Lake Sandoval

Our day started early as we got up to have breakfast, said bye to Wasai Tambopata Lodge, and went back down the river to Puerto Maldonadu. Closer to the town we again observed traffic on the river. The small canoe like river boats with a cover were often loaded up to the brink with local produce. Our boat would slow down in order not to flip them over.

In the afternoon, we went down Madre de Dios River for about a half an hour toward another protected area near Puerto Maldonado, Lake Sandoval. Along the way, we saw spider monkeys in the trees. It is about a 45 minute long walk from the river to the lake. We received another stamp in our passports at a ranger station. It was a hot and humid afternoon. Upon arriving close to the lake, we boarded a large canoe and Paul navigated us through a narrow channel surrounded by the jungle out into the lake.

There was a lot of wild life along its banks. We saw numerous birds - some that at least in some form were familiar to us as birds occupying bodies of water - herons, egrets, and cormorants. Some were more foreign looking. Hoatzins - or as Paul called them - stinky birds, look like large pheasants, inhabit much of the Amazon Basin, and their digestive system causes their manure-like odor. Anhingas - snake birds - impressed me with their streamlined shape. They are large birds and excellent divers. We also saw a number or birds of prey and vultures circled up in the sky the whole time.

The highlight of the trip to Lake Sandoval was supposed to be seeing giant river otters. Paul turned the canoe out to the middle of the lake to look for them and it did not take long to find them. They live in extensive family groups and there were at least twenty that we could see. One of them was just chewing on a freshly caught fish. Paul described them as the top predator in the Amazon. They can grow over 6 ft (1.5m) long. The population of this species is estimated in the order of a few thousand so this was a truly special find.

We came back to the bank and Paul spotted another monkey in the tree. He had promised us at least two types of monkeys before the trip to Lake Sandoval, and said he was done. So we paddled back, giving him a ride, which he had certainly earned. The sun was setting as we rode up Madre de Dios River which seemed somehow appropriate as our trip to the Amazon was nearing its end.