We woke up to a view of the Pacaya River and lots of birds flying over the river in search of the fish that inhabit the river’s shallow water. This river offers the opportunity to see most of the macrofauna of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. After breakfast, we went on a skiff ride in search of wildlife. We were lucky to find a few monkey species, including squirrel monkeys and red howler monkeys.
We also spotted a couple of families of giant river otters. They were fishing and watching us from the shallow waters at the riverbank. Black-collared hawks (fishing hawks) were seen eating armored catfish on tree branches. At this time of year, the fishing is good for everyone, so breeding cycles are activated.
There are three caiman species in the Peruvian Amazon. We were lucky to spot a large black caiman that spent some time near the skiff. We also spotted a group of hoatzins (also known as stinky turkeys) nearby. These birds are strictly vegetarians, and they feed on leaves.
We enjoyed breakfast on the skiffs while pink dolphins swam around us. This was indeed an incredible experience that we will always remember. There are two species of freshwater dolphins in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, pink and gray. We saw both species today.
After lunch aboard the Delfin II, we went on a skiff exploration into the Pacaya River. We encountered several more caimans, and as night arrived, we spotted several groups of capybaras feeding on the green grass along the riverbank. Nightbirds soared in the sky, as well as long-nosed bats and fruit bats. The night here is incredibly dark, and we could see star constellations as well as the Milky Way.
The Pacaya River delighted us with its large variety of wildlife, and it was a breathtaking day in the Peruvian Amazon.
