Yanallpa Caño & El Dorado River
Today we had another early outing, this time to explore an area dominated by palm trees. Along the Ucayali River side we spotted several colorful and raucous Macaws. These extraordinary birds are the largest in the parrot family; they can reach 33 inches in length and pounds in weight. The bright coloration and magnificence of these famous birds are certainly striking.
A beautiful golden light enhanced all colors and senses. After being in the Amazon rain forest for several days already, our guests little by little are getting deeply connected with the marvelous dynamics of this enthralling ecosystem.
We continued exploring but this time we went inside Yanallpa Caño. In this black water creek we had the thrill to find a couple of highly interesting monkey species, the Owl Monkeys (Aotus vociferans) and the Monk Saki Monkeys (Phitecia monachus).
In the afternoon we had a late visit to “El Dorado” River. In this location we spotted many colorful bird species as Wattled Jacanas, herons, kingfishers, and hawks. The most interesting sighting was, for many, the prehistoric-looking bird species the Hoatzin (Ophistocomus hoazin).
A warm tropical rain accompanied us for around half an hour reminding us that we are in one the wettest ecosystems on Earth. Equipped with rain ponchos, we traveled for a while until the rain finally stopped. It was just on time for we could see the fiery oranges of an intense sunset reflected in the black water almost at dusk.
Our main goal, staying outside a little later than usual after sunset with the intention to spot wildlife at night and/or enjoy the sounds of nature at night. With the aid of a powerful spotlight we found our way home after spotting a couple of caiman alligators.
At dinnertime, a happy group of guests already fast friends, shared the impressions and sightings of the day with me while enjoying the exquisite Peruvian cuisine served on the ship and the lively music played by our talented crew.
