This morning after a fantastic breakfast on board our ship, we departed by skiff to explore the adjacent forest. The skiffs are truly the ideal vehicle to get up-close and personal with the vast flooded forest, through its network of creeks, lakes, and tributaries. We never cease to be impressed by the extremely high biodiversity, and as such, no matter how many years you spend in it, and how often you get into it, you keep on finding new species.

Aside from the great views of monk saki and night monkeys, colorful and always spectacular blue and yellow macaws, we found a rarely seen long-tailed potoo. Potoos are nocturnal birds, but during the day they are extremely well-camouflaged. Even if you were near one of them, you would pass by it without seeing it. They perfectly resemble a stump from a tree. Only once you have seen it, can your brain pick it up and separate it from the rest of the tree.