Yanallpa Caño & El Dorado Caño
Our informal morning procession to the lounge for coffee and tea before our morning exploration came as Delfin II was alongside of Yanallpa Village. The villagers were beginning their day by visiting the Ucayali River for water and bathing.
Shortly, we were off in the skiffs, into Yanallpa Caño, curious as to what our adventures would bring. Good fortune continued to shine upon us. As our spotting skills increase, we, along with our eagle-eyed naturalists find tropical delights. Night owl monkeys, nocturnal animals with large eyes, watched us from their tree cavity homes as we watched them. Long-nosed bats, sleeping in a line near the base of a tree, were resting after a night of foraging for insects. Squirrel monkeys made their way acrobatically through the dense forest, stopping from time to time to sample a tasty fruit or flower.
Raucous squawks from blue and yellow macaws helped us to locate these magnificent birds. The squawks were replaced with the sound of cameras clicking away a furious pace. Paradise tanagers lived up to their name.
A fine breakfast was followed by Expedition Leader Carlos Romero talking about monkeys, a group that we have had great success in spotting and great pleasure in watching. Many of us helped our chef, Isaac, prepare “juane”, a local dish made of rice, chicken, olives and other tasty ingredients. We would later share this as a part of our lunch. All the while, Delfin II continued upriver towards our afternoon adventure.
We left a bit later than usual this afternoon, heading up Rio El Dorado. Hoatzins, very odd birds indeed were well seen, as were more macaws. Leaving later meant that we would stay out later, enjoying the tropical sunset and searching for nocturnal wildlife. We had fine looks at spectacled caimans and fish-eating bats.
