Brittany from Fairview Elementary asked us what animal each of us are most excited to see. Brittany, that's a great question!

Dave says that he wants to see an arapaima. An arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world. It can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 330 pounds. We would definitely not eat the arapaima because it is endangered. There will be plenty of other fish in the flooded forest that we can try to catch. The arapaima is especially unique because of the fish's valuable tongue, which is actually used as a tool among people of the area. The tongue is covered in razor sharp teeth, which help the arapaima be largest and one of the most effective predatory fish in the entire Amazon basin.

Anna is most excited to see the giant anteater in action! She would love to watch an anteater stick its huge tube-like mouth into an ant hill and feast for dinner. Their sticky tongues can reach two feet in length, which is quite convenient for gathering insects. Anteaters can eat up to 30,000 insects a day! The mother anteaters carry their babies on their backs for about six months before the baby is ready to walk on its own. The baby's design on its coat blends into mom so that hungry predators don't see the baby anteater as a tasty lunch.

I am most excited to see the Pink River Dolphin. Dolphins are very friendly mammals, and the pink river dolphin is no exception. The pink river dolphin is curious and lighthearted, and loves to associate with humans passing through the flooded forest. Sometimes they will retrieve objects thrown to them, much like your pet dog. If I swim near the dolphins, they may playfully nip me or even play tag. We have even heard of pink river dolphins putting their flippers over swimmers hands and towing the swimmer through the water.

There are so many animals to see in the flooded forest, and we will be thankful for every animal that we are able to be close to. What animals are you most excited to see as we paddle through the Amazon?

Dream Big,

Patrick