Bay of Panama and the Panama Canal
We reached the rich waters of the Panama Bay during the mid morning hours. Finally, the northeastern trade winds have picked up and the upwelling which characterizes the area has begun. An upwelling is a flow of deep water toward the surface that brings water from depths below the euphotic zone. This deep water is rich in nutrients and dissolved gases because there is no phytoplankton at these depths to consume these compounds. When chilled water from below the surface rises, it hoists nutrients from the depths to the surface, where phytoplankton thrive and make food for larger organisms - from copepods, to fish on up to whales.
The abundance of fish brings with it an abundance of sea birds, maybe not in the numbers of species but in the numbers of individuals. Our faithful Zodiacs and drivers took us out today around the amazing islands of Bona and Otoque on the Panama Bay into a world of feathers and heat. Four main species of seabirds welcomed us into their homes: brown boobies, blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans by the hundreds. Everyone came back pink-cheeked, splashed and thrilled with this morning’s bird experience.
We moved from the Bay towards the entrance to the Panama Canal. One of the main reasons why many of us came on this trip is because this is a trip of contrasts: tropical rainforests, snorkeling, bird islands and particularly a man maid wonder that has been running for the past 90 or more years, the Panama Canal. Our transit began on the Pacific (southern) side of the Panamanian isthmus to begin with the first set of locks: the Miraflores locks. We are lucky to be the only vessel that can spend the night inside the Canal waters, to finish our transit tomorrow evening. While crossing “the path between the sees” we couldn’t stop marvel at man’s capacity to create amazing things.
We reached the rich waters of the Panama Bay during the mid morning hours. Finally, the northeastern trade winds have picked up and the upwelling which characterizes the area has begun. An upwelling is a flow of deep water toward the surface that brings water from depths below the euphotic zone. This deep water is rich in nutrients and dissolved gases because there is no phytoplankton at these depths to consume these compounds. When chilled water from below the surface rises, it hoists nutrients from the depths to the surface, where phytoplankton thrive and make food for larger organisms - from copepods, to fish on up to whales.
The abundance of fish brings with it an abundance of sea birds, maybe not in the numbers of species but in the numbers of individuals. Our faithful Zodiacs and drivers took us out today around the amazing islands of Bona and Otoque on the Panama Bay into a world of feathers and heat. Four main species of seabirds welcomed us into their homes: brown boobies, blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans by the hundreds. Everyone came back pink-cheeked, splashed and thrilled with this morning’s bird experience.
We moved from the Bay towards the entrance to the Panama Canal. One of the main reasons why many of us came on this trip is because this is a trip of contrasts: tropical rainforests, snorkeling, bird islands and particularly a man maid wonder that has been running for the past 90 or more years, the Panama Canal. Our transit began on the Pacific (southern) side of the Panamanian isthmus to begin with the first set of locks: the Miraflores locks. We are lucky to be the only vessel that can spend the night inside the Canal waters, to finish our transit tomorrow evening. While crossing “the path between the sees” we couldn’t stop marvel at man’s capacity to create amazing things.
