Bona Island and the Panama Canal
The traditional sunrise over the Pacific Ocean welcomed the vessel as we approached Bona Island. We knew this morning our mission was to find Blue-Footed Boobies and we were successful. We also knew about the extraordinary number of Magnificent Frigatebirds that make Bona their home. Hundreds of these graceful, yet piratic birds blanketed the blue clear skies over us as the Zodiacs approached the island. But perhaps the most enriching moment was our approach to some of the local fishermen, who commanded their seven foot dug outs in these open waters as if they were in a pond. They showed us their catch of the day, the live bait they used and even shared some tales about their village.
Bona was an excellent way to begin the day, but this afternoon, the Sea Voyager approached the Pacific Entrance of the Panama Canal. After so many years of crossing the Panama Canal, one would think that the experience becomes monotonous and dull. However, I still feel a chill of excitement every time the ship approaches the Panama City skyline and Miraflores Locks. The Panama Canal Pilot soon boarded the ship and the tropical moon set the tone for the evening, as we cruised below the spanning Bridge of the Americas, the sole link of the Pan-American Highway. The illumination at the locks and along the entire waterway was a big surprise. We witnessed every moment of the transit as line handlers gracefully and skillfully tossed and tied ropes, electric locomotives known as mules churned on both sides, the pilot gave instructions to our captain as the water flowed from one chamber to the other.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the moonlit tropical rainforest that lined the banks of the Canal. The most photogenic section of the canal, the locks themselves, is actually just a small piece of the engineering feat. Most of the Panama Canal is actually a rainforest and half of the journey is on Gatun Lake. These large tracts of forest help control erosion and provide the Chagres River with the billions of gallons of water required for the thousands of vessel that annually transit the waterway. It seems contradictory that one of the marvels of modern engineering is primarily a marvel of nature—A tropical rainforest.
The traditional sunrise over the Pacific Ocean welcomed the vessel as we approached Bona Island. We knew this morning our mission was to find Blue-Footed Boobies and we were successful. We also knew about the extraordinary number of Magnificent Frigatebirds that make Bona their home. Hundreds of these graceful, yet piratic birds blanketed the blue clear skies over us as the Zodiacs approached the island. But perhaps the most enriching moment was our approach to some of the local fishermen, who commanded their seven foot dug outs in these open waters as if they were in a pond. They showed us their catch of the day, the live bait they used and even shared some tales about their village.
Bona was an excellent way to begin the day, but this afternoon, the Sea Voyager approached the Pacific Entrance of the Panama Canal. After so many years of crossing the Panama Canal, one would think that the experience becomes monotonous and dull. However, I still feel a chill of excitement every time the ship approaches the Panama City skyline and Miraflores Locks. The Panama Canal Pilot soon boarded the ship and the tropical moon set the tone for the evening, as we cruised below the spanning Bridge of the Americas, the sole link of the Pan-American Highway. The illumination at the locks and along the entire waterway was a big surprise. We witnessed every moment of the transit as line handlers gracefully and skillfully tossed and tied ropes, electric locomotives known as mules churned on both sides, the pilot gave instructions to our captain as the water flowed from one chamber to the other.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the moonlit tropical rainforest that lined the banks of the Canal. The most photogenic section of the canal, the locks themselves, is actually just a small piece of the engineering feat. Most of the Panama Canal is actually a rainforest and half of the journey is on Gatun Lake. These large tracts of forest help control erosion and provide the Chagres River with the billions of gallons of water required for the thousands of vessel that annually transit the waterway. It seems contradictory that one of the marvels of modern engineering is primarily a marvel of nature—A tropical rainforest.
