Join our Ines Orihuela at tomorrow’s Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden’s: Bird Day.

My wife Deanna and I, along with our son Dan and his girlfriend Katie, sailed this month on the Delfin I on a 5 day 4 night cruise. I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for the amazing time we had on the ship. The tours were outstanding, the boat first class, and the service exceptional.

We greatly enjoyed our tours of the Peruvian Amazon. We enjoyed the jungle hikes, fishing, night tour, canopy bridge tour, bird watching, and swimming in the rivers. We also enjoyed visiting the village of San Miguel and the manatee rescue center. The ship was just awesome. We enjoyed the dining room, upper deck and the spacious and comfortable rooms. The ship was safe, quiet and always clean.

The best thing about the Delfin was the crew and the service they provided. It was clear to us that the crew cared tremendously about the Delfin, its customers, and cared deeply about the success of the company. Juan Luis did an outstanding job on our tours and being our host. He is extremely knowledgeable about the Amazon wildlife and plant life and we enjoyed the information he shared freely with us. Javier and Carlos did a tremendous job serving us on the ship. The rooms were clean and well taken care of and we had fun at every meal. We appreciate the great job these two individuals did in decorating the dining room differently for every meal, serving us our meals, and providing us with an outstanding variety of drinks. The food on the ship was five star. We expected the food to be good but did not expect to receive three huge gourmet meals each and every day. Raul is an amazing chef and Lesandro did a great job supporting him. We also appreciated the work that Caesar and Alex did in driving the skiffs and the efforts of those behind the scene such as the captain and engineers who kept the ship running smoothly and safely.

In summary, I can say that Delfin truly thinks of everything. From the flowers in the rooms, to the comfortable skiffs; from the outdoor shower to the rubber boots; and from the comfortable bedding to the water noodles for swimming in the river; each and every one of our needs, or desires, were taken care of by the Delfin and her crew. Again, thank you very much for an amazing experience in the Peruvian Amazon. We look forward to returning some day during the wet season for another amazing adventure on the Defin.

Sincerely,
John and Deanna Michell
Scottsdale, Arizona

El manatí es una especie amenazada y su presencia es primordial para el equilibrio del ecosistema amazónico, por ello la recuperación y liberación de manatíes se considera un hecho histórico sin precedentes en la Amazonía peruana.

En el marco del día de la tierra, el pasado 22 de abril, en las aguas de la cocha El Dorado, en la Reserva Nacional Pacaya y Samiria, 05 manatíes fueron devueltos a su hábitat natural.
¿Cómo fue posible este acto histórico en la conservación de especies amazónicas?.

El año 2007, jóvenes biólogos de la Amazonía peruana, unidos por un espíritu inquebrantable, se lanzan a la tarea de proteger especies en peligro de extinción y apuestan por el rescate, recuperación y liberación del “manatí amazónico”, consolidando el Centro de Rescate Amazónico.

Es fácil imaginar que el camino no ha sido sencillo, pero la energía de estos profesionales evitó el desmayo, logrando establecer una sinergia interinstitucional que ha hecho posible el rescate de 14 manatíes, que llegan en mal estado, desnutridos, con heridas de machete y arpón. Gracias a tratamientos especializados y alimentación adecuada, son recuperados, logrando pesos que superan los 150 kg.

Los manatíes Quino, Cochi, Victoria, Juliana y Chamito, (3 hembras y 2 machos) luego de un proceso de adaptación, fueron liberados en su habitat natural, donde serán monitoreados con radiotransmisores. Dos investigadoras del Centro de Rescate, se encuentran en el Puesto de Vigilancia Cantagallo, en la cocha El Dorado, donde durante un año llevaran registro de estos manatíes a fin de lograr un mejor conocimiento de la especie, como la adaptación al habitat, integración al ecosistema, migración, reproducción, entre otros aspectos que se irán tomando pacientemente.

El Dr. Campos Baca, Presidente del IIAP, señaló que con esta actividad se marca un hito en la amazonía peruana en cuanto a tareas de conservación con una especie que contribuye con el equilibrio ecosistémico, dado que al alimentarse de plantas acuáticas, limpian los cuerpos de agua de la vegetación que muchas veces cierran lagos y cochas facilitando el ingreso del sol para la generación de vida formando zooplancton y fitoplancton. Asimismo resaltó la importancia del esfuerzo multi institucional en esta tarea, que hace posible este exitoso resultado que debe ser replicada con otras especies en peligro.
El Director del Centro de Rescate, Biólogo Javier Velásquez, señaló que se eligió el ambiente de la reserva y la Cocha el Dorado, debido a las condiciones ecológicas de la zona y a la experiencia que tiene el Grupo de Manejo Yacutaitas, que llevan más de 17 años en programas de conservación y manejo del paiche, arahuana y taricaya, hoy se suman al cuidado y protección del manatí en el que se involucra también a los niños para generar concientización en todos los niveles”.

En la tarea esta inmersa la Asociación para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad Amazónica- ACOBIA DWAZOO, el Dallas World Aquarium, la Dirección Regional de la Producción Loreto, el Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana- IIAP, SERNAP y Capitanía de Puertos.
Daryl Richardson Director del Dallas World Aquarium, el Dr. Luis Campos Baca Presidente del Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana- IIAP, y autoridades locales estuvieron presentes en la ceremonia de liberación.

When I packed my bags for Peru, I, like most travellers, couldn’t wait to get to Machu Picchu. This famous 15th -century mountaintop ruin which officially landed on the New 7 Wonders of the World list in 2007- is a popular bucket-list destination. But, to my surprise, this famous lost city in the clouds wasn’t the highlight of my adventures. As remarkable as it was (and it really was!), the four days and three nights I spent cruising on a riverboat in the Peruvian Amazon trumped the Andean icon. Here are seven wondrous reasons why.

ONE: Star power!
It’s 8 p.m. and I’m on the riverboat’s observation deck, lying on a slatted hammock made from local capirona wood. I hear crickets and frogs, as well as other unfamiliar animal sounds echoing from the dark banks of the jungle, but it’s the unfamiliar southern sky that has my attention. This twinkling indigo dome is simply magical. “Can anyone spot the Southern Cross?” I ask my fellow guests. The bartender, who has been serving fresh maracuyá juice, assures us that it’s difficult to see the famous celestial cluster. “We have more stars than Hollywood,” he says, chuckling. Later, with his help, we locate this constellation, which the Incas revered. For them, it symbolized the centre of the Mayu, or the point where two “celestial rivers” collide in the Milky Way. It’s a nice fit because our riverboat journey is heading up and down the Ucayali and Marañón rivers, the two tributaries that meet to form the Amazon River. Watching the fuchsia sunset morph into a star-studded night.

TWO : A wild kingdom
There are more than one million species of animals in the Amazon. Our guide, Luis Vela, is ntent on pointing out as many of them as possible. With a sixth sense for animal movements, he suddenly stops our touring skiff to point out a three-toed sloth sleeping high up in a tree. “It’s quite rare to see these slow-moving mammals because they’re nocturnal,” he explains. Over the next four days, with Vela’s keen eye, we spot dozens of jungle creatures—from squirrel and monk saki monkeys to white-bellied caiman crocodiles to a capybara (the largest rodent in the world). One day, we visit a ranger station in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, a 2.1-million-square-kilometre protected area, where we’re invited to hold a 2.5-metre-long rescued anaconda. Searching for the glowing red eyes of the white-bellied caiman at dusk as fishermen wearing LED headlamps paddled by in traditional dugout canoes, pulling in their nets.

THREE: Birds of paradise
Vela makes it his personal mission to up our daily wildlife tally by trying to spot as many of the 1,800 species of birds as he can. So far, we have seen 40 kinds of birds, including kingfishers, blue-and-yellow macaws, snowy egrets and horned screamers. “The trick to spotting birds is first to listen for chirps, squawks and hoots,” he says. As if on cue, we hear a greater kiskadee, a tiny yellow bird that locals call “Victor Diaz” because the nickname mimics its call. Seeing the wattled jacana take off. This chestnut-and-black bird has a cherrycoloured face and an orange beak, but when it spreads its wings, you get an unexpected flash of chartreuse.

FOUR: Before sunrise
Each night before I go sleep, I pull back the thick canvas curtains in my wood-panelled master suite so that I can wake up to an unobstructed 180-degree view of the 5:30 a.m. sunrise. Lying in my über-comfy bed, I watch the mist rise off the Marañón River’s khaki-coloured water while the sun’s tangerine glow slowly breaks through. “It doesn’t get much better than this,” I say quietly to myself. Taking in a spectacular lightning storm that flash-floods my room with bursts of light.

FIVE: A taste of paradise (and piranha)
While the chef intrigues us each day with local specialties -like fresh hearts-of-palm salad and catfish cookedin a traditional bijao leaf- we’re all curious to taste the red-bellied piranha that one of the other guests caught during our sunset fishing expedition. (I had a few nibbles on my line, but none of the ferocious fish were tempted by my bait.) The verdict? Tastes like chicken -the default culinary descriptor for anything foreign and rather bland. Sipping fresh tropical fruit juices every morning: There is the camu-camu (which is known for its mood- and immune-boosting properties), the cherimoya (which tastes like a pineapple-strawberry hybrid) and, my favourite, the maracuyá (or passion fruit).

SIX: Jungle fever
We’re about to set off on a jungle hike when Vela turns to us and says very slowly, “The most important thing to remember is not to touch anything.” He’s not kidding: A few moments later, we’re passing beneath giant catahua trees. “The wood is used for making traditional dugout canoes,” says Vela, “but be careful because the resin is toxic.” As we continue on the muddy path, I slowly begin to sink. Just before the mud reaches the top of my rubber boots, Vela and another guest pull me to safety. Moments later, Vela temporarily suspends his “no touching” rule and hands us a red-and-black huayruro seed from the jungle floor. “Locals collect them to make necklaces, and they are believed to bring good luck,” he explains. Spotting a brigade of leafcutter ants marching up and down a tree and off into the forest. Next to humans, leafcutter ants reportedly create the largest and most complex animal societies on earth.

SEVEN: A Swim to remember
After enduring a hot and sticky morning, we dive, without any hesitation, into the murky waters of Lake Yanayacu, which means “black waters.” (We have been assured that the lake is piranha-free.) “Tannic acid from plants in the forest turns the water dark,” explains Vela. Floating on pool noodles, we wait to see the famous river dolphins up close. According to Vela, pink and grey river dolphins in the Peruvian Amazon enjoy a natural form of protection: Locals believe that you will become impotent if you eat them. “If you use dolphin oil, you will become blind,” he adds. “If you kill a dolphin, your first child will die.” Suddenly, I see a long snout and a graceful pink arc, followed by another, as two dolphins appear momentarily just 20 metres away. “Did you see that?” I shout. “We’re swimming with pink dolphins!” yells another guest. It’s another one of those life moments that will be hard to top.

Vultures are one of the most frequently seen birds, both in rural areas and in towns and cities.

We were entering a lake through a small stream… we saw strange activity.. Some floating vultures…? Floating…? That’s a strange sight…! You only see them in land or on the river shores eating dead meat…! What would they be eating floating in the middle… we wondered… We got closer… it was a sad view at first, but nature has its own ways… There was a dead pink river dolphin floating… it was a female, it was more grayish than pink and it seemed that it died giving birth… you could see the calf yet in its inflated tummy.

Black Vultures were there standing to break the skin. It didn´t smell yet even though it was very hot. It was early morning and the sun has come out at sunrise with no clouds around. So the heat was picking up fast.
We left and continue our activity. In our way back something extraordinary happened. We were curious about how the dynamic of these scavengers will be with this huge dolphin. There were 60 vultures around, black vultures, turkey vultures, yellow headed vultures… all jumping at the same time, tearing down apart the flesh. There were more flying around, a bunch or other species of birds of prey like black collared hawk, yellow headed cara cara.

After looking at this we notice a big bird up high in the sky… it appeared to have no head due to the flying stance.. It was far up anyway, It was an unmistakable one… king vulture…!

Its broad wings were white and edge with black band. It has a unique and interesting combination of vibrant colors. Now at this time we could see its colorful head. The eyes are framed by a ring of flaming orange; above the beak is a yellow, fleshy carbuncle, the beak itself is short, sharp and vivid orange in color. It is one of the fantastic birds and seeing one is a privilege.

The thing is that it’s not only a fantastic sight but for something it is called KING VULTURE… When he appears the rest of birds respect his presence… Its intimidating size and strong beak will often ensure its supremacy when feeding and enables it to scare of other scavengers’. So the rest will wait until he is finished feeding, then, they will come back to eat…. He´s the king of the skies and every other bird respect its supremacy…

Like other vultures its ‘main diet consist on carrion. Will rarely kill live prey; and will do so only when the animal is incapacitated or weak. It´s sophisticated immune and digestive system allows it to consume the harmful bacteria in decaying meat. Their bold head plays a part here; as the sun has a sterilizing effect on the exposed skin while killing bacteria. It also possesses a strong and hefty beak, which is able to tear open even the toughest exteriors of carcasses, while its keen sense of smell is essential in enabling the bird to locate carcasses which are not yet in sight.

It was amazing to witness the dynamic of this huge bird feeding…all the rest of the birds staying just still … in respect… waiting for him to finish… looking and waiting… we stayed far, not disrupt the feast… it was just great… all felt really privileged to be there… just looking … just waiting… for his majesty the King to finish.

Macaws have been said to personify the wild rainforests and certainly the sight of a flock of these majestic birds is both a noisy and unforgettable experience. All macaws can be distinguished from other kinds of parrots by the patch of bare skin that covers the face and usually reaches the base of the beak (some macaws have narrow lines of feathers crossing or interrupting this patch), and by their distinctive, long, graduated tails. There is evidence that macaw facial feathers are as unique as a human fingerprint. There are about a dozen and a half species of macaws recognized and they are grouped into six genera. Collectively they range from Mexico south through Central America into tropical South America.

Some kinds of macaws are brilliant green while others may be bright blue and yellow, or scarlet, or rich cobalt blue in color. All of them have raucous voices that command attention. They are highly social and prone to visiting mineral licks such as the famous cliffs in Peru’s Madre de Dios region. The Hyacinth macaw has the largest wingspan while Buffon’s macaw is the bulkiest. The Red-shouldered macaw is as small as a large parakeet.

In Amazonian Peru and Bolivia we typically see Red-bellied and Chestnut-fronted (Severe) macaws, Blue-and-Yellow macaws, Scarlet macaws and Green-winged macaws. Most species favor remote rainforests or savannas with gallery forest. Often flocks will settled in the tops of large trees where they feed on nuts and hard seeds which they easily crack with their powerful beaks.

The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild. Five species are already extinct, and Spix’s Macaw is now considered to be extinct in the wild. The Glaucous Macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and the illegal trapping of birds for the pet bird trade. For each macaw that one can find in a local Pet store, 100 are dead in their way.

Some current research into the viability of rainforests includes macaw surveys, because the presence of flocks of macaws indicates the relative health of the trees. Their imposing presence, magnificent colors, and endangered status make seeing these creatures an unforgettable part of experiencing the Amazon.

May 12

Back from the Amazon. Talk about exceeding expectations! The boat, the skiffs, the food, the adventures… Have you ever heard of pink dolphins?

How about swimming in the Amazon with them breaching nearby? Check!
Fishing for piranha? Check!
Having breakfast on the river with monkeys chattering, bats flying away, macaws calling, pink dolphins blowing? Check.
Playing soccer on a muddy field (tourists vs. village people, losing 3 to 1). Check.
Having your guide find a caiman at night in the light from his spotlight, grabbing him and bringing him into the boat for us to touch? Check.
Holding a baby 3 toed sloth? Check.
How about being totally turned around and lost in the night, powering through the floating vegetation in search of creatures strange to you? Check.

Today we capped it off with a trip to a Manati rescue center(yes, that is how they spell it here) and feeding a 3 year old manati with a bottle.

I am tired just retelling a small part of our adventures.

Comments:

The Delphin II was truly impressive. Lissy, the owner was on board and says she goes on 70% of the cruises herself, staying in whatever cabin is vacant. The food, accommodations and staff were wonderful. I do wish we had a better set of binoculars for the Amazon. The naturalists were amazing – everything from the way they called to the animals to their briefings – they were right on. We hadn’t realized the extent to which our gifts to the villages on the Amazon were not only appreciated, but necessary. Lisee apparently supports two villages with her income from the cruises and the gifts from the passengers. A wonderful woman.

Muchas Gracias.

Alan & Barbara

He is a 10 year old boy, he was the only kid around… so sometimes this is difficult to match interest of kids and grown-ups… he is such a bright kid… had read a lot about the Amazon. So he kept on asking all he needed to our guides….!

As kids are he was very active… so our guides had to entertain him a lot… and make things also interesting and enjoyable for him… what he liked best was fishing…!

He did catch lots of piranhas…

And as of course, as any good fisherman he wanted to eat it.. So, our chefs on board serve it as his main dish.

They are considered a delicacy for local villagers… it was prepared the Amazon way, deep fried and since it´s very bony and have not that many meat, you eat it all… as if it was a crunchy cookie… He liked it… well, how can you not like something so fresh… it was just catch two hours ago….
Piranhas have this fearsome reputation…thanks to cartoons and horror movies… but this is greatly exaggerated.

Obviously another activity he enjoyed a lot was swimming and since we do our activites inside wonderful black waters lagoons and creek there has been lots of opportunities to do so…! In the YanaYacu/ Pucate there were lots of local kids… so they all jumped with him into the water…!

They all had wonderful time with the noodles, everybody on board was napping, and the kids… were having fun….! Kids are the same all around the world, does not matter if they are city boys or native’s boys, city boys have such a different life than the ones of the river shores in the Amazon but at the end… if they want to have fun… they go back to basics… swimming, football, running, etc.