After having sailed upriver in the Ucayali, this morning we were in the vicinity of Yanalpa Creek. We explored it with our skiffs and the high waters allowed us to go further while searching for wildlife. Several monkey species were seen, including Isabel’s sakis, squirrels, and saddle-back tamarins. Bird enthusiasts were also very happy with numerous interesting sightings, like the cobalt-winged parakeets, the mealy parrot, the slate-colored hawk, and not one but three different species of aracaris: chestnut-eared, lettered, and rare ivory-billed. Everyone’s favorite sighting was a group of several scarlet macaws. Many large green iguanas and a spectacled caiman represented the reptiles this morning.
Back onboard, we enjoyed a couple of presentations by our staff and eventually arrived at the mouth of the Dorado River, where some went kayaking and then all of us explored by skiff. We watched more birds, including some awesome close encounters with an Amazon icon, the hoatzin.
We stayed in the river after sunset and made our way back in the dark, searching for creatures using powerful spotlights. We found fishing bats, spectacled caimans, and beautiful common potoo, and we admired the beauty of Amazonia at night.
