Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal, 11/18/2022, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
The Panama Canal is not just one of the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World; it is also home to one of the world’s leading institutions for tropical research. Today we had the opportunity to visit the canal and the research institution. We spent our morning inside the canal at the Smithsonian’s research facilities. In the evening, we finished our Panama Canal transit on the Pacific side.
Mauricio was born and raised in Panama City. He is studying at the University of Panama to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Biology and has worked on research projects collaborating with institutions like the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute an...
National Geographic Quest woke up to the sound of howler monkeys in the middle of the Panama Canal for our best rainforest hike of the trip! We divided into groups to hike on Barro Colorado Island, take Zodiac tours around the island, and visit the Rainforest Discovery Center near the town of Gatun. The activities were a total success. Guests enjoyed sightings of many monkeys, several toucans, some crocodiles, agoutis, and tamarin monkeys. They also spotted many hummingbirds in the Rainforest Discovery Center, and the birds even fed from the hands of our guests. In the evening, we continued our transit through the Panama Canal, this time going down to the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal is always the main event of our trips in this part of the world. Guests enjoy the canal’s grandeur and uniqueness. Ending our trip with the Panama Canal is the cherry on top, the perfect way to end an incredible week spent discovering the Caribbean Coast of Colombia and Panama.
Today on National Geographic Quest , we had an opportunity to visit Portobelo, a very important town in the Spaniard conquest. In 1502, Christopher Columbus was on his fourth journey to America aboard la Nina, la Pinta , y la Santa Maria . He saw the bay in the distance and called it Beautiful Bay. The Spaniards settled the town in 1597 when it was founded by Francisco Valverde Mercado. The town held a very important geopolitical position because of trade from South America through Panama, including gold and silver. Slave trade in Portobelo included 59,000 people. We began our day by offering historic walks around different fortifications. We learned about the military strategies of the Spaniards and how they protected the town from pirates and buccaneers. We visited a church with the famous Black Christ of Portobelo. Each October 21, massive celebrations are held that draw people from all over the country. After the walk, we enjoyed a Congo performance that included an explanation of the culture and dress. We returned to National Geographic Quest for lunch and waited for our Panama Canal Pilot. Around 3:00 pm, the pilot arrived, and we slowly started crossing the Panama Canal. We had some rain and enjoyed an opportunity to observe monkeys, birds, and crocodiles.
On our first day in Panama and in anticipation of tomorrow’s transit through the Panama Canal, we visited Indigenous communities in the beautiful Guna Yala, also known as the San Blás Islands. This is one of the autonomous reservations shared by Guna Yala people in Panama and Colombia. We visited one of the many little islands, a gorgeous tiny island with a beautiful, white sand beach full of coconut palms. It was a perfect, sunny day for guests to snorkel in the clear turquoise water to see the pristine coral reef. Other guests walked with one of our naturalists to learn about coconut’s importance to these people. They bought local handcrafts, observed performances of traditional dances, and played with kayaks and paddleboards in the warm, gentle water. Indeed, it was a perfect day in a wonderful place. What a great way to learn about incredible places and the people who share this wonderful world with us.
