It was not unusual to see whole troops of Squirrel Monkeys or Saddle-Backed Tamarins scampering through the trees along the water's edge. Our sharp-eyed guides spotted difficult-to-see animals such as the Three-Toed Sloth and many of the more elusive jungle birds as we floated quietly along the river. We saw many Blue-and-Yellow Macaws as they swarmed and screeched overhead. There were the unusual Sun Grebes swimming around in sheltered coves, and we could see some King Vultures soaring high in the sky. That evening, as we were returning to the ship, our small-boat foray took us to a blackwater lake, which provided us with great opportunities to observe the endangered Pink Amazon River Dolphins. As we were literally surrounded by these dolphins, the birds also put on a show as flocks of parrots and herons returned to their nightly roosts. We were back aboard the ship for dinner and, later, there was a nocturnal outing to look for such darkness-loving animals as the Caiman and the Capybara.
During the night, our river craft moved up the Rio Maranon to a location just above the town of San Regis. It was immediately evident that there was a major change in the habitat. Here, high bluffs lined the river and the forest was much taller. We had entered a region characterized by terra firma, that is -- land high enough above the river to escape inundation even at the highest water levels. Our day there was spent walking in primeval rainforest. We were in the midst of classic "Amazon Jungle," with a multi-layered canopy, giant trees, massive lianas and lush epiphytes. Our guides pointed out characteristic plants, like strangler figs, heliconia, bromeliads and orchids. We also enjoyed seeing the large variety of small animals of the forest not visible from passing boats; clear-winged butterflies, leaf-cutter ants, poison-dart frogs and a great many more. Additionally, we saw great flocks of the truly incredible birds of that great forest; manakins, antbirds, woodcreepers and flycatchers. We were told that the most diverse bird fauna in the world is found in this type of tropical rainforest, and it was certainly easy to see that. In the afternoon, we set out for the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Our late-afternoon excursion to the Reserve provided a fitting climax to a most interesting and most enjoyable day.
