As the boat heads steadily upstream to Refugio Amazonas, the
passengers see a Side-necked Turtle now and then. Itís a lazy
afternoon and the tropical sun is glinting off of the water and
off the leaves of big, riverside trees. Not much else is moving
expect for the occasional group of butterflies on the shore.
Yellow, white, and patterned in red and black, they seem to
prefer some of the same spots as the turtles. In fact, some are
even sitting on the turtleís shells. The reptiles donít seem to
mind though and refuse to budge an inch as butterflies even sit
on the tip of their noses. The turtles only move when the boat
gets too close. Dropping off of logs and river rocks, they
quickly sink beneath the surface and are hidden from view. You
canít blame them for being shy as they are still recovering from
being hunted by people who live along the river. The Yellow-
spotted Side-necked Turtle (Podocnemis unifilus) is the most
frequently seen species of turtle on the Tambopata River and
most guests visiting the eco