As if exploring the Napo River onboard our vessel wasn’t already fascinating, you would not want to miss the feeling of going into the deeper waters of the Amazon rainforest in our Canoe Experience. The idea is to allow our guests to visit distant places in less time, but beyond, to discover small creeks of the river and exclusive inaccessible zones. You will catch a glimpse of different water animals and biodiversity. Even get into a “photo competition” as all of the adventurers try to capture the best shots of wildlife in action from the canoe, whether it is a mobile phone or professional cameras, everyone becomes a paparazzi. It is an exciting moment to watch because animals are in their natural habitat.
As the excursion begins, the canoes take you from the vessel to different areas. Some of the creeks we navigate are the Pañayacu Delta that is the entrance to Pañacocha Reserve. Sometimes we can take a peek through the renowned Yasuni River, where there are even more unique species of flora and fauna or the Cocaya River where our Pink River Dolphin conservation program functions. Traveling times can vary from 30 minutes up to 2 hours depending on what nature can show us that day. There is one guide per canoe and approximately 20 comfortable seats to host our intrepid explorers in this ride. You can bring binoculars and be ready to spot wildlife from a distance. However, our guides have a trained eye, able to spot wildlife from distances and help us interpret and understand the characteristics and behaviors of the animals in their environment. What makes this one a unique experience is a diverse wildlife you can spot plus the exuberant greenery surrounding the creeks’ shore.
Our canoes are safe and our guide and driver will always seek the right riding maneuvers allowing all guests to catch the best views.
Oftentimes, you can see charapa turtles resting on logs. Capybaras, large but cute, in a way, rodents. They are also known to frequent the edges of the islands on the river. You’ll see eagles, vultures, woodpeckers, and even flying mammals hidden under the trunks of the trees like small bats, among many other birds. You might even see a pink river dolphin, squirrel monkeys. Watch out for dolphins’ fins gliding through the water and if lucky you can see piranhas and a white caiman. When you see swaying branches, it’s a good sign that a group of monkeys is nearby, sometimes in groups as large as fifty to one hundred. There is an immense symphony of animal sounds, some defense mechanism in response to protect their territory. Spotting a Blue Morpho butterfly that stands out amid the green lush landscape is full of wonder. Such kinds of insects and species are rare findings that set this place apart from others in the world. On another note, if you find yourself noticing a particular type of tree standing out above the rest, you can look really smart and tell everybody else the name of it before the guides have the chance to mention it. The Kapok tree is the tallest in the Ecuadorian Amazon, some of them reaching 130 feet. You’ll see their thick roots at the base and a huge crown at the top with numerous strong branches.
At the end, the sum of all in this experience resides in the appealing challenge of discovering and meeting the wildlife in its sterling form. Watching different kinds of species from different angles of the rainforest is unique. It is a way to connect with nature by understanding their behaviors and learning fascinating facts about them. It is an invitation to uncharted territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon, its rivers and creeks to discover the magic of nature in its purest form.