Yarapa & Puerto Miguel Village
Our expedition continued today in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve in the Peruvian Upper Amazon in an area close to Yarapa Caño and Puerto Miguel Village. There were several options and activities planned for the day, and we successfully accomplished all of them.
In the early morning before breakfast we had two choices to explore the area. One was by kayaking and the second was by taking a ride on the skiffs. In both cases, we all had a great time. Kayakers had the chance to paddle along the creek occasionally stopping to contemplate a bird or to observe the local inhabitants working on their daily routine. As the creek is almost at its lowest of the season, an almost imperceptible but constant current made the kayakers drift most of the way. Skiff riders had the chance to see several beautiful bird species and to observe the creek from a different perspective. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of a bird species that is usually hard to find. We spotted not only one but five Amazonian Umbrella birds (Cephalopterus ornatus) together on top of a tree. This Neotropical bird species is one of my favorites. It is more often seen in flight crossing rivers rather than perching on tree branches. It is easily identified by its large size, black coloration, and characteristic flight pattern. Males have a rather comical appearance for they have a large crest and a long feathered wattle on breast. The crest is so highly pronounced in males that has given them a widespread nickname, “Elvis birds.”
Later on, after breakfast we went again to the narrow stream but this time with the intention to go further up searching for wildlife. Despite of the constant rain our naturalists were able to find more birds and a troop of squirrel monkeys as well. Once back aboard and after going over our extensive checking of our wildlife checklist, we had lunch.
In the afternoon the rain that accompanied us most of the day finally stopped. We went to Puerto Miguel Village. In this location we walked along the whole town learning about how people live in the community. We arrived to a nearby pond located at the end of this long human settlement where we observed the giant water lilies (Victoria regia). Along the way we had the great opportunity to be in contact with the local inhabitants. We observed many children playing, men, and women working on their daily chores. After visiting the community handicrafts market and before coming back onboard our guests gave the children of the community some school supplies.
Late in the evening at around 18:00 we came back on board for our dinner that was followed by live music performed by our crew band and by a night walk in the rain forest. What a wonderful way to end a perfect day and trip to the incredible Amazon.
