Barro Colorado Island and Panama Canal

Early this morning on the National Geographic Sea Lion, we heard between our dreams, the anchor being lifted and the engines starting. Then later, a sort of distant feeling of motion as we slowly started approaching our destination for today’s activities.

Later, we finally fully woke up already anchored at Barro Colorado Island. BCI is a world-renowned research facility, imbedded in the man-made Gatun Lake, in the middle of the Panama Canal. This piece of land was once hill tops. When the lake was created in 1914, the land became separated and isolated from the mainland. It is the perfect location for tropical research. BCI has an area of 15.6 km2 (6.0 sq mi) of land and since 1946 the Smithsonian, together with five adjacent peninsulas, has administered Barro Colorado Island.

We always feel fortunate to be able to visit such an important place for science.
Anybody that is fond of tropical science has most certainly read books and articles that were put together with studies done at Barro Colorado. The options for today’s morning activities were to either to visit the island’s facilities and adjacent forest by walking on the trials, or an easy Zodiac ride on the edge of the forest. Our outings today were very successful in observing nature, while learning on how the tropical rain forest works. Those of us on the Zodiacs were constantly surprised by gigantic ships suddenly appearing and disappearing through the densely covered hills. Among some of the things observed today were: snail kites, green herons, peregrine falcons, fork-tailed flycatchers, Central American Agoutis, and great views of the loud Mantled howler monkeys.

The afternoon was also great! Well spent in our second leg of the Panama Canal crossing, this time during daylight. The Panama Canal is an important part of modern history that began with the arrival of the Spanish in the XVI century. The Panamanians have efficiently managed this masterpiece of engineering since 1999.

Later in the evening once on the Pacific Ocean we set off for the Bay of Panama.