Today we started the morning early and explored the shoreline around the river. This section is often flooded, but by this time of year we can walk in the sand bank where new vegetation is starting to grow. Here we found many bird species, including colorful singing birds and raptors. For the second half of the morning, we ventured into the forest. We hiked in an area that has easy-to-walk trails; they led our groups to a hidden lagoon full of dragonflies and flowers. We also encountered leafcutter ants along the way.
Our ship was resting in a location between two rivers, and these kinds of places happen to be the best fishing sites for dolphins. Gray and pink dolphins gave us a show of their hunting skills. In the late afternoon outing, we went to Yarapa Creek looking for monkeys. They didn’t make us wait long, as we found woolly monkeys that were carrying babies and feeding very close to the river edge. We ended the day with a lesson in making Pisco sour cocktails, and a beautiful sunset.
Ramiro is Ecuadorian, born in the highlands and raised by the sea. Growing up in the Galapagos was for him an opportunity to learn from up close the importance of understanding and respecting all forms of life. He started his studies in biology and e...
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In the morning before breakfast we started with skiff exploration at Nauta Creek. After breakfast we had another outing, this time for exploring the Casual Rain Forest. It is full of trees and palms and a myriad of plant species. To guide us, we were accompanied by members of the local community. Being people of the jungle, they know how to find the elusive creatures that hide or camouflage among the trees and forest clutter. Here we had an encounter with the master of the jungle! A green anaconda slowly moving on the roots of a giant tree. Its camouflage was impressive — without the expert eyes of the local guides we would have missed it entirely. This forest is full of life. Besides the abundance of trees, on the ground there were snails and tarantulas, and plenty of sounds of insects that we didn’t find due to their camouflage. The jungle is amazing, and it always has a concert of sounds ready for the ears of visitors. The Upper Amazon is not only a vast wilderness but also home to many human settlements divided into small communities close to the riverbanks. Today we visited Amazonas Community to learn about the local culture and lifestyle. We were very excited meeting the leaders of the community and hearing their stories about education, fishing, and agriculture. Over the years we have visited various settlements along the rivers of the Upper Amazon and we have seen how their lives have improved in terms of education, empowerment, and production of fine handicrafts. Today we had an opportunity to buy some souvenirs produced by the women of the community. Their crafts and weaving are amazing — colorful and of good quality. All these items are made from natural palm fibers found in the surrounding forest. It was another amazing day in the rainforest!
This is our first full day in the Upper Amazon surrounded by the tallest trees and the sounds of insects and birds. We started our day early with the first sun rays shed on the forest and its creatures. At 0600 we were ready to board our fleet of skiffs and head out looking for wildlife. We started exploring the riverbank along the forest edge; it didn’t take long before we spotted different types of birds. We saw some raptors like the plumbeous kite, yellow-headed caracaras, swallows, yellow-rumped caciques, and finally the best of all: a colony of thousands of large-billed terns covering an entire beach! This day started with sunshine and a cool breeze that allowed us to explore the Amazon Natural Park. We walked among giant trees; this place is pristine, and no tree here has ever been cut. Yesterday Mother Nature gave us and the forest the most precious gift — lots of rain, from evening until midnight or so. We loved hearing the forest with its sounds of water drops and birds all around. Here, we found palm trees that are good for almost everything among the native communities. Fronds are used to make roofs, and the fruits are used to make meals, ice cream, and oil! Some trees are seen as a special gift to the local people. In the afternoon we navigated to another location on the Maranon River. Here we boarded the fleet of skiffs to explore Yanayacu River for the afternoon until sunset. This river is made of black water that flows through the forest and eventually reaches the larger Maranon; a few miles down this meets the Ucayali, to create the mighty Amazon River. This eventually reaches Brazil to finally discharge its whole volume into the Atlantic Ocean. The mouth of the Amazon River is 240 kilometers wide and pushes into the ocean water for miles on end! As we explored we had many interesting sightings such as herons, egrets, baby capybaras, and many other birds. We enjoyed especially close views of some capped herons and a great egret. Another amazing day in the vast jungle!
