Our last full day exploring the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve began shortly after sunrise, as usual. After enjoying a quick cup of coffee and a cookie or two, we boarded the skiffs and headed into the Zapote River, one of the many tributaries of the Ucayali. The early morning outings are never disappointing and today’s was no exception; all birdlife seemed busy looking for breakfast, and we watched numerous kinds of herons and egrets looking for a fish or a frog. Large-billed terns and the ubiquitous black-collared hawks were thinking of fish, too. In the bushes close to the water the black-capped donacobius and the greater anis began their daily search for insects, while high up in the trees several species of woodpeckers and woodcreepers looked for bugs in the bark. Near the small fishing dock of Zapote village, yellow-crested caracaras waited patiently for some fish scraps and large groups of parakeets added a touch of life to the sky with their chattering while flying around. However, the most exciting event of the outing was the frustrated breakfast attempt of a great black hawk that tried to eat a large coral pipesnake; after several unsuccessful attempts to kill its prey, the hawk eventually lost it as the snake suddenly disappeared under a thick layer of dead leaves.
After breakfast we went back to the Zapote River and continued our exploration with the skiffs, adding several more species to our count, including monk sakis and squirrel monkeys; some of us decided to get a bit closer and personal with Mother Nature and went kayaking. The peace and quiet that one enjoys when paddling and the chance to approach wild creatures is something beautiful that everyone should try at least once in their life.
Before heading back to our floating home we made a stop at the fishing dock near the Zapote village, where a group of local women and girls offered their handicrafts for sale, including interesting necklaces made out of seeds and piranha jaws, chambira palm figures and handmade tablecloths showing a variety of jungle creatures.
During the afternoon the Delfín II arrived to the vicinity of the Supay River, where we spent a couple of hours exploring and searching for wildlife. Several species of parrots, like the mealy parrot and the dusky parakeet, bare-necked fruit crows and chestnut-eared aracaris were some of the many birds that we watched along the shores of the Supay. But we found some mammals too, represented by a few three-toed sloths and troops of squirrel monkeys and saddleback tamarins, plus some pink river dolphins as well. A gorgeous sunset with bright red clouds marked the end of our day and made for the perfect farewell of our last full day exploring the Peruvian Amazon.
