5-Day Waorani Yasuni Kayak Expedition

This expedition begins in the city at the heart of the Amazon: Coca is recommended to arrive one day early. After meeting up with the group you will travel by car for two hours to the Shiripuno River. Then you will kayak for about five hours down the river, looking out for wildlife that dot the riverside and water below us. With some luck, you might see troops of squirrel monkeys as well as colorful birds such as toucans, macaws, flycatchers, and others. The guides will teach us about the different species of plants that grow on the side of the river and their meaning to the local people. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the campsite and have a delicious dinner.

Today you take a short hike into a pristine forest where you will explore the black water lagoon by kayak. Being their natural habitat, on sunny days anacondas can be found resting on the shore. The anaconda “Ove in Wuao Language” holds special importance to the local Wuaorani people who believe it is a very powerful animal embodying the spirit of a god. Here you will also have the chance to go fishing for piranha, which is an important staple in the local diet. If you are very lucky you may even be able to catch a catfish! Later you go back to the campsite for lunch and some rest, and in the late afternoon, you will go for a walk and search for insects and amphibians.

Keep an eye out for more wildlife species that tend to make their way out at this time of day. If you are lucky, you will be able to spot a variety of birds such as trogons, quetzals, eagles, hawks, tanagers, macaws, parrots, kingfishers, and others. You may also have the pleasure of happening upon tapir as this nocturnal animal likes to take a bath in the river every morning before going to sleep. You will go back to the Campsite by canoe and have lunch, this afternoon you will join the Wuaorani women and take a short walk to their yucca crops, there you will help them harvest these important products to make a traditional drink called Kene in Wuaorani if it is the right season you will also pick some fruits such as lemons, naranjilla, pineapple, plantains, and banana. This night you will go on a search for caimans, as it is easier to spot them by the reflection of the flashlight on their eyes.

Today you hike to the Clay Lick, a mineral rich mud pit. Many animals that live in the region sustain themselves through a diet of seeds and other small plants but supplement their diets with minerals by the clay. Due to it being such a popular spot for animals this is a prime area for hunters to catch their prized meal- the peccary, which according to locals is a delicacy. You will spend some time here in hopes of spotting one of the many animals that frequent the zone before returning to the campsite. Spend the afternoon with the family as you learn about the culture of these warriors.

Today after an early breakfast, you will take a canoe for 3 hours to reach back to the Shiripuno bridge, where you will take a car ride to go back to Coca, end of services.