Discovering new tributaries of the Amazon

We spent a full day traveling upstream from the lodge seeing amazing animals and birdlife on the way.
Over two years ago trees fell and blocked the upper reaches of this small creek so with our guide we set out to explore places unvisited for a few years.
To reach our destination we travelled through waterways totally covered in aquatic plants. It is hard to believe that it could be achieved with an outboard. Later we had to cut through the blockages and clear the waterway. The result was virgin lands not visited in recent times.

It was like driving on a lawn as we motored through the Amazon Cabbage. This is the favourite food of the manatee. Four were released by the rescue group into this very area.

Two Wattled Jacana walking on the river. These are the birds that frequent the extra large lily pads and are often called 'Jesus Birds' for their ability to 'walk on water'

                  This is the centre of the creek. The boat simply kept pushing into the growth

Along the way we saw the Hoatzin Bird. This is considered to be a dinosaur relic as it has claws on its wings and also a ruminating stomach. When they fly it looks like a pterodactyl.

                                            We saw about 50 species of birds today

We reached the major blockage and it took our guide and boatman about 45 minutes to cut the way through.

Once one the other side there were so many fish that they jumped into the boat. Some jumped onto the aquatic plants ant it was so thick that they couldn't get down into the water.

                                       We released this catfish before the birds ate it.

There were caiman as big as 2 metres. There had been no motorised boats but we also came across two illegal hunting camps that had come in by small dug out canoes. It is so remote that there is no enforcement.

We came across several nests of the Horned Screamer. The eggs were huge and sitting in nests on top of the river plants.

                         This is the Horned Screamer! The sun keeps the eggs warm for her!

We did get past this but not much later were forced to turn back. Today we earned our Amazon Explorers badge!

                                     Macaws that we saw on the way back to the lodge