Any given visit to the many small and medium-sized streams, known locally as “caños,” is simply fascinating! This morning we spotted many colorful bird species. Woodpeckers, tanagers, cotingas, jacamars, and kingfishers. Birds of prey were everywhere along the caño. Later in the afternoon, we had our second skiff ride of the day along Parahuachiro Caño. At sunset, we came back onboard with our minds and spirits filled with all the new adventures and feelings that the Upper Amazon has brought to our lives today.
9/23/2023
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Delfin II
Amazonas Park and Yarapa River
We are getting to the end of an amazing week exploring the Upper Amazon aboard the Delfin II . It has been an astonishing trip in many ways. This morning, we explored the Marañon River. We disembarked on the riverbank of the Amazon Natural Park, a protected area where the primary forest is full of birds and wildlife. Three small catamarans took us around the lake. We paddled slowly and observed the fauna. Once in the jungle, we walked for about two hours to explore this emerald world where trees cover the sky and light doesn’t reach the ground. Inside, it was dark. Plants struggle with each other for photosynthesis, some strangling their neighbors to survive. We observed the birds that live in dark areas. Thanks to evolution, they are sensitive to sunlight. The capped manakin is a very small, interesting creature. They feed on fruits and make mechanical sounds that are not vocals; rather, the sounds come from their wings. They have special, modified feathers that produce the sound. In the afternoon, we explored Yarapa River. Some of our intrepid guests kayaked to explore the creek in solitude and silence. Along the river, we spotted many kinds of birds, including herons, parakeets, orioles, neotropical cormorants, and more. At night, we enjoyed the slideshow of the week, a compilation of the great memories and experiences of this incredible week aboard the Delfin II . The Pacaya Samiria Reserve is a place to protect, to love, and to enjoy a vast array of biodiversity. A very complex network of rivers and creeks and abundant flora and fauna hold so much life.
