Iguana Island
Last night we crossed the Panama Canal and started navigation right away. Our next stop was Isla Iguana, a small island 90 nautical miles south from the City of Panama.
This morning we were navigating our last 30 miles, and while we were having our first cup of coffee in the lounge, we devised dolphins at starboard side. A pack was feeding in the neighboring waters as we passed by.
After breakfast and while still navigating, we had the great presentation A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama narrated by David McCullough, where we had the opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of the Panama Canal construction.
Right afterward, we disembarked in Isla Iguana. This is a paradisiacal place; coral reefs welcomed us as we entered the bay, marine sea turtles could be seen several feet under the turquoise waters, as well as many species of fish.
During the day we had the opportunity to snorkel or walk some of the trails on the island. This place is the nesting site of a large colony of magnificent frigatebirds, so it was really interesting to see them interacting, from a fairly close distance. Some males already had their scarlet throat pouch, which they inflate during courtship. At some moments dozens were covering the sky. During our walk we also saw spiny-tail iguanas, hermit crabs and mangrove warblers.
Later in the afternoon, our Panamanian Naturalist Roberto Medina gave us an interesting presentation on the history of Panama. We finished our day with recaps during our cocktail hour.
