BCI & Panama Canal
Our last day has come to a close. What an ending we have had for our trip between Costa Rica and Panama!
We awoke anchored in front of the island known as Barro Colorado Island or BCI, in the middle of the Gatun Lake. This artificial lake was created during the construction of the Panama Canal in order to build a fresh water reservoir and a means of transiting ships from one side of the isthmus to the other. Half way through the Panama Canal lies BCI, and after our wonderful time there, we completed the rest of our fascinating transit. This unique interruption made us one of the few ships that do the crossing of the canal in two days, as well one of the few that has a permit to anchor half way through.
BCI was a mountain top that became an island in 1911-1914 when the nearby river Chagres was dammed, creating Gatun Lake. Later on in 1923 the island and nearby peninsulas were declared a biological reserve, and in 1946 the Smithsonian Institute became the administrator of the area. Since then, it has turned into one of the most studied pieces of tropical land in the world. Basically any book that says something about the Neotropics takes some of its facts from the ongoing research taking place on BCI. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has become a Mecca for naturalists and people interested in the tropics, their ecology and natural history.
During our morning visit to BCI we were able to see white-throated capuchin monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, agoutis, an anteater, toucans, and hear from our Smithsonian guides about some of the research taking place now in the island.
For the rest of our afternoon we had a great time watching the last part of the transit. The Sea Voyager passed down the last three sets of locks known as Gatun, and had our bonus right at the entrance when we spotted the largest rodent on the world, the capybara, and there were nine of them!
Our last day has come to a close. What an ending we have had for our trip between Costa Rica and Panama!
We awoke anchored in front of the island known as Barro Colorado Island or BCI, in the middle of the Gatun Lake. This artificial lake was created during the construction of the Panama Canal in order to build a fresh water reservoir and a means of transiting ships from one side of the isthmus to the other. Half way through the Panama Canal lies BCI, and after our wonderful time there, we completed the rest of our fascinating transit. This unique interruption made us one of the few ships that do the crossing of the canal in two days, as well one of the few that has a permit to anchor half way through.
BCI was a mountain top that became an island in 1911-1914 when the nearby river Chagres was dammed, creating Gatun Lake. Later on in 1923 the island and nearby peninsulas were declared a biological reserve, and in 1946 the Smithsonian Institute became the administrator of the area. Since then, it has turned into one of the most studied pieces of tropical land in the world. Basically any book that says something about the Neotropics takes some of its facts from the ongoing research taking place on BCI. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has become a Mecca for naturalists and people interested in the tropics, their ecology and natural history.
During our morning visit to BCI we were able to see white-throated capuchin monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, agoutis, an anteater, toucans, and hear from our Smithsonian guides about some of the research taking place now in the island.
For the rest of our afternoon we had a great time watching the last part of the transit. The Sea Voyager passed down the last three sets of locks known as Gatun, and had our bonus right at the entrance when we spotted the largest rodent on the world, the capybara, and there were nine of them!
