Bona and Otoque Islands, Panama
Last night we exited the Panama Canal late in the evening, and headed out for our next morning’s destination, a small group of islands within the Bay of Panama. Otoque and Bona islands are a set of islets that are a paradise for seabirds. Because the mountain ranges “take a break” and let the winds gush through, an upwelling is created. An upwelling is a flow of deep water toward the surface that brings water from depth below the light zone. The deep water is rich in nutrients and when these nutrients reach the surface they provide food for larger organisms, from copepods to large fish up to dolphins and whales. The food net does not stop in the water this web also provides food for several species of seabirds as the ones we saw today.
Our morning began with Zodiac cruises around the bird islands where we saw blue footed boobies, brown boobies, brown pelicans, a few yellow crowned night herons, and innumerable amounts of magnificent frigatebirds.
The frigatebirds are an extremely marine Pantropical family somewhat related to pelicans and cormorants. All of them are basically black with some white in the breast, primarily on the females and juveniles, who also have white heads. The displaying males indicate courtship activity by ballooning their red gular pouch. The family is adapted to highly specialized feeding by snatching flying fish and squid from the water surface, complimenting his diet with “kleptoparasitic” activity.
While some of us cruised around the islands, others used their time at the beach and/or using our kayaks for the first time during this trip. The beach rewarded those of us who chose to go with a bit of snorkeling, great waves for boogie boarding and body surfing, or just sun bathing. Back on board by noon we lifted anchor a bit before lunch and began the longest navigation of our trip, 190 nautical miles towards Coiba Island. While cruising along, we had a lecture on Panama, and our first recap session of the trip. On smooth seas we glided silently towards our own “Little Grain of Gold.”
Last night we exited the Panama Canal late in the evening, and headed out for our next morning’s destination, a small group of islands within the Bay of Panama. Otoque and Bona islands are a set of islets that are a paradise for seabirds. Because the mountain ranges “take a break” and let the winds gush through, an upwelling is created. An upwelling is a flow of deep water toward the surface that brings water from depth below the light zone. The deep water is rich in nutrients and when these nutrients reach the surface they provide food for larger organisms, from copepods to large fish up to dolphins and whales. The food net does not stop in the water this web also provides food for several species of seabirds as the ones we saw today.
Our morning began with Zodiac cruises around the bird islands where we saw blue footed boobies, brown boobies, brown pelicans, a few yellow crowned night herons, and innumerable amounts of magnificent frigatebirds.
The frigatebirds are an extremely marine Pantropical family somewhat related to pelicans and cormorants. All of them are basically black with some white in the breast, primarily on the females and juveniles, who also have white heads. The displaying males indicate courtship activity by ballooning their red gular pouch. The family is adapted to highly specialized feeding by snatching flying fish and squid from the water surface, complimenting his diet with “kleptoparasitic” activity.
While some of us cruised around the islands, others used their time at the beach and/or using our kayaks for the first time during this trip. The beach rewarded those of us who chose to go with a bit of snorkeling, great waves for boogie boarding and body surfing, or just sun bathing. Back on board by noon we lifted anchor a bit before lunch and began the longest navigation of our trip, 190 nautical miles towards Coiba Island. While cruising along, we had a lecture on Panama, and our first recap session of the trip. On smooth seas we glided silently towards our own “Little Grain of Gold.”
