If someone had asked me this morning “Jeff, what do you think we are going to see today?” I would not have been able to imagine the amazing day we were just about to experience in the Upper Amazon of Peru.
We started our day with a great breakfast, to charge up with good energies for our morning outing. Once we had reached terra firme (meaning literally “firm land”) we divided our guests into smaller groups for a personalized experience of the Casual Trail. One by one the groups departed to start the hike, each one accompanied by a local naturalist. We were not disappointed—little by little everyone became immersed in this spectacular jungle. Birds, sloths, night monkeys, beautiful butterflies, frogs, tarantulas and even an anaconda were only some of the sightings that we experienced this morning.
After our spectacular outing, we returned to the Delfin II ready to continue our navigation up the Marañon River to finally reach our next destination, the Yanayacu Reserve. Here, our excited guests had the chance to choose between a peaceful kayak experience and a skiff ride.
Different surprises were awaiting us on both activities. The most beautiful birds of the Amazon appeared to welcome us to this gorgeous area. Capped herons, raptors, and pink dolphins were some of the most exciting sightings of the afternoon. However, the “jackpot” was for those who went on the skiff ride was the amazing opportunity to spot a harpy eagle, the largest raptor of this part of the world with the capacity to take a sloth from a tree with its claws and transport it to it nest to feed the chicks. Truly the experience of a lifetime!
