Today we spent our first full day exploring the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve in the Upper Peruvian Amazon. Shortly after sunrise, we boarded our skiffs to take advantage of the best time of the day for wildlife spotting. At a small creek known locally as Pahuachiro Caño, we immediately found a couple of noisy owl monkeys. Many bird species were also seen and heard. What a wonderful start!
After breakfast, we headed to Casual to hike a trail maintained and protected by a local community. This outing was an introduction to neotropical rainforests. Led by our naturalists and escorted by three members of the community, we spotted some very well camouflaged wildlife including several frog species and a pink-toed tarantula. Thanks to our scouts, we located a green anaconda near a small stream by the side of the trail. Climbing a clump of vegetation, it slowly revealed the beautiful patterns of its nine-feet length, normally kept well-hidden as it hunts.
In the afternoon, after a great lunch and a photography presentation, we explored by skiff the Yanayacu River, a tributary of the Marañón River. The early and late hours of the day are the best times for spotting rainforest creatures. The amount of wildlife found at this location is unparalleled. We spotted kingfishers, herons, hawks, parakeets, parrots, sloths, and several pink dolphins during our exploration. We returned to the ship at sunset with the last rays of light ending a great day of exploration.
