Cocococha Lake

Lake Cocococha, located in the Tambopata National Reserve spans a length of 2.5 km and is a sight to see. Many years ago, the Tambopata River used to flow through this lake, but after years of erosion from its many meanders, the river changed course leaving behind a beautiful ox-bow lake full of wildlife. Probably the most beautiful, peaceful lake I have ever seen, this lake is a must see if you are up for an adventure. But before delving into the outstanding natural beauty of Cocococha, I mustn’t ignore the magical quest you enrol yourself on to reach this wonder.

Getting to the lake – the adventure begins

Starting from the Explorers Inn Lodge, you must walk down the “main trail” An incredible trail which brings you through many different Amazon rainforest environments. Yes, you heard it, the amazon isn’t composed of just one environment, it is many. You pass by bamboo forest, along a palm swamp, terra Firme and more that skip my train of thought. Of course, each environment gives you the chance to see wildlife unique to those ecosystems. But even if you don’t see animals on your wish list, witnessing the incredible vegetation and sounds from this primary forest (yes primary forest that has never been cut down) is an experience to behold. Trees topping 55 metres can be seen along the way: the mighty ceiba, shihuahuaco and castana (Brazil nut tree) are just a few…

I saw jaguar tracks…

For those wondering, I didn’t see a jaguar on my way there, but I did get the chance to see its tracks! It made me marvel as to whether the king of the jungle and master of disguise saw me with its eyes…. But fear not, jaguars pose no threat to humans round here where there is an abundance of prey ranging from peccaries (a type of wild pig) to tapirs, agoutis, and capybaras (the largest rodent in the world).

Arrival at the lake – we had it completely to ourselves

After a little over an hour, we arrived at the lake. It was 8am and mist was lining the water’s surface. As is usually the case with Cocococha we had the lake completely to ourselves without a single person in sight (unlike other oxbow lakes in the amazon which are often very touristy). The refreshing silence of nature took over. Toucans and frogs were calling, and I could tell the lake’s waters were rife with life as fish were jumping everywhere. And in the distance, I could see some larger ripples…

The Ripples Were from Giant River Otters!

We got onto an amazon rainforest styled canoe, a unique design from the area, and started paddling towards those larger ripples… A short moment later and I couldn’t believe my eyes, giant river otters were swimming together rather close and eating fish they had just caught. We were keeping the legal distance from the otters as not to disturb them, but the inquisitive otters swam towards us to have a good look – we were maybe ten metres from them! For those that don’t know, giant river otters are endangered in the amazon rainforest so witnessing them at Cocococha is a true sign of this lakes’ health and pristine state. Otters are a sight to behold, and you have a good chance of seeing them here. I saw them hunting for fish and heard them vocalising to each other and making crunching sounds as they consumed their morning catch. These otters can reach lengths of 1.7metres and weigh 30kg, this size coupled with their fast metabolisms and high energy expenditure means the average otter must eat about 4kg of fish/day.

We watched them for an amazing 40 minutes before carrying on with our tour of the lake to see some of its other highlights…

Cocococha’s other highlights – Strangler Figs, Hoatzins, Macaws, Monkeys

Large trees surround the lake including a strangler fig tree whose roots literally falls into the lake… Aguajal palm trees also surround the entire lake – these semi-aquatic trees create amazing ecosystems where many animals live including orchids which can sometimes be seen growing at the base of these trees. Blue and yellow macaws (in my opinion, the most striking of the three large macaws found here) also love this environment and can easily be seen. They love to nest in these palm trees so if you time your trip well, you might even spot nesting macaws. But fear not, these macaws can also be found at the lake outside of their breeding season. Scarlet macaws, red and green macaws, Chestnut fronted macaws, yellow bellied macaws are also often seen flying above the lake on a regular occurrence. If you’re lucky, you might see an anaconda or black caiman but again, fear not, you are completely safe from your canoe and regardless, these animals are not aggressive towards humans – they are not like the saltwater crocodiles you get in Australia. Capuchin, squirrel, and red howler monkeys are often seen here too, and you are almost guaranteed to see the famous, prehistoric looking Hoatzin bird, or known locally as the “stinky bird” for reasons you’ll understand once you approach it…

So why Cocococha?

There are other oxbow lakes in the Madre de Dios / Tambopata / Puerto Maldonado area that are also impressive, many with similar wildlife to Cocococha so what sets this place apart? The truth is, having visited most of the lakes in the area, this lake is by far the most beautiful in my opinion. It is also located in the protected Tambopata national reserve and is the most pristine and undisturbed. You are likely going to have the lake all to yourself and won’t have other boats with tourists from other lodges also trying to witness its nature (a common occurrence in other nearby lakes). The hike to get there is an adventure, fun and takes you through many major amazon rainforest ecosystems. The reward of having the whole lake to yourself once you arrive is 100% worth it. If you would rather go to another lake however which is more accessible, The Explorers Inn also has access to a smaller oxbow lake, Tres Chimbadas which also has otters although it has more tourists and is located outside the reserve.