This is an extended length trip that will explore a large number of aquatic habitats, starting along 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.
The Amazon basin is home to ~15% of all fish species (both fresh and saltwater!) in the world, and fish enthusiasts are guaranteed to make exciting finds and see species that are rarely or never found in the aquarium 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 prefer to top out the trip at 8-10 participants. A dedicated “fish room” with an aeration system and bins, shelving, and coolers to hold fish allows participants to easily manage and care for their fish while on board. In general, we make 2 to 4 collecting stops every day, and anywhere we pull up to shore or put down anchor can become a fishing stop - whether by day or night. Sports fishers will want to bring a rod and reel and accessories. There are some excellent eating fish to catch, 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 our 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 on the trails 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 Wednesday 12 January, or on one of the first flights on Thursday 13 January (the first flights arrive around 7 AM). We’ll board the Esperanza at the port of Bellavista-Nanay at the mouth of the Nanay River (and can do a first collecting foray within minutes!). The return to Iquitos will be in the early afternoon on Friday, 21 January. 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), and then have a final group dinner on the Iquitos waterfront. On Saturday 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: $1965/person ($1765 for repeat clients). Minors and children are eligible for discounted rates, and first responders, medical personnel, educators and essential workers receive the repeat client rate. Our thanks to you for your hard [and under-appreciated] work in getting us through the pandemic!