Pacaya River
The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve is the largest in Peru at over 2 million hectares. At its heart is the Pacaya River, which weaves its way up into the center of the reserve. Today, we spent all day exploring this meandering river and its spectacular wildlife.
An early morning departure, just after sunrise, got us all out onto the skiffs during the prime time of day for wildlife viewing. We slowly made our way up the river, passing massive trees, expansive wet areas and numerous birds. A troop of squirrel monkeys was spotted, and their gigantic jumps were entertaining for all. Many stopped to do a bit of people watching, and provided us with great photographic opportunities.
Instead of returning to the ship for breakfast, the crew pulled out all the stops and we had a delicious breakfast in the middle of the river. As we enjoyed our food and coffee, pink river dolphins fed all around our skiffs, while Horned Screamers sounded off. A little farther along, Monk Saki monkeys were spotted. These large fuzzy monkeys have a more limited range, and were certainly a delight to see. Long-nosed Bats rested on a tree trunk, waiting for nightfall to head out and eat insects. Neotropical cormorants were abundant, as well as many other birds taking advantage of this rich river ecosystem.
We arrived at a lagoon, and it was time to get wet! No worries about the piranhas and caimans that we knew must be around, most of us made the plunge. The water was warm, but certainly refreshing, and we had to drag everyone out as we were enjoying it so much. By now it was starting to get quite warm, so we headed back to the ship for lunch and a siesta.
In the afternoon, we set off to again explore the Pacaya River, but this time only the lower section. Many of us enjoyed more monkeys, birds (including Jabiru storks), and the river dolphins. Others decided to test their luck in searching for piranhas. A successful excursion was had as many piranha were caught, and also a few catfish. Meanwhile, the sun went down as a fiery orb, and the fireflies lit up the sky. On the return, we again searched for some of the nocturnal creatures and were rewarded with sights of nighthawks, bats, and a few caiman. As we sailed down river later that night, everyone was left with an image of the richness this area holds.
