Description:  A unique northern-Peru/southern-Peru fish collecting opportunity thanks to a collaboration between GoWildPeru (based in far southern Peru) and MT Amazon Expeditions (based in the northern Peruvian lowland Amazon). Boat-based Amazon fish collecting trip out of Iquitos, Peru, with option of adding night-time Discus collecting on 18 & 19 August 2017 (additional cost and earlier arrival). Travel from Iquitos to Puerto Maldonado (Madre de Dios State in far southern Peru) on 26 August until 2 September 2017 for lodge-based cloud forest collecting. There is very little overlap in the fish fauna of the two sites, and while more species will be encountered in the Iquitos region, the Puerto Maldonado region has numerous cooler water specialties rarely seen in the aquarium hobby. 

Cost: $2,995 (includes Peru domestic airfares Iquitos-Lima, Lima-Puerto Maldonado). A deposit of $500 is required at time of booking so that airfares from Iquitos to Puerto Maldonado can be purchased. Travel insurance in case of cancellation is included. 

Itinerary: Depart Iquitos aboard the M/V Esperanza at 10 AM on Sunday 20 August 2017. Participants should arrive on an early flight on Sunday, or on Saturday 19 August (hotel included). Return to Iquitos around noon on Friday 25 August 2017, transfer of fish to exporter facilities and opportunity to purchase additional fish. On Saturday, 26 August, travel from Iquitos to Puerto Maldonado (via Lima). Collect in the Puerto Maldonado area from Sunday 27 August to Friday 1 September 2017. On Saturday 2 September, fly from Puerto Maldonado to Lima and onward destinations. 

Optional Extension: Add an additional week with GoWildPeru in southern Peru from 3-9 September 2017. Cost: $1000. Will include two nights at a local rainforest lodge. 

Optional Pre-Extension: Add an additional week in the Iquitos region from 13-18 August 2017 with MT Amazon Expeditions (see the Expedition Calendar on this website for details) 

Contacts:  Michael@GoWildPeru.com  /  Devon Graham

Discus collecting: Arrive in Iquitos by early afternoon on Friday 18 August 2017 for travel to a local fishing village on the black-water Nanay River. Accommodations aboard the M/V Esperanza riverboat. Each participant will be paired with a local fisherman for two nights of discus collecting using dug-out canoes. On Saturday 19 August, there is also the option of local day-time fish collecting. Cost to be advertised.