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Nauta port in Marañón River
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Community 20 de Enero
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Community 20 de Enero
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Handicrafts of natives
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Black Hawk-Eagle
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Amazon Gray Dolphin
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Pacaya Samiria
Pucate River
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
Fishing piranhas
(Photo © J. Mazzotti)
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"The Jungle of the Mirrors"
Photo Gallery:
Landscapes in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Photo Gallery:
Birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
The Amazon river is 6,470 km (4,020 miles) long
and the world's mightiest river. The Amazon
Basin has the longest extension of rainforest in
the world and is considered a patrimony of
humanity by UNESCO due to the biological
diversity it contains. The beauty of this areas,
as well its biological richness, have made of
Peru a destiny for wildlife researchers and
nature lovers.
In 1982, the Peruvian Government established the
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve with the purpose
of preserving the wilderness resources and the
beautiful landscapes of the area. The Reserve
has an area of 8,042 square miles, which
represents 1.5% of the total surface of Peru.
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is located in
Peru, at 180 Km. (115 miles) of
Iquitos.
The name of Pacaya Samiria comes from the names
of two rivers that run through it: Pacaya and
Samiria. The Reserve has a great diversity of
wildlife as well as aquatic life: 449 bird
species, 102 mammals, 69 reptiles, 58
amphibians, 256 fish and 1,204 plants.
Threatened or endangered species that can be
found in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve are
the jaguar (Felix oca), the black
alligator (Melanosuchus niger), the giant
river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), the
manati (Trichechus inunquis), four
different species of primates and two different
species of turtles.
An essential element that is characteristic of
this protected area, is the cycle of crescent
and reflux of the rivers. Between the months of
October and April is the rainy season and the
water of the rivers and creeks increases,
flooding a large area of the rainforest. This
time is known as crescent. Reflux takes place
between May and September, when rain decreases
greatly and the level of the water falls
progressively, reaching its minimum in August.
This seasonal change and the predominantly flat
terrain have configured a landscape full of
small rivers, creeks and lagoons.
Wildlife adapts with no problem to this cycle of
crescent and reflux and so, when most of the
rainforest remains flooded, animals find shelter
in the highest areas, where water never reaches.
During the reflux, when water is retained in
small lakes and creeks, you can observe a large
number of aquatic birds catching fishes which
are concentrated there. During this time, large
beaches are also formed specially in the main
rivers, which are used by the settlers of the
Reserve to grow rice, beans, peanuts, and other
crops, and also by two very characteristic
species of the Reserve, the "charapa" (Podocnemis
expansa) and "taricaya" (Podocnemis
unifilis) acquatic turtles, which use these
beaches to lay their eggs.
In Pacaya Samiria, the great extension of
rainforest remains flooded most of the year,
with local species like the "aguaje", a palm
tree (Mauritia flexuosa) whose fruits are
eaten by many animals as well as by settlers of
local communities. There are other numerous
varieties of flora that make the landscape of
the Reserve unique in this part of the Amazon.
We can also find a great diversity of medicine
plants and trees that can reach a height of 150
feet, like the "lupuna" (Ceiba pentandra).
In certain areas, you can still find rubber
trees which preserve the marks of the famous
rubber exploitation over 80 years ago.
The wildlife of the Reserve is typical of the
flooded rainforest, being more abundant the
aquatic species rather than land ones. Fish is
considered the most important resource due to
its role in the ecological process as well as
its economic value, and it is also a priority in
the nutrition of the local people. There is an
extensive variety of birds, specially the
aquatic ones like the heron (Egretta thula)
and cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus).
During the time of crescent, the high areas or "restingas"
are the places for shelter and nourishment for
mammals.
It is worth mentioning the "charapa" and "taricaya"
aquatic turtles, which are considered endangered
species. In order to prevent any illegal
gathering, between the months of July and
December, authorities of the Pacaya Samiria
National Reserve are responsible for the
gathering of the eggs that the turtles deposit
in the banks of the rivers allowing these eggs
the proper incubation time and a better chance
of survival for the little turtles. Also, the "paiche"
(Arapaima gigas), one of the biggest
fresh-water fish in the world, that can reach up
to eight feet long. The demand for its exquisite
meat has developed in an abuse for its hunting.
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is part of
the National System of Natural Areas and is
protected by the Peruvian Government. Its
administration is in hands of INRENA (National
Institute of Natural Resources) which has
offices in Lima and Iquitos. According to the
Master Plan for the Conservation of the
Biological Diversity and Sustainable Development
of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, tourists
have access only to determined zones of the
Reserve -previous payment of an entrance fee.
In the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve there are
94 communities, 21 of them of the Cocama -
Cocamilla ethnic group. The total population of
the Reserve is 42,000 people and their main
economic activities are centered around fishing,
agriculture, gathering and hunting, being the
first, their most important activity and main
source of food. The closest towns to the
Reserve are Nauta and Requena.
Bird List in Pacaya
Samiria
Pacaya Samiria Location Map
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