Today we had the opportunity to explore another section of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. The plan was to go as far as possible. We left Delfin II before sunrise to take advantage of the fresh, cool morning.
Nature was waking up, and flocks of white-winged parakeets filled the sky with their majestic songs and flight. It was an early concert of not only parakeets but also of the different bird species that live in the reserve. It was a good welcome committee.
We spent the whole morning exploring the reserve. Our breakfast was served at the “Jungle Café,” one of the several ranger stations inside the reserve. A breathtaking view of the reserve was enjoyed by all as we shared our different animal sightings.
On our way back to Delfin II, we stopped in Yanayacu Lagoon. It was the moment we had waited for, the traditional “Piranha Plunge.” One by one, our explorers jumped in the mirrorlike black waters of the lagoon. In the distant, flocks of cormorants, egrets, herons, and jabirus were seen foraging along the shoreline.
It was a great outing. Mother Nature allowed us to enjoy sightings of black caimans, macaws, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, turtles, and many other forest dwellers. We all concluded that what we had seen was just a glimpse of the vast and mighty Upper Amazon!
