Barro Colorado Island and the Panama Canal
Around three million years ago the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean still merged and the South American continent was separate. Important geological phenomena led to what is today the eastern part of the Isthmus of Panama emerging from the sea bed to form a long narrow strip of land that separated the two oceans and created a land bridge between North and South America. The area of Panama, this land bridge, has one of the highest diversity rates in the Americas and it also comprises the narrowest part of all of the American Continent. This combination of characteristics has made of Panama a land of contrasts: forests and man-made enterprises.
This morning found us inside the waters of the Barro Colorado National Monument which was formed between 1911 and 1914 when Loma Palenquilla, became an artificial island when the Chagres Valley was flooded to form Lake Gatun. In 1923 it was declared a biological reserve, and since 1946 has been run by the Smithsonian Institute. The tropical forests of this preserve, in the heart of the Canal Basin, are some of the most studied forests in the world. We got the chance today of walking the trails of this exceptional natural laboratory.
After all of us were back on board, we continued our way towards the north, across the Gatun Locks. Although this set of locks is a unique triple set of locks and is the largest and longest set in the world, it has many aspects in common with the other locks such as the gates and the operating mechanisms. As we went across them and found ourselves lowered into the Caribbean Sea which would mark the end of a fantastic week, we couldn’t help but wonder which would be our next adventure.
Around three million years ago the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean still merged and the South American continent was separate. Important geological phenomena led to what is today the eastern part of the Isthmus of Panama emerging from the sea bed to form a long narrow strip of land that separated the two oceans and created a land bridge between North and South America. The area of Panama, this land bridge, has one of the highest diversity rates in the Americas and it also comprises the narrowest part of all of the American Continent. This combination of characteristics has made of Panama a land of contrasts: forests and man-made enterprises.
This morning found us inside the waters of the Barro Colorado National Monument which was formed between 1911 and 1914 when Loma Palenquilla, became an artificial island when the Chagres Valley was flooded to form Lake Gatun. In 1923 it was declared a biological reserve, and since 1946 has been run by the Smithsonian Institute. The tropical forests of this preserve, in the heart of the Canal Basin, are some of the most studied forests in the world. We got the chance today of walking the trails of this exceptional natural laboratory.
After all of us were back on board, we continued our way towards the north, across the Gatun Locks. Although this set of locks is a unique triple set of locks and is the largest and longest set in the world, it has many aspects in common with the other locks such as the gates and the operating mechanisms. As we went across them and found ourselves lowered into the Caribbean Sea which would mark the end of a fantastic week, we couldn’t help but wonder which would be our next adventure.
