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.
The Hoatzin is often called the "dinosaur bird" because its chicks hatch with tiny claws on their wings. A remarkable trait that echoes some of Earth's earliest birds. Combined with its prehistoric appearance, it's easy to see how it earned the nickname.
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.
Most sloths spend their lives hidden deep in the foliage, making good photographs incredibly difficult. So it makes you appreciate the nice shots even more when you get them.
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.