With a clear sky over Barro Colorado Island, National Geographic Sea Lion anchored in front of the oldest research facilities of the neotropics. Barro Colorado was a hill that was transformed into an island after the construction of the Panama Canal and the damming of the Chagras River.
The island is managed by the Smithsonian Research Institute and has since become the training field for several generations of scientist of many disciplines - but mostly biologists and ecologists.
Our day of exploration began with the visit of one of the most prominent researcher of Barro Colorado, Dr. Egbert Leigh. We later split into groups- some took expedition landing craft cruises while others visited the facilities and hiked the trails.
The exuberance of the flora and the prefect weather conditions offered the chance to experience what a tropical rainforest really is.
This visit yielded howler monkeys, White face capuchin monkeys, snail kites, toucans and many other animals that gave us and idea of the while life we may be able to see later on our exploration.
Early in the evening after we enjoyed a Panamanian buffet, the National Geographic Sea Lion lifted anchor and continued its transit along the canal passing.
It was very interesting to see the new set of locks and the expanded section around Culebra Cut the narrows sections of the total transit and where the continental divide is locate.
