The third day of our expedition started at a tributary of the Marañón River, called Nautacaño. We had an early start to take advantage of the morning hours, which are best for viewing wildlife. We explored Nautacaño by skiff once before breakfast, then again after. We saw squirrel monkeys, black collared hawks, and had great views of monk saki monkeys and three-toed sloths!
On the way back, one of our local guides gave a presentation about fruits of the Amazon. We have a great variety of fruits on board, like Brazil nuts, chambira, aguaje, camu camu, yarina, and other plants that most of us had never heard of before.
We left the Marañón River behind to head into the Ucayali, the junction between these two rivers is where the Amazon River officially starts... according to Perú. Regardless of political denominations of where the Amazon River really starts, we celebrated our arrival by toasting with pisco sours!
Delfin II sailed up the Ucayali River and stopped near a place called Clavero Lake. The lake used to be the main course of the Ucayali River, but over years of erosion it left a black water lake. Here we had the chance to go for our first swim of the expedition it was a very pleasant dip in the company of a few gray and pink river dolphins.
Later on we ventured to a tributary of Clavero Lake where a family of the smallest primate in the world lives, the pigmy marmoset. We found these tiny elusive creatures and decided that they were more like a mouse that a monkey. After seeing a variety of birds, sloths, monkeys and dolphins, we came back to Delfin II concluding another wonderful day in the Upper Amazon.
