We continued exploring the Upper Amazon as we navigated along the Ucayali River.
Early morning and late afternoon skiff rides were filled with amazing wildlife
and gorgeous scenery. To mix it up a bit today, we stayed out until after dark,
returning in skiffs searching for nocturnal animals.
Mike learned early on that the best way to escape Ohio was to become a marine biologist. During college at Wittenberg University he attended a semester at Duke University's Marine Lab — that time only confirmed his love for all things oceanic and ma...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
For the last full day of our expedition on the amazingly biodiverse Peruvian Upper Amazon, we had an early visit to the Amazon Natural Park. In this privately-owned reserve, we crossed a small lagoon on catamarans, then had the joy to walk in a primary forest and learn from our expert Delfin II naturalists; they described several plant species and other fascinating aspects of rainforest ecology in the neotropics. In the afternoon, we explored Yanayacu River by skiff rides. This beautiful river is covered with thick vegetation, where our naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of colorful birds. We saw many pink river dolphins as well. In the evening, we watched the guest slide show of the week, then enjoyed a farewell cocktail and dinner with live music included. It was the golden finale for a successful expedition in this remarkable location of our planet.
This morning we had our Amazon forest walk. The area we explored is near a village, so we had the company of local guides who know the forest and its creatures. We walked under the shade of this beautiful forest, listening to the many songs of birds and finding invertebrates all around. A big amazing tarantula was one of the highlights of the morning. We also had the opportunity to see a couple of frog species, including the poison dart frog. The afternoon brought some rain, so we enjoyed the landscape and the presence of pink river dolphins that were fishing around the ship.
After an early breakfast this morning, we explored Yarapa River by a skiff ride. We spotted several bird species, and some monkeys as well. In the afternoon we visited the delightful Amazon town of Amazonas. The community is beautifully organized and clean. We interacted with the residents while observing and learning firsthand how people live nowadays in Amazonia. Our guests had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were welcomed to the house of a villager who invited us to try some local dishes. Local artisans showed us how they make their beautiful handcrafts using natural fibers and colorants from the rainforest. We also enjoyed a brief but meaningful encounter with a welcoming committee from Minga Peru; this non-profit organization, founded in 1998, has a mission to promote social justice and human dignity for women and families in remote rural areas of the Peruvian Amazon.
