Nauta Caño & San Francisco Town
Very early in the morning we began our day with a long ride aboard our fleet of skiffs to explore a nearby seasonal black water creek known locally as “Caño Negro.” This pre-breakfast outing was a real success. We spotted once again a very large number of bird species that included several highlights: raucous Festive and Mealy parrots, White-eared Jacamars, Black-fronted Nunbirds, huge and noisy Horned screamers and colorful Masked crimson Tanagers.
Several troops of Squirrel and Saddle-back Tamarin monkeys were seen as well. Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri scireus) are very conspicuous for they move quickly, constantly and noisily in the middle and lower strata of the riverbanks looking mainly for food. Insects like crickets and grasshoppers are an important part of their diet as well as ripe fruits of the flooded forests. Many diverse bird species were seen as well, in particular a lot of Large billed Terns and several Wattled Jacanas at close range.
We returned to the ship at around 9:00 a.m. for breakfast. At around 11:00, after a talk on the Amazon by National Geographic Expert Kitty Coley we were ready for our next activity; we rendered a tribute to the mighty Amazon River by swimming in its famous waters. Despite a cool and gloomy sky several guests opted for this unique option. On board we had a cocktail that was prepared with an Amazonian liquor, the “Chugchuazo” to celebrate such important occasion.
In the afternoon, some of us disembarked at the community of San Francisco to go for a hike on one of the few areas in this season where we can still see some “Terra firme.” We spotted several plant species and had the chance to explain some aspects of the fascinating ecology of the rain forest of the neotropics. Some guests opted to take a skiff ride instead. We all had a wonderful time on both excursions. We all ended at the community where we spent some time admiring the local handicrafts. After a sensational dinner, the day was finally over but when went to bed we could not help but think of what new adventures tomorrow will hold.
