Dorado River and Zapote River
The wildlife here never ceases to amaze me. We talk about the plan for the day, and for today it included heading out into the kayaks and skiffs to explore some small side rivers that penetrate into the reserve. Ok, we might see a few things, more birds, reptiles, of course trees. But, haven’t we already seen most things?
Then we set out, and nearly instantly are surrounded by river dolphins. A pair of Blue-and-Yellow Macaws announce their presence with loud squawks. A Monk Saki sits quietly on a huge limb of a cannonball tree. From the kayaks, the donkey-like braying of the Horned Screamers sound like a troop of gorillas. Then the tiny Yellow-billed Tern plunges beside us, catching a small silvery fish.
Again, we head out in the afternoon, as the temperature starts to drop. What more could we find? An iguana splayed out on a Cecropia branch. A sloth, then another, then another. One starts descended a branch, and what is that on its chest? A tiny baby! An incredible thing to watch, and of course the photographers burn pixels at a blazing pace.
More monkeys, including over a hundred squirrel monkeys, lead us to darkness where we wait patiently, listening to the symphony. Then the bats start pouring out of the forest. Caiman eyes, nocturnal birds, and fireflies are quickly added. To top it off, a cloudless sky, 3 planets, a few satellites, and more stars than you can imagine.
We shall do it again tomorrow, and I am sure we will have many more exciting discoveries.
