BCI Barro Colorado, Panama Canal
Last night we started our adventure. Upon arrival to the ship we departed from Colon, for our two-leg crossing of the Panama Canal, this masterpiece of engineering inaugurated in 1914. Our first set of locks were the Gatun Locks on the Caribbean side, which we transited by night. At nighttime the illumination of the locks makes the scene quite dramatic and ideal for photography. Late at night after the first set of locks the National Geographic Sea Lion anchored in Gatun Lake to spend a well-deserved night sleep, and to restore energies for the intense activities of the next day.
Early morning on our second day in the Panama Canal, the Panama Canal Pilot arrived to reposition the ship to the renowned Barro Colorado Island, the famous research station run by the Smithsonian Institute. Barro Colorado is certainly famous for tropical science; much of what is known today of the tropics we owe to research that has taken place and is still taking place at Barro Colorado. Today we had several groups of guests on Zodiacs, while others walked through the trails of the forest of the BC Island (formerly a hill-top when the Gatun Lake was created). We were very fortunate indeed, many animals were observed and photographed today. American crocodiles, spectacled caimans, mantled howler monkeys, Central American spider monkeys, Geoffroy’s tamarins, three-toed sloths, Central American agoutis, and beautiful birds like the crested guans, slaty-tailed trogons, southern lapwings, snail kites, snowy egrets and ospreys, among others, were all seen while walking or cruising through magnificent forest with impressive trees.
After all our morning exercise we returned to the National Geographic Sea Lion for lunch and a little rest, in preparation for our second round of daylight transit through the Panama Canal, this time to the Pacific side of Panama with clear views of infamous Culebra Cut, the beautiful brand new Centennial Bridge, and the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks. The crossing and the day ended at the Pacific Ocean with distant views of the lights of the modern city of Panama.
A full day of activities, and a great teaser for what is about to come these next few days.
