Yanayacu area of the Rio Marañon
Yesterday afternoon we arrived in the Amazon Basin after crossing the Andes during the flight from Lima to Iquitos. From Iquitos we took the only road out of the city to Nauta where we boarded our beautifully appointed vessel, the Delfin II. This will be our home for the next week as we explore the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
During the week, in order to maximize our chances of finding wildlife, we will head out when the wildlife is most active. This typically avoids the heat of the day, and results in early morning and late afternoon excursions. So we started as we intend to continue and as the sun rose, we boarded the skiffs and headed out on the Rio Marañon in search of wildlife. In addition to a multitude of birds, some were fortunate to find the Amazon pink river dolphin, while a great black-hawk carrying off a snake for its breakfast reminded us that it was time to return for ours.
After breakfast our guides lead hikes in an area of seasonally flooded varzea forest. Approximately 70% of the forest within the 20,000 km2 of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve is varzea. While the section where we walked today is still above water, by March it will be inundated and will remain so for several months, defining the nature of the ecosystem.
During lunch we continued our passage further up the Rio Marañon and once more boarded the skiffs, this time to head up a side branch called the Yanayacu (literally ‘black water’). At this time of year the tributaries seem to be running in reverse, as the volume of water flowing down from the Andes is flowing up the tributaries, raising the water levels which will peak in a few months. The bird species list for the afternoon skiff ride on the Rio Yanayacu reads like a fantasy wish list for a birder in Amazon with a lucky few getting a glimpse of a harpy eagle; a rare and impressive sighting.
The day ended with welcome drinks and a chance to get to know our local guides better, before another fine dinner and for most an early night in preparation for another early morning skiff ride.
