We left the port and headed to a Marina on Gatún Lake passing through the lush rainforest of the Panama Canal, renowned for its exceptional biodiversity. It is home to over 100 species of mammals, 525 species of birds and 124 species of reptiles and amphibians.
Upon reaching the Marina, we boarded a catamaran for a short cruise where our guide explained the forest’s ecosystem and indicated the main points of interest. We were lucky enough to see a sloth in the tree canopy above.
Gatún Lake is a large artificial lake used to provide water to operate the Panama canal’s locks, and it is crossed by ships as they pass through the isthmus. It was created between 1907 and 1913 along with a dam of the same name and contains more than 100 islands with a huge variety of flora and fauna.
We stopped at a village of the Embera Indians, a tribe that lives in perfect harmony with the natural environment in the heart of the rainforest. We listened to their traditional songs and watch a tribal dance accompanied by the sound of their handmade instruments.
The Embera Indians were very welcoming and friendly. We were amazed by the skill of the artisans that create baskets woven from natural fibres, delightful figurines engraved in wood and other original objects that we can buy. We were delighted to see a baby sloth.
After the visit to the village and the catamaran cruise, we traveled by coach to Agua Clara Locks Observation Center, where we stoped to see the lock system in operation and listen to our guide explaining the mechanisms used to move ships across the isthmus that separates the two oceans.
The Agua Clara Locks are the newest set of locks situated on the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal. This new Locks gave a new perspective of the Panama Canal, showing the past, present and future of the same. After you learn as much as possible of the Panama Canal and how it works nowadays.
A detailed explanation of an expert from the design to the construction and operation of the biggest engineer project worldwide will amaze you.
