Yesterday, one hundred and fifty nautical miles separated us between Tintorera Island, part of the Cébaco Island and the Gulf of Panama. Sailing around Azuero Peninsula is always full of surprises; last night, passing Punta Mala was a pleasant, calm experience.
Our morning destination on Boná Island was a great discovery. The bird life was abundant and painted the sky with silhouettes of brown pelicans, brown boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. The nutrient rich waters of the Gulf of Panama provide abundant food supply to this vast colony of birds. Hundreds of birds nest on the shear rock or trees taking advantage of this food supply, therefore, bird watching and photographing these colonies were a highlight for many of us. We observed male frigatebirds with their red inflated pouch displaying their bright coloration in order to attract a female; also brown boobies were already raising their only chick reaching its fledging period. Over a decade I have observed outstanding dynamics among these species; also, the populations are increasing to colonize the entire perimeter of the island.
Eventually, we departed Boná fulfilled with a great memoir of this birdlife. Due to the great weather and extra time to reach the Panama Canal, Captain Shawn Nettles agreed to make a special stop in order to visit Taboga Island. This precious location possesses a unique charm and picturesque characteristic also called “the island of flowers”. Taboga is enchanted with wonderful stories from Francisco Pizarro to United States using it as training ground during World War II. Our guests had the chance to explore the surrounding areas, including the Church of San Pedro and Virgen del Carmen regarded as one of the oldest Spanish colonial churches in the Americas.
As the sun was setting our Panama Canal pilot arrived. This time we were eager to witness one of the most unique master pieces of engineering: Panama Canal. Right after dinner time, we started our transit through the bridge of the Americas, Balboa port and finally the first set of locks at Miraflores. Around midnight we reached Gamboa with many of us satisfied with a day full of experiences in Panama.
