Casual & Pucate River
We started our first full day of our expedition on the enigmatic and amazingly bio-diverse Amazon with an early skiff ride along the Marañon River. Our ship the Delfin II was ¨tied¨ since last night after a short navigation from Nauta town, close to a place known locally as “Casual.” We explored this area at a low speed with our fleet of skiffs looking for wildlife. We were very successful for in this pre-breakfast outing we spotted several bird species including, Ringed Kingfishers, Yellow-headed Caracaras, Herons and many more.
After breakfast we went out once again, but this time to explore Casual by walking on one of the few areas in this season where we can still see some “Terra firme,” a term used to describe areas that never get flooded. We had two choices: a long walk and shorter version. In both cases we had the joy to spot several plant species and listen to our expert Delfin II naturalists explaining some fascinating aspects of the ecology of the rain forest of the neotropics. Several species of frogs and lizards were seen as well, including one of the most beautiful and spectacularly colored frog species found in the Amazon, the Red-backed Poison Frog (Dendrobates reticulatus). The latter frog species is one of the most eagerly sought by visitors for it is not only beautiful but has a remarkable natural history as well. These frogs have alkaloid skin secretions that give them their common name. Traditionally many indigenous people use these powerful toxins all over the Amazon region to coat hunting darts and arrows. The toxicity of the secretions is determined by the frogs´ diet that consists mainly on some species of ants that they prefer to eat. The chosen ants contain high concentrations of formic acid. In captive conditions when these frogs are fed with other kind of insects they lose the toxicity. Another species spotted worthy of mentioned is the Western Leaf Lizard (Stenocercus fimbriatus). This attractive lizard is a remarkable dead-leaf mimic and has well-defined dark lines around the eyes. Both species and some more were found by the eagle eyes of our natural history staff and a couple of native scouts who accompanied us today.
The long walkers went farther in the trail to observe a giant strangle fig that was admired and photographed for a long time. Some guests had the thrill to use a liana to swing “Tarzan-style” being suspended some feet above the ground. After these activities we had a couple of introductory talks, one on the Amazon and one on the Reserve. While having lunch we had the surreal thrill to observe many pink river dolphins joyfully fishing directly from the big dining room windows.
In the afternoon, after lunch, we had a firsthand experience of the reason why this region is aptly named the rain forest. A constant long and heavy rain prevented us from going out in the late afternoon. This time was precious and well appreciated for we could enjoy our beautiful crafted cabins. A guest mentioned to me that she loved resting in her bed while watching the rain from the huge windows of her cabin. She mentioned to me that she felt like in a dream for it was like being under the rain without getting wet.
