Our first day aboard the Delfin II in the neo-tropical rainforest of the upper Amazon proved to be an animal bonanza! In this region there are something on the order of 600 mammal species, 1,500 bird species, 400 reptile species, and close to 400 species of amphibians. While abundance is relatively low, diversity is to be found all about us.
Our morning began bright and early as we had the opportunity to hike in the rainforest on a trail named “Casual Trail”. In addition to our three Peruvian naturalists local guides helped to locate and lead us to a plethora of critters that to our eyes were very difficult to find. Seemingly every animal here is camouflaged to either aid it as a predator or to hide it from predation. Three-toed sloths, poison frogs, boa constrictors, and lizards of several species were all discovered in their natural settings on the trail.
Our afternoon brought us to the Yanayacu River and a skiff ride where our naturalist pointed out even more wildlife including several species of monkeys, birds of all kinds of feathers, iguanas, and even bats hanging on the trunks of the trees near the river itself. Cameras clicked and whirred as we tried to take in and record the bounty of life around us.
