Casual & Yanacacu River
Early in the morning today and with high spirits we started our expedition in the mighty Amazon. In a rather cooler morning than usual we had a deep exploration of a nearby little creek tributary of the Marañon River called Parauachiro. In fact, we had a firsthand experience of the reason why this region is aptly named the rain forest. A constant and soft rain accompanied us during the whole outing. In spite of the rain our first skiff ride was successful, for we spotted several species of tropical birds.
After a well-deserved breakfast we went for a hike in the vicinity of San Jose community in an area known as Casual. We had the choices of a short walk or a longer hike. With rubber boots on our feet and with the company of three local native scouts from the community, we explored a well-maintained rain forest trail. This outing let us understand, with the help of the interpretation of our naturalists, how fascinating the dynamics of the tropical rain forests are. We learned about some important tree species and observed and photographed several colorful flowers as well. The icing on the cake was the chance to observe several frog and lizard species that our scouts spotted. After these activities we had a couple of introductory talks, one on the Amazon region and one on the Reserve.
While having lunch we had the surreal thrill of watching directly from the big dining room windows as many pink river dolphins joyfully fishing. I know it is hard to do, but can you imagine the experience of watching dolphins while having lunch? In the Amazon? Pink? Yes, they are here as living proof of the geological past of the region, when all was flooded by a big lake that was formed once the Andes were formed and the ancestral mountains were still present in Brazil.
In the afternoon, after lunch, we explored the Pucate River, which is a black water tributary of the Marañon River. In this area, our fleet of trusty skiffs maneuvered by our “eagle eyed” drivers allowed us to explore several very small creeks in detail. Our naturalist guides spotted many bird species, a few Three-toed Sloths, and a couple of monkey troops.
Finally, late in the afternoon, we came back onboard with unforgettable feelings and memories in our hearts and minds, a product of our first full day of our expedition this week in the Peruvian Amazon aboard the Delfin II.
