When you think of otters, you usually think of cute sea otters playing like puppies in the water. Giant river otters are definitely not as cute, although they do play and wrestle with one another. During our time at the Napo Wildlife Center in the Amazon rainforest we were fortunate enough to see a family of giant river otters on two separate occasions. They spent most of their time growling at us as we watched them from our canoe, but they still chased each other and rolled around on the ground playfully. Perhaps it is the harshness of living in the environment of the jungle that makes them a little more fierce and not as cute as other otters. They are also larger than most other otters, apparently as large as 70 pounds, which that adds to their impression. They are considered to be endangered, so seeing them is quite rare and we were very fortunate to have that opportunity more than once. We took a lot of photos and videos of them, but it probably won’t truly demonstrate what it was like to sit in a canoe just a few feet away from these fascinating creatures.
Growling at UsFamily MembersOur Very First View of the OttersLarge and FastGiving Us a Dirty LookHeading into the Trees
Just traveling to and from our lodge in the Amazon was as much of an adventure as the time we spent doing the various tours everyday. After landing at the airport in Coca, we went to the dock where we boarded a motorized canoe. Considering the heat and humidity of the jungle, having the breeze blow through the canoe was definitely a relief. We saw a variety of birds, but that was just a tease for what we would see later during our time deeper in the jungle. We passed oil refineries as well as barges carrying trucks up the river and our anticipation grew the further we traveled. After two and half hours, our canoe pulled up onto the shore and we were told to remove our shoes as the water was too shallow for the canoe to take us to the smaller, paddle canoes that would take us the final three hours to our lodge. Once we reached the paddle canoes, it was time to make our way through the narrow stream towards the lake with the lodge.
We Boarded the Motorized CanoeBirds following Our CanoeBarge with TrucksCrossing the BeachShallow Water to Cross
It did not rain while we were in the jungle, which was good for us, but made the travel in the stream more and more difficult as we left for our daily excursions. On the final day at the lodge, we boarded the canoe at 5:00 am and started making our way to meet the motorized canoe. About thirty minutes into the three hour journey, it started to rain. We put on ponchos that were provided by the guides and then the skies truly let loose and we were being pounded by a torrential downpour. Nothing could keep us dry, but fortunately our bags were wrapped in thick plastic in order to keep all of cameras and electronic equipment dry. It was a good thing too, since we had over two inches of water in the bottom of the canoe before we got out of the canoe. By the time we reached the location of the motorized canoe, it had rained so hard that the river had risen more than three feet. The beach that we had crossed on foot just the day before was now covered in water that was deep enough for our canoes to take us all of the way to the motorized canoe.
Paddle CanoesUsing Poles to NavigateRowing in the JungleWrapping our BelongingsOur Motorized Canoe
We transferred ourselves and our belongings onto the motorized canoe and began our two and a half hour ride back to Coca. The water was choppy and water sprayed over the sides of the boat even with the side-curtains down. We were no longer thankful for the wind that whipped through the boat as the heat of the jungle had been replaced with cold, rain-soaked air that chilled us to the bone. We arrived back in Coca, completely soaked, before getting on the plane that would take us back to Quito. We were definitely glad to get back to our hotel and change into dry clothes. The canoe rides to and from the lodge may not have been the highlight of our time in the Amazon, but it was definitely part of the overall adventure.
Ecuador is a country made up of three distinct regions, each with their own opportunities to discover. There is the coastal region, which also includes the Galapagos Islands, the highlands with the Andes mountains and all of the volcanoes, and the Amazon with the largest variety of plants and animals of any country. We did not visit the coastal region or the Galapagos Islands on this trip, but instead focused our time on the highlands and the Amazon.
Hiking a Volcano
One thing was immediately clear upon our arrival in Ecuador, it is a country that is embracing eco-tourism. Although the country is still heavily dependent on the revenue from oil, there is a conscious effort to embrace tourism as the future of the country. Changing the currency to the US dollar in 2000 has also made it easy for visitors from the States to travel to Ecuador. Spanish is the official language of Ecuador, but there are still many indigenous people who speak Quechua, and English is commonly spoken.
Middle of the World Monument
Our time in the highlands was highlighted by visiting three of the many volcanoes, both active and non-active, that exist in Ecuador. One of the most famous is Cotopaxi, which has been active since 2015, although fortunately it has only spewed ash and steam and not lava. The snow covered volcano peaks can be seen on clear days from the capital city of Quito and are a constant reminder to the volatility of the forces that have formed the landscape of Ecuador.
Cotopaxi Volcano
Ecuador gets its name from the equator line, which runs through the country. Visiting the equator actually involves seeing two separate sites. There is the equator monument, commonly referred to as the historical equator as it was originally calculated as the center of the world in 1736, but was later proven to be wrong. With the use of GPS, scientists were able to calculate the true equator, which is actually slightly north of the monument that people often visit. Going to both equator sites is worthwhile as it is interesting to learn about the history of the equator and how indigenous people were able to calculate the center of the world thousands of years ago even closer than more modern scientists.
True Equator
The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is considered to be the most biodiverse location on the earth with all of the varieties of birds, amphibians, insects, plants, and trees. It is run by a group of indigenous natives and even has two tribes inside of the park that have no contact with the outside world. Despite the reliance upon oil, Ecuador is trying to balance the need for drilling with the desire to protect their natural resources. Spending time in the park is something that was truly special and we will treasure forever.
Napo Wildlife Center in the Yasuni National Park
Ecuador is a wonderful country and we enjoyed the time that we spent in the country. We didn’t have enough time on this trip to visit the Galapagos Islands, so we will definitely return sometime in the future to go to the coastal regions. Considering the variety of things to see and do in Ecuador, it is definitely a country that deserves to be visited.
