A gorgeous sunrise at the canal marked the start of our first journey in Panama, where we explored three amazing sites. National Geographic Quest is the only vessel to cross the canal in two tracts, so we visited Barro Colorado Island, Gamboa Rain Forest Discovery Center, Lake Gatun, and the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks.
Hikes, Zodiac cruises, and panga rides around the lake enhanced our exploration of the tropics, offering a first glimpse into the region’s high biodiversity. We saw snail kites, white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, a two-toed sloth, tamarin monkeys, anhingas, black-bellied whistling ducks, and wattled jacanas, all illustrating the wildlife and its beauty.
There could not have been a better immersion than the combination of the rain forest experience and crossing one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the Panama Canal.
Photos by Fico Chacón and Ronald Calvo Aguilar
