If we could use the 24 hours a day has to do activities on this expedition, I bet we would fill them all. The sun was barely raised this morning but the National Geographic Sea Lion was already on its way to start its transit through the Caribbean locks of the Panama Canal, the Gatun Locks. With our canal pilot on board the adventure began. In one hand we had our cameras and in the other a good mug of fresh coffee. It could not have been better—the sun was shining, there was a nice tropical breeze, and sights of toucans, parrots, and crocodiles on our way to the locks.
For the Gatun Locks we shared the chamber with the Oriana cargo ship in order to save water and after we were raised 85 ft from sea level, in three steps, or chambers, we reached the level of the Gatun Lake. The lake encloses a number of little islands that were hill tops originally, before the Chagres River was dammed. Not long after we left the locks we arrived at our first outing of the week, the Barro Colorado Island, or BCI.
The BCI has been since the 1940’s one of the most researched rain forests in the world. It was taken under the wing of the Smithsonian Institute and therefore is a major open laboratory for scientist all over the world to do their research on tropical ecology. For our visit to the island we either walked through the towering trees and lush entangled vines and shrubs of the rainforest, or took a boat ride along its perimeters. On either option the sighting of monkeys, crocodiles, agoutis, and several bird species was a treat.
Although this looks like a lot of activity already, all this happened just before lunch. In the afternoon we delightfully navigated some classic landmarks in the canal, like the Chagres River, the Culebra Cut, the Centennial Bridge, and finally the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks.
For this set of locks we shared again, this time with the San Pedro cargo ship. We were lowered down 85 ft. but this time in two separated locks, first Pedro Miguel and then Miraflores Locks, to finally be back at sea level just like we were this morning but on a different side of the continental divide, in the Pacific. The Bridge of the Americas was the ending landmark to our crossing through this man-made wonder, and with ceviche in one hand and a margarita on the other all guests celebrated their first full day of this expedition.
