Sausalito, CA – Wildlife specialist Wild Planet Adventures http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/ prides itself on knowing exactly where and when the world’s top wildlife viewing takes place. From the end of August through October the company invites guests to indulge their wildlife viewing dreams on a back-to-back Peruvian Amazon and Galapagos Islands program.
Why this particular time frame? For starters, it’s peak time for Peruvian Amazon wildlife with fireworks of sound and color from five species of macaws and 15 species of parrots and parakeets that congregate by the hundreds at the world’s largest avian clay licks located deep in the coveted Reserved Zones of Tambopata and Manu Biosphere.
A Wild Planet Adventures exclusive offers the best chance to view wild jaguars in their natural setting as participants kayak downriver silently at the first sign of dawn, looking for elusive cats along the riverbanks. Exceptionally high numbers of jaguars and tapirs have been seen as they visit the river to drink in the stillness of the morning.
“The Amazon Basin running down the eastern flank of Peru is the #1 region in the world for biodiversity,” explains Wild Planet Adventures’ director, Josh Cohen.
Cohen underscored that the Amazon’s huge tracks of primary virgin rainforest and secondary forest and their resulting biodiversities provide a higher chance of encountering rare wildlife than in Costa Rica. These include, for example, jaguars, Emperor tamarins (with moustaches), rare macaws, tapirs and eagles, among a known 200 species of mammals, 13 species of primates, and 1,000 species of birds.
Wild Planet Adventures offers two itinerary options in Peru, both of which also include visits to Machu Picchu, Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The 13 day itinerary is priced from $4,698 per person, double occupancy; the nine day itinerary begins at $2,998 per person, double. See: http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/content/view/9/28/
For travelers who wish to maximize their time in the region, Wild Planet Adventures recommends combining a Peru trip with an exploration of the nearby Galapagos Islands. In Ecuador’s Galapagos, August through October constitute several months of the garúa or dry season when harems of Galapagos sea lions are engaged in on-land birthing as colonies of bachelors cope nearby; in the highlands, 600-pound giant tortoises nest and lay eggs.
Cooler, dryer air and lower water temperatures prevail in these months creating ideal conditions for sea life and snorkeling. Manta ray congregate for plankton that arrives on colder currents, Galapagos penguins are friskier than usual while hammerhead sharks school in greater numbers. Most species of sea birds are active at their nesting sites providing prime viewing.
“The Galapagos is the world’s premier wildlife viewing destination, not because of the biodiversity there, which is actually quite small, but rather because of how close you can get to the wildlife,” said Cohen.
Eight day / seven night small ship cruises depart weekly, year round and can easily be combined with a Peru itinerary. For more information visit: