Zapote River hosted us today as we continued on our mission to explore the Upper Amazon. A delightful skiff ride was the best way to begin our excursion in order to access one of the farthest points of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. We were received by a symphony from the different birds found in the area, and one of the first surprises was a great black hawk that was resting on a tree trunk, but looked very comfortable with our presence.
The charms of Zapote were fully displayed once we reached the heart of the rainforest, and at this same moment, we had the excitement of finding the iconic species of this place: monk-saki monkeys. The presence of tall trees of different species combined with a bright blue sky for the perfect view of an ancient Amazon forest. A black-tailed trogon, black collared hawks, different species of kingfishers, and white-eared jacamars were only a part of nature’s displays for the first chapter of the morning activities.
A visit to a nearby village was the perfect way to end our morning excursion. Souvenirs made out of natural forest materials were shown to display the artistic skills of residents of the world´s largest tropical forest. Once we started heading back on the skiffs, we left with the impression that Zapote was now a big part of our life. As soon as we were back on board Delfin II, we started navigation to our next destination: Supay Caño.
In the afternoon, we had an opportunity to enhance our Amazon experience by skiff, exploring Supay Caño. The sighting of chestnut-eared araçaris on top of a tall mimosaceae tree was the perfect beginning of a magnificent adventure. The wonders of nature were magically demonstrated in a combination of different species found in the trees: black-collared hawks, large billed terns, tropical kingbirds, and white winged swallows were our best companions throughout exploration.
By exploring Supay Caño our senses experienced a marvelous combination of wildlife and excitement. An impressive combination of light colors that decorated the rainforest was the perfect ending of our journey on our way back to Delfin II. Our Amazon experience has reached an end today at Supay Caño, but the fulfillment that it has left us with is going to be part of our hearts for a lifetime.
