30th Amazon River Expedition

December 30, 2009 - January 10, 2010

Rio Negro Low Water Expedition

You're invited to join our next voyage on the spectacular Rio Negro in Brazil, leaving Wednesday, December 30, 2009 from Houston.  This will be our 30th expedition over the past 14 years that we have taken the ultimate field trip into the magnificent lowland rainforests of the Amazon River for research and ecology study.  All of our expeditions are designed for college students, faculty, alumni, family, friends and members of the community who would like to experience the world's largest rainforest and its cornucopia of animals, plants and wonderful people.  

The Amazon is the largest river system in the world, containing about one-sixth of the planet's total surface freshwater.  Because of its tropical climate and unique geography - high areas (called shields) to the north and south, the Andes Mountains to the west, and very little drop in elevation for over 3000 miles - the Amazon experiences seasonal changes in water levels like no other place in the world.  Each year from December to May heavy rainfall all over northern South America drains into the Amazon lowlands and causes the rivers and tributaries to rise 30-40 feet.  The rains subside from May through November and the rivers slowly drain out into the Atlantic Ocean.  The ecology of the plants and animals in the Amazon rainforests, as well as the people who live there, is closely aligned with and dependent on these annual floods.  

This year's December - January expedition will occur at the beginning of the rainy season when the river levels are at their yearly lowest.  It is the very best time to travel the beautiful blackwater streams that feed the bigger rivers and explore the forests on their banks.  Low water also forces all of the fish out of the flooded forests and into the streams, so it’s also the best time of year to catch many of the exotic fishes of the Rio Negro, including peacock bass, black piranhas, silver piranhas, aruanas, golden herring, catfish and more.  For the non-fisherpeople among us, we’ll also have tremendous opportunities for birding and spotting monkeys, caimans and other creatures that come to the rivers’ edges for water.

We will live and travel aboard the Dorinha, a typical Amazon riverboat built in 2005.  The boat offers the basic essentials for comfortable travel in each of 12 air-conditioned, double-occupancy cabins with private toilet and shower.  Delicious regional-style meals are prepared by a talented cook and served in a common dining room that has a full bar and library of books on Amazon wildlife and natural history.  The top level of the boat is designed for birdwatching and wildlife viewing, reading or just relaxing.  Each day we will leave the main boat to explore the Rio Negro in motorized canoes, stopping often to go hiking, fishing or birdwatching.

The captain of the Dorhina, Moacir Fortes, Jr. (“Junior” to us), is the son of legendary Amazonian guide and naturalist, Moacir Fortes.  He shares his father’s gift for storytelling and fishing, has explored the river since he was a small child and is a degreed biologist specializing in Amazon frogs.  In addition to our Houston groups, the Fortes family hosts expeditions for the New York Botanical Garden, the World Wildlife Fund, Bat Conservation International and other universities.   The trip leader is Dr. Cindy Howard, who teaches ecology, environmental toxicology and tropical rainforest ecology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.  She has been studying the ecology and ecotoxicology of the Rio Negro and Amazon since 1991 and has led 29 research and ecology study expeditions to the Amazon for UHCL since 1996.  

Our journey will begin on Wednesday, December 30 when we will travel from Houston  through Atlanta to Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, board the Dorinha and begin our adventure.  Over the next 10 days of our expedition, we will work our way upstream on the Rio Negro past the Rio Branco.  We will explore and go fishing in beautiful blackwater tributaries with names like Jauaperi, Agua Boa, Aturia, and Cuieras.  We’ll see caimans, monkeys, river dolphins, sloths, iguanas, and many different species of birds, including macaws, parrots, manakins and more - maybe even a harpy eagle!  In addition, we'll visit a couple of river towns and some small manioc farms of the rural caboclo people.  At the end of our trip we will return to Manaus for a day of sightseeing (including the fish markets and the Manaus Opera House) and souvenir shopping.  Late Saturday, January 9, we will fly back to Houston via Atlanta (arriving Sunday morning, January 10) with hundreds of photos and thousands of good memories.

Cost for Amazon Expedition #30 (11-day trip) includes

• Round trip airfare from Houston Hobby Airport to Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (Delta Airlines)

• Housing aboard the river vessel Dorinha (double occupancy; for single cabin add $1000)

• Meals, field excursions, crew tips, transfers and taxes

Cost for Amazon Expedition #30 (11-day trip) does not include

• Passport, passport photos and/or visa fees (currently US$140)

• Immunizations (yellow fever and tetanus immunizations are required) and other medications

• Travel insurance (optional but recommended)

• Airline charges for checked bags (2 checked bags and 2 carry-on bags are free)

• Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (coffee, tea, water and juice provided) and souvenirs

• UHCL tuition and fees for Directed Research or Independent Study

Space is limited!

A deposit of $600 (payable to Amazon Expeditions),

due by September 25, will hold your place. 

Deadline extended to October 16!!

Please see the Application Form for details.

Go to Application Form

For more information, contact the trip leader Dr. Cindy Howard