Barro Colorado Island, Gatun Lake Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
During the night we anchored in Gatun Lake having passed through the Pacific set of locks and through Gatun Lake. Just before sunrise a Panama Canal pilot boarded to direct the ship a short distance through the lake into the small bay off the renowned tropical research station on Barro Colorado Island. Today was a very special occasion as this was the first time Lindblad Expeditions had over-nighted in Gatun Lake and the first time we have visited Barro Colorado. Soon after breakfast about half of the group ventured ashore to walk some of the trails that provide access to this marvelous tropical forested island. The 3700-acre island has been protected and isolated from mainland Panama since the flooding of the Canal. Researchers on the island over the last 80 years or so have contributed tremendously to our mere infant knowledge of the tropical ecosystems. On the trails we learned about some of the projects being conducted from some of the BCI researchers and naturalist guides. One group spotted some coatimundis, which forage for just about anything they can find to eat, including fruits, seeds, and insects. Others decided to venture out in the Zodiacs cruising slowly along the shoreline. During the day numerous monkeys were spotted lounging on branches of massive trees high above the forest floor.
In the late afternoon we again got underway to complete our transit through the Isthmus of Panama. We had a short wait at the top of the Gatun Locks before being guided by the electric “mules”. To our surprise we had the lock to ourselves. Everyone was quite excited to see the closing of the lock doors behind us and the lowering of the water. Slowly the walls of the lock rose higher along the sides of the ship as we went down 26 ft. The galley graciously held dinner for us until we cleared the last set of locks and completed our journey from one ocean to the next.
During the night we anchored in Gatun Lake having passed through the Pacific set of locks and through Gatun Lake. Just before sunrise a Panama Canal pilot boarded to direct the ship a short distance through the lake into the small bay off the renowned tropical research station on Barro Colorado Island. Today was a very special occasion as this was the first time Lindblad Expeditions had over-nighted in Gatun Lake and the first time we have visited Barro Colorado. Soon after breakfast about half of the group ventured ashore to walk some of the trails that provide access to this marvelous tropical forested island. The 3700-acre island has been protected and isolated from mainland Panama since the flooding of the Canal. Researchers on the island over the last 80 years or so have contributed tremendously to our mere infant knowledge of the tropical ecosystems. On the trails we learned about some of the projects being conducted from some of the BCI researchers and naturalist guides. One group spotted some coatimundis, which forage for just about anything they can find to eat, including fruits, seeds, and insects. Others decided to venture out in the Zodiacs cruising slowly along the shoreline. During the day numerous monkeys were spotted lounging on branches of massive trees high above the forest floor.
In the late afternoon we again got underway to complete our transit through the Isthmus of Panama. We had a short wait at the top of the Gatun Locks before being guided by the electric “mules”. To our surprise we had the lock to ourselves. Everyone was quite excited to see the closing of the lock doors behind us and the lowering of the water. Slowly the walls of the lock rose higher along the sides of the ship as we went down 26 ft. The galley graciously held dinner for us until we cleared the last set of locks and completed our journey from one ocean to the next.
