The Pacaya River, in the heart of the reserve, is one of the most pristine areas in the Upper Amazon. 379 kilometers in length, it is home to such diverse kinds of wildlife as howler monkeys, caimans, and capybaras. To come to the rainforest and have no rain, it is like having not been here! But indeed, we experienced it! Today it rained cats and dogs, and it was a magnificent experience. In addition to seeing wildlife, we had a terrific and fun experience along the river — jungle plunge-swimming, surrounded by pink dolphins in the middle of a blackwater lagoon. The afternoon was very different, as we motored a few hours to visit the Magdalena River; it was sunny, warm, and full of wildlife.
5/24/2025
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Delfin II
Yarapa River, Amazonas Village, Peru
Leaving Delfin II at 06:00 for our morning skiff ride, we explored the Yarapa River and monkeys were everywhere! We saw common wooly monkeys, monk saki monkeys, and common squirrel monkeys. We weren’t monkeying around! In addition to the monkeys there were woodpeckers galore! We photographed crimson-crested, yellow-tufted, and cream-colored woodpeckers as they were busily hammering away at trees and termite nests. Our afternoon was spent at Amazonas Village getting an introduction to life along the river. We enjoyed demonstrations of food preparation, basketmaking with palm fibers, and hand-dying with local plants to give the baskets vibrant colors. We also had an introduction to Minga Peru, a group serving 40 different communities in this area. Our evening was topped off with a toast to the beginning of the actual Amazon River, where the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers converge. Salud!
