Taboga & Bona Islands
This is our second day in Panama. The charm of an amazing sunrise gave us the chance to do a pleasant ride to Panama Bay and one of the islands with a history full of odysseys, Taboga Island.
After breakfast, the Sea Voyager guests had the chance to reach this small piece of land, where one of the oldest Catholic churches of the western hemisphere, built in1524, was ready to receive us. This quiet town of fishermen has a combination of authentic Panamanian coastal ambiance and a contrasting cosmopolitan Panama City which provides locals with the comfort they need to live. The village has narrow roads flanked with several small gardens, old charming homes, and children with no concerns playing outside.
While moving through town, we had flashbacks of a rich history come into our minds. We thought about the experiences of many of the Spanish explorers, impressed by the beauty. We realized why many of them chose this place as their new home.
Something extremely kind was the surprise our Hotel Manager Erasmo had for us. He shared his own personal experiences of childhood in this area. The fact he grew up and spent part of his time as a child here helped to explain details of the streets, homes and inhabitants we saw. After being our personal host and guide, Erasmo kindly invited us to see his home. The view of the bay and the placid water made it easy to understand why people here love their home.
Once we left, we repositioned the ship, sailing for almost two hours. Then we dropped anchor, and one of the most exciting marine bird sanctuaries was waiting for us to explore its boundaries. The isolated island of Boná and her neighbor Otoque represents two of the important nesting places of several species such as magnificent frigatebirds, brown boobies and brown pelicans. We took the zodiacs and enjoyed the opportunity to observe this wonderful small piece of land, their conspicuous geological formations and especially the behavior, nesting habits and elegance of hundreds of birds, some of them even with their chicks. The magnificent frigatebirds were the stars showing off their bright red pouches to the females, providing us a moment of understanding how nature goes beyond any expectation.
Once our mission was accomplished on Boná Island, we navigated to our next destination. One more treat came out from the pristine blue water of the Pacific Ocean. A huge pod of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins showed up next to us making all kind of graceful jumps, coming all the way around the ship. We traveled together, dolphins and humans, both admiring each other, enjoying all the time the opportunity Mother Nature give us to share time together.
At the end of our day, the sun painted the sky with a smooth golden tone just to finish a very intense day of wonderful experiences.
This is our second day in Panama. The charm of an amazing sunrise gave us the chance to do a pleasant ride to Panama Bay and one of the islands with a history full of odysseys, Taboga Island.
After breakfast, the Sea Voyager guests had the chance to reach this small piece of land, where one of the oldest Catholic churches of the western hemisphere, built in1524, was ready to receive us. This quiet town of fishermen has a combination of authentic Panamanian coastal ambiance and a contrasting cosmopolitan Panama City which provides locals with the comfort they need to live. The village has narrow roads flanked with several small gardens, old charming homes, and children with no concerns playing outside.
While moving through town, we had flashbacks of a rich history come into our minds. We thought about the experiences of many of the Spanish explorers, impressed by the beauty. We realized why many of them chose this place as their new home.
Something extremely kind was the surprise our Hotel Manager Erasmo had for us. He shared his own personal experiences of childhood in this area. The fact he grew up and spent part of his time as a child here helped to explain details of the streets, homes and inhabitants we saw. After being our personal host and guide, Erasmo kindly invited us to see his home. The view of the bay and the placid water made it easy to understand why people here love their home.
Once we left, we repositioned the ship, sailing for almost two hours. Then we dropped anchor, and one of the most exciting marine bird sanctuaries was waiting for us to explore its boundaries. The isolated island of Boná and her neighbor Otoque represents two of the important nesting places of several species such as magnificent frigatebirds, brown boobies and brown pelicans. We took the zodiacs and enjoyed the opportunity to observe this wonderful small piece of land, their conspicuous geological formations and especially the behavior, nesting habits and elegance of hundreds of birds, some of them even with their chicks. The magnificent frigatebirds were the stars showing off their bright red pouches to the females, providing us a moment of understanding how nature goes beyond any expectation.
Once our mission was accomplished on Boná Island, we navigated to our next destination. One more treat came out from the pristine blue water of the Pacific Ocean. A huge pod of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins showed up next to us making all kind of graceful jumps, coming all the way around the ship. We traveled together, dolphins and humans, both admiring each other, enjoying all the time the opportunity Mother Nature give us to share time together.
At the end of our day, the sun painted the sky with a smooth golden tone just to finish a very intense day of wonderful experiences.
