To really have fun and see many kinds of species here in the jungle, you need to be out early in the morning or late in the afternoon – the best times to enjoy the jungle. Today we were out by 6:00 a.m. to explore Belluda. First, we explored the main riverbank of the Ucayali. This spot is very famous for red-belly macaws and yellow and blue macaws, they live in holes in dead big trees here. Early in the morning, as soon they wake up, they come out of their holes to preen their feathers for few minutes before starting their flight around the forest in search of what they need to survive.
We went along the creek to find more creatures. Here you need an eye eagle to find big or small animals, and our skiff driving crew have an incredible ability to find all kinds of specimens, from big or small monkeys to iguanas or tiny birds. We saw birds like cardinals, herons, egrets, ospreys, black hawks, and colorful aracaries. We also spotted two kinds of monkeys, saddle black tamarinds, and squirrels. At 8:45 a.m. we came back onboard for breakfast and started our long navigation to the Dorado River.
Some creeks in the Amazonia are black water, while the main rivers are normally milky water. The conflux of the two kinds of water is perfect for the grey and pink dolphins to get some fish. This creates a very unique show we can watch from our ship. Our guests come with their cameras to try to get pictures of the pink dolphin’s faces out of the water, which happens once in a blue moon.
Photography is very challenging here, because of the lack of light into the jungle, as well as the wildlife moving fast and sometimes being far away. Nevertheless, with some practice you can get astonishing photos.
Along the Dorado River we found rarely seen animals like umbrella birds, and also spotted some monk saki monkeys low in the trees, which was surprising as they most commonly prefer to be at the tops of trees.
One of the most beautiful plants in the Amazon are the Victoria Amazonicas, or water lilies. They possess a single flower that is big and colorful, and just one big round leaf which is very strong. Jacanas, monkeys, macaws, cormorants, and cardinals were more of the species we found along our way.
Finally, we stopped in the middle of a silent lagoon to be quiet and still for three minutes. We listened to the most beautiful symphony of nature sounds, produced by a thousand small or big creatures that inhabit this unique ecosystem. This moment is so special, to see the sun falling down and the stars appearing up in the sky, the transition from light to dark, from day to night. Then, with the help of a flashlight, we spotted some spectacle caimans and some other nocturnal birds and bats.
On our way back, all these memories were flashing in our minds like great movie; but this one was real.
