We finally got to sleep in this morning…at 6:00 a.m.! We skipped the usual pre-breakfast skiff ride and went directly to breakfast, which was fantastic as usual. Before we even boarded the skiffs, there was wildlife viewing to be done. From the bow of the riverboat you could see squirrel monkeys and saddle back tamarinds. Then, when we boarded the skiffs for an exploration of the very narrow Iricahua Creek, there were many, many more gorgeous things to see. Blue-yellow macaws, hoatzen, and white-eared jacamar are just a few of the birds we viewed. In the middle of the skiff ride, a few fishermen came by and let us look at the assortment of fish they had caught, including catfish and piranhas.
After lunch we watched an incredibly informative presentation by Sandro, one of the naturalists, about the medicinal plants of the Amazon that the indigenous people have been using for generations. Sadly, the knowledge is being lost as the younger generation leaves for the cities.
Then we set off for the afternoon skiff excursion to explore the Yarapa River. It was a truly spectacular exploration! We saw wooly monkeys, monk saki monkeys, spider monkeys, and noisy night monkeys. We saw several spectacular and extremely rare birds too, like the paradise jacamar and the Amazonian umbrella bird.
