An extended collecting trip that will explore varied aquatic habitats, starting on the Amazon River, then up the Napo River (both white-water) but also sampling along the Mazan River and other blackwater tributaries of the Napo. Sandbars, mudflats, floodplain lakes, creeks and swamps will all be in the mix.

With the Amazon basin being home to ~15% of all fish species (both fresh and saltwater!), enthusiasts are guaranteed to make exciting finds and see species that are rarely or never found in the hobby. We work with a licensed Peruvian exporter and a licensed US importer to legally bring back fish that are permitted for export from Peru (this excludes some [mostly boring] food fishes, as well as CITES listed species).

Our base for the trip is the comfortable riverboat M/F Esperanza with cabin space for 16 passengers, but we limit collecting trips to 8-10 participants. A dedicated “fish room” with an aeration system and bins, shelving, and coolers allows participants to care for their fish while on board. We make 2 to 4 collecting stops every day (and often at night too!) and anywhere we pull up to shore or put down anchor can become a fishing stop. Sports fishers will want to bring a rod and reel and accessories. There are some excellent eating fish, and the kitchen is always ready to cook them up for you.

While this trip is boat based, we will stop for a night (or two) at the Santa Cruz Forest Reserve on the Mazan River. This will provide opportunity for hiking on the excellent trail network, including being able to access upland creeks a couple of miles inland. A night hike is also a must, with the possibility of seeing a wide variety of amphibians, reptiles (including the emperor of Amazon snakes - the bushmaster), insects, nocturnal mammals and more.

Participants should plan on arriving in Iquitos on the afternoon/evening of Saturday 23 January 2027, or on one of the first flights on Sunday 24 Jan. After breakfast in town, we’ll board our Esperanza riverboat and can do a first collecting foray within minutes!. The return to Iquitos will be late morning on Monday, 1 Feb. We’ll first get the fish to the exporters (you’ll have opportunity to browse all the tanks and make any purchases you might wish to make). That evening, we’ll have a final group dinner on the Iquitos waterfront. On Tuesday morning, there will be opportunity to visit other exporters and/or the Belen market. Outgoing flights can be booked for anytime from mid-to-late afternoon or later.

Cost: $2265/person ($2065 for repeat clients).