Uakari Lodge: An Ecotourism Model in the Amazon
Posted by Giovanna Fasanelli
in Americas and Of Interest
The front of our canoe gently scrapes the muddy bank as we arrive at the forest edge. It’s barely 7 am but the damp heat of a sunny, equatorial morning is already taking hold. “Now, everyone, as we walk in, we’ll need absolute silence. The uakari will hear us long before they see us, so choose your steps carefully!”, urges Jonathan, my co-leader (and husband!). The opening chapter of our two-week adventure through the wilds of Brazil begins with a three-night visit to the remarkable, 4300-square-mile Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, situated in central Amazonia 400 miles west of Manaus city. This remarkable region preserves some of the Amazon’s largest and most pristine stretches of flooded forest, known locally as varzea, protecting thousands of species adapted to life in this watery wonderland and earning global recognition from both RAMSAR and UNESCO. The white Bald Uakari monkey is the most bizarre and famous of the animals unique to Mamirauá, and observing this highly localized Amazonian primate is undoubtedly one of the reserve’s greatest attractions.
Mamirauá is the life work and legacy of the legendary Brazilian primatologist, José Márcio Ayres, who arrived to study the uakaris in the early 1980s, before tirelessly dedicating the remainder of his life to creating a sanctuary for not only the charismatic primate, but also for the complex community of humans and animals, aquatic and arboreal, that shares its home. This marriage of sustainable ecosystem support with tourist dollars has borne successes elsewhere in the world, with outstanding examples demonstrated by reserves in African destinations such as Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania, where precious wilderness areas survive due, in no small part, to the value placed upon them by the tourism industry. In Brazil, this ecotourism model is still in its infancy, with countless areas screaming for protection from the devastating spread of commercial development. Almost one third of the world’s biodiversity lies within Brazil’s borders, and yet what is being actually preserved is nominal. Mamirauá is a shining beacon in this darkness, bringing to the international stage a pristine flooded forest habitat thronged with life.
As an adventure traveller, one can visit this wilderness with relative ease, requiring only a short flight from Manaus to the bustling port of Tefé and a two-hour motorboat ride upstream along the mighty Solimões River to the reserve’s quiet backwaters, where the magic of the forest truly unfolds. The reserve is home to over 40 species of mammal, twice the diversity of reptiles, more than 400 species of birds and an equal number of freshwater fishes, including the highly-prized, air-breathing Arapaima gigas, or Pirarucu, largest of all scaled freshwater fish. It doesn’t take long to realize that you’ve entered a magical wonderland: hundreds of cormorants and egrets scatter as the boat winds its way up narrow river channels, whilst squawking macaws wing overhead and troops of squirrel monkeys squeak from the foliage at the river’s edge. Two species of river dolphins, the smaller Grey and peculiar Pink, also make regular appearances and, as you approach your lodging, the undulating roars of howler monkeys wash over the forest. This is truly the Amazon of your imagination!
Uakari Lodge
The Uakari Lodge itself is as remarkable in its location as it is in its design: built on huge, floating Balsa logs, it is secured to one side of the river by flexible, sub-surface ropes. As the flood waters ebb and flow throughout the seasons, the Uakari floating jungle lodge simply moves with it, a difference of over 30 feet in height between low and high water! The staff is comprised almost exclusively of members of the local river communities and together they look after your every need, whether it be a tasty fish barbecue, a cold caipirinha, or spotting a uakari monkey in the canopy. The Uakari Lodge not only provides much needed income to these communities but the scientific research conducted within the reserve has led to life-changing educational programs, allowing locals to live in greater harmony with their natural resources. The finest example of this principle at work is that of the mighty Pirarucu, which was brought back from near extirpation through the implementation of scientifically-founded fishing methods; Mamirauá is now considered to hold the healthiest population of this priceless fish, a cornerstone of survival for the river peoples.
When the floodwaters peak, usually between December and July, the prime activity is quiet canoeing through the forest. The unique serenity of this has to be experienced to be fully understood, as one glides between the trees, alert to the slightest sounds of life. An average excursion yields excellent primate sightings, notably the other endemic species found here, the diminutive Black-headed Squirrel Monkey, as well as more widely distributed Amazonian species, such as Colombian Red Howlers, Large-headed Capuchins, and Ecuadorean Squirrel Monkeys. A veritable gamut of birds, from the elusive Agami and Boat-billed Herons to the critically endangered and highly sought-after Wattled Curassows, fill every spare minute, as do the innumerable Black Caimans, some of whom glide right past the walkways of the Uakari Lodge.
But the true prize is the endangered and highly localised Bald Uakari, and it is here, staying at the Uakari floating lodge, that one stands the only reasonable chance of observing it in the wild. As a shy and fast-moving primate, one’s expectation of finding one should be kept in check, but we set out on our first morning with hearts full of hope! We heed Jonathan’s instructions and take to the path, now easily traversed on foot during the dry season, being careful not to step on too many twigs as we move deeper into the forest. We walk for a good four hours, discovering many beautiful birds and all possible primates… except for our desired quarry! The soporific heat acts like a tranquilliser on the forest, with everyone and everything going quiet. Cold beers beckon our group back to the Uakari Lodge, whilst Jonathan and I continue the search. We cover more ground by taking different paths, carefully listening for subtle, telltale sound of fruits falling from the canopy. Along with the parrots, uakaris are a major seed predator, possessing specialized teeth in their lower jaws that scrape away the hard flesh of unripe fruits to expose the protein-rich seed beneath. Another hour passes, and then a broken crackle comes through on the radio. I run to the forest edge, seeking a clearer signal. “One male… relaxed… get the…”. I race for the canoe, collect the others, and we meet up with Jonathan, who confirms his find of one, encouragingly relaxed, male uakari! After hurrying down the path, we finally connect with our local guide, who excitedly points upwards. There in the canopy, 100 feet above our heads, sits a male uakari in all his glory, his scarlet face peering nonchalantly down upon our huffing group! This animal is truly something else: a thick, shaggy white coat would suggest a life fit for the Siberian winter, whilst a stumpy, thickly furred bob-tail hangs down like an afterthought, and a small, brilliantly red, bald head skews all imaginably reasonable proportions. The red color of the face is, in fact, created by blood vessels visible through unpigmented skin, purportedly the redder the better, for this advertises to potential female suitors that they are not suffering from diseases such as malaria, which turns their faces sickly pale! Our group not only saw the uakari but we photographed him and even recorded video through the spotting scope! Later during our time at Mamirauá, we located another troop of uakaris feeding at the river’s edge but this viewing was characteristically brief, as they scampered out of sight at the approach of the canoes. We felt massively privileged to have enjoyed the prolonged encounter two days before!
As one departs Mamirauá and the Uakari Lodge, having experienced a small slice of its startling biodiversity and having been exposed to the local river people’s remarkable adaptations to life in this dynamic part of the world, one cannot help but breathe a sigh of relief that this precious habitat is protected for posterity. It seems that a working ecotourism model has found a home in the Amazon, spanning the bridge between two worlds: sustainable conservation, and wildlife tourism. As we lose more of our wilderness to the rising tidal wave of humanity, these destinations will surely become all the more critical. By visiting the Uakari floating jungle lodge and Mamirauá, we help to keep this magic alive; it’s a win-win solution that’s well worth supporting. And who would have thought that a red-faced, bald-headed, furry, tree-dweller would become such a symbol of hope in the Amazon, hope that we can safeguard our wild places and offer the chance of a healthy future to all who live therein?
Learn more about our Brazil expedition to the Uakari Lodge and other wildlife treasures of the Amazon and Pantanal on our Brazil tours page.
