This morning, we had our earliest start of the week, leaving the Delfin II even before sunrise. It was all worth it, as we had come to the most remote part of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve that we will visit this week: the Pacaya River, on the southwestern side of the park. It was a cloudy morning but beautiful all the same. We had some lovely bird sightings as we entered the reserve, including jabiru, festive parrots, and hoatzins. Near the hoatzins, three of our skiffs pulled alongside each other for a meal we won’t soon forget. Our naturalists donned white gloves and there, in the middle of the rainforest, we enjoyed our breakfast. Soon after we finished, we observed something incredible – a river otter making its way to the shore. After more exploration, we relocated to a more open, lake-like section of the river for our first swim in the Amazon, complete with colorful pool noodles, beers, and sodas. Pink river dolphins swam nearby as we soaked up the beauty of the moment. After lunch and a siesta on board, we got dropped off on the riverbank to walk a long section of beach that is only accessible in the low water season. At the end of our walk, we enjoyed fresh coconuts and some Amazon mud therapy. An after-dinner concert by an exceptional crew band was a wonderful way to end the day!
11/9/2024
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Delfin II
Amazon Natural Park and Yanayacu River
For the last full day of our expedition on the amazingly biodiverse Peruvian Upper Amazon, we had an early visit to the Amazon Natural Park. In this privately-owned reserve, we crossed a small lagoon on catamarans, then had the joy to walk in a primary forest and learn from our expert Delfin II naturalists; they described several plant species and other fascinating aspects of rainforest ecology in the neotropics. In the afternoon, we explored Yanayacu River by skiff rides. This beautiful river is covered with thick vegetation, where our naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of colorful birds. We saw many pink river dolphins as well. In the evening, we watched the guest slide show of the week, then enjoyed a farewell cocktail and dinner with live music included. It was the golden finale for a successful expedition in this remarkable location of our planet.