Sunrise and sunset are not only the most beautiful parts of the day, but also the times with the best temperatures and the most active wildlife. We plan our days here in the Amazon around these times so we can take advantage of the cooler temps and the more active wildlife. Thus, today we enjoyed an early morning excursion, a midday nap, and a sunset skiff ride, returning to the ship in the dark.
At sunrise, we set out in our skiffs and kayaks to explore a beautiful tributary called the Rio Dorado, the River of Gold. With the water being black and the forest being green, I am pretty sure it is named for a fish, that we happened to eat for lunch today! Dolphins surrounded the ship, as the gray dolphins were hunting in groups, driving fish against the floating vegetation. Parakeets, parrots, and macaws were abundant and noisy, including a dancing Festive Parrot.
A few squirrel monkeys were spotted, as well as many sloths. One mother was busy feeding on kapok flowers and buds, while her tiny baby clung to her belly. She put on quite a show and was not afraid to show off her offspring. Many other critters were interested in these flowers as well, including bees, parakeets, and flycatchers. Returning to the Delfin II, the dolphins were still surrounding the ship and continued to amaze.
For the afternoon, we first visited the incredible community at Zapote. Here, the village is flooded for about four months of the year. Most of us could not fathom not having land below our feet for so long! Kids in canoes paddled about town like our children on bicycles. One fisherman proudly showed us his catch, including a large catfish and an electric eel. We visited the flooded school, had a bit of shopping, and enjoyed watching dogs, cats, and chickens stranded without ground.
As the sun began to dip, we entered a series of oxbow lakes filled with floating vegetation. Thousands of dragonflies hovered above us as we wound our way back towards the Zapote River. The night shift began to appear with fireflies, night birds, and bats all emerging. As a full moon rose, our naturalists spotted spectacled caimans, and we approached for close views. We magically emerged from the forest as the Delfin II appeared in the moonlight.
