We are just starting our expedition in the Amazon—and we could have not done so in a better way! Our first outing was a skiff ride to explore the intricate ecosystem of the forest. For this, we navigated a relatively narrow blackwater tributary known as “pahuachiro” creek. The first morning light revealed a healthy forest full of birds ready to make their early foraging trips. We had glimpses of several species as they flew over our heads and perched on the nearby semi-submerged plants along the shoreline.
In the Amazon forest, there is no way to predict what kind of animals or bird species one will see, however, there are certain ecosystems that call for some species more than others. We were luckily surprised this morning by the presence of woodpeckers, tanagers, oropendolas, and even the elusive and rare plumb-throated cotinga, whose blue/turquoise colored-feathers stood out in the distance!
We returned to the ship quite content but ready for more! First we were treated by the hotel staff with a great breakfast buffet, so we can get our energy filled to continue with what promised to be a great day.
Sure enough, after breakfast we headed to a nearby location known as Casual trail. This well-maintained forest trail was the perfect introduction to the wildlife of the Amazon. Locals are becoming more involved with the concept of eco-tourism, and to our advantage, a few of them were our eyes in the forest and managed to emerge from the dense vegetation with several creatures that otherwise we wouldn’t have found!
Poison-dart frogs, snakes, sloths, and tarantulas, were among some of the creatures that were shown to us by the proud villagers, whom now take care of the forest as it is rightfully providing a good source of income by simply protecting it.
We spent our afternoon exploring a section of the Reserve where two smaller tributaries, the Yanayacu and the Pucate Rivers, merge. Once again the sightings were many, including a few sloths and more species of colorful birds. A few scattered showers were not enough to chase us away, but rather we waited and enjoyed briefly the power of the rain, and the beauty of life that it provides in this part of the world!
