Bona and Otoque Islands, Panama Canal, Panama
After a peaceful nocturnal passage across the Gulf of Panama, we rose to a roseate dawn flushing the triptych isles of Bona, Otoque, and Otoque Este as the National Geographic Sea Lion arrived and dropped anchor in a sheltered bay. These small, craggy islands, just 22 nautical miles from the entrance to the Panama Canal, are a nesting site for multitudinous seabirds—Blue-footed boobies, Brown boobies, Magnificentfrigate birds, pelicans—drawn by profuse fish-life fed by a welling of nutrient-rich cold waters from the depths of the gulf.
We boarded our Zodiacs with eager anticipation and set out for close-up encounters. We weren’t disappointed! At Bona, our skilled Zodiac skippers nosed in to a cave where we saw bats roosting in rooftop crevices, safe from crashing waves. While crossing to Otoque Este we watched, mesmerized, as frigate birds bullied boobies on the wing, pulling at their tails in attempts to force the latter to drop (or regurgitate) fresh-caught fish. Frigatebirds are kleptoparasites: Unable to dive into the water due to a lack of water-repellent oils (they have only a tiny preen gland), they rely on harassing other birds to steal their food source. We also witnessed Mother Nature’s equivalent of a frigate birds’ singles’ bar scene: male frigate birds in treetop perchesinflated their blood-red, heart-shaped gular pouches in attempts to woo females flying overhead. We also saw blue-footed booby chicks clad in white downy fur.
While the first group of passengers explored by Zodiac, the second group watched “A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama,” a superb documentary narrated by David McCollough, author of the seminal Path Between the Seas. The documentary added to the anticipation of today’s highlight: Our passage through the Panama Canal.
In mid-afternoon a Panama Canal Authority pilot boarded National Geographic Sea Lion and we anchored off the entrance to the canal. While awaiting clearance to proceed, we were thrilled to preview a “video chronicle” of our week’s journey prepared by Lindblad’s on-board videographer, Jeff Litton.
Around 6pm, we passed beneath the Bridge of the America to enter the canal channel. We gleefully hung on every word of our Panamanian-born guide Mauricio Hoyos’ superb narration about the Panama Canal as we navigated the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. Passage through the three locks at night added a special thrill.
Appropriately, we enjoyed a traditional Panamanian buffet, including delicious tresleche for dessert. Many of us chose to dine on-deck so as not to miss the action: The ACP line-handlers manhandling the guide-ropes… the electric-powered “mules” holding our vessel tight… the closing and opening of the massive lock gates… and the awe-inspiring experience of rising and falling in reverse tandem with giant tankers and other Panamax vessels in adjacent lock chambers. For everyone, this was a day that will sear itself fondly into our memories.
