On our first days of exploration in the upper Amazon of Peru, we paid an early morning visit to Renacal Creek and in the afternoon, Nauta Creek. After a wonderfully delicious breakfast onboard Delfin II, we went out to explore these beautiful pristine tributaries of the Amazon.
It is very interesting to watch the coloration of the water and how it changes as we go from the light brown, sediment-rich, fast-moving water of the main rivers that are coming down from the mountains, to the dark, blackish, slow-moving tannin rich water coming out of the low flooded forest. The places where these two waters, the light and dark, meet are always great for looking for pink and gray river dolphins. Dolphins love to corral the fish here. The fish get momentarily confused and this gives the dolphins the slight edge they need to capture them.
The dark water creeks are usually narrower and densely forested. The dark water slowly makes its way out of the forest carrying with it the tannins that it has picked up from the decomposing leaves, and the tannins give it this color. The reflections on this mirror-like water are so mesmerizing, and the wildlife is closer to us and easier to observe. It’s such an interesting and wonderful place! And as always, we had great wildlife sightings.
