Today was the first day of our Upper Amazon expedition, and we were out at dawn to take full advantage of the day. There was no shortage of birds, monkeys, sloths, and smaller “creepy crawlies” during our explorations. Expedition leader Jeff Philippe gave a talk about the geology of the Amazon Basin, and photo leader Michael Nolan inspired our photographers on board with a digital photography talk. After we set-up our cameras for shooting in challenging lighting conditions, we headed out to practice our new skills during an evening skiff ride on the Yanayacu River. Our first day was so full of discovery, that it felt like many days had gone by. We hope that the rest of the week proves as prolific with 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!
