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Daily Expedition
Reports
05 Sep 2018
San Jorge Community and Clavero Lake, 9/5/2018, Delfin II
Aboard the
Delfin II
Amazon
Our day started with a skiff ride and a gorgeous sunrise, which gave us the chance to do some wonderful birdwatching. We spotted cotingas, white-wing swallows and various species of hawks. We came back onboard for breakfast, and later headed out on our skiffs again, this time to visit San Jorge Community. Here we had the chance to learn about this small river community and their way of living. It was also the opportunity to meet with a group of women leaders that have been engaged with Minga Peru on a series of sustainable development projects. To end up our morning, we had a presentation about iPhone photography.
After lunch, we explored Clavero Lake, where the highlight was an intimate encounter with a small group of wooly monkeys which came very close to our skiffs. We also spotted several species of toucans, woodpeckers, swallows, cardinals, kingfishers and hawks. It was a wonderful day in the Upper Amazon, allowing us the chance to witness the wonderful biodiversity of this beautiful region of our planet.
José Guerrero Vela is an Ecuadorian permanent resident of the Galapagos. His mother was born in the islands and his grandfather was one of the first generation of teachers in the Galapagos, which has always inspired him to promote education as the ma...
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Today was our last full day on Delfin II , and we had a wonderful day exploring on the banks of the Marañón River. The Marañón is the second longest river in Peru. It measures over a thousand miles long from the headwaters high in the Andes to where it empties into the Ucayali River, just a few miles downstream from where we were exploring today. A section of the Marañon River is carved deep into a canyon in the Andes that has been described as similar to the Grand Canyon in the US. In this section of the river, over 300 miles, a steep slope gives rise to class IV rapids, which are popular for rafting. Today, we had the chance to get our second glimpse of the rainforest ecosystem during a morning walk on shore. After a short skiff ride, we were immersed in the green plants, muddy trails, and towering trees. Accompanied by a few local guides, we spotted a variety of wildlife, including a few different species of spiders, frogs, and snakes. We also heard many species of birds calling in the forest. Our guides taught us about the complex and fascinating topic of tropical ecology. One highlight was standing under a giant strangler fig and learning how the fig tree uses a host tree to gain access to the daylight at the top of the layered canopy. In the middle of the day, we were treated with a presentation from Chef Omar Peña, who taught us how to make ceviche in the Peruvian style. It was quite informative. At the end of the presentation, we were able to sample some of the excellent ceviche. In the afternoon, we had a new experience on this voyage when we went to visit a local community called Amazonas. We were led by a local group of women who have organized themselves. We listened to presentations regarding health projects in the village, including the construction of new, above-ground toilets and a rain catchment system. We learned about work in the village and surrounding areas by a local NGO called Minga Peru. We also learned how women dye palm fibers to make handicrafts and souvenirs. After the presentation, many of us ended up perusing a handicraft market for souvenirs. It was a very insightful visit to learn about the local culture and way of life. On our way back to the ship on skiffs, we enjoyed a wonderful sunset and a distant rainbow.
Our day started by exploring a pristine forest called Amazon Natural Park. Here, the trees have not been cut. It is the kingdom of the big trees with many trees more than 100 feet high, forming the emergent layer of a mature forest. Light is dim, and some species of insects and very few birds live here. Most are heard but not seen. The forest has abundant plant life. This was a day in which the rainforest gave us the most precious gift…rain. A lot of rain, from morning until noon. We loved watching the rain and listening to the sound of raindrops all around us. We found palm trees, which are so important. Fronds are used to make roofs, and the fruits make meals, ice cream, and oil! These trees are a miracle. In the afternoon, we navigated along the Maranon River. We boarded the fleet of skiffs and explored Yanayacu River for the afternoon until sunset. The river’s black water flows among the trees and eventually reaches a larger river that meets the Ucayali and then the mighty Amazon, which eventually reaches Brazil to finally discharge its volume into the Atlantic Ocean. We enjoyed many interesting sightings along the way, including herons, egrets, monkeys, and various birds, including a capped heron and a green iguana. Today was another amazing day in the heart of the jungle!
This morning, we again woke up to the sound of birds. We boarded skiffs and set out to explore the Iricahua River. We were greeted with many new bird sightings, including greater anis, common pauraques, and colored trogons. The impressive spotting skills of our naturalists are rubbing off on us. This morning, a few of our guests spotted new and exciting animals. One of these sightings was the queen anaconda, the largest snake in the Amazon. We were able to peer through a pocket of vegetation and get a quick glimpse of its head. After reviewing the photographs, we realized it was covered in mosquitoes. We have seen many pairs of blue-and-yellow macaws on this expedition, but we hadn’t seen any perching until today. Although they were a bit distant, it was very exciting to get a good look at them while they were stationary. These are amongst the largest and noisiest parrots of the Amazon. They live a long life, up to 40 years. Macaws feed on green fruits and are generally understood to be monogamous. Midday, our experienced team of officers on the bridge brought us to another fantastic location. After a delicious lunch prepared by our galley, we had a very informative and insightful presentation from naturalist Javier Arbildo. In the afternoon, we had the chance to explore another amazing tributary called the Yarapa via skiff. This river flows into the Ucayali River near a small community called Puerto Miguel. As we explored, we had many amazing encounters with wildlife. We observed two species of monkeys that we hadn’t yet seen on our voyage: the Isabel’s monk saki and the woolly monkey.
