Always on an adventure. Jim told the girls that they were going on a kayak ride over to the island to look for dinosaurs. As they returned from the island to the dock, he told Tres and Scott that if either one of them could catch onto the boat that he would give them a popsicle.






Look at him work trying to lose Tres after he had already won a popsicle.



Scott's turn to be captain. Who knew that a single kayak could hold four kids and support two hangers on?

The infamous sloth during the kayak paddle through Bahia Honda. He was so close you really almost could touch him.

On the same kayak paddle through Bahia Honda, we ran into a sloth. Here is Ramon’s photograph of our guest catching a photo of the sloth.

Memories of a recent kayak paddle through Bahia Honda.

Here are a few photos Ramon and Natalia took last Sunday at the Zapatilla Cayes.

Tres, Scott, Gina, Jay, Jim and Jim’s older brother went on a field trip a couple of weeks ago. First they went to our friend’s chocolate farm. Tres and Scott have been there many times before and they love it every time. Then in the afternoon they went to Bahia Honda and into the Bat Cave. They had so much fun. Tres and Scott have been talking about it so much since then. Here are a few photos of the “field trip”. I never went on any such kind of trip. Pretty cool school.

Back to a video. Here is a video of some of the beaches we visit here in Bocas del Toro Panama on our excursions. Each beach has its unique characteristics which makes it special. Two of the beaches are on small islands which you can circumnavigate in less than an hour. Certain beaches are only accessible during the months of the year when our waves are especially low. One beach is part of an indigenous comarca. It is one of the longest stretches of beach here in Panama. We have a full menu of beaches such that you can select a different one each day or stick with your favorite. It is entirely up to you.

Here is a photo Jim grabbed of Mel while he was kayaking near the Changuinola River towards the end of their trip. We had a wonderful time this day as we do every day.

Kayaking along the rivermouths - you will encounter a variety of things. Here are a few examples.

Area: Close to Tranquilo Bay
Activity: Kayaking & Snorkeling
Weather: Rainy

A great excursion close to Tranquilo Bay is kayaking your way through a series of canals naturally etched in the mangrove forests. When the weather is less than cooperative, this is a nice way to get out and still be within reach of the creature comforts. We paddled a short distance from the dock in an arsenal of sit-on-top kayaks and soaked up a little tropical rain along with the flora and fauna. To me, the rain just enhances the experience and it also reminds you that it is not called the rainforest for nothing. In these enchanted canals you get to see a plethora of wildlife, who don’t take shelter because of the rain but rather go about their daily business. One can see animals such as white faced capuchins, an assortment of birds ranging from Osprey to Kingfishers, upside down jellyfish and of course all types of tropical fish. We donned snorkel and mask and took to the water since we were already wet and swam the edges of the mangrove lagoons. They are rich and diverse, and allow for vast amounts of time to be spent searching their marvels. Mangroves in the rain shed a little light on what could be just a rainy day.

Area: Zapatilla Cay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Activities: Snorkel, kayak, swim
Weather: Sunny and clear and glassy seas

Sunrise this morning was incredible and the Caribbean’s surface was like a mirror. I could see my reflection in the water while driving 30 Mph over its surface, beautiful. The air was crisp and the Talamanca Mountains were crystal clear, backed by white streaks across a blue sky. Neil and Sue arrived in Bocas del Toro on the morning flight at 8:00 AM; their flight must have been beautiful. Their mission was to escape fall in Birmingham, England, and enjoy a week of adventure in Panama. I am sure they were admiring the clear panoramic view of Panama’s mountains and beaches during their flight. I would have been scanning the oceans surface for schools of tuna, or whale sharks.

We arrived to Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge at about 9:45 AM and Neil and Sue were ready to “get on with it”. We had our lunches prepared and packed for the beach, and then loaded the boat with kayaks and snorkel gear. We made it to Zapatilla Cay, a small island in Bastimentos National Marine Park, about 10:30 AM.

We unpacked the boat and set up our temporary office for the day. Three chairs and two igloo coolers, under just about any shade tree, makes a great office. Once base camp was fully operational, we wasted no time getting in the water to snorkel. Neil and Sue instantly fell in love with the water temperature. We chose to snorkel a wall section just off the Eastern tip of the Island. The visibility wasn’t perfect, but the fish were sure cooperating. We saw several big schools of snapper, and one of the biggest yellow tail snapper I have ever seen. There were blue schools of doctor and surgeonfish, neon blue spotted yellow tailed damsels, purple and gold Spanish hogfish, parrot fish, angelfish, butterfly fish, and wrasses. It was a great swim.

Snorkeling for about an hour and a half can work up an appetite, so we returned to the office to eat lunch. On the beach picnic menu today was a roast beef sandwich with mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomato on fresh baked olive focacia bread followed by homemade peanut butter cookies. From under our carefully chosen shade tree, we ate our lunch while looking across the beach and over the turquoise hued Caribbean, to the Talamanca Mountains in the distance.

Feeling rejuvenated, we decided to circumnavigate Zapatilla Cay by kayak. The leeward side of the island was calm; we paddled through several schools of feeding Bar Jacks, who appeared to have fresh glass minnows on their lunch menu. A few hungry hound fish also decide to jump in on the buffet. We saw brown pelicans, black hawks, kingfishers, magnificent frigates, terns, and humming birds feeding on the blooming sea grapes. The almond trees were also in bloom and attracting birds of all sorts. On the windward side of the Island we paddled further out over the coral reef shelf and watched schools of brilliantly colored tropical fish scurry for the safety of the ledge.

Our return to base camp, to tap the igloo for some ice cold drinks, was just in time. For the next two hours we just sat in the water and watched an electrical storm brew in the mountains far away. The lightning bolts were spectacular and a rainbow aura of the full color spectrum blew off the tops of the highest clouds. What a befitting ending to an incredible day.