Today was the time to meet the primary rainforest. It is a magical moment when we are at the feet of the trees that make up the emergent layer. This layer is made up by the tallest trees, the ones that reach over 90 ft. high. Here at ground level we can see how large they are but not how tall, because the dense canopy keeps us from seeing their umbrella shaped crowns.
This morning we had an exploration walk at Amazon Natural Park. The whole length of the walk is amazing because it is a combination of ecosystems. At the beginning we started with a catamaran ride to cross a lagoon surrounded by rainforest. Shortly afterwards we enter a world of giants. This is the kingdom of the trees. There is not much light here because 90% of it stays on the canopy above us.
Our walk takes us through the understory meeting organisms that live in these conditions. Most plants here have large leaves to catch as much light as they can. On the other hand, animal life is not too abundant. There are lizards and frogs. Occasionally you spot an insect, but most of them live up in the canopy. This is where sun shines and fruits and flowers are plentiful.
The second part of the day was a skiff ride and kayaking at Nauta Creek. This place has vibrant wildlife! As we explored the creek we had many bird sightings. Sloths were resting on tree tops, it was green and flooded everywhere. This is high water season and skiff exploration is the best! As we moved through the flooded forest we had a couple of great surprises: Monk Saki monkeys and saddleback tamarins. This jungle seems to be a cradle for wildlife!
What a great day we had!
