Early in the morning many of us started the day with an optional wakeup call and headed our to search for yellow-and-blue macaws. Almost all our guests were ready for the adventure.
As the sun rose we saw the jungle reveled before our eyes while we approached the site. A 15-minute ride toward the riverbank searching for wildlife commenced. Sounds of all kinds and soon enough many different species of birds were on site. Some woodpeckers were solitary while others, like egrets and parrots, migrated together forming colorful flocks with distinctive sounds. In the distance we were rewarded by a pair of yellow-and-blue macaws perching on a tree branch for our delight and admiration—mission accomplished.
Back on board for another succulent breakfast and ready for our next adventure. This time we went for a skiff ride and a walk near by a village. Many more new species of birds were spotted along Belluda Caño. We saw colors and shapes you can hardly imagine, let alone elaborate. We heard sounds emitted by fauna, birdcalls with high and low pitches, flight patterns and all. Back on terra firme we searched for a very small monkey that would easily fit on your chest-pocket making it challenging to find. Once more like earlier we succeeded; today my chosen highlight for this outing was spotting birds that will be, dare to say, impossible for visitors to find without our guides. I feel very fortunate to share this place not only with our guests but also with our crew and staff. Back aboard a lecture about the Amazon’s formation by our expedition leader Mike Greenfelder shined a light on how this massive place came to be.
Lunch was served while our captain repositioned the ship to our next destination, and once more our chefs found a way to combine exotic herbs and spices to wake our senses.
Two short recaps about photography and aquatic mammals were held before our next outing.
In the afternoon we visited a very pristine and isolated place called El Dorado River, a softly-reflected, light-golden-brown river befitting its name. This afternoon we searched for my favorite and long-awaited bird, the hoatzin. I have always linked this species with archeocteris in my early years learning biology, even though they are not related at all. It was part of my awakening in my personal search for something like it and here they were; many of them in front of us hopping and calling, far more colorful of what we’ve seen in books and documentaries.
As the sun sets and the night comes we remain searching, but this time, our naturalists used their spotlights looking for caimans. Red eyes reflected at the surface of the river and as we approached we saw not only one but many. This place was magic as the stars appeared and it was soon time to head back to the ship. Funny anecdote—while returning we had a small fish jump into the boat and startled our youngest explorer. We all burst into laughter and wonder as we shared this wonderful day in the Ucayali River.
