Barro Colorado Island and the Panama Canal
Overnight, after having gone through the two sets of locks on the Pacific side of the Canal and traveled through the infamous Gaillard or Culebra Cut, our captain and the Panama Canal Pilot led us to a safe anchorage spot near Gamboa, in Gatun Lake. At around 5 am we lifted anchor once more, after having taken on board yet another pilot, and we cruised toward Barro Colorado Island (BCI). No movement within the canal can be done without the presence of the canal pilot, even military commanders must turn over navigational control of their ships on the Panama Canal.
This lush island in the middle of Lago Gatun was formed by the damming of the Rio Chagres and the creation of the lake. It is managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), which administers a world-renowned research facility here. The institute traces its 75-year history in Panama from the construction of the Panama Canal, when scientific surveys the area’s flora and fauna were undertaken with the goal of controlling insect-borne diseases such as yellow fever and malaria. In 1923 BCI became one of the first biological reserves in the New World. It is the home to 1316 recorded plant species, 381 bird species and 102 mammal species. The island also contains a 59 km. network of marked and protected trails.
Several nature walks were organized as well as Zodiac cruises, and we came back impressed by the biodiversity of wildlife spotted: spotted antbirds, howler monkeys with their young on their backs, agoutis and three-toed sloths, among other animals.
We came back to the ship, we had lunch and kept cruising through the canal once another pilot came aboard. By 5 pm, after going through Gatun locks, the last set of locks, we reached the Caribbean port of Cristobal.
This was our last day of the cruise, that started in the rainforests of Costa Rica and we ended in the Panama Canal: a true story of adventure, ordeal and accomplishment.
Overnight, after having gone through the two sets of locks on the Pacific side of the Canal and traveled through the infamous Gaillard or Culebra Cut, our captain and the Panama Canal Pilot led us to a safe anchorage spot near Gamboa, in Gatun Lake. At around 5 am we lifted anchor once more, after having taken on board yet another pilot, and we cruised toward Barro Colorado Island (BCI). No movement within the canal can be done without the presence of the canal pilot, even military commanders must turn over navigational control of their ships on the Panama Canal.
This lush island in the middle of Lago Gatun was formed by the damming of the Rio Chagres and the creation of the lake. It is managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), which administers a world-renowned research facility here. The institute traces its 75-year history in Panama from the construction of the Panama Canal, when scientific surveys the area’s flora and fauna were undertaken with the goal of controlling insect-borne diseases such as yellow fever and malaria. In 1923 BCI became one of the first biological reserves in the New World. It is the home to 1316 recorded plant species, 381 bird species and 102 mammal species. The island also contains a 59 km. network of marked and protected trails.
Several nature walks were organized as well as Zodiac cruises, and we came back impressed by the biodiversity of wildlife spotted: spotted antbirds, howler monkeys with their young on their backs, agoutis and three-toed sloths, among other animals.
We came back to the ship, we had lunch and kept cruising through the canal once another pilot came aboard. By 5 pm, after going through Gatun locks, the last set of locks, we reached the Caribbean port of Cristobal.
This was our last day of the cruise, that started in the rainforests of Costa Rica and we ended in the Panama Canal: a true story of adventure, ordeal and accomplishment.
