Myths, Legends, and Wonders of an Amazon River Cruise in Peru

Movement catches my eye as I open the drapes of my cabin’s floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s my first morning in the Peruvian Amazon, aboard the Zafiro for a river cruise with Jungle Experiences. A dolphin arcs through the murky river framed by the emerald green of the rainforest. I can’t believe my good fortune at spotting one already.

Seeing an abundance of wildlife on an Amazon cruise in Peru is pretty much guaranteed, though you never know which ones. “We’re not going to a zoo, but we try to do our best,” says Hulber Paredes, one of Zafiro’s expert naturalists. The Amazon basin is home to thousands of species: 427 mammals, 378 reptiles, 400 amphibians, 1,300 birds, and 3,000 freshwater fish, all living amongst 40,000 plant species. My trip focuses on Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the country’s largest national park.

I’m eager to see several new-to-me wild creatures — capybaras, giant otters, pink dolphins — though just fine skipping anything creepy-crawly. But as I learn about the legends and beliefs of the people who live alongside this massive river, I reevaluate my list of the wildlife I do and do not want to see.

Cruises on the Amazon in Peru are aboard river boats with about 15 or 20 cabins. Expect two or three excursions each day — interspersed with sumptuous meals and time to relax — out on the river in skiffs looking for wildlife and visiting local communities to learn about life in the Amazon basin. Low water season (June to November) includes hikes into the jungle while high water season (November to May) features paddling kayaks between tree trunks deeper into the flooded rainforest. Sharp-eyed, incredibly knowledgeable naturalists lead the way, ensuring their guests see as many animals as possible, even tiny and well-camouflaged ones.

Peru’s Amorous Amazonian Dolphins?

About to board the skiff for my first day’s morning excursion, I check with Paredes whether my dolphin sighting is accurate. He confirms that grey tucuxi dolphins frequent the part of the river where we’re tied up and says we’ll likely see several more, along with pink dolphins, tomorrow. He also says that some people consider seeing river dolphins a bad omen, made even worse if the dolphin makes eye contact with you.

The pink dolphin, also called the boto or bufeo, is deemed sacred by some who live alongside its home in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Killing one, even by accident, is said to result in the animal’s spirit taking revenge on the perpetrator. Some believe river dolphins bring good luck and some the opposite. One legend says that the pink dolphin takes human form and kidnaps lone swimmers who are never seen again. Then there’s the legend of the boto that shapeshifts into a good-looking man — sometimes wearing white and with a hat to cover his dolphin blowhole — who seduces women and leaves them pregnant with no memory of his exploits. Now I’m having second thoughts about seeing one with my own eyes.

We do indeed see many dolphins, both the grey tucuxi and the pink boto. In low water season, they often hunt together at a specific spot where the Marañón and Yanayacu rivers meet, not far off the wide Amazon. Though born grey, Amazonian pink dolphins get pinker as they get older. Paredes describes the multiple theories for their colouring. A large part of their diet is pink crustaceans (just like flamingos) and, as they age, botos develop a melanin deficiency and their skin thins. Botos also have capillaries very close to the surface of their skin, so the more energy they exert, the more their red blood flows — much like how humans get red-faced from exercise. I watch several botos turn from grey to mottled rose to bubblegum as they leap.

Colour aside, I’m surprised how different botos look from their ocean cousins, even from the grey tucuxis that live in the same habitat. Botos are skinnier, without a prominent dorsal fin, and with a very long beak. Like beluga whales, their necks are flexible and they can change the shape of their “melon” foreheads. I can completely understand being creeped out if one of these large colour-changing creatures turns its head to look you in the eye. I also learn that the botos have a brain capacity 40% larger than humans … seems pretty wise to be wary of such a being. Though I’m happy to have checked Amazonian river dolphins off my list, I’m also relieved that they surface so briefly that there’s no way we’ve made eye contact.

Wild Creatures of the Amazon

Legends, myths, and folklore are a part of every society — they help humans make sense of their world, are a memorable way to share important lessons, and help create a sense of belonging within a community.

Some stories are unique, while others echo around the world. Ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ concepts of good and bad fortune, for example, shaped the superstitions of medieval Europe and then spread further — unlucky black cats and lucky ladybugs persist today in many cultures. In the Amazon, legends feature local wildlife and, as elsewhere, details differ depending on where the teller comes from. What’s clear, though, is that my initial classification of the “best” animals to see in Peru has drawbacks.

Sloths: Sloths feature high on the must-see list of many who visit the Amazon and both the two-toed and three-toed types live in Peru. Zafiro naturalist Usiel Vásquez spots one high in a tree and we stop to gaze at it for a while, thrilling everyone on our skiff.

But we learn that sloths are a bad omen, too. Pregnant women in the region will often cover themselves with a blanket to prevent seeing one, a cautionary practice meant to ensure their baby isn’t born with a sloth face. We watch the sloth, its long arms hugging a tree trunk, until it gives us a slow nod and then turns away to continue its nap. I wonder if I’d so nonchalantly stare through my binoculars at his fuzzy face if I were planning to have a baby.

MORE AMAZON: How Nature Nurtures

Anacondas: One beast I, at least initially, have zero interest in seeing is the anaconda. During a hike through the rainforest, Vásquez beckons our little group to gather quietly just off the main path. I don’t understand why until I realize an immense black-polka-dotted snake is draped through the branches of a sparsely leaved, sun-dappled tree. And blending perfectly. Vásquez tells us it’s taking a sunbath while digesting, en route between the lake where it likely ate and the river. The anaconda’s body is twisted around so many times I can’t tell how long it is, but I’m told they can grow to 26 feet (8 meters) and swim 20 feet (6 meters) per second. Shudder.

But several Amazonian snake legends make me think differently about the slithery animal. The Boiúna is a giant black anaconda that protects the waterways of the Amazon and creates new tributaries and streams. Its ability to shed its skin teaches transformation and reinforces that one must let go of the old so renewal can occur. Sachamama, the mother of the forest, is a protective boa constrictor. She ensures balance, teaches respect and wisdom to those seeking to exploit the Amazon’s treasures, and can induce illnesses in those who trespass. Important lessons.

Real and Imagined Animals of Peru

Maybe the cute animals aren’t all they’re cracked up to be and the slithery-crawly ones aren’t so bad (I do need to remind myself of that idea while cautiously watching a supposedly half-grown tarantula the size of a dinner plate).

During my trip to Peru’s Amazon, I see the mix: vivid macaws, hundreds of egrets, a yellow-crowned brush-tailed tree rat, a large and squiggly centipede that falls from a tree, several monkey species (some also rumored to be able to shapeshift into human form), caiman, massive toads, colorful butterflies, an orange and blue poison dart frog, silverback catfish, and much, much more. Importantly, thanks to Paredes and Vásquez, I have a greater understanding of the risks the wildlife and their habitat face and about much-needed efforts to conserve them.

As I admire a pensive-looking frog perching at eye level in a rainforest tree, I’m reminded of the legend of El Mayantum. Another shape-shifter, it has the face of a toad and the ability to camouflage the rest of its elf-like body into tree bark. The Yagua people, who live near Iquitos where I began my journey, call the spirit the God of Good. El Mayantum is said to try to confuse people who want to harm the rainforest, but help those who want to protect it. All the more reason to respect Peru’s Amazon and the legends of the people who live in it.

MORE ABOUT VISITING THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

Getting There: The only direct flights from Canada to Peru are with Air Transat. Fly from either Toronto or Montreal nonstop to Lima (Porter Airlines offers convenient connections from cities like Vancouver). I was pleasantly surprised by Air Transat’s Club Class — two delicious meals served on actual dishes, drinks, more snacks than even I could eat, super comfortable seats (just two on each side of the aisle), plus kind, efficient service on the ground and in the air.

From Lima, fly to Iquitos via LATAM Airlines Peru, Sky Airline, or Star Peru (a window seat brings the best views of snow-capped mountains in the Andes and the twisting Amazon). From Iquitos, your cruise line will drive you to your embarkation point in the port town of Nauta.

Where to Stay: Lima’s new Jorge Chávez International Airport, right next door to the current airport, officially opens March 30, 2025. You can book an airport hotel like the Costa del Sol but why go all the way to Peru without visiting Lima for a few days plus flying to Cusco to explore the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu? In Lima, stay at AC Hotel Lima Miraflores, a Marriott property just across the street from cliffs that tower above the Pacific, or at eco-hotel Iberostar Selection Miraflores, two blocks inland but still with ocean views. In the Andes, luxe stays are at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, Tambo del Inka in the Sacred Valley, and Sumaq Machu Picchu in the ancient citadel’s base town.

Jungle Experiences is a family-owned company with 80% of onboard staff local to the Iquitos area. It offers luxury Amazon cruises for three, four, six, and seven nights aboard the Zafiro, La Perla, and the Amatista. Sustainability is integrated throughout the company’s operations and its staff work closely with several local communities on tree-planting, butterfly and turtle protection, handicraft, and other projects.

Where to Eat: Meals and snacks will be provided by your cruise (likely for the drive between Nauta and Iquitos too). Don’t miss Peruvian specialties like ceviche and the pisco sour, though I think the maracuyá (passionfruit) version is even more delicious. Sample every unique Peruvian fruit you can — some are found nowhere else on the planet.