Yanallpa and El Dorado Rivers
After a very rainy night during which our captain and crew skillfully maneuvered the Delfin II all night long, we arrived early in the morning to a location known as Yarapa.
An optional early walk or a skiff ride were the first activities of the day. During these relatively fresh outings, in comparison with the hot and humid climate we had last week. We spotted several plant and bird species. Blue-and-yellow Macaws were a highlight for we had the chance see them very clearly perching on top of trees. We returned for breakfast which was followed by a visit to a sand beach that included walks, black mud therapy, coconuts, and swimming in the river. As the levels of the waters continue being very low there are many sand and muddy banks everywhere. A constant misty rain accompanied us during this outing. Instead of bothering us the soft rain made our walk very comfortable. The beach visit was of great success for we spent a wonderful time tasting cold coconuts, walking around, or simply watching the riverbank from shore.
Several guests were covered by our paramedic Segundo Salas with the mineral rich mud that is extremely abundant in the area. The most adventurous guests went swimming in the Ucayali River that today was very calm. They were wearing floating colorful noodles and were guarded by a skiff that followed them all the time. Before lunch I offered a Power Point presentation on one of my favorite topics, the “Morphology and Ecology of the Primates of the Pacaya-Saimiria Reserve in the Upper Amazon of Peru.”
In the afternoon before disembarkation we had an exhibition of several Amazon medicinal plants by Delfin II naturalist Luis Vela. He collected many medicinal plants on the previous days during walks and on the visit we had yesterday to Puerto Miguel Village.
After the talk we disembarked at around 16:00. Our goal, leaving from the ship a little later than usual, was to stay in the area after sunset with the intention of spotting wildlife at night and enjoying the sounds of nature at night while on the skiffs. With the aid of a powerful spotlight we found our way home. We found several night dwelling birds such as the Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) and several spectacled caiman.
During dinner we shared our impressions and sightings while having a delicious meal typical of the already World recognized exquisite Peruvian cuisine.
