Today we started very early in the morning with a skiff ride around Belluda Caño. In this bird-watchers’ paradise, we spotted five different species of raptors, including several yellow-headed caracaras, a black-collared hawk, a road-side hawk, an osprey, and two great black hawks. We also spotted a couple of night-owl monkeys with a baby. They stared at us with their large, curious eyes. With great excitement, we came returned to the ship for a well-deserved breakfast. For the rest of the morning, we enjoyed presentations on ecology, the behavior of monkeys, and local medicinal plants. After lunch, we had a session about iPhone photography, and later on, we cruised on Zodiacs around El Dorado River. The light was just spectacular, as well as the many incredible encounters, including capuchin and squirrel monkeys, hawks, parrots and a gorgeous lake with gigantic lily pads. We stayed late after sunset, so we also had the opportunity to spot several caimans on the river. After our return to the Delfin II, we happily shared our experiences over a cold drink at the bar.
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!
