Amazon Natural Park and Nauta Caño, 10/17/2017, Delfin II
Aboard the
Delfin II
Amazon
Amazon Natural Park is a private protected forest with hanging bridges that weave through the trees. For our afternoon activities, guests had the opportunity to explore Nauta Caño by kayak or skiff.
Nicknamed “Indio” (Indian) because of his powers of observation and quiet nature, José has almost two decades of experience working as a naturalist and photography guide; as well as being recognized as an expert birder and nature photographer in Cost...
Our last full day exploring the Peruvian Amazon started with a delightful visit to Marayali, a shortcut during the high-water season between the Maranon and the Ucayali Rivers. Its open habitat is ideal for a great variety of small birds, and we had our fill of little feathered jewels. Later, we visited the Amazonas community where the local people showed us around and welcomed us in a very warm way. We ended our day exploring one last tributary, Piranha Creek, before meeting at the confluence of the two great rivers, where the almighty Amazon River starts receiving its name. We toasted the great time we’ve had together in the world’s biggest tropical rainforest.
Today we ventured into the heart of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. This remote area is where we can find some of the most impressive extents of mature trees with majestic dimensions. This high canopy provides a healthy habitat for some of the animals which we don´t see frequently. Aside from the majesty of the rainforest itself, we saw many blue and yellow and red bellied macaws. Red howler monkeys, black caracaras, three-toed sloths, and pink river dolphins were also seen. One of the highlights of the day was a pod of gray river dolphins that were highly active and very close to our skiffs. We had an extraordinary opportunity to really see what these fascinating freshwater cetaceans really look like.
A light rain didn’t stop us, and we boarded our skiffs to explore Yanayaquillo Creek, a small tributary of the Marañon River, where saddleback tamarins and squirrel monkeys enjoyed their breakfast. After having had ours, we divided into two groups, some hiking a jungle trail and the rest exploring Iquitos Creek, both having a great time. A visit to a local shaman enlightened us about the way local people have been using the forest resources for centuries. During the latter part of the day, we explored the Samiria River, a remote and wild place where we admired many more wildlife species and pristine forests.