We set out on our morning skiff excursions under a brooding sky that quickly turned into a torrential downpour; reminding us how the waters we’ve been navigating can rise so high in the wet season. Photo instructor Michael Nolan and I led an iPhone photography class while the rains died down and then we headed to the small village of San Francisco de Loreto. There we spent time meeting the local people and getting a glimpse of daily life along the Marañon River. Before lunch we toasted with pisco sours while passing the official head of the Amazon River at the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers. The afternoon gave us an opportunity to take a skiff ride on Lake Clavero.
7/18/2024
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Delfin II
Ucayali River and Dorado River
Today we had the opportunity to explore the riverbank of the Ucayali River. The exploration was done early, before breakfast. Different species of birds were sighted. It was a great morning for observing the behaviors of the early birds. After breakfast we hiked through the Illanalpa flooded forest. Here we learned about the strategies that animal and plants must have in order to survive the floods. We encountered troops of common squirrel monkeys and saddle back tamarins. Interesting insects were also seen through the leave litters. Back on board we repositioned Delfin II for our late afternoon exploration of Dorado River. We went to explore just before sunset. A family of Isabel’s saki monkey were seen way up in the canopy. A small troop of brown capuchins together with the common squirrel monkeys were moving alongside the riverbank, having their meals before gathering for the night. As the sun began to set, we started to look for caimans. We learned the difference between the black caimans and the spectacle caimans. The highlight was a small family of capybaras walking along the riverbank, not caring at all about our presence. It was the best ending for our explorations today.
