Barro Colorado Island & The Panama Canal
This morning we started early, as the second Panama Canal pilot came on board and repositioned our vessel just off of the buildings that comprise the research station run by the Smithsonian called Barro Colorado Island (BCI). The name of this island literally means red mud or red clay, referring to the color of the soil found in it and in general found in all of the tropical rain forest regions.
BCI, as the island is also known, is one of the three most important research stations found in the Neotropics – or New World tropics – along with one found in the Amazon basin and another one found in Costa Rica. Many of the best known researchers have dwelt in the area finding new things every day. The new “in” thing within the island is research on global warming and the green house effect.
We have managed to get permission to walk through the grand network of trails that the island includes. Many of us decided on a good walk which rewarded us with sightings of monkeys, birds, rodents and more; others decided on taking a much more leisurely Zodiac cruise which also proved to be a good choice. Monkeys, toucans, crocodiles and giant Panamax ships accompanied us through the lakes channels.
Back on board we waited for our third pilot who would take us through the second half – southward bound half – of the Canal. This evening we found ourselves at the entrance of the Pedro Miguel Locks, having crossed through the infamous Culebra or Gaillard Cut, and out into the Pacific Ocean as we exited the Miraflores Locks.
We bid goodbye to one of the manmade wonders of the world and head on to our next phase – the blue ocean, sea birds, and fishes of the Eastern Pacific.
This morning we started early, as the second Panama Canal pilot came on board and repositioned our vessel just off of the buildings that comprise the research station run by the Smithsonian called Barro Colorado Island (BCI). The name of this island literally means red mud or red clay, referring to the color of the soil found in it and in general found in all of the tropical rain forest regions.
BCI, as the island is also known, is one of the three most important research stations found in the Neotropics – or New World tropics – along with one found in the Amazon basin and another one found in Costa Rica. Many of the best known researchers have dwelt in the area finding new things every day. The new “in” thing within the island is research on global warming and the green house effect.
We have managed to get permission to walk through the grand network of trails that the island includes. Many of us decided on a good walk which rewarded us with sightings of monkeys, birds, rodents and more; others decided on taking a much more leisurely Zodiac cruise which also proved to be a good choice. Monkeys, toucans, crocodiles and giant Panamax ships accompanied us through the lakes channels.
Back on board we waited for our third pilot who would take us through the second half – southward bound half – of the Canal. This evening we found ourselves at the entrance of the Pedro Miguel Locks, having crossed through the infamous Culebra or Gaillard Cut, and out into the Pacific Ocean as we exited the Miraflores Locks.
We bid goodbye to one of the manmade wonders of the world and head on to our next phase – the blue ocean, sea birds, and fishes of the Eastern Pacific.
