was certainly a long day but well worth the effort! Remoteness and expecting the unexpected made this day of exploration a very special one.
