After arriving last night to Iquitos and the Delfin II, we awoke this morning in the Amazon! We were here, in this magical and mysterious place. Most of us have heard stories for many years about the forest, the animals, and the river, and we were finally here. Today, we took advantage of some cool temperatures to stay out and explore as much as possible.
We began with an early morning skiff ride down a narrow creek lined with large trees. Kingfishers and parrots were everywhere, and we were quickly overwhelmed by the birdlife. We began to work on our identification skills, and others began to take the first of many photos. As things began to warm up, we spotted some large lizards. On our way back to the ship for breakfast, we then spotted two species of monkeys and a distant sloth. A great start for sure!
Next, we set off for our first walk in the forest. We entered the emerald jungle and our naturalists helped us understand a bit of this complex world. Local guides joined us to show off their forest and some of the critters that lived here. They would disappear into the forest and reappear with something incredible to share. Poison dart frogs, caterpillars, tarantulas, and an Easter-egg-blue tinamou egg were among the amazing finds. For me, a certain highlight was the red-tailed boa with its amazing pattern.
After lunch, we again set out in the skiffs, this time exploring the blackwater river called Yanayacu. Pink dolphins were everywhere, including underneath our skiffs. This is one of the iconic species of the Amazon and we spent hours surrounded by them. We also saw an amazing diversity of birds including macaws, jabiru storks, flycatchers, and hawks. We ended our trip at a blackwater lake surrounded by water hyacinths and roosting vultures.
Our evening finished with the sounds of the talented crew, leaving us full on our first day in this magical mystery land.
