Our day began early on National Geographic Sea Lion. We were anchored 25 nautical miles from the Isthmus of Panama in a beautiful area known as the Las Perlas Archipelago, named after the abundance of pearls that were found here. The archipelago has around 39 islands and 100 islets.
We took Zodiacs from the ship and were amazed by the number and variety of seabirds here.
Magnificent frigatebirds were spotted soaring overhead. Some were observed with their bright red pouches inflated, in the hopes of attracting a mate. Blue-footed boobies, brown boobies, bare-throated tiger herons, and yellow-crowned night herons were also seen. Our cameras were busy capturing this magnificent scene.
Why are so many seabirds found here? The trade winds blow away the warm surface water allowing cold, nutrient rich water from the bottom to rise up to the surfaces. These productive waters set in motion a food chain where small fish feed on micro-organisms, then larger fish feed on the smaller fish. This in turn attracts colonies of seabirds.
Our next destination was a gorgeous white sandy beach on Pacheca Island. We enjoyed diving into the cool, clear water and soaking up the warm sun. The hermit crabs, coral, and shells made for fun beachcombing.
After a delicious taco lunch we participated in snorkeling and kayak briefings and attended an interesting presentation on the history of Panama. We had a lot to talk about over dinner!
