Today we explored the waters of Gatun Lake, the Panama Canal, and the famous Barro Colorado Island — a place that is full of history and that is involved in several studies about tropical rainforests. Years ago, Barro Colorado was one of the tallest hills in the Gatun Valley. Once Gatun Lake was formed, the hill known as “La Loma de Palenque” became the largest island inside the Panama Canal waters. It is also one of the most-studied tropical rainforests in the world. Since 1923 the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has been in control of the scientific fieldwork done on the island.
We also enjoyed the chance to take a panga (boat) ride to the town of Gamboa. Located in the geographic center of the Canal, we explored the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, where all the birds, monkeys, and butterflies were a wonderful complement to this amazing trip. Finally we navigated toward the Pacific Ocean, completing our transit of the Panama Canal.
