Otoque & Bona Islands, Miraflores & Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama
Early risers on deck could watch the Sea Voyager heading North against the trade winds in the Gulf of Panama as we advanced to Bona and Otoque Islands. Both islands shelter inhabitants that depend on the wealthy fisheries that surround them. Otoque is home to two small fishing villages and Bona is a rookery for thousands of seabirds.
After dropping anchor, we took a Zodiac ride. We had a chance to see some of the birds that take advantage of the low amount of predators found on islands. The blue footed boobies flew around us as we reached the first islet. Conspicuous blue feet left no doubt as they perched next to brown boobies. A peregrine falcon showed little interest as the boats approached. The brown pelicans splashed the water with their feet as they took off, and male frigatebirds displayed their spectacular red gular pouches in a courtship display.
We came back on board to learn about the construction of the Panama Canal and we continued our way to the anchorage site for our Canal transit while we were having a great lunch. On the way we came across hundreds of brown pelicans in a very big congregation in the middle of a feeding frenzy.
Our sky was lit by Venus on the port side and Panama City on the starboard side during our cocktail hour on the sundeck.We started our transit through the Canal under the bridge of the Americas as we were having our woderful Panamanian dinner.
In the evening, we could appreciate the engineering marvel of Panama: the canal. We spent the night in Gatun Lake waiting for our next great adventure at Barro Colorado Island (BCI).
Early risers on deck could watch the Sea Voyager heading North against the trade winds in the Gulf of Panama as we advanced to Bona and Otoque Islands. Both islands shelter inhabitants that depend on the wealthy fisheries that surround them. Otoque is home to two small fishing villages and Bona is a rookery for thousands of seabirds.
After dropping anchor, we took a Zodiac ride. We had a chance to see some of the birds that take advantage of the low amount of predators found on islands. The blue footed boobies flew around us as we reached the first islet. Conspicuous blue feet left no doubt as they perched next to brown boobies. A peregrine falcon showed little interest as the boats approached. The brown pelicans splashed the water with their feet as they took off, and male frigatebirds displayed their spectacular red gular pouches in a courtship display.
We came back on board to learn about the construction of the Panama Canal and we continued our way to the anchorage site for our Canal transit while we were having a great lunch. On the way we came across hundreds of brown pelicans in a very big congregation in the middle of a feeding frenzy.
Our sky was lit by Venus on the port side and Panama City on the starboard side during our cocktail hour on the sundeck.We started our transit through the Canal under the bridge of the Americas as we were having our woderful Panamanian dinner.
In the evening, we could appreciate the engineering marvel of Panama: the canal. We spent the night in Gatun Lake waiting for our next great adventure at Barro Colorado Island (BCI).
