Iguana Island, 3/31/2019, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
Today our expedition took us to Iguana Island, one of the most beautiful wildlife refuges of Panama, having been named after the presence of black “spiny-tailed” iguanas.
Known as a key sanctuary for frigate birds, our guests had the experience to admire their beauty as they dipped and flew overhead.
Further into the day, we had the options of hiking and snorkeling, both of which did much to enhance the whole experience of visiting this wildlife-rich territory. And in the afternoon, we cruised to our next destination while looking for marine wildlife. What a place to be witnessing!
Carlos is a freelance wildlife photographer and photography instructor from Costa Rica. Passionate about travel and education, he also works as a certified naturalist guide on the beaches, jungles, and mountains of that beautiful tropical paradise. W...
Born and
raised in Ecuador, the son of Spanish and American parents, Julio developed a
passion for storytelling and environmental conservation at an early age. After
majoring in History at Carleton College (Minnesota), with a thesis on the
Basque ant...
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Today was an ocean fiesta. We spent all day in the water, first at Isla Coco, so named for its lone coconut tree. This island supports an exceptionally resilient, old, and stunning rocky reef with a variety of colorful inhabitants such as parrotfish, guineafowl pufferfish, Moorish idols, and whitetip reef sharks. In the afternoon, we visited the Coiba Ranger Station located on the largest island in Central America. Besides black vultures, agoutis, and capuchin monkeys, this island also hosts endemics like the Coiba spinetail and a subspecies of howler monkey that is smaller than their mainland cousin. After a cocktail hour on the sundeck, guests enjoyed the evening recap, dinner, and then footage captured by Undersea Specialist Zoey Greenberg featuring animals from today’s reef.
After cruising during the night, National Geographic Quest arrived at the coast of Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge. This 53-hectare wildlife reserve has 13 hectares of dry tropical rain forest and more than 40 hectares of coral. We were eager to go ashore and spend the entire day exploring this paradise. In the morning, the tides were ideal for snorkeling. A lovely school of bicolored parrot fish together with orange-sided triggerfish were seen by our guests. The resilient reef showed evidence of health and life. We were all delighted to see the abundant marine life, the amazing result of conservation. After lunch, we walked around the premises of the park. A big colony of magnificent frigatebirds were nesting at the back of the island. The males had their red gular pouches inflated, and were clicking their beaks, waiting for a female to accept their charming advances. It was a great day enjoying what nature provided for our guests.
This morning, National Geographic Quest anchored in front of Barro Colorado Island (BCI), where the sunrise provided a stunning view, perfectly aligned with one of the nearby buoys. After breakfast, some guests visited the Forest Discovery Center (FDC), near Gamboa, part of Soberanía National Park. There, they observed various species of hummingbirds and trogons and had the chance to visit the observation tower for an incredible view of the forest canopy. On the way back from the FDC, they spotted white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, and Geoffroy's tamarins. At the same time, guests had the option to explore the island by land or water. Some chose to embark on a Zodiac cruise around the island, exploring its perimeter with a guide while taking in the surrounding wildlife. Others ventured onto the island itself, walking trails frequently used by scientists. On the island, guests spotted spider monkeys, crested guans, and various species of antbirds following the army ants, offering an up-close look at the island’s diverse ecosystem. In the afternoon, we continued our transit through the Panama Canal, heading toward the Culebra Cut where we prepared to enter the Pacific set of locks, making our way toward the Pacific Ocean.
