Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve

This trip is sponsored by the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum Beaufort, but is open to the public and Space is Available. For a more detailed itinerary and/or a copy of the initial trip information packet (which also contains trip information such as cost, inclusions/exclusions, airline ticketing etc.) please contact EcoQuest Travel by email at: info@ecoquesttravel.net.

THE AMAZON OF BRAZIL

A Journey to the Flooded Forests of Mamiraua Reserve

Amazon! The word itself evokes images of adventure, giant rivers and vast forests dripping with moisture and life. The rainforests of the Amazon Basin are the largest on earth covering an astounding 2.5 million square miles in nine countries – Brazil, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Nearly half of the Amazon rainforest occurs in Brazil. The Amazon is home to 20% of the world’s bird species, 20% of the world’s plant species, 10% of its mammal species and between 2000 and 3000 fish species; making this incredible swath of forest the most biologically diverse ecosystem in the world. EcoQuest Travel is proud to offer an adventure that will take you to the heart of the Brazilian Amazon and a very special place called Mamiraua Reserve. Mamiraua was the first sustainable development reserve in Brazil which combines nature conservation, scientific research, and ecotourism with improved opportunities for local communities. It also protects Brazil’s last large area of varzea and offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Amazonia. Each year the rains swell the mighty Amazon River, and its tributaries, beyond their banks and out into the forest – varzea is the name of the forests that are seasonally flooded with sediment-rich “white-water” as opposed to igapos which are forests flooded with nutrient poor “black-waters”. We are traveling to Mamiraua in June to take advantage of the floods at their highest. When the water level is at its highest it forces the animals of the forest into the treetops and denizens of the river into the forest. Canoeing through the treetops will bring us spectacularly close to wildlife. The variety of birds is mindboggling and since we will be in the canopy most species should be at, or near, eyelevel. It is also a great time to look for mammals as the water limits where they can go. Sloths are easy to see as are several species primates including the rare red-faced White Uakari Monkey. Pink River Dolphins swim through the forest in search of fish and caiman bask on sunlit branches. Even the lord of the Amazon, the mighty Jaguar, takes refuge in the trees during this time of year. Speaking of Jaguars, we will have a unique opportunity to see this most elusive of the big cats. Uakari Lodge has hosted a Jaguar research program for several years and we have arranged for our group to spend a day with the research team. During that day we will seek out Jaguars in the trees and will be aided by the fact that the research animals have been radio-collared. Mamiraua is truly a magical place especially during this time of the year! EcoQuest Travel proudly invite you to join us as we explore the extraordinary heart of the Amazon.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Friday, May 19 – Home City to US Gateway and on to Manaus, Brazil
Day 2: Saturday, May 20 – Manaus: Botanical Garden’s Canopy Tower & Teatro Amazonas
Day 3: Sunday, May 21 – Manaus and The Meeting of the Waters
Day 4: Monday, May 22 –Fly to Tefe and boat to Mamiraua
Days 5 – 10: Tuesday thru Sunday, May 23 – 28 The Flooded Forests of Mamiraua Reserve
Day 11: Monday, May 29 – Mamiraua to Tefe and Fly to Manaus and the Journey Home
Day 12: Tuesday, May 30 –Arrival in the US and Transfer to Our Flights Home

* Please note that EcoQuest Travel will make every effort to adhere to this itinerary, but dates, times, activities and prices are subject to change depending on scheduling and availability.