Panama Canal & Islands
After the wildlife observation of Barro Colorado we soon started our southbound transit. The famous Gaillard Cut gave us a real idea of the hard work that men went through during construction years. We would never have imagined that the Sea Voyager would transit in the lock with another ship almost 5 times our size! This huge cargo ship was so close to us that we felt the vast experience and knowledge of the canal employees which assisted us through. Admiring the rainforest around us, huge container vessels, tugboats, machinery, dredging work, and of course some sea birds like pelican and frigate birds above us exiting the locks were many things we never had a clue we could ever experience.
We sailed for a couple hours, dropped anchor, and there it was, the beauty of sunrise, rainbow, and of course the green islands of Otoque with seabirds around them. The Zodiacs were ready to explore around the small islands looking for seabird which always nest here. As soon as we arrived we were welcomed by the brown pelicans, boobies, and of course the magnificent frigate bird which enlighten us with their nesting trees. We were also able to see many different stages, from chick to adults showing off their bright red gular pouch to the females! After this interesting stop we sailed to our next destination. Luckily, the high tides favored us giving the opportunity to do another stop, Isla Iguana forest reserve. We had a great beach time combined with a trail that took us so close to a frigatebird nesting area that we could see it from a couple of feet's distance. This was one of those few moments that our binoculars weren’t any good! Of course we finished our day with a delicious dinner on board.
After the wildlife observation of Barro Colorado we soon started our southbound transit. The famous Gaillard Cut gave us a real idea of the hard work that men went through during construction years. We would never have imagined that the Sea Voyager would transit in the lock with another ship almost 5 times our size! This huge cargo ship was so close to us that we felt the vast experience and knowledge of the canal employees which assisted us through. Admiring the rainforest around us, huge container vessels, tugboats, machinery, dredging work, and of course some sea birds like pelican and frigate birds above us exiting the locks were many things we never had a clue we could ever experience.
We sailed for a couple hours, dropped anchor, and there it was, the beauty of sunrise, rainbow, and of course the green islands of Otoque with seabirds around them. The Zodiacs were ready to explore around the small islands looking for seabird which always nest here. As soon as we arrived we were welcomed by the brown pelicans, boobies, and of course the magnificent frigate bird which enlighten us with their nesting trees. We were also able to see many different stages, from chick to adults showing off their bright red gular pouch to the females! After this interesting stop we sailed to our next destination. Luckily, the high tides favored us giving the opportunity to do another stop, Isla Iguana forest reserve. We had a great beach time combined with a trail that took us so close to a frigatebird nesting area that we could see it from a couple of feet's distance. This was one of those few moments that our binoculars weren’t any good! Of course we finished our day with a delicious dinner on board.
