Puinahua Channel: Rio Pacaya
The Pacaya River! As one of the namesake rivers of Peru’s largest reserve, we were eager to see what it might have to offer. Even before heading out in the skiffs, signs were good. A group of five or so pink river dolphins were surfacing in the calm dawn waters around the boat. The explosive breath of these strange mammals is utterly distinctive and has become one of the touchstones of the trip for many of us.
Nearly all of us opted to head out in skiffs this morning, search for wildlife, and then feast on the river itself alongside the animals that make its banks and channels their home. Food does seem to be the theme of the day, for at the entrance of the Pacaya, we saw a great black hawk tearing into a great egret that was splayed over a stump in the water. How the hawk took the egret—on the wing or at that perch—remains a mystery, but it was quite impressive even in the aftermath.
The morning brought us to a floating meadow that was studded with the impossibly large pads of Victoria lilies. White and purple blooms studded the water, too. We could see lilies in all stages: just unfurling their toothy lips, beautifully perfect in their wide span, and lacy with decay. Everywhere along the shore were wading birds: snowy and great egrets, for the most part.
Having watched the birds hunt, we realized that our own stomachs were approaching empty. The three skiffs rendezvoused by a shady tree and a feast appeared: juice, sandwiches with bread made from cassava and sweet potato flour, fruit, coffee, and cookies. All on real plates no less! Vultures circling overhead didn’t scare us, and I don’t think we left much behind for them to scavenge.
We made our way back to the Delfin II, pausing to appreciate whatever wildlife crossed our path, be it frog, horned screamer, or sloth. The clear skies allowed the sun to impress us with its powers of radiation, and we were glad to return and duck into shelter for a while. Aboard, a rain storm passed over us, and we watched a three-toed sloth shuffle in a tree at eye level about twenty feet out from the ship. Our guides generously answered questions about wildlife and river life that we’d not had time to delve into while buzzing about in the skiffs, and it was a treat to get a bit clearer view into their lives and experiences along this mightiest of rivers.
Heavy rain passed over us at lunch, but it cleared for our afternoon foray back up the Pacaya. We zipped past the section of river we’d dawdled along before, our sights set on the further reaches, where red howler monkeys might be found. Our route to howler-land led us through a big floating meadow filled with water hyacinths. The mats of these flowers get pushed around with the wind, and so the trail is ever-shifting, but our drivers knew their way.
Egrets studded the dense vines, and the tall clouds reflected in the still water… and monkeys were found! Red howlers and squirrel monkeys both revealed themselves to the careful eye. What’s more, some of our group even immersed themselves in the waters of Yanayacu Lake and were treated to the presence of pink river dolphins at eye level. Although these dolphins don’t closely approach swimmers, they do circle and investigate at the distance that is comfortable for them.
Making our way back to the Delfin II through sunset was a meditation on light and green, punctuated by a wonderful sighting of a great potoo disguising itself as a knob of wood in a tree. It thought it had us fooled, but we could see the thin slice of eye that it squinted through. We’re becoming calibrated to this place, beginning to spot things on our own, starting to ask questions about the linkages of creatures and environment… we’ve started moving beyond arrival and wonder and into the deeper appreciation of a place that steady attention rewards.
