Nauta area of the Rio Marañon
After travelling downstream on the Rio Marañon overnight, this morning we headed out once more in the skiffs to explore a tributary called Nauta Caño. In addition to the skiffs, we add the option to self-propel and explore by kayak. This proves to be an excellent way to experience this environment, although I am not sure quite what the locals in their dugout canoes think of our kayaks.
After breakfast we continued with our exploration of Nauta Caño by skiff, and we were rewarded as it proves to be a rich habitat for three-toed sloths and we also encountered the first monkeys of the voyage, with up to three species being seen.
During the heat of the day we positioned further down the Rio Marañon to the village of San Francisco. Here we took advantage of afternoon options to hike in terra firme. This land is not dramatically higher than the surrounding varzea, so it does not require any steep uphill walking. But it is just high enough that it will not be flooded in the next few months as the river reaches its peak.
Those who chose not to hike set out by skiff and encountered a large lake with hundreds of Amazon giant water lilies. This beautiful sight is quite characteristic of the high-water season in the Amazon, when skiffs can get away from the main river and into the lakes and ox-bows where this species grows.
After dark we continued downstream towards the confluence of the Rios Marañon and Ucayali; to the birthplace of the Rio Amazonas. Turning to the south and west we began our journey up the Rio Ucayali where we will spend the next few days exploring the southern section of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
