Caura River Expedition Day 9

Limnology team hard at work – before the digital camera went overboard!

It was a rough day.

We went as far up the río Tawado as we could – meaning that we all got out of the boats and hauled them up the rapids with a rope and elbow grease. I took this picture with my trusty digital camera, amazing capability for a tiny apparatus, which was also its last hurrah.

While I was on the boat with the limnology team and lodged in the middle of the rapids, I handed the digital camera to our boatman, Miguelito, while I changed the role of slide film in my other camera. Karen Riseng was measuring flow by the tried and true method of timing a bottle as it floated along the boat.

Unfortunately, an eddy caught the bottle, and as it swirled away Miguelito leaped out of the boat to save it – digital camera in tow. After the limnologists fished him out of the rapids, we shook a large fish out of the camera's battery casing and left it in the sun to dry. At night we sealed it in tupperware with silica gel to absorb the moisture, and will check it in a couple days.

PEOPLE: Meet Karen Jo Riseng, limnologist.

TOOLS: Scientists can extend their reach using the pole trimmer.

SPECIES: Fish out of water? Scientists discover this fish in a new habitat.

More seriously, one of our boats beached on the rocks, destroying the engine. The motor had to be taken to the nearest town with a radio to try to get parts delivered. That meant that we were down two boats and had to stay at this camp until the motor was fixed. We were also down to shredded cabbage and crusts of bread for lunch. This is starting to look like a very long week.

Curiaras, or motor powered dugout canoes. Photo Credit: Jensen Montambault

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