Coiba National Park, 2/9/2022, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
National Geographic Quest cruised during the night after visiting Isla Iguana. Very early in the morning, we heard the anchor drop to the bottom of the ocean. We had finally arrived at our morning destination, Coiba National Park.
Right after breakfast, we disembarked to explore the ranger station. There were different species of birds singing all through the station. After doing a little bit of birding, many of us decided to test our strength by kayaking along the boundaries of the park. Others enjoyed the chance to paddleboard.
Another group of guests visited a lovely little islet called Cocos. While snorkeling, guests enjoyed good sightings of whitetip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles and various juvenile fish. It was a great treat to learn about life in the coral reef.
We wanted to stay on the lovely white sand beach, but we needed to weigh anchor. More adventures are waiting for us in Costa Rica.
Cristian is a Panamanian born in Chile. He grew up in Panama City until the age of 19 when he returned to Chile to go to college where he received a degree in metallurgic civil engineering. Since 1995 he has been working as a freelance naturalist in ...
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We did our first set of locks of the Panama Canal right after we got on board yesterday, and today we had our first full day of the trip. We did the Gatun Locks on the Caribbean end, where we were elevated 85 feet above sea level to reach Gatun Lake. This morning, we paused our transit of the canal to explore Barro Colorado Island. The biggest mountaintop became an island when they built the lake, and it has been a protected tropical rainforest ever since. Nowadays, the area is run by the Smithsonian Institute. It is one of the most studied tropical rainforests on the planet. After our morning activities, we were ready to continue our Panama Canal Crossing.
Anchored in Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal, we enjoyed sunrise from National Geographic Quest ! Our canal transit was completed in two days. We were able to stop during our two-day crossing to visit the Rainforest Discovery Center and Barro Colorado Island, one of the meccas of the Tropical Research Institute. Zodiac cruises around the island and hikes in protected areas allowed our guests to explore. These living laboratories are a direct source of information for published research about tropical environments and inhabitants, symbiotic relationships, and the behaviors and habitats of many species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and more. A white-nosed coati with a collar was our first sighting. It felt like he showed up as an ambassador to remind us that in the Smithsonian Institute facility, the monitoring and tracking of creatures is one of many tools used to learn about the animals’ habits. A troop of howler monkeys (Allouata palliata) demonstrated the power of their hyoid bones to amplify vocalizations from three miles away. They announced that we would find them on the trail later. We observed females, alpha males, and juveniles. Slaty-tailed trogons, rufous motmots, toucans, antshrikes, snail kites, and sloths appeared at various intervals. Then a small group of spider monkeys (Atteles geofroeyii) came along and crossed above us. Spider monkeys are a good sign of a healthy environment. They split their troops into smaller groups and spread throughout the forest in search of food, so they require a good extension of habitat to survive. Some guests saw crocodiles, an ancient creature that serves as a climate change indicator. Their nest temperature determines gender, and there is evidence of an inverse relationship among females and males. The National University in Costa Rica and National Geographic are doing research on this. During the evening, we finished crossing the Panama Canal and appreciated the great accomplishment in engineering. Despite limitations in instruments and technology, the canal dates back over a hundred years. The canal is part of infrastructure that is in full operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This is something to admire, and it was the perfect closing to our journey in Costa Rica and Panama.
Today was our second day in Panamanian waters, and what a great day it was. In the morning, we cruised the rich waters of the Gulf of Panama with seabirds as our escorts. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the Panama Canal, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
