Barro Colorado Island, Gutan Lake & Lock
The last full day of our expedition found us anchored off the island of Barro Colorado. Yesterday, after a long afternoon of cruising, and transiting through two locks, our legs were ready for some land time and exploration of this tropical research station, managed by the Smithsonian called BCI. This biological exploration and research began in 1923 as a result of the creation of the lakes when the nearby Changres River basin was flooded to create Lake Gatun during the construction of the Panama Canal. Because it was no longer a part of the mainland, the created island gained attention for continuing protection and biological interest, and has become one of the most studied sites in the Neotropics. Our visit allowed us to see up close some examples of the research specifically related to the interrelationship of physical and biological factors of the plants and animals that inhabit the island. Eagar volunteers greeted and led us on varying hikes into the forest, obviously proud and knowledgeable about this unique place, while some guests chose to explore the perimeter on Zodiacs. We were all rewarded with sightings of a few of the 366 species of birds including the little tinamou and black-throated trogon, one of the 93 species of reptiles, the crocodile, and some of the 93 mammal species including agoutis, and not so commonly seen-howler monkeys mating!
Continuing our transit through the Panama Canal we passed through the northern part of Gatun Lake and the three Gatun Locks, taking up the majority of our afternoon. Our Panamanian naturalist, Christian Moreno, kept us informed of all the steps and maneuvers involved from the time our Panamanian pilot came on board to the line men tying us to the mules, and the whole process that is not much different from the beginning operation of the canal in 1914! The variety of large ships around us dwarfed the National Geographic Sea Lion, as we made our way into the lock, sharing it with one of these mega carriers! Root beer floats cooled us off as we watched forward and aft, cameras clicking. We waved and smiled to the crews passing ships, and finally around 6pm with the sun setting, we were lowered into Caribbean waters. We retreated to the lounge for our final time together, sharing stories, photos and emails with new-found friends, and now lasting memories from a truly outstanding voyage!
