The Marañon River, Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, and the Yanayacu River
After arriving last night in Nauta and settling in to the luxurious Delfin II, we traveled overnight up the Marañon River. This is one of the two main rivers that form the mighty Amazon. An early morning lightning show interrupted our dreams around 4, but by sunrise the skies were clearing. Our first excursion of this voyage was to set out in the skiffs for an introduction to some of the wildlife here in the Upper Amazon.
After breakfast we entered the seasonally flooded forest, or varzea, for an introduction to the rain forest. After scrambling up the bank, we entered into a lush, thick, and massive forest. Our expert local guides explained many aspects of this environment including plants, insects, and birds. A few flowers lined the path, while gigantic Ceiba trees loomed overhead. Millipedes, land snails, an Amazonian Squirrel, and bullet ants were some of our exciting discoveries.
The rains of the previous night had dropped the temperature and made for a pleasant afternoon. We set off in our fleet of skiffs to explore the tributary system of the Yanayacu River. Birds were abundant and active due to the excellent weather. Egrets lined the shore, and parrots were everywhere. A few macaws flew over, and keen eyes spotted turquoise blue cotingas, and the Elvis Presley bird, Amazonian Umbrellabird. As we returned to the Delfin II, thunderheads were again building. Maybe our dreams tonight will not only be filled with another light show, but of more discoveries ahead for tomorrow.
