Amazon Pink River Dolphin Trip Report 2026
- Week 2 -

Amazon River, Brazil
July 5 - 9, 2026

July 5, 2026. Week Two Begins

11:00 AM. Day one of week two is underway.

Our new group of friends has arrived, everyone has checked into the hotel, and the adventure begins all over again.

2:00 PM. We're heading out to search for sloths.

It's a little earlier than usual because Brazil is shutting down around 4:00 PM for the World Cup match, so we wanted to get into the field before everything closed.

Along the way we spotted a Hoatzin, but once again it stayed just out of reach for a clean photograph. I still haven't gotten the image I'm after, but I have a few days left this season.

I'll get that bird.

A few clouds rolled in this afternoon, softening the harsh Amazon sun and making the heat a little more bearable. If we found a sloth, the lighting would be much nicer than the bright midday sun.

We ended up finding two sloths in different locations.

Both were tucked deep into the foliage, making photography difficult.

No portfolio images today, but everyone came away with decent proof-of-life photographs.

Most importantly, our streak is still alive.

We've now found sloths every single day we've been out here, thirteen sloths so far this season, including the first two of week two.

As we wrapped up the afternoon, a few botos appeared along the riverbank, hunting for fish. We stayed topside and watched them work the shoreline.

The highlight was a tiny baby boto swimming alongside the adults, the smallest one I've seen out here.

It was a nice welcome for our new guests and a reminder that every day on the Amazon has some magic to offer.

I'm excited for what this new week has in store for us.

My Photo Goals for Week Two

• over under photos of the dolphins

• jumping dolphin shots

• A two-toed sloth

• A sloth swimming across the river

• A mother sloth with her baby

• A clean portrait of a Hoatzin

• A clean portrait of a Greater Ani

But beyond the photographs, my biggest goal is simply to spend more time getting to know these animals, this land, and this place.

The week begins.

July 6, 2026. Day Two

We started the morning at the Dolphin House, and before we even got in the water there were already two botos waiting for us.

The first was Zack, the sick dolphin thats been hanging around. No one knows what is wrong with him. My hope is that none of the other dolphins get sick.  

Alongside him was a new dolphin that was almost entirely grey. He was absolutely beautiful, with dark grey skin broken up by soft pink patches. 

Our dolphin guide Erico, said her name was Mariscal.

Such an incredible color combination.

The morning only got better from there.

Five different dolphins visited us throughout the session. Julian, the dominant big male, made his appearance, along with Frank, the young juvenile who always is curious and loves the attention.

Everyone was completely captivated with Frank. He is so damn cute. 

 We spent a fun morning in the water with the dolphins, watching them interact with us and with one another.

One of my favorite moments wasn't with the guests, it was with Erico, our dolphin feeder.

He grabbed his GoPro, slipped beneath the surface, and in between working with the dolphins, spent his free time diving down over and over, chasing a particular image he wanted to create.

I love seeing that.

For him, this is more than a job.

He genuinely enjoys being with these dolphins, naming them, and his excitement is contagious.

Once he explained to me the type of photograph he was trying to create, I now want that image too.

That's one of the things I love most about the Dolphin House. The water is much deeper than at the beach, giving us completely different angles and perspectives that simply aren't possible anywhere else.

3:00 PM

After lunch we headed out to look for sloths.

Along the way we came across a large pod of tucuxi dolphins, the smaller grey river dolphins that share these waters with the botos. They're usually much more active on the surface and often leap clear of the water, so we waited, hoping for a few jumps.

Today wasn't their day.

After watching them for a while, we continued our search for sloths, keeping an eye out for a Hoatzin as well.

A rain shower passed through during lunch, leaving behind thick clouds and wonderfully soft light. The overcast sky cooled everything down, and we were hopeful the sloths would be out feeding.

We searched...

And searched...

But today belonged to the forest.

Not a single sloth revealed itself.

You know what… I don't mind days like this.

They remind me that wildlife is never guaranteed. The animals don't perform on command, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes every encounter so special. If we found sloths every time we went looking, they wouldn't mean nearly as much.

We did manage to find a Greater Ani, but it never gave us the opportunity for a photograph.

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is our day.

July 7, 2026. Day Three

We started the morning at the Dolphin House, waiting our turn to get into the water. It was busy today, with visitors arriving from all over. It's easy to understand why. For many people visiting the Amazon, meeting a boto is the highlight of their trip.

These pink river dolphins are one of the apex predators of this river ecosystem, and they are every bit as beautiful as they are mysterious.

The first dolphin we spotted was Mariscal, the dark grey female with soft pink freckles that visited us yesterday. He had disappeared before I had a chance to photograph him, since I waited until all of our guests had enjoyed their time in the water first.

I was hoping today would be different.

If Julian, the dominant male, showed up, I figured Mariscal would probably disappear.

Fortunately, she stayed.

We spent the morning with her, but Mother Nature had other plans for the photographers. Thick rain clouds blocked the sun, leaving the water unusually dark. Underwater photography became a real challenge.

Our group is a fun mix of photographers and people who simply want the experience of swimming with the dolphins. The non-photographers had an incredible time.

The photographers... well, we spent a lot of time adjusting camera settings and trying to find enough light to do Mariscal justice.

But that's wildlife photography.

3:00 PM. This afternoon we headed toward the monkey grounds to visit the habituated monkeys.

Along the way we found our first sloth of the day, a small male tucked high into the trees.

A little farther down the road we found another male.

This one was actively feeding on fresh leaves, completely out in the open. We photographed him for several minutes as he slowly worked his way through the branches.

Then everything came together.

He lifted his head into a perfectly lit opening, looked directly at us, and gave us a chance to capture a portrait shot we'd all been hoping for.

It was the best sloth encounter of the trip so far.

Soft light. His face visible. His back in the frame. Beautiful green foliage surrounding him. Everything just came together for a few perfect seconds.

I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.

A few moments later he realized we were watching him, tucked his face in, and settled into sleep mode.

That was our cue to leave.

Sometimes you know you've already been given the best photograph you're going to get.

So I quietly thanked him... and thanked the forest... for the gift.

Then we continued our search for monkeys.

Before reaching them, we found a third sloth, a female.

Unfortunately, she had chosen a tree full of branches that obscured nearly every angle. No thick leaves, but a tangle of tree branches. 

Eventually we found a troop of spider monkeys and spent a wonderful session photographing them.

Two mothers carrying babies stole the show.

They were incredibly photogenic, climbing effortlessly through the canopy.

After a while the monkeys settled into a tree that happened to be home to a colony of ants. Before long the biting ants became too much, and the entire troop moved on.

We searched for capuchin monkeys afterward, but they never appeared.

On our drive home we came across several Hoatzins. Unfortunately, they all chose cluttered trees that made photography nearly impossible. Beautiful birds... frustrating perches.

We also spotted a stunning hawk with bright yellow eyes, a red beak, and dark slate-grey feathers. It was gorgeous.

Then something unexpected happened.

On the drive back, Liesje spotted another sloth sitting high in a tree with almost no branches around it.

This was a big deal.

It's exactly the image I'd been visualizing for days, a sloth on an open branch with a clean background.

The lighting was terrible though, so I don't know if the photographs will be anything special.

But that's not what mattered.

I had quietly imagined that scene. I had asked for it. Then I let it go.

And the very next day, there it was.

As we made our way back to town, the sun dropped below the horizon and painted the Amazon River in beautiful warm light.

It was one of those evenings where everything seemed to slow down.

Today was a gift.

I'm incredibly grateful.

What a day.

July 8, 2026. Day Four.

This morning we headed to David's boto house, a different location than the one we've been visiting. That meant we'd have a chance to meet and photograph dolphins we hadn't seen before. I always love meeting new botos.

We had one dolphin come in almost immediately, a beautiful female.

She was pretty.

She was a little shy and a bit reluctant to approach at first, but eventually she came close enough that everyone enjoyed some quality time photographing him.

In the background were two more dolphins, but they never quite worked up the courage to join us.

At one point a small baby dolphin came flying through the area at full speed. It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. There wasn't even time to raise the camera.

This was our dolphin’s baby.

Towards the end of our morning session, the young dolphins cautiously joined the party. They were much shyer than our main boto and stayed well back from us the entire time.

David knew his dolphins well. He would hand the larger dolphin a scooby snack, and while it swam off to eat, the smaller dolphins would quickly sneak in hoping to grab a fish of their own.

They were so small and beautiful.

Damn... I love these guys.

At 3:00 p.m. we headed to an Indigenous community for their traditional ayahuasca dance performed for visitors.

It's an important part of the Amazon experience. Seeing how Indigenous families have lived, hunted, fished, and survived along these rivers for generations adds another layer to understanding this incredible place.

The Amazon is more than just lush rainforest and spectacular wildlife. It's also about the people who have called these rivers home for thousands of years. Sadly, many of the old traditions are disappearing as the communities become smaller, making experiences like this feel even more meaningful. Getting to witness even a small piece of that story is something I believe every visitor should experience.

After leaving the village, we spent the afternoon searching the trees along the riverbank for wildlife.

We found a large male sloth, but as soon as it heard the boat it curled itself tightly into a ball. From below, it looked remarkably like one of the termite nests hanging high in the trees, an incredible form of camouflage.

We continued cruising, hoping to find a hoatzin or another sloth, but the forest stayed quiet.

Eventually we decided to call it a day and stop at one of the floating river bars for a cocktail while watching the sunset.

On our way to the float pub, I looked up and immediately spotted another sloth stretched out in the open high in the canopy.

A big male.

He was feeding peacefully, completely exposed, while the warm evening sunlight poured through the trees and illuminated him perfectly.

Damn... it was beautiful.

Everyone grabbed their cameras, and we all managed to capture images of our big guy.

I was on fire inside.

The light was the kind photographers dream about. I turned for a moment and photographed a few of our guests, they were all bathed in that same golden light.

We stayed with him for a while before quietly leaving him to finish his dinner.

It was our last sloth of the trip, and honestly, I can't think of a better way to end the evening.

Well... maybe the cocktail at the floating pub came close.

But no… the sloth was better.

What a magical way to finish another unforgettable day in the Amazon.

July 9, 2026. Day Five

It was time to go home.

But before we left, we had one final morning at Boto Beach... and what a send off it was.

Five dolphins were waiting for us. Zach, our sick dolphin, was there, along with two adult females and their juvenile calves.

The two youngsters were absolutely flying through the water, streaking in and out of the shallows.

They were so damn cute.

Curious about the people, curious about the cameras, and getting surprisingly good at stealing little bits of fish whenever David, our dolphin feeder, tossed food to the adults.

Everything about the morning was perfect.

The light. The water. The deep blue sky.

Boto Beach glowed in the morning sun, giving us the perfect farewell to the Amazon and an unforgettable ending to this expedition.

Too soon, time caught up with us.

As much as I knew we had to leave, I wasn't ready. Even after two weeks here, I wanted just one more morning with these incredible dolphins.

Eventually we climbed aboard the boat and headed back to the lodge, where we changed clothes, gathered our gear, and began the long journey home.

What an amazing two weeks.

We met incredible dolphins, photographed unforgettable moments, and once again found ourselves reminded why we keep coming back to this remarkable place.

We couldn't have asked for a better ending.

Until next season...

We'll be back.

Obrigado, Amazonas.

Experience the Amazon for Yourself

If swimming with the incredible pink river dolphins of the Amazon is on your bucket list, we'd love to have you join us next season. Every expedition is different, but the magic of the Amazon never disappoints.

👉 Click here to learn more about our Amazon Pink River Dolphin Expedition.