With high spirits we started this day of our expedition with an early skiff ride exploration of a peaceful small river called Maruyali Caño. Maruyali is a portmanteau of the names of the two main rivers in the area, the Marañon and the Ucayali. If we would be able to follow the course of the Maruyali River we will notice that it starts in the Marañon and ends in the Ucayali. We spotted several bird species, enjoyed the sounds of the forest and even spotted a couple of squirrel monkey troops.
After breakfast we explored the Amazon Natural Park. This privately owned reserve was created to protect the well-preserved primary forest. We started the visit boarding catamarans to cross a lagoon. We disembark the catamarans and went for a walk. During the walk we had the joy to be part of the rain forest of the Neotropics while listening to our Delfin II naturalists talking about several plant species and about some fascinating aspects of their natural history.
We reached a suspension bridge that is approximately a quarter of a mile in length. It allowed us to walk in the middle strata of the rain forest while feeling the adrenaline of being above the ground. We walked back to the catamarans, crossed the lagoon to then board the skiffs who took us to the ship.
In the early afternoon, after lunch, we had an introductory talk about nature photography with our photo instructor Aura Banda. After the talk we explored Nauta Caño by skiff riding or by kayaking. We had a rather rainy afternoon that reminded us that we are in one of the wettest ecosystems on Earth. Despite the constant misty rain our naturalists and skiff drivers managed to find a good number of bird species that included scarlet macaws and toucans.
After dinner we had a short walk, this time at night. We were immersed in the forest night sounds in total darkness. At one moment it rained very hard. We all returned soaking wet but with the satisfaction of having had a real adventure in the Amazon.
