Amazon Pink River Dolphin Trip Report 2026
- Trip 1 -
Amazon River, Brazil
June 30 - July 4, 2026
Every expedition into the Amazon tells a different story.
Some days begin with thick jungle fog and curious pink river dolphins. Others are spent searching the canopy for sloths, photographing monkeys, colorful birds, or quietly drifting through flooded forests where every bend in the river holds the possibility of a new discovery.
This journal follows our 2026 Amazon Pink River Dolphins expedition day by day. Rather than sharing only the highlights, you'll experience the trip as it unfolded, its surprises, challenges, unforgettable wildlife encounters, and the quiet moments that make the Amazon one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.
June 30, 2026. Arrival Day
We were picked up from our hotel this morning and driven to the ferry dock. It's always a bit of a roller coaster ride through the suburbs of Manaus on our way to the jungle.
Cities have never really been my favorite places to be.
For me, the adventure begins the moment you step aboard one of the colorful little boats they use throughout the Amazon. They're long, narrow, lightweight, and powered by shallow-water motors that can be lifted almost completely out of the water when the river gets too shallow. They aren't fancy, but they're perfect for life out here.
After checking in, we headed to the mess hall for lunch. Meals are served buffet style with plenty of local dishes mixed in. The food is always good, and before long everyone had settled into the slower rhythm of the Amazon.
3:50 p.m. Time for our first outing of the trip.
The search for sloths begins.
I have a few photo goals this season. The first is finally photographing a two-toed sloth… so far that species has eluded me.
The second is finding a mother carrying her baby. I'd also love a photograph of a sloth swimming across one of the rivers. Those moments are lucky and incredibly special.
Our first sloth was a female.
The second was a male. Male three-toed sloths have a beautiful orange patch across their upper backs, making them easy to identify. Unfortunately, both animals were tucked into difficult positions for photography, covered by branches and tree leaves. The male eventually turned his head toward us, giving us at least one decent opportunity. The female never moved.
Since this group also enjoys bird photography, we're stopping whenever something interesting appears. There's one bird in particular I didn’t know a lot about but now that I know this bird exists, I want this bird. The Hoatzin. It is a strange-looking, prehistoric, and unlike almost anything else out here.
Their diet is almost entirely leaves, and they have a unique adaptation when they are born, they have claw like fingers on their wings. If threatened by a predator the chicks will fling themselves from their nests into the flooded forest below and then use their claw like arms to climb back up the tree and back into their nests.
I managed a proof-of-life shot today, but I'd love to snap a clean portrait of one. Now that I know how cool this bird is, I really want a nice portrait shot.
Anna spotted our third sloth of the afternoon, a huge male high in the canopy. He was positioned okay, but the light wasn't cooperating. He was backlite, leaving his face buried in shadow… another proof of life image.
Then came sloth number four.
Another beautiful male...
...and another terrible position.
Nature has a funny way of doing that.
Photographing sloths in the wild isn't nearly as easy as people think. In places like Costa Rica, some of the famous sloth photographs always seem to be perfect. A sloth moving across the tree out in the open, on the perfect branch, on the perfect tree. But I know that is not the case, photographing sloths is difficult. They are naturally very shy and if they are disturbed tend to ball up and hide their faces. Our boats are loud so sneaking up on them is not easy. But we try hard not to disturb the vegetation whenever we are around them, so that they continue on with their day and we get a chance to photograph them eating or climbing up a tree.
Even when we do find a cooperative sloth, capturing nice images is difficult.
Sometimes the branches are in the way.
Sometimes the light is awful.
Sometimes the sloth simply refuses to look at you.
But, that’s wildlife photography.
As the afternoon faded, so did the light. Thick clouds rolled overhead, making an already challenging day even darker. With the sun dropping quickly toward the horizon, we pointed the boat back toward camp.
It has already been a good day one.
Tomorrow morning… Our first session with the Amazon's famous pink river dolphins begins.