The state created it in 1972 to stop predation between the Pacaya and Samiria river basins, a territory as large as Israel or El Salvador.
El Dorado, where we will go is just one of the eighty lagoons that exist in that paradise. The lagoon is a body of dark water that reflects the sky and the huge trees of the jungle. The paiche, Arapaima gigas, is a giant fish that measures up to 3 meters, weighs more than a quarter of a ton and feeds by sucking other fish as if they were candies. It is known as the King of the Amazon because there was a time when he had no predators. He is now a fallen king and on the brink of extinction. Despite this, there are those who believe in the salvation of the paiche, interested NGOs have been working hard since the end of 1994. We quote one of the most moving experiences, which happened in the El Dorado Lake, in the community of Manco Cápac, a site located two days from Iquitos.
A group made up of biologists, fishermen and fishing engineers visited this place in the hope of finding the paiche, the overexploitation of its great natural resources were at the limit, the explorers found desolation, the remains of boats on the banks of the lake, proof of the passage of man.
On the fifth day of the search, they planned to return to Iquitos until, by a stroke of luck, they were able to find 4 young paiche. One of the fishermen remembers his feeling: It was like finding survivors after a nuclear explosion, says William Maldonado.
More than twenty years have passed, El Dorado seemed the scene of a biblical miracle. The four surviving paiche have been reproduced and now more than 1500 Amazon kings are swimming in the water. Thanks to the protocols and the same people who now call themselves Yacu Taytas, which in Quechua means parents of water, use the resources in a sustainable way. Their story inspires many other communities.
You can observe this majestic fish in its natural habitat and learn more about this freshwater predator as well as the immense diversity of fauna that exists in the Amazon in the city of Iquitos.
Aboard the majestic three-story high Delfin I cruise ship with all the comforts for our guests; with daily activities of day and night visiting animals in their habitat and wild flora, guided boat trips, swim with pink dolphins in the Amazon, paddle through the virgin jungle, walk on the hanging bridges at the height of the tops of the trees to listen to the sound of the Amazon; as well as taste typical foods of the area inside the boat. All this and more can be found in our INSPIRING LUXURY HOLIDAY 12 DAYS package
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