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The Bridge of the Americas spans the canal near Panama City.
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The “Islamorada” was a convenient platform for viewing the Canal Zone from the water. The large and luxurious yacht was built in 1907 for banker JP Morgan who apparently bankrolled about one third of the entire cost of the canal construction. The “Islamorada” was JP’s personal yacht back in the day, now a tour boat for partial transits of the canal. About fifty tourists were aboard at dawn for the sailing from Panama City on the Pacific coast. A Canal pilot came aboard to shepherd us under the Bridge of the Americas, past the container port and on to the Miraflores locks, the first set of locks when transiting the canal from the south (Pacific) to the north (Caribbean). The “Islamorada” shared the lock with a large freighter as we were raised over eight metres, gaining another eight metres at Pedro Miguel Locks, the next set of locks. The freighter’s beam barely squeezed through the lock openings of just over 45 metres. The canal widened as we motored north toward Lake Gatun, the tour then ending at Gamboa for disembarkation, about halfway across the isthmus.
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A substantial container freight terminal is just beyond the Bridge of the Americas when sailing north toward the canal locks.
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The good ship “Alam Molek” is nudged into position by
one of the Canal service vessels.
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The “Alam Molek” squeezes into the Miraflores locks as it sails north to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The “Islamorada” slipped in right behind the freighter with room to spare.
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As the Canal widens the ‘cut’ necessary for its construction is dramatic in places, illustrating the sheer volume of earth displacement.
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Many traverse the canal on cruiseliners catching glimpses of the surrounding area but for those not confined to a vessel there is much to explore. Exotic wildlife abounds throughout the steamy jungle. The calls of birds and howler monkeys resonate for surprising distances. Now and then a gaudily-coloured toucan is glimpsed on a perch well above the forest floor. Toothy reptiles lurk on land, shorelines and in the water. Brightly coloured poison dart frogs enjoy insouciant profiles, their bright colours announcing their very toxic nature on the forest floor. Insects of the forest maintain regimented work ethics, ants and termites in particular with their giant nests. The rain forest oozes diversity and vibrancy of flora and fauna.
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The Chagres River flows into Gatun Lake. A dam on the river near the Caribbean Sea (at the north end of the Canal) created the lake upon which
much of the world’s freighter traffic floats.
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Sloths spend most of their time upside down, dozing from a tree branch.
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The nocturnal caiman is a close relative to alligators but comparatively pint-sized. Still, they do have a dental array that demands attention.
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Crocs are numerous in and around the Canal. Best not to become absorbed by your iPhone while near the shoreline. Better still, stay well away from the shoreline as these critters are quicker than they appear.
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The seldom-seen but constantly heard howler monkey descends from the canopy.
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An unusual praying mantis varietal crawls up a wall at STRI.
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Gamboa Rainforest Reserve had a substantially discounted room sale at the resort during our visit to nearby Panama City. The offering couldn’t be refused, especially because it included wildlife sightseeing during the evenings for sightings of the nocturnal wildlife. The eco-lodge is nestled beside the Chagres River near where it meets Gatun Lake on the Panama Canal and is surrounded by jungle. Across the lake is the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) on Barro Colorado Island where tours are arranged beforehand. Our guide for the day was Lili, a biological researcher from Colon. Biodiversity here is astounding. The biological reserve and research station houses labs and facilities for advanced field work on the island. During the dry season (our winter) the forest floor and jungle trails are blanketed in dry brown leaves adding a crunchiness to the walking. Over-sized vocal chords of the howler monkeys rumbled throughout the forest. Countless species of birds called back and forth, unseen in the forest canopy above.
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A freighter sails northward from Gamboa into Gatun Lake.
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The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) is located on Barro Colorado Island on Gatun Lake and is internationally respected for tropical biology research.
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Vines latch on to anything vertical in their quest upwards to sunshine.
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A young woman negotiates a tricky stretch of jungle trail on Barro Colorado Island.
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A researcher at STRI collects samples near the Canal shoreline.
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A poison dart frog is unconcerned with predators as its colour advertises its toxicity, recognized by all on the forest floor.
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Jungle walking tours are offered at Soberania National Park. The park is adjacent to the canal and thus near the narrow point in the isthmus. During the 16th and 17th centuries the Spanish carved out the Camino de Cruces as a trail to connect the two oceans. They transported their gold and silver plunder from present-day Peru up the Pacific coast to Old Panama City and onward by mule through jungle terrain across the isthmus to their port of Venta de Cruces on the Caribbean, then across the Atlantic Ocean by galleon to Spain. Little remains today of the trail. However other jungle trails at Soberania Park are ideal for day hikes from Panama City.
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The diversity of jungle flora is as impressive as the fauna.
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The cable car ride through the forest canopy at Gamboa was expensive
but well worth the view.
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Near the confluence with the Canal the Chagres River broadens.
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A cruiseliner sails north on the Canal toward Gatun Lake.
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A parade of freighters plods northward toward the Atlantic.
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An emailed account of jungle walking was emailed to friends at the time, an excerpt as follows:
We humans are comfy in our lofty placement on the food chain. Everything is feasting on something, whether flora or fauna. But for us the equation shifts uncomfortably in the jungle. Big cats could take you down, a boa could be your final squeeze, a croc could bite into your future, a viper could give you a playful nip simply for sport, but with some degree of caution the biggest danger in the jungle is simply getting lost. Never heard of Tarzan getting lost as he swings from vine to vine nattily clad in his jaguar-skin Speedo but he’s been at this game all his life. For us it’s just a couple of days on jungle trails with nothing much in sight larger than your everyday pussycat.
The howler monkeys appear to rule the forest canopy, at least in the audio sphere. Their size is comically disproportionate to their thundering voluminous vocals that resonate throughout the forest like vehicles desperate for a visit to Midas Mufflers. Down on the forest floor columns of ants carrying loads dozens of times their own body weights earnestly march toward their nests to serve the colony in perhaps the world’s most valid display of pure communism. After the eventual demise of humanity the smart money is on ants ruling the world until their socialist ways are corrupted by inevitable individualistic desires and acquisitions, Marx’s rallying cry “Ants of the world unite!” drifting into the dustbin of history. But one digresses…….
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