The early morning in the southern portion of the Pacaya-Samiria National Park along the Ucayali River is something else; the sounds of many different species of birds is a joy, but the harsh and loud calls of macaws quickly got our attention. Sure enough, we soon discovered not one but many pairs of the magnificent blue and gold macaw, one of the largest macaw species in Amazonia. We watched them from the skiffs as they flew around and perched on top of the dead aguaje palm trees where they nest. In the same place we also found many more of the smaller red-bellied macaws, excitedly discussing their plans for the morning. After watching them for a long time, we returned for breakfast on board Delfín II. Later, we took off again to explore the Belluda Caño nearby, where we continued watching a great variety of species, including green iguanas, great black hawks, capped herons and many more. We even had the rare chance to watch the world’s only nocturnal primate, the Spix’s night monkey! Three individuals looked down at us from their home high on a tree, their big eyes seeming a bit too big for their size and resembling those of an owl. And speaking of owls, we saw a small pygmy owl as well.
During the early afternoon several adventurous souls went to shore for a special treat: an authentic Amazonian mud therapy! They covered their faces and bodies with dark rich mud from the Ucayali and let it dry under the sun, making for a lot of laughing and photo opportunities.
After that and a quick shower, we boarded the skiffs again and headed to the Dorado River, one of the reserve’s main rivers. There we encountered a strange creature and a true symbol of the Amazon rainforest, the odd-looking hoatzin. Famous for the claws on its wrists while a young chick, the hoatzin is only found in Amazonia’s flooded forests and highly prized addition to our trip’s checklist. We continued our explorations after the sun went down and then used a spotlight to look for caimans. Sure enough, we found several spectacled caimans and even one small black caiman, the reflective layer of cells at the back of their eyes betraying their presence when illuminated by our light. Master predators of fish and other creatures, caimans added a touch of excitement to the night and made for the perfect ending of a great day.
