Otoque and Bona islands and the Panama Canal
After cruising all night to the east of our tropical paradise island, we covered a total of 190 nautical miles of rolling Pacific Ocean to reach the rich waters of the Gulf of Panama. A break in the mountain chains that parallel the western coastlines of several Central American nations allow the trade winds to blow over this Gulf, pushing surface waters away. Nutrient-rich waters from below upwell to replace these, bringing about the extremely high productivity that forms the basis of the web of life inside the oceans. Hundreds of sea birds take advantage of this phenomenon and nest all through the islands of the Gulf of Panama.
We had a hearty breakfast and afterwards, watched a phenomenal video of the under water world that Emma, our Expedition Leader, produced for us. Later that morning, and before heading off to our much awaited destination, the Panama Canal, we explored a couple of the islets that combine interesting geology with dense tropical vegetation and large colonies of sea birds. On board our trusty Zodiacs, with the best drivers many of us have ever seen, we headed on to explore the islands of Otoque and Bona, where brown and blue footed boobies, brown pelicans and magnificent frigatebirds have built their home. Some of us were accompanied by dolphins for a while, others were watched from a channel lighthouse by a peregrine falcon. We all saw both an early production of brown booby chicks and plenty of inflated red gular sacs belonging to courting frigates. We were amazed to see several fishermen on their little dugout canoes so far away from land. What a wonderful morning, before starting our way towards the Panama Canal, one of the wonders of the modern world!
As we took our first glimpse of the Panama Canal, we couldn’t help thinking of the incredible enterprise that involved people of 47 nationalities, cost so many lives and has become vital for commerce and tourism in the Americas. As we start crossing the Canal’s first set of locks, we wonder at the vision of these men almost 100 years ago.
After cruising all night to the east of our tropical paradise island, we covered a total of 190 nautical miles of rolling Pacific Ocean to reach the rich waters of the Gulf of Panama. A break in the mountain chains that parallel the western coastlines of several Central American nations allow the trade winds to blow over this Gulf, pushing surface waters away. Nutrient-rich waters from below upwell to replace these, bringing about the extremely high productivity that forms the basis of the web of life inside the oceans. Hundreds of sea birds take advantage of this phenomenon and nest all through the islands of the Gulf of Panama.
We had a hearty breakfast and afterwards, watched a phenomenal video of the under water world that Emma, our Expedition Leader, produced for us. Later that morning, and before heading off to our much awaited destination, the Panama Canal, we explored a couple of the islets that combine interesting geology with dense tropical vegetation and large colonies of sea birds. On board our trusty Zodiacs, with the best drivers many of us have ever seen, we headed on to explore the islands of Otoque and Bona, where brown and blue footed boobies, brown pelicans and magnificent frigatebirds have built their home. Some of us were accompanied by dolphins for a while, others were watched from a channel lighthouse by a peregrine falcon. We all saw both an early production of brown booby chicks and plenty of inflated red gular sacs belonging to courting frigates. We were amazed to see several fishermen on their little dugout canoes so far away from land. What a wonderful morning, before starting our way towards the Panama Canal, one of the wonders of the modern world!
As we took our first glimpse of the Panama Canal, we couldn’t help thinking of the incredible enterprise that involved people of 47 nationalities, cost so many lives and has become vital for commerce and tourism in the Americas. As we start crossing the Canal’s first set of locks, we wonder at the vision of these men almost 100 years ago.
