One of the most amazing things that we did while on the Earthwatch Amazon Expedition was the Pink River Dolphin surveys. We quietly floated down the river and observed and counted the dolphins. We noted their GPS location and noted whether they were traveling, resting or fishing. The dolphins are a good indicator of the health of the river because they will only stay as long as there are fish to eat. They have no natural predators. Even the local people will not hunt them because of long held superstitions. This is a short video of the experience. In the background you can hear a toucan calling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4SfZVUY_fQ
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Earthwatch... the Amazon
We left the city of Nauta and began our boat trip down the Maranon River. The river, an extension of the Amazon River, was wide and brown. There were boats of many kinds carrying bananas or travelers to the city of Nauta or Iquitos. After many hours we came to the Samiria River, our destination. Here the water turns black and calm. The tanins from the forest vegetation turn the water black and the surface becomes a mirror, reflecting the forest on the banks. This area is protected as a reserve so we had to check in at the park entrance and obtain permission to proceed. Once in the Samiria there is no commercial traffic, only the small dugout canoes of the locals. We spent the night at the first stop and then continued for the next day to stop number two, where we spent the next week and a half. Our ship, the Ayapua, remained docked and each day we took auxiliary boats on excursions to do wildlife surveys.
We did Bird counts of Water Birds and Macaws. We counted species and numbers of birds that we observed as our small boat drifted on the river.
We went fishing and counted weighed and measured the species of fish we caught both on fishing poles and in the nets.
We observed River Dolphins and counted them and recorded their behavior as we floated on the Samira River and the small channel that led to the Tuna Lake.
We went on walks on the land in the jungle observing and counting the land mammals we encountered.
We boarded the boats at night and searched by lamplight the shores of the river for caimen. When we could we captured and measured the caimen. At night we also looked for and recorded Fishing Bats.
Each evening we returned to the ship and recorded our findings on the computer, showered and visited the bar to compare our findings of the day. At seven we had dinner and a debriefing of the days events and maybe a lecture or movie. We signed up for the next days excursions and by nine, exhausted we retired to our rooms.
We did Bird counts of Water Birds and Macaws. We counted species and numbers of birds that we observed as our small boat drifted on the river.
We went fishing and counted weighed and measured the species of fish we caught both on fishing poles and in the nets.
We observed River Dolphins and counted them and recorded their behavior as we floated on the Samira River and the small channel that led to the Tuna Lake.
We went on walks on the land in the jungle observing and counting the land mammals we encountered.
We boarded the boats at night and searched by lamplight the shores of the river for caimen. When we could we captured and measured the caimen. At night we also looked for and recorded Fishing Bats.
Each evening we returned to the ship and recorded our findings on the computer, showered and visited the bar to compare our findings of the day. At seven we had dinner and a debriefing of the days events and maybe a lecture or movie. We signed up for the next days excursions and by nine, exhausted we retired to our rooms.
Village along the river
My favorite vantage point
The Samiria River
Wildlife Survey
Sloth
Coming home to the Ayapua
Bats
Red Howler
Butterflies
Bird Survey on Lake Atun
Land Survey
Entering data on the computer
Fishing for ...
Piranha
Black Collared Hawk
Sunset in the Amazon
This trip was magical. The Amazon will forever be in my heart.
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