Casual & Nauta Canio
The cool early hours are the best for wildlife sightings, therefore we disembarked at 6 a.m. to explore Pahuachiro Creek.
There is an irony in bird watching in the Amazon. Even birds with remarkable plumages can be secretive and difficult to spot. Patience, persistence, and keen eyes are required. And so our patience was rewarded with: White-eyed Parakeets, Canary-winged parakeets, Black-tailed Trogon, Amazon and Ringed Kingfishers, and even a glimpse of a hummingbird, a Black-throated mango. It was on a dead branch, hanging to the middle of the creek. Such a tiny creature that is capable of 1,260 heartbeats per second, and today, it was pretty still. A bird (like all of the 322 other species of hummingbirds) unique to the New World.
After breakfast we landed at Casual, a Terra Firme area where the most famous, and sometimes feared animals were found. I am talking about tarantulas, boa constrictors, and Poison-dart frogs.
After experiencing a little storm, off we went again for a skiff ride to Pucate-Yanayacu Rivers. We helped to release Yellow-spotted river turtles to the wild, and we learned from the naturalists about sloth behaviors and pioneer plants. Then we came back on board ready for our official welcome cocktail, a toast for an amazing week in the Amazon’s emerald forest.
