Clavero Lake and Puerto Prado Community, 10/28/2017, Delfin II
Aboard the
Delfin II
Amazon
Our last day exploring the Upper Amazon began just after sunrise. We loaded the skiffs and explored Clavero Lake. Several communities had settled in this area since the Ucayali River passed next to it. A big flood changed the topography of the area and they were then left isolated. What used to be a river became a lake. There was much to see in this area nowadays.
For the afternoon we had the privilege to visit a Kokama village, Puerto Prado. Here we were received with local dances and music. It was of great joy for all our guest to participate in this unique welcome.
Cristian is a Panamanian born in Chile. He grew up in Panama City until the age of 19 when he returned to Chile to go to college where he received a degree in metallurgic civil engineering. Since 1995 he has been working as a freelance naturalist in ...
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...
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We began our day exploring Iricahua Creek just before breakfast. The clear skies of the morning allowed us to enjoy all the sightings that nature had to offer us. The flooded forest was covered with lush vegetation and our naturalists explained the capabilities many plants have to survive the six months of high waters. For our afternoon activity, we visited the Amazona Community. The friendly inhabitants had prepared an interesting presentation of their daily life for us. The extraction of sugar cane juice, their local cooking methods, and the preparation of the chambira palm fiber were some of the daily activities about which we learned. We all gathered in the main house, called maloca. Here a group of teenagers shared their experience on how the NGO Minga Peru had supported them in becoming young entrepreneurs. It was a life changing experience for all of us. What a lovely way to finish our expedition through the Upper Amazon.
We went out this morning for another adventure on our skiffs exploring the rivers of Pacaya and Magdalena, tributaries of the mighty Amazon. We left Delfin II even earlier, so eager we are to go experience it all. As always, the Amazon didn’t disappoint. We took breakfast with us, and halfway through the morning we found a nice shaded spot under the trees by the river to eat in our skiffs. Not just some snacks, but a full breakfast with full silverware, hot coffee, tea, eggs, pastries and more — Delfin II style! The mornings are so great here! The air is nice and fresh, and the golden light is fantastic for photography. The clear blue sky contrasts nicely with the dark, mirror-like, tannin-rich water. We enjoyed a great symphony of sounds of the forest awakening, with the strange loud calls of distant horned screamers and troops of red howler monkeys. What a combination — howlers and screamers! The highlight, though, was not only to hear them but to see them very well too. The large horned screamers were flying with their slow wingbeats side-by-side to our speeding skiffs; a family of also large howler monkeys (the biggest monkey species here) moved rapidly through the canopy of the trees on the water’s edge, very close to our skiffs. Another magical moment in a magical place.
Today our guests had the opportunity to explore Belluda Creek, which flows inside the Ucayali River. It’s a narrow creek that can be explored by kayak and skiff. Right after breakfast, we all geared up and left to explore this well-known creek. We were excited to discover many different species of mammals and birds. Our naturalists explained to us the important role that each of these animals has in the conservation of the forest. Our afternoon activities were concentrated in Dorado River. We loaded our skiffs and went out to explore the river until sunset. With spotlights in hand, our naturalists began to point out the nocturnal wildlife that was waking up to search for their meals. We had a great day exploring this part of the reserve.