Following the thunderstorms of last night, today starts out refreshed with blue sky and sunshine. Shortly after sunrise we board the skiffs for an early morning exploration of Belluda Caño, a pristine blackwater channel winding deep into the forest from the main channel of the Ucalayi River. We hit the jackpot first thing with an excellent sighting of blue and yellow macaws perched in the treetops in an area where they nest in dead palm trees. Macaws are very sensitive to any disturbance of the forest, so seeing them is an indication of wildness. There are no villages or man-made clearings in this part of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest protected area in all of Peru.
Heading slowly upstream with eyes peeled there are many great bird sightings, from toucans to colorful cotingas and tanangers. Among all the boats, four species of monkeys are spotted, including squirrel, tamarins, monk saki, and the rare and secretive noisy night or owl monkeys. Blue morpho butterflies escort us as we head deeper into the flooded forest before returning to the Delfin II in time for breakfast. By this time it’s getting hot and humid, so the shade and air conditioning back on board is welcomed.
The rains return this afternoon as we continue up the Marañon River to Río Dorado. The rain stops long enough for us to head out on the skiffs again to explore. Pink and gray river dolphins splash in the river ahead of the boats as several groups of blue and yellow macaws pass overhead. Turning into the flooded forest we can hear the raspy calls of the pre-historic looking hoatzin birds, with their crazy, punked-out head feathers. We also discover a horned screamer nest hidden among the rafts of the floating vegetation.
The rain comes back, so we put on our ponchos and explore a little farther before heading back. And that’s when the harpy eagle was spotted on a branch above the river. This rarely seen bird of prey is one of the top predators on the tropical rainforest feeding on monkeys and sloths.
It’s still raining as we return to the Delfin II, but our spirits are not dampened. It was a great afternoon and, after all, one must expect rain in the world’s largest rainforest. After all, it’s the Amazon…
