Day at Sea
After a few exciting and adventurous days, today we are have a chance to rest and contemplate what we have seen and experienced. Yesterday, on Coiba Island, Panama we were on the territory of the Mar Viva Foundation which is represented onboard by Ricardo Soto, Program Coordinator for Science and Community Involvement. In his excellent presentation this morning, he explained how the foundation works to conserve and replenish the rich marine resources of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia by enlisting governmental support for controlled fishing based on scientific research that provides ample time for depleted species to continue to grow in numbers. The foundation works closely with coastal fishermen who depend upon the dwindling resources for their livelihood and has helped many families augment their incomes by catering to the new tourist interested in the health and welfare of these delicate tropical environments.
The day of learning, rest and contemplation continued with a very informative and vividly illustrated presentation on birds of Pacific Coastal areas by our Bird Man, Richard White. He explained the behavior and habits of some of the world’s more fascinating species adapted to marine environments, some of which we had seen on our Zodiac ride through the interior river of Coiba.
After yet another delicious food interlude of tea and cakes Pablo Corral the National Geographic Photographer gave an inspirational presentation on the human emotional side of photography. He explained how the camera can be used as a bridge to reach out to the other human beings especially in times of pain and loneliness. He showed two collections of photos; one of the cross Australia train and the other on the soul of Tango in Argentina. The subject matter of his pictures is ordinary – everyday people doing ordinary things. But the result is astonishing and deeply moving for he has the great gift of capturing a moment that represents the timelessness and universality of human emotions with which we can all identify no matter what our race or culture may be.
