Zapote River & Supay
Last night found us beginning our return downstream towards Iquitos. We didn’t travel far before we were tied alongside the bank at a big island in the Ucayali River. It is a very strange concept to not be anchored, but instead tied up to a tree after running the bow aground. However, it makes for a wonderful way to wake up as on one side of the ship is lush forest and on the other the river flowing by, many times with river dolphins.
The Zapote River penetrates into this island and was our destination for the morning. Whether by skiff or kayak, we enjoyed our excursions to find more wildlife. Many folks were out fishing today, and we visited with some of them. It was quite interesting to see their diverse catch, even one fish that was mostly devoured by piranhas. Dolphins also had found the rich feeding grounds, and we again enjoyed both the gray and pink dolphins.
In the afternoon, after traveling for many hours downriver, we explored an area known as Supay. This area has had lots of rain, and nearly the entire basin was flooded. Tea colored water was pouring out into the Ucayali River, making for an interesting mixture. Newly flooded areas were opened up to us, especially one lagoon filled with giant lily pads. One of the iconic species of the Amazon, it was breathtaking to see them with the late afternoon sunlight.
After our group slideshow, we all enjoyed one final delicious dinner. And of course, the singing and dancing with the talented crew sent us to bed with fond memories of another wonderful day.
