Bona Island & Isla Iguana National Park
Early in the morning we repositioned the National Geographic Sea Lion to the Otoque and Bona Islands in the Bay of Panama. As the full moon was setting, dozens of seabirds were starting to fly on the sunny side of Bona. These Panamanian islands are a sanctuary for magnificent frigatebirds, brown pelicans and brown boobies.
We began our first Zodiac cruises right after sunrise, in order to explore Bona. The photographers took advantage of the morning soft light around the island, looking also for blue-footed boobies that seemed to outnumber the brown boobies. Such particular observation has not been seen in years, and the naturalists were commenting whether El Niño year has something to do with the upwelling of more nutrients in the water, causing a larger number of birds to move to this archipelago.
We could observe nestlings of brown boobies on top of cacti, while magnificent frigatebirds were showing off their healthy and inflated red pouches on top of trees; brown pelicans were present, some of which were shining in their white and yellow heads, a sign of mating season. The sky was very busy; every bird was on duty taking advantage of the many schools of fish surfacing the waters.
Back on board, our Panamanian expert gave us a lecture on the biodiversity and history of Panama, including valuable details on the Canal construction.
After lunch, the guests prepared for their first snorkeling experience in Isla Iguana National Park. The white sand beach and the turquoise sea at 80F were inviting everyone to enjoy this tropical paradise. Some guests took a walk to the other side of the island, were the landscape is different, windier, with basaltic rocks and frigatebirds nesting over the bushes.
After some sunset photos, everyone went back onboard to enjoy cocktails and recaps. Another great day in Panama!
