Sea Turtle Facts
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Bocas del Toro Panama is the nesting ground for a
number of sea turtles. Here are some basic facts
about sea turtles:
Sea turtles do not have teeth, instead they have a beak like jaw which they use to tear, crush and bite at the food in their diet.
Sea turtles do not have ears. They have an inner eardrum covered by a flap of skin and they hear best at low frequencies.
Sea turtles have an excellent sense of smell. Their vision is good underwater but they are nearsighted when on land.
Sea turtles can remain submerged underwater for an extended period of time if they are not exerting themselves. For example, routine activity requires oxygen replenishment every four to five minutes, but they can sleep underwater for several hours at a time without the need to replenish oxygen.
They have flippers shaped like paddles for easier navigation in the water. The front flippers are used to propel themselves and the back flippers are used for steering. Their shells are more streamlined for speed and efficiency in the water.
Due to their immense size, sea turtles cannot retract their heads into their shells. Their skulls and necks are not armored. Sea turtles cannot right themselves if they are turned upside down. They also cannot back up in water or on land.
Because the sea turtle is a reptile, it cannot regulate its own temperature. When they are too cold, they become lethargic and seek warmth. At warmer temperatures they risk overheating. A rapid rise in body temperature can cause a deadly heat stroke which is one reason they nest at night.
Sea turtles do not have teeth, instead they have a beak like jaw which they use to tear, crush and bite at the food in their diet.
Sea turtles do not have ears. They have an inner eardrum covered by a flap of skin and they hear best at low frequencies.
Sea turtles have an excellent sense of smell. Their vision is good underwater but they are nearsighted when on land.
Sea turtles can remain submerged underwater for an extended period of time if they are not exerting themselves. For example, routine activity requires oxygen replenishment every four to five minutes, but they can sleep underwater for several hours at a time without the need to replenish oxygen.
They have flippers shaped like paddles for easier navigation in the water. The front flippers are used to propel themselves and the back flippers are used for steering. Their shells are more streamlined for speed and efficiency in the water.
Due to their immense size, sea turtles cannot retract their heads into their shells. Their skulls and necks are not armored. Sea turtles cannot right themselves if they are turned upside down. They also cannot back up in water or on land.
Because the sea turtle is a reptile, it cannot regulate its own temperature. When they are too cold, they become lethargic and seek warmth. At warmer temperatures they risk overheating. A rapid rise in body temperature can cause a deadly heat stroke which is one reason they nest at night.
14 Day Adventure Vacation to Panama
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Day One:
Arrive Panama City. Overnight Panama City.
Day Two:
Tour Panama City and the Miraflores Locks.
Day Three:
Transfer to Bocas del Toro. Dockside activities & afternoon trip to beach number 1
Day Four:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family – trip to beach number 2 with guide
Day Five:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family – snorkeling trip throughout the archipelago to different reef formations
Day Six:
Family – trip to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Day Seven:
Family – morning activities from dock
Afternoon – trip to beach number 3
Day Eight
Dad & Son – early am fishing from kayak
Family – morning boat ride to Dolphin Bay
Afternoon – activities from dock
Day Nine:
Family excursion to indigenous village and beach number 4
Day Ten:
Dad & Son – early am fishing from kayak
Family – trip to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Day 11:
Dad – river mouth fishing for tarpon
Remainder of family – trip to beach number 1
Day 12:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family excursion to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Entire family catches bonefish on fly rod
Day 13:
Mid day transfer back to Panama City. Overnight Panama City.
Day 14:
Return Home
Arrive Panama City. Overnight Panama City.
Day Two:
Tour Panama City and the Miraflores Locks.
Day Three:
Transfer to Bocas del Toro. Dockside activities & afternoon trip to beach number 1
Day Four:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family – trip to beach number 2 with guide
Day Five:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family – snorkeling trip throughout the archipelago to different reef formations
Day Six:
Family – trip to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Day Seven:
Family – morning activities from dock
Afternoon – trip to beach number 3
Day Eight
Dad & Son – early am fishing from kayak
Family – morning boat ride to Dolphin Bay
Afternoon – activities from dock
Day Nine:
Family excursion to indigenous village and beach number 4
Day Ten:
Dad & Son – early am fishing from kayak
Family – trip to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Day 11:
Dad – river mouth fishing for tarpon
Remainder of family – trip to beach number 1
Day 12:
Dad & Son – early am fishing off the dock
Family excursion to beach number 1 – guide returns afternoon to pick up
Entire family catches bonefish on fly rod
Day 13:
Mid day transfer back to Panama City. Overnight Panama City.
Day 14:
Return Home
Adventure Defined
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
What is your definition of adventure? When I did a
quick search of the internet here are a few of the
definitions I found:
A wild and exciting undertaking.
Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences.
Taking a risk in hopes of a favorable outcome.
A remarkable occurrence
We see an adventure as an activity or an excursion that is undertaken for the sake of physical or emotional exhilaration. Obviously most uses are in reference to physical activities. Many of the basic definitions require that the activity have some risk of danger. We do not believe you need to endanger yourself to go on an adventure. Adventure tourism is generally believed to include one or more of the following components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange or interaction, and engagement with nature.
While we find most adventurous activities are undertaken for the purpose of recreation, we also find that they can lead to a gain in knowledge. Many of our excursions permit you to learn more about the plants, animals and people which inhabit our beautiful Panama Islands. Adventure education is generally believed to be some form of organized outdoor excursion. We try with our excursions to include a variety of elements of each of the different definitions of adventure.
A wild and exciting undertaking.
Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences.
Taking a risk in hopes of a favorable outcome.
A remarkable occurrence
We see an adventure as an activity or an excursion that is undertaken for the sake of physical or emotional exhilaration. Obviously most uses are in reference to physical activities. Many of the basic definitions require that the activity have some risk of danger. We do not believe you need to endanger yourself to go on an adventure. Adventure tourism is generally believed to include one or more of the following components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange or interaction, and engagement with nature.
While we find most adventurous activities are undertaken for the purpose of recreation, we also find that they can lead to a gain in knowledge. Many of our excursions permit you to learn more about the plants, animals and people which inhabit our beautiful Panama Islands. Adventure education is generally believed to be some form of organized outdoor excursion. We try with our excursions to include a variety of elements of each of the different definitions of adventure.
Bocas del Toro Fishing
Friday, October 19, 2007
Why do they call it fishing and not catching? I think
this is an age old question. Today a group of four
guys went fishing. They left around 6:20 am and
returned at about 4:30 pm. They made their way to the
honey hole and tried to catch some fish. They saw a
bunch of fish and hooked one. They got that one close
to the boat, but in the end he got away.
So they spent part of the day collecting sand and shells to take back to their families. They decided they would take one more pass and see what happened. One guy hooks a tarpon at the front of the boat and brings him in. He is a good-looking fellow so they decide to go after another one. The next guy in the rotation is feeling a bit peaked so he passes on his turn. So the next batter steps up. He has gone saltwater fishing on four other occasions on other vacations but thus far he hasn’t hooked anything.
He hooks about a 60 pound tarpon. He fights him for an extended period of time and works with the fish to get him to the boat. He says it was one of the hardest things he has ever done. He smiles and says he knows that for a tarpon he wasn’t a huge specimen. But the fact that on his fifth trip out he brings a fish all the way to the boat – that is a smile you can’t wipe off of his face. So while the group spent most of the day fishing, they did do some catching.
So they spent part of the day collecting sand and shells to take back to their families. They decided they would take one more pass and see what happened. One guy hooks a tarpon at the front of the boat and brings him in. He is a good-looking fellow so they decide to go after another one. The next guy in the rotation is feeling a bit peaked so he passes on his turn. So the next batter steps up. He has gone saltwater fishing on four other occasions on other vacations but thus far he hasn’t hooked anything.
He hooks about a 60 pound tarpon. He fights him for an extended period of time and works with the fish to get him to the boat. He says it was one of the hardest things he has ever done. He smiles and says he knows that for a tarpon he wasn’t a huge specimen. But the fact that on his fifth trip out he brings a fish all the way to the boat – that is a smile you can’t wipe off of his face. So while the group spent most of the day fishing, they did do some catching.
Punta Valiente
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
One of our favorite excursions is to go to Punta
Valiente. There we visit one Ngobe Bugle village and
then walk across a trail created by another to one of
the longest stretches of beach in Western Panama.
The Ngobe Bugle is a combination of two separate groups which were joined together when the Ngobe Bugle Comarca was created. The villages we visit are a part of this comarca. The Ngobe Bugle are Panama's most numerous indigenous peoples with a population of about 190,000. A comarca is a protected area that governs itself comparable to a reservation in the USA.
The majority of the Ngobe Bugle live in small communities or villages like the two that visit. They live in huts raised off the ground with a penca or thatch roof. The primary handcraft of these Ngobe Bugle is the chacara. The "chacara" is a type of woven bag made by the women that displays their numerous ancestral legends, mimicking the skin and colors of their animals and the landscape of the comarca. These bags are made using fibers from the pita and cabuya plants.
When the children are in school we visit the village school and bring different items for the children. We also take photos of the different villagers. We print copies of the photos and take them back to them on the next visit. All the children gather around to find one of the photos of themselves to take home.
The Ngobe Bugle is a combination of two separate groups which were joined together when the Ngobe Bugle Comarca was created. The villages we visit are a part of this comarca. The Ngobe Bugle are Panama's most numerous indigenous peoples with a population of about 190,000. A comarca is a protected area that governs itself comparable to a reservation in the USA.
The majority of the Ngobe Bugle live in small communities or villages like the two that visit. They live in huts raised off the ground with a penca or thatch roof. The primary handcraft of these Ngobe Bugle is the chacara. The "chacara" is a type of woven bag made by the women that displays their numerous ancestral legends, mimicking the skin and colors of their animals and the landscape of the comarca. These bags are made using fibers from the pita and cabuya plants.
When the children are in school we visit the village school and bring different items for the children. We also take photos of the different villagers. We print copies of the photos and take them back to them on the next visit. All the children gather around to find one of the photos of themselves to take home.
Jellyfish Kayak
Friday, October 12, 2007
What would you think if I told you that you could go
for a kayak and then get out and snorkel and check
out an entire bed of upside down jellyfish? Would you
be intrigued or a bit freaked out? We have had
clients that go either way.
Upside down jellyfish are quite an unique sight. They live in shallow water and frequently in the mangroves. They reach 12-14 inches in diameter. They reproduce sexually in one part of their life and asexually in another part. They have lacy frilly ruffles. They appear to glow in the dark. They contain symbiotic golden algae. Most of their food is produced by the symbiotic algae. These same algae produce oxygen which allows the jellyfish to survive in oxygen poor water.
Upside-down jellyfishes have more than 40 mini mouth openings. They are invertebrates and their bodies are 95% water, 3% salt, and 2% protein. They usually lie on the bottom of the water and can be mistaken for the sea anemone. They have a sting, but it is minor and they do not sting often.
The jellyfish starts out as free swimming organism, and as soon as it reaches 2 centimeters long it inverts its bell and goes to the bottom of the water where it lands upside-down.
Upside down jellyfish are quite an unique sight. They live in shallow water and frequently in the mangroves. They reach 12-14 inches in diameter. They reproduce sexually in one part of their life and asexually in another part. They have lacy frilly ruffles. They appear to glow in the dark. They contain symbiotic golden algae. Most of their food is produced by the symbiotic algae. These same algae produce oxygen which allows the jellyfish to survive in oxygen poor water.
Upside-down jellyfishes have more than 40 mini mouth openings. They are invertebrates and their bodies are 95% water, 3% salt, and 2% protein. They usually lie on the bottom of the water and can be mistaken for the sea anemone. They have a sting, but it is minor and they do not sting often.
The jellyfish starts out as free swimming organism, and as soon as it reaches 2 centimeters long it inverts its bell and goes to the bottom of the water where it lands upside-down.
Chocolate as an adventure
Monday, October 08, 2007
Chocolate. Who knew it could be an adventure? It has
been traded as currency. It has been used for its
medicinal properties. It has been considered as a
food for the gods. The main ingredient in cocoa and
chocolate is cacao.
Cacao beans grow within the football shaped fruit pod of the cacao tree. Cacao trees grow in tropical climates within twenty degrees of the equator. Panama is at 9 degrees so it is perfect for cacao farming. The trees grow best under a canopy of taller trees. There is a slippery gelatin like membrane that encases the beans inside the pod. This membrane tastes similar to a sweet tart candy.
The beans are removed from this membrane and then allowed to ferment for some period of time to begin the development of the chocolate flavor. Once fermented, the beans are placed in the sun to dry. Larger chocolate production uses another method for drying the beans. The dried beans are then roasted. Roasting cracks the beans a bit into small pieces. These pieces are then sifted. The resulting nut is called a chocolate nib. The chocolate nibs go through a process similar to grinding called conching which transforms the nibs into a liquid. This liquid is chocolate liquor.
Commercial chocolate production continues on with additional processes which add sugar, milk and other ingredients. The chocolate is tempered to develop its sheen and then placed into molds and wrapped.
Cacao beans grow within the football shaped fruit pod of the cacao tree. Cacao trees grow in tropical climates within twenty degrees of the equator. Panama is at 9 degrees so it is perfect for cacao farming. The trees grow best under a canopy of taller trees. There is a slippery gelatin like membrane that encases the beans inside the pod. This membrane tastes similar to a sweet tart candy.
The beans are removed from this membrane and then allowed to ferment for some period of time to begin the development of the chocolate flavor. Once fermented, the beans are placed in the sun to dry. Larger chocolate production uses another method for drying the beans. The dried beans are then roasted. Roasting cracks the beans a bit into small pieces. These pieces are then sifted. The resulting nut is called a chocolate nib. The chocolate nibs go through a process similar to grinding called conching which transforms the nibs into a liquid. This liquid is chocolate liquor.
Commercial chocolate production continues on with additional processes which add sugar, milk and other ingredients. The chocolate is tempered to develop its sheen and then placed into molds and wrapped.
Lure of adventure
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The lure of adventure. What is it for you? Do you
want activities to keep you busy morning, noon and
night? Do you want to rest and relax and have a dose
of adventure on the side?
You can order your family adventure either way. One family we know does a bit of both. The dad and the son get up and go fishing off the dock each morning beginning around 7:30 am. Mom and daughter sleep in a little bit and they all meet up for breakfast in the main lodge building around 9:30. After breakfast they head out to one of the nearby islands for a day of sun filled adventure. We pack up boogie boards, kayaks, snorkeling equipment and lots of sunscreen. We send a picnic lunch made to order and various other snacks to keep them satisfied as they work up an appetite. They return from the beach early in the afternoon and escape from the sun for a few hours either inside their cabana or on the porch in the hammock. After the brief respite from the sun, Mom and Dad take some fruity cocktails back to their room for a bit of quiet time. The children come over to the main lodge building to play with our kids for a couple of hours. They enjoy a delicious dinner together before heading back to the cabana. At the cabana they stargaze briefly and then head off to sleep in order to rest up for the next day of their adventure vacation.
You can order your family adventure either way. One family we know does a bit of both. The dad and the son get up and go fishing off the dock each morning beginning around 7:30 am. Mom and daughter sleep in a little bit and they all meet up for breakfast in the main lodge building around 9:30. After breakfast they head out to one of the nearby islands for a day of sun filled adventure. We pack up boogie boards, kayaks, snorkeling equipment and lots of sunscreen. We send a picnic lunch made to order and various other snacks to keep them satisfied as they work up an appetite. They return from the beach early in the afternoon and escape from the sun for a few hours either inside their cabana or on the porch in the hammock. After the brief respite from the sun, Mom and Dad take some fruity cocktails back to their room for a bit of quiet time. The children come over to the main lodge building to play with our kids for a couple of hours. They enjoy a delicious dinner together before heading back to the cabana. At the cabana they stargaze briefly and then head off to sleep in order to rest up for the next day of their adventure vacation.