Barro Colorado Island, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal
At dawn we dropped anchor in front of Barro Colorado Island, all we heard were Howler Monkeys. Our view was magnificent: rainforest, water and a beautiful full moon that was setting. With the call of the monkeys and the Keel-billed Toucans at the Island we finally saw the stars of Scorpio fade away as the sun rose behind the lush vegetation of the Panama Canal watershed.
As the Chagres River was dammed to flood a large area of rainforest and make the Gatun Lake, the mountaintops above 85 feet formed islands and peninsulas. The largest island turned into the Smithsonian Institute’s research station in the Tropics and helped unravel the most intricate ecosystem ever known. The Neotropical rainforest started to fascinate biologists from all over and amazing information was produced and published at unbelievable rates by more than one hundred visitor scientists every year. B.C.I. turned into an icon of rainforest research on the planet and their methods and conclusions have inspired thousands of researchers throughout the Americas to discussions and further studies.
Lindblad Expeditions is the first company that has managed to get permission for its ship Sea Voyager to stop in front of the island during the canal transit so guests can walk the trails of the biological station. The island has 1368 species of vascular plants, 93 species of mammals, 366 species of birds, and 90 species of amphibians. Crested Guans met us as we arrived to the island and a light shower bid us farewell.
In the afternoon we continued our crossing of the Panama Canal to reach the Pacific Ocean through Culebra Cut, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks.
At dawn we dropped anchor in front of Barro Colorado Island, all we heard were Howler Monkeys. Our view was magnificent: rainforest, water and a beautiful full moon that was setting. With the call of the monkeys and the Keel-billed Toucans at the Island we finally saw the stars of Scorpio fade away as the sun rose behind the lush vegetation of the Panama Canal watershed.
As the Chagres River was dammed to flood a large area of rainforest and make the Gatun Lake, the mountaintops above 85 feet formed islands and peninsulas. The largest island turned into the Smithsonian Institute’s research station in the Tropics and helped unravel the most intricate ecosystem ever known. The Neotropical rainforest started to fascinate biologists from all over and amazing information was produced and published at unbelievable rates by more than one hundred visitor scientists every year. B.C.I. turned into an icon of rainforest research on the planet and their methods and conclusions have inspired thousands of researchers throughout the Americas to discussions and further studies.
Lindblad Expeditions is the first company that has managed to get permission for its ship Sea Voyager to stop in front of the island during the canal transit so guests can walk the trails of the biological station. The island has 1368 species of vascular plants, 93 species of mammals, 366 species of birds, and 90 species of amphibians. Crested Guans met us as we arrived to the island and a light shower bid us farewell.
In the afternoon we continued our crossing of the Panama Canal to reach the Pacific Ocean through Culebra Cut, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks.
