Last night we arrived in Nauta and embarked the Delfin II at the shore of the Marañón River. We anxiously waited for sunrise, to see what surprises would come to us on our first day of the expedition through the mighty Amazon River.
The sun came up through the clouds, and the tropical rain forest started waking up. The sounds of so many birds filtered through the tall trees, and we had short glimpses of the different bird species, most of which were new for us. Orange-winged amazons, with-eyed parakeets, bananaquits, and a number of flycatchers, are some of the examples.
Early in the morning, we took off for our first skiff exploration through the smaller tributaries of the Marañón River. Shortly after starting our search through the jungle, we found our first three-toed sloth, well camouflaged up on a tree. There were more birds and a small troop of squirrel monkeys.
After a wonderful lunch, we stepped out on deck to watch a group of Amazon pink river dolphins, that stayed around the ship for a good hour or so.
Later in the evening, we went out again for another wonderful skiff ride through the intricate waterways of the Amazon River. It was amazing to see the explosion of wildlife diversity that makes this place so magical. At least six species of parrots, four of raptors, and countless songbirds were seen in addition to another three-toed sloth and a couple green iguanas.
Pink and gray river dolphins kept showing up randomly throughout the afternoon. Aside from the incredible wildlife, we had one of the most magnificent sunsets. How lucky we are to be able to explore the remoteness of the Peruvian Amazon!
