The Bona Island & the Panama Canal
This morning we arrived early to an archipelago consisting of the islands of Bona, Otoque and Estiva. These islands are a sanctuary for tropical sea birds and are located in the Bay of Panama, about 22 nautical miles south of the capital city.
The islands remain fairly isolated from the mainland due to the distance and the rugged geography, which make them difficult to inhabit… but not for the birds. The vegetation consists of plants mainly wind or bird dispersed, typical of island ecosystems. At this point some pink poui trees had already shed all their leaves, showing off their trumpet flowers, a sign that the dry season has begun.
The morning was partially cloudy, with fair weather great for Zodiac cruises around the island of Bona. And so we took the four Zodiacs of the Sea Voyager and went out exploring with the naturalists.
Among the species we saw on the islands were magnificent frigate birds, brown pelicans, brown boobies and a small colony of blue-footed boobies. The sky was dominated by frigate birds, with their long skinny wings and forked tails. This physical design allows them to maneuver very quickly in flight, which is a benefit, as they steal their food from other sea birds. The behavior is known as kleptoparasitism, and is due to the fact that frigate birds are the only sea birds that cannot dive in the water. Some of them were already getting their large red gular pouches, which is a sign that the breeding season is beginning.
We could also see brown boobies in their nests and flying around; some already had big chicks, molting their white down feathers, getting ready to gain independence from their parents.
One outstanding sighting was the Peruvian booby, a single individual among the blue-footed boobies. This southern visitor has been recorded only occasionally in the Gulf of Panama. Other species we saw were the green iguanas and a young peregrine falcon.
Later we approached the bay of Panama, and waited for the Panama Canal Authorities to continue our transit. The pilot came on board at 5 pm and we entered the Canal, passing under the Bridge of the Americas with cocktails and ceviche up on the sundeck.
After dinner in the lounge, we went through the Miraflores locks and spent the night in the Pedro Miguel lock for first time in the history of the Sea Voyager.
This morning we arrived early to an archipelago consisting of the islands of Bona, Otoque and Estiva. These islands are a sanctuary for tropical sea birds and are located in the Bay of Panama, about 22 nautical miles south of the capital city.
The islands remain fairly isolated from the mainland due to the distance and the rugged geography, which make them difficult to inhabit… but not for the birds. The vegetation consists of plants mainly wind or bird dispersed, typical of island ecosystems. At this point some pink poui trees had already shed all their leaves, showing off their trumpet flowers, a sign that the dry season has begun.
The morning was partially cloudy, with fair weather great for Zodiac cruises around the island of Bona. And so we took the four Zodiacs of the Sea Voyager and went out exploring with the naturalists.
Among the species we saw on the islands were magnificent frigate birds, brown pelicans, brown boobies and a small colony of blue-footed boobies. The sky was dominated by frigate birds, with their long skinny wings and forked tails. This physical design allows them to maneuver very quickly in flight, which is a benefit, as they steal their food from other sea birds. The behavior is known as kleptoparasitism, and is due to the fact that frigate birds are the only sea birds that cannot dive in the water. Some of them were already getting their large red gular pouches, which is a sign that the breeding season is beginning.
We could also see brown boobies in their nests and flying around; some already had big chicks, molting their white down feathers, getting ready to gain independence from their parents.
One outstanding sighting was the Peruvian booby, a single individual among the blue-footed boobies. This southern visitor has been recorded only occasionally in the Gulf of Panama. Other species we saw were the green iguanas and a young peregrine falcon.
Later we approached the bay of Panama, and waited for the Panama Canal Authorities to continue our transit. The pilot came on board at 5 pm and we entered the Canal, passing under the Bridge of the Americas with cocktails and ceviche up on the sundeck.
After dinner in the lounge, we went through the Miraflores locks and spent the night in the Pedro Miguel lock for first time in the history of the Sea Voyager.
